Running the Race

Disconnect

2012-01-19T10:17:00.003-06:00

Sometimes (okay, frequently) I notice a disconnect between who I want to be and who I really am. I want to be a kind, patient, loving, disciplined athlete with a perfectly clean house who invests daily in her children, husband, and friends. Somehow, that doesn't seem to happen.

I want to patiently teach and instruct my children, providing educational activities at home with Amelie, coaching Elizabeth to be a respectful and caring leader at school, and enjoying special family time every day. Then I get sidetracked by things on my to-do list and silly children and just plowing through homework and forget to be purposeful in my real goals.

I picture myself as a runner, and get great pleasure reading Runner's World and thinking about running down the sidewalk in every kind of weather. Then I check the temperature outside, and decide hunkering down might be more comfortable, and pretty soon, my mileage log doesn't reflect the runner I want to be.

I want to be a wise steward of the house God has given us, and keep it shining clean and in perfect order. After all, if I can't keep a house this size well, how can I hope for a bigger one? Then I feel overwhelmed trying to keep up with the daily chores and don't even attempt the basement, or the nasty corners, or the smudges on the walls.

I desire to pray faithfully for my friends and the people God calls me to, serving them and being involved in their daily lives, available whenever they need someone. Yet I can barely keep up with them on Facebook, no less have meaningful conversations with each of them weekly.

And so on and so on.

In the face of this disconnect, I am so grateful for grace. I am so thankful that "it is God who works in me to will and to act according to His good purpose" (Philippians 2:13) and that "I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13). There is no way I could do it on my own - but God knew that and He provided for that. How lucky am I to have a God like that?

My role is to be faithful to God, to seek Him first and let Him put everything else in my life into place as I am obedient to what He asks me to do. What simple pleasures and what rich promises await as I do that! I love letting Him order my days and my priorities, and trusting Him to bring the most important ones to fruition in alignment with His will. I love resting in His promise that He will be faithful to complete the work He started in me (Philippians 1:6).

So what to do with the disconnect? I will persevere in God, not in myself. My goal is to "proclaim Him... struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in me." (Colossians 1:28, 29). Gotta love the journey!

Children's Museum Excursion

2012-01-17T15:02:00.002-06:00

We were given a membership to the Children's Museum for Christmas! Everyone was pretty excited. On the second Saturday of each month, you can bus free to the museum. So even though Saturday was brisk and snowy, we took my mom and walked to the bus stop. Seriously - how can you turn down a free ride on public transportation?

Even though I missed our stop and made us all walk several extra blocks, my mom eventually forgave me and we had a great time at the museum. Elizabeth and Amelie dressed up like ants and had a blast.

Looking at the ages of the other kids there, I think Elizabeth might only have a couple more years left to really enjoy it. It will be sad when she grows out of it.

Elizabeth's Poetry

2012-01-07T10:39:00.004-06:00

Classes at Elizabeth's school have an artist-in-residence, which means a working artist who came in and taught them every day for a week. In kindergarten, it was Charlie MacGuire, a folksinger who wrote a lot of songs with Woody Guthrie. Each class wrote and performed a unique song with his help (Elizabeth's class wrote about what they were studying: the value of each coin!).

In first grade, Elizabeth's artist-in-resident was the poet John Minczeski. That was extra-special because Elizabeth and I had attended a poetry workshop that he taught through the public library a few months earlier! He helped each child write tons of poems, which is right up Elizabeth's alley.

A few months later, we got a letter in the mail saying Mr. Minczeski had chosen one of Elizabeth's poems to be published in an anthology. In December, we attended a reception at the Landmark Center and Elizabeth got to read her poem aloud.

The best part was that Mr. Minczeski and Charlie MacGuire (and lots of other artists-in-residence) were there to hear it! Here is Elizabeth with Mr. Minzieski. He was extremely encouraging to her, in addition to teaching her a lot. I have a feeling she'll always remember him, especially if she continues writing as she does now.

After all the children had read, Elizabeth got to accept an award onstage. She looked awfully little up there.

We were very proud of her, and enjoyed the entire experience. Elizabeth loves the opportunity to speak in public. Here is her published poem, "Instructions for a Mouse."

Be sneaky.
Creep so quietly no one can hear you.
Be like a harp seal
Sliding gracefully across the ice.
Even though it is rough,
Make it look smooth as a ceiling,
As a skateboard.
Be the stealer of the cheese,
The robber of the cracker.
Look out the window,
As big as a room to you.
Taste the cheese with a sour face.
Smell the lonely, dark page of midnight.
Ask the sun to turn to a fresh, bright page.
Scamper hurriedly into your mousehole,
Eager to spend the day
With a ticket of laughter.

My favorite of her poems, though, is "The King's Arrival."

The grass bows, the wheat bends
As the King comes riding swiftly through the field.
His name is...
The wind.

And one more, just so we include one with rhymes: "Meadow Monarch."

His wings as bright as fair Moonlight,
His veins as dark as dirt.
And if some danger was ahead,
His eyes would shine, "Alert!"

Fun in a Box

2012-01-07T10:30:00.002-06:00

If I tallied up the sheer number of children who played in this box during the month we had it, it would be in the double digits. Too bad I didn't take pictures of all of them. It was hours of fun.

That being said, I am so glad it is out of my living room!

Best Books of 2011

2011-12-31T17:13:00.008-06:00

In late summer of this year, I decided to start being more purposeful about what I read. I have long maintained a list of books I want to read, but I tend to devour them and then forget. I started writing down the books I read along with a short summary, and then rating them on a scale of 1-5. Here, for your viewing pleasure, are my fives.

Brooks, Max. World War Z. Investigative report about the zombie wars of the world. Excellent and funny, as it includes false footnotes.

Burke, John. Soul Revolution. Describes how God takes imperfect people and transforms them to become more like Him through intimate connection with God. Very challenging, and taught me to pray much more constantly.

Card, Orson Scott. Ender's Game. Earth uses war games to train children and find a commander who can protect them from a world of bugs.

Card, Orson Scott. Ender's Shadow. The story of Bean, Ender's back-up. Ender's Game from another point of view.

Chevalier, Tracy. The Girl with the Pearl Earring. A young maid in 17th century Holland serves the painter Vermeer and struggles to maintain her ethics.

Cloud, Henry and Thompson. Boundaries with Kids. Excellent book on establishing boundaries for yourself and your child.

de Rosnay, Tatiana. Sarah's Key. A young girl's experience with the French Vel' d'Hiv' Jewish round-up is interwoven with the journalistic investigation of an American woman living in France.

Dweck, Carol. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Describes scientific studies about motivation and compares fixed mindsets to growth mindsets. Will definitely affect how you view life and what you want to teach your children.

Fey, Tina. Bossypants. A very funny memoir on Tina Fey's life and entrance into comedy.

Forstchen, William R. One Second After. A small town survives after America is hit by an electromagnetic pulse bomb that wipes out all computers.

Lupton, Rosamund. Sister. An American woman returns to England to investigate her sister's murder. Told in police interviews with a surprise ending.

O'Brien, Caragh. Birthmarked. Prized. First two books in a trilogy. Set near the unlake Superior in the 24th century, a teenage midwife must save her parents from the Enclave. In Prized, Gaia chooses between suitors and meets the people of the Sylum.

Patchett, Ann. State of Wonder. A medical researcher travels to the Amazon to find her missing co-worker and discovers his work and love for the natives.

Paton, Alan. Cry, the Beloved Country. A rural priest looks for his son in Johannesburg; a hopeful book about apartheid in South Africa.

Platt, David. Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream. Describes how the gospel has been watered down by culture and how to return to a Biblical and authentic faith. Life-changing.

Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. A laborer in 1930's California protects his gentle giant friend.

Watson, S.J. Before I Go to Sleep. A woman with amnesia keeps a journal of what little she remembers and discovers things are not what she has been told. Excellent psychological suspense.

Willett, Jincy. The Writing Class. One member of a college writing class torments the others; the teacher and class must determine whom it is; very snarky and satiric about authors and writing.

