Ryan and Charley's Adventures

Is it Already February? And Charley is going to be the Death of Me.

2012-02-11T13:56:00.001-06:00

Well, I did an elaborate post on pre-Christmas and planned to immediately follow it up with a Christmas Day post...but, it appears that life has happened and I didn't get to it. In short, it was a great Christmas....one of the best yet. Ryan and Charley were at magical ages and it was fun rather than exhausting.

We've had some changes around here lately. Charley had some trouble at Batesville Montessori and we did what most parents would do and immediately pulled her from the school and placed her in the same class as her big sister. No, actually....we tried to wait it out. Her favorite teacher (Miss Kallie) left at Christmas and she was never settled after that. Then, she got strep throat and it took over a week to diagnose it but she wasn't feeling good and we didn't know why. She had started observing at Hope Lutheran and we think observing at one school and going to another was confusing to her. She started having rip-roaring tantrums with Mommie at nap time. I've never seen anything like it. I needed Super Nanny. She screamed, cried, ran from me, screamed at me, spit at me, and threw herself on the floor for several naps. It was during one of these fun times together that she got her second swat on the bottom (the first was also at a nap time). I am not a fan of spanking or swatting. Ryan has never been swatted. I didn't do it out of anger-I did it because nothing was working and she wouldn't listen to me. The other crowning moment I would like to document for her to use against me in later years and use as the reason she is in therapy is this: I locked her in her room and held the door shut as she tried to get out and screamed and stuck her fingers dramatically under the door. Yes, I did. This was on the same day that I swatted her. Good times had by all. I was being completely reasonable with her. I told her she didn't have to get in bed or go to sleep. Just stay in her room and play quietly for an hour. Note to self: 3-year-olds are not reasonable. Well, after a few episodes like that at this very moment she is playing in her room quietly (for the most part....she comes out occasionally to throw a picture for me over the banister or tell Pat she needs pretend food for her baby from the lemonade stand).

For posterity purposes (what does that mean anyway? Daddy says it), I will also briefly document the worst morning thus far of my life as a working mother. I was already running late to a meeting at the hospital that only happens once a week. I'm sometimes late due to shenanigans around our house and I was determined to be on time. As Charley and I are backing away from the house she reminded me that Pat told her she could have a band-aid in the morning. Since she was so patient the night before when she asked for it I thought it would be good to show her we mean what we say so I backed up and ran in to get the band-aid. All was well. I prided myself on focusing on her needs despite my rush. What a good mother I am (if I can erase the spanking and locking a 3-year-old in a room from my mind). We are about halfway to school and Charley says she needs a new band-aid because hers is now crumpled. No big deal, I think. I tell her we'll just get one at school. Well, you would have thought I told her that Dora, all of the Princesses, Snowball, and Elmo had just been massacred and thrown into a pit of fire. She then proceeded to scream all the way to school as I calmly told her that we couldn't turn around and go back to get a band-aid. I don't think there are words in the English language to describe her screaming. It was primal, guttural, and as if I was burning her with cigarette butts. I called Pat and just put the phone down so he could hear what I was dealing with because for some reason these fits only happen with me. We pull into the parking lot while all of the other children are being dropped off and I get out to unbuckle her and she throws herself over the back seat into the back as if I'm coming at her with a knife and breathing fire. I calmly walk to the back of the car and open the hatch and she scrambles over the seat -again as if I'm coming to harm her. I then get in the car and fish her out of the car kicking and screaming (with no shoes because she decided she didn't like her rain boots-yes, insert rain into this story). In between going from door to door Pat called and told me I just had to drop her off and leave. He obviously had never dealt with wild, rabid 3-year-olds before. So, I got in the front seat with her as she kicked and screamed and I smiled and waved pleasantly at the other mothers who looked at me with horror and I'm sure wondered why I couldn't control my own child. She kept saying something about "Bonnie and Elmo" I thought. Bonnie is in her class and I thought there was a problem sharing an Elmo. Our conversation was going nowhere and I'm late at this point so I just take her shoeless and coatless (the coat was off by now) kicking and screaming into the school. She is hysterical and has lost all sense of anything. Her teacher offers to get her a band-aid. I suggest that they could decorate a band-aid. But, she kept wanting to go home to get a band-aid. I finally decipher through her tears that "one time when I forgot a picture and envelope I made for Bonnie Daddy took me back home to get it and I want to go back home to get a band-aid." Elmo and envelope sound similar-that's where I got Bonnie and Elmo. In actuality the reason Pat did that was because there were a bunch of kids crying that morning and he thought she would break down too so he wanted to get her out of there until things calmed down. But, the message to her was if I want to go back home to get something then Mommy and Daddy should take me. Any old parent knows that following through with what you say is important. Idiots know that if you hold your ground and then later give in then it's going to be even worse the next time. I even know more than most idiots because I have a Ph.D. in psychology-the study of human behavior. So you would think I calmly told her we would get the band-aid after school and that I loved her and then leave. Well, you would be wrong. I picked her up, carried her to the car, drove her home to get the band-aid, and drove her back to school as happy as a clam and missed my meeting. Apparently book knowledge and degrees don't generalize to your own children.

Fast forward a couple of weeks: Charley took her antibiotics and was immediately much better. She has been at Hope Lutheran and is doing great. I haven't had to deal with a fit recently. Yes, she is more strong-willed that her sister and I think she will be a challenge to me. But, we've passed that hurdle for now. I'm just sitting back and enjoying the peace because I'm sure the next storm is brewing.

I'll write about Ryan soon. Charley's behavior took away from Ryan in real life too. I'll make up for it here on the ole blog.

KK

Pre-Christmas 2011

2011-12-26T12:33:00.001-06:00

Well, Christmas 2011 is now behind us. We had a great December leading up to it and the best Christmas yet since Pat and I met (looming federal trials, prison camps, newborns, and toddlers do not make for a peaceful Christmas). However, I must say that looking back our Atlanta Christmases rank highly as two of the best because we were focused on what was important rather than presents, food, Christmas trees, and stockings. I wouldn't have said that at the time, though.

OK, I'll start with all of the fun leading up to Christmas and then do another post of just Christmas.

We did our 3rd Annual Jesse Tree nightly devotional. At the end of November, the girls colored cut-out ornaments and I drew them each their own tree to hang on the wall. Each night (in theory) we read our devotional and they put their ornaments on their trees. Charley was usually the one to remind us to do it and I think it was party because it stalled bath and bedtime. She still really doesn't understand it or the questions but Ryan is doing a better job of answering the questions (example: What could you do to make God happy?) However, Ryan kept giving the same answer even if it wasn't relevant to the question. One of her standard answers was: God always hears us and is always with us. Some of the time I read the short devotional fast because they were talking over me and not listening. I'm trying to build memories and traditions and especially love for God's Word but at the time I feel like I must be wasting my time because they are in left-field and clueless. I know I'm not wasting my time but the actual devotion is not how I picture it in my mind. But then again, nothing about parenting has been what I have pictured in my mind-ha!

Ryan and Charley love the Fisher-Price Advent Calendar, which is soft and has little figures to move. So, they switched off each night who got to move the figures. Last year Ryan got to move Baby Jesus on Christmas and I was smart enough (surprising) to make a note in the kit that it was Charley's turn this year. Ryan is very controlling about the locations of the figures and the directions they face. Charley thinks Ryan knows best and will say "Ryan, where do I put this one?" And Ryan will show her. And really...there is no "right" place to put it. It's going to be a sad day for Ryan when Charley figures out that she is not all-knowing.

The Rhodes (my Nana and Dada Ketz's very good friends) gave the girls an advent calendar last year that was a biblical them and the same one this year that was the Nutcracker. We tried to do them all but four advent calendars were too much. These were the two that we just didn't do that much but we had them out and occasionally would do them.

We also had our Fisher-Price Nativity Set this year. We have two-and both were given as gifts. We didn't return the second one when we got it and that is perfect because they both like to play with it at the same time. Charley calls it the Bativity Set. The "a" is not a "long a" and is pronounced more like "uh." I wish we had more time to read the Christmas stories and have them set up their sets to go along with the story....we only did this one time and it was very sweet. It seems like we played with it more last year and I think it was because it was in the room with the Christmas tree and this year it got moved upstairs. Next year I will make sure it stays by the tree because it is one of my favorite parts of our Christmas.

This year we also made our first gingerbread house. Ryan and Charley had fun and I didn't realize how hard it was...even a kit. It wasn't the prettiest gingerbread house but it was my favorite.

Let's see, what else? The girls had alot of "parties" to attend. I think the festivities started off with Breakfast with Santa at the Presbyterian Church. I believe that was mentioned in an earlier post. So, when Charley's school Christmas party rolled around Pat and I considered just keeping her home from school that day because she would be so traumatized by Santa visiting. Well, lo and behold she proved us wrong. She let me hold her hand and walk up to Santa to get her gift and tell him what she wanted. As we got close she wanted me to pick her up but she looked at him in the eye and said loudly "I want a dog house for my dog Pluto" then quickly looked away. She wouldn't sit on his lap but let me hold her by him and have her picture taken. She also accepted a gift from him. Her class sang a few songs and they were precious. Oh my...I can't even tell you. One of her friends cried through the whole thing and it was so sad and pathetic. They sang the Australian version of the 12 Days of Christmas. Charley had been singing it at home and kept singing "a kookaburra in a gum tree" and I had no idea what she was talking about. They were so cute and would yell the 5th day's FIVE KANGAROOS at the top of their lungs each time that verse came around. They also sang Jingle Bells and were so excited to ring the Jingle Bells. Most of the kids were still while they sang but Charley twisted around back and forth making her dress swing. I'm not sure if that was because she was nervous or what. We ate lunch there and she got to come home afterward with me because Pat made the mistake of coming to her Halloween party and leaving her to return to work-she wasn't happy. We didn't even make her Thanksgiving party where she wore an Indian hat made of construction paper. That's off subject....but it makes me so sad:-( Back to the party. Charley sat next to her beloved teacher Kallie during the story. She was so attention seeking it was embarrassing. You would think she had never had adult attention. If the story said "the sky is blue" Charley would look at Kallie with a dramatic face and say "BLUE?" And then just die laughing. She kept poking Kallie and Kallie would usually look at her and she would smile really big. However, at other times she just ignored her. After it was over I asked Kallie if she does this all of the time and she indicated that yes, indeed, she does.

Ryan's school party was simple and sweet. Her class gets to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas on the last day of school before Christmas. Then, they sang a few songs including the usual version of the 12 Days of Christmas and Jingle Bells (must be preschool favorites). Then, the teachers had set up snacks for all of us and the kids were told they were to serve us first. So, we went through the line and Ryan held my plate, asked what I wanted, and filled it up. Then, she escorted me to my seat and went to get her own plate. It was the best meal since she was born. When I wanted more food she gladly went back to get it for me. She then took my plate, threw it away, and cleaned the area where we ate (including sweeping). Then, Mrs. Oster gave me a bag of all of the ornaments she made this year and they are my favorites (including the ones Charley made).

One of Pat's favorite things to do is go to parades (he also likes fairs....strange). As I type this I am reminded of Bubby...did I marry my father? Don't we all? OK, back on track. We were out of town for the parade this year (Park City for Eddie's 50th birthday). So, Gin Gin and Bubby were in charge but Bubby made the decision to go to Memphis to hear one of his favorite singers (Bob Seger) and leave Gin Gin with the girls to go to the Carlton's for cookies, hot chocolate, and parade. I wouldn't want to take that on myself even with an IV of Valium. She luckily got Venus to accompany her who Ryan and Charley adore. I guess they had fun at the parade....apparently they were talking about Santa coming soon and Charley then had to go inside to go to the bathroom. She apparently sat on the potty awhile saying she had to poop. We aren't sure if she was avoiding seeing Santa in the parade.

The next thing we did was pretty uneventful compared to all of the above fun. Ryan and Charley's dance class had a parent observation night. Their classes are at the same time so Pat and I switched off. I watched Charley first and you wouldn't have thought she had ever been to this dance class. She stood off to the side a little bit and didn't do a thing. The other girls totally were doing the dances. She would look over at me, though, and smile really big and proud as if she was doing something. It was really funny. To be fair, when they did some stretches on the floor and pretended to make ice cream she participated. She also did the tumbling because it was mostly individual attention....she seemed to love the tumbling-it was so cute. As the class wore on she stood out there with her hands down the back of her skirt...still doing nothing. To top things off, they were going to sit down and Charley pulled her skirt down a little bit (she still had on leotard and tights) and was laughing at herself. Her teacher told her to pull it up and she growled at her (she was doing this a while back after learning it from a boy at school). It was time to switch places with Pat so I pretended not to see and made my way into the other room. I couldn't believe she did that to a teacher. I don't think she has ever been deviant with anyone but us. It was kind of funny-only because it's so uncharacteristic of her. Definately not funny if it happens again.

Observing Ryan's class was totally different from Charley's. Ryan takes things so seriously. It was so sweet to see how hard she would try and she really wanted to do the very best she could. After doing a dance or sashaying across the floor she would look over at me with a big smile and she was so proud. Her teacher told me that she is one of the best in the class (oh I'm proud but I know I'm not supposed to be). They want her front and center in the recital but she doesn't like being in the front. The teacher said she just withdraws and prefers the back. Hmmmm....who is she acting like now? I hope we can talk with her and slowly let her practice being in the front. I hope her nervousness/lack of confidence or whatever it is doesn't interfere with her being the best she can be.

Last but not least, Ryan was in a piano recital. It wasn't the big one because we were out of town for that one. It was a small and quick recital that only lasted 40 minutes at the piano studio (not the big auditorium). She didn't want to do it but we bribed her by saying we could go to Just Chillin' afterward. Dr. Weston told her that she had to dress up and so she immediately decided that she wanted to wear her Daddy-Daughter Dance dress from last year that she associates with anything nice (she also wore it to her lemonade stand on move in day...that would normally be find except the top was black velvet and it was August). Ryan got to go first and Dr. Weston played with her. By the time she started it was over. It was followed by some amazing piano and voice talent. We were so proud of her for participating, though.

OK, worn out now.....will post soon about actual Christmas!! Hopefully it won't be as long since this post covered a month and Christmas will only cover two days (including Christmas Eve). But, with me you never know....

KK

Do You Take Salt With Your Coffee?

2011-12-26T12:29:00.002-06:00

At this point in time I don't think I'll ever forget the story I'm about to relay but in 30 years the memory may have faded a bit. If I put it on the blog then it will be preserved as if wrapped in salt (hehe).

So, last year on Christmas morning 2010, Gin Gin and Bubby came to the house to watch Ryan and Charley come down the stairs and see what Santa brought them. We all sipped coffee as is the norm and Bubby kept commenting on how strong Pat makes his coffee. No one really paid any attention to it until I walked in the kitchen and found my canister of kosher salt sitting next to the coffee pot. He thought the salt was sugar and put a couple of teaspoons in his coffee. We all tasted what he was drinking and couldn't believe 1) how hideous it was; 2) that he kept trying to drink it; and 3) he didn't realize it tasted like salt. So, we had many laughs about this over the last year.

Fast forward another year to Christmas morning 2011and we are all together again, this time at Spragins House where we are living. Bubby commented, again, on the strength of the coffee. No one thought anything about it. Then, he says that someone mentioned the word salt and a light bulb went off in his head. He then brought the kosher salt canister to me and asked what it was. Let me just say....I cannot type this without laughing out loud. Maybe you just had to be there. He had been drinking salted coffee AGAIN for an hour thinking it was just strong. We tasted it again and it makes me laugh AGAIN at the thought of him drinking it and thinking it was just strong.

So, anyway, that is the Legend of the Salted Coffee. I hope to not have to add to this post next year. Uncle Aaron suggested that Bubby put a reminder in his phone to make sure he isn't salting his coffee next Christmas.

Childlike Faith

2011-12-17T13:34:00.001-06:00

Jesus said in Matthew that we will not enter the kingdom of heaven until we become like little children. I don't think he meant fighting and laughing at bathroom jokes.

While we were doing our Jessie Tree lesson today, Ryan said that she couldn't wait to go to heaven (she said something like that recently, too). Of course, I was horrified because I'm not ready for her or anyone I know to go to heaven even though I know in my head it is a better place than here. I asked her why and she said "so I can love God and no one will be sad or fight." I think that is what Jesus is talking about-that we need to loosen our grips on this earth and have no fear of death because it is just the doorway to perfect peace and communion with Him.

A 5-year-old just innocently and randomly said something that is key to some of my biggest fears. Wow!

Ho Ho Ho

2011-12-04T12:45:00.002-06:00

Well, Breakfast with Santa 2011 was a flop. Ryan and Charley have never liked Santa and have usually been crying in pictures with Santa even though Pat and I go with them. This year was even worse. We walked in the Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall and Charley immediately stopped in her tracks and said she wanted to go home. She started to tear up but we told her that we would sit in a far-away corner where she couldn't see Santa. Charley wouldn't sit in her own seat (one of us held her) and didn't eat. She looked sick and pathetic the whole time. She didn't talk and mostly layed her head on Pat's shoulder (the mintue we left she perked up and was normal again.) Partway through the meal she said she didn't want Santa to eat with us. I think she was expecting Santa to come sit down with us and eat because we kept calling it "Breakfast with Santa."

Both girls adamantly refused to go near him, even Ryan. Usually we make them and get the funny crying and scared picture but this year they really were scared and I fear it would have been something they would talk about with their therapist in 20 years. They happened to see Santa at Walmart a week ago and felt sure that he knew what they wanted (Pat told Santa because they wouldn't talk to him). Charley covered her eyes with her hands. I asked Ryan if she thought she would sit in Santa's lap when she is 6 but she said that she would when she is 10.

Pat was telling someone about our experience and told them that although he took his girls to see Santa it was really like taking them to a haunted house-ha!

Ryan would like a computer this year but a few days after she had Pat tell Santa she changed her mind and said she wanted a real carriage with four horses. We explained that Santa didn't bring big things like that and she changed it to "just a carriage that we can hook to the back of the car."

When Charley saw Santa last week she told Pat to tell him that she wanted a dog house for her dog named Pluto. This is interesting because although she did go through a phase of playing alot with a stuffed dog she named Pluto we haven't seen it lately or heard it mentioned. Originally, she said she wanted a Dora guitar (which I do believe her Fayetteville aunt and uncle have purchased her).

So, we'll have to see what Santa has to bring us!! Mostly we want to focus on Jesus and we already have the best gift ever in Him. If only we can all remember this at this time of the year!!

Happy 5th Birthday Ry Ry! Did I just say 5th?

2011-11-14T16:18:00.004-06:00

Dear Baby Ry Ry,

Since you are 5 I think I can still call you that. I cannot believe how fast these 5 years have gone. It is very disturbing that the next 5 will go just as fast and in the blink of an eye you will be 10. I am going to do better to slow down and enjoy you because I think the years ahead will be great. A lady I work with, Marcheta, calls these next few years the golden years of childhood. The years in between the crazy toddler years and the years before teenage years.

You have been pretty golden in the last few months. It seems like a couple of months before turning 5 you really matured. You are less emotional and can cope with frustrations and being told "no" so much better. You seem to let it roll right off of you-something I never thought I would say:-) You have not had any major "issues" that need serious addressing. You have just been fun and laid back.

As I have said again and again, you are a great big sister. Charley loves you so much and you are so sweet with her (most of the time). If she cries you immediately give her something to help her feel better. Or you do your "I'm a moose" pose.

Your best friend is Emma, for better or for worse. I could do a post on your friendship. You both just love each other but it is to the exclusion of others. You all act crazy and silly. You are learning hard lessons on how to be friends with more than one person. I am sounding like my mother as I encourage you to have more than one friend. May the Lord helps us all if I continue down that road-haha!

You love t.v. You would watch it 24-7 if we let you. You get to watch t.v. while you eat breakfast on school mornings and sometimes after school a little bit. Your favorite shows are Little Einsteins, Bubble Guppies, and Team Umizoomi. You zone out and go into another world while watching t.v. and we have to yell in your ear or get right in front of your face for you to hear us.

You seem to like things that are beautiful. You comment on when you think something is pretty. You like to decorate and arrange things. Gin Gin said a long time ago that even when you were little you liked colors and seemed to know when things were pretty.

When you grow up you say that you want to be an animal doctor, a doctor, a teacher, and a Mommie. You talk about how I will be the grandmother and will babysit. You also say that you will want to live with Mommy and Daddy when you grow up. I think that would be just fine!

You started taking piano lessons this summer and I think you are doing really well. You seem to like it and have learned more than I learned in years of piano. I asked you what your favorite part was and you said the candy at the end and the flash cards-ha! Not the actual playing the piano. You are playing Away in a Manger for the Christmas recital.

You also started taking gymnastics this summer and are doing great. You look like a little gymnast and are very muscular. I think balance beam is your favorite.

You still take dance and have added tap this year. You love tap and show us the moves alot.

You are doing AWANA Cubbies again this year. You don't hesitate about going like you did last year.

You have been on your first playdate without a parent. You went to your friend Anna Lampkin's house this summer. I think you were a little nervous. Tomorrow you are going home from school with Eleanor McClain. At first you did not want to do that but today you decided that you did. I'm excited for you to spread your wings and make some new friends.

You are doing a great job with reading and you are starting to spell. You ask us all the time to spell out sentences for you. You say that you don't do math/numbers/counting at school but you are counting to 100 by 10s and saying things like what is 2 plus 2? What is 4 plus 4? What is 6 plus 6? Mrs. Smith, the 1st and 2nd grade teacher, asked you if you were doing math and you said "no." And then a little bit later you said "what is math?"

You are working on your Open House for Hope Lutheran and this year the unit is on the USA. You are loving it. You are talking about the "olden days" all the time. You are learning about "The Grand Ole Flag" and point out the American flag all over town. Mrs. Oster said that when you sing you tend to be quiet and reserved but when you sing The Grand Ole Flag you open your mouth big and sing loud. How cute!!!

You love animals. You are very good with Snowball. You can be very firm with him when needed. You put him away for us when we leave the house. You take a treat with you in the kitchen and shut him in. You really really loves cats. I'm not sure if that is because you can't have one due to my allergies:-) You do seem like a cat person, though. I'm sure you will have one when you grow up and move out.

You remind me of myself when I was little. You are a little bit shy and reserved. You have a hard time looking at people in the eye and speaking to them. It takes you time to warm up to other people but once you do your full personality comes out. I see you getting better and better in these areas all the time.

All in all, you are such a blessing. I am so thankful for your little life. I sure don't deserve a sweet little girl like you. I hope that I can be the Mommie you deserve. If not, which will inevitably happen, there is always Jesus. He won't fail you.

I love you!

Mommie

Happy 3rd Birthday Char Char!!

2011-11-08T15:53:00.006-06:00

Dear Char Char,

I cannot believe you are already 3-years-old. Time flies. This year has been a great one for you. You have grown up so much in so many ways! You have the funniest and sweetest little personality (if you aren't growling with a scrunched up face in a bent-over hunch-back posture pointing your finger at me).

