Playing with Felt

I wish I had a picture to post of the girls playing with the felt doll set my mom gave them for Christmas. I stole one from www.thefeltsource.com!

This was such a brilliant idea for constructive play for my girls, that I wanted to share it.

My mom made each of the girls a felt board, putting a label with their names on the back. They are very careful that they get the right board when I allow them to get their felt sets out.

Selena and Shana each got two ziploc bags with a felt doll, and all of her clothes and accessories all cut out. I think my mom and Neesie spent a lot of time doing this, and I am so thankful!

Here is the description from the website: The 8" girl dolls are Lindsey, Maria, Mikko, and Keisha. They are used just like the old fashioned paper dolls except that they never wear out and like all of the felts at The Felts Source they are hand washable!

The really neat thing about these sets is that they each come with a Christian story that includes the other dolls as well as all the outfits that come in the sets. When I tell you that this provides hours of play for my girls, I am not joking. Today they had their felt boards set up on the floor between their beds, and were imagining all sorts of wonderful things. I didn't hear from them for an hour and a half!

There are boy dolls available too. I'm considering getting the girls the felt dollhouse or the story sets as well, since they like the dolls so much.

If you are interested in getting these dolls for your family, the website is here.

Two Saturday Mornings for Two Girls

Early one Saturday morning, two weeks ago, a little girl was swooped out of her bed by her Daddy. He dressed her quietly and quickly, but not before another little nightgown clad figure appeared at our bedroom door with a questioning face and furrowed brow.

"Your week is next week," the little anxious one was told.

An little over an hour later, Daddy and oldest daughter came home bearing goodies in a brown bag, and we got to hear about the breakfast date with Daddy.

A week later, the smallest girl was similarly whisked out of bed and hurriedly dressed. Her older sister was still snoring in her mountain of pink blankets. With a giggle and a wiggle she gave me a big kiss and practically flew downstairs with her Daddy.

When she returned, she walked on air, prattling on and on about her Dunkin' Donuts trip. She danced all morning with a glow on her face.

The girls are already talking about their May dates with Daddy and the fun they will have. Who knows, maybe I'll get one too!

Lately ...

Lately the weather hasn't seemed to be able to make up its mind! We have hot days, cold days, snowy days, rainy days, and they are sometimes rolled into one week. But inside our home, I've been busy with just holding things together. This pregnancy has been my weariest, but also my most laid back and relaxed. The girls are so excited at the prospect of a new little one to love and bother. They have such plans for this baby! We've been hearing prayers like this at Bible time: "Dear God. Um ... is it a brother or a sister? And, do we need a van? And, um, please help the baby to grow big and strong, and help Mommy not to be so tired." (Lena) "Dear Lawd. Dank you bor dis day. Dank you bor brudder or sister." (Shana)

Lately I've been loving to make this recipe (thank you - oh - thank you Pioneer Woman). We like to call it Mackey and Roni, as it was aptly named by Shana.

Lately I've been wondering how we can be thinking about starting homeschooling already. Wasn't it just yesterday that I was dressing her in baby gowns?

Lately I've been napping with the girls. Oh how I look forward to my snuggly red blanket and an hour to drift off and rejuvenate.

Lately our Selena has been so interested in spiritual things. We are so encouraged, and we are answering all her questions with joy in our hearts!

Lately I've been so thankful for E, who is always there to make my day wonderful. Whether he's stopping in for lunch, making up inventive games for the girls, or rubbing my back, I thank God for him.

Lately ... I've also been missing blogging, and I am SO glad to be writing again!

Two Little Very Grown - up Girls

Once there was a mama who loved her little girls very much. She loved to peek over the side of her bed to look at them as they slept in the bassinette when they first came home from the hospital.

She loved to stare at them as they slept in their comfy crib, even though she had to stand on her tippy toes to touch them as they slept.

She loved to kneel next to their toddler bed as they lay there among their many dolls and stuffed animals.

And she just can't wait to sit on their big girl beds and read them bedtime stories before tucking them in and giving them extra kisses.

