My Mama Rhythm: February 2013

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Thankful Thursday (and some udpates)

(The blog is under construction...please forgive any formatting errors.)

An update of sorts on life around here...

Last week, my husband turned thirty-one, and we had a fun dinner out at Red Robin to celebrate.

Micah performed in his Wizard of Oz Spotlight showcase, and was all lit up afterwords! What a treat to unveil a passion in him.

Sophia turned ONE, and we had her grandparents join us for a taco dinner and brownies for dessert!

We made a snowman.

We had Sophia dedicated to the Lord at our church, and our hearts soaked in the moment as we realized how blessed we are to be raising our children in such an incredible church family.

After the service, we had a fun party for her dedication and her birthday all in one with our family and some close friends. We had a yummy lunch, played a song chosen for her, and prayed over her precious life. She devoured her cupcake and enjoyed opening some gifts! Blessed!

Micah turned six and a HALF, so we made pudding to celebrate.

Today, I am thankful for a clear schedule in which to hold my sick baby. I am thankful that I am becoming wiser as I get older in not stressing about undone chores. I am thankful that I got to meet one of my best friends out for coffee and chat for hours (and leave still feeling like there was more to talk about!). I am thankful that there is homemade art and cards and sticker charts and paintings covering the walls of our home, reminding me of the precious children that created them. I am thankful for homeschooling. It does not get old to snuggle on the couch and read a Newberry novel or about endangered species or about the state of Connecticut and its rich history. I love that my boys are thrilled to learn, and I love seeing the lights go on as they master a new concept.

Micah's latest: reading chapter books (sometimes multiple books in a day...he has entered a WHOLE new world that he LOVES)

Sammy's latest: sitting and flipping page by page through chapter books so he, too, can "read" them; learning to tell time; obsessed with calendars and days and months and years

Ella's latest: going through a defiant/naughty/mischievous stage (or maybe we have never left this stage...); still my sweet girl, though, who loves to rock in the chair with me and her teddy and blanket, singing Steven Curtis Chapman's Cinderella song

Sophia's latest: saying the words "up" and attempting "thank you;" loves to drink from her sippy cup; busily cruising all over; clapping and waving often

How can I not be thankful for these sweet milestones with my kiddos? So blessed to be home with them and to make my life's work within these four walls with my children. Are the days always easy and peaceful and neat and tidy? Nope! But am I blessed and desiring to capture it all with a deepening contentment! You bet!

What are you thankful for today?

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Thursday, February 21, 2013

Sophia is ONE!

My sweet Sophia is ONE today!

I know every mom says it, but it is so true for me today...it went so fast.

I'm not sure if I'm ready to cross into "toddler-hood" instead of "baby-hood," but I know it will continue to bring with it joy and blessings, as I know each stage of a child's life does.

Sophia Elaine...you are beautiful. Not a day goes by (or hardly an hour) that your daddy and I don't comment on how cute you are. You are so. so. cute. (And seriously, a year after you're born, we really can't stop talking about it. Truly a main topic of conversation around here.) Your chubby little hands that grab everything in sight. Your big, blue, sparkly eyes. Your sweet, rosy cheeks. The way you crawl around the house. The way you reach for Daddy when he is near. Your cute new words...mama...dada...Ella...all done...daddy...hi. Your voice that gets loud, loud, LOUD when you are excited! You have recently started screaming instead of laughing. You get so thrilled with the moment that you just let out a scream. You have also discovered the sound of your voice and your unique ability to make your voice powerful, and you yell most of your words. So funny.

You adore your siblings. You reach for them and grab their faces and pull their hair. You crawl wherever the action is. You so want to be a part of things. And they adore you. They daily ask to hold you. They love to teach you new words. They talk to you in sweet, high voices and love to make you smile.

You have so many nicknames...more than any of your siblings ever did...Soph, Phia, Soey-phee, Phief, Phieffer, Phee-Phee, Biggie (only Daddy calls you that), Phieffa, So-Phieffa, Cuteness-Is-Almost-Unfathomable (again, a Daddy name), So-Baby, Bebe, and the BigBigBebe. We apparently love to give you nicknames!