You are so loving (usually, see above paragraph). You give very good hugs and out of the blue will say "Mommy, I love you." When we cuddle with you in bed you will swing your arm around our neck. You love love love big sister, Ryan. You call her "Ryan" now, not Ry Ry. Actually, you call her "Wyan." I wish you still called her Ry Ry.

You speak in complete and long sentences. Your voice is so cute I wish I could freeze it in time. I interviewed you earlier this week on video. You make your "K" sound "T." So, candy or Kandy (your old teacher)=Tandy. Cold=Told. Kitty=Titty. Cake=take. You make the "ch" sound "chl". So, Charley is Chlarley, but really the r is a w and it is Chlawley. Chocolate is chlocolate. You say "three" as "fee"-too cute! You say the word America as "Amereeca." Yes, you are three and talking about America. Yes, you are brilliant. Or maybe you learned a song about the continents at school.

You are very funny. You keep us laughing. You are sort of dramatic in your presentation. You have a good sense of humor and seem to know when things are funny and how to make others laugh. You have a funny deep voice that you use sometimes.

Your best friends at school are Mila, Reece, and Bonnie. In the last month or so you have started playing with kids at school. Last year (when you were 1-2) you only followed Kandy around. Last summer (age 2) Ryan was in your class and neither of you played with anyone else. During the first bit of this school-year you only stayed near your new favorite teacher (Callie). We are so happy you now have friends you like to play with. Callie (and her twin sister Cassie) are coming to your birthday party. We've never invited teachers before but you really want them to come.

You can do the US puzzle (although that's been going on since February). You know all of the continents (learned a song at school). You are learning your letters and numbers. You surprise us sometimes because we don't always know that you know so much.

You don't like t.v. as much as Ryan did at your age (and her current age). You get bored and like to be more active. You still like puzzles.

You started taking gymnastics last summer and love your teacher Andrea. You took her a picture a few weeks ago that you made. You started dance class this fall and love it, too. We weren't sure how you would do without Ryan but you do just fine! Instead of calling your feet left and right, you call them peanut butter and jelly (Ryan didn't learn that in dance).

You've recently been talking in this deep growl sometimes. You've been saying "I don't like you" in the growl...you bend over at the waist and point your finger when you say that. We've starting telling you not to say those words. You told us one of the boys in your class says it. So, now you are doing the same growl and gestures but saying "I love you." It's hilarious.

You are scared of thunder. Last night there was a storm and you needed Daddy to stay in bed with you until you fell asleep.

Bottom line is you are so loved. Remember how much God loves you and has a special plan for you. His plan will be better than you can imagine.

Love,

Mommy

P.S. Just for remembering purposes, your third birthday party left a little to be desired. I'll try to do better next year. We had it at Just Chillin on your birthday night. As soon as we arrived your sister fell ill and had to be transported home by Daddy. Daddy was very sad that he missed your first actual birthday party. That left your nutcase Mommy in charge, which is never a good thing. Your guests (Logan, Drew, Annaleigh, Anna Yarnell, Mila, Reece, and Allie) showed up at 5:30, the same time the pizza was to be delivered. We had planned a quick pizza, yogurt and cake, and opening of presents so parents could get kids home early on a school night. It still worked out that way, although at 5:45 when everyone was standing around exchanging pleasantries trying to pretend it wasn't awkward that the pizza wasn't there we found out the pizza place thought we were doing carry-out. So, Bubby, a.k.a. John Henry, to the rescue ran to get the pizza while you opened presents (I was proud of re-arranging the schedule to fill the awkwardness but I was still about 20 minutes too late in coming up with that idea).

A highlight was that Callie and Cassie, your twin teachers at Montessori came and brought you a card and $10. Ashton, your favorite babysitter, and her friend Callie also came, which excited you more than your own friends.

You decided to pull a "Little Kristi" and not sit with your friends or even speak to them to tell them thank you for my present or thank you for coming. I carried you around sweating trying to manage the chaos that is a 3-year-old birthday party. But, it is now a great memory.

Quick Observation

2011-10-06T14:03:00.002-05:00

Charley is napping now and I have a quick second (I hope). I've just noticed in the last couple of days how I love the innocence and lack of self-consciousness and R & C have. For instance, Ryan has been riding home with the Sebastian and his mother once a week from Hope Lutheran to Batesville Montessori where I pick up Charley and Sebastian's two brothers. Yesterday Diane dropped Ryan off and she was carrying her Huggums doll that she had taken to school and slept with. In a couple of years I bet she would be embarrassed to ride in the car with a boy AND her doll. But, it was so sweet to see them pull up and see her holding her baby doll not the least bit ashamed:-)

This morning Charley and I stayed at Ryan's school and played outside until they went inside (we do this on most Tuesday and Thursday mornings when I am home with Charley). Charley wore her hoodie zipped up to her neck with the hood on (more bundled up than necessary) and pushed her Blah Blah doll out on the playground. She wasn't at all self-conscious to be around the big kids and to have her doll stroller and look slightly ridiculous with the hoodie. Then, a couple of hours later she was still wearing the hoodie with the hood on her head but had spilled something on her pants and was only wearing panties on the bottom. She had to go potty and was sitting there with nothing on but the hoodie zipped up and a hood on....she didn't realize at all how ridiculous she looked. I loved it-it was so adorable!!

Oh how I wish that they could always be so innocent and clueless about what other people think about them.

It's Getting Easier

2011-09-23T18:31:00.002-05:00

This will be a brief post. I just want to be able to remember when the tides began to turn for the better in parenthood. So far, Ryan and Charley are the BEST ages. They are generally so pleasant, sweet, and easy going. There are far fewer meltdowns in our home. Especially for Ryan. Pat and I both have noticed a huge maturity in her in the last month. She's almost FIVE and you can tell. She doesn't fall apart at the drop of a hat. She will walk in the other room and go to the bathroom by herself. She really doesn't whine anymore....as of lately (which Pat says is all I remember) I can't remember any whining. Complaining seems to have decreased. She is super loving and gives me the biggest smile when she is proud of herself. I cannot tell you how nice that is. She is starting to say all kinds of funny things-not that she didn't always-but it's at a new level. You can tell she is figuring things out a little more. Charley may not be figuring things out but she is at an all-time cute and funny. I would venture to say that even though she can have quite the temper she is easier going than Ryan was at this age. She has so many funny expressions and voices. She is definitely more brave than Ryan and will go in distant rooms in the house alone.

So, not to belabor my point, almost 5 and almost 3 are my favorites. This is getting fun!

The Truth

2011-09-05T14:43:00.002-05:00

Just a recording for the records: Pat was feeding the girls lunch this weekend and they were in the other room eating while he was doing something in the kitchen. Ryan walked by him with something in her hand that she was covering with her other hand. He saw her put it in the trash and walked over to ask her what it was. She said "I don't know whose cheese that was...I just came in here to talk to you." So, she immediately got in big trouble and had to go to her room alone while he finished his lunch. She promised to be "good" but it was too late. Apparently she screamed and cried the whole time. So, afterwards they talked about lying and it was time to read a book before nap time. Charley picked "Pinocchio" of all things. I do think the Holy Spirit guided her to pick that because she had know idea the significance-ha!. At the end of the book there is a paragraph about honesty and Ryan told Pat that he could just skip that part. Of course, he didn't and he told her she needed to listen closely.

Ryan doesn't lie a whole lot but she does occasionally. We have found that this little phrase often causes her to fess up: "even if we don't know the truth God does and so you need to tell us the truth. " The other day she wanted to wear an outfit that I knew was dirty and she said it wasn't because it was in her drawer (I had just seen it wadded up in the floor). I didn't want to argue with her and told her that it was fine to wear it but that God knew the truth and if she was lying to me. She seemed happy to get to wear it but in a couple minutes came back in and said that she was wrong and that it was actually dirty. I'm so glad she has an internal sense of right and wrong and not wanting to disappoint God. Hopefully that never changes!

Night Night at Spragins House

2011-08-08T12:29:00.004-05:00

I have to do a quick blog post about Ryan's new night night routine with me. Each night, I cuddle with Charley and Pat cuddles with Ryan. Then, we switch and I cuddle with Ryan and Pat cuddles with Charley. Since we moved, when I get up Ryan wants a "big hug" and after that a "big kiss." Then, I give her 13 kisses and 13 hugs (it started with 10 each and is slowly increasing). Then, we do an Eskimo kiss, I give her a butterfly kiss on her cheek, she gives me a butterfly kiss on my cheek, I give her a butterfly kiss on her nose, she gives me a butterfly kiss on my nose, I give her a butterfly kiss on her mouth, she gives me a butterfly kiss on my mouth, then we both give each other butteryfly kisses on each other's hair at the same time. Then, she wants one final "big hug" and "big kiss." She demonstrates how to do the "big kiss" by puckering her lips and saying I have to do that too and then the kiss has to last a long time. After this routine she is fine with me leaving. We now do this routine without any instruction or converstaion but at the beginning Ryan would tell me what the next step was (e.g. now butterfly kiss on the nose). I feel bad about leaving Charley out of this nonsense so I go to her bed and give her 13 kisses (or however many we are on). So far, she only wants her kisses on her right elbow or toes.

Random

2011-07-17T14:38:00.004-05:00

I'm sitting here while Ryan and Charley nap....I had to go through the blog today to find a date to put on the back of artwork we did a couple of years ago because I remember mentioning it on the blog but I couldn't find it. A little OCD to look for the exact date:) But I noticed I have so many details recorded about the girls from when I started the blog and I hate that my posts have dropped off!!

I'll start with Charley. Oh, Charley...She has been sleeping in a big girl bed since we moved to Spragins House at the beginning of July. I was very tempted to move the crib here but we just packed it away (I think I may or may not have already mentioned that-ha!). She has done great! She does not get up out of the bed and basically has gone to bed without a problem and slept well at night. The other thing I haven't mentioned about her is that she is doing very well about potty training...at the beginning of the summer when she moved in to the Preschool Room at Batesville Montessori we started sending her in panties even though she wasn't the least bit potty trained. That was in the beginning of June and now it is July 17 and she didn't have any accidents at all at school last week and I can't remember the last time she had an accident at home. She won't tell us that she has to go but will all of a sudden become very whiny and needy and possibly roll on the floor and if you ask her if she needs to go she will say "I will try." But she says "try" like "fry." She has also been known to add "that was my idea" when we suggest she try to go potty. She has even gone poopy on the potty a few times without any tears which is a big accomplishment in light of the Hotel Poop Trauma of 2010. Since we are talking about pee pee and poop I'll go ahead and record (because I have to) the song she has composed based on a couple of children's songs to the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb. I'll start by telling you that Jina is pronounced with the i sounding like an i as in vagina). Here goes: Mary had a little jina...little jina...little jina...Mary had a little jina all through the town." Yes, she made that up. I don't know what else to say about that.

Charley says some words so cute. She doesn't always say the c/k sound and will say "t" instead. So, her teacher Kandy was Tandy. This morning she was calling herself Chlarley...try to say it that way...it's hard:) She has been calling Ryan "Ryan" more instead of Ry Ry. But I wish she would always call her Ry Ry because it is so sweet.

Charley attempted swim lessons this year with Ms. Margaret but didn't really want to do it so we stopped after the first day. We tried Ryan at this age, too, and she was pretty apprehensive as well. Maybe next year! At the pool, Charley likes floating around in her "boat." She also likes jumping in and being caught. She will pretend to wash her hands in the water fountain at the pool and will say "rub your hands together" which is what they must say at school. She'll look over at me with a huge smile.

Ryan also took swimming lessons from Ms. Margaret. She has loved Ms. Margaret the last two summers. She was already swimming a little bit under water at the beginning of the summer but she really improved that week and can go alot further. She was funny because as the kids were lined up and Ms. Margaret would tell them what to do next Ryan was usually under water-she loves being under water. The biggest thing she did was jump off the diving board and swim to the ladder without any help. She isn't doing that anymore but likes jumping off diving boards with floaties-she doesn't need help, though, with the floaties.

Ryan was going to take gymnastics starting this summer and Charley was present for the first class and it turned out that she could be in the class so she is taking, too. They both seem to really like it. Charley can't do everything as well as the other kids but at least she tries to do what she is asked to do. She was so excited the first time that we joked that what she lacked in skill she made up for in enthusiasm. She would come running to us saying "I did it!" after each area. The second time she went when she was asked to run laps she told the teacher "I'm just too tired." Hilarious. She uses that excuse sometimes-I wonder who she got that from?

As much as I am opposed to over-scheduling, Ryan has started taking piano this summer and is doing so well. She seems to really love it. Luckily her teacher doesn't encourage practicing until they are around 12 because she wants it to be fun for them. Too bad I didn't have her teacher. Seriously, I don't want them to be too busy and want alot of downtime for relaxation and using their imaginations but I also want them to have as many opportunities as possible to see what they will like. It's hard to choose and not take advantage of everything. That being said, I think we are going to skip soccer for the fall. Pat thinks that she might do better the following year.

Ryan and Charley have really grown this summer. I bought Ryan new shoes at the beginning of the summer that were a little big (9.5) and now her toes are almost coming out. Charley has also grown a ton. Her legs are looking so much longer and some of her shoes from earlier this summer that were HUGE are getting to be too small. This is the most I've ever seen either of them grow in a short period of time.

Random funny story: Recently at the pool a little boy asked Ryan if she wanted to go to the 4-foot area and she said "I don't know you." (Sidenote: I'm so proud). Then, he introduced himself and asked her name and she said in a monotone voice "Ryan Ashley Mulick." At this point he must not have thought she would be too fun and he took off to play by himself and Charley comes out of nowhere saying with a huge smile "I'm Charley!!" She seemed a little embarrased because she immediately looked over at me to see my reaction. She then said "I want to go with him" and was trying to get in the deeper water where she couldn't touch and then wanted me to take her to him. I fear that scenerios like this could be in our future in 12 years or so.

Random musings about Ryan and Charley being in the same classroom this summer: R & C are in the same classroom for the first time ever. It is so sweet because I think they hang out with each other the entire time. They really don't interact with other kids at all. The teachers have said what a sweet relationship they have. Apparently when Charley has been upset then Ryan will comfort her. This happened more at the beginning but there was a day that Ryan was upset and they said that Charley patted her and tried to make her feel better. I asked Charley who she would play with when Ryan returns to Hope Lutheran and she said "myself." Then I asked her about playing with the other kids and she said "I'll talk to my teachers." That is how she was in the toddler room with Ms. Kandy so I hope that she actually feels more comfortable and plays with the other kids. Ryan is very good about telling us what happens in Charley's day including good details we wouldn't otherwise have. When Charley was having accidents she would tell us what was going on before and if Charley had been taken to the potty recently. She also tells us if Charley naps or not.

OK, that's a good amount of documentation I would say. I'm not going to labor over this anymore.

Rock-A-Bye Baby Charley

2011-07-05T20:02:00.003-05:00

Tonight I'm mourning a milestone in our family. We rocked Charley and put her down in her crib for the last time. The crib I spent months researching and tracking down from a company in Canada. The crib that had a tiny black mark on it and I thought it wasn't perfect enough for my unborn baby and I wanted to send it back to Canada for another one. As a side note, Jeanne Mae saw the black mark and casually said that nothing with kids would be "perfect." I was of course polite but internally thought that in my world things would be perfect and would look perfect. I should have listened to the mother of six and grandmother of sixteen. Back to the crib...it seemed so big when we put little preemie Ryan in it for a photo shoot in Spokane where her hair looked like she had been electrocuted. It had the cutest brown and pink striped/polka dotted "non-baby" looking bedding. It is the crib I have leaned over and patted sweet little girls in hopes they would finally fall asleep. It is the crib from which angry screams have come when little girls have to "cry it out." Charley definitely beat Ryan in the category of who can scream the longest and/or make oneself vomit so the parents come get you out of the crib. It is the crib from which an angry and impatient and selfish Mommy has tiptoed away too many times to count hoping to get a few minutes to myself.

Since the crib is going I am assuming the rocking will go, too. We'll still have rocking chairs but at night we will lie in bed with Charley like we do Ryan. So, I thought about it being the "last time" we rock Charley before bed. We have been switching off where I rock Charley first and Pat lies with Ryan and then we switch. Tonight was special knowing it was probably one of the last times I'll ever rock her again. I was in less of a rush and just enjoyed her talking to me. I thought of the moments I've missed when I've wanted her to fall asleep faster so I could get on with what I need to do. Dishes, laundry, reading....as if those things were more important. Then, when I was in bed with Ryan I looked over at Pat rocking Charley and could barely contain my tears. I was reminded of all of the times when they were little babies and he would sit for hours holding them.

Charley has been consistently going to sleep in her crib without problems since we got back from vacation last week. She was more inconsistent prior to the vacation but we have been bribing her with a big girl bed if she goes to sleep without crying or needing us to come back in the room. Today was the day that her big girl bed arrived at Spraggins House and she ran to her room (knowing it was probably there) and threw herself on it. Her face was so very happy and a few minutes later she was lying on it and said excitedly "I love my big girl bed!" I guess all transitions will be like this...bittersweet. I'm so happy she's excited about growing up but heartbroken that in this way she will not be my little baby anymore.

All of that excitement about the crib for Ryan 5 years ago has come and gone and we are now in the next stage. The baby stage is gone already. People say it goes so fast and it does. I try to remember that and cherish the moments but too often life gets in the way and I just want to move on to the next thing for the day or on my agenda. I hope this milestone will be a reminder of how fast the time goes and for me to slow down and soak up all of the potential precious moments with these two little girls. I know I did tonight.

Changing subjects: Pat just said "You know what makes me sad? Not having my big screen t.v. at our new house."

Sigh....

Ryan Is the Sweetest and I'm Not

2011-06-12T10:56:00.004-05:00

Oh my. She is so precious! Charley was being mean to her and I witnessed her try to slam the back door in her face while Ryan was standing outside looking for me. Ryan was already upset because she didn't know where I was. Charley went to time-out and was very upset and it took a while to calm her down. As soon as she apologized to Ryan, Ryan gave her a toy and her own new favorite yellow blanket-fitted crib sheet that may have been Aunt Ashley's. Then, we were upstairs and Charley was still sniffling and Ryan showed her three crosses she made at school and told her that Jesus forgives her. Then, Ryan moved the crosses by Charley's bed so that she could get to know Jesus because she already did. She said if Charley is sad that she will know Jesus is with her. Then, they spontaneously started singing a duet of Jesus Loves Me. Seriously, the sweetness and forgiveness is amazing. So, a few minutes later Ryan started crying because I said we couldn't eat on the porch (forgot I already said we could) and I proceeded to snap at her in my mean Mommy yell because I was tired of the tears this morning. What is wrong with me. Being a Mommy is hard! Thankfully the cross applies to me too!

School Days

2011-05-27T15:20:00.006-05:00

Below is a picture of Charley's very first day at Batesville Montessori School in June 2010...

Oh, the bittersweetness of the last day of school. Today was Charley's last day in the toddler room at Batesville Montessori School. Below is her beloved Mrs. Kandy on the last day of school....

Mrs. Kandy was the sole reason that Charley survived this year. She went through some tough times of not wanting to go to school but in the end loved it and especially Mrs. Kandy. Every time I would go pick her up she was with Mrs. Kandy. I don't think she did much exploring beyond or much playing with the other kids unless Mrs. Kandy was involved. Although, at the end she did start being more independent. A big accomplishment this year was that she learned to nap at school-that seemed impossible at the beginning of the year but it was no problem. For the record and posterity, she usually took cut up hot dogs, crackers or bread, a veggie (carrots or broccoli with ranch or greenbeans), and a fruit (apples, strawberries, watermelon, honeydew). I tried to send fresh veggies and fruits but sometimes it was packaged:) She can't have peanut butter yet so that is why so many hot dogs....Hebrew Dogs to be exact which are healthy:) Also for the record, Charley claims that she is going to marry Cooper Coleman.

Ryan had a fantastic year. I can't say enough about Hope Lutheran School and the teachers! I can't wait for the summer to be over to get her back there. Her teachers were Kelly Oster (below at their school program on the last day), Kelley Smith, Betsy Tucker (mine and Ashley's gymnastics teacher), and Sara Murphy (was Aunt Ashley's friend). Charley loves Mrs. Oster, too, and liked to show her things when we picked Ryan up.

Ryan was already starting to read when she started school but her reading really took off this year and she worked her way through an entire workbook. One of her best friends was Anna Lampkin. For the record, she usually took a peanut butter and jelly sandwich cut into a heart or flower and the same fruit/veggie that Charley took. Also for the record, for a couple of months she said she was going to marry Carson Pfitzner but last night it changed to Talen Foree. Either way, that better be far off in the future. One of my favorite parts about the school is the focus on the children's relationship with God and one of their goals is to help the children fall in love with Jesus. The teachers pray once a week and some mothers also pray once a week. I was able to make it to that prayer group a few times. Ryan loved school except the period that she had mono and a few weeks afterward when she cried when dropped off at school and during lunch for some reason. I had been praying with her in the mornings and finally I asked Mrs. Oster and Smith to pray for her during their prayer times and they said they spent a lot of time praying about the situation. Soon after that Mrs. Oster had a talk with Ryan and explained that she would be going to school for the next 18 years and once they had that talk Ryan didn't have any more crying at school. I think after the mono she thought that school was just an option. I was so thankful to have this school during this tough time for her because I knew they loved her and would help her in the way she needed.

Below is the first day of school...I think it was actually Ryan's first day and Charley had already been in school for a week for the Fall term.

Ryan Update

2011-05-16T12:25:00.003-05:00

Like Charley's post, this was started in mid-May....here we go...Ryan is growing and learning so much it is amazing. I can't believe she is 6 months from being 5-years-old. Kill me. I can't handle it.

She will say to me "I want to go wherever you go. Whatever you do I want to do. You are my best friend." Ooooh, I need to cherish this!
She can count to 100 and read some small books.
She's starting to write and spell and be interested in how to spell things.
She can skip.
She can buckle herself in the carseat. This is the biggest change as far as how it impacts our life! We get her in the car and are done-she can do the rest!
She is the greatest big sister when Charley is upset. She will give up her favorite toys (Huggums or whatever she is playing with at the moment). She will talk to Charley like she is a baby and try to help her feel better ("Charley do you want to sit on Ry Ry's lap?")
I never posted about her having mono but that was no fun. It was in March and she had fever into the 102s for 10 days before we found out what was wrong. It started with strep and didn't get better with antibiotics. An office visit later led to an inhaler and another antibiotic that was supposed to be better with lung infections. An ER visit on a Sunday ruled out flu, RSV, and pneumonia. Finally, another office visit revealed mono. She's never been so sick. She was lethargic and did not have her personality. She would have times of feeling better but would then revert to being sick all over again. She missed two weeks of school (one week was Spring Break, though). When she returned to school she had a very hard time adjusting. For a few weeks she cried everyday at either drop-off or at lunch for some reason. She probably wasn't herself for about 6 weeks. We were so thankful to see her personality come back. In her prayers she will pray for children who are sick or have mono. The way I handled the mono is an altogether different post that will not be posted. I'll just leave it at noting I lost 5 pounds in a couple of days from my reaction to stress.
The only thing I would add to the above is that she learned to swim under water early in the summer at the pool. She will take official lessons when we get back from vacation next week.
The only other thing I would add is that she is the greatest big sister now that she and Charley are at Batesville Montessori together this summer. I'll save the details for its own post.

