Friday, April 25, 2008

Take Your Daughter To Work

We are so blessed that Mr. GT's company runs an awesome program for Take Your Child to Work Day. In the morning, the kids hang out with their parent. Mr. GT always makes sure to schedule moves on this day and the kids get to help. They love to punch wires in the closet. Yesterday, they also got to go to two meetings--one short during which they ate crackers and one long during which they got to read books.
Daisy helped to move phones. Every time they did a move, she pretended to talk on the phone. Mr. GT told her he was going to disconnect her unless she told him who she was talking to. She even made a friend named Prim when she moved his phone. He gave her a parachute guy as a gift.
This was Rose Bud's 5th and last year going to work with Dad. She was a little bored. AFter spending the morning with their parent, everyone eats a fun lunch together (today it was pizza, fruit, jungle juice and monkey cupcakes), there is a short "show" of some sort and then the kids break off into groups to attend the workshops they've selected. This year Daisy went to the mail room (again. It was so much fun last year) where she got to mail herself a package. She also went to an editing workshop. Rose Bud made a t-shirt and went to the doll hospital for about the 5th year in a row. She loves the doll hospital.
Rose Bud made a point to protect Dad's white board which obviously suffers abuse when she is not there. The fine print says, "*You will be arrested for violation of private property. Unless you have the proper authority, do not use this white board."

Next year, Daisy and Pepper will go. Fun stuff!

Saturday, April 19, 2008

I promised you birthday pictures

so here they are, one week later!

The birthday child always gets ice cream for breakfast! Mmmm! Double Strawberry
He blew out his candle in one puff
Tree!
Snuggling with his sweet sister
And here is his glorious laugh!

Friday, April 11, 2008

Happy 3rd Birthday, Sunshine!

Well, what a birthday professional after only 7.5 months home! I guess he's seen enough birthdays to know what to do--he's been here for everyone except Daddy's.

He was suitably awed by his balloons and decorations this morning and spent half an hour opening all his presents. He ate Double Strawberry ice cream for breakfast (and even shared one bit with Rose Bud!)

He played outside all morning, splashing in puddles and helping Daddy (both had wheelbarrows) in the yard.

We went out for lunch, he had a nap, then Nonny came over for a birthday party tonight. He blew out his candle in one puff!

Sort of a boring rendition of his birthday--it really was a fun day. I'm too tired to be creative tonight. I'll post pictures tomorrow, so check back.

We love you Baby! We're so blessed to be your Mommy and Daddy!

Blessings,
Sandwich

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Random Blessings Today

Banana Boy is riding his bike up and down the driveway. He is AMAZING! In less than a week he's a pro!

I had a little minor surgery this week and the next morning, Sunshine came chattering into my room. I vaguely heard him, but was mostly sleeping. After a few minutes, I heard Rose Bud come in and gently take him out AND shut the door! When I finally woke up a half hour later, she had done all the dishes and put them away, swept the kitchen and cleaned up breakfast AND started a load of laundry. Isn't she THOUGHTFUL??

Pepper is a kisser. I'm so thankful for my little kisser. Now, I am mostly a forehead kisser. I don't know why. I have nothing against lips. In fact, most of my extended family are lip-kissers, even uncles. Foreheads are just always right there at the right height when you are snuggling little ones, I guess.

But Pepper is a lip-kisser and a kiss is not a kiss to her until it is on the lips. I treasure those little 7-year old lips! LOVE those kisses!

Sunshine has the best sense of humor. When I put him down for his nap, I sing to him, "Tired Baby..." Well, every once in a while, I switch things up and sing "Tired Mommy." He'll be going along, loving his routine and he'll realize I've spoofed him and it cracks him up!

Tonight I was snuggling him to sleep and said something to him with a little tickle under his chin. He giggled so I tickled him again. More giggles. Then he tickled himself under the chin and cracked up! What a goof!

And Daisy. Daisy is my predictable, steady, always-sweet second born. She goes along with the flow no matter what and sometimes she gets taken for granted or taken advantage of.

She is CRAZY about her baby brother (today we were spelling in the car and had to spell "brother." Then I said "b-o-t-h-e-r" and they couldn't figure out what that was. After I told them, I asked them what if someone accidentally spelled "my little bother" by mistake. Being expert big sisters, they of course thought this was really funny!)

Anyway, Sunshine is crazy about her, too. In fact, if ever I discipline him, or even tell him "no" he runs right off to his "Deedee" for comfort. And sweetheart she is, she picks him up and pets him and sympathetically asks him, "Oh, did Mama say no to you? That's right, Sunshine can't ______" and he accepts it from her. She can get him to do absolutely anything!

And it is so totally justice for her after all the suffering she went through with Banana Boy. BB was just the same way with Rose Bud: he let her be his second mama. And he loved to play with Pepper. But Daisy was too young to mother (or boss, as he liked to think of it) him and too old to be fun to play with. He tormented her to no end, and was mean to her like he was to no one else. She cried endless tears of frustration and hurt that he didn't love her as much as she loved him. Things are better between them now, now that he is older.