On the opposite end, if you're curious, here are my ones and twos. Avoid these books!

Adams, Douglas. Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy. A man is saved by aliens right before earth is destroyed and goes on a tour of the alien world. 2/5.

Atkinson, Kate. Started Early, Took My Dog. Not recommended. I gave up after the second chapter of unrelated characters and very little plot. 1/5.

Bujold, Lois McMaster. The Vor Game. Miles Vorkosigan plays a mercenary leader to try to rescue himself and the Emperor from opposing galaxy forces. Decent start, but far too meandering and pointless. 2/5.

Gold, Claudia M. Keeping Your Child in Mind. Psychological hooey about seeing the world through your child's eyes; blames the parents' past and emotional states for everything. 1/5.

Hannah, Sophie. The Truth-Teller's Lie. An Englishwoman reports her missing married lover to the police as a rapist, and a serial rapist is found. Lots of psychological potential, but never carried through. A very unsatisfying ending. 2/5.

Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. A future world in which people are bred for happiness in their caste. 2/5.

Rolvaag, O.E. Giants in the Earth. A Norwegian family of pioneers on the South Dakota prairie. The mother goes crazy and the father walks off and dies at the end. Basically a good book, but far too long to invest in such an unsatisfying ending. 2/5.

Samson, Polly. Perfect Lives. A collection of short stories with some interrelated characters. 2/5.

Wells, H.G. The War of the Worlds. Martians and their Heat-Rays devastate turn of the 20th century England until they are overcome by our foreign bacteria. 2/5.

Patterns I noticed: I like psychological fiction, surprise endings, apocalyptic plots, and classics. I either love or hate science fiction. If you are similar, try some of these books!

I Think I'm Falling Behind

2011-12-13T13:19:00.002-06:00

I planned to post about pictorial evidence of winter.

Now I look out my window and see grass everywhere. I'm pretty sure Isaac went to work without his jacket today.

I guess I'm too late to post about the signs of winter.

I suppose I'll get another chance eventually.

Family Night

2011-12-13T13:09:00.002-06:00

I recently set out uncooked spaghetti noodles and mini-marshmallows and we all went to town creating sculptures. Elizabeth had gotten the idea from her school's second-grade science night, and we'd been meaning to try it ever since. It was very fun, and more difficult than it sounds. Here is Isaac with his masterpiece: the San Francisco bridge.

By the way, two weeks and two vacuumings later, I am still finding broken bits of spaghetti hiding in the cracks of our wood floors. Amelie took care of all the marshmallows, though.

Fussy Baby Jesus

2011-12-05T21:18:00.002-06:00

At the rehearsal for the children's Christmas program at church next week, Amelie sang loudly and one line behind everyone else for the first song. Then, during Away in the Manger, when all the other children were gently rocking their babies, Amelie's baby Jesus apparently became fussy. She stepped off the stage and bounced him and whispered to him.

It should be an interesting program next week! Anyone want to come watch?

Christmas Carol Sing

2011-12-05T20:55:00.002-06:00

Our annual family carol sing was as wonderful as it always is. I seriously have been blessed with the best family in the world. Everyone is genuinely kind and loving and caring. They're funny and fun to be with. They make incredible food - even the 8-year-olds (go, Sydney!). And they all love God. Hmm, I wonder if that's just a coincidence... :)

Here everyone is gathered trying to help Grandma Mahle figure out Skype on her computer so that she and Grandpa could "join" us. Can you believe that picture isn't even posed? Elizabeth looked forward to playing the piano at the carol sing all month, and she was thrilled to be able to play for Grandma. Sydney sang a solo and Jordan rapped for us.

As usual, the kids enjoyed singing "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" the most. I'm pretty sure we sany that 3 times.

My favorite part of this picture is how clear it is that Amelie is yelling/singing different words than everyone else.

Aren't they lovely?

I love how everyone in our family participates in everything. We all sing, even those of us who have never been asked to sing in a wedding. We all want to hear about each other's lives. We all gladly don towels on our heads to be shepherds when asked. We all order pretend food from the pretend diner. I think we should get together more often. Especially if we get together with artichoke dip, fresh fruit, fudge, mascarpone caramel dip, and Chex mix.

Lots to Write About Nothing New Here

2011-11-25T13:31:00.004-06:00

There's not really anything new going on here, but in my efforts to keep posting for my in-laws I thought I'd try!

We spent a nice Thanksgiving Day at Isaac's aunt and uncle's house. What a blessing to be served a Thanksgiving meal and not have to cook it yourself! I think I thought that at least 10 times that morning.

Before the big meal, Isaac and I took turns going out for runs. We've found we feel much better about ourselves that evening when we take a nice long run beforehand. Too bad we haven't made this a habit on more days than just Thanksgiving! Then we took the girls out for a 1/2 mile Gobble Run around the neighborhood, gobbling at the top of our lungs. Amelie, in particular, excelled at this.

On our way to Thanksgiving, we talked about what we were thankful for. When I was growing up and we did this, I used to get frustrated with the people who said "God." I felt it was a Sunday School answer and obligatory and didn't reveal anything about their lives. Boy, was I wrong. That was much more revelatory about my own relationship with God at the time. This year, Isaac and I both answered with different aspects of God's character that have meant the most to us lately - and meant it.

We're learning about what it means to be part of the body of Christ. We feel good about ourselves when we get to be the giving, helpful part of the body. It's uncomfortable for our pride to be on the receiving end, but good for us in the long run. We are very grateful for our friends who are growing with us and caring for us as part of the body.

In other news: We managed to take apart the one window in our house that we have never figured out how to take down and clean - whew! We set up our Christmas decorations. We successfully hosted a dinner party for 10 members of Isaac's team at work, and learned that wild rice soup was the favorite of the four soups I made. Elizabeth is playing Christmas songs on the piano every chance she gets. Amelie refuses to practice the songs for the kids' Christmas program at church, so I sing "Away in the Manger" by myself every chance I get in hopes of her learning it anyway. Amelie had no sooner recovered from an ugly rugburn on her chin than she got sidewalk burn on her little nose and lips. Elizabeth is happy because her favorite Christmas shirt from last year still fits. Misty is excited about the ornaments on the Christmas tree. I am excited to roast the 25 pound turkey I bought before Thanksgiving.

Apparently, I had more to say than I thought. My husband would probably testify that this is a regular occurrence!

The Scent of Chocolate

2011-11-14T11:21:00.005-06:00

Amelie caught me munching on some Reese's Pieces. In order to appease her and keep eating, I let her choose two while I ate the rest. When she left the room to go wake her prairie dog up from its nap, I dug into the peanut M&Ms. (I ran this morning. That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it.)

Amelie used her candy sensors and flew into my lap. "I mell chocolate."

Me, bending the truth slightly: "Yes. You smell the Reese's Pieces I shared with you. Remember?"

Amelie, looking at me with suspicion: "Then I mell your tummy!"

As I laughed, she carried on with her prattling life: "Mama, will you make me some lunch? Is it a dessert day? And I want to go to the zoo today. I called the zoo and they wanted us to come to the zoo because it's open. Can we go to the zoo today?"

I better save the rest of the M&Ms for naptime and get on with our day!

Kitchen Tips and Advice

2011-11-04T17:35:00.002-05:00

When I first got married, I knew next to nothing about cooking, in spite of my mother's best attempts to teach me. I have picked up quite a few tips, some of which I think are genius. Others are common sense, and still others you're probably shocked I even bothered to write - but hang in there for the genius!

1. Don't bother buying buttermilk. Substitute an equal amount of plain yogurt or make your own with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and enough milk to make 1 cup.

2. This is the brilliance - are you ready? You know how annoying it is to measure baking soda from the box that never closes properly? Next time you use up your baking powder, wash the handy canister with the little metal lip for scraping off your spoon and fill it with baking soda! Just label it well, and appreciate my genius every time you use it.

3. Whenever you make a recipe that is only mediocre, toss it out or make a note. Why settle for mediocrity when there are so many wonderful recipes to try? Keep trying until you find the best.