OK, that's it for Ryan!

Charley Update

2011-05-16T12:18:00.005-05:00

I started this in mid-May and have waited for the perfect time to perfect it and it never came. I have a couple of minutes on vacation so will just finish it!! I thought that since both girls had their half birthdays last week (6 weeks ago now) that I would do a little summary post for each of them. Here are a few cute things Charley says and does:

Tank You (love how she says this)
Instead of saying does, she says doos ("Do it like Kandy doos it.")
Instead of saying don't, she says not ("I not like it.")
She can sing the entire ABCs. I love the way she says U-she says it like the word moo.
She can count to 12.
She LOVES to change her babies diapers. I bought some cheap newborn diapers to fit her baby dolls thinking they would fit better and be less expensive but she insists on using her "Poo" diapers on her babies. They are too big and she then insists on putting them in the Diaper Genie and therefore wasting them. She loves wipes and uses lots and lots to change their diapers. She says "I need two more and that will be it."
Band-Aids are another favorite. We get them each time she goes to the store. Easier to spend a couple of dollars and just get them than reason with her that we have enough. We have 7 boxes. There are signs of Band-Aids all over the house...the wrappers and the little parts that stick to the sticky parts. She calls them "Bean Dades."
She has the cutest little smile. I wish I could freeze it in time. She looks up at you with a scrunched up face and a gummy smile with pure excitement.

OK, I didn't change anything since mid-May-I need to get over my perfectionistic tendencies. Ryan's post to come next!

What Makes Jesus Happy?

2011-05-04T19:42:00.002-05:00

Last night I was talking to Ryan about making Jesus happy and that I was going to start asking myself what might make him happy. Tonight, she had four rubber bands and she was offering to give one to Charley who had a little tantrum on the floor because she wanted all of them. I negotiated with Charley and got her to agree, while still crying, to just hold all of them and give them right back to Ryan. I asked Ryan if she would go along with that and she held them high in the air and said "no." Then I remembered our conversation last night and asked her what she thought would make Jesus happy. She immediately gave them to Charley and seemed to have a change of heart. She told Charley she could just have them (in a happy way, not bitter). I told her that I was so proud of her choice and she jumped up and down and said she made Jesus happy. Then she said "at first I didn't want to and I thought about it for a minute and knew I should give them to her because Jesus would be happy." I thought that was so cute that I ran to a piece of paper to write it down.

As we were getting ready for bed Ryan said "I've been a good big sister today and tomorrow morning I'm going to be very helpful." She asked if she could make Charley's breakfast, turn on the T.V. for her, and help her get dressed. She then added that she was helpful tonight because "it's just you" (Pat is gone tonight and I was solo parenting). I told her how proud I was that she was being so helpful and then she asked if I would make sure to write that down. Ha! Then, a few minutes later as I was tucking her in she reminded me to write it down. So, I'm just doing as requested...

Prayers of a 4-Year-Old

2011-05-03T20:00:00.003-05:00

Ryan's prayers tonight:

The obligatory thank you for Mommy, Daddy, Charley, and Snowball (although on most nights it's just Mommy and Daddy)
Thank you for feet so we can walk
Thank you for North America
Thank you for the people whose houses were blewn (yes that's how she said it) away by the tornado
Please help Anna's grandmother not have to be in a wheelchair
Please help my Bubby feel better
Thank you for fruit and keep it healthy
Thank you for books
Thank you for money to buy things with

After she was finished she said that we should be thankful that we don't have broken arms and legs. That is definitely true but not something I've ever been thankful for exactly.

Charley's night prayer is this: Dear God, Thank you for Snowball. Amen. She says it so fast you can't understand her. She likes to kneel on the floor and last night we forgot prayers until we were rocking and she got up by herself and walked in our room to pray by herself.

So, so very sweet. I love it!

Hosannah

2011-04-17T12:11:00.002-05:00

Pat brought home some palms made into crosses and gave them to R & C. Ryan then said: "Charley, let's play Jesus....Mommy what was that verse? Hosannah Hosannah blessed is He who came in the name of the Lord!" She remembered that verse from Cubbies and is running around with her cross singing this verse. This may be the happiest moment of my life so far!

Where Do Belly Buttons Come From? and Misc.

2011-04-14T14:40:00.004-05:00

Pat asked Charley where she got her belly button and she said "Jesus....He loves me." Where do they come up with things like that?

Last week was Ryan's Hot Lunch day at school. Every Thursday one of the families brings a hot lunch for the school and that means each family does it twice a year. The first time I brought homemade chicken tetrazzini, carrots/butter/brown sugar, and homemade chocolate mint cupcakes. This week I brought Stouffer's lasagna, honeydew/cantaloupe, and store-bought cupcakes. The children raved about this week's meal but not so much about the first meal. Ryan has been SO EXCITED for her hot lunch. It has been so cute. We bought tablecloths and she picked Tangled/Rapunzel for the girls and Spiderman for the boys. She picked pink plates/napkins for the girls and black plates/napkins for the boys. Charley came with us and went to the playground to play with the big kids at recess while Pat and I cleaned up. Ryan showed us how she can hang upside down by her knees on the jungle gym and then flip off. It scared me to watch. Betsy Tucker said that she thought she would be good in gymnastics because she is so flexible and brave. Brave? Did I hear her correctly? Go Ryan! I think I will sign her up for gymnastics this summer when there is no dance class and see how she likes it.

Ryan has dance class tonight. She is gearing up for the big recital in June-she is going to be a green butterfly in Alice in Wonderland. Charley will be able to take dance in the Fall. I can't believe she is big enough to do that.

OK, I'm going to try to do better about recording the mundane events of our lives just for the record for R & C to know what they did when they were little. I've said that before so we'll see...

A Couple of Quotes

2011-04-12T11:15:00.002-05:00

Charley at the circus: "Me haven't seen tigers in a long time."

Ryan at bedtime: She had figured out Aunt Ashley was my sister and that we were both big sisters. She also figured out Daddy and Charley are little brother/little sister. She then wondered why we have more girls in our family but then said "that's OK...I like girls the best....because boys are kind of crazy."

Deep Thoughts by Kristi

2011-04-07T08:53:00.002-05:00

I’ve been getting the same message from God in the last 12 hours…I love it when that happens. I’ve been struggling and am just getting tired of the same ole problem. It seems the anxiety will be with me always but I know God can completely heal me of this problem. The interesting thing is that without it I am less likely to be dependent on God so really it is kind of like Paul’s thorn for me. I want to learn the lesson so that I can be dependent on Him without having to suffer so much anxiety.

So, anyway, I’m going to record the things I’ve read in the last 12 hours that are all related to what I’m dealing with so that I don’t forget. Last night, Lysa TerKeurst’s blog had the following quote: “Just taking in the inspiration of truth but never being transformed by it will lead us down a dangerous path of doubt…reading the truth but not applying it…taking in knowledge but never letting it make a difference in my life…knowing what I must do to experience life change but never putting it into action.” I do alot of reading and get alot of inspiration. However, I must say I don't see much personal change. I respond to stressful situations in the same way.

Then, I was reading Beth Moore’s Breaking Free. On page 167: “Rightly responding to the Word of God is our ticket on the freedom train….we want God to somehow wave a wand over us and magically remove every hindrance without requiring anything of us….God desires to change us from the inside out---renewing our minds, starving our self-destructive tendencies, and teaching us to form new habits.” Then, on page 171 she talks about attaching ourselves or becoming dependent on something other than God. There is more to this issue in the book but I’m just writing about what is applying to me right now. She says that “God created us to be attached to Him; therefore, He made us with a very real need to be attached….Satan offers us alternate attachments masquerading as fulfillments to our inner needs. Any attachment other than God is a fraud.” She points out the attachment in this context is different from healthy relationships with things or people. This is referring to growing dependent on something other than God. My confession: I am dependent on the health and happiness of my children. That is my security. If they are well then I am well. If any one thing is wrong with them, my world is shattered. I have made their wellbeing an idol.

I went to bed thinking I need to let go and surrender to God. I can’t control it all. I can’t make my children happy or healthy. I can nurture and guide them but mentally I’ve been trying to control it all. If I worry enough then I am controlling the situation. I knew that I had to let go if I was going to let God transform my heart. I was thinking about my prayers as of late asking God to be near me or with me but last night realized He is IN me and that He WILL transform me IF I will let go of my grasp. I have to give up all control to Him and He will THEN do the work of transforming. If I continue to hold on He is still there within me but can’t work and I don’t get to experience His peace that transcends all understanding (Phil 4:7).

So, this morning I’m reading my Jesus Calling devotional and it says “Be still while I transform your heart and mind. Let go of cares and worries, so that you can receive My Peace.” This was just what I was thinking as I was going to sleep. Amazing. The strange thing is this was on June 2^nd and I have no idea why I read that page first because I was behind and was going to read a few pages in March and April.

April 6^th talked about Eve’s negative focus on the forbidden fruit while she was surrounded by the many good things freely available. The negative focus darkened her mind. When focusing on situations that are displeasing, the mind also becomes darkened looking for what is wrong and refusing to enjoy life until that is “fixed.” “When you approach Me with thanksgiving, the Light of My Presence pours into you, transforming you through and through, Walk in the Light with Me by practicing the discipline of thanksgiving.” This is what I’m trying to do by recording blessings/gifts ala Ann Voskamp. Yesterday I was focused on/obsessed with something that was one small thing but I couldn’t stop worrying about it. I realized what I was doing but couldn’t stop myself. I prayed about it but no change. I am realizing the circumstances may not change but I can live above them. Seems like something someone I know well might say….Daddy maybe? Could he be right? Yesterday if I could have submitted, let go, and trusted God with this little obsession He would have had the chance to transform me. But, until I let go and let Him there will be no transformation and I will continue to read the Truth without changing. Like Beth Moore said, something is required of me-trust and obedience and taking my hands/mind off the problem. I believe this is the enemy’s strategy because as long as there is no transformation and I continue to cope poorly with stress I am no poster child for the Kingdom of God. God has already done such a transformation in me that I could be a powerful testimony to God-but not in this condition and the enemy knows it.

Finally, April 2^nd is all about two of the verses I’ve memorized this year for the Beth Moore scripture memorization project (Phil 4:19 and 2 Cor 4:17): “I have promised to meet all your needs according to My glorious riches. Your deepest, most constant need is for My Peace. I have planted Peace in the garden of your heart, where I live; but there are weeds growing there too: pride, worry, selfishness, unbelief. I am the Gardener, and I am working to rid your heart of those weeds. I do My work in various ways. When you sit quietly with Me, I shine the Light of My Presence directly into your heart. In this heavenly Light, Peace grows abundantly and weeds shrivel up. I also send trials into your life. When you trust Me in the midst of trouble, Peace flourishes and weeds die away. Thank Me for troublesome situations; the Peace they can produce far outweigh the trials you endure.”

“When you trust Me in the midst of trouble, Peace flourishes and weeds die away.” This is what I am trying to do. Trust in the midst of trouble-even if it is just perceived trouble in my mind. Stop waiting for the circumstance to change to have peace because there will always be a new circumstance. And most importantly, there will never be transformation if I skate by on circumstantial peace. I want to be transformed and be dependent on God. I no longer want to be dependent on circumstances. Today I will work on trusting and letting go.

Finally, in reading Beth Moore’s Breaking Free she talks about passing down good and bad things to your children. She has readers go back and look at what has been passed down to them through their family lines, both positive and negative. Then she has readers consider what they want to keep from their family lines and what they need to break free from and don’t want to pass down. I do come by my anxiety honestly but I will do anything I can to prevent my girls from struggling with this issue. Anything. If I can break free from this issue they will have a better chance of not dealing with it. So, part of my work is motivated to stop this issue from impacting anyone else in this family. The pain I may suffer in letting go of control will be worth it if my girls grow up learning to be dependent on God and not on circumstances. If I can’t learn the lesson first I have no chance of being able to teach it to them.

Maybe God is Busy

2011-04-05T11:37:00.003-05:00

Last night Charley was having to cry it out and I told Ryan we should pray for her. So we both prayed out loud and I told her that Jesus heard us. The next second Charley cried louder and Ryan said "uh oh....He didn't." Then she said, "Maybe God is busy." Isn't that how we feel much of the time? We know in our heads that He isn't too busy for us and hears us but sometimes it does feel maybe He's too busy with other things or people. I tried to explain that God heard us but maybe didn't do what we asked Him to do. She didn't ask too many questions, thank heavens, because I still struggle with this issue. But, I thought if I wrote a book I would already have a title.

Lots of Love Lately

2011-03-17T15:30:00.000-05:00

Ryan has been sick all week so I got in bed with her during naptime and worked on my computer. She was cuddled up to me and said "Mommy...this is the best." I agree! The very best!

Last night when I was cuddling with Ryan before bed I told her that I wished that I could be the sick one and that if I could I would be sick for her. She just looked up at me and gave me a hot feverish kiss. I think she somewhat understood how much I loved her for a second.

When I picked Charley up from school, Mrs. Kandy said that she was funny and happy today and was walking around saying "Mrs. Kandy? I love you." When I told her that Bubby was at home with Ryan she said "I love him."

Lots of love from these little girls and I hope they feel lots of love from us too!

Hodgepodge...

2011-03-02T19:51:00.003-06:00

"Charley was upset today when Gin Gin came to keep her and Ryan for an hour while I went to a Family Violence meeting. When Pat got home she was walking around saying "me....sad....Mommy leave." Then she was holding her baby doll saying "me a good Mommy....me stay."

Ryan lost two of books tonight for one episode of complaining with Mommy and one episode of not listening with Daddy. Prayer time came immediately after a "talk" with Daddy about why she was losing books. Ryan prayed first and said she was glad God gave her Mommy and Daddy and that she loved them so much and would love them no matter what. So sweet! That's kind of what we told her during our talks.

Pat took Charley to walk Snowball and it turned out to be a 30-minute walk around the block. The funny thing is that she started out with her jacket on and then she unzipped it and then it was hanging off her shoulders and then it was just on one arm and then the other arm and then just her wrist. By the time there was one sleeve on one wrist she proclaimed "me wear it like that."

Today at school apparently Charley was rolling in the leaves and Mrs. Kandy renamed her Leafy Mae instead of Charley Mae. Charley apparently thought this was hilarious.

OK, off to bed soon.

A Few Quotes and Developments

2011-02-17T13:48:00.004-06:00

Things have been super busy! I hate that time is passing by and I haven't been able to record as much as I would like. Like today I was wondering when Ryan started to write her name. I really can't remember. It must have been in the fall. But, anyway....here are a few funny things R & C have said/done....

Ryan: I can't wait until my #5 birthday.

Me: I can't believe you are going to be 5....that is craziness.

Ryan: It's not craziness...it's happiness.

I was out of town for 9 days and on Day 8 Pat was running out of steam. Charley apparently had a fit in front of the Presbyterian Church and he told her she could stay there by herself but he and Ryan would be going home. Ryan informed him that he couldn't leave her there. Pat whispered to Ryan that he wasn't really going to leave her but was just pretending so she would follow them. Ryan still refused to leave Charley's side. Oh I hope they will always be there for each other:)

On the same day Charley was having a fit at the dinner table and Pat was just letting her cry. He told Ryan that Charley was just going to have to learn how to calm herself down. Ryan informed him that HE had to HELP her calm down. Pat realized that she was right. Ha!

I was rocking Charley last night (day after I got back) and she kept saying "me sad you left." I would repeat to her that I was sad too that I left and she would say "me too." This went on and on and on...sooooo sweet.

R & C don't want to spend the night at Gin Gin and Bubby's this weekend (probably because we haven't all been home together in 2 weeks on a weekend). Charley kept saying "me want to stay here really really bad." I asked Ryan why she didn't want to go and she thought about it and said "Bubby turns the t.v. on when I'm trying to go to sleep and I can't fall asleep." Hahahaha! They are getting to the age where they can "tattle" on people. I love it!

Mrs. Oster said at school that some of the kids were bragging about some of the things they "had" like games, toys, etc and Ryan chimed in saying very proudly "well, I have an Aunt Ashley." This actually happened before Christmas when she hadn't even seen her that recently. So sweet.

In big news, Ryan started a workbook yesterday at school and was so very proud!!! She worte her first word (other than her name) at home in chalk on the driveway..."cat." I was so proud and took a picture! Charley was equally proud that she went potty at school yesterday!

In other big news, Charley's new name is The Puzzle Savant. She is a puzzle wizard. She LOVES puzzles and in the last week learned to put the US puzzle together by herself. She's slightly obsessed and if she is home she wants to be working puzzles with SOMEONE ELSE. We just sit and do puzzle after puzzle after puzzle. She never gets bored. Susan Lindblom says puzzles are really good for their development at this time in life. If that is true she may be a genius. I'm not good at puzzles and I'm not kidding when I say she is at least at my level or maybe a little better.

OK, that wasn't that hard. Again, I'll try to update more regularly!

Bible Verse Memorization

2011-01-14T19:31:00.002-06:00

Tonight I was telling Ryan my "Beth Moore" scripture memorization verse for the last two weeks and then I reminded her of her verse from Cubbies last week. She asked what Charley's verse was. I told her that she was too young to memorize verses but that she could say "Jesus Loves Me." So, I had her say "Jesus Loves Me" and it was so cute in her toddler voice. Ryan said "you are so cute I could put you in my food." Where do they come up with things like that?

Charley is equally smitten with Ryan. Right before that Ryan walked in the other room calmly and Charley took off running behind her looking back at me saying "Go with Ry Ry." That happens all the time.

They are normal children and and before I had time to sit down and blog this I heard them both crying in the bathtub and Pat yelling "work it out." At least we get the brief moments of pure sweetness and love to balance out the other stuff:)

Saul

2011-01-01T07:42:00.002-06:00

Last week we were doing Ryan's nightly Bible story. There was a picture of a mean-looking man and she asked why he was mad. Pat explained that his name was Saul (before he was Paul) and that he didn't like Jesus and he hurt people who believed Jesus. Ryan said "did Saul not hurt people who didn't believe Jesus and hurt people that did believe Jesus?" The story continued and Pat randomly asked Ryan if she believed Jesus and she said she did. Then, a few minutes later as she was going to bed she said "I hope Saul doesn't hurt me." I guess that would be a scary concept if you didn't know this happened 2000 years ago.

P.S. Charley just said to Pat "me special Daddy?"

I Thought You Were Santa Claus

2010-12-25T12:42:00.005-06:00

We had a fun and relaxing Christmas this year. We are actually seeing the light at the end of the tunnel in terms of moving out of babyhood. Christmas Day had very few tears shed by any and fairly good listening by all. Since I've not blogged about anything Christmas-related, I'll recap the whole month in a brief 12-page memorandom.

We started our Christmas celebration the day after we returned from California for Thanksgiving. The first day back we decorated the tree and house (I already had tree and lights ready to go before we left and boxes downstairs). We also did our Jessie Tree coloring and started our Jessie Tree devotionals each night. Ryan was actually able to answer some of the questions asked. She usually answered the questions the same no matter what they asked. Question: "What can you do to honor God?" Answer: "If God tells me to do something then I will do it." That was her favorite answer even when it really didn't fit the question. On December 1st we started our Fisher Price Advent Calendar. We also had our Fisher Price Nativity set (Activity set as Ryan called it). We have two now, which worked out very well because the Angel and Baby Jesus were hot commodities and R & C have not learned that sharing is part of the message Baby Jesus was bringing. A few times we read the Christmas story from Luke 2 while Ryan set up the manger scene and it was just precious!

The first weekend in December we went to Breakfast with Santa and again he is not a favorite unless you consider what he does for you. We have yet another family picture with Santa...maybe one of these days we'll have just the girls with Santa. That night we went to the Carlton's 2nd Annual Cookies and Hot Chocolate and Christmas Parade Viewing Party. It was lots of fun! Charley stayed inside and played with Annaleigh instead of watching the parade. Pat and Ryan had a great time watching the parade and getting candy. Before the party, Ryan danced at the Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Municipal Building and sang a little song about Christmas at the Batesville Ballet. It was really cold and the kids wore heavy coats, hats, gloves, and scarves. It was pretty cute. She did great especially considering she hadn't been to dance class the last two times and hadn't practiced!

We had a nice weekend at home the following weekend other than Charley having a stomach virus. Then, a few days later it struck me but without vomiting--hooray! The saddest part was that Charley had to miss her school Christmas party and missed seeing Santa. Sad for us not her...in fact, she may have concocted this illness to avoid seeing him again. By the weekend, all was well except Pat and my dad were in Dallas watching Gonzaga play in a tournament. I wasn't thrilled that he left the weekend before Christmas although I know that I must have given my blessing earlier. I hadn't realized how hectic it would be and how much I would enjoy being home with our Christmas decorations relaxing. Harder to relax when you are the one in charge of R & C all by yourself.

We ended up having a great 36 hours of Pat being gone. We went to Gin Gin & Bubby's at about 4 pm on Friday (my dad invited us but my mother was out and about until bedtime). Even though no one was there to help me it was easier because the list of things at home to be done aren't available to do and they don't loom in your mind forcing you to feel guilty if you don't do them. Ryan accidentally knocked over a pot with greenery that my mother told me that she had had for 40 years and nothing had happened to it until I was left alone with it. She told Ryan that she had it for 40 years and she was surprised it hadn't been broken before. Glad she reframed it for Ry Ry. We spent the night, got up early the next morning and got Daylight Donuts and Hannah Sturch came to babysit for 2 hours while I went to two exercise classes Saturday morning. I had a little guilt about that but in the end I was a happier person and that led to happier children. We had a playdate at the Wardens and then a group lunch at McDonalds. We had late naps and drove around looking at Christmas lights (via Walgreens and an antibiotic for Charley following my swab following Drew's positive test while we were at the Wardens).

Ryan's school didn't have a big Christmas party. They watched Charlie Brown Christmas and then sang a few carols and had a birthday cake for Jesus which was really cute. It was white (white icing is like His righteousness covering us). It was round (His love has no beginning or end). Hmmm....four layers on the inside and I remember brown was for sin and red was for blood. I don't remember the other two layers. The kids sang Happy Birthday to Jesus and it was really sweet.

Christmas week was fairly uneventful. Santa put one toy together each night while Mrs. Ketz-Claus slept. Pat took the girls to Jonesboro on Monday to see Santa while I worked. Charley was so excited and talked about it the whole way down there. But, when they got in the line she started to cover her eyes and look the other way. As they got closer and closer she began to cry. Maybe next year Santa!