And her baby brother, Sunshine, worships the ground she walks on.

But he can't stand Pepper! Guess I'll have to get her her own baby brother....

Blessings,
Sandwich

Friday, April 4, 2008

On two wheels

Remember how I was saying I needed to get out and help Banana Boy with his bike? Well, after I posted the last message, we all went outside, me with wrench in hand, and we took off his training wheels.

I kid you not, I ran ONCE with him across the flat part of our driveway and then he said, "Mom! Let go! I want to try it!"

Three hours later, he was RIDING HIS BIKE DOWN THE HILL ON OUR DRIVEWAY, PEDDALING AND ALL!




Is this a boy thing? I mean, the girls caught on fairly fast, but I worked with each of them for about 2 weeks before they could solo.

The sweetest thing was the next morning when he called Grandma at 7:30 (AM!) and said, "Grandma! Did you know I'm on two wheels now!!!!"

He is SO proud of himself and I am so proud of him, too. What a champ!

Go, Banana Boy, Go!

Blessings,
Sandwich

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Banana Boy

I've been meaning to post about Banana Boy for awhile and haven't gotten around to it.

He is an amazing little person who lives all his emotions out loud. When he is happy, you know it and his whole body is happy! When he is angry, you know it! His whole body is angry. He is my best kid for talking about his feelings.

He thinks the deepest thoughts. Last night I asked him who he thought his mom would be when he grew up. He thought a bit and decided it would probably be Rose Bud. He was so surprised to find out it would still be me! He said, "No! You will be a grandma then!" Yes, but I will still be your mom. "Ohhhhhh! I thought Rose Bud would be a mom when she got big." Yes, but she will be a mom to her own children and you will have YOUR own children and I will be their grandma. "Ohhhhhhh."

He has such strong faith and loves Jesus with all his heart. He is always singing little praise songs he makes up and they are so sweet and so funny. "Oh, Lord, my Lord. You are great. You are good. Sometimes you are bad. I praise you when you're good or bad. You are awesome. An awesome God. Ohhhhhh, Lorrrrrrrd... You are God and I am God." (His theology needs a little work!!! LOL) He is the one who always initiates the table prayer and wants to pray at bedtime. He knows his Bible stories inside and out (well, sometimes they are a little inside out) from listening to Bible story CDs.

He must come from a long line of musicians because this child can sing and dance! Just last week I had him along when I picked up Daisy at her piano lesson and I had him play for the teacher. She was really impressed with his rhythm and musicality. Daisy has taught him to play "Mary Had a Little Lamb." by memory. She plays it with chords. She taught him the melody, but in an effort to copy her, he taught himself to play it in two octaves at once so it sounds like chords. I couldn't believe it when I first heard him doing it.

After weeks (and weeks and weeks) of Mary Had a Little Lamb on two fronts, I finally taught him the first part of Happy Birthday. So he has been picking that out by ear and adding to it little by little. He also has heard Daisy playing Hickory, Dickory, Dock for the last few weeks and accidentally played a bit of that one day. So now he is figuring out how to play that.

He also owns a harmonica, a ukelele, an accordian, a recorder and a myriad of miscellaneous rhythm instruments. Oh, and Indian ankle bells.

He's going to be another mathematician (that makes us 4 for 5 with Sunshine an unknown as of yet). Math is currently the only school he's interested in doing on a regular basis, although he IS beginning to read!

He blew me away one day when we were at the doctor and he sounded out the word "and"! I had shown him, very briefly, how sounds blend together and make a word and hadn't really thought he was paying attention. I guess he was! We haven't pushed it much, but he is very interested in spelling and sounds right now. A smart cookie!

Banana Boy is a huge snuggler and would be carried in the backpack all day if I had the strength. He loves to be hugged and kissed and held. He will spontaneously come up and hug and kiss us. And his very favorite thing in the world is to sleep in my bed!

His other gift is hair styling. I seriously think he is going to be a hair stylist when he grows up! He LOVES to comb and brush and stroke my hair (I'm the only one who will let him do it--the girls won't let him touch their hair!). If I enjoyed this, I'd let him practice with ponytail holders and such, but I actually hate to be handled!

His strong emotions require LOTS of patience and God has definitely blessed me with extra patience to spend on this little boy. I never was a patient person but I am learning to take a deep breath before I even start to interact with him when he gets worked up.

His other passion is bike riding and he's so excited that it is spring and he is 5 and a half because in our house, the spring when people are five and a half they know how to ride a two wheeler! So very soon I will be taking his training wheels off and he will be able to ride without them!

He is strong and wiry and can climb to the top of the rope swing.

He is funny and curious and smart and loving and open and a joy to be around.

We are blessed to be your mom and dad, Banana Boy!

Blessings,
Mommy