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

(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.

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?

Effective Marketing

While watching the National Geographic Channel as a family, something was said that got me thinking about wild animals and their domestic counterparts. I said something along the lines of:

"Wait, there are wild horses and wild dogs, wild boars and wild cats, wild sheep and goats .... and that's where we get our domestic animals from. But what about cows? There are no wild cows are there? I mean, what about cows? Where do cows come from?"

"California!" said Nat.

Apparently the California "Happy Cow" campaign is a winner.

WE thought it was funny

In the car, on the way home from the store:

Daddy: "...... well, the Bible teaches us that if we believe that Jesus is God's Son, and that he came to earth to save us, then we will go to heaven to be with God."

Nat: "Well, you know what Pop-pop teaches?"

Daddy and Mommy: a nervous "uhmmm"

Nat: "Tic Tac Toe"

Daddy and Mommy: Big smile.... "phew"

Easter

Does anyone know how hard it is to get both kids to look cute in the same picture? It's nearly impossible (especially with me taking the pics). It doesn't help that I'm indecisive, so you know there will be a lot of single pics of the kids. Oh well.
We got dressed up in our new Easter outfits from Nana and Papa. Nat had a beautiful little hat, which she actually wore and a matching purse. Dad was working so it was just us girls.
On the way home from church we get something close to this:

Mom: "Nat, did you have fun in your Sunday school class today?"

Nat: "I wanted you to come watch me."

M: "You wanted me to come back to your class? Oh. I was upstairs in MY class."

N: "Why?"

M: "Well, because there's a class for big kids and one for little kids and I went to the big class."

N: "Did you have fun?"

M: "Yeah, I had fun."

N: "Did you have a little bit of fun?"

M: "Yeah, I had a little bit of fun."

N: "Did you miss me a little bit?"

M: "Yes, I did miss you a little bit. I had a little bit of fun and I missed you a little bit. "

I know this won't last forever, so I'm immortalizing it here.