You pretty much love everything you eat, especially strawberries, blueberries, beans, rice, chicken, and bread. If we are at a restaurant, you stare down the fries until we give you some more! You are already asserting your little opinions into the world, and I love it.

You love to do "SO BIG!" and clap for yourself afterword. When the kids are dancing and singing, you start to clap along and bounce a bit, too. You just started giving those amazing, open-mouth, baby kisses that I adore.

You have recently learned the thrill of mischief and have started emptying laundry baskets, taking out all of the shoes and winter hats, and unrolling the toilet paper roll. You make a beeline for the bathroom every time we forget to close the door, just so you can stick your hands in that toilet. You don't love to nap, but you do love to be rocked. When it's not naptime, you are always on the move. You are fast and busy!

Soph, we cannot imagine our family without you. You light up our lives and our home! You bring us such JOY and such LOVE and such SWEETNESS to our days, and we CELEBRATE you today!!!

Happy 1st Birthday, Sweet Baby Girl!!!!

We love you!

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Happy Birthday, Zach!

Yesterday was my husband's birthday, and although everyone who knows me knows that I think Zach is the best thing since sliced bread, I wanted to make an official shout-out to my hubby.

Zach, I never knew on the day I married you that I could love you more. But I do. You are amazing and honest and hard-working and selfless and so very kind. You notice others. You go out of your way to care for others. You know the names of the homeless people on the street between the train station and your office. You meet people at Starbucks and then offer to pick them up for church. You connect with people so well. You are full of joy. You do dishes and clean out diapers and wake up with our children at 5 in the morning. You wrestle with the boys and hold the girls while you make coffee and make sure our children know every day how much you love them. I am so blessed that YOU are my other half, and I love doing life with you.

I asked the kids to talk to me about their daddy...

Sammy says...
Daddy is 31. Daddy is good. He's good at math. I like him. Daddy is kind.

Micah says...
Daddy is great. Daddy is cool. Daddy is good at teaching things. Daddy is terrific. Daddy is the best person.

Ella says...
I like to dance with Daddy. I like to play with Daddy. I love Daddy.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!!!!! WE LOVE YOU!

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Thankful, Valentine's Thursday

It has been a full week around here. Nothing earth shattering. Just one of those weeks where each day is packed and each night you collapse into bed, ready to rest from the non-stop. A museum field trip, book study, playdates, a trip to the city with my hubby for a work event (more on this later), the library, and now, Valentine's Day. Like I said, nothing spectacular. Just a lot of full days crammed into one week, which has not left empty space for blogging.

Today we stayed home and enjoyed making our own little Valentine's Day party. Zach stayed home for breakfast, and we had a feast! (Although I planned pancakes to go along with breakfast so I could cut them into hearts and then FORGOT to cut them into hearts. Oh well. I don't think anyone cared except for me. I made it up to them by cutting out sandwiches at dinner into hearts...) We gave the children their annual gift...a book. They passed out their valentines to each other. Micah did a couple of Valentine's Day activities (i.e., crossword), and we enjoyed a sugar-cookie-making experience together. Zach brought home flowers for me AND for Ella, and I seriously cried when I realized he had done this. There is nothing more beautiful than seeing my husband cherish and love our daughter. And I am thrilled she will have a high standard of how women should be treated. We tucked the kids into bed and then enjoyed OUR annual Valentine's tradition...a Chinese and movie date night at home.

I had a picture of the day being so perfect...the kids and I would do wonderful activities together all day and I would catch up on chores so the house was calm and peaceful when Zach came home. But the morning was spent with disobedient children and a striving-for-patience mama, there were dirty dishes in my kitchen all day long, sprinkles and flour covered the table and much of the floor, Ella had a couple of accidents, Sophia didn't nap well, Ella's beloved teddy took a forced bath in the toilet, and my husband fell asleep only a few minutes into our movie. The realities of life right here, friends! It was not a picture perfect day, but it WAS a REAL day. Real life, real messes, real imperfection. And, looking back, I would say that it was a great day. So here's hoping you had a great, REAL Valentine's Day, spent with the ones you love.

Today, I am thankful for our sweet Sophia, who is starting to make messes of her own, following in the giant footsteps of her very-tiny older sister.

I am thankful for our fun sugar cookie activity! The kids first complained about making cookies, but they changed their minds and ended up having a blast!