4. Laugh at your failures and move on. Supplement with frozen pizza if needed.

5. When you defrost meat in the refrigerator, put it in a bag or on a plate - or both. It's no fun to clean up meat juice from your shelves.

6. If you own a ton of spices, keep your most-used ones accessible and store the ones you don't use as much in a box in a cupboard somewhere. You can still use them, but they won't crowd your spice shelf.

7. Speaking of spices, the common ones are cheapest at Aldi. The next cheapest place to buy them is Cub's bulk section where they sell them in bags, or foreign food stores. The little jars in the spice aisle are very expensive.

8. Small appliances can do wonders - just find out what you'll use. A ricemaker is easy and fast, and the rice tastes better too. I don't want to ever live without my Breadmaker or Crockpot, because I love coming home to a complete dinner all ready. Large mixers are great for baking. My latest must-haves are a popcorn air popper and an ice cream maker. Even in a small kitchen, they are worth the storage space.

9. When you are trying a new or unusual recipe, halve it. That way, you're not stuck with a ton of leftovers. I can't tell you how many times I have forgotten that I am the only one in my family that likes Indian food, no matter how good the recipe is. Or even better - serve it to company. They'll either love it or you can laugh about it and order pizza. Either way, you won't have to eat the leftovers.

10. Always use a timer. Always. Even when you think you'll remember.

11. Never substitute sweetened condensed milk for evaporated milk. Just because they both come in cans does not mean they're the same.

12. Cheese makes everything better.

Feel free to add your own brilliant ideas as comments!

Sometimes Patience Isn't Enough

2011-11-03T10:57:00.002-05:00

E, grumpily: "School feels like a relief when you've been getting yelled at all morning!"
Me, calmly and gently: "Sweetie, have you noticed that I have not yelled?"
E, with accusation: "Yeah, but all you do is talk in a quiet voice and give me choices!"

We have been dealing with lots of 7-year-old attitude in our house. My education and experience have served me well working with preschoolers; I have pretty much felt that I knew what I'm doing in most of my parenting so far. But this is a whole new world for me, and honestly, it's one that I didn't think I'd have to face.

I thought that if I just parented well enough and taught respect, kindness, and gentleness from a young age, that my child would not challenge me. I thought I could teach conflict resolution without having to practice it, and model respectful conversations without facing disrespect and uncontrolled emotions. I theoretically knew that arguing/talking back is a normal stage, but I thought I could avoid it. I thought I could logically explain why certain issues were not a big deal and have my wisdom internalized and taken at face value.

I was wrong. Despite my patience and consistency (and sadly my sharp-voiced lapses and well-intentioned but misdirected plans) I frequently find myself engaged in battle with my daughter. I knew this would happen when she was a preschooler and accepted it then, but I thought she would grow out of it. I find it very hard to accept now.

I struggle between extremes: [a large] part of me wants to lay down the law and accept no disagreement, another part thinks that I should just stay patient and keep discussion open even in the face of rebellious and rude behavior. Many times, I don't know whether I am being too strict or too lax. Am I making a big deal out of issues that I should let pass? Am I picking fights? Am I ignoring seeds that will grow into bigger problems? Am I enabling bad habits and patterns? Can't we all just get along?

It's often hard to separate the issue from the behavior and response. Sometimes I will ask her to do something that is not really important, but the response is so abrupt and rude that suddenly we have two issues: the disobedience of the request (that could have been avoided by discussing it respectfully) and the rebellious attitude. I did not think I would hear "whatever," "you're mean," "you lie," and "you can't make me" spoken right to my face.

I recognize that I am generally not a very emotional person; I don't feel many things as strongly as others do. This plays into it as I try to nurture positive expression of Elizabeth's strong emotions and teach ways to express and deal with negative emotions. I don't want to repress or invalidate her emotions, but I'm uncomfortable with them.

In the long run, heart issues and attitudes are more important than behavior. That's why this is all such a big deal. We're not simply talking about changing outfits when asked, practicing piano, and cleaning up. This is about respect for authorities, considering other people better than yourself, accepting not getting your way with grace, willingly submitting to someone else, choosing the right thing even when it's hard - these are huge deals! Unfortunately, they're not easy to learn as children or adults.

Ideally, we have long, leisurely days at home to identify these problems and lovingly correct them and bring them to God together. In real life, they come up 10 minutes before the bus comes, or on the way to church. They roar their ugly head at bedtime, bringing sleep deprivation and manipulation into the equation. They snarl when other people are counting on us, when we have a large family gathering coming up, when things just have to get done. They come up after a lull of good behavior, as I am consciously investing in our relationship, and less frequently at predictable stressful times.

I don't have the answers. I muddle through as best as I can, trying to be calm, gentle, loving, patient, and self-controlled and repenting when I mess up. I work on staying constantly connected to God, praying for His wisdom and doing things in His stength. He loves Ellie even more than I do, and He gave her to me to parent. I have to trust Him to help me do it for His glory.

So that's where I am and where we are as a family right now. Honesty and a very long post!

Whoops

2011-10-31T14:47:00.001-05:00

On the way to church, Amelie read to us from her toddlers' Bible about "Adam and Dave." I think we might have to go over that story again.

Running with Amelie

2011-10-25T12:30:00.003-05:00

Elizabeth and I went for a run on Sunday evening, and when I got back (monkey see, monkey do), Amelie was waiting for her turn - wearing her pajamas. Unlike Elizabeth, Amelie is not known for her endurance. Or her ability to focus on a task. Or her desire to reach a goal (i.e. return to our house).

However, we set off down the block, me wearing my still-sweaty running clothes, and Amelie wearing tennis shoes and a jacket over her pajamas. Amelie held my hand as we ran, and loving said, "I love running with you, Mama. Let's go really far far away, all the way across the street."

As we passed the third house, she said, "Tell me when you feel like walking, cuz we can walk."

At the fourth house, she said, "Let's walk."

So we walked for a while. At the end of our block, I suggested turning around. No such luck. We kept going.

At the second block, Amelie balanced on the sidewalk gutter.

At the third block, she sat down and collected leaves. I started doing walking lunges to combat the boredom. She liked that idea and started lunging as well.

At the fourth block, she walked backward.

At the fifth block, I gave up on running and simply enjoyed the distractions with her.

Eight blocks later, we were back home. I probably should have given up earlier!

Fall Fun (Corn Maze Review)

2011-10-22T20:55:00.007-05:00

My godparents took us to the Twin Cities Harvest Festival and Maze today. It's a corn maze on the border of Brooklyn Park and Champlin, just off 169. Most of you know how rarely we pay for fun, but I gladly say this is worth the $9/person (over 36 inches) admission price. I cannot recommend it enough!

First we found the straw bale maze - perfect for running through, then climbing on top and leaping from bale to bale. The girls could have spent all day there. Isaac decorously waited about 3 minutes before jumping up and chasing after the girls himself. Note to parents: this is pretty self-contained, so it's safe to sit at the side with your coffee and watch your kids exhaust themselves.

Next we entered the corn maze itself. I have never been to one, and it was a blast. This one is enormous and in the shape of a very complicated baseball diamond. As you walk around, you can try to find 22 different checkpoints that have MN Twins trivia questions on them. Or you can simply run through the corn and try to keep both children in sight. It's up to you. Both options are fun, depending how regimented you want to be. Note: I forgot to take any pictures during this part.

Upon exiting the corn maze, we went into the petting zoo. They had lots of goats, sheep, chickens, ducks and geese, llamas, and calves. You can brush the animals, pet them, or buy food to feed them.
After the petting zoo, my godparents treated the girls to pony rides. They were pretty thrilled. Amelie decided to name her pony Upsy.

Then we came to the best thing in the world: a corn pit! It's a huge deep pit filled with dry corn kernels - like a ball pit, except way more fun. Just walking and running in it felt amazing. We soon discovered that jumping, throwing, dropping children straight down from a height, and burying ourselves was even more fun. Then we progressed to somersaults, cartwheels, and general tackling and silliness. Oh, my goodness - we definitely could have stayed in there all day! That alone was worth the admission, in my opinion. Plus, it's a photographer's dream.

