I was a better mother.....

There's a book titled I was a really good mother before I had kids I've never read it but I like the title.  I have all kinds of things I could tag under that title.  For one, before I had kids I thought I'd make them a nice, hot, home cooked breakfast before sending them off to school each morning.   It was such a sweet dream, me all well rested and flipping hot cakes onto plates while the children patiently waited.   Fast forward to my kitchen today... I have one child who will eat (wear) anything at anytime, one who wants packaged oatmeal and a turkey sausage patty every morning, and a third who doesn't even want to talk about breakfast--a quarter bowl of oatmeal, some dry cereal, really--dry, the white of a hard boiled egg, maybe, if I'm lucky.  They really are angels aren't they?!  Saving me from all that early morning cooking.  Plus, it means scrambled eggs, bacon and toast aren't proclaimed breakfast only foods, they're freed up for the dinner rotation.

Our own Goldilocks.  Had to try everyone else's leftovers.

  

Wherever you go....

                                               These two have been nearly inseparable lately.

The apple started out as her sister's....think she's just a little delighted by the fact that it is now in her possession?

Eleanor was giving her an art lesson.
 Lucy's shirt is evidence of her first ice cream cone--she enjoyed herself.  

Guild 2012

Emma performed in her first Guild Audition for piano today.  It was an opportunity to play 10 memorized songs for a judge and receive feedback.  She has been so excited.  It involved getting out of school early and Mr. Wizard's later this evening.  Honestly though I think she would have been equally excited without any fanfare.  She's pretty much on top of the world tonight.   

When they brought out her Guild report card I had to laugh.     They've not changed them since the '80s.  It brought back some good memories, I can't wait to dig mine out!  

A tender mercy

My sweet baby Lu has had me hopping lately.  Ask her just about anything and she'll say "nope", she hasn't napped all week (although there may be hope for today...she's quiet for now)and she has a definite opinion about everything....you'd almost think she thinks she's her own person or something.   This expression of self has me adding lots of extra time in for just about everything, counting to ten often and honestly I am pretty sure I'm talking to myself in public.  Today while trying to strap Lucy into a shopping cart I could not get her to bend.  As I decided (hopefully mentally, see above) that I should just give up, not worry about groceries and order pizza for dinner, another shopper said what I thought was "I have two kids at home".  He then started purring at Lucy, which instantly made her laugh and distracted her long enough for me to secure her for our shopping trip.  I thanked him and he walked away, at which time I realized he'd said he had two cats at home.   I probably did look like I was trying to get a cat strapped into a shopping cart.  Odd purring man =a tender mercy in my day.

Happy Easter!

At this point (7:50 am) Lucy was already falling from her sugar high, someone else was still on her way up--Yea, jelly beans for breakfast!   Miss Responsibility was doing just fine.  

Happy Easter, 2012!  He is Risen! 

To Love

Today I'm thankful that every day we have a chance to follow the example of Jesus Christ and do all that we do out of love.

Enjoying cheese, crackers and grapes with friends.  

Last night Emma, Eleanor and I attended a Maundy Thursday service at our church.  The chairs were moved out of the sanctuary and we all sat on the floor atop pillows and blankets. We were told the story of the disciples and Jesus in the Upper Room for the Last Supper and were reminded of Jesus' message.....to love.  Jesus commands that all that we do should be done out of love.  I can't help but wonder today what could be if we all took that to heart.  

Research

I'm thankful that there are lots of smart people in the world committed to doing research. Sometimes all of this research and the recommendations that come with it seem to be too much, just overwhelming and not helpful.  In the end though if you can sift through it or if you're lucky enough to know someone who has, you often find a better/safer/smarter way of doing things.

  Today after wrangling with a screaming 19 month old to get her into her rear facing car seat, I decided enough!  I was going to turn her seat around, the big girls were forward facing at a year and it was so much easier to get them into their seats.   I sat in the car for a few minutes before leaving the parking lot,  Lu had been really expressing herself throughout our very, very short trip to Target and the car seat episode was just icing on the cake.  I needed a couple of minutes to decompress before being behind the wheel.  While we sat there and sang "Wheels on the Bus" I googled "toddler in rear facing seat" just to see what I'd find.   I proceeded to read this NY Times article.   It was exactly what I needed to read and I will not be turning that baby girl around any time soon.    I'll need to be creative, stay calm and expect some screaming but I don't care.  This is just one of the many times in her life when  I'll have to say "no, I love you too much to do it your way".

One of the girls snapped these pictures of Lucy last night after dinner.  She did eventually make it onto the table with the Easter decorations.   You see what I'm dealing with?  Determined, this one.

Laughter

I'm thankful that every day I get hearty doses of laughter.

From the things they say....
Me- "I just feel like being a couch potato"
Eleanor "What are you TALKING about?"
Emma-  "When people say that they mean that they want to sit on a couch with their feet up and watch tv, often they'll eat fried foods too"

To the things they do...

She likes to wear these American Girl Doll glasses.  When she does we call her Granny Baum.

This morning I found her talking on a calculator, without her diaper on, but with a diapered elephant.  

Sunny days

It feels like summer, so we're now in the mood for no school, swimming, and a garden full of goodies.  It's not summer though so we have to settle for the slip-n-slide and I'm thankful that we're pretty simple people and that makes us happy.