Talking to God

Nat, Jules and I were supposed to go to a picnic on Saturday. However, I told the kids that we wouldn't leave until they had picked up their toys. Now I didn't spring this on them immediately before we had to go, I was requesting their help for hours. After being ignored, there were eventually heated words and spankings. Finally we were able to get everything straightened up and we headed to the picnic. Coming home at the end of the night our conversation went like this:
Nat: "Mom, when I pray, I mean when I am in bed tonight, when I am praying to God tonight" (it took her quite a while to get it out) "I am going to pray to God to help me be a better helper. I'm going to pray he helps me clean up and be a good girl."
There is a break in the conversation as I am contemplating how wonderful my daughter is.... and then....
"What are YOU going to pray for mom?" pausing a moment "Are you going to pray to be a good mom?"
I burst out laughing. "Well first I am going to thank God for my wonderful children. Then, I will pray for patience and that we do a better job helping each other."
Priceless.

Lil' Tidbits from Nat

Nat (frustrated): Mom, sometimes I really don't want to have a little sist... I mean, I wish I didn't have to have a, I mean, not a little sister, but a...
Jules: Meeeeeeee?!!!
We all just burst out laughing. I said, "I know, sometimes she just drives you" and in unison, we say, "crazy." "But you love her." "Yeah," said Nat, "who would do my plans" (read schemes) "with me?"
Oh, the mystery and intricacies of sisterhood.


Nat to Bailey: Who's the cutest baby on the planet?


Nat: "Where's Pop-pop?" Nana: "I don't know, he should be here soon." Nat: "He's probably eatin' chocolate somewhere."


You know how Jules was using an Italian accent? Well, around January Nat started saying her "r"s differently. It wasn't the "w" sound children typically say instead of "r." I just couldn't figure it out. Then it hit me. It was FRENCH! She is totally using the back of her tongue. The "r" is the only letter with the accent, but we love it and frequently ask her to say words containing "r" over again just to hear it.


Nat: "I wish I could fall asleep like Julsie."

Daddy had a bag of cough drops on his bed.
Nat: "What are these?"
Dad: "They are cough drops. You take them when you are sick and they help you not to cough."
Nat: "Well that's silly, they shouldn't be called cough drops, they should be called Not Coughs."

Nat to Mommy: "Can we go to Nana's house?"
Mom: "Are you missing her?"
Nat: "Well YOU haven't seen her in weeks and weeks!"
In actuality, we had all seen her just a few days before. Glad to know Nat is looking out for me, though. ;)

We stopped over to her cousins' house to drop off some plants before we went in town to visit Gramma and Grandpa. Her cousins were swimming in the pool.
Nat: "Are the boys swimming?"
Mom: "Yep"
Nat: "Why didn't we come over to swim today?"
Mom: "Well, we're on our way to Gramma's right now."
Nat: "But I wanted to go swimming today."
Mom: "We will one day. They just opened their pool this week. We'll go soon. The boys just got home from school today and jumped in."
Nat: "What? They just got home from school?"
Mom: "Yes."
Nat, now almost frantic as I start the truck: "Well why are they swimming? because they're hot?"
Mom: "Yes, I guess, because they're hot."
Nat at a fever pitch: "Well I'm hot!!"

Tough as Nails? Who'd Have Guessed

Well, we know that Nat is not allergic to bees. She got her first bee sting a couple weeks ago. She was upstairs in her bedroom with Jules when I heard a LOUD scream and then some yelling. I ran to the bottom of the stairs as she ran out of her room.
"It was on me! The bee was on me!" and she was holding her arm.
"Did it sting you?"
"It was on me!"
"Yes, I know. Are you mad because it was on you or did it sting you?"
"I don't know! I didn't see it." (she didn't actually SEE the stinger enter her)
"Did you feel a pinch or a poke?"
"I don't know, it was on me."
I looked at her arm and could only see a large red area where her hand had been holding it tight. I still couldn't tell if she had been stung. She was not crying, but was a little frantic. When she asked for something cold, I was thinking she really did get stung. Finally she showed me her arm, and I saw the little raised area. She had been stung and never cried, what a trouper.
_______________________________
Last week, we were at my sister-in-law's house when Nat walked into the kitchen and smiled. Her teeth were all bloody! I said, "what happened!?" but I tried not to overreact and upset her. I thought she may not have know that she was bleeding. She informed me that she and Jules collided. Then, I saw her shirt. She had been using it to wipe up the blood. She just smiled, grabbed her shirt and continued to blot her lip which turned out to be offended body part. Again, she never cried.

