Hannah Owey

Last night we took a walk after dinner.  Nicole rode her bike, and Hannah and Nathan rode in the wagon.  About halfway through the walk, Hannah wanted to pull the wagon, so we let her get out and she was actually strong enough to pull Nate around.  It was cute.  We walked about a quarter of the way down the block when Nicole stopped to look at something (she is always starting and stopping on these walks....she sees Everything!).  Hannah was a bit slower than the rest of us (pulling that big ole wagon).  So, I stood behind Nicole talking to her and I heard Hannah coming close.  Just as I realized Hannah was almost right behind me, I heard Jeremy yell "Hannah, watch out".  Unfortunately when someone tells you watch out, you don't know what or where to watch out at.  Hannah turned around, tripped over Nicole's training wheel and literally face planted on the asphalt road. 

Nothing, Nothing cushioned her fall.  Her arms were holding onto the wagon handle, she went face down. S.M.A.C.K.

Jeremy quickly ran and scooped her up and I grabbed the wagon and started hurrying Nicole along.   Hannah was screaming and blood was all over her face and Jeremy's shirt.  I just started hurrying Nicole and Nathan home, while Jeremy held Hannah and tried to comfort her.

When we got home, daddy cleaned her all up and we called Grammy to come over and look at her teeth and mouth.  Grammy worked as a dental assistant for years and years and years...so we trusted her eyes to see if anything was wrong with her teeth and gums.

So, the good news is...Hannah is ok!  Her teeth are not loose.  She has a few cuts inside her mouth, on her lip, her nose and on her forehead.  She relished being held and passed around to every family member at our house, watching Little Bear and holding ice on her lip.

Now daddy is bringing home a surprise for her when he gets off work today.  She is talking find (with a bit of a lisp) and seems to be feeling ok.  But, she's got a fat lip and looks "a little bit like a duck" to quote an anonymous person this morning. 

Poor little Hannah girl.  She has an owey!

Mommy's Handy Helper and other fun photos

This morning, I was trying to pick up a bit and one task was to unload the dishwasher.  Nicole heard me clanging away and quickly came to my rescue.  She asked if she could unload the dishwasher for me.  Of Course my sweet child!

She neatly stacked all the plates and cups, drying them before stacking them on the counter for me to put away later.  When she was finished, she triumphantly came to get me and said "Ta-Da"  Here is what I saw.

Yes, that is an empty dishwasher, minus the knives.  She is SO good about not touching or playing with knives!  I thought it was so sweet that she left them there.


And, now, some random pictures

Nicole captured this picture the other day.  I thought it was really sweet.

A pretty sunset the other night

Nicole has been having fun playing with Nathan lately.  So sweet.

Nate Dawg in Da House!!!!

These are the girl's "funny faces"  They are so silly.

Is it weird....

that I just got a toe nail clipping stuck in my eye?   The joys of clipping 60 little toes and fingers. 

btw...I have a weird obsession with clipping my kid's nails.  I really enjoy doing it.  Instant gratification maybe?

A conversation between sisters (about breastfeeding?)

The other day, my mom heard a quick conversation between the girls.  We were getting ready to go to the beach and they had their bathing suits on.  Hannah has a "Little Mermaid" bathing suit.  To remind you....here is a picture of The Little Mermaid.

Hannah looked down at the mermaid on her bathing suit and pointed to her and said, "Nissey (Nikki)...bow.  Bow".

Then Nicole looked at her and said, "No Hannah, that's not a bow.  That is what keeps the milk inside".

They were talking about Ariel's little shell bathing suit of course. 

Unwholesome talk

It's hot!  Hot, Hot, Hot!!  I know it's hot everywhere right now....but, I still feel like complaining.  It's to hot to go outside in the morning, and to hot to go outside in the evening.  It's insane to go out in the middle of the day.  I'm tired of being inside.  I'm bored and grumpy and ready for a cool day (thankfully...they will be coming soon to our family...more on that later)

I feel like grumbling.  Especially when it's hot.  I just got poop on my hand, my freezer won't freeze, I cut my finger with a can lid, I'm tired and whiny and complainy...and I'm having a hard time thinking of something nice to write on here.  I do have one funny story, but I need to take a picture first...which I'm to lazy or tired...or HOT to do! 

I keep writing more to this post and then deleting it because of how negative it is.  I have been working...for some time now, like months... on having more self control over my tongue.

Ephesians 4:29, 31,32

"Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification, according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear....Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.  Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." 

So...if you've had a conversation with me over the past few months and I become silent, it's because I'm trying NOT to grumble, or to speak badly about someone.  'Tis not easy.  There are many times (many, many times) that all I want to do is join in and blast someone...but it is not right.  In fact, it is a sin.  I have been working so very hard on the first part of this verse especially "only such a word as is good for edification, according to the need of the moment"  Sometimes the "need of the moment" means I must speak a positive word.  Sometimes, it means not speaking at all.  More often than not, I choose not to speak at all.

BUT...have I really learned anything at all?  I may not speak (or at least, I am trying not to speak) unwholesome talk in front of others...but, I almost always share my views with my dear Jeremy.  I feel like I may rupture inside if I don't share with Somebody what I really think.  As if my thoughts are really that important (because usually they aren't).  It's pride.  I want someone to know what I think...I want someone to acknowledge when I am right...and I want someone to justify how I feel.  Is it ok to share with one person those "unwholemsome thoughts"  The thoughts that are not good for edification, but thoughts that really could be used to tear down and break apart?  I'm pretty sure I shouldn't share those thoughts with anyone...and until I can hold them in...no, not hold them, but lay them down before the Lord and leave them there....then I have learned nothing and have not even come close to following that command.