Every stage of life is a blessing ...

Winter Wonderland

We've had a LOT of snow this winter. The above picture was taken after our first major storm. By the end of it all, the Valentine's Day flag you can see in the picture, was completely covered with snow!
What is it about a snowstorm?

Is it the wonder in their eyes?

Or is it the fun we have inside, burrowing under blankets, cooking up a storm, reading, watching movies, taking long naps, and drinking coffee and hot chocolate?



Maybe it is the time that we emerge into the winter wonderland, shoveling, laughing, building, until we are too cold to stay any longer?

Is it that Daddy gets to stay home with us?

I even enjoy those couple of days before an impending storm, the time when I stockpile groceries, books and movies, making sure we are all set for being stuck in the house.

Spring is just around the corner though, and I do look forward to being about to get out and about a bit more.

Hope you are all well.
Love from Us.

We made it through three nights and four days without Daddy! This was the first time I have been apart from E this long, and I am so glad he is safely home again. Selena and I made this calendar while she was blinking back tears after saying goodbye. Each morning she crossed off another day on the calendar. Shana was very sad because she couldn't understand where Daddy was, and kept asking for him.

While my husband was away, I grew to appreciate even more what an active role he plays in our lives, and how he makes our lives brighter. I also grew to appreciate Selena as a big sister to Shana, and mommy's helper.

One of my friends, Sara, came and stayed for one of the nights, and made the time go so much faster. She colored with Lena, read to her, and built towers out of blocks.


Hope you are all well!

Clean Eating

Lately, we've been trying to "eat clean." I really feel that I've been a little lax in doing the very best to make healthy choices for my family. I take better care of the girls than I do my husband and myself. The girls eat 3 meals a day, and two snacks. They eat so many fruits and veggies, and love them. We sit down for dinner together as a family, so we are all eating the same things for that major meal, but after the girls go to bed, we've been totally indulging. Coffee with lots of creamer, ice cream or some other sugary dessert has become a real habit. It's our little date time together.

Also, E and I like to cook together. It's become somewhat of a hobby. I chop, he stirs, we taste, Lena sets the table, Shana runs around the kitchen ... love it!

And then I got the Pioneer Woman cookbook for Christmas. The recipes are soooo - sooooo - SO yummy - and fattening!

I feel like I have no excuse NOT to use fresh ingredients in my recipes. We live very close to 4 farmer's markets, and one family owned produce stand that sells everything at an amazing price. I got a whole box of produce for under 10 dollars.

So E and I have been using fresher ingredients, cutting out a lot of the sugar we had gotten into the habit of eating at night, drinking more water, and trying to make better choices. We can still cook together, food still tastes good, and I even made a corn salad out of my new cookbook. I used all fresh ingredients, and we ate it on top of some grilled chicken. Can you say, yum? And I try to reserve my penchant for cooking comfort foods for once a week.

Bon Appetit!

We've been absent ...

News from our little household has been slim lately, hasn't it? I do miss blogging here regularly, but will stop in as I can.

God has continued to fill our home with the laughter of our little ones. Selena is progressing in her quest for learning to read, slowly but surely. She can read simple (three letter) words, and is learning to sound out. We studied apples in September, pumpkins in October, and we are studying turkeys this month. She helped make apple pie and pumpkin muffins too! Shana joins us as we read and color, her little hands busy trying to take Lena's papers or knock over her carefully planned building blocks. It is a good learning experience for both of them! Lena is mama's helper, and is growing so quickly. I am so thankful for my intuitive girl who has inherited mommy's talkative nature!

Shana has very little to say, but her eyes tell us everything. She is simply sweet with her impromptu kisses and hugs. She is very purposeful in her play -- stacking plates and cups, pretending to fold laundry, and clapping and singing. Her favorite word is "Neenaa." She is always at my feet when I am cooking or cleaning, watching and imitating.

I am reminded every day of the blessings God has given me:

I simply love being a mom. Especially to these two girls who drink in every word I say, imitate my every move, and teach me where I've sinned without even knowing it.