Apparently my sensitive little girls is a quite a bit tougher than I thought! Daddy said she must have my pain tolerance. ;)

Easter 2010

I'm not feeling particularly witty at the moment, but figured I'd better get some pictures and updates on the blog before baby #3 comes. I think this action could be categorized as "nesting," although it may be too new of a fad to be listed in the parenting/pregnancy books as one of the common nesting activities



For all of you face-bookers, this next quote is a repeat. Sorry to bore you, but I need it here on the blog for posterity:
At lunch on Palm Sunday, daddy asked Nat what she learned in church that morning. Nat replied, "My teacher told us how Jesus died on the cross. I told her how Tudor died on the road."
It was all we could do to keep from laughing hysterically. =)

On Saturday, the girls and I went to Nana and Pop-pop's. I wasn't feeling very chipper so they watched the girls while I did my last minute shopping. I went back to their house and made my "Mom Rauch's Carrot Cake" with help from mom and sis.
The entire time I was gone Nat was chomping at the bit to get started coloring eggs. She was ready to go the second I hit the door but in true kid-torturing fashion, the eggs weren't. =) There were 12, yes TWELVE different egg colors in the Paas pack and we didn't even get the fancy pack! Jess and I think we had about 5 colors back in the day. 12! Good thing my mom has saved every little wire egg dipper we've gotten over the past 20 years so we still were able to manage one dipper for every color. (pheeeww. Crisis averted.)
Pop-pop was a great help in assisting Jules with the dipping and instructing Nat on the finer points of egg-coloring, like using the wax crayon and egg holders. They were tickled with their results.
Easter Sunday was a nice time. We made it to church and actually got some pics of the girls before we left. Nat was all about squeezing Jules to pieces for those shots. Later, we went to my mom's, had dinner, and an Easter egg hunt. The girls loved running around in the sunshine (and I'm sure Nat loved not having to fight 1000 little kids and their pushy parents for eggs at the Hershey outlets. At Nana's house you're a winner every time.)
We cajoled my prego sis to get a belly shot with me since she is finally showing a little bit. We played the "this is a once in a life-time photo for us" card. Unfortunately, we couldn't get her to show her real belly, just her clothed belly, but I'll take it!

I Cor. 15:17

Uh "O"

John's friend from high school, Mr. O, and his wife have 2 adorable little boys. Interestingly, the oldest is exactly 20 days older than Nat and the youngest is exactly 20 days younger than Jules. Weird, huh?

Anyway, over the years the men have kept in touch and our kids have gotten to see each other a few times every year, regardless of how far we are apart. Now we live in the mens' old hometown, we should see each other even more. This should be especially pleasing to their oldest, Andy.

You see, Andy has been smitten with the idea of Nat-nat for some time. He has drawn maps to her house, calls her one of his "girls of rock and roll" (like on Alvin and the Chipmunks) and made his gramma take him on a recon mission to our new house even before we moved in. We've only known about this apparent affection via his parents' stories - until now.

When they came to visit in February, the kids were a little slow to warm up. Then Andy suggested we have them sit for their routine picture together. Everything was normal (except Joshie wanted nothing to do with it.) Then slowly, Andy slipped his arm around Nat's waist, then cuddled into her shoulder. By the time they left, he had informed us that he couldn't leave her. He "just couldn't help it." By the time they finally cajoled him to the basement door, he had to run upstairs one last time to say goodbye. Nat handled all of it surprisingly well. Maybe a little too well =)

It was too cute and we all giggled about it. At least John tried to giggle about it. Truthfully, I don't think we're ready for all this jazz and if it had been the kid of any other parents, well....

My Baby Is 5 =(

I can't help it. This was a very hard birthday for me. I am excited to see her grow and learn new things, but the prospect of sending her away to school is just ... well..., just horrifying for me. I know it's probably somewhat selfish, but I love her! I know she'll enjoy making friends and showing me all the new things she has learned, but I will be lost without her. She is my little buddy. I don't think I want to spend my day Natty-less.

