My "Cleaning Show"

As I was straightening and cleaning the house yesterday morning, Ellie joined in. I was really impressed with the things she found to do on her own. She proudly bragged, "Mama, I'm helping you with your cleaning show!"

That's not a bad way to look at it!

All the World's a Stage

Ellie is really into "doing shows" right now. She pretends she's in the Olympics, or doing a dance/singing concert, or the worship leader, or the pastor or teacher, and on and on. She loves an audience.

At the zoo yesterday, in a crowded exhibit, she stood off to one side and kept loudly repeating, "Hello, everybody! How's everybody doing today?" (Isaac and I were a little embarrassed to answer.)

Here's a picture of how Ellie uses a picnic table. All the world's a stage...

On vacation, she led a church service for Isaac and me. Of course, we were sitting in on a bench in a little amphitheater, along with about 5-10 other people. That didn't bother Ellie. She sang and did actions and ordered us around anyway. We figure it's good to let her be the boss when she can, since we are usually the boss. Plus, we're supposed to boldly proclaim the gospel - it's just that Ellie's style is so much more bold than I would prefer!

Work, Work, Work!

Ellie had so much fun "working" on vacation, and Isaac and I had so much fun NOT working (very much) once we got home! When you don't camp, there is so much less to put away! Less laundry, less food, less clothing... We were settled in about a half hour later!

Walnut Grove, MN

We just got back from a weekend in Walnut Grove, MN, which is the place Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote about in On the Banks of Plum Creek. Here are the highlights:

1. Attending the live Wilder Pagaent - We had great seats in the outdoor amphitheater and enjoyed the special lighting and effects - even though they meant the pagaent started at 9:00 at night! We didn't get Ellie into bed until 11:30, but since we had planned out whole trip around it, it was well worth it. (She actually fell asleep in the car during the 7-minute ride back to our motel - OUR daughter!)

2. Touring the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum - If you're ever three and a half hours southeast of the Cities, we highly recommend this! It had seen different buildings, including a sod house, a church, a schoolhouse, and an old-fashioned touch-everything and pretend house. Our make-believe-crazed girl had a blast being a teacher and a pastor, scrubbing and ironing clothes, dressing up in old-fashioned outfits, and much more. (The last member of the family is Bear in the second picture.)

3. Playing disc golf at Plum Creek Park - they had a great, hilly course and we were all sweaty and out of breath. We had to cross Plum Creek a couple of times and got to see Lake Laura before picnicking in the shade. (That's Ana and me in the prairie grasses. We spent a lot of time looking for our discs out there. Isaac beat me by two throws per hole.) 4. Participating in a Family Festival - Isaac's teenage sister Ana (who came with us) spent hours working on a tile mosaic, while Ellie played at the playground, did a few craft projects, performed "shows" for spectators sitting on benches, and mostly bossed Isaac around.

We had a great time. Isaac and I know far more than we ever thought we would about the Ingalls family and the history of Walnut Grove!

Tough Cookie

Ellie and I walked completely through all three floors of the Mall of America today in a little over two hours (although in the interests of full revelation, we sat and ate for an hour halfway through the last floor).

On our way to the car, I was sure dragging, but not Ellie. She was running ahead, trying to jump over patterns on the floor. And during the walk, I had to use the public restrooms twice, but not Ellie. She held it until we got home. Why can't I be more like my 4-year-old?

Good news: the Mall has a new Lindt truffle store. They give out a whole truffle as a free sample! It's very close to the Harry and David's store, which gives out a whole piece of candy as a free sample. And THAT is close to the Brookstone store, which lets you sit in their massage chairs to try out a free massage. That's my kind of mall.

Selfishness Explained

For the last several weeks, Ellie has prayed "for more coins and flowers" at bedtime. I've encouraged her to pray for other people, but haven't said much about it.

Finally tonight I asked her why she prays for coins.

"So I can have more coins because I keep giving my coins to Grandma to take to Africa."

Then I asked her why she prayed for flowers.

"I want more flowers outside because I like to pick them!" Again I asked why.

"So I can give them to you!"

I DO have a sweet daughter.