The straw bale maze, corn maze, petting zoo, and corn pit were all included in the admission price, as was a playground that we didn't even get to. In addition, you could pay extra for helicopter rides, assorted bouncy houses, a huge slide, concessions, and various other activities. Here's the website if you want to go yourself: http://www.twincitiesmaze.com/attractions.html.

Again, I think everyone should go. Have fun!

Elizabeth's Thoughts on Cleaning

2011-10-14T19:09:00.004-05:00

Elizabeth to me: "You wouldn't have to be worried if your house was messy when someone came over because if you left two cleaning tools out, like the Dustbuster and that feathery thing you dust with, then people would say, 'Oh, it might still be messy, but this lady cleans a lot and really works on it!'"

Should I feel comforted that her standards are so low? Disturbed? Seriously, my house is even clean right now!

Goofy Games That Never Get Old

2011-10-05T18:08:00.005-05:00

If you want to amuse a small child, some things never get old. Here are a few of my favorites.

1. Pretend to fall asleep in the middle of the floor. I promise they will wake you up.

2. Pretend you can't find them. Ask, "Amelie, have you seen Amelie anywhere?" When she says, "I'm right here!" say, "No, not you. I'm looking for the Amelie who [has blond hair, runs really fast, gives great hugs, has a pink shirt on, etc]." It's funny every time.

3. Tickle them and say sternly, "No laughing!" Or bounce them on your knee and say, "Hold still!" This has endless possibilities.

4. Turn them into a pizza. Spread imaginary sauce all over them, sprinkle on cheese and toppings, bake them, then gobble them up. They will beg for more. Try making cake or cookies with them next to prevent your own boredom.

5. Give active orders with numbers: Do 10 jumping jacks. Run to the kitchen and back 3 times. Touch your toes 8 times. Jump like a frog 12 times. Twirl around until you fall over.

6. Ring Around the Rosie, Duck Duck Gray Duck, Hide and Seek, London Bridges, Farmer in the Dell, Doggy Where's Your Bone: these are classics for a reason.

The latest in our house in Mean Inspector. The girls clean the house and I knock on the door and inspect everything using a really bad accent. It's confusing, but the Mean Inspector likes to get angry, so he likes it when he finds a mess and gets very angry when things are clean. I feel a little guilty about this, but Elizabeth has friends that come over and beg to clean the house so we can play Mean Inspector. Works for me.

Most of these will work on toddlers to at least second graders. Some work on babies too. There's no fee for these brilliant ideas - just enjoy and add your own in the comments!

The Way They Think

2011-09-27T10:39:00.004-05:00

We got to see Isaac's cousins from Illinois and their children last night. (Oh, if we could just handpick people and make them move closer to us!) This morning, they were still on Amelie's mind. "Mama, the Brittany from Grandma Loon's house was so nice!"

"Yes, she was so nice," I agreed. "What did you like about her?"

Wistfully, Amelie answered, "Giving her a hug." Who knew a hug could be so memorable?

Earlier yesterday, Amelie had been listening to me "talking" with baby Sam. We took turns saying, "Mmm. Ma. Mama. Mamamama. Muh..."

Finally, she chimed in, "Mama, I think him wants some M&Ms."

Elizabeth surprises us with her thoughts too. Last night she wondered about what would happen if the floor was made of pizza. She decided it would have to have a hard slice of cheese over the top so our feet wouldn't get cheesy, and we could slice off the hard cheese and lick out the pizza underneath. There would also be crystals on the wall with soup in them, so we could squeeze them open when we got tired of pizza.

Toothy Grin

2011-09-22T21:08:00.002-05:00

Elizabeth lost her first top tooth (third overall) after two hours of wiggling and agonizing and working up her courage to yank it out.

Did I say "her" courage? I meant mine. She begged me to pull it out for her right away, but I was too squeamish about causing her pain and couldn't make myself do it. Finally, she had bothered it enough that she was in tears anyway, so I manned up and did the dirty deed.

Thank goodness that's over. Hopefully Isaac will be home at the critical time for the next ones!

Recipe Excitement

2011-09-22T21:01:00.002-05:00

I had the brilliant (if I do say so myself!) idea to make my own recipe books with my best recipes. I'll take pictures over the next year or so of our favorites, and publish them online. I envison mini-books of soups, entrees, desserts, etc. I can pass them on to the girls when they grow up!

My eagerness to get going - combined with the fall weather that just begs for baking and cooking - means I have spent a lot of time in the kitchen lately. That makes Amelie happy, who tastes just about every ingredient that goes into every recipe (from chocolate chips to canned beans to raw minced garlic).

I have noticed a trend in my cooking, though: I double every cheap, healthy ingredient. So my recipes usually have lots of onion, carrots, celery, green pepper, etc. It's kind of funny. I always think that if I'm adding two carrots, I might as well add four, and it just snowballs from there.

Pen Problems

2011-09-19T11:40:00.002-05:00

Me: "Amelie, why are you walking around the living room carrying a pen?"
Amelie, looking down in surprise: "Because the lid was off."

This child!

Second Grade

2011-09-16T11:16:00.005-05:00

Second grade, as I have been told repeatedly, is even better than kindergarten. The reasons? I'll let Elizabeth tell you.

1. "Ms. Lee is really, really, really nice."

2. "We have students, like me, who help the naughty ones behave, so it's calmer."

3. "Ms. Lee really makes everything we do really fun to do."

4. "I feel really grown up now that I'm a second grader. Every day when I'm in school, I feel either like a princess or a superhero because I feel so grown-up."

5. "Ms. Lee won't let us skip a day without reading AND writing. I mean, reading for about 30 minutes at least and writing for at least 10 minutes.

6. "We can go to the spider tree." [The recess boundaries were extended to include a climbing tree.]

7. "Second graders get to check out two books from the school library each week, instead of one like last year." [Why this is so exciting to my daughter who spent all summer taking home full bags of books each week from the public library, I have no idea.]

8. "Ms. Lee is the perfect level of strictness - not too strict, and just strict enough."

9. On their way out to recess, Elizabeth's class has to run along the track first to get some energy out. "We have to! Isn't that great?"

Doesn't that make you want to be a second grader too?

Don't Eat Too Much

2011-09-16T09:55:00.002-05:00

Elizabeth wanted to make dinner for our family. It was a huge, secretive deal, involving lots of planning, much discussion, and a very long time in the kitchen by herself. She wouldn't tell us any of her ideas, preferring to completely surprise us. She promised it would be healthy so I wouldn't have to worry.

We were surprised. And hungry.

Finally, the moment arrived. We sat down at the table and Elizabeth proudly brought out four small dessert plates. Each contained 1 flour tortilla (cut into quarters and arranged beautifully), 3 green olives, 1 raw green bean cut into very small bites, 1 baby carrot also cut into very small bites, 5 flakes of shredded cheddar, and a handful of Craisins.

It was kind of hard to suppress our laughter as we ate our make-your-own mini-tortillas.

We made popcorn as a "special treat" afterwards. We had to. We were still starving!

Pretty Brainerd Sunset

2011-09-13T14:26:00.001-05:00

First Day of Second Grade

2011-09-13T08:37:00.006-05:00

Elizabeth was all dressed up and ready for school on the first day.

She felt mostly excited and just a little nervous.

Amelie and Daddy walked her down the block to her bus stop. Amelie asked forlornly, "Please can I go to school with Wizabethy?"

I met her at school to walk her in to her classroom. (I know. I'm that mother. I want to be, and she still wants me to. So there!) Elizabeth rides the bus with her best friend Casey every day, so she always looks forward to the bus ride.

She was so excited to see shelves full of chapter books in her classroom!

She came home and announced that second grade is even better than kindergarten, which is high praise indeed! It's going to be a good year.

Books Are Our Friends

2011-08-25T18:56:00.002-05:00

Elizabeth never answers the question "What is your favorite book?" She gets asked that frequently, because people know she loves to read and want to connect with her. So today, noticing that she was reading one of the Tolkien trilogy books yet again, I tried to coach her.