Ugh, and then there's the mean girls, and the inevitable misunderstandings with teachers, etc. that seem so unfair, and little boys who think she's cute and... ugh. Anyway, I'm sure there will be much more agonizing over kindergarten in posts to come.

Back to the birthday -

There were many other stressors for my already emotionally-fragile pregnant self:

-Family scheduling issues causing us to have the party well after her b-day

-Miscommunication between daddy and me so that we did NOTHING for her on her actual b-day (no cards, no presents, no cake). Just "Um, it's your birthday. You're 5 now."

-The entire weeks leading up to her party, she was talking about how she didn't have any friends here and she would have no friends at her party. She even told Nana, "I don't have any friends anymore, so I just invited all my family."

I was completely ready to have a melt-down. How could such a big birthday be celebrated so un-eventfully? My heart was broken.

Anyway, we did have a party, although everyone had to leave early. She got a lot of cute outfits and some fun Littlest Pet Shops. I made her a special cake too. In the end, the day turned out okay. The cake was very good and she was happy eating pizza. It was not the party I would have liked, but I'm sure I took it much harder than she did and in the grand scheme of things, she won't be too emotionally scarred. ;)

Photo Updates!

Here are some much needed photo updates of the girls. They date back to the beginning of my blogging hiatus. Sorry there aren't any more recent photos, but our camera and computer are having "professional differences."

Photos include Nat's first day of preschool this year, Julia's first day of baby gymnastics, the pumpkin we grew ourselves in the flower bed at our apt. building (oops!), Natalie's tissue paper fashion, and Halloween.

My Little Sweethearts

When I gave Jules her Valentine gifts, she was so excited and thankful. She opened her box of chocolate hearts and although she absolutely LOVES chocolate, the very first thing she did was give one to me and one to her dad. She shared with everyone all day. She is very generous with her things.

When Nat came downstairs and saw that there were gifts and cards and cookies for her, she became teary-eyed and cried, "but I didn't get you a Valentines gift." I had to work hard through the morning to console her. Later, my parents took us out to Valentines lunch. John had to leave a little early for work and as he was preparing to go, Nana heard Natalie say to him, "on your first day off, can you take me to get mommy a Valentines gift? On your first day?" She is often thinking of others.

My little sweet petites. I love them so much. I am so blessed to have girls with such kind, kind souls.

A Happy Heart

I tell my girls stories about Gramma Sanner when she was young. However, I usually call Gram "Wheezie" in those stories. One time I finished my story and Nat said, "what happened next? what's the end of the story."

I said, "that's it, that's all I know."

She said, "Well, can we get that movie so we can know the end?"

"That's not a movie honey, that was a real life story. Do you know who Wheezie is?" "No" "That's Gramma Sanner!" She was surprised.

So last night, I was broiling some chiles in the oven (from my garden... thanks Suzette!). I had the oven door open and was turning the peppers. Nat came over and sat beside me.

"If I sit in front of the oven, I will grow bigger," she said.
"Why do you say that?" I ask... but I'm pretty sure where this is going.
"Well, because Gramma Sanner did that." Then she said some group of words that meant it was a long time ago and that it was a real story, not made up.

My Gram was born in 1918 as a twin and she was around 2 lbs. The doctor told the mother that the small baby girl would likely not make it, to "put her at the foot of the bed," and that she should just focus on the baby boy. He also told the mother she could turn the oven on, open the door and put the baby girl on the oven door. =) That's just what she did. As we know, the little girl made it! If fact, she lived to be 90!

So, 91 years later, my 4 year old wants to sit in front of the oven to grow. =)

Then, just three nights ago, Nat asked me to tell them a "Wheezie story" before bed and for the first time, Julsie said, "yeah, Wheezie."

Do you know how happy that makes me? To know my children will know my Gram although they were very young when she died and to know Gram will live on in small part because of the wonderful stories I tell them.

Our Little Martha

We made some cookies last Friday to take to a picnic. (As an aside, the cookies never made it to the picnic.... it was their own fault though, they were too good.)
Here is the tutorial on how to make "Coconut Clouds" by my own little Martha Stewart. (After we were shooting, I told Nat she was like Martha. Nat said, "Martha is a good cooker. We should make her a card to tell her she is a good cooker." I think that's a great idea =)

You May Be Starving Your Children If....