Charley got pink eye and Ryan got strep the week of Christmas but we took it in stride. On Christmas Eve, we went to the Barnett Farm for a brunch and that night was our church service. It was so sweet. They sang "Away in a Manger." Ryan had some hand movements that she must have learned elsewhere because the other kids weren't doing them. When they went up for "Go Tell It On The Mountain" Charley decided she would participate. She stood next to Ryan smiling and bouncing. SO SWEET. We didn't realize Pat was ushering until we got there. I was in the pew with the girls, books, cracker crumbs, wiggling, and frustration while Father John was talking about Jesus being born in filthy conditions and that He can save us from our own "filthy hearts." OK, God, I get the message. Eventually, like the soccer games, Ryan and Charley assisted Pat in ushering and Kirk asked me if I could not control my own children for 5 minutes. No, I cannot thankyouverymuch. And, by the way, those five minutes were the most peaceful of the day.

At bedtime we heard Santa's bells. We went to the front porch to look for him but didn't see him. Charley was scared and layed on the floor covering her eyes. Ryan was cuddling with Pat at bedtime and I came in the room and she said "Oh, I thought you were Santa Claus." She really meant it! When Pat had to go get "something" at Mr. Tim's she told him to look for a bright light because that would be Rudolph's nose. It was really cute because she was really into the Santa-thing this year.

On Christmas morning, Gin Gin and Bubby were here waiting for us to come down the stairs and A & A came soon after. Ryan started asking for a rocking horse soon after Santa had procured one for Charley. She says now it is her favorite gift, even though it's pretty small and really for a toddler and she rarely gets on it. If anyone asks what Santa brought her, she always says the rocking horse. Santa also brought a plasma car, grocery store, and easel. We had lunch at GG and Bubby's and opened gifts that night. Everyone passed out thoughtful and beautifully wrapped gifts and I told them that they would be receiving a card soon telling them that money had been given in their names to help vaccinate children in third world countries. Merry Christmas! Then, we celebrated Nana's 95th birthday on the 26 with everyone except Cousin Susan, whom was missed!

This is an abrubt ending, I know. But, I'm done.

Rock Baby Jesus

2010-12-12T18:55:00.001-06:00

Charley playing with Fisher Price nativity scene. She has a shepard rocking Baby Jesus and is singing "rock Baby Jesus." Awww the sweetness...

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Happy Thanksgiving!!

2010-11-25T13:14:00.005-06:00

I have a couple of free minutes this morning. I went for a run and then came and no one was in our house. Pat took the girls for chocolate chip pancakes at Mike and Eddie's house and Michelle and Steve went for a walk on the beach. I made my whipped cream for lunch and a cheese ball, both of which were harder than I thought. My typical estimating way less than what we need played out with the whipped cream. I bought two cups of heavy whipping cream to make whipped cream for 33 people. When Todd heard this he said everyone would get a "thimble-full."

What I am thankful for today is my two precious, little girls. As I see all of the Mulick cousins growing up, I could just cry because I know time will go that fast for us, too.

When I met Mike's family, Halle was 1 and Cole was 3. They are 10 and 12 now. Halle was younger than Charley is now and I remember their 2nd and 4th birthdays (they are in the same month, like Ryan and Charley). It seems like yesterday.

Eddie's kids are 16, 13/14, and 11. Kyle (11) was 4 (Ryan's age...crazy) when Pat and I got married. He carried his flower down the aisle and when the wedding was over he pretended it was a sword.

Michelle was saying that last week was hard for her because Justin was looking at colleges and Carley packed away her baby dolls and even wanted just get rid of some of them. When I met them, Justin was 9 or 10-years-old. Carley was 3-years-old. Morgan was 6-years-old and she got her braces off last week and looks so grown up.

When we were at the Carter's house there were pictures everywhere from when the kids were younger. Those pictures are how I mostly think of them because I have not seen the four younger ones in almost two years. Now, Brooke is in college, the twins are almost 16, McKenna is 12 but looks 16, and Blake is 9-years-old. At our wedding, Blake was like Charley at A & A's wedding. He was brought in for pictures and then taken back to the hotel with the babysitter.

Seeing these kids in intervals over the nine years makes it more tangible that these years are going to go by fast. So, I'm thankful to have two sweet girls that still need me even though it is sometimes hard being needed all of the time:) Soon, they will be all grown up and gone and they will not need me as much and my influence will be less. I pray that I will make better use of this time with them and appreciate every minute. I sometimes forget that I can use every moment as a teachable moment or a time to let them know that they are loved and valued. I could not spend my time doing anything more important. So many times I am just trying to get through the moments and this Thanksgiving I am reminded that I want the moments to count so that when they are 18 I will know that I did everything I could and didn't just get by. At that point I will be able to rest knowing that I've done my part and that they know what they need to know. I clearly cannot do this alone and will have to look to God for direction. I will have to let go of things going my way on my timeline...ouch...don't like that one. If I can slow down and listen to God I know he will guide me in what I need to do.

I say all of this and mean it but then I turn around, get frustrated, don't slow down to help R & C manage their emotions, and just get mad and make them keep going so that I can do what I want to do. "You have to the count of 3 to stop crying or you lose a book at bedtime"....this is not to help them it is to help ME do what I want because crying gets in MY way or it just irritates me. I feel like Paul when he said "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do" (Romans 7:15, NIV).

So, this Thanksgiving I am so thankful for my little rewards, Ryan and Charley ("Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him"-Psalm 127:3, NLT).But in being thankful I see how I could be a much better mother to them and promise to try with God's help. Thankfully I know God's plan doesn't require me to be perfect and He will work it out no matter what a loser I am:)

So, Happy Thanksgiving!! What are YOU thankful for?

We Started Out So Strong...

2010-11-17T14:32:00.002-06:00

We started out so strong that I even made the comment that this was so much easier than last summer. Was it that they are 4 months older? Was it that we checked the carseats? Was it the Lexapro? Well, all the pondering was unnecessary as we boarded our second flight in Dallas and Charley was squaking because she wanted Ryan's Barbie learning toy and Ryan was squaking because Charley was in the window seat and Ryan was squaking because she wanted Pat's Doritoes and wanted to play her princess cd player at high volume... If that wasn't enough the plane had a mechanical problem that led us off the plane, through the airport without strollers because they were now checked to another plane...we are in the boarding line now...

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Happy 4th Birthday Ry Ry!!!!

2010-11-13T19:53:00.001-06:00

Dear Ry Ry,

Four?!?!? Noooooo!!! I can't believe my little 5 pound 1 ounce preemie baby is 4-years-old. Where has the time gone? Seriously, not to be dramatic but I can't believe it!!! You are a precious, precious little girl and have grown up so much in the last year.

I think you are just beautiful and when I catch myself telling you that I always add that the most beautiful thing about you is that you are pretty on the inside. And that is true about you-I'm not just saying that. You are so very sweet and loving-especially to your sister, dolls, and stuff animals. Mrs. Oster says that you talk about Charley alot at school and worry about her when she is sick. You pray every day and one day when Charley had a rough morning before school you prayed that she would feel better (at prayer-time at school). When we pray at night if she is taking antibiotics you pray that she won't have to take medicine anymore. It's just the most precious thing ever. I think I witnessed the sweetest thing ever and the best moment of my life two nights ago on Charley's birthday. After she blew out her candle you jumped out of your chair and ran to her chair and gave her the biggest hug. It was so spontaneous and just pure joy and love for your sister. The other day when it was just you and me you said that you wished Charley was there. I asked why and you said "because I love her." I hope and pray that you all will be close friends throughout your life and that you will always have each other (trust me, when you figure out how dysfunctional your parents are you'll need each other more than you know:)

Mrs. Oster also has said many, many times how "neat" you are. She says that you are advanced in what you are doing at school and very focused for your age. She said that you are able to work on a "work" until completion and you don't hop from activity to activity. The only thing we need to work on is "flexibility." Hmmm...not sure where you learned to be inflexible?

Mrs. Tucker said this week that you are so confident. She said that you just hop right in on what the kids are playing outside and fit right in. Since you are one of the very youngest that is apparently impressive. As I think I have blogged before, Mrs. Oster said before that you know who you are and what you want to do. I'm so proud of you for being confident. I hope that you will be able to always be confident because you are God's child you have every reason to be. Mrs. Oster also says that you have a love of learning that is not usual for your age. You like to ask Mommy and Daddy questions like "what do zebras eat?" and "why do the leaves turn colors in the fall?" You are of the new generation because when Daddy and I don't know the answer, you say "look it up on your phone." Ha! We do try to look up the things you ask about so that you will learn to stay interested in learning. We met with Mrs. Oster and a speech therapist (you did fine on your evaluation) and Mrs. Oster said you were the "perfect" child. We were so proud of you but want you to know we will always love you even if you are NOT the perfect child! We want to help you become who God has in mind for you to be...not who we want you to be.

This year (since August) you have learned to read. I can't believe my little baby girl can read. You read a Bob book every night and for your birthday you get the second set because you can read the first set so well.

You have a great imagination. You pretend alot-mostly that you are a princess, baby kitten, or baby puppy. Usually when you pretend, you have me pretend that I am "Ryan." You will randomly yell through the house "Ryan?" and I immediately answer as Ryan because you do this so often. You like to pretend to be sick or a lost baby animal or you may mention that your parents are dead. I have no idea where that came from and I find it quite disturbing. You might say that your "Mommy is broken."

You love animals. All kinds. Real or stuffed. Big or little. Aunt Ashley and Uncle Aaron got you a veterinarian/princess/barbie lab coat for your birthday. You love it. I think you might want to be a veterinarian one day since you can't be an actual animal.

We say prayers every night. Your prayers fluctuate between "thank you for Mommy and Daddy" to longer ones that are so sweet. You have prayed for:

--the whole wide world we live in

--my baby sister, Charley

--for Charley to not be sick and not to have to take medicine

--all of our things to play with

--the children of Africa (you did that during your Africa theme)

--rain, food

You had your Open House at Hope Lutheran Friday night and it was on Africa. I was so proud of you. You knew just about every word to the songs and I loved "These are the Places in the World...some are near...some are far...." You named countries I had never heard of as well as Disneyland and Idaho. You loved the song "Glory Glory Hallelujah, he reigns." You go around singing about the Lord and I love it!! Today you seemed to be making up a song about Jesus and you went right into "this old man...he made four..." I'm so happy Jesus flits through your brain just like the nursery rhymes. You made so many crafts during the Africa unit including a mask with raffia hair (Mrs. Oster said the wildness of the raffia stressed you out), a marriage doll, another mask, a pottery bowl, and a book about Africa, Kenya, Lake Victoria, the Indian Ocean, and more.

Also this year (more recently) you have learned to write your name. I love it! It is so cute. You also continued your dance lessons. This summer you took swimming lessons and learned to swim under water. As the summer went on, though, you lost your interest in doing it. But, I bet next year you will be like a fish.

You have also been doing AWANAS Cubbies where you learn a Bible verse each week. You LOVE it. This seems to be your most favorite activity.

You also played in the 3-4 year soccer league this fall. You were always very willing to jump in the game when needed (which is alot when compared to the others your age). At the last game you finally kicked the ball a couple of times...it didn't go anywhere but you got brave enough to kick it. Mostly, you ran alongside the rest of the players who were actually kicking the ball. If the ball came your way you would step away and let it pass you by. You made sure you were on the outskirts. I recognize this strategy well from my 8th grade P.E. class playing basketball. I was so proud of you for playing hard and working so hard and having fun.

I could go on and on about all of the wonderful, sweet, and cute things you have done and said this past year. But, tomorrow we are leaving for San Francisco for a conference and then the Mulick Thanksgiving and I haven't finished blogging from our summer vacation. I think I only have one more segment to go. Note: you may notice that it is actually a few days past 11/13....I started this then and am now finishing it on 11/16:)

I love you so much!! You have made me a better person and are teaching my all about patience and extending grace, mercy, and love even when I want to scream my head off. I'm still learning this lesson so bear with me:)

I love you!!

Mommy

Go Away Mommy

2010-11-10T17:03:00.003-06:00

Charley was getting into the wipes tonight and I put them away and she got them back out and said "go away Mommy" with this pitiful pout and voice. So, I went away and blogged about it. I'll go deal with the ramifications now.

Happy 2nd Birthday Char Char!

2010-11-09T19:13:00.005-06:00

Dear Char Char,

You are 2!! I could cry...I can't believe you are already 2-years-old. It seems like you were just born. This has been the most fun year with you (I guess I only have two to choose from) BUT I don't think a stage could get cuter than learning to walk and talk.

In the last month or two you have been talking telephonically (per Daddy). You just put a bunch of nouns together and it's so cute....

"Mommy leave...Charley Mae sad" (that was Mommy leaving to exercise).....

"Daddy stay home with me?....Mommy stay home with me?" (that was before work)...

"No Ry Ry" (usually said in a whine)...

"My birthday....2...happy birthday" (will hold up 5 fingers and sing the words "happy birthday")....

"Ry Ry 4"...

"No Mommy" (again usually said in a whine)...

You seem to be a ham. You love to make others laugh but at school you have been very quiet. However, recently your teacher (Kandie) said you woke up from nap very hyper and funny. I think you must have been acting the way you do at home. Speaking of school, you had a hard adjustment. You started at the end of the summer while Ryan was still in the preschool and did very well. Then, Ryan changed schools and you got a stomach virus followed by hand/foot/mouth disease, followed by two rounds of strep and you just weren't loving school. But, now you seem to like it...not love it but you don't cry when we drop you off. When I tell you randomly that I love you you will say "me....up....school." You have equated me loving you with me picking you up from school. You get so excited when Ryan and I get there to get you. You run smiling and yelling to us and give me a big hug. Pure joy in your face. Every bit of your face lights up.

You aren't the best listener but you are getting better. You seem to look at us with a cute mischievous look when we say "no" and slowly proceed to do what we tell you not to do while watching for our reaction. You only act this way around Mommy and Daddy. We were at Gin Gin and Bubby's about a month ago and you got mad because we told you "no" about something and you broke out into tears running for comfort. They said they had never seen you do that! Your teacher told me that you are generally very quiet and obedient at school. It was cute to see you with your class at the Halloween party. Before lunch you all did your routine and sang a song that told each child when to go wash their hands. You sat quietly until it was your turn and then you hopped up and toddled over to the sink to wash and dry your hands. Words can't describe the cuteness!

You say "Amen" alot. I'm not sure where this came from. You have a stuffed angel that says a prayer that ends in "Amen." You'll say something like "baby night night...Amen." You also pretend to go to church. You get your stroller with a baby or animal and take off saying "bye bye." We ask where you are going and you say "chuch." I'm not sure why you would pretend this because you scream bloody murder when we leave you in the nursery without Ryan.

You love The Wheels on the Bus song very much. You call it "Round and Round." You like to dance. It's too cute. You bounce in an uncoordinated way bending and straightening your knees. Or you will turn in circles and fall down. You love the U-2 Lullaby CD I bought in Seattle when Ryan was just 1-year-old. You say "night hmmmm hmmmm." The "hmmmm hmmmm" is you singing a tune saying you want the "night night music." You know your colors and can say them: "red, green, blue, yellow, orange, purple, black, & white." Today we figured out you know what a square is.

I love my Tuesday and Thursdays home with you. Last year we went to Bible study but this year I am going to a Mom's prayer group at Ryan's school. Ashton keeps you for an hour and you don't love it but you adapt fine. I tried Bible Study again but you had a rip roaring fit so I decided this isn't the time for me to do this. I stay home on those days to be with YOU and not do things for me (that sentence is just a little reminder I need to hear every few weeks to minutes). At first I thought that was giving up and was frustrated I couldn't do something so positive for myself but I have figured out that you are only going to be this little for just a little bit longer and then I'll have time to go to all of the Bible studies in the world. I will never regret a minute of my time with you and can study my Bible at home:) You have helped me learn even more to be less selfish with my time and self. I'm actually adapting to that. I used to think (10 minutes ago) that I needed various "me-time" activities or things to be a certain way. But, you are teaching me to be flexible and selfless and I am actually surviving. You are teaching me that God will give me what I need when I am exhausted and there is no break in sight. I'm not depending on myself as much and am depending on God more-what a gift you have given me already in your two short years. Makes me a little nervous for any future gifts:)

I stare at you alot and you still look like a baby. You are so pretty and your face still looks just like a baby. You have fat cheeks. I can't describe what makes your lips look like baby lips except they are kind of pouty. You have the BIGGEST belly I have seen. You are so tiny...the smallest one your class. You've been at the 10th percentile but I think your belly is at the 95% percentile. It is huge and so cute. You look like you are with child. Your booty is also at a high percentile and you are swaybacked and it is so cute too. You still have a bubble bootie with your diaper on. You still haven't had a haircut yet and you have fine, baby hair (sorry, but the fine part will always be there). You still need lots of love and reassurance from Mommy and Daddy. You like to be held alot when I'm trying to do work in the kitchen. I try not to be frustrated so I pick you up and find a way to hold you while I do what I was doing because soon you won't want to be picked up as much. I know soon you won't look like a baby anymore. I look back at Ryan's pictures from this age and it's so hard to remember details and I just want to soak it in because you are so precious to me and I want to remember this wonderful time forever. I've been doing more videos of you because you are at an age that I think is just one of the cutest ever. I want to remember how you say different words and what your voice sounds like and how you walk and everything about this. But, I know with each stage I will love you more and I will love each stage even more (maybe not adolescence). You are such a blessing and I love you so much.

OK, I need to finish this but there are a few unrelated things I want to add....

1. You love your big sister so much and do everything that she does. It's so sweet. Luckily for us (unluckily for you as a teenager) she seems to be a good role model. As I was typing this you came in and told me you wanted "what Ry Ry has" which is cranberry juice after I fixed you a milk...

2. Today we went to my office and you said to Johnnie "my birthday....2"...you are so proud you are two!

3. Someone had a random quote on Facebook today that said "It kills you when they grow up but it would kill you faster if they didn't." Ha! Fits how I feel about you:)

I have a hard time leaving this disjointed with more to say but I don't want to dread blogging because of a mild case of OCD and perfectionism. Anyway, the point is I love you so much and God most definitely has plans for you because I am so undeserving to have you as my daughter so He must be up to something and I can't wait to see what you do with your life. I just so hope that you will love and follow Jesus in everything you do and that He is the center of everything.

Love Love Love!! Mommy

P.S. I have some great pictures from your birthday party and the computer isn't cooperating. Will add a few later:)

More Quotes from Ryan and One From Charley

2010-10-27T19:59:00.006-05:00

Last night Ryan told Pat that Pluto is a dwarf planet and then she clarified by saying "Pluto has been classified as a dwarf planet." Pat had to ask her to repeat herself and then we were laughing so hard we were snorting. I don't know why I think that is so hilarious but the word "classified" coming from a 3-year-old is just funny.

Just as I was typing these quotes, Ryan came in with my nametag from my 20th class reunion that had my senior picture on it. She had commented to Pat that she thought I was wearing a wig. He told her it was my hair. She brought it to me and asked why my hair looked like that. Pat told her that I thought it looked pretty and she said "I don't think it looks pretty."

Ryan's prayer time on 9/14/10: "Thank you for our sins and for taking all of our sins away." On 9/16/10: "Dear Jesus, Thank you for zebras, food, and taking our sins away. Amen." Her new thing is to thank God for the "whole wide world we live on." She usually thanks God for her Mommy, Daddy and Baby Sister Charley. Last week she started praying Charley wouldn't have to take medicine anymore because she had been on antibiotics. This week she is praying that both of them will not have to take medicine. So sweet:)

A couple of weeks ago we were at a gas station and Pat came out saying that the worker was packing a gun on his hip. Ryan asked why and Pat proceeded to provide too much information for her age in my opinion. He told her that he probably had it in case someone was trying to steal something. She asked if the guy wanted to "stuff them up" and she was referring to the person he may shoot because she had seen a stuffed turkey at Walmart the day before and Pat told her that it was shot and stuffed. When we hear her say things like that we really realize how clueless 3-4-year-olds really are about the world. It must be so confusing!

I was watching television with Charley recently and an owl came on television. She pointed to it and said "hoot hoot." I asked her how she knew so much and she told me in a matter-of-fact manner "t.v." Bubby spilled the beans and told me that she DID see some sort of owl on a t.v. show at their house. Along the same lines, Ryan knows alot from t.v....she was showing me some animals in a book and telling me what they were. I thought one of them was a penguin and she said it was a condor. I've never even heard of that-not that that means anything.

More to come on Charley Antics...also, I haven't forgotten the final phase of our vacation that ended almost 3 months ago.

Yes, I'm still writing about our vacation that ended over two months ago...

2010-09-21T05:54:00.036-05:00

This post is about our visit with Mike, Kristen, Cole, Halle, and Maddie. It is also the post that has led to my decision to stop trying to put pictures for everything we did or said. It takes so long to upload the pictures that it takes the fun and point out of blogging. So, my goal is just to write so I can record sweet memories without it being such a burden.

So, we left the Hammer's in Spokane on Wednesday August the 4th and drove to Seattle. So much time has passed that I don't remember how the car drive went. We arrived at Mike and Kristen's and that night was "float night" at their country club. Apparently, floatation devices are not allowed except for two or three special nights in the summer. So, the Olympic-sized pool was full of kids with various kinds of rafts. I was a little worked up about having to go because we had been traveling and I thought that the kids needed a little down-time but I put on my big girl panties and headed out to have fun.

Before the dinner we were hanging out at the kiddie pool-it's like the one at the Batesville Country Club...maybe a foot or two deep. Pat was in the water with Ryan and Charley and Ryan had to go to the bathroom. Charley got out of the pool and started running after them. I was sitting right there and saw that she didn't need to be running on the wet, slick concrete and yelled at her to stop and got up to grab her but it was too late. She hit a spot that was an incline and her feet went out from under her and she fell and hit the back of her head and it made a sound that I never want to hear again. Thankfully, she actually fell back on her back and caught herself with her elbows and then hit her head so it wasn't that long of a fall. She cried hysterically for a couple of minutes and then was perfectly fine. I, on the other hand, was not and received counseling from Pat, Mike, and Kristen the rest of the evening and reassurances that we didn't need to take her the the emergency room.

Thursday morning we got up and I don't remember a single detail about what we did except we drove about an hour to Kristen's family's beach house on the Puget Sound. As I type, it is coming back to me. We left Seattle around lunchtime so that the kiddos would nap on the way.

We had a great time there....

We made homeade ice cream with our cousins....

Threw rocks in the sound and explored the beach with our cousins...

Played on the playground...

Ate with a spectacular view...

Played with the big kids...

Stayed up late, roasted marshmellows, and made smores...

Got in a good workout...

Saw our Mommy relaxed for the first time...

Drove around the beach community in a golf cart exploring...

Picked and ate blackberries...

Best of all, we got to know our aunt, uncle, and fun cousins better!!

We stayed until Friday at about 4:00 when we packed up and headed to Bellvue for Pat's reunion with 5 of his friends from college and a total of 7 girls under the age of 6.

Stayed tuned for the last installment of Vacation of the Century! But at the rate things are going I may not get to it until next summer!

Recent Quotes

2010-09-08T18:57:00.003-05:00

Yesterday when we were at Emma's she told us that she fell down and hurt her knee. I asked her if she cried and she said she did. Ryan's response was "sometimes when we fall down and don't get a boo boo...we need to be tough." I can assure you that response was learned from the Mulick side of the family.