How wonderful to be able to live, love and share common goals with my very best friend in the whole world. Watching my husband with my girls has increased my love and respect for him. He takes the time to listen and to teach.

What am I working on? My organization!! It seems I do this every year, because my tendency is to be extremely organized for a short period of time, and then fall into old habits. I need to develop a system for my coupons. Right now they are in a basket next to my bed, and this isn't working as well. I also need to go through our entire file system and put old paperwork in banker boxes.

How are all of you? How are you enjoying fall? It hasn't been very cold this fall, so it doesn't seem quite right that Thanksgiving is just around the corner!

Check my sidebar for Speakable Gifts' Christmas list. My mom and I are hoping that everyone who buys presents at Christmas time, will consider at least one spiritual or at least character building gift this year!

I just wanted to stop in here to wish my man a Happy Birthday. He is truly a gift from God, and the girls and I are so blessed to have him. He jokes about being outnumbered in our household of girls, but he is adored by all three of us.

You can read more about my wonderful husband here, here, and here. Oh, and here too!

Sisters

We've painted and hammered and nailed and arranged. The two sisters are sharing a room. Last week we heard them giggling together, playing, when they should have been asleep. Lena was reading out loud to a bouncing and giggling Shana. Their delighted screams brought a smile to my face even though I tried to be stern as I said, "WHAT is going on in here?"

Secretly I was delighted. Because I want them to love each other forever and always.

Shana is so adoring of her sister that she will.not.leave.her.alone. Poor Selena has to do her puzzles on high surfaces and read her books on the couch so that her precious things won't be ruined. She knows that her hair will get pulled constantly, and that her sister will drool on her face giving kisses.

Shana has to put up with Lena following her around with a blanket trying to "cuddle." Shana does not have time for this pasttime, and her older sis will not take a hint! She has been awakened multiple times by a too loud noise, or a sudden opening of the door.

Mama is loving this.

There's always ...

On a day when I feel pulled in too many directions,

THERE'S ALWAYS a moment of sheer joy, like when Shana said "mama" for the first time.

On a day when too much fruit caused some not-so-pleasant diapers and an accident which in turn caused some not-so-pleasant laundry and a few unwelcome interruptions,

THERE'S ALWAYS a tasty treat, like a warmed up chocolate chip cookie with ice cream on top to savor to celebrate getting through the day.

On a day when I feel like all I am doing is correcting, and wondering if I will see fruit anytime soon,

THERE'S ALWAYS a thankful moment, like when Selena recites what she learned in devotions the night before with a smile.

On a day when the to-do list is longer then hours in a day, and I am still folding laundry at almost 11pm because that is simply what I must do,

THERE'S ALWAYS a night where I get more sleep then I need, and I wake up feeling refreshed and eager to start a new day.

And in that day, there is sure to be a hot, flavorful cup of coffee, some sticky hugs and kisses, lessons given and learned, time with my Heavenly Father, quiet time for just me and my husband, long reading times with my daughter, ponytails to tie, and nonstop chatter!

On a week like the past one, THERE'S a anticipated family vacation coming up in THREE DAYS!!

I'll be back, Lord willing, with pictures when we return.

P.S. THERE'S ALWAYS a verse like this one:
Isaiah 40:31
"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

Today at our House

So what is going on at our house today?

Outside, our daffodils are nodding their yellow heads to the beat of the breeze. The sun has come out with fervor, blessing us with warmth and light.

We are on "spring break" with preschool, mainly because I need time to plan what Selena will be learning next. I just got some phonics flashcards and am not thrilled with them. I'm currently scouring the web, and other resources for ideas.

Potty training has us somewhat stumped. And yes, I am the girl who once taught preschool and basically potty trained fourteen kids at once. Sigh. Lena is almost there if she could get past her fear of going - you know what - in the potty each day. If we could get past this obstacle, we'd pretty much be there. Any ideas?

I potted a tomato plant and basil plant with Selena's help, and they are growing at a rapid rate. I may add a couple more things this weekend - we'll see.