Me: "Let's say you go back to school and someone says, 'Hi, Elizabeth, did you do a lot of reading this summer?' What would you say?"

Elizabeth: "Yes, yes, yes! I LOVE to read!"

Me: "Well, what's your favorite book?"

Elizabeth, withdrawing immediately: "I don't know."

Me: "Why don't you say one of the Lord of the Rings books? That's what you've spent most of your time reading this summer."

Elizabeth, agitated: "But that wouldn't be fair to all the other books! I love ALL books, and it's not fair to say that I like one better than the others! It wouldn't be fair because I like all the books and I just can't decide."

Here are some pictures of her trying to carry her breakfast to the table without putting down the book she's reading. Gotta love her!

Hello, Herd of Bison!

2011-08-18T14:16:00.002-05:00

We got to sit (in the van) in the middle of a herd of 200+ bison. They walked around 8-10 feet from our van, including the biggest bull any of us had ever seen.

The rest of us loved it. Elizabeth was scared.

Feeding the Wild Burros

2011-08-18T14:03:00.002-05:00

Driving the Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park, we encountered a whole bunch of wild burros. They hang out by the side of the road hoping people will feed them. Since I had a bag of baby carrots packed for lunch that day, they loved us! Elizabeth adored them and had no fear.

Amelie loved them too, but couldn't quite master keeping her hand flat to feed them. She kept clutching the carrot with her fingers.

Dan and Isaac made me feed them. Isaac isn't very fast with the camera, so I had to do it a bunch. Like my expression?

I think the burros liked me more than I liked them!

Dan delighted in pulling up to burros and rolling down the window so the burros would stick their head in my window to visit me. I kept my seatbelt on and didn't climb into the backseat - I thought that showed great maturity!

Mount Rushmore Pictures

2011-08-18T13:24:00.002-05:00

Seeing Mount Rushmore was very cool. We liked climbing the steps to see it more closely, but then, we're just a family that likes climbing any steps! I thought the museum part that described how it was made was fascinating.

It was definitely worth staying out late for!

Nonstop Talking

2011-08-18T12:52:00.004-05:00

I've been scribbling down Amelie's funny sayings, and they have accumulated very quickly this week. I know I just posted a bunch, but here are some more.

As we looked at pictures of animals together, I said, "It's a mountain lion."
"No," Amelie corrected me. "It's a mountain titty [kitty]."

She rarely tells you that she's going to be 3 on her birthday. Last time, she said, "I gonna be 7!"
"No, sweetie, you're going to be 3."
She bargained, "How bout 8?"

The birthday (not until October) is getting lots of attention. She wants cherry cupcakes with cherry frosting. "I don't know how to make that," I said, "but I bet I can figure it out."
Luckily, Amelie already knew how. "You put in lots and lots of strawberries and blueberries and yogurt and yellow frosting and a lot of water and a lot of milk." So, in review, to make Amelie's cherry cupcakes, you put in lots of strawberries.

Grandpa put her to bed one night this week and she came out of her room several times. Finally, he explained, "It's after bedtime. I don't want to see you or hear you."
Amelie was quiet for a while, then she asked, "Do you want to look at pictures of me?"

Amelie wanted grilled cheese for dinner. I explained that we wouldn't have it because we'd had sandwiches for lunch. Amelie protested, "But grilled cheese aren't sandwiches - they are toast."

Speaking of sandwiches, Amelie kept touching Isaac's lunch as he packed it in the morning. "Don't touch my sandwich!" he warned her.
So she put her hands down, leaned over and licked his sandwich. "I touch with my tongue!"

I caught her cutting up a washcloth with scissors. I confiscated the scissors and sent her to her room. When she came out, I asked if she knoew why she had to have a timeout. "Because I cut the washcloth."
Me: "Amelie, you know it's not okay to cut a washcloth!"
Amelie: "But Mama, it's halfway okay!"
Me, exasperated but curious: "Why is it halfway okay?"
Amelie, explaining the obvious: "Because I only halfway cut it!"

As I pushed her in the jogging stroller, she spontanously cheered, "Go, Sweaty Mama! Go, Sweaty Mama!" I didn't know whether to be discouraged or inspired.

Just so I don't forget when she's older, she likes to eat "pan-pakes" for breakfast and she needs a "ban-bade" when she gets an owie.

And last but not least, Elizabeth told us about the Bible story she learned this Sunday: Jesus healing a man's "wizard" hand. We think she meant "withered."

Conversations from Our House

2011-08-12T18:57:00.008-05:00

Amelie: "Daddy, I need help closing the marshmallow bag."
Isaac, suspiciously: "Why were the marshmallows open in the first place?"
Amelie: [No answer. I think she tried to plead the fifth.]

In Amelie's language, "Elizabeth" has moved from "Dideth" to "Wizabeth" to "Wizabethy" - and now, to "Hon." For example:
Amelie, to Elizabeth, while pretending to be doggies: "Are you okay, hon?"
Elizabeth: "Call me Master."
This might be my favorite line of the year.

Me, sternly: "Amelie VanLoon, are you being naughty?"
Amelie, sweetly: "No... Not very much."

Elizabeth, talking in her sleep as Isaac pulled up her covers: "Mine is made of mithril!" I think she's been reading too much Lord of the Rings.

Badlands and Black Hills

2011-08-12T15:37:00.003-05:00

So much for my vow to do better posting on the blog (I say a month later). I'll keep working on it.

We just got back from a week in the Badlands and Black Hills with Isaac's parents and youngest brother. It was the best family vacation we have ever been on. I had never been out to that part of the country before, and it was amazing. The views could just knock you over.

Elizabeth (as expected) loved the long car ride, and Amelie did way better than I expected. We spent the first night tenting in the Badlands. We set up camp in an enormous wind, ate dinner, explored a little as a lightning storm moved in, then headed into the visitor center for an astronomy presentation. When we got back out, it was storming wildly and our tents were underwater. I don't think a single tent in the Badlands stayed dry. We slept in the van that night and hung everything out to dry the next day.

I couldn't believe they just let you climb around and explore in the Badlands! It seems like they should restrict you to paths and mark everything as dangerous, but you're pretty much free to do what you want. Isaac and Elizabeth got their climbing desires from Beth, so they were pretty much in heaven, climbing around with Beth and Nathaniel. Dan and Amelie hike at about the same pace, so they made great hiking buddies, and I was free to worship and take pictures as much as I wanted!

I'm not scared of heights, but I get pretty protective of the girls when they climb with dangerous fall potentials. I found I do much better when I don't watch them and just trust the other adults to keep them safe. Elizabeth has pretty good ability and just the right amount of fear, and Amelie has less ability and no fear!

After the Badlands, we drove on to the Black Hills. Gorgeous! We liked hiking and climbing even better there because it felt safer - surer footholds and often rocks to catch you from falling hundreds of feet!

500 Miles

2011-07-07T20:09:00.002-05:00

Since July 8, 2010, I have run 500 miles! I never thought I would run 500 miles in my life, no less in one year.

Tonight, for miles 496.9-500.0, I was accompanied by Elizabeth on her bike, Amelie in her jogging stroller, and Baby Oma on Amelie's lap. We celebrated with Popsicles in the front yard. I texted Isaac at work. It felt a little anticlimactic.

I'm trying to get up the nerve to set an increased speed goal for next year, but I'm not quite sure I'm willing to commit to consistent speedwork. Running fast makes me feel like I'm going to die. We'll see. For now, I will simply celebrate this milestone!

Family Camping

2011-06-24T17:10:00.008-05:00

In June we camped at Lake Carlos State Park near Alexandria (before the shutdown, thank goodness) with my aunt and uncle, parents, and two cousins and their kids. Despite constant rain the first evening, we had a great time huddling together under the tarps my uncle had the foresight to set up.

We had an army worm infestation as well, rendering some of the picnic tables useless. While the girls spent a lot of time picking out pets and naming them, the rest of us flicked the worms off each other and tried to keep them out of our tents.

The six kids ran like wild throughout our campsites, hung from trees, and reveled in all the time together.

Saturday dawned much drier, if still pretty windy and not exactly warm.