...you find your eldest has raided the refrigerator and she is discovered gnawing on a raw zucchini.... with fervor. (After finishing what she wanted here, she decided to make herself a hot dog bun ... JUST the bun... with ketchup and mustard.)
Hey wait, or maybe it's just something with my kids and summer squash. You see, the youngest picked up a yellow squash at the grocery store last week and sunk her teeth right in.

Tip Tappin' Away

Here is Nat on her very first day of tap class. She was very apprehensive about it .... until I brought out her tights and leotard. Once she donned the outfit, she was ready to go. As you can see, Jules had to get on a leotard too and was all ready to dance. Poor thing. I felt so bad she couldn't come and she cried as we left.

I think Nat had a lot of fun. She was worried that her skipping skills weren't up to par, but I tried to convince her that she would get better and better if she just kept trying.

I LOVE dance and hope she enjoys the experience enough to do some sort of dance again in the fall.

(Accidental) Pun Fun

We got a GPS just before we left. We desperately need it. I shamefully admit that EVERY time we drive back to NW PA we take a wrong turn around St. College. I know. We've made the trip 100 times and it's amazing we still mess it up =) Anyway, this was the GPS's maiden voyage and we were just getting used to it.

Wait 2 questions for you:

1. Does anyone know if you can blow up a GPS by making it re-calculate every nanosecond (flipping U-eys, circling gas pumps, and in parking lots and such)?

2. Does anyone else call it a "She"? because I totally do and John made fun of me for it.... then he called it a she =)

But I digress - back to business

At one point, near the end of vacation, Ms. GPS came out with a novel phrase (to us): "Turn Right Sharply." John and I both looked at each other. "That's funny," I said, "I haven't heard her say that one before." Then imitating Ms. G, "turn right sharply." Natalie chimed in, "haha that is funny. She must have thought we were shopping for pencils."

Major Movie Meltdown

So yesterday after church we ate lunch and hit the pool. When we came home, we all decided that we would eat dinner, watch a movie and go to bed. After baths I turned on the TV and saw High School Musical 3 was just about to begin. Nat was THRILLED!
The girls felt compelled to don dress-up clothes during the first musical number and we all danced and danced. It was great.
The only problem was that my girls kept fighting. Someone was crying about something every 5 minutes. Jules punched Nat in the back, Jules wouldn't dance with Nat so Nat pulled her hair.... you know, all that sisterly love stuff. Finally, I'd had enough and gave a tough warning "The next time you two fight, I turn the movie off."
Well, we made it through Gabriella and Troy's first duet when a blood curdling scream cut the peppy background music. I said nothing. I didn't look to see who had done what to whom. I simply walked quietly up to the TV and turned it off.
Immediately, Nat began to cry and scream. "NO! Me want movie!" (she doesn't really talk like that, she just picked this up from a friend and is in a stage, oh well.) The tantrum went on for probably 15 minutes. It could have been more or less. It just felt like forever. I knew she was VERY upset, but I also knew that I had to stand firm or my warnings would never mean anything.
Finally I put Jules to bed, took Nat into my room and we laid down, read a story and we too went to bed. It was around 8:30 pm. We needed it.

Anyway, the whole reason for the story was not an expose on her bad behavior. She really is a very good girl. All kids just have their moments and this was hers. However, I just HAD to share (and preserve for her later years) some of what was said during the tantrum. Of course, I can't remember the exact words as it went on and on, and they were shouted and blubbered through red-faced grunting and tears, but here are some examples:

"Can't you just turn the TV on so I won't have to be upset anymore? "
"I am so mad at you. You are the meanest mother. I never wanted a mother."

"But Julsie did it. She was was being mean. It's so hard with a baby sister. I was thinking we would just have one baby. When I was a little sister, you said, 'we are having another baby' and I just thought we were going to have one baby! Can't we give Julia to someone else? I just get so aspirated with her!"

ME, fighting back the laughter: "You don't really want to give Julia away, do you? Look at her over there."

"But it's just so hard with a little sister! I get so aspirated with her.

ME: "I know, I know what it is like to be the big sister. I was Aunt Jess's big sister. I know, it's hard. They bother you and be mean and then you get in trouble for it. I know it's hard honey."