Today we went to visit Daddy at work, and we went to the library. Lena took all of her "new" books into her room, but fell asleep before she could read them!

Lena is learning many lessons this week. Shana has started to reach for and grab all of her toys, and knock over her blocks when she lines them up or stacks them. We've been able to talk about sharing often, and I couldn't be happier that these teachable moments are presenting themselves.

After the girls get up from their nap, we'll probably read for a while, and then have a girly dinner since Daddy will be at a dinner meeting. Our girly dinner tonight will be macaroni and cheese with salad, and strawberry ice cream for dessert.

After the girls go to bed, I am going to get my fuzzy blue blanket, heat up my rice bag, and watch Cranford until my sweetie gets home!

SO ... this post turned out to be totally boring! Hope you are all well. Hugs from our house to yours.

The Joy of Reading

Thomas Jefferson said "I cannot live without books." I so understand this quote! While I could technically live without books, I can't imagine doing so.

We recently went to the mall together and I found a wonderful book sale. I was excitedly looking through the preschool books deciding what I was going to buy, when I saw a lady dragging her son past the book table. "Books are overrated," she said loudly as she propelled her son forward.

I looked at my husband, barely able to contain my irritation.

I'm usually reading about 4 books at a time, minimum. Lena is definitely following in Mommy's footsteps. In fact, we usually have to go into Lena's room before we go to bed and remove about 8-10 books from her bed. She carefully arranges them on her bookshelf, separating Shana's books from her own. If one is missing, we have to scour the house until we find it. She mourns over a ripped page or crayon mark in a library book. "A little kid did this," she always says sadly.

Monday, we started phonics flashcards with her, and I can't tell you how excited I am! It's going to be wonderful when she can read her little sister a book.

Ever Striving

How thankful I am that we have a God who is just, but merciful as well. Being a wife and mom has made me more aware of where I am lacking and how I need to keep striving.

I think the hardest thing for me right now is getting up early. I so long to be like the Proverbs 31 woman who "rises while it is yet night." I have read some of your blogs and know that many of you are doing so well with this! If you are either doing well in this area, or struggling some like I am, I would love to hear from you!!

Here's our evening to morning routine:

7 PM: The girls now go to bed at the same time, Lena sometimes slightly later then Shae. Lena so looks forward to her time with Daddy, and talks about it off and on throughout the day. After dinner and devotions, the two of them usually have playtime. I clean up the kitchen, make lunch for the next day and make a pot of decaf coffee. Shae and I then have a few moments to relax, cuddle (which she doesn't really like to do too much unless she's sleepy), and I give her her last feeding.

7:30PM-10:30PM:When the girls are safely in bed, I look forward to my time with my husband! We talk, drink a cup of decaf, take care of household business, and watch a movie at times. In the summer, we are sometimes outside talking to the neighbors. I'm telling you ladies, when I don't get this time, I miss it soooo much.

I guess all of this is to say that I don't really want to go to bed any earlier.

Anywhere from 4:30-5:30am: Shana wants to eat - she'll go back to sleep until about 6:30.

6:15 ish AM: Husband is up, I am usually struggling to even want to open my eyes. What I wish I did was get up to make him a hot breakfast with a bright smile and happy inside!

He rarely gets a hot breakfast during the week if he leaves before 7am - I will sometimes make something the night before, but have fallen off the path with this too!!

7:30AM: If husband is still home, we eat breakfast together, but if not, I am up with the girls to start our day.

By the way, I do get quiet time with the Lord! Lena has quiet reading time at 8:30-9:30 in her room. Shana naps at the same time. So I usually have an hour to myself in the morning.

I am NOT a morning person, friends. I am perfectly happy after I down that first cup of coffee, but before that, I am a shell of my real self! Any ideas? I want to do better with this.

Husband and Shana are ever so happy in the morning. They smile and laugh to welcome the day. Lena and I are ve-ry quiet for an hour or so.

Also, I'm looking for recipes for make ahead breakfasts. I may be a little delirious in the morning, but I am perfectly able to turn my oven on and warm something up!