We went for a pontoon ride, one of my mother's favorite activities in the world.

Then we gave in to the kids' begging and let them swim and play in the sand.

We adults didn't even bother changing into our swimsuits, but instead sat on the shore and read (or pretended to read) while supervising the kids. It was cold.

Fishing was the sport of the weekend. Between the boat, the canoe, and the kayak, someone was always out on the water. Spearhead by Ben and Deanna, enough fish were caught to feed everyone that night. Mmm!

Apparently, fishing can be a dangerous sport in which helmets are needed?

I am so glad we've already reserved our sites for next year!

Random Conversation and Pictures

2011-06-24T16:50:00.006-05:00

I overheard a wonderful conversation while the girls were playing together. (Look! An unrelated picture of Elizabeth with her teacher on the last day of school!)

Elizabeth: "Hey, Amelie, when's the best time to eat an alligator?"

Amelie, without hesitation: "With chocolate."

Gotta love a girl with a ready answer to a goofy question!

Elizabeth Is Seven Already!

2011-06-20T14:29:00.002-05:00

How is it possible that we have a seven year old? Time goes so quickly! We had 8 little girls over for a kittycat birthday party. Elizabeth really does have nice friends, but I also really dislike throwing birthday parties! I thought I way overplanned, but we went through our first 3 games and a craft in 45 minutes!

Catching Up

2011-06-19T15:54:00.008-05:00

For a few weeks, I feel like I've been working like crazy from morning to night just to keep my head above water. Most days, I don't have much to show for it. I think it has a lot to do with a baby who has been adjusting to a new schedule and trying to sleep in a crib, combined with a whole bunch of high-energy activities in a row (Memorial Day weekend, Elizabeth's birthday celebrations and party, and a family camping trip). It might also have to do with a toddler who does this (see below) every time I leave the salt or pepper on the table unsupervised!

I've been playing sand volleyball again each week, and I'm enjoying being part of our first-place team this year. Here we are after winning all our games on the 103 degree night!

It takes about 30 minutes to scrub off all the sand each time we play.

I'm figuring out how to do special activities with my girls and a baby in tow. I haven't mastered it, yet. Here is Amelie after I braved the beach alone with her and Sam on one of our few hot days!

Summertime means a lot more unplanned baths for my dirty little girls. We're experimenting with a later bedtime in order to have time to do things in the evenings after Sam leaves, and so far, the girls have actually been sleeping in until 7 or later on a fairly regular basis!

We got the garden in. Now the never-ending garden chores have been piling up as I ignore them and keep them on my to-do list, planning each day to get out there with the 3 kids. (It doesn't happen very often.) Notice Elizabeth, covered in dirt. She likes to bury her feet and wear dirt slippers. Then notice Amelie, sitting on the edge and wearing rubber boots to keep her feet clean. Who can predict them?

In addition to all that, I've been busy starting summer school with Elizabeth, studying the attributes of God with the fantastic women in my Bible Study, meeting with our small group at church, teaching the new little ones that just moved up into my preschool Sunday School class, bringing Elizabeth to swimming lessons (and we start tennis tomorrow - every day for 6 weeks!), enjoying some friendships, volunteering at and attending school events, running to get my mileage up for summer, and doing our normal library and grocery errands.

Is it any wonder I haven't blogged lately?

But summer is here, God is good, and I'm digging back in, resolved to keep my head above water in His competence, not mine!

P.S. If the uneven spacing between pictures and paragraphs bothers you as much as it does me, be assured that three times I have gone back and edited this post properly, just to have it revert as soon as I publish it. Please ignore it!

Idyllic Memorial Day

2011-06-17T22:37:00.002-05:00

Look! I'm back! And I will try to do better at blogging. My wise father-in-law suggested that I blog and then post to Facebook so the social networking ludites can still participate in the adorable pictures of my girls, so that's what I'll try to do.

We spent Memorial Day down in Faribault with my in-laws. It was really an idyllic day in a gorgeous location with wonderful family. Amelie went wild on the trampoline. Unfortunately, it scared her when I jumped too, so my trampoline fun was sadly limited.

Elizabeth enjoyed riding the horse with Oma and being pushed on the swing by Opa.

Uncle George even got her to practice her much-needed-to-improve ball skills. Seriously, though - can you believe that's their backyard? Idyllic, I kept repeating all day.

Nathaniel and Isaac kept pace with Elizabeth as she tackled most of the trees in the yard. I think it runs in the family.
The idyllism ended briefly when Elizabeth bit off more than she could chew tree-wise. The old board steps leading up to a tree house broke off when she climbed them and she got stuck pretty high up in the air. It took some careful persuading and the strong climbing of a teenager to get her back down!
I'm not sure why we don't go down there every weekend!

Back-Blogging

2011-06-04T11:58:00.002-05:00

I can't remember if I posted our family Easter pictures or not. Here they are just in case, along with a few random stories.

I just bathed the girls, dried them off, and then left them to get dressed while I blog. Amelie came and found me blogging, covered in glossy wetness. "Oh, no, Amelie, did you get wet again?" [No.] "Did you find the lotion?" [No.] "What's all over you?"

"I put on soap!"

So, if you come over to our house and use the bathroom, please know that we do have hand soap. It's just confiscated and on the high shelf across from the sink. Help yourself, but don't leave it in reach of Amelie. I am sorry to say that this was not an isolated incident.

This is my favorite picture.

Now that I do Facebook, I haven't quite figured out what to post where, because I have friends and family who are on Facebook but don't read the blog, and vice versa.

Just in case you missed it on Facebook, though, I took Elizabeth shopping to get ready for her birthday party. She told me, "You're the best mama in the whole wide world!" I thought it was sweet until she followed it up with, "When I compliment you like that, does that make you want to keep doing nice things for me?" I think she's figured out positive reinforcement!

Why I Will Serve Bigger Lunches and Other Funny Conversations

2011-05-23T21:32:00.003-05:00

Elizabeth: "Amelie, don't eat your boogers. That's gross."
Amelie: "But I'm just still hungry!"

Elizabeth, telling me about her exciting science class that day: "We had stations, and we got to look close-up at mealworms, and at snails, and at ants, and - oh, Mommy, it was so scary and disgusting - at CROCUSES!" (She meant "cockroaches.")

Me, taking a picture of Sam: "Sam, you are such a ham!"
Amelie: "Sammy not food!"

Me, after Amelie did something naughty: "Amelie, that is so sad."
Amelie, solemnly: "I forgive you, Mommy."

Family 5K

2011-05-20T22:22:00.003-05:00

My family ran the St. Paul Schools Exercise Your Right 5K around Como Lake tonight, and by "family," I mean everyone! We braved the intermittent rain, got pretty wet, and had a great time.

Isaac and I each ran for a personal best. Neither of us was in personal best shape, but we finished decently in 23:57 (Isaac - in 34th place overall!) and 27:49 (me - 65th place overall).

Here's my red face a minute after I finished. I'm sure all the dampness is from the rain, not sweat!

My dad ran with Elizabeth. They finished in a very respectable 32:49 (102nd and 103rd place). Check out Elizabeth's determination as they hit the last quarter mile!

Elizabeth took 2nd place in the 5-7 year old age group, and won a water bottle and swimming pass. She was thrilled.

Dad took 1st place in his age group! He was very surprised. Imagine if he had run it for himself and not with a 6-year-old!

Perhaps the most impressive showing was my mother, who finished in 46:31 - 205th out of 310 total finishers! Not only did my mother run 3 miles, she ran it pushing Amelie in the jogging stroller and keeping up a steady stream of conversations with that talkative little kid! I am so proud of her!

It was a great race at a low price with some good swag and a fun, low-pressure atmosphere. I highly recommend it next year!

Amelie-isms

2011-05-09T19:56:00.002-05:00

Amelie has been cracking us up lately. Here are a few examples.

Attesting to how big she is getting, she proclaimed, "I'm getting bigger and bigger. I'm getting grown-uppy!" (She has re-used that word several times, and it gets me every time!)

On a walk shortly after Easter, I found half a robin's egg and asked the kids what they thought had been it. With confidence, Amelie shouted, "Jesus!"