This little story isn't funny in itself but it just shows that we have no idea what Ryan is out telling people about us and our rules and whatever else she deems important to tell. She was telling me that her teachers were sorry she was sick and that it is no fun to be sick. She apparently told them that she got to watch t.v. before bed when she was sick because "it is special when you are sick." I wonder what other rules or habits or quirks of ours that she spouts out at school.

When we were at the Hammer's in Spokane, T & T had to put eye drops in Tasmin's eyes and Ryan said "I used to do that...they call them eye drops."

Ryan was crawling on the top of the couch and she knows she is not supposed to do that. I asked her if she was supposed to do that and she said she was. She thought about it and then said "but don't tell Daddy...because he knows I'm supposed to do it." I couldn't contain my laughter and just died laughing out loud. She did too but I don't think she knew why I was laughing.

We were eating dinner at Gin Gin and Bubby's the other night and Ryan was not wanting to eat her meat. She was supposed to eat something like seven bites and she would put a piece of meat up to her mouth but then return it to her plate and tell Pat that she had "one....two...three." He saw what she was doing and then started to watch her and she said "don't watch me."

As I was typing this Ryan was rambling about princesses and said "we need a princess that is beautiful" and at that point I just about launched into a lesson about how beauty is from within and how we act and treat each other and not how we look on the outside but I let her finish her sentence and she said "we need a princess that is beautiful on the inside and the outside." I've told her that pretty is about what is on the inside a few times but wonder if they talk about that at school because I haven't mentioned it lately. I told her I was so proud that she knew that to be beautiful is more than being pretty.

Since Charley does not speak in sentences I don't have quotes for her. She has been singing the ABCs I think. She will sing A-B -A-B. She knows several of the verses for Wheels on the Bus including wheels on the bus (hand motions), babies on the bus (she cries and rubs her eyes), horn on the bus (she pushes the air and says beep beep beep), driver on the bus (she says "move on back"), and people on the bus (she bounces up and down).

OK, this last quote is something I never thought I would hear in my house or any house for that matter. I will not write out the entire word because it is so embarrassing but you will get the picture. Pat and I are in the kitchen and Ryan in a tattling voice yells "Charley touched my v_g_n_." We look in the foyer and Ryan is lying nudie with her legs in the air and Pat replies "no touching each other's v_g_n_s." At that point I wondered what this world or at the least our household has come to and then I see Charley (also nudie as this is before bath) is lying in the floor with her legs in the air, too.

Hammer Time

2010-09-06T16:08:00.045-05:00

We are on to Phase 3 of our vacation...Spokane with the Hammers (Phase 2 was Boise).

On Friday, Charley and I flew to Spokane and Uncle Tom picked us up at the airport and took us to their new house and gave us a tour of their remodeled, modern-style ranch house. Loved it! Tom went back to work and I fed Charley and tried to put her down for a nap. She had a hard time falling asleep so I took her out on a walk in our old neighborhood in a stroller of the same brand that I walked Ryan in that neighborhood. I was really kind of sad as I walked the familiar streets-I have so many good memories of living in Spokane. I also questioned what I did with my time and why I was so exhausted and broke before I had children when I lived there. Our walk helped Charley go to sleep and I put her down and got to sleep an hour and a half myself. It was just what I needed:)

By late afternoon the whole gang had arrived....the children met again and seemed to like each other. We went outside and the kids immediately did what we used to do before their existence...strip down nudie (just kidding-I couldn't resist that joke). But, they did strip down. They played in the plastic swimming pool. They played with bubbles. I took some adorable pictures of them all holding hands walking across the yard nudie but won't put those on here. That night we put the kids to bed and were going to let Ryan sleep on an air mattress in Tatum's room. We knew it probably wouldn't work but thought it would buy us some time to hang out and eat without having to put kids to sleep. It went well for a little while but Ryan started screaming hysterically instead of calming walking out of the room saying she'd prefer to sleep in our room. Tom and Thom made pulled pork sandwiches (delicious...it was a Costco brand). We ate late (for Pat and me) and then I was ready for bed. T & T bought some fancy futon for us for the spare bedroom and I couldn't sleep with Pat AND Ryan and slept on the couch in the "piano room."

On Saturday morning, Tom and Pat took the older girls to Northtown Mall to have coffee at Thomas Hammer. Since they were doing that Thom and I got 10 minutes to ourselves to sit on the front porch with our coffee and read. The day got away from us and in the afternoon Tom finally put ribs on the smoker for dinner and we walked over the Comstock Park. That is the first park where Ryan went on a slide and swing. Good memories. Ryan loved swinging and Charley loved doing the big slide. I can't remember what we did back at the house but we did have ribs for dinner.

Sunday was our day to catch up with other Spokane friends. I had lunch with Christine at Maggie's. We also went to my old office at the Paulsen Building:( Miss it there so much! Pat saw Nancy Worsham that morning and then went to Anna Marie's house and then to Peggy Sue's house. We had babysitters come at 3:00 for the adults to go out on the town. It sure wasn't like it was the night we went to Dempsey's. We went to El-Que for drinks and Jim and Sally met us there. LOVE THEM. So cute:) Then we went to the Flying Goat for pizza. Pat and I would have preferred fine dining since we don't get it much but Tom insisted on this place because the same architect that is doing his new stores in Pullman did the restaurant. It's hard to argue with Tom Hammer. Thom and I were exhausted and so ready to go home but it was only 8:30 p.m. The guys guilted us into going to The Elk to have Moon Units before ed.

Monday was Girls' Day. We took the Porshe convertible and listened to Lady Gaga and felt really cool. Thomasin worked out at the Spokane Club while I had a bagel and waited for Nordstom to open. We then did some shopping and I got some good deals deals at Gymboree for next summer for the girls. We ate lunch at The Elk and I had my glorious chicken sandwich with the perfect amount of breading, some kind of sweetened mayonnaise with cream cheese, slivered red onions, and banana peppers (I think). Ohhhhh, I can taste it now. I also had my corn pasta salad. That night we decided it would be fun to take all of the kids to the Old Spaghetti Factory. I don't know what we were thinking trying to dine in a restaurant with a 3-year-old, 2-year-old, 21-month old, and 17-month old. The Hammer girls had more trouble than our girls but it was craaaazy.

Tuesday was Pat and Tom's day. Tom had bought a round of golf at Gozzer Ranch to be played with Matt Santangelo (former Gonzaga basketball star-he was on the team that went to the Elite 8). Pat was so excited and texted that he was "having the time of my life." Pat isn't that into dramatics and such extreme descriptions like I am so I think he was happy with the day. Thomasin and I had child-duty from the early A.M. until 8-ish P.M. I know you are wondering why Girls' Day lasted from about 9 to 2:30 and Boys' Day lasted 12 hours. I wish I could blame it on some kind of sexist reason or how I am such a martyr but it was actually because I'm certifiably crazy and got the opportunity to meet with Deanda (my therapist) in person. We happened to be in Spokane on the day and time of my regularly scheduled phone appointment. And that happened to fall on Girls' Day. The Hammers try to act like it's totally normal for Pat and me to have to run off for a joint "session" with a therapist. But, they smile and act as if everyone else publicly admits to their problems. We took them to Riverside Park and it was awesome. We went to Nordstrom Cafe first and got boxed lunches and had a picnic. They also played on a big slide, in a fountain, and rode a carosel. I can't imagine having a free park like that where I lived. I didn't appreciate it while living there because Ryan was so little. Tuesday night the Sanborns came over and we got to see Gannon. Leslie (his mom) and Thomasin are friends and I met Leslie through Thomasin before we were pregnant with any of the main characters of these blogs. Leslie's due date and my due date were 6 weeks apart (mine in December and hers in October). But, Ryan chose to come 4 1/2 weeks early and Gannon chose to stay put 10 days late and Ryan was actually born about 12 hours before Gannon and we were next door neighbors at the hospital. The morning after Ryan was born Pat was out in the hall and walked past the nursery and saw Jeff (Gannon's Dad) holding "a baby" in the nursery and we just about passed out from excitement that he had been born that next morning. I came running...not running but hobbling bent at a 90 degree angle out of my room to see Baby Gannon. So, we feel Gannon and Ryan will always be connected. They had so much fun playing that night. We let Ryan stay up late and she and Gannon each had a bucket and shovel and were running around the yard shoveling dirt into their buckets and they would come running to Leslie and me to show us what they were doing. Ryan was wearing her old, tattered Dora gown that comes to just below her bootie. Of course I tried to get her to put on some cute p.j.'s since Gannon was coming (it was late) but it was the night she chose to wear the most hideous thing she owns.

On Wednesday morning we got up and T & T went to work and their kids went to daycare. It took us a couple of hours to pack up our stuff and we hit the road for Seattle....

Here are the pictures to correspond with what I wrote (and more)...wish I could figure out how to easily move pictures around to be below the paragraph but I can't...

Watching Dora...

Mealtime...

Dancing in the tutus with the wands from Auntie Thom...

Hula Hooping...

Playing restaurant...

Our afternoon at Comstock Park...

More eating...

Visiting Daddy's old stomping grounds...

Adults' Night Out...

Backpacks...

Trying on new clothes from the Mommies Shopping Trip...

Walk with the Daddies...

Gannon's visit...playing in cool...

Maybe he's OK...

OK, I like him...

First time Ryan let me do pig tails in a long, long, time...

Day with the Mommies...Unloading everyone downtown...

Sliding at the big Radio Flyer Wagon Slide...

Photo Op at the City of Spokane Blocks...

Playing in the fountain...

The boys playing golf with Matt Santangelo (pictured second from left)...

Nudie time...

Ryan and Charley Are Growing Up

2010-08-27T14:12:00.020-05:00

I have been working so hard on our vacation blogs that I realized I need to just do an update. So, here goes. Stay tuned for details of our Spokane trip...

What is Ryan doing these days?

I was driving Ryan to school this week and asked her if she wanted me to pray. Most times on the way to school she will agree to let me pray but that day she didn't want me to. I tried to encourage her to let me and said we needed to ask God to be with us at school and she said "He already knows that" in this tone that indicated I was stupid for suggesting God didn't already know exactly what we need without us having to ask. I know she didn't probably mean the comment in that deep of a way but still it made me happy for her that she already had a sense of God being there without her having to do anything.

The other night when I was cuddling with Ryan in bed she asked me "Ma Ma, when I get bigger will I always be your sweet little girl?" Oh if only she could always be my sweet little girl!

Pat, Ryan, and I were saying our prayers the other night and Ryan thanked God for "me." How cute is that? Hilarious!! She also thanked God for "friends, food, and grapes."

Reading!!! Yes, she is reading. Pat's mother and Michelle told us how wonderful Bob Books are in teaching kids to read so Pat bought the first set and Ryan can read the first three. We started doing them a couple of weeks ago. At first she would get very frustrated and want to stop if it was too hard or if she didn't get it right but now she is doing great and is sounding out the words and handling her frustration better. She is so proud of herself. This process, though, has confirmed something I always knew-I would not be a very good homeschooling mom. I get very impatient and it stresses me out to let her struggle and make mistakes which is what she has to do to learn...I don't want her to squirm or have to work too hard. But, obviously this is part of life and I can't protect her from that. She is very wiggly while reading and it drives me batty!!! She slithers down and moves all around putting her feet on the book where she can't see. But, with time she is actually doing less of those wiggly behaviors while reading.

Ryan started Hope Lutheran School. Mrs. Oster said she was a "neat kid" and "bright." Mrs. Smith said she was "bright" and "sweet." Mrs. Oster said she was talkative with both the teachers and kids, which is a new thing. The second week Mrs. Oster said that she was "highly intelligent" and has a "well-defined psyche." She also said she "is her own person." She said she reminded her of Aunt Ashley in how she looks and her mannerisms (and also the being her own person part). She said that she will put her hands on her hips while talking. They call her "the wise owl" because she looks at you without blinking with her big eyes. She also said that she will be quietly working on something and if you look over at her she may be hanging upside down like a spider. No surprise...remember above paragraph. She also said she is very "purposeful" in her behaviors which is good for their classroom. Pat took her to McDonald's after the first day and she was proud that she answered a lady's question in "my big girl voice." She relayed everything she told the lady to Pat (after he had just heard the whole thing.) She asked some of the kids their names but "they didn't want to tell me." I'm glad she is getting a little bit less shy and more comfortable socially.

Ryan started her second year of dance last night and will start soccer soon. I can't wait to see that. It should be cute seeing her picking flowers and her nose while her coach (Pat) is yelling at her to get the ball. I think she will love gymnastics but we'll wait until soccer ends because two activities a week is enough for an almost 4-year-old (or any age for that matter). Apparently the pastor's wife at Hope Lutheran teaches violin and will teach the children who are interested. I'm so excited about that!!

Ryan will say the funniest things...she uses the word "actually" all of the time. She will say she wants cheese and then say "actually I don't want cheese... I want crackers." Last night she was pretending to be going to a "festival" (pronounced festibal). I tried to get her to tell me what that was but she didn't and then she said it was a meeting. She used the word "amount" the other day which I thought was an interesting word for her age. She was complaining that the amount of mayo on my hot dog at the pool was more than the amount on hers. Pat said she used the word "confused" the other day.

Ryan has been learning about God at school. I was trying to find the Cream of Tarter at Walmart to make playdough. I told Ryan I was going to call Gin Gin to see where it would be. She then suggested that I could call Miss Susan (because she gave me the recipe). Then, she said I could ask God because he knows where things are. Later in Walmart she said that God must be really tired from "making all of these things." They have been talking about creation so I think she must think God sits around making laundry detergent, shampoo, notebooks, tape, etc.

What is Charley doing these days?

Charley started going to Batesville Montessori MWF from 8 to 3. She did great the first week. The other little toddlers had a hard time (like Ryan did) but Charley did well without any crying. The teacher told Pat that she was a big help. I'm not sure what that means but maybe she is patting the crying babies like she does Ryan. When Ryan cries, she will say "pat" and pat her. It is so sweet. Update: I am finishing this post a week later and Charley has had a harder time. She cried hard at naptime on Wednesday and today cried when Pat dropped her off. When I was getting her dressed this morning, she kept saying "home." Oh, that breaks my heart.

When we got back from our vacation on August 9th we made the immediate switch to have Charley sleep in the crib in Ryan's room (now Ryan and Charley's room). She has done great. It was good timing because she slept in so many different beds that she probably forgot that she used to sleep in our sitting room. She's in a good sleep routine and is very easy to put down right now. She may wake up and need to be rocked during the night (thanks, Pat!) and will often get in our bed around 5 a.m. but she's a good sleeper. Update: since I started this last week she has had a stomach virus and strep throat. Sleep is no longer good but adequate.

Charley loves to be nudie "nu nu." She likes to take her diaper off and run around screaming "nu nu." The funny thing is that she seems to think that means squatting down in a sumo wrestler-like pose. She will then bend over to check out her more hidden parts. She'll run up to you, squat down, and scream "nu nu" at the top of her lungs. She is so funny! I can't get over her.

Charley still has a temper but she is getting easier. Now, she will listen when we say "no." That is progress. If she gets upset about something it is usually pretty dramatic but then she calms down very quickly.

Charley is very interested in colors. Blue=Bu. Purple=Pu Pu. Black=Bak. Yellow=Lo Lo. Blue was the first color she could say and she pointed it out every time we saw something blue (which was alot). She insisted on having Bu cups, plates, etc and would be upset if she got another color. It is hard to undersand her when she points out something purple because the way she says Pu Pu sounds a little like Bubby, Ba-Ba, Poo Poo.

One of the random things she did on our trip and still does occasionally is say "no Mommy" when I asked her a question. I wish I could get across the tone in writing. It was like she was confident that her "no" was going to be honored and that she was just bored with whatever it was I was asking.

Another cute word she says is George...she says juj.

Ryan (and Charley and Pat) have had the stomach virus this week (please God spare me) and last night Charley saw Ryan throw up into a bowl. She was at first traumatized and crying and saying "Ry Ry." But, after it was over she started imitating it and would bend her head down like Ryan was over the bowl and make herself gag and say "Ry Ry." It was hilarious. Even Ryan was laughing as sick as she was:)

Ryan is a Great Big Sister

One day recently I was home with both R & C and we were trying to get out of the house but Charley started to have a little tantrum. What she does is run around the house hysterical as if she knows where she is going or what she wants but she doesn't. She just kind of dead ends at a door or wall and gets trapped by us. It's so pitiful. Anyway that was happening and Ryan said to me "yeah, it's going to be kind of hard isn't it?" It was like she was a co-parent with me. This reminds me of how recently she was leaving the room where Charley was and she asked if Pat and I could watch her while she went to do whatever it was she was going to do. It was so sweet that she pays attention to and tries to take care of her sister. She must feel responsible for her in the back of her mind.

This paragraph should have been on the post about the drive from Seattle to Boise. Every time Charley would get upset (i.e. every two minutes) Ryan would put her hands on top of her head with her fingers pointing up and say "I'm a moose...I'm a moose, Charley....hey Charley....I'm a moose." Pat and I did not know what she was doing the first several times but then realized that she was trying to make Charley laugh and not be sad. It was funny because at the first whimper of a cry Ryan would automatically go into moose mode. There was a point on the drive where Pat, Ryan, and I were saying we were moose to make her happy. It worked at first but lost its effect eventually. We have no idea where she got the moose idea.

R & C are getting big enough for Bubby to agree to keep them for four hours AND put them both to bed. Yay Bubby!!! No one can believe he can do that...they are lucky to have the best Bubby in the world...

R & C are big enough to wear bikinis. No not really. I must confess that I would not have purchased the blue one (it was a hand me down) because it is a little revealing and suggestive but it was also pretty cute:)

They are big enough to do handstands as taught by Mason. Charley surprised us a few days after Ryan had been doing this...we didn't know that she knew too...

As Charley has gotten older, she loves animals as much as Ryan...

Her own lunchbox...so proud...

Charley is big enough to sit and eat popsickles with the big girls at the pool...

Before church, Charley trying to touch up Ryan's hair...

They are big enough to sleep together (for only 5 minutes at a time:)...

Just cute before church...

They are big enough to eat birthday cake with their older cousins...

Boise...July 23 - July 30

2010-08-23T16:59:00.025-05:00

Slowly but surely I'll document the vacation.....

So, we arrive in Boise on Friday afternoon. Ryan took a nap but Charley was so wound up that she couldn't fall asleep. Pat, Ed, and Jeanne Mae went to Carley's swim meet that afternoon. Pat took Charley to the swim meet and I stayed home with Ryan.

Saturday morning we all went to Carley's swim meet and stayed most of the morning. Ryan and Charley enjoyed walking around all of the tents with Carley and Carley was so cute because her friends wanted her to go with them but she wanted to stay with her little cousins.

We went back to the house and the girls ate and napped and then we packed up to go to the cabin for a couple of nights. Carley went with us. Ryan and Charley had lots of fun there. On Sunday, Ryan went fishing for the first time and actually caught a fish. She did not realize it is a big deal to catch a fish because I think that she thinks that is just what you do when you go fishing. She came back up to the cabin and told us how fun it was and I asked if she would like to go again sometime and she said "no, I never want to go fishing again....you can go by yourself." I didn't even suggest I would go with her. I clarified with her that she did have fun and she said she did but still maintained she never wanted to go again. Carley took very good care of Ryan and Charley so that Pat and I had a few moments of peace occasionally. We went to the Terrace Lakes pool and swam and ate ice cream. We also went "exploring" with grocery bags to pick up treasures. We walked the distance of about two houses because Ryan and Charley explored every little detail of every step. The exciting part of the mornings at the cabin was that it was cold and we had to wear sweatshirts (in Batesville the heat index was 117 degrees.)

We headed back to Boise on Monday. The highlight of Monday was that I had laser hair removal on my legs. It's been miraculous. Supposedly it removed 30% of the hair, which for me is a lot. You have to have several treatments but they don't have to be in any time frame so I can do it again next summer when we go. During my excursion, Pat took the girls to Michelle's house to play for a while. That night Ed and Jeanne Mae kept Ryan and Charley (with Morgan and Carley's help) and we went to dinner with Michelle and Steve which was fun.

On Tuesday, Jeanne Mae had her doctor's appointment and it went well. Ed and Pat went fly fishing after the appointment and didn't get home until late that night. I kept the kids at home and we were going to the pool with the Mings but we didn't. I really can't remember what we did instead. Neither can Pat. That's the problem when you try to document something a month later.

On Wednesday, Pat let me have about 5 hours to go shopping. I had lunch at Barnes and Noble and bought a couple of books I've been wanting to read. I also did some other running around including a pedicure which was desperately needed. I got back home and we went to the zoo (our family of four, Michelle, Morgan, Carley, Michelle, Nana, and Papa). Ryan would look at the animals for one second and then be ready to move on to the next one. Her favorites were penguins and bats. Charley was looking a an eagle (I think) exhibit and they had given the eagle baby chicks to eat. They were all dead with broken necks lying down in frozen positions but it didn't seem to phase Charley because she kept yelling "Quack Quack Quack." Ryan wanted to see elephants but there weren't any even though there were statues of them indicating that there would be some in the safari area. That night the Mings came over to the Mulicks for dinner-lasagna-yum!

On Thursday, Pat, Ed, Steve, and Justin played golf. Jeanne Mae, Michelle, Carley, and our crew went on a long walk on the "greenbelt." It was hot but nice to get out and be active in the morning.

Then, on Friday morning Pat drove Charley and me to the airport for a 1-hour trip to Spokane and went back to Ed and Jeanne Mae's to pick up Ryan for the 8-9 hour drive to Spokane. Ha! At least Charley's bad behavior in the car to Boise had something positive come out of it!

Random Cute happenings in Boise:

Charley called Carley Beep Beep.

We realized Charley is "Charley Mae" and Carley is "Carley Jae."

Charley called Morgan Mo Mo.

Charley renamed Nana as "Mimi." All of the other 15 grandchildren have gone with the flow and just called her Nana. But, not Charley. She is blazing a new trail. Poor Jeanne Mae had to adjust to her name and would call herself Nana but have to correct herself and call herself Mimi. I think it may have been because Nana Edwards is also Nana so it may have been confusing to her to have two Nanas.

Charley would want Jenny let out of her kennel and she would say "Ruff Out."

Pictures in no particular order except the first batch is from the zoo....the rest are labeled...

Story time with Nana (Jesus Storybook Bible)....

Story time with Carley...

Mings kids and Arkansas Mulick kids with Nana and Papa....

R & C with Nana and Papa...

Silly pictures with the Mings...

Another picture with the Mings...

Sweet Charley...

Big Sister Ryan leading Charley...

Phase 1: July 21st at Noon (Central) to July 23rd at 1 p.m. (Mountain)….The 49-Hour Trip to Boise

2010-08-14T08:44:00.001-05:00

We took the kids to school on Wednesday morning so that we could pack, clean, do errands, and finish up laundry before leaving for Memphis. We stayed in Memphis the first night because our plane left early the next morning. We picked the girls up at noon and headed out hopeful for naps. I can’t remember now what even happened on the drive to Memphis. I know they slept but I don’t think Charley slept much. Who knows? That’s how my brain works these days. My normally OCD-self would check with Pat to get the details right on the blog but that is just one more thing that I don’t need to add to my to-do list.