Hello (briefly)

Just a moment available to stop in to say hello. Thank you for all of your comments and encouragement regarding my last post. I guess I didn't realized how discouraged I sounded until I was blessed by all of your words. How thankful I am for this mode of friendship. And I am truly thankful for my children who keep me tired, but who are growing too quickly. I wouldn't have it any other way, yes? Thank you for the reminder that one day I will wistfully look back on these days.

We are busy, but not too busy to appreciate the feel of baby hands touching our faces, and delighted squeals of a little girl chasing a paper airplane made by Daddy.

We are happy, but not too happy to forget that our times are in His hands. We can take nothing for granted.

We've been sick, but not too sick to enjoy family cuddles under a blanket with LOTS of library books.

We've been cozy and enjoying snow outside, but not too cozy to hope that spring arrives soon.

My laptop crashed last week and is still out of commission. When it (hopefully) returns, I'll be able to keep up with all of you a lot better. Love.

School Days

These are quiet times for our little family. We have been sick, and consequently housebound a lot. I've been in bed all day, only managing to dress and feed the girls. Lena had to be content to sit next to me in bed, coloring with me and watching episodes of Little Bear!

Our girls are growing by leaps and bounds. I've been doing preschool with Lena in the mornings. She looks forward to these times so much! We usually begin with saying "Good Morning" to each other and practicing writing her name and the date. We do dot to dot and number pages. She has to sit with her hands folded at her little desk, and wait for commands from me. We move to the floor to do puzzles, practicing each letter and its sound, and practice sounding out simple words. We sing hymns, read a story, and she is working on short verse Scripture memorization.

I've realized how very much I enjoy teaching her. It has been a very special time for the two of us each morning, and I pray it will benefit her emotionally, intellectually and spiritually. Shana sometimes joins us during our sessions and spends time in the crib "playing."

Shana watches her big sister's every move with wide eyes and her most loving smile. Selena is "little mommy," telling me what she thinks Shana needs or wants. She has started taking Shae's face in between her two little hands and kissing her often during the day.

Goals for the next six months:

Continue to do preschool at least 3 times a week with Selena

Be more organized when it comes to our office

Get back to menu planning

Pack lunches for hubby 4 times a week

Continue Shana's nighttime sleep training (she now sleeps from 8:30 or 9pm to 4:00 - 5:00 and then back to sleep for two hours)

Get the girls to sleep in the same room

Get Lena completely potty trained (she wears underwear for half a day now)

Scripture memorization (for myself!)

Restart my prayer journal and keep it up!!

I know I haven't posted very often, but I have been very busy just keeping things together in our home. I do think of all of you, and will make my rounds very soon! Off to go take some Advil for this fever.

Christmas Cookie Fun

Baking with Mommy is so much fun!

We danced around the kitchen singing, "Ta-daa!"

Lena was amazed.
"Mommy, two rollers!"

Frequent breaks to kiss baby Shae Shae were taken

All ready to paint the cookies with icing!

Finished product to serve to Daddy. I think my little helper may have taken a couple of bites!

A Little of This and a Little of That

Thanksgiving was full of lovely smells and tastes. We visited Mr. S's side of the family. Much time was spent in the kitchen talking, cooking and tasting. So enjoyable ...

tired after all the festivities

We've been "Christmasfying" our house, and having fun in the process. We got a "real" tree for the first time, which was fun for Lena. We made it a fun process, and stopped at Smokin' Lil's afterward to bring home some yummy Southern BBQ.

I wanted to let her help me trim the tree, but abandoned that idea after about ten minutes of too much fun! While she was upstairs snuggly wuggly in her chair watching Little Bear, I snuck into the girls room and put up their little tree. Ah - it does resemble Charlie Brown's Christmas tree, but it is special nonetheless. We weren't disappointed at Lena's reaction when she saw her special surprise. After kissing the tree and running around her room in delight, she pulled at Shana's sleeper, saying "Look baby Shae Shae, its for you!!"

We had a brunch at our house last weekend, and my sis-in-law gifted me with a couple of recipes from her never ending supply of cookbooks and magazines. I wanted to share this recipe with you ...