While petting our friend's dog (a Corgi, if it matters), Amelie said, "Mommy, I found a match! You have a big mouth like the woof's!"

As we watched a train pass by, Amelie greeted all the green cars: "Hi-lo, Green! Green, you my favorite!" Every single one.

Talking on a pretend phone to Opa, she carried on the following conversation: "Hi, Opa! Opa, you there? Opa, you want to talk to me? Talk to me, Opa! Opa, I talking to you. Why you not talk to me? [Long pause.] Time-out for no talking, Opa!" [And she slammed down the pretend phone.]

Surprisingly Delicious Celery Soup

2011-05-09T19:47:00.003-05:00

Several of my friends have asked for my latest recipe experiment: celery soup. The general consensus was that we loved it and thought it tasted very gourmet and rich; most of us agreed that our husbands wouldn't be fans!

Ingredients: 1 stick butter, 2 bunches celery stalks and leaves (cut into 1 inch pieces), 5 cups chicken stock, 3/4 cup chopped walnuts, 1 cup half-and half (or 1/2 cup heavy cream)

Directions: Melt butter in large saucepan. Cook celery in bubble 20 minutes until soft but not browned. Add stock and simmer 20 minutes. Add walnuts and cook 5 minutes. Transfer soup to blender and blend carefully in small batches until smooth. Stir in cream and re-heat before serving.

I believe I found this recipe in the Pioneer Press Taste section.

Banish the Shinsplints!

2011-04-25T16:07:00.002-05:00

This weekend I bought brand-new top-of-the-line Asics running shoes. I've put 7 miles on them already and I'm feeling good!

I don't have Sam this week, and I feel very free (although I miss him and felt all day like I was forgetting him somwhere!). So Amelie and I started my summer resolution of doing all possible errands and playgrounds on foot. We hit Target, Walmart, and the library, and had a picnic at the playground. I'm out of practice with sunscreen - oh, well, it's a good exchange for hats and mittens.

I love running when I never have to go more than 1.25 miles without a break!

Race Day!

2011-04-21T18:55:00.005-05:00

Elizabeth's school Running Club culminates in a mile-long race. This year, 190 kids participated! Elizabeth set a lofty goal for herself to finish in the top 20 of the whole school. We won't find out if she met that goal until full results are published tomorrow, but she set a new personal record of 8:38 (over a minute better than last year's race) and took home the medal for fastest first-grade girl! We are very proud of her because she worked so hard and tried her best.

After the award ceremony, she came home and ate 4 slices of pizza to celebrate!

How to Tire Out Some Kids

2011-04-13T12:03:00.002-05:00

Load them in the stroller. Go for a short run to the park. Push them on the swings for what feels like forever.

Make sure the big one gets to swing on every single swing at the park.

Run back home just in time for nap.

Of course, that tires me out too, and I don't get a naptime!

Pirate Party

2011-04-07T20:49:00.002-05:00

Our friends Dan and Randi recently hosted a pirate-themed murder mystery dinner. Randi is absolutely THE best entertainer I know, and a fantastic cook as well. That's why it was so funny that they went all out with authenticity in the decorations and food. Please observe the drowned (plastic) rat in the vat of root beer. The food was almost all pickled and infested with plastic weevils and cockroaches. I have never seen so much uneaten food at Randi's house! Luckily, they made some delicious meat - and then made us eat with our fingers for authenticity.

Isaac wore an eyepatch. My character was a female dressing as a man, so I wore a mustache - and a hook.

The men looked like a rough bunch, except for the very genteel Austin, who turned out to be the murderer.

We women looked gorgeous, of course, but we couldn't stop laughing to take a serious picture. That may have had something to do with spit. Sorry, Shannon.

Our tradition is that the murderer must take a Walk of Shame around the neighborhood with two others of his choosing. Jen and I were the chosen ones. I much preferred walking around a strange neighborhood in the dark over being forced to walk around my own in the light of summer!

Downtown

2011-04-07T20:36:00.002-05:00

My mom and I took the little ones downtown for the Macy's flower show. It was gorgeous, but crowded.Afterward, we redeemed the free library pass for the Foshay Tower. That was pretty cool! (It would not have been worth the $8 each if we had to pay, though.) Sam couldn't take his eyes off the buildings for a picture, but I love Amelie's face in this one. Amelie is always happy with Grandma. What's not to love? As always, though, nothing could beat the escalators, skyways, and people-watching!

Outside Conversations

2011-04-05T21:34:00.002-05:00

Amelie: "Mama, is that mud?"
Me: "Yes, that's mud."
Amelie: "I put my foot in it!" (and she did.)

Me: "Look, Amelie, there's a bug!"
Amelie: "I pick it up?"
Me: "Sure, go ahead."
Amelie, squeezing the bug between her fingers: "I put it on a plate?"
Me: "Why would you want to put a bug on a plate?"
Amelie: "I just want see it!"
(At least, I hope she said "see." I'm a little afraid she said "eat.")

It won't be a dull summer.

Ending It

2011-04-04T15:27:00.004-05:00

I still love to laugh at the story of 2-year-old Isaac, the youth pastor's son. Accustomed to prayer times with groups of youth, he quickly learned to shout "Amen!" to end the prayers.

Amelie takes after him.

As our small group was sharing prayer requests last night, she stood in the middle of the room and announced, "Thank you all for coming! We go home now!" Gotta love that kid.

Back on the Pavement

2011-04-04T15:22:00.003-05:00

I just ran for the 4th day in a row. Admittedly, none of those has been fast, and none has been over 3 miles, but I'm on the road again and my shins don't hurt! Woo-hoo!

Today I loaded up Sam and Amelie in our newly fixed-up double jogging stroller and ran a mile to the library. A short field trip ensued, and then we ran back. Thus began my dream of running or walking almost everywhere this summer.

Thus also crushed my dream of running or walking almost everywhere this summer. There is no cargo space in the double stroller, so I had to wedge the library books between Amelie and the edge. No room for full bags of books, or groceries, or Target runs. Bother!

Elizabeth's running club at school starts tomorrow. Isaac and I will alternate chaperoning and staying home with the little nappers. I haven't told him yet, but I get to go first!

Elizabeth and I have been out a handful of times since the weather has started warming up, and she is so much fun to run with. Yesterday, we went on a 2 1/2 mile jog together and hit 4 playgrounds on our route!

Piano Returns!

2011-03-31T19:45:00.002-05:00

I've really missed the baby grand we sold two years ago, but didn't plan on getting a new piano until we moved into a house with more space. We recently decided to let Elizabeth start piano lessons (which we'd been putting off). My father-in-law suggested I teach her myself, which I had not thought of, and that's been working out really well. We started right away - on our toy grand piano with its full span of less than two octaves! Isaac gave me a budget to buy a used keyboard, and I started praying God would lead us to the right one. And of course, He did. A friend long-term lent us their unused electric piano - far nicer than any keyboard we could afford, and it fits in our house! I don't know who enjoys it more - me or Elizabeth. Thank You, God, and friends!

We're Not Getting a Woof

2011-03-23T10:44:00.002-05:00

While driving down the highway, we saw a dog through the window of the car next to us.

Amelie: "Why we not have a Woof in our car? I want get a Woof in our car."

Me: "Hmm, that would be fun. But Woofs can't live in a car all the time. What would we do with it when we weren't in the car?

Amelie, after thinking briefly: "Throw it in the garbage!"

I don't think she quite understands the responsibility of having a pet yet!

Keep On Keeping On

2011-03-21T20:37:00.002-05:00

It's been one of those weeks with Amelie.

I cleaned the bathroom mirror for company; after they'd been here a few hours, I noticed she had re-cleaned it and left toilet paper bits stuck all over it.

I left the jar of peanut butter out on the counter; she found it, opened it, and got all sticky just after I'd gotten her all clean.

She colored markers all over her hands. Twice.

She gave Misty a haircut. I thought I'd caught her right away with only one chunk of hair lopped off, but then I came across several more tufts strewn across the floor. Not okay.