My Little Conservationist

I sent Ellie to the bathroom to wash her hands and face after dinner. She obeyed, but came back in a few minutes and said, "The reason I don't like to wash when you tell me to is that it wastes water. We're not supposed to waste water."

Thanks, honey. This is from the kid who played in the sprinkler again this afternoon (although it was watering our garden at the same time!).

"An Intimate Hour with God"

While browsing on my cousin Brittany's blog (http://www.lindellfamily.blogspot.com/), I found some links to other blogs that looked interesting (http://www.biblicalwomanhoodonline.com/blog.htm and http://thehomespunheart.blogspot.com/). I've been enjoying them recently and have found them inspiring in some ways (but I'm not going to wake up at 4:30 or 5:00 like these women do!).

One of them linked to an article called "An Intimate Hour with God" (http://ccwonline.org/hour.html) by Jim Elliff, which I tried this morning while Ellie was at Isabelle's house. It's a 10-step prayer and praise process - most of the steps I do on a regular basis, but it was nice to have them laid out as a reminder. And to be honest, I haven't made it a practice to go over my day with God in the morning - I think that's something really important that I usually have left out. I highly recommend this article if you want to add some structure or try something new in your quiet times.

Random Conversation

As I whipped up some deviled eggs, Ellie mused wistfully, "I want to be an egg."

Of course, I asked, "Why?"

"Because then I would have a chicken in me. And then I could talk to chickens!" Long pause. "Mama, do chickens have ears?"

Quiet Times (With Child)

Ellie loves to sit next to me while I pray in the mornings. She cuddles, squirms, occasionally prays herself, and interrupts with lots of questions and comments. She also loves to have me read aloud whatever I'm reading in my Bible (which is sometimes not that easy - I'm currently in Isaiah, which isn't bad, but we skip some of the destruction paragraphs!). It's not unusual for Ellie to work three devotional times into her day: Isaac's early in the morning, mine a little later, and her own when we put her to bed.

It's much harder to keep my focus and concentration when I have my quiet time with her, but these are the teaching moments that I treasure as well. You can't really tell a child that you don't want to read her the Bible!

I remember in high school a friend's dad used to have his devotional time in the early morning before his family woke up. One of his sons started getting up and joining him, and eventually several more of his kids joined him. The dad joked that he had to keep getting up earlier and earlier to get his own time with God in!

Unless God specifically tells me to start waking up before Ellie to spend time with Him, I'm not willing to give up my precious, hard-fought sleep. So I guess I'll continue to pray and study with Ellie and believe that God understands our best efforts at different times in our lives.

In a way, I'm looking forward to private nighttime nursings and the time I'll get in with God then. Not enough to wake up in the middle of the night without a crying baby as stimulus, but still... Might as well look on the bright side!

Do any of you parents have advice or tips on how to concentrate on God when your children are small?

Girls' Weekend

Isaac went to Kansas City yesterday morning and will come back around midnight tonight. (I appreciate his willingness to drive strange hours to save money on hotel rooms and spend as much time as possible at home.)

I have to admit that I kind of enjoy his business trips. It seems like Ellie and I have really special time together while he's gone. This is silly because there is never anything that we would hide from him, or that he wouldn't let us do, or even that we couldn't do while he was home. But for some reason, I think I make extra efforts as a parent to make it special for Ellie when he's gone, and she has so much fun that I do too. It helps that Isaac's trips are so short that they're not a big deal - it's not completely unheard of for Ellie to go this long without seeing Isaac even when he's IN town!

Anyway, we girls went grocery shopping yesterday, which always means that we get an extra special lunch of fresh fruit! (Ellie is really excited that I bought her a mango as a "special treat.") After a short rest time, we did the big treat: Highlandfest in St. Paul. We wandered up and down the aisles of tents and collected free stuff and tasted free samples, then meandered through the little midway area. Ellie got to pick out one ride. We spent a good hour or so in the air-conditioning of the nearby library, then hit the tents again, split a half-order of cheese curds, and listened to some music. Very fun.

