Birdies Vests

I love to knit...  I am an active member of www.ravelry.com and one of the groups that I am in has been having a knit a-long (KAL) for a particular dyer of yarn. I have collected much of this dyer's beautiful work but have been too chicken to actually knit it. This KAL was great impetus to start on fall knitting and get it done. I usually struggle with getting a christmas picture done (matching outfits, getting all 4 of us in the same frame, etc). So I took this KAL as an opportunity to knit matching vests for my girls and have them done early. I still need to knit me something (probably a shawlette) to add the colorway to me. I don't thing Computer Man wants an item knit in a girlie colorway to wear... maybe he will. ;) Anywho, these are my, um, my girls' vests...

You can see that they were thrilled to be wearing them... thrilled to be still... thrilled to have their mother take their picture. Ah, well, at least they stood still and wore the vests. I need to get zippers sewn in but the knitting is done.

Bear came home from Friend's house with a toad this afternoon. Her friend "let" Bear have the toad for the first night of captivity. Said toad's name is Bob. Yes, Bob. We put Bob in the wading pool and watched him swim, climb the slide, chirp wildly in a panic and be handled by a preadolescent female child. We came in and read about caring for toads. Bob was desperately trying to get out of the bug house. Bear wanted to allow him to hop around the floor (in the house) and be happy. She couldn't fathom that he would hop to the nearest place to hide and disappear forever (to starve in the house). I called Friend's mother and explained that we don't have an aquarium nor anything to feed Bob. The mother agreed that we could bring him back and put him where he was discovered. When we walked back down to Friend's house, Friend was in trouble. She had already been told to observe the wild creatures and put them back where they were found. She had been specifically told this about Bob and she chose to "keep" him as a pet anyway. Friend was crying because she got in trouble and Bob is back in his water meter home. I hope Friend isn't terribly upset with Bear. I just couldn't imagine Bob being caught all night without food or water in a tiny insect box. Ah, the trials of childhood...

Kids say...

Skunk calls the notebook on the kitchen table "the puker". She has done this for several weeks and asks to watch movies on the "puker." rofl Computer man shakes his head and wants to correct her but I frown at him. I love it when little ones say words in a funny way. They soon will grow up and those funny little things will be gone.

Bear is gone to the grandparents for several days. She called today (day 1) and wants to come home tomorrow. Sigh... I told her that they have something very fun planned for tomorrow so she needs to stay until the planned return (on day 3). Not like I have farmed her out for weeks - just 3 days. You would think I sent her to Siberia.

Skunk and I went to the doc today about my horrid allergies this spring. I am going to scratch out my eyes, rub my nose off and have more snot than anyone should if I step out any door to the outside world. I am ready for 105F just to kill all this darn stuff.

Skunk did her first real puzzle all by herself yesterday. She does peg puzzles and such very well but the complicated Lauri puzzles have been beyond her until yesterday.

Lovely Day

I need more days like yesterday - we all went to a lake park and played, hiked and were worn out. We all need this every week, not once a month or two.

Reality Check

I sent this to my mom today

"Just wanted to share that my girls are constantly quibbling and Bear is torturing Skunk. I think this is God's sense of humor and irony that I tortured Tressa all those years. I need crates to put them in before I run screaming from my house..."

She wisely sent me back this -

"We do understand and you are not exaggerating! However, as we saw with you and Tressa, she was not innocent with her own style of torturing you:) Likewise Girl #2 is not innocent. I read a devotional by Luci Swindoll (sister of Chuch) and thought of you and Tressa and mothering. Having one is not easy as he is a great manipulator of Tressa - tries anyway!

Hope for All Your Days

What does hope really look like? You might wonder. When your precious teenager is addicted to drugs or your best friend is mad at you or your four-year-old is driving you crazy with her center-stageism, where does hope come in? Let me suggest three practical ways to make it real in your live.

Accept your reality. I don't know anybody who likes what she does or where she is every minute of the day. But the reality is we are where we are, and God is doing something right here, whether we see it or not. He wastes nothing. He's growing us up in Himself.

Bring God into your reality. Bringing God into your reality means being fully present in the moment - not wishing you were somewhere you used to be or somewhere you hope to be.

Make life and adventure. Ask God for a fresh perspective on your life. Try things you've never tried before. Ask yourself what you want most from life, and go for it.

I know you know all of these things, but it doesn't hurt to get a reminder, I hope."

Thus I was reminded of the very true Steven Curtis Chapman song "Everything You Do" that is recently out.

Here are the some of the lyrics:

You're picking up toys on the living room floor for the 15th time today
Matching up socks, Sweeping up lost cheerios that got away
You put a baby on your hip, Color on your lips and head out the door"

While I may not know you, I bet I know you
Wonder sometimes, does it matter at all?

Well let me remind you, it all matters just as long
As you do everything you do to the glory of the One who made you,
Cause he made you, to do
Every little thing that you do
To bring a smile to His face
Tell the story of grace
With every move that you make
And every little thing you do

And whatever you do, whether in word or in deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the father through him. Colossians 3:17

Insect Hunter

We are playing outside quite a bit these days. Bear and I had come in to get lunch together and Skunk was outside the window. I look out and see this:


When asked what she was doing, she states "I'm looking for roly poly's here." She loves to find roly poly's and somehow got the idea to lift up pavers.

More Skunky Sayings

Skunk: Daddy, my tummy is rumbly. *rubs tummy*

Daddy: Really? What would help you feel better?

Skunk: I think we need to go outside and throw the Frisbee.

Daddy: That will make your tummy better?

Skunk: Yes.

Oh. my. heck. Where does she come up with these things?



Bear says things like:

Bear: Why do I have to do math? I already know how to do it.

Mom: Because you need more practice and you don't know all the math.

Bear: Yes, I do. I want to go outside. I am tired of math.

You, dear reader, must understand that at this point she has done 10 multiplication problems and 2 division problems for school today. I am not killing her... but she thinks so. I think she needs to go to school and learn that she really is blessed to only do 1/2 a page of homemade math worksheets. The grass is always greener, isn't it?

Progress

We had poo in the potty today. Computer Man worked very hard about two weeks ago and got Skunk to tee tee in the potty without a diaper - don't ask, it has been a process of potty learning for this one. Bear was so easy but was also just over three years old. Anyway, Skunk has refused to poo in the potty and asks (sometimes begs) for a diaper for the poo. I can understand - it is strange to have to suddenly sit for these things instead of standing. She is even pretty independent with the tee'ing, just calmly going and sitting down, doing her business and patting with a washie. And today we had poo twice. I love my fluffy bummed babes but this is cool too. Now to just worry about the smelly bathroom for ballet and finding a bathroom at the park. Challenges abound - pro's and con's for diapers and panties.