When we got to Memphis we went to Davis-Kidd Bookstore (I think it is really Booksellers and normally I would do an Internet search to double check, but again I’m just not going to take the time). It was AWESOME. They had a huge play area with at least 10 small children and their parents there. There was a small bleacher section and tons of toys they could play with including a play kitchen and train set. It made me realize what we are missing by living in a small town. If I lived in a city I could head out to a bookstore in the afternoon with the girls and let them play with kids with green snotty noses and get a cold before our vacation as I chitchatted with the mothers while drinking my Starbucks and reading People magazine for free. I could also congratulate myself for being such a good parent that I didn’t have to bribe my toddler by saying “Good boys who let me change their diapers will get a lollipop.” Say what? Since when did a routine activity like diaper changing warrant a sugary treat? And to say it out loud in front of other parents!! Yes, I felt pretty puffed up and like I could teach her a thing or two about parenting and the pitfalls of sweets for small children. But instead I hypocritically smiled a knowing smile as if that was a normal occurrence for all parents and as if the same thing had just happened to me when I bribed my children with lollipops if they brushed their teeth. Little did my puffed up self know that in just a few short hours I would be paying the consequences of a toddler on a sugar high.

We then went to Eclectic Café, which is near Rhodes University where Pam (my friend from graduate school) is a psychologist at the college counseling center. We met Pam, Jenny, and their 6-month-old twins Max and Abby (not sure of spelling). Their 5-year-old daughter, Kara, was at Disney World with Jenny’s mother. They had live music at 5:30 pm, which is not something we are accustomed here in the ‘ville. After dinner Jenny purchased cupcakes for all (but the twins) and we headed to their house around the corner to eat them and play with Kara’s Zsu Zsu pets. All seemed well as we said our goodbyes with our full tummies and discussed returning for an overnight visit sometime when Kara was home. We happily drove to the hotel oblivious that cupcakes at bedtime was not a good recipe for a good night of sleep before a long day of travel for one of our little travelers. Back at the hotel, we thought we had lucked out when the crib arrived and Charley started saying “Ni Ni” and “Mine” over and over while trying to climb into the crib. I put her in the crib and covered her up and took a deep breath of relief as I mentally patted myself on the back for having such easy children, which obviously was directly related to having such good parents. However, our littlest traveler had other plans and proceeded to school me in the lesson of “don’t count your chickens before they hatch” until 11:30 pm or so. I can’t remember the details anymore. I do remember Pat attempting to rock her while she just babbled and sang about Mama, Da Da, and Ry Ry. It was pretty cute at first. Not so much a couple of hours into it. The second lesson learned: no cupcakes at bedtime for Charley Mae.

So, we wake up on Thursday and head to the airport. As I type this I am suffering lower back pain from carrying the heavy carseat on my back. Pat and I each carried a carseat on our backs and they were not light. I won’t do that again. I will pay the money to check them and risk losing them before I risk my back. We each had a stroller and several bags, too. On the plane we had various “presents” for the girls that were pictured in my mobile blogs. We left Memphis at 8:30 am (Central) and arrived in Seattle at 11 am (Pacific). We then rented a high-mileage minivan from Fox Rental Cars, which could just as easily be called Half-Priced and High-Mileage Rental Cars for Families with Small Children who Have the Bright Idea to take a 19-Night Vacation. Anyway, the van was great and I wish I had one myself. What was not so great, though, was the drive from Seattle to Boise. We landed in Seattle at 11 am but didn’t hit the road until 1 pm. Pat took Charley with him to get the rental car while Ryan ran circles around several newspaper machines which entailed squeezing herself behind them and also convincing me to squeeze myself behind them and scoot sideways between the newspaper stand and the glass railing behind it. I thought I might be arrested for terrorism because I’m sure I looked strange wedged behind these machines scooting sideways in a robotic fashion. Ryan also had to go to the bathroom while we waited which posed a dilemma because we had three suitcases, a stroller, a carseat, a diaper bag, two Dora backpacks, Pat’s briefcase, my purse, two DVD players, a bag of presents for the plane, and golf clubs. I asked a girl to watch our stuff while we went to the bathroom.

Once we were back a few minutes she had to go again so I had to ask someone else to watch our things. Here is a direct quote coming from Ryan in the bathroom that time (recorded immediately on my phone to ensure blog accuracy)…. “I need to go poopie….I did!...It splashed into my vagina…this is going to be for my pee pee and now I need another one for my bootie.” She was talking about toilet paper at the end of the quote. No commentary is needed for that quote. By the time we were back Pat was there and I took Ryan to the car as he loaded our luggage into the van. I didn’t tell the woman watching the luggage that Pat would be retrieving it so she made him describe Ryan to her before she let him take it.

The next 8 hours will always be remembered as the worst car ride in history. One reason I believe it will always be remembered is because I briefly told my 70-year-old client about the car ride and he told me he would never forget traveling with his toddler daughter alone from Pennsylvania to Puerto Rico. The last two hours of the trip was in a stick-shift car with no air-conditioner and he held her on one shoulder and steered and shifted with the other hand. When I’m 70-years-old talking to my young whippersnapper therapist I’m sure I’ll recall with fondness the drive from Seattle to Boise. I’m not exaggerating when I say that I didn’t sit still in the car for more than two minutes at a time. Charley was the culprit again. She didn’t care so much for being strapped in the carseat. She kept dropping things out of reach and then would make awful noises that would ensure I immediately unbuckled my seatbelt and did a contortionist act to get it out from beside her seat. If this happened one time it happened 8,662 times. Either Ryan or Charley would want something that was in a suitcase in the very back of the van so I would do a Pilates-type stretch across the length of the car to unzip a suitcase under two suitcases and a bag of golf clubs.

We ended up driving about four hours to Pendleton, OR and spending the night and driving the final four the next morning. The primary memory in Pendleton is that Charley said she needed to go poopie and sat on the potty patiently for about 10 minutes and then she did poop on a the BIG HOTEL POTTY. However, it scared her and she jumped off the potty and poop followed her and she saw it hitting the ground behind her as she ran off screaming. The rest of the trip she would become very upset if we suggested putting her on the potty.

In short (or in long at this point), the car trip went so well that instead of Charley and me driving to Spokane the next week we got a one-way ticket on Southwest and arrived in a hour while Pat and Ryan leisurely drove the 8-hours stopping to dip their toes in the lake in McCall, build sandcastles, and have ice cream.

Stay Tuned for Phase 2…Boise….

19th Night and 20th Day aka Coming Home

2010-08-09T12:52:00.000-05:00

Arriving at our final stop...Holiday Inn Sea-Tac

Morning is here after Charley screamed bloody murder from 9 pm to 1130 pm...Ryan never woke up...

The culprit with jelly all over her face...

The world's best travelers waiting patiently at the airport still in Seattle....

I wish I had a picture of us going through the airport with one of the carts piled high, carseats on our backs, pat pushing cart while carrying Charley, and me dragging golf clubs while holding Ryan's hand. Ryan had to emergently go to the bathroom and now we are in a long security line with 20 minutes to spare before boarding. I must have a Starbucks and pat just said "you aren't blogging are you?" Prayers for us wouldn't be wasted today.

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A Pictorial Review of Our 5 Days in Spoklahoma

2010-08-05T15:45:00.001-05:00

Were are headed to Mike and Kristen's beach house from Seattle via a tour of our old Seattle neighborhoods. We have slept in 6 locations in the 15 days we have been gone. We have four more days and 3 more locations. This morning Pat took the girls to our favorite coffee shop in my old neighborhood (Capital Hill) and a transvestite was in line behind them. A little different from Morningside:) I'll write more when I don't have to use my phone.

Tatum, Ryan, Tasmin, Charley in the tutus (and wands) from T & T

Hanging out at T&T's (of note: R let me do pigtails finally)

Getting ready for Mommy-Daughters' Day while the daddies played golf with a former Zag basketball star at an exclusive course...

In Nordstrom while we ordered lunch at the cafe for a picnic at the park...

Slide at the park...we are at the top....

On the blocks at the park...

Playing in the fountain at the park...

The daddies with Matt Santangelo 2nd from left

At the Spokane River on Daddy -Daughters' Day

At the mall for coffee with the big girls and daddies...

Looking forward to home but lots more fun times before that!
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Random pictures

2010-07-27T12:19:00.000-05:00

Stuff we took to cabin for 2 days....

On the way to Terrace Lakes pool....

Walking on the Greenbelt in Boise....

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Leaving the restaurant

2010-07-23T10:17:00.001-05:00

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Friday a.m.

2010-07-23T10:13:00.000-05:00

We got up and at 'em and headed to breakfast at the hotel. Charley brought her backpack that she continues to drag since ryan's rolls. Note how cute she looks (this will not be the same in a few minutes).

Here's big sister....

Here is Charley in the restaurant without a shirt on and no more hair bows. What happened you ask? She got choked on bacon and vomitted at the table. I dint know where the bows went. She obviously didn't skip a beat...

About to leave for our final portion of the phase of "getting to Boise." 4 more hours!

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50 minutes down...only 7 hrs and 10 min to go

2010-07-22T16:05:00.000-05:00

Floor of the minivan...

Console of the minivan...

Middle seat of the minivan...

Lord help us. Preferably in the form of peace that surpasses all understanding...

Planes, 3 1/2 yr olds, and 20 month olds...

2010-07-22T13:36:00.001-05:00

Present #1-Teddy grahams (9:45 am)

Present #2-Notepad and crayons
(10:00 am)

Present #3-Cheese and crackers
(10:30 am)

Present #4-Books about Jesus and Joseph (10:45 am)

Miscellaneous Activity-DVDs
(11:15 am)

Noon-goldfish crackers and still watching videos....

Present #5-Stamp/sticker activity set-Mickey Mouse for Charley and princesses for Ryan
(12:10 pm)

Present #6-backpacks for above presents and more to come
(12:30 pm)

More cheese and crackers...don't know or care about the time

My pants at 11:20 a.m. Seattle time...we are here..

Wish us luck..have to get luggage, rental car, and drive 8 hours to Nana and Papa's...

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What were we thinking?

2010-07-22T08:08:00.000-05:00

I know my loyal followers will be relieved to see that I'll be posting regularly from my blog app on my phone. Not sure if this picture does justice in showing the amount of stuff we have. The second picture is just a visual to help you imagine me pushing two strollers with a backpack/carseat on my back through the airport. As you can imagine the strollers went in two different directions or ran into each other. At one point I pushed one a few feet and then went back for the other. At another point I pushed one forwards and one backwards. The other funny episode is watching Charley drag her backpack "like Ry Ry" even though hers doesn't have wheels like Ryan's. So pitiful...more to come I'm sure.

-

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I Was Mixed Up

2010-07-12T09:18:00.003-05:00

I was giving R & C a bath the other night and had already rinsed Charley's hair. A few minutes later it had soap bubbles in it again. I asked Ryan if she did that or if Charley did. She admitted that she did it. I reminded her that Daddy had told her not to put bubbles in Charley's hair after it had been rinsed. That prompted Ryan to say "Charley did it...I was mixed up." We've been working on not telling "white lies" about things such as telling us she washed her hands or wiped after going to the bathroom (she has been caught a couple of times saying she did these things when we knew she didn't). This was so funny that I didn't turn it into a lesson about lying. Where do they come up with such funny things?

Mine Part Two

2010-07-12T09:14:00.003-05:00

I had a more serious post about the "mine" word used so often by Charley a while back but this is a quick and funny one. As most toddlers do she declares that EVERYTHING is hers. The funniest thing she has taken ownership of is her tooters and burps. Anytime she or anyone else (usually Ryan) tooters or burps she says "MINE!!!!" If it is actually Ryan and we ask who tootered and Ryan says she did Charley gets made and insists that we say it was her. This in itself is funny enough. But, it got funnier this weekend. Charley has been sick this weekend and was in our bed. Saturday night she was tossing and turning for hours and we were all halfway awake for hours but also halfway asleep. At one point, Charley tootered three times in a row and in this half-asleep voice mumbled "mine."

Blog Blah Blah Blah

2010-07-12T09:12:00.000-05:00

I'm forcing myself to blog. I'm just not into it lately. But I want to remember all of these great moments with R & C so will try to do it more (I've said that before). So, I'll do another quick post with some recent cute things....

Ryan learned to swim last week. She took lessons five nights in a row at Margaret Elumbaugh's house. She loved Ms. Margaret and Ms. Elizabeth. I didn't expect her to really learn much but lo and behold she did learn to swim under water. She also learned to jump off the side and go under water without any help. Since we've been to our pool a few times, though, she is less interested in swimming. She is much more comfortable in the water, though. She loved playing with Maddie Wilson at the pool last week and they played independently for a while which is new for her at pool. She also went under the mushroom waterfall at the pool, only because Maddie urged her to.

Ryan started enjoying playing "wedding" a couple of weeks after A & A's wedding. She wraps blankets around her and puts a cloth on her head. She dances very seriously with Pat and is so happy to dance with him. She asks to "dip" when she is dancing. Below is a picture of the beautiful bride....

When I asked Pat about some cute things that had happened recently for the blog he said "Charley's pigtails." I think that's so funny that he thought that was an important occurrence around here. We have a picture of Ryan in pigtails from right around this time and Pat noticed the date on it and put her hair in pigtails himself. It's ADORABLE. Now she wears them all the time! Gin Gin thought that they should be neater and the part should be straighter but who does she think she is dealing with?
Below is Ryan at the same age. The picture is smooshed but you get the idea....

R & C have gotten into the routine of hugging and kissing each other on the lips before bed. It is the sweetest thing ever.

Tonight when R & C were playing R kept saying "now I have a friend to play with." Oh how I hope this continues forever. There is nothing I would love more than for them to have each other as best friends forever.

Ryan came home from school saying that she likes "everyone even if their skin is a different color." I love this too!! I'm not sure if someone said something like that or if she came up with it on her own. I'm assuming she heard it somewhere. She has never mentioned differences in skin color even though she has a teacher from Africa and Peru and an African-American nursery worker at church.

When Charley says she wants more, she says "Moe", holds her index finger up, raises her eyebrows and nods once as if to ensure that I understand her and will go along with her.

That's about it....hopefully more to come...

What do the Fourth of July and Charley Mae Have in Common?

2010-07-07T20:29:00.002-05:00

As I think I've mentioned before, Charley is a firecracker. She is so cute and so is Ryan but the difference is that Charley knows she cute and Ryan has no clue that she is cute. Charley works her cuteness with everyone she comes into contact with. Her new thing is to make eye contact with you randomly during the day and flash a huge smile for no apparent reason. She is also a daredevil. At the pool, she goes to the edge of where she cannot touch and paces back and forth while Pat or I pace back and forth and block her from taking that one extra step into water where she cannot touch. When we let her go forward just to learn what will happen, she swallows water, chokes, coughs, and is ready to try it again.

In another recent incident, Charley was lying on an ottoman and accidentally fell off. She literally rolled off of it and landed flat on her back. I was sure she was hurt. What did she do? She got right back on the ottoman and continued to roll off on her back laughing each time. I sat in disbelief. I'm left wondering what kind of person would enjoy such a thing?

This "living on the edge" and "not learning from negative consequences" reminds me of someone but I just can't remember who. In all seriousness, it's cute and funny at 1.5 years old but not so much the older she gets. I pray that she will always be able to have the firecracker part of her personality but also be safe and find a way to honor God.

Here Comes the Bride

2010-06-19T08:11:00.008-05:00

It is Monday morning after Ashley and Aaron's fun wedding weekend. I'm forcing myself to blog a little even though the house is in disarray because it's on my mind now. I think I'll do it in list format because maybe I won't ramble as much. (*Update: it's Thursday, June 24 when I am finalizing this post...10 days after I started...it has taken me this long).

1. Morgan went with us and was a trooper being cooped up in the hotel with two little girls 3 and under with no bathtub or restaurant. She did great with them! Jennifer Flagel came Saturday night and kept Charley at the hotel after pictures were taken before the wedding.

2. Ryan did great getting her hair done with Nickey. She teased it, curled it with a curling iron, and had an adorable, tousled up-do with a very cute flower that I just bought moments before (when I was already supposed to be in the Bridal Suite at A-Loft.) Somehow it was 3:15 on the day of the wedding and I didn't have bows or anything for R & C's hair. I was supposed to pick up Ash from her hair appointment (which I wasn't told until that afternoon) and still had to find something for their hair. Pretty typical for me. I drove like a maniac to Bella Jack's and ran in saying I was panicked and needed bows for two girls for a wedding immediately. The lady was very helpful and I was on the road in a second. I'm not sure what I would have done had they not had those flowers.

3. Before the wedding Ryan was overwhelmed with all of the people and we stayed in the bathroom about 20 minutes playing "washing our hands", ball (with the ball Ash gave her), practicing flower girl walking, going pee pee and then later poo poo, and turning the light off. I was sad that I was missing out on the time with Ash in the Bride's Room but knew if Ryan was overwhelmed we'd have a problem on our hands. Every time I asked if she wanted to go back out she would say no because "it's so quiet in here."

4. We had no idea how Ryan would do as a flower girl and she did better than we expected. She felt so big getting to be with the big girls and stand up at the front by Aunt Ashley and Uncle Aaron. When we asked what her favorite part of the whole weekend was she said it was being a flower girl. She loves the bracelet Aunt Ashley gave her and she wore it the whole night she got it and the night of the wedding (this says alot because she has another bracelet that she always asks to put on but then she wants it taken off immediately). Lots of people complimented me on what a good job Ryan did. Bob Carter said that when she was watching A & A that her profile looked just like me. Poor thing. Maybe we should go ahead and schedule some therapy for that.

5. We had been so excited for the reception because Ryan loves to dance but she was too overwhelmed. Pat took her to the dance floor and she looked around and immediately was finished with that. She was pretty tired at the reception but wanted to stay. She watched her cousins dancing and was laughing but didn't want to get out of Pat's lap. She loved the groom's cake, though.

6. I called Nana after we arrived because Ryan was acting how she said I always acted in hotels. She thought it was the greatest thing. She was all over the beds and said "look Charley there are two beds!!!!!" She had the notepad and pen and was making lists. Every time we got on the elevator Charley would say "Nana" because that is the only place she has ridden an elevator.

7. Our hotel was like a rock star hotel room. Milk and goldfish spilled in the bed. Purple marker on the white duvet cover. Goldfish crumbs ground into the carpet. It was strewn with clothes, shoes, toys, towels. We had a long cylinder-shaped pillow and Ryan layed on it and asked me to "nail me to the cross." Ha Ha! Charley had her first shower and didn't love it but didn't hate it either-she showered with Pat. Ryan showered with me about two years ago and did again this time. She liked it OK but said she would only shower at hotels not at home.

8. I asked Ryan about who she would marry and she said "Mommy." Then she said, "but you are a girl." Then she got excited and said "I could marry Daddy!"

9. Pat cried as Ryan walked down the aisle. I was more focused on making sure she walked down the aisle so didn't appreciate how cute she was in the moment. I was just relieved she was doing her job. Leanne Holmes (and someone else I don't remember) said that during the solo Pat was leaned over watching Ryan and that it was so sweet. At some point at the church I got tearful thinking that one day Ryan will be the one walking down the aisle with Pat. I'm sure my parents feel like it was yesterday that Ashley was a flower girl in Amy Fenton's wedding (see below).

10. Below is my favorite picture of Charley at the picture session......that just about sums up her personality and will make a re-appearance at her own rehearsal dinner in 40-45 years when we let her consider marriage.

Aunt Ashley and Ryan Ashley....

Our little fam....

All in all it was a great weekend. I'm so thankful that Ashley and Aaron found each other and that Aaron is now a part of the fam!

MINE

2010-05-07T20:45:00.005-05:00

This post was previously a part of the "Randomness" post but I gave it its own since really it's not random and the other one would be too long to read had I not split them up.

I always get insights into God when I watch my children. I feel like God's parenting of us is just a much bigger version of what we are doing in parenting our children. Charley's favorite words are "mine" and "no." Today I was getting her out of the car and asked her if she wanted me to hold her sippy cup. She said "mine" in this disgruntled voice (terse, clipped) and grabbed on to it for dear life (with both arms around it). I thought it was so funny because of course I knew it was hers because I made it for her and gave it to her. I also picked it up 100 times in the car and returned it to her. I was just asking because I wanted to help her and make it easier for her. I wonder how many times a day God gently nudges us in some direction regarding some circumstance that we grab on for dear life and basically say "mine" like an 18-month-old. If we would just let go of some of our perceived control He could make things easier for us.

Of course I'm preaching to myself right now. This topic is something I've been working on alot recently. Can I give up my perceived control and trust that God is good and He will get me through anything? I haven't been able to do that. Of course I believe it 100% but there is a part of me that just won't give up the worrying. What freedom I could have if I could just give it all to God (it all basically means my family, including myself). I feel that when I get close to the edge of giving it all to God my next thought is "is this even real?"..."this whole thing is pretty far-fetched"..."you can't just allow yourself to have peace and not have proof that this God and Jesus even exist." Then, my thoughts go down a different road. Ugh, I drive myself crazy.

Anyway, this week Beth Moore's daughter Amanda had a blog post the night before she received test results regarding her 15-month-old daughter. There was concern that her daughter would have to have surgery and wear a body cast due to hip dysplasia but it turned out to be just fine. She posted a prayer that is framed in her daughter's room and I loved it because it speaks to what I am trying to do but have such a hard time doing. I've read a few of the comments on that particular blog post where other mothers have commented and one that stuck out to me was how you continually give your children to God but then take them back for yourself to only realize again you need to give them back to God. So, I see myself just like Charley. I hold on to Ryan & Charley for dear life screaming "MINE....DON'T MESS WITH THEM" (or don't mess with me because they need me). I imagine God is chuckling to Himself (like I was with Charley) thinking "Doesn't she know how much I love them?"..."It will all work together for her own good"..."when she looks back on this she will understand and will give me the glory-I wish she would stop her own suffering now-it's pointless."

I hope that I will continue to grow in this area. The rest of this post is taken from Amanda Jones' blog, Baby Bangs. I've copied the prayer I mentioned and a few quotes. I'm putting it on my blog just so that I can remember because I want to be able to have that much trust and faith...

Dear Father in Heaven
On this day, May 17, 2009,
We ask You to set apart our beloved
Annabeth Ellen Jones
To Your great glory.
Grant her a heart to love You,
To love Your Word,
And to love Your people.
With grateful hearts
For this precious gift of life,
We pray in Jesus' Name,
Amen.