After a quick dinner at home, we cuddled up in my bed (and air-conditioning) and watched The Mouse and the Motorcycle from the library. We'd just finished reading the book by Beverly Cleary, so it was a good movie for us. Ellie got to sleep in my bed with me as a special treat too.

Tonight we're going to try watching the old cartoon version of Charlotte's Web. I still don't think Ellie's ready for any kind of regular kid's movie or Disney because of her fears, so I'm trying to figure out stuff for family movie nights that doesn't bore Isaac and me!

Enough Already

Would it just RAIN, please?

I keep putting off watering the garden because it's been supposed to rain for days and days. We need a break from the heat and humidity, and I would love a good hard thunderstorm, followed by a gentle, earth-nourishing rain!

Ahh, Hot Days

We spent five hours at the beach today, then passed the afternoon in my parents' wonderfully air-conditioned house. When I got home, it was 84 degrees in our house.

Yesterday, we survived happily with the aid of the sprinkler. Who needs water bottles when you can drink from that?

Pardon My French

This morning, I invited Ellie with a really bad French accent, "Come into my salon, madam, and I'll do your hair. What style would you like today, madam?"

She responded in the same accent: "My Dam would like a ponytail, please."

Celebrating God: My Memorial

Our pastor recently preached a sermon about how the Israelites set up rocks as a testimony to God parting the Jordan River for them, and encouraged us to celebrate and talk about what God has done. So I decided to testify here on my blog about some of the major things God has done for us, as well as make a shadowbox to display in our home so that we can talk about those things with Ellie and with visitors.


1. This is a picture of my referral to an infertility clinic in August 2003. It isn't very clear, but you can read my name and "Diagnosis: Infertility." At that point, Isaac and I had been trying to have our first baby for one year (13 cycles, for those who count such things and set their hopes upon each cycle). We had an appointment with a specialist and went over all our next steps and were even sent home with a sperm collection cup. After praying about it, Isaac and I decided to wait one month and then start treatment.

One morning soon after, I was sitting on my bed praying for a baby. I actually felt something move inside me, and I was filled with a peace and assurance that my prayer had been answered. (I have never felt anything like that again, by the way.) That month, I knew I would be pregnant, and I was. That had to be God.

To be honest, I believe that is an amazing miracle and I haven't testified about it the way I should have. Part of that is because I didn't know if people would believe me, part of it is because I don't know why God answered my prayers and not those of others, and part of it is because I didn't know how to work it into conversation without other people thinking I'm some crazy person. But my insecurities and faults shouldn't keep others from knowing how great God is and what wonderful things He does, so I'm testifying about it now!

God's answer to our prayers for a second pregnancy was not as dramatic, but I still believe it was Him. We tried for this pregnancy for a year and a half. Because we already had Ellie, it didn't feel nearly as heartbreaking and emotional, and we were still a little bit conflicted about whether we really wanted a second child, even though we were trying. Therefore, I didn't pray to get pregnant throughout this time, assuming that it would happen when it happened. The month I opened my heart to God and told Him that I wanted what He wanted in my life - whether that meant a second baby or an only child - was the month we got pregnant. Again, that had to be God. Otherwise, what else would make that month different for a couple who had already spent two and a half years trying for babies?



2. This is a picture of our car's windshield taken on Memorial Day 2004. We hit a huge turkey and it smashed our windshield. I was nine months pregnant and 3 days past Ellie's due date. When we hit it, Isaac confessed that he was already planning how to break the turkey's neck right away after it came through the windshield so that it couldn't peck and scratch and hurt me while sitting on my lap. God protected us and kept us safe through that. Although we were shaken up, we were unhurt and Ellie wasn't born until 3 days later!



3. This is a picture of the 18-foot long, 5-inch diameter branch that fell from our tree on Friday of this week. It must have loosened during a storm the previous day, and it fell onto our roof and bounced down into our front yard. Ellie and I were home alone when we heard the big thud, and we saw the branch when we looked out the window. I went outside to see if I could see any damage, and our neighbors across the street were pointing at our house and yelling that it fell on the roof and bounced off. Again, God protected us completely. There is no damage that we have to repair, and we're only left with a crooked planter and some squashed geraniums - much better than a broken window or a hole in our roof.