"I just had it in my mind that we were just going to have one baby. She makes me so aspirated."
"Can't you turn the movie on so I won't be mad at you anymore?"
"Me want movie, me want movie, me want movie."

In the end, we read a story and cuddled. I said, "remember when you watered you flower in the sink and all the dirt came out and filled the sink and you came and got mommy and daddy? You were afraid we would be mad, but we weren't and we were happy you came and told us so we could help?"
"Yeah"
"What if I would have said, 'I never wanted a daughter like you!' How would you have felt?"
"Bad"
"How do you think mommy felt when you said, 'I never wanted a mother like you'? You don't have to answer, just think about it. Just think about how I felt."

Oh Motherhood. The Joys, Trials and Tribulations.

Graduation!

Well, at the end of May, we had our final day of preschool for the year. It was at Mrs. B's house and she did a TERRIFIC job putting together a special day for the girls. She really went overboard.... but that's Mrs. B! First they made their own visors. Then there was an awards ceremony where they received certificates for completing the year. It was signed by all our the mom-teachers and had a picture of the group in the background. It was so cute. Then, as gifts, they received a bag and pink cup with their NAME on it! Inside the bag were tons of goodies including a purse and candy necklace, book of puzzles, and smelly lotion. We then had a wonderful picnic lunch with flower shaped sandwiches. It was a very nice way to end a very fun preschool year.

Sunday Pics

Daddy wasn't home to do his usual Sunday pics, but they looked so cute this week that I had to do it. Nat is wearing one of her favorite dresses (picked out and bought for her by daddy's friend Tim) and Jules is wearing a new dress from Nana that she got for her birthday =) Both girls are wearing their new flower clips I made on Monday (pic to follow).

Julia Turns 2!!

That's right. On Friday, April 24, my little Julsie Pulsie turned 2! Since we were heading to Nana and Popop's that day, we celebrated with Daddy and our friends on the 23rd. In total, we had three parties for her =) I will show you pics and tell you stories from each one, but here are some pics of the cupcakes I made for her big day.

Luckily I did not delete them (like Nat's). For only my second time using a pastry bag, I think they came out cute. I'm starting with easy =)

I told Nat she could help me make the cupcakes, but timing just did not work out well and I ended up working on these during the night. When she woke in the morning, I was in the shower. She came to me sobbing. After deciphering the cry-speak I realized she wasn't in pain or in danger. "Mom, did you make the cupcakes without me?!" "Yes, honey, I had to get them done last night before the party, but I left 7 cupcakes for you to decorate." "Seven?" "uh huh" "That's a lot"

When I got out of the shower I found she had pulled up a chair to the high kitchen counter and was looking at the cupcakes. I came out to her and could tell she liked them. With her serious and soft voice she looked at me with those big doe eyes and said,

"Well mom, they're not much.... but you did a great job."

"They're not much" ..... hahaha Where does she get this stuff?

Movie Stars?

Let's see if this works. If so, it will be the first time I have been able to post video on my blog! I am kind-of technologically challenged so this could be a bust.

If not, this is just some random video of the girls jumping around on my bed and being silly.

Life is Full of Teaching Opportunities: Today - Anatomy

- As Julia is getting her jammies on -

Jules (pointing to her chest): boob
Mom: Yep, that's your booby
Nat: (quickly turning from what she was doing) Jules has boobs!?!?
Mom: Yeah, so do you.
(she pulls down the neck of her jammies to see)
Mom: See that little dot? That's your boob.
Nat: (quizzical look)
Mom: Eventually they grow.
Nat: And grow and grow and grow and grow??
Mom: Yep (really thinking: well, if you're anything like me, probably just grow, not grow and grow=)
Nat: They'll grow and grow until I have milk in my body?
Mom: Yep, when you have a baby you'll get milk in your body
Nat (with enthusiasm/awe): And I'm going to feed my babies all the time.....
Mom: uh huh
Nat: and I'll never ever put milk in a cup.
Mom: Pretty cool, huh. And did you know, only girls can do that. Only girls can have babies in their belly and only girls can feed babies - Boys can't.
Nat: but boys can suck
Mom: yes, baby boys can drink milk .... Okay!! who's ready to brush teeth?

Our Sunday Pics