"She is Yours, Lord. Use her for Your glory. Let her know and love You. "

"My daughter has a purpose and it has nothing to do with me. It extends beyond the five years she'll be in my constant care, beyond the 18 years she will live in my home, beyond my own lifetime and into eternity. God has a plan for her. "

"......He reminded me that my baby belongs to Him. My child, who delights me to no end, is the apple of her Father's eye. "

"We're waiting, fervently praying that this will not be, and rededicating our daughter to her Father as often as we have to. But if this physical challenge in His plan, we will resolve to believe God. "

Randomness

2010-05-07T20:03:00.003-05:00

So, I'm going to try to post more since the auction is over. Too many precious moments passing me by (however this current moment is not precious as I sit on the bathroom floor with a big pile of laundry waiting for Ryan to fall asleep so I can leave the bathroom....she's had to go to the bathroom twice (I only gave in once), had water (that I had to go downstairs and get), had to be covered up again, and found a scratch on her hand that she wanted to put lotion on (I gave in) and then minutes later wanted to put a band aid on (I denied that request).

Since my last post I have been trying to appreciate every minute with R & C. Even the whining and crying. Normally I get internally irritated but I think of the Warden's friends who lost their baby and I'm sure they would love to hear whining and crying. This is what I want and I'm not going to wish the time away. So, since I've been trying to appreciate R & C more I've been trying to just enjoy them in the moment without continuously thinking about what I need to do and can't do....I've been watching Charley play more and just sitting on the floor with Ryan or sitting with her while she eats (that doesn't work all of the time because I use that time to load/unload the dishwasher, make her lunch, and clean the kitchen.)

When Charley does something funny or new she looks to us with an excited face to see if we saw her. If we aren't looking she'll say "Mommy!!" or "Daddy!!" So, so cute. When she smiles her little eyes crinkle up just like they did in her 3-month photo. When I picked her up at MDO on Thursday she had a baseball cap on sideways and was standing in the mirror looking at herself as she bobbed her head side to side. Today we took her to Nana's and we took the video camera because she gets so excited when we tell her we are going to Nana's. She says "Naaaana" the whole way there and then she gets really excited when she sees "Nana's House". The last three times she has been there she has run to Nana and cuddled up against her and not moved for 30 minutes to an hour. It is so sweet and today it made me cry. It's like she knows how special Nana is. She is perfectly still and doesn't look around at us. She doesn't do that with ANYONE and I mean ANYONE. She LOVES Nana and I love that!! I told her that when I was her age that I probably spent every day with Nana.

Ryan is learning all kinds of things. She used the words "fragile" and "expensive" in the same sentence this week. She also drew something today and told Pat that it was a "human." She is starting to sound out letters and can sound out three at a time. She called Charley "stupid" yesterday (she obviously heard that at school and was quickly corrected). Poor thing didn't realize it wasn't a nice word. She said that other kids say it. Ugh--it's beginning. Bad influences. Kids with different rules than she will have. Yesterday she was also playing "bad guy" and she was making a "Rar"-like noise and she said that she killed me and I was "dead." She had me lie on the floor and act dead. I asked her if the boys play that game at school and she said they did. I asked if the girls played that game or if it was just the boys and she said it was just the boys. Yes, I know that I was stereotyping girls and boys. My 25-year-old self would be appalled at me. Yesterday after dance class one of the parents asked their child if they were good in dance class and Ryan chimed in and said "no." The parent seemed a little taken aback and said "Jane Doe wasn't good today?" (real name was not used to protect the privacy of said girl). Ryan confirmed it and said she wasn't good because she used the word "poopie." Pat was standing there and awkwardly tried to explain that the child said that word at school not at dance (how he knows that I don't know...I think he wanted to say something to smooth it over but there was nothing to say but that). It ended with the parent being embarrassed and reassuring Ryan that the child wouldn't be saying that again.

Ryan and Charley's recent favorite adventure is playing outside with shovels, buckets, and the water hose. They could occupy themselves for hours making mud pies and appearing to "work" but I'm not sure what they are doing. Charley pretends to fill up cups from the peony as if it is a water spout and then she will go pour the liquid from the peony into a bucket and stir it up and then eat it or feed it to someone. I LOVE being able to play outside and get outside of the house.

It is 9:20 p.m. and I will pay for this tomorrow morning. Nite Nite.

The Days are Long but the Years go Fast

2010-05-02T13:31:00.002-05:00

So, I'm in the Las Vegas airport waiting to head home after a Mulick Girls' Weekend. I miss my Ryan and Charley so much! Pat has sent me a couple of pictures and I can't wait to see them. Being away makes me appreciate them much much more. So do a couple of other things.....

Our friends' friend had a baby die of SIDS last week. She was 5 months old and their only child. The parents told our friends that if anything good could come out of it that maybe other parents would appreciate their children and keep in mind that it could be your last day with them. The lesson is even though parenting is a grind (especially small children) I wouldn't trade it for anything in this whole world. I heard that the day before I left for Las Vegas and it made me want to stay and savor the moments with R & C.

While in Las Vegas I've heard all of my sister-in-laws talk about their older children....especially teenagers. They are dealing with leaving for college, no communication, lying, worrying about drinking and sex, and peers becoming more important advisers than parents. I could cry sitting here typing this. It happens so fast and sometimes I wish time away just wishing it was a little easier. They say they are more tired now than when they had little kids-I've been holding out that it will be easier. They say the emotional burdens are more exhausting than the physical ones with little ones. They say that the bad choices kids make as they get older have more severe and lasting consequences. They say they watch your every move and are learning from what you do and not what you say. You have to be prepared to answer hard questions on the spot. You can't teach them life lessons just when you have the time or energy, you have to teach them as the moment arises even if you are busy doing something else. As Brooke gets ready to head off to college, her parents are giving her more freedom and hoping that she has the foundation to make good choices because the time has gone where they can be as influential.

I hope in my time with Ryan and Charely I can be more aware that one day they won't want to be with me. They won't want me to play with them. They won't be saying "Mommy!!!" 10 times a minute. They are so cute right now because when they do anything new or funny they will call for us to watch. I just pray that during these times I can be more appreciative of every little cute thing about them. Like the other day I was rocking Charley and noticed how her hair was still so soft, like silk, still like a baby. It won't be like that for long. And the other night I was putting Ryan to bed and she said she loved me from here to the moon and stars and back to the moon and stars and back and forth and then she stopped midway in her sentence and said "Mommy, your eyes are so pretty." What precious times! If I can just get over the things I WANT TO DO then I could slow down and appreciate all of the little moments. Because nothing is more important than these little moments. I've heard older parents say the best time in their lives was when their kids were little-I want to enjoy this! I can't wait to get home!!!!

P.S. Could someone remind me to read this the two weekends that Pat will be gone this month?

Lexicon o' Charley Mae

2010-03-25T05:59:00.006-05:00

Lexicon o' Charley Mae

Ro Ro: Cheerio or Stroller

Doe Doe: Dora

Moe Moe: Elmo

Ry Ry: Ryan

Beel: Belly

B: Toothbrush, bird

Baw Baw: Bottle or sippy cup

Oh: Uh-Oh

Nie Nie: Night Night

Dad-O: Daddy

Bubba: Bubby

Ma Ma: Mommy

Nana: Nana or banana

No No: No (she always says it twice probably because we do when we tell her "no"); she shakes her head "no" when she says it

Words with Common Pronunciation:

Bye Bye

Moo for cow (although more like Moe)

Baa for sheep

Ruff for dog

Funny sounding Meow for cat

Funny sound for Monkey

Neigh for Horse

Words where the Consonants Sound German:

Zach: (She has a little boy at school she really loves named Zach. She says it pretty clearly but it sounds more German the way she says it if you can imagine the Z and ch sounding German)

Eggs: Gs sound German

First Sentences:

She has recently said "my Da Da." I also heard her saying "my baby." She has put two words together a couple of other times when saying Ma Ma Da Da and Bye Bye Da Da.

Gin Gin:

She can't say Gin Gin yet but she knows who she is and loves her. Ryan couldn't say her name for a long time, too.

Newest Words:

Yesterday at Venus's farm she learned the chicken. I wasn't there to hear it but assume it has the German-sounding accent. She also tried to say Venus yesterday. Sounded more like

"Ne-Us".

Ride a Little Horsey Down to Town

2010-03-25T05:53:00.003-05:00

Venus kept Ryan and Charley yesterday at her farm because Amanda and Ian were there. Apparently, Ryan was a little timid and apprehensive about the horses. When Pat drove up, the first thing she said to him was that she didn't want to get back on the horse. Charley, though, they said has no fear! That doesn't bode well for our future (but neither does being Nervous Nellie either).

Bad Blogger, Bad Blogger, Bad Blogger

2010-03-23T14:24:00.004-05:00

I have been such a terrible blogger. I keep saying I'll do better. Things happen all throughout the days with R & C that I think I need to remember and record but I never get time. After my dinner and silent auction is over I will definitely make more time for this. Therefore Daddy-you need to get caught up quick!

I'll start small with a couple of quotes Ryan has said lately and leave it at that. Charley is saying alot of new words and I'll do a different post of those later.

The other day Ryan and Charley were going to Gin Gin's for the afternoon because Ryan was home from school due to strep and Venus had her three grandchildren and wasn't available. We went exploring that morning and picked up rocks, leaves, and sticks and came back in and Ryan made a picture for Gin Gin. She had a pen and said that she was "writing" and she said she wrote: "Gin Gin I really love you...I will care about you." I thought that was so sweet. She kept saying that Gin Gin and Bubby would really, really like the picture. They did great there that afternoon. Ryan hopped in my old bed and went right to sleep and Charley slept well in the crib.

Another cute recent quote involved carrots and ranch dressing that I send with Ryan to school. I was using Tupperware to send the Ranch dressing but one day I had a disposable Ranch dressing container and told her she could throw it away. Well, after that day I went back to giving her Tupperware and she kept throwing it away. I kept telling her not to throw it away but she told me that I told her it was OK. So, I had to buy more because she threw away all of my small ones and I showed her the new ones and told her not to throw away anything that looked like that. So, she finally came home and had not thrown it away. I praised her and the next morning reminded her not to throw it away and she said "I will try but when I throw it away it will be an accident."

The other day Ryan stepped on Charley's foot and Charley was crying and Ryan asked very calmly "Do I need to go to time out?"

OK, that will be it for now.

Day in LR Part 2

2010-03-19T15:32:00.001-05:00

Here is the second waiting room....

All done...

The Purple Cow...

Purple Ice Cream...

Wiped out!

Day in Little Rock

2010-03-19T15:26:00.001-05:00

We are in LR for Ryan's ACH eye appointment. I like the idea of "mobile blogging."

First we went to The Wonderplace...

First waiting room at ACH....

In the exam room....

I have posted and re-posted pictures from the rest of the day and they keep getting deleted. It is now 11 days after the event. Maybe mobile blogging is not for me?

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

$250 Later

2010-03-01T09:29:00.001-06:00

Where's Charley?

There she is...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

February Fun

2010-02-09T08:16:00.008-06:00

Good Morning! I have been a very bad blogger and Mommy recorder of cute things. All of my spare time has been spent working on my Family Violence Prevention Dinner and Silent (No More) Auction. I decided to make myself blog this morning while Charley naps (and Ryan goes to give an exam at Lyon) instead of housework or auction work.

Hmmm....what's going on around here? Charley is walking all the time now. I would estimate for the last couple of weeks pretty full-time. She still falls alot. Most of the time it doesn't bother her but if she is tired then she gets upset when she falls. She is going to Mother's Day Out at FBC two mornings a week and has adjusted well. She loves it and smiles and waves when Pat drops her off. Venus keeps her all day Wednesdays and she loves that too. I'm home with her all day on Tuesday and Friday and Monday and Thursday afternoons. She's pretty much sleeping all night...still in the Pack-N-Play in our sitting room. She's getting closer to moving to Ryan's room. But, why mess with something that is working? She calls her belly (or skin really) "beel." She'll lift up her shirt and say "beeeeeel" with a big smile on her face. She can play more independently than Ryan could at this age (or even now for that matter). She walks around moving things from one place to another. She loves babies and puts them "nigh nigh". She feeds them bottles and with spoons. When she feeds them she clicks or tongue or smacks her lips. She knows when we get to Nana Edwards' house because when we turn off of Eagle Mountain onto Woodmont Circle she starts saying "Nana....Nana....Nana..." which I think is so smart because all she can see are the trees and she can't even see the building. Then, when we get in the lobby she calls for "Naaaanaaaa" until we get to her room. She loves Nana and smiles so big when she sees her. Charley seems to love to make people laugh and she laughs alot. She'll do something and look up at you with a big smile to see if you saw it. She has a laugh a little like Beavis and Butthead when she does something she thinks is funny.

Ry Ry....what are you up to these days? ALOT. She is growing so, so fast. I can't believe all of the new things she does. Last night she was doing a connect-the-dot activity and drawing lines between matching pictures. She was also doing a maze in a coloring book. She can play Candyland and a Dora Matching game without getting upset when she loses. I'm pretty competitive and when she wins my tendency is to act mad (pretend) and say it's not fair. But, I'm having to train myself to say "good job" so she can learn to be a good loser and happy for the winner. Parenting is hard...you can't just do things in your old ways if you don't want your kids to copy you. You have to buck up and act like you want them to act. Not too easy!! I am reading Beth Moore's new book on insecurity. When it came out I thought I didn't have a need for that book because I'm not insecure. Turns out that maybe I am. She was saying that when her daughter found out she was having a girl after having a boy, she was thrilled but one of the first things she thought was that she was going to have to deal with her issues because she doesn't want to pass her "stuff" down to her daughter. So true. Motherhood is forcing me put my money where my mouth is...or where my mouth should be. (NOTE: I tried unsuccessfully several times to find the exact quote out of the book because it bugs me not to have the exact quote but after squandering away naptime and spending playtime looking through the book I give up. You get the point).

Back to Ryan, she has become a HUGE HELP in the last week. She has helped with dishes and evening clean-up time. She pulls a stool up to the sink and rinses dishes and scraps food off of plates. She sets the table. She can also fold some of the laundry and put some of it away. The other night she said we had to clean the playroom and I told her it was clean enough and she said "no it's not...look at all of that" and then she proceeded to clean it up better than it ever has been. She doesn't stuff things in drawers but finds exactly where things should go so that they are with the other parts of the toy or whatever. As we were going to clean the playroom we walked through the foyer first and she noticed toys in there and she said we needed to clean that up, too. As we clean, she has said a couple of times "I'll help you clean every night Mommy." We were doing her dress-up dolls the other night and she was putting the shoes on the wrong feet and upside down. I told her that she had them backwards (and I had told her that the night before too) and she said "I have to try to do it my way, Mommy." If that's not a foreshadowing of the years to come I don't know what is. Don't we all have to try it our way despite our parents trying to save us the heartache of our bad decisions that they made in the past and want to prevent us from making, too?

I have realized that I have let Pat do Ryan's bedtime while I do laundry, dishes, make lunch for the next day, etc. and I end up missing out on quality and fun time with Ryan. So in the last week we have been switching back and forth and I have had so much fun spending time with her. We have done her dress-up dolls, played Candyland, colored, made hearts, read Princess stories, read Bible stories, and done bathtime. Doing the housework is mentally easier but this is so much more rewarding and I'm so thankful I realized what I was missing out on. I feel like we are a little bit closer already. I was so focused on this kind of thing after she was born (to the point of hiring an attachment specialist in Spokane, videoing our interactions, and analyzing them) that I don't know how I got to the point that I would rather do housework because it was easier than focus on our relationship. As Deanda says, the time spent with them just being and doing what they want is putting money in the bank for later. I hate to admit it but playing sometimes gets boring. Especially with Charley because her attention span is so short. She'll want to read a book and I'll read the first sentence and she walk off to get another one. So, my new mantra is "money in the bank." It may feel like I'm not accomplishing something but hopefully I'm accomplishing something with a long-term payoff rather than short-term (like clean kitchen, folded clothes). Although, it's getting easier to keep the house picked up as Charley gets older. I think after the auction is over I'll actually have some spare time during the day.

Ryan and Charley love each other SO MUCH. It is so cute. They both think the other is so funny. Ryan will say "Charley is funny" and "Charley is a silly baby." Ryan is getting protective of Charley. Pat has told Charley not to throw food off of the high chair. And Ryan jumps in saying "she's just a baby" and gets upset if Pat continues to reprimand her. Yesterday I was telling Charley not to do something and Ryan said "she's just a baby....I have to tell Daddy that sometimes." When we go pick up Ryan at school, Charley starts yelling "Ryyyyy Ryyyyy" in the parking lot and in the school before we even see her. Ryan really wants to play with Charley but they just aren't quite at the age to do that. Ryan will say "put Charley down, I want to play with her." We put her down and then Ryan walks off and then a second later is asking why Charley isn't playing with her. She does like for Charley to chase her back and forth. They were playing with the stacking rings and Ryan could not cope with Charley putting them on in the wrong order. She kept intervening and showing her how to do it "right". Don't we all want to intervene when we see things could be done in an easier way? So hard to keep our mouths shut! Ha! Sometimes Charley will call for Ry Ry and Ryan will yell "I'm coming Charley." When I put Charley down for naps, Ryan sits quietly in her room reading. In fact, the other day she cleaned her whole room when I put Charley down and then was sitting in the floor quietly reading by the time I got in there. She is SO GOOD. She does tend to poop and need to be wiped while I'm rocking Charley. Charley also poops during her nap which wakes her up. I don't know what the deal is with that.

Below are some recent pictures from the phone capturing everyday life....

Ryan wanted to spell ASHLEY with her bath letters the other night...

Ryan sleeping while touching her belly button (her security blanket)...

Ryan and Logan at EMCC after dinner (after Charley got choked on a cracker and vomited and that was cleaned up with their cloth napkins; after they all caused a spectacle running around and walking up to tables)

Charley wearing Cousin Virginia's hat at Nana's...

Ryan and Charley in Bubby's chair watching t.v......

Greta holding Charley at the Middle School where they sledded with their cousins. Ryan and Charley loved sledding and they went down the hill together (with no adult)...so cute!! Notice Charley is wearing fuzzy slippers....that was the best we could do....

Ryan's Birthday Cake she made for Daddy. She first thought he would want a purple cake with butterflies but when I took her to Kroger to pick out the mix she saw a Princess cake and decided he would like that best. She also thought he would like pink icing (which happened to be cherry...don't ever buy cherry icing)...

So that's a little summary of the goings-on around here. I'm going to try to post more because every day is full of cute and adorable things that I don't want to forget. If there is any "evidence" of God's grace it is these two girls (and Pat, too) being given to me because I sure don't deserve them. In fact, my little family is the opposite of what I deserve. I'm so thankful God does not give us what we deserve...I'd sure be in trouble!

A Pictorial Documentary of Today from 3 to 5

2010-01-19T17:46:00.019-06:00

I'm not kidding. We did all of this from the time I picked Ryan up from school at 3 and when Pat got home at 5. We played in the dirt with shovels, blew bubbles (no pictures), rode tricycles, practiced walking on the driveway, finger painted in the bathtub, took a bath, and dressed up like Snow White (Charley's picture is blurry but she likes to wear the crown.)

This and That

2010-01-17T19:28:00.003-06:00

I'm not doing a very good job of blogging lately but I try to remember the especially cute things that Ryan says and Charley does. I need to do a better job of just putting down highlights of their days even if it's a few sentences-like what we did and what they ate even if it was a totally boring day. I wonder what I did with my mother when I was 1 or 3-years-old.

I wish I could just capture this age that Charley is in a bottle (I think I said that about her when she was younger). She is just so precious and it is hard for me to remember Ryan being this age because Ryan is Ryan now (does that make sense?). It really hits me with Charley how quickly time flies and how badly I want to remember because it's so hard to remember just two years ago with Ryan. I'm sure when Charley is 3 I'll be thinking I can't remember when Ryan was 3.

Charley is walking alot and is getting more coordinated and slowing down which helps her balance. She is so proud of herself. She's so funny and thinks that everything is funny. She'll point at things and laugh and look back at you to see if you see what she's doing. She likes to make you laugh by doing things like putting things on her head. She still LOVES Ry Ry very much. A few times they have spontaneously hugged and it is the cutest thing ever. They both put both of their arms around each other. Charley will pat Ry Ry while she is hugging her. When she is flirting or thinking she is really funny or when she sees someone she really loves she smiles this HUGE smile and throws her head back and keeps it there while she keeps smiling. She loves to dance. She moves her arms up and down and twists her torso back and forth to music. Pat has played "Who Let the Dogs Out" for them (don't ask) and Charley really can bust a move. You can ask what a dog says and she says "Ruff" in this deep voice. She seems to know everything that we are saying and will go do what we tell her (go get your baby, go find Ry Ry, etc). She started Mother's Day Out last week and did great. She didn't cry at all the second day she was there except a couple of seconds when Pat left. They said she has a great time playing and riding in the Bye Bye Buggy. Annette Castleberry called to tell me that she was so happy when she went to pick up Annaleigh

Ryan has said some really funny things lately. I'll just list....

1. This morning at church she had to go to the bathroom during Sunday School music and I went with her. After she went I decided I had to go so she was standing next to me "getting the toilet paper for me". She was looking back into the toilet and said "Mommy....your bootie is big....your bootie is big Ma Ma." I was laughing so hard. She is getting to where she says and does things that are really funny.

2. Pat said when he was changing Charley's clothes this morning she said "Why does she have boobies? She doesn't need boobies."

3. Today she was climbing on our stroller that was folded up in the dining room. She was sliding off of it saying it was a slide. I was in the other room and she was telling me this saying "we" are climbing and sliding on the stroller. I told her not to let Charley climb on the stroller. She said "I AM letting her climb on the stroller because she is my little sister." Then she started talking to Charley in a baby voice saying "yes you are my little sister."

4. Lisy said that on the day of the Christmas party one of the kids said something that was not very nice to another kid. She said it was not outwardly, obviously mean but subtle and something that an adult would pick up on but not necessarily a child. She said that Ryan told the child that they weren't talking very nice and that she always talks nice. Then she looked up to Lisy for confirmation.

5. Lisy also said that she has a stance that she calls a "Ryan Stance." Apparently when she lost her ponytail holder a couple of months ago during naptime she was disturbed and told Lisy "Mommy and Daddy will be worried." Then, she went to each child in the class asking if they had seen her rubberband. Lisy said she assumed the Ryan Stance each time (I still don't know what that is but will have her show me....she told me on the phone.)

6. Speaking of Lisy, she will be leaving next month to return to Virginia. We are so sad. Ryan doesn't know. I was actually teared up talking to her on the phone. She has been great for Ryan and I would love for Ryan to have another year with her. She's just the perfect preschool teacher.

7. Ryan was saying that she looked so beautiful the other day (funny in itself). I told her that it is more important to be beautiful on the inside than beautiful on the outside. I told her to be beautiful on the inside means to have a kind heart and be nice to other people. I told her I was proud of her because she was beautiful on the inside as well as the outside. She said, "that's because God and Jesus help me because I want them to help me." I think that's profound for a 3-year-old because I wasn't even talking about God and she knew that He is the source for "beauty on the inside." She also knew at some level that He helps her because she WANTS Him to help her.