I'm so thankful for God's protection and His many blessings, and I'm excited to have my eyes opened to the other great things He is doing.

Funny Ellie Sayings (All From Today)

"I heard the doorbell so I scurried to answer it!" (except she pronounced it "squirried")

Holding up a pretzel after being told she can eat 4 of them: "And this is the three and a half one, and the next one is the four one." (Sneaky, huh? I have no idea if she also ate a one and a half one, etc., but I thought it was pretty creative so I let her do it.)

Chanting while picking a new color of sidewalk chalk: "Get a white; do it right!"

Upon trying a new kind of melon after I told her Daddy said it tasted like canteloupe: "Well, Daddy's usually right." (My phrase exactly)

Funny Story

Isaac's grandma told me yesterday that his grandpa has forgotten that she needs a walker and what it's for. When they walk down the hall together, he'll say, "Jeanne, do you want me to carry that for you? You'd be able to go a lot faster!"

I'm Myself Again

I'm starting to think that maybe I had to transition away from vacation too! After some time to myself and some time with Isaac, I'm feeling like myself again and am no longer so annoyed with my daughter. (This is very good for all involved.)

After that dreadful Monday, I had a church meeting in the evening. Let me tell you that I have never been so excited to go to a meeting! It was in air conditioning, and it was with ADULTS. I wasn't ready to face going home yet when the meeting was over, so my friend Jen kindly agreed to go out with me afterward. It was refreshing to have some girl time, and I had missed talking to her lately!

I got to drop Ellie off at my parents' on Tuesday afternoon to sleep over, like usual. Boy, did I need that time! I wandered through a farmer's market and then went grocery shopping. I got the idea to make a couple fancy things I'd been wanting to try, so I called Isaac and asked if he'd mind coming home early and grilling tonight - just the two of us. We had a lovely dinner of salad with homemade Olive Garden dressing, fresh fruit, and grilled sirloin! (This is the first time in my life that I have actually purchased steak - it was wonderful.) We accompanied the dinner with a pitcher of Citrus Mint Mojitos, recipe compliments of my friend Katie and Pampered Chef, which was delicious and refreshing as well.



After dinner, we went for a walk around the neighborhood and watched Definitely, Maybe, a romantic comedy that was very good. This was a very wise way to spend our Ellie-less time. I feel like myself again, and had the energy to be good mom again today! (You should see a 6 1/2 month pregnant lady play hopscotch!)

Peaceful Rest Time?

Ellie is still grossly in need of sleep from vacation. I put her down for a rest time today with strict instructions that she cannot come out of her room until the clock says 2:30. (These strict instructions are the result of several extremely whiny days, a mom who is not able to sleep very well these days, and just a grumpy spirit on both of our parts.)

There has been no peace. First, she tried lots of questions about when she can get up. When these didn't work, she switched to sobbing loudly, "I don't need any rules! [Sob] I don't NEED any rules!"

When this didn't work: "I'm tired of waiting in my room! I'm tired of waiting in my room!" (My common-sense answer that I didn't even use because I'm ignoring her: "Then go to sleep, read, or play with your toys. The time will pass faster for both of us.")

Next: "I want to be a grown-up so I don't have to take a rest!" (repeat as necessary for full effect)

Currently: "I want my daddy! I want my daddy!"

Something is not right when a "rest time" makes both of us more stressed out, impatient, and grouchy than before it started (when we were already feeling that way).

Woo-hoo! Only 7 more minutes of listening to "I want my daddy!" before rest time is over!

Call It a Hunch

I knew the girls were playing too independently.



That's every children's book we own. From all four bookshelves. They were building a fort.

Olympics

Isaac and I are huge Olympic fans (summer and winter). We love the competition, athleticism, effort, and excellence. We watch jealously and exclaim over all the athletes' feats, accomplishments, and muscles. We're also inspired by the patriotism and unity.

We've never let Ellie watch television before, but we decided that these values are worth passing on to her (and we really want to watch it ourselves). We've let her watch a couple of the trials now, and we've discovered some interesting things.