Upside-Down Banana-Walnut French Toast Recipe 1 hour 15 min prep

An ooey-gooey do-ahead (1-24 hours) egg bake that will knock your socks off.

SERVES 10

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

1/4 cup corn syrup

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

3 medium bananas, sliced

1 loaf sliced unfrosted firm cinnamon-swirl bread

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Spray bottom and sides of a 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray or grease with shortening. In a large bowl, stir together first four (4) ingredients then gently stir in the bananas. Spoon this mixture into the baking dish.

2. Reserving heels of bread for another use (feed the birds, they love cinnamon bread) arrange 2 layers of bread on banana mixture, tearing bread to fit if needed.

3. In a medium-size bowl, beat eggs, milk and vanilla until well mixed. Pour over bread. Cover tightly and refrigerate at least 1 hour but no longer than 24 hours.

4. Heat oven to 325°. Uncover casserole and bake 45-50 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serve portions upside-down, spooning sauce from bottom of dish over each serving.

We're still spending a lot of time at home. Shana has gotten sick twice already, and she is only 8 weeks old. It has been really cold too. We are finding plenty to do at home. Lately it has been a never ending round of tea parties. Lena, basket over her arm, cooks many delicacies that Shana and I are obligated to try.

happy Shae Shae

Shana is growing quickly and I have learned to cherish these times. I don't know when Lena grew so fast. I must have blinked -- so I'm keeping my eyes open this time!


Hope your home is full of love and warmth and wonderful memories this week ...

Finding a Rhythm

Our precious Shana was born just eleven days ago. This is my first week on my own, and I have to admit that I was apprehensive and nervous about being alone wth my two girls. Today went really well, and I am pretty sure that I can do this!

Having child number two is vastly different from my first experience! I am amazed at how much I can love Shana, when my love for Selena is so great. I am still in awe of the miracle of birth and that this sweet bundle was inside of me for nine months. I feel so much more peaceful and less worried about the little things. With Selena, I was worried about doing everything perfectly. Now I know that I can't. I am thankful to see the love that Lena has for her little sister, and I pray that it will always be so. This morning, as all three girls were in bed together, I thanked God for the two of them. I pray that God will save them both at early ages. I pray that we will always be close.

The biggest issue for me is the sleep deprivation that I'm experiencing right now. However, I know that this is only for a season. These moments will be gone all too soon! I can't say I'll be sorry when I have her sleeping through the night though!

So today I was able to get my girls dressed, keep them fed, take a nap while they both napped, make dinner, clean our bathroom, and do one load of laundry. I was also able to read to Lena for an hour. So as this week progresses, I will be slowly finding a rhythm and redoing our schedule.

Any tips or advice from any of you? Many of you have more then one child and have made this transition already. I'd love to hear from all of you!

Oh dear, Shana just anointed her daddy with spit up and he is calling for reinforcements!!

good bye all ....

Love Is Bouncing off the Walls!

In our house, love is bouncing off the walls! Shana Elizabeth is here, and we are so thankful for God's blessing to our family. We can't stop kissing and hugging our two girls.

Shana arrived Friday, October 10th after a very long labor of 20 hours. I had been to the doctor on Thursday, and I was 1 cm dilated. After my appointment, we all went out to eat, and had a great time. I was having contractions, but they weren't bad at all.



By 11pm I was definitely laboring, and we were timing my contractions on the computer. They were coming anywhere from 3-5 minutes apart. We called my parents to come and watch Selena at about 12:10 am. By this time, I was bending over my bed face down, breathing through each contraction.



I went to Lena's room to kiss her and breathe a soft prayer that the experience wouldn't be too hard on her. I told her "I love you," very quietly so as not to wake her.



We arrived at the hospital at 2ish, and began our really long labor experience. It was four times as long as my labor with Selena ... but no matter. It was all totally, completely, wonderfully worth it.

Shana Elizabeth

7lbs, 20 inches long

born 10-10-08 at 4:46pm