8. She is wanting to do things "all by myself." Today I have witnessed two funny events where she tells Pat or me that she wants to do it all by herself and then a second later is asking for help. This morning in the bathroom at church she wanted to go in the stall by herself and shut the door for "privacy." I decided to let her and no sooner than the door shut did she call me to come in and help her get on the potty. She said that since "we don't know them" she couldn't touch the potty to climb on. We've told her she can't touch the potty if we don't know the people....we will be a public bathrooms and she will say "do we know these people?" The second incident was tonight. She fills up the humidifiers and carries the water back to the unit. She was taking the tank from Charley's humidifier and told Pat not to come with her because she wanted to do it "all by myself....stay in here Daddy...don't come with me...OK?" Two seconds later she's yelling from the bathroom that she can't get the lid off. It's so much easier (and probably better for her too) just to let her think she can try to do these things by herself so that she will then know to ask for help because reasoning at this age doesn't work. Takes patience....Too tired to go into my metaphor about how this is really how we adults are...wanting to do it OURSELVES. Just like Ryan has Pat and me standing by knowing how her bad ideas are going to turn out and waiting for her finally to call us for help-we have the same thing in God. He is watching us make our own decisions without consulting him, He knows the outcome but His hands are tied until we finally ask Him for help (just like Ryan saying God and Jesus help her because "I want them to help me." So much of parenting reminds me of our adult relationships with God. I wonder if He knew it would be that way. Probably so.

9. Speaking of patience, she decided she wanted to wear footed pajamas from last year. Both Pat and I suspected she wouldn't like them just because they are so confining and she's so particular about her clothes. They are also sized 24 months. She has three pairs and tonight she tried on all three and then tried on two of them one more time each for a total of 5 times before deciding she didn't like them and wanted to wear her regular pajamas. Patience I tell you. Pat was in charge and because she ended up taking a cold bath he thought she deserved to take the time to figure it out herself instead of us telling her they wouldn't fit. She didn't have a care in the world. "I want to try on the Princess ones again...I like Princesses....I don't like how that foot feels....I like that one...I'm going to try it on...if I don't like it I'll take it off...I just want to try it on."

10. I just had add that the cold bath was because she and Charley had to take 2 baths because at the end of the first bath Charley grabbed a cup and choked on some water and then vomited in the bathtub. By the time it got filled up again it was cold. Charley vomits if you look at her wrong. God somehow thought it would be good for me to have a baby that really isn't a good sleeper and also vomits at least once a week due to crying or choking. Since God knows that I love and need sleep and am phobic of vomiting this must be part of the sanctification process. Am I sanctified yet?

OK, exhausted and off to bed only to be awakened I'm sure shortly by a little 14-month-old acting like a newborn in the middle of the night.

Happy Birthday Jesus!

2009-12-28T15:14:00.003-06:00

Just wanted to document some of the fun things about this Christmas. We videoed Christmas morning but then the camcorder was full by the afternoon and we missed some cute happenings with Ryan and Charley.

For the month of December we counted down to Jesus' birthday on three different calendars: the Fisher-Price advent calendar for Ryan's birthday from Gin Gin and Bubby; the Hallmark advent calendar from the Schmidts at church; and the Jessie Tree calendar I made. Ryan loved the countdowns....when I read the Bible story for the Jessie tree, though, she was less than interested and usually doing acrobatics on the couch asking me if I saw what she had just done. I reminded myself of Beth Moore's statement that time in the Word of God does not come back void. We also read the story of Jesus' birth out of our Jesus Storybook Bible while Ryan set up the Fisher Price nativity scene that was Charley's birthday present from Gin Gin and Bubby. We did that the last three nights before Christmas. I wasn't sure how much Ryan was getting but that night she interrupted me in the story to say something to the effect of "go away we don't have room here" when Joseph and Mary were looking for a place to stay. I told Pat I intended to do this every night next December and he told me that was too much. However, I learned from the Living Proof Blog that Beth Moore's daughter's husband read the Christmas story to their 3-year-old every night in December and quizzed him on it at the end of December. I figure that their entire family is in ministry so whatever they are doing seems to work. Pat told me that he would be more interested in my blogs as a Christmas present so maybe he'll go along with this idea next Christmas. Ryan made a little birthday present for Jesus out of the stickers she got at the doctor on Christmas Eve Eve when she was diagnosed with strep for the zillionth time.

On Christmas Eve we went to the Family Service at church and Ryan performed singing Little Drummer Boy. I downloaded it onto my phone and we had been singing it all month in preparation. It was so so very cute. She sang the pa rum pum pum part mostly with a deer in the headlights look on her face. At the end she picked her nose a little bit. I can't believe she went through with it. Since she had strep, we skipped the Olson's party and came home and had macaroni and cheese which is a Mulick Family Christmas Eve tradition. Pat rang some bells while Ryan was in the other room and she was scared when she thought it was Santa. She tried so hard to go to sleep that night. I went to peek in and she was facing the wall and her eyes were open but she heard me come in and she closed them really fast and pretended to be asleep. She knew Santa wouldn't come until she was asleep. Charley obviously had no clue as to what was going on.

Pat and I woke up on Christmas morning around 4:30 and couldn't go back to sleep because we were so excited for R & C to wake up. Once they did wake up Gin Gin and Bubby were not there yet which caused some tears to be shed. We had to wait on them so they could film the entrance down the stairs. Ryan's big present was a dollhouse and Charley's was cardboard building boxes (fun, colored ones...not just plain ones). Ryan had found a giraffe that went went her Noah's Ark and wrapped it for me-so cute...she just folded wrapping paper around it and put a bow on top. The sides weren't covered and no tape was used. She was so excited b/c she thought I'd like it. I did since it was from her! Charley's favorite present was a ball popper that Ryan got her. Pat took Ryan to pick out something for Charley and she has one of these over at Nana's. I told Pat that it was silly to get her something she already has but he said Ryan was so excited about it and said "Charley will love this." Sure enough-it's her favorite. She pushes the button and balls start flying through this contraption with music. She then points at it and looks at you with a big smile. So cute...I could eat her. At dinner, Ryan led us in singing Happy Birthday to Jesus.

Christmas afternoon got even better at Gin Gin and Bubby's. Santa was put to shame by Gin Gin and Bubby and Aunt Ashley and Uncle Aaron. Ryan got an organ with a microphone (GG & B), an interactive dance game for the t.v. (GG & B), and a Snow White costume (A & A). Charley got a Huggums and had the BIGGEST smile on her face and was shrieking "baby...baby...baby" while I tried to free the baby from the packaging. The rest of the afternoon was spent with Ryan doing performances in her Snow White costume on her organ and Charley just getting into everything possible.

A couple of cute Ryan quotes:

The Night of Christmas regarding her dollhouse:
Ryan: "Mommy, that was exactly what I wanted....but something's missing."
Mommy: "What?"
Ryan: "A kiss..."

Last Night At Bedtime:
Ryan: "Daddy, next year I'm giving you a kiss for Christmas."
Pat: "That is the best present ever."
Ryan: "That's a long time away."
Daddy: "Wait, you mean you are not giving Daddy a kiss for a whole year?"
Ryan: "It's hard being patient."

I was kind of sad when Christmas was over this year. I loved all of the things leading up to it with R & C. I can't wait until Charley knows what's going on. I love that we will do our Jessie Tree every year and I already have the starting date on my 2010 calendar. I also can't wait to do the Christmas story while R & C "act it out" with the nativity scene. I look forward to when they can understand why we give to people who don't have much...Ryan knew we were getting a boy clothes and toys because he wouldn't have much for Christmas (Angel Tree) but she also thought we were getting her friends presents for the same reason:) Hard to differentiate at 3-years-old!

Tangential: I was also sad at the end of the summer when I put away all of our swimsuits, sunblock, floaties, etc. because we had so much fun at the pool. Each little season is so much fun with R & C that I hate to see it end but then the next one ends up being just as fun or better. It seems like time is just flying as these seasons come and go. We were looking at vidoes of Ryan from last Christmas and she was just a little baby. We couldn't believe how much she has grown. I am so thankful that God gave those two girlies to me!!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

A Few Random Things

2009-12-17T12:54:00.002-06:00

A Few Random Things

First of all I need to take care of business and remind my readers (e.g. immediate family) to comment on Ryan and Charley's birthday posts about your favorite memories of them. Ashley is the only one who has followed instructions and she did this for Charley but is still needing to do Ryan's. I know everyone is busy but surely not too busy to jot down a couple of sentences about your favorite memories of these two precious chillens. Slowing down and thinking of something fun and positive might even help your day go better-he he....thought I'd throw in some psychology.

Onto the business at hand....

A few funny, precious things Ryan has said and Charley has done:

We took them to Breakfast with Santa at the Presbyterian Church. We have yet another picture of Ryan looking horrified while she stands next to Santa with a parent. But this year we have the addition of Charley on Santa's lap screaming bloody murder. Maybe we'll get a good picture next year? We didn't make Ryan sit on Santa's lap at Charley age because it was so upsetting. Sorry, Charley I thought it would be cute to get a picture of you sitting on his lap crying. And I was right-it's cute. I knew when you got bigger like Ryan you could get away so I needed to force you to do it while I could. I'll go ahead and make a deposit into the therapy savings account this afternoon.

While we were sitting at our table having "breakfast" Ryan looked around the room and up at the ceiling...she was just looking things over very closely and then said "I've never been to the North Pole before." I nearly fell out of my chair. What else goes on in the cute little mind that she doesn't say out loud?

Ryan has been learning continents at school. She can name them all and identify them on a map. When her teacher (Lisy) was telling Pat this and having Ryan show him she mouthed "she is very smart." Ahhh, proud Mommy.

I can't remember if I've posted about her glasses. She got them on her birthday and she has done a GREAT job of wearing them without complaint. She looks so cute. She also looks smart and old.

Ryan's mental skills have advanced. She can play a memory game (where you pick up two cards to find a match and put them back face down and have to remember where they were for your next turn if they don't match). She's beat me every time. She also beat her two college senior babysitters the other night. She can also play Candyland. I have been so excited for her to get old enough to sit down and play a game. We tried it in the summer and she wasn't old enough because she got mad by the rules and just wanted to play it her way. However, this time she listened to the rules and knew what to do immediately. She didn't even get mad when I won once. She doesn't like the cards with pictures that let her skip ahead and she discards them for the regular cards even though she won't go as far. Another thing I've been excited about is for her to calm down enough to cuddle on the couch and watch movies. We have done that a couple of times recently and I LOVE IT. I really lay there with my eyes closed but she lets me cuddle with her and it's the best. This is how I plan to spend every weekend as they get older. Who needs activity? Let's just cuddle on the couch with blankets, hot chocolate, and movies.

I continue to try to instill the love of God and awareness of what Jesus did for us into Ryan's head. I asked her if she napped at school the other day and she said "no, I prayed." I asked her what she prayed about and she said herself. She then said that she listened to what God was saying to her. I asked her if He talked to her and she said "no, He just blessed me." She was apparently disruptive during naptime recently and we told her that she could pray if she couldn't sleep. I told her that I pray when I can't sleep and Pat said that when he can't sleep he prays by listening to what God might have to say to him. That was a random conversation a couple of weeks ago and one that you wouldn't think had any impact on her. Yesterday I asked her if she napped and she said she didn't because she did prayers. I think she realized she got such a great reaction that she just said that. I'm not sure if she really did. While we were talking about listening to God she said something about pretending that He was there and I tried to explain that He really was there. Difficult concept!

The other night we were doing our Jessie Tree lesson and talking about having other gods. She then decided she wanted to pretend that she was God. I wasn't sure how to handle this but decided that we don't need to pretend we are God so I told her that there is only one God and we can't even pretend we are God because He is so wonderful. She said that we could be "pretend gods." Pat went walking by the room we were in chuckling...I assume he was laughing because I was in over my head and my "lesson" had gone so awry as to have Ryan suggest we pretend to be God.

Charley has taken 2-6 steps without holding on to anything or anyone. She is getting more interested in trying. She had her one-year appointment and is at the 10th percentile for weight and 35th for height. She's had two ear infections in the last couple of months. She had her one-year pictures at Keith Sturch's and we got them yesterday and they are ADORABLE. She nods "no" when you ask her if she wants something. She's mainly answered with the nod when asked if she wants yogurt or to go to bed. When she is finished eating she will nod "no" and start wiping off her highchair tray really fast where the food flies all around. We've gone from not sweeping our floor (because of Madison) to sweeping it after every meal. She loves to climb up on our little chairs and for us to put her on the big furniture. Everytime she sees the Christmas tree she points and says "uh" (brilliant, I know). She had a several week stint of needing to eat 2-3 times at night and we decided we would have to let her cry it out 3 nights ago and lo and behold she slept all night with very little fussing in the night for three nights. However, last night she cried from 3-3:15 and then stopped for a little while and cried until 4:00 a.m. when she got in bed to eat. The first few minutes she cried and was calling for MaMa. The last bit that she cried she was calling for Ry Ry. That was so sad!!! She gives kisses by opening her mouth wide and then slowly moving toward your face or mouth. It's so sweet. She loves to play ball...she can say ball...when there is a ball around she continuosly points at it saying "ball" as if you didn't know or forgot that she told you that 3 seconds ago. Ryan, Charley, and I will sit in a circle and roll the ball to each other. Venus said that she was fussy yesterday but then got more happy when Ryan got home from school.

OK, that's a good enough update!

KK

Mirror Mirror On The Wall I Am My Mother After All

2009-12-01T18:52:00.005-06:00

My pictures are in no particular order and the first picture is clearly unrelated to the title of this post because my mother would never be dressed like that without makeup late in the afternoon after paying a visit to Nana. Anyhoo, I've just posted a few pictures that didn't make the cut for the 2010 Mulick Family Christmas Card. I included the first one to show that Ryan had the camera and Charley was crawling all over the place while expecting me to also feed her a bottle. The picture with me is also the scene of my worst parenting moment yet. Maybe if I document it publicly then nothing like that will ever happen again. I'm kidding myself because if taking a picture for a Christmas card brings out the creature that came out today then I'm in trouble in about 12 to 13 years...or should I say the subjects of the above pictures (and Pat) are in trouble.

So, I decided to take it upon myself to get the Christmas card picture taken today while I was home with both girls. Usually I would wait for Pat but when he gets home people are tired and sometimes fussy and sometimes even the children are too. I wanted it done before the weekend,too, so I decided it would be our afternoon activity after naps. So, I'm getting them dressed in their new Christmas pajamas and Ryan insisted on getting her baby dressed before she got herself dressed (she just last night discovered the fun of dressing and undressing her babies). I wanted to wet her hair and dry it so it would at least not look like she just crawled out of bed. So, she was wallowing around with her hair touching the ground and when she would sit up she would rub it on me like a cat so that when I tried to curl it with the brush she would immediately just mess it up. This little routine of "just have to get Huggums dressed first" and purposefully rubbing her hair on things was about to put me over the edge. So, we were in the foyer and Ryan wouldn't come to me when I asked to finish up her hair...I was almost finished. I had a mission and she was not cooperating. I'm not exactly sure what happened right before I snapped and yelled in the loudest and meanest voice ever for Ryan to "Stop It" at the same time that I slammed the brush down on the floor like a judge's gavel but afterward I was horrified. Ryan just looked at me with big eyes and listened and moved close to me to finish her hair. We finished her hair and I apologized to her and told her how much I loved her and that I was sorry for not acting nice. She was very sweet and gave me a hug and told me she loved me. We got the first batch of pictures done and then as promised she got to take some pictures of her babies, stockings, Charley, and me.

I thought we were done with the pictures but then I asked if we could do some more because I hadn't gotten many good ones. There was only one where they were both smiling and looking at the camera. To my surprise she said yes. This time I was determined to get some good ones and I would stop at nothing including urinating on myself and making Charley laugh so hard that she threw up in her mouth (I'm not kidding-I wish I was). I put them on the ottoman and proceeded to stand up and jump around making crazy noises that made them both laugh hysterically every time I did it. When I would jump, the damage done to my body by birthing these two caused me to not be able to control my bladder. I didn't care because they were smiling and laughing and looking at the camera. After several more pictures Charley was laughing so hard and I noticed she had something white in her mouth-she had spit up but it was still in her mouth. Merry Christmas! She has not spit up in a very long time. Again, I was willing to suffer these adverse effects to get a good picture. Especially after my earlier behavior. What a shame to act like a mean-ole-Mommy and come out with mediocre pictures.

So, I must say that I have a little bit more understanding and mercy toward my own mother who I don't recall ever acting like such a freak about something so minor which I find very disturbing. She handled much bigger situations better than I handled today. I learned that your own children sure do have a way of bringing out behavior that you would never believe about yourself especially toward your precious children. I'm just at the beginning of this but it's already really difficult to have these little personalities that want to do things differently than I want them to. If they would just listen and do it my way everyone would be calm and happy. But, we all know it doesn't happen that way so I need to learn quickly that its not going to happen and I can't go around acting like I did today when it doesn't.

As the afternoon rolled on I apologized to Ryan several more times telling her I was sorry for not talking nice. I kept telling her that I loved her. I worried that she would think I felt about her the way I acted toward her. One of the first times I was apologizing she told me "I love you Mommy from here to the moon and back." Ahhhh, if that doesn't make me feel wonderful but also just pitiful that she is so loving and forgiving after I had been so mean. She kept saying "Guess what?" I would say "what?" She would say "I love you Mommy." We were doing that back and forth. I told her that everyone sometimes has trouble talking nice when they are mad or frustrated and I can't remember if I asked or if she just told me but she was aware that she does this too and I could sense some empathy coming from her-that she has had the same experience and understood.

Julie texted yesterday saying she got nothing accomplished that she had planned for the day because Addie was sick. I texted back saying that I usually try to set one small goal that I know I can accomplish (like keeping the kitchen clean) so that I don't put too many expectations on myself and feel frustrated. What a wise soul I was yesterday. Ha! Put me in a real life situation and it all just falls down around me.

This morning we were putting our Jesse tree ornament on the tree and today's topic was about the introduction of sin and doing things that make God unhappy. Ryan was able to say that God wants us to love him and be kind to others (I find that amazing because that's what Jesus says the law boils down to-how did she know those two things when I've never specifically told her those are the two most important things we need to do according to God). So, one minute Mommy is teaching about how God wants us to be kind to others and the next minute she is acting as mean as she ever has acted. Not good.

I know that God's strength is the only possible way for me to overcome my own selfishness (which is what today boils down to) and I'm so thankful that Jesus died on the cross so I can be forgiven for the many ways that I don't use that strength and instead rely upon my own.

Sorry for the disjointed post but it turned in to more than I expected....

P.S. I realize the title could come across sounding as if I mean to be negative toward my own mother but I don't. It's really the opposite. I've had very high expectations for her and don't allow her to be "human" as a parent. Today I was frustrated about something I would have told her was silly to be frustrated about and that it wasn't important...hence the title.

Does God Think We Are Sheeps?

2009-11-25T20:27:00.002-06:00

Too funny to not share immediately with all of the people out there who can't wait for my next post-ha! I've been talking to Ryan about shepherds and sheep and how shepherds take care of all of the sheep's needs and that we are God's sheep and He is our shepherd. I think we started talking about this when we got the Fisher Price Nativity Scene from Gin Gin and Bubby for Charley's birthday. Anyway, as I was explaining to her that we are God's sheep she said "no we aren't sheep...I'm Ryan." Tonight, her devotional was about sheep and how they don't worry and the shepherd takes care of them and how we are God's sheep. I was glad she picked that one since we had been talking about the topic already. After we were done, she asked "does God think we are sheeps?"

Why It Is Best Not To Base Your Self-Esteem on How Your Children Feel About You

2009-11-25T16:57:00.002-06:00

OK, this has to be quick because I was complaining to Pat that I can't get anything done and he said it was partly because I spend my time doing things like blogging and I disagreed by pointing out I that hadn't blogged in a month until R & C's recent birthdays.

Anyway...onto the topic at hand. A few quick quotes of Ryan's that will lead to understanding of what I meant by the title.

Monday night, the first night after we got back from NYC, I was playing her new Dora Matching Game with her. I had remembered one of the pieces and showed her and she said "Wow-Mommy you know everything." I savored that moment because that may be the first and last time she ever says or thinks such a thing. Today at breakfast we were just talking and she said "Mommy, I love you." Awww...I felt so good. I must be such a good Mommy and we will have a great relationship. Fast forward to this afternoon when she asked when Daddy would be home. I asked her why I wasn't good enough (just kidding of course) and she said because you are not my favorite. Daddy and Charley are my favorites and you are not. Well, that put me right back in my place. So, I pretended to be sad about that and she said "You are special...you are special to Charley and not me." I'm laughing as I type this. I think it's hilarious! So, hence my title for this post.

A few random bits....

Ryan and I were watching her new Baby Jesus video and it shows Mary and Joseph and various players before he was born. It showed a Roman or Egyptian (I'm not sure) building with some Egyptian-looking people and she said "Is that the King of Egypt?" I'm pretty sure that she may be brilliant and even better a Bible scholar. She's been learning about Moses and all of the related stories in Sunday School and Pharaoh Pharaoh is her favorite song but I thought it was pretty cute and smart that she could tell sort of what was going on. The only other Ryan comment is that when we got back from NYC she seemed to both Pat and me that she had grown up by a whole year or so. She seems so much more grown up. I don't know really how to describe it but she talks differently and her mannerisms seem a little different. Pat agrees. I'm noticing it less since we've been home a few days but she seemed like a different person.

Charley has been busy doing new things, too. She can push her lion toy and walk back and forth from the foyer to the dining room (with help turning it around). She likes to play with pretend dishes and utensils. She pretends to pour, stir, feed herself, and feed others (real and stuffed). She can put the coins in the piggy bank Aunt Ashley gave Ryan when she turned one. I just noticed that today. She was very quiet playing with it and would take her time turning the coin at the right angle to get it in the coin slot (ha!). She loves to say "Bubby" after her vacation there. She's been saying Bubby when she sees Pat. She still will eat anything in terms of finger food. Today she ate a little broccoli. She nods her head "no" when she doesn't want something. I remember when Ryan started doing that and it was so nice because you can show them something and they can tell you and save some time. So, if I think she may want some yogurt I'll show her the container and she will either grab for it or shake her head no. She is also doing like Ryan and when she sees things she makes a little grunt as if to acknowledge you see it too or to have us tell her what it is (I'm really not sure why she does it but you can tell she's trying to communicate with us).

Last night when I was rocking her I was thinking of the things I needed to do when she fell asleep but then it occurred to me that I will not have many more chances to rock my very own baby because she is growing so fast. I cannot believe the days of rocking babies will be over soon. Way too soon (but not so soon that I want another). So, I slowed my brain down and just appreciated getting to be in the dark, quiet, and warm room rocking my sweet baby in the furry chair with her furry soft blanket. She was laying with her head on my shoulder and her arms were by her sides and she was just limp and totally relaxed. She was in heaven and could have stayed there forever. I felt guilty that I was thinking of what I had to do next. Finally, I put her down and things too a turn for the worse. She's a clever little thing...she has zeroed in on the fact that I do not like vomit and when we leave her to cry after putting her down at night she will make herself vomit which then leads to new bath, bottle, and rocking. For some reason she doesn't do this in the middle of the night or naps. So, I got to appreciate the whole routine all over again:)

OK, gotta run. Will try to do better with my girlie updates!
KK