Gymnastics are her favorite so far (expected - they're pretty cool). She likes track and field better than swimming (also fairly expected). But her favorite event of all so far has been the steeplechase! It's the weirdest thing; I wish I knew how they came up with it. It's about two miles around the track while jumping over high hurdles, and one of the hurdles has a huge puddle after it so the runners land in the water. Ellie is obsessed with the "water jump." She also thinks hurdles and the high jump are pretty cool. I can't wait until we can share the real Olympics with her.

We taught her to cheer "Go USA!" Then she started running around the house yelling, "Jew! Ess! A! Jew! Ess! A!" (Don't worry. We corrected her.)

Adjusting to Home Life

We had an idyllic afternoon and evening yesterday after arriving home. I unpacked while Isaac did yard work and Ellie played outside. We had an afternoon picnic on the front lawn, went for a trike ride, and watched the Olympic swimming trials before bed. Ellie struggled a little bit going to bed, but we expected that after a week of vacation and grandparent attention!

This morning also went really smoothly. Ellie spent most of the morning doing art projects and I cleaned the house and matted and frames photos with her at the table. I quietly congratulated myself on a smooth transition home. (I know - all of you mothers are thinking, "Don't do that! It's too early! Something's going to happen!" You're right.)

Advance half an hour ahead. Isaac walks in the door after work and found me on my hands and knees mopping up a full cup of milk, and Ellie bawling uncontrollably next to me. She had spilled her milk on the projects she had spent all morning on and was inconsolable. Isaac tried to comfort her for a while and finally just put her to bed, lunch unfinished, still crying.

Luckily, Isaac's parents came over for the afternoon, because I think it would have been a really rough day otherwise. She got up from "rest" still cranky, but was angelic and silly while Oma and Opa were here. (Thank you, Dan and Beth!) The moment they left, she fell apart again. We bathed her quickly (the child was filthy - what kind of parents let her get that dirty?) and were ready to put her to bed at 6:00. Unfortunately, you can't put a 4-year-old to bed at 6:00. We watched the track and field trials that we'd taped earlier this afternoon together since she had no energy for anything else and put her to bed at 7:00.

Hopefully, the transitition is over now?

My Wonderful Husband

When Ellie and I got home, we found clean sheets, a vacuumed house, groceries for a meal tonight, dishes done, CLEAN WINDOWS, nice white shelves installed in Ellie's room above her new bed, and the tiles around the shower scrubbed. Not bad, huh? The whole house looks bright and shiny. I'm a lucky girl.

Before you get too jealous, the garden and the flowers didn't get any water while I was gone, so our broccoli flowered before we picked it and we lost a lot of our beautiful pansies. A small price to pay for a beautiful house.

Oh, and he spent this afternoon doing yard work and making our yard look gorgeous. He even widened the path all around the house by digging up all the grass, dirt, and weeds that had encroached several inches upon it on all sides.

I'm a VERY lucky girl. And I missed my wonderful husband these last couple days. It's nice to be back.

Breezy Point

Ellie and I got back from Breezy this afternoon (Isaac came back a few days ago to work.) It was a wonderful week. Of course, how could it not be with fantastic food, swimming galore, and built-in baby-sitters for when I got tired? We took several walks, went to the beach once, and Ellie went fishing with my dad twice, but otherwise we swam in the indoor pool connected to our timeshare. Twice a day. It was fun to watch Ellie get braver throughout the week. Here's Ellie fishing with Grandpa:
Here's Ellie with her first (and only) catch:
I asked Ellie if I could try a bite of her fish to see how it tasted. She said, "I think Grandpa will catch other fish for you to eat." Luckily, he did, since she clearly wasn't willing to share. Dad fried Ellie's fish up separately for her and she ate the whole thing! (Along with some of our fish!)
Ellie loved swimming in her inner tube and life jacket, and did pretty well in water wings on the last day. She got better with getting splashed, enjoyed slightly rougher/more daring play, and tried more on her own by the end of the week.
She even jumped into the pool, but she almost always insisted on holding our hand while she jumped instead of jumping into them!