I have no idea where this came from.  I just wanted to complain about it being hot...and me being tired, lazy and unmotivated.  I'm just in a complaining mood...and I want Someone to feel my pain.  Kind of pathetic....and kind of shows that I'm not as far along as I hoped I was. 

I'll share a funny story soon.

Siblings

I wish I were a better writer, maybe then I could find the words and detail the moments and emotions I feel when I watch my children interact together.  This morning may have been one of the most perfect mornings we've had (without daddy home). We read, we painted, we "played school", we did more crafts and computer time. We had a yummy lunch, cleaned up, had a little dessert then played in their bedroom before naps.

The perfect time to me was the playing in the bedroom.  I am trying to more purposeful about play time with Nathan.  A lot of times he's with us, just hanging out on the floor or in the high chair while I interact with the girls. So, this morning, I told the girls that we were going to play with Nathan for a little while...and play we did!

We spent about 20 minutes singing songs, reading funny rhymes and talking with each other.  Nathan sat in front of me or on my lap as I moved his arms in sync with the girls singing and dancing (the wheels on the bus, here we go round the mulberry bush, grande ole duke of york...to name a few). 

What I wish I could describe was the look of pure adoration Nathan had toward his sisters.  He smiled with his mouth and with his eyes as he watched them dance around the room.  He giggled with them as they tried to teach him the movements.  He "danced" with them to the beat of their songs.  It was perfect.  The girls had a blast entertaining Nathan...Nathan thoroughly enjoyed  watching them...and I tried not to cry as I took in the memory of these three siblings.  These three who already love each other. These three who will be together always.  These three who, I pray, will have a special and lasting bond.  Today was a memory that I am determine to tuck away in my heart and hold onto for a long long time.

Beach Day

This morning, we took off to the beach with Yaya.  It was a perfect Florida beach day.  It was hot, almost no breeze, the water was warm and nearly flat.  We parked at a State Park....in the last lot.  It think that's my favorite place to park. There are very few people, and  you can walk all the way down to Wiggins Pass and, if your lucky, spot some cool shells.

Immediately, the girls got to work building with Yaya in the sand.

Hannah is the fish who was first in the water with Yaya.  Nicole was happy to just be playing in the sand. In fact, before we went, she told me that she just wanted to play in the sand.  She did eventually make her way to the water though.

We noticed there was a sandbar, so my mom swam out to it, and found us some sand dollars.  I don't think the girls had ever seen live sanddollars before.  Nicole and Hannah both "tickled" their toes, but only Hannah would actually hold one.

We also spotted a couple dolphins.  At one point, they were very close to shore, and straight out in front of us.  Of course, I didn't have my camera then, but I tried to snap a few shots when they were a little further away.

Nathan slept almost the whole time.  To bad for him...but I was happy he got his morning nap. 

I took a walk with the girls down to the pass.  We collected shells, slipped down sand banks and chased birds.  It was fun.

I think we all had a nice day at the beach:-)

Nathan is 8 months!

Nate turned 8 months old last Thursday.  He is the sweetest, cutest little boy in the whole wide world!  He has a really great little sense of humor and disposition.  Every night after dinner time, he laughs.  All I have to do is look at him, and it cracks him up!  Then, Jeremy and the girls get in on the action.  Nathan is very very close to crawling,

he sits up well, he's eating really well...and has even added crackers to his repertoire.

Nate goes to bed a few minutes after 7, and wakes up around 7 in the morning.  Occasionally he'll wake up at night, but usually just for a minute or two.  He is cutting his top two teeth...any day now really. He wears size 12 month clothes. He is extremely ticklish...around his neck, on his sides, his thighs, under his arms....just about anywhere. He LOVES his sisters.  He watches them all the time!  It's adorable.

Nate is a really cool baby, really he is.  I just love him to pieces, and I know his daddy and sisters do too.  The video above is just of him, making noises and saying "mama"  Please forgive my weird baby sounds as I play along with him:-)

Happy 8 month birthday Nate!  We love you!

Life is a Highway

And my kids have their very own car!

I came home last Sunday from my friend's house and found this.

Jeremy made a car for the girls to play in out of his box from his new lawn mower.  They have played in the car all week long!  I'm so glad Jeremy made the car for them...it's much more creative than if I would have done it. There were doors on both sides, a windshield, a steering wheel, a "crank" to start the car (Nicole saw this in a movie with an old car) and even a spoiler!  It was a pretty cute little hot rod.

Oh Toodles....

My kids like to watch Mikey Mouse Clubhouse.  Since we have TV for the next couple of months, they have been watching a lot more of Mikey Mouse than ever before.  They have their favorite 4 or 5 episodes they pretty much watch all the time.  Anyway...the basis of the show is that Mikey and his friends hang out at his clubhouse.  There is some sort of problem each day and they have to work together to figure it out.  They are given 3 or 4 tools to use along the way, which his little flying friend "Toodles" holds.  So...when Mickey and friends are in trouble, they say (in a sing song voice) "Oh Toodles!!!" and toodles comes flying to help them out.

Well, the other day, we were all swimming.  Hannah decided she needed a break.  She got out of the pool and tried to get up in the chair.  If you've ever seen a typical pool chair, they are made from long thin pieces of plastic or vinyl.  Hannah's leg fell through between the flimsy pieces.  At first she said "oh, oh no, oh no!".  Then, she looked up, cupped her hand to her mouth and said, "Oh Toodles!!!"

Hmmm...maybe to much Mickey Mouse?