She whacked Elizabeth on the back of the head with a wooden stool, completely unprovoked - in front of our entire small group.

She slipped away from me at the library and was brought back to me by a stern-looking librarian as I searched the children's section for her.

And on. And on.

We're working really hard at being consistent and nipping naughty behavior in the bud, but it's hard when she keeps coming up with new things!

Who Reads This Stuff Anyway?

2011-03-16T20:40:00.002-05:00

One of my friends, a teacher and missionary, just shared some of her feelings after she discovered some of her students read her blog. She weighed her apprehension at being vulnerable against God's call for her to share what He's doing in her life.

It made me think about the intended purpose for my blog. I started blogging because I love reading others' blogs. It makes me feel connected to their lives in spite of distance or lack of time together. Some of their entries make me laugh - I can't get enough cute kid stories or embarrassing moments! Others inspire me or make me think.

That's what I want my blog to be for others: a way to stay connected with my life, to appreciate my cute kid stories and embarrassing moments (I have many!), and hopefully to occasionally inspire others or make them think.

That part is tricky, because although I'm eager to share the ways God is transforming me and working in my life, I have to be respectful of others' privacy. He is such an essential part of my life - actually, He is my life - that it's becoming second nature to sing His praises in all my relationships. He's given me amazing opportunities lately to talk to others about how great He is, and I love that!

So, if I sometimes seem quiet or reticent about sharing that part of my life, know that it's not because God isn't working. He is! I'm just trying to be very aware, like my friend, that I am posting in a public forum and that some stories may not be mine to share.

Summer Planning

2011-03-10T19:25:00.002-06:00

Isaac and I think we should supplement Elizabeth's learning over the summer, so I started thinking about some easy topics and habits we could cover. I imagined picking out books for Elizabeth to read and sitting down with her during most naptimes to do some math activities, some writing, and some educational games. I thought I could make it fun by picking out some fun units and developing themes. (I know, I've missed curriculum development!)

Tonight I asked Elizabeth about my idea and let her brainstorm some ideas. It turned into the VanLoon Family Summer School (her title) and has a daily and weekly schedule that includes an official Get Ready time, Writer's Workshop, Math Facts, Computer, Geography, Cooking, and Art. I'm adding in basics of the Christian faith each week. Her weekly themes include history, science, animals, engineering, and music.

While we planned, she ran around the house, jumping excitedly with each new idea. "And, oh, oh, oh, Mama!" she exclaimed at one point. "We can have homework!"

I have a lot in common with my Type A daughter!

Misty, Guardian Cat of the Clean Laundry

2011-03-09T13:27:00.000-06:00

And Now I Can Talk With Elizabeth Again

2011-03-09T13:21:00.002-06:00

The 11 day Read-a-thon at Elizabeth's school has ended, and now we can hang out and talk again. She clocked in over 37 hours with 26 chapter books during that time. She said she'd read "as long as it was fun."

We're very proud of her, and glad we can go back to running errands after school and eating slow family dinners!

What Was Her Name Again?

2011-03-05T20:53:00.002-06:00

Amelie prayed for the meal when our friends Erika and Jathan came over. "Dear God, bless we have nice food with Daddy, and Mommy, and Dideth, and Jathan, and HER [pointing at Erika] and me, and Mommy, and Jathan, and HER! Amen."

We'll have to teach her some tricks for when she doesn't remember a name. My Grandpa Ryan couldn't remember my name his last several years, but he always said, "How's my favorite little blond granddaughter!" to make up for it when he saw me. I'm sure he called all of us that, but it's still nicer than "HER!"

Sunday School Shenanigans

2011-03-05T20:38:00.002-06:00

1. Last week Amelie joined my Sunday School class of 3-5 year olds since she was having a hard time in her class. I stood at the front of 21 preschoolers, 4 helpers, and 2 parents, teaching my little heart out and ignoring Amelie who intertwined herself with my legs. After a while, I realized what I had been tuning out: Amelie was holding onto the zipper on the front of my dress pants and moving it up and down and up and down. Good morning, everyone!

2. One little girl asked how old I was. As always, I replied, "How old do you think I am?" It's fun to see how far off little kids are about age. "Forty!" she sang out. Okay, it was fun when they used to be far off! Now I'm getting too close for that to be funny!

3. I hooked my laptop up to our wall projector to play some worship videos I'd downloaded from YouTube, and the kids were fascinated by my screensaver picture of my family. "Who's that little girl?" they chorused. (That's Amelie, my 2-year-old.) "Who's that other girl?" (That's Elizabeth, my 6-year-old.) "And who's that little boy?" (Uh, that's Isaac, my husband!)

You never know what they'll come up with next!

Good Intentions

2011-03-04T13:02:00.003-06:00

This spring, I dream of getting into a healthy routine: when Sam gets here in the morning, I will load him and Amelie into the double jogging stroller and take off for a park several miles away. We will play in the warm sunshine (in my fantasy, I don't even have to apply sunscreen to the three of us, although I know that won't happen!), eat a healthy snack on a picnic blanket or bench, and maybe meet up with a few friends. Then before lunch, I'll load the kids back up and run home.

Think what great shape I'd be in! Chances of this happening regularly? I sure hope they're high! (Please, let both kids like the stroller! Please!)

Literality

2011-03-02T11:08:00.001-06:00

Me: "Grandpa is coming home from Florida on an airplane right now."
Amelie, concerned: "How he get home?"
Me: "Well, he'll fly on the airplane, then Grandma will drive the car to the airport and pick him up."
Long silence.
Amelie: "That funny! Grandma never can pick Grandpa up!"

Amelie and Misty

2011-02-26T13:03:00.001-06:00

Amelie spent a happy half hour fetching quarters that Misty batted down from a shelf to the floor. She would exclaim, "Fell down again!" every time.

What Was I Thinking?

2011-02-25T16:34:00.003-06:00

I had 2 three-year-olds over for a playdate and allowed unfettered access to our huge box of big-kid puzzles. They ranged from 24-100 pieces.

Amelie and I spent this morning sorting piles of mixed-up pieces and matching them all into the right boxes again. Two of the puzzles will never be the same, due to the tempting slots leading down 8 feet to our furnace.

I've been a mother for 6 years, and even more embarrassingly, a teacher for 12. What was I thinking?

A Girl of the Limberlost

2011-02-25T16:23:00.002-06:00

I just finished re-reading A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton Porter. Published in 1909, it embodies a good, clean, moral novel - where the heroine reveals her goodness in every action and the antagonist shows how uncaring her heart really is (until she gets inspired by the heroine's goodness and changes at the end!). If you liked Anne of Green Gables or The Secret Garden, this childhood classic is definitely worth a try!

My Big Girls

2011-02-24T20:58:00.000-06:00

Running from the Storm

2011-02-20T19:56:00.005-06:00

My crazy husband looked out the window at the raging blizzard with a glint in is eye and said, "Are you thinking it would be really fun to go for a run in this storm?"

I was NOT thinking that.

The sweet and crazy man went by himself.

I did feel slightly jealous, but not jealous enough to actually go for a run myself!

My Cuties

2011-02-19T15:08:00.000-06:00

Gourmet Valentine's Dinner

2011-02-15T11:19:00.002-06:00

Aaah: candlelight, Jello jiggler hearts, pink milk, green pepper hearts, and hot dog hearts with dry spaghetti arrows and cheese slice hearts. I sense a theme here! (We had corn too. It didn't fit the theme, so it didn't get in the picture.)

Disclosure: Only little girls get pink milk. The grown-ups at our house like their milk white.

The Latest Addition to Our Family

2011-02-13T21:33:00.001-06:00

Amelie named him - wait for it - "Snowman."

Snow Much Fun

2011-02-13T21:25:00.001-06:00

Could you believe the gorgeous warm weather today? Doesn't it give you the hope that spring really will come? Elizabeth and I went out for a run. I followed her and let her set the pace. We went 3 miles because it felt so good to be outside!

Isaac went up on the roof for the third time this year and was finally able to remove our ice dams. Praise God! It feels so good to know they're gone. We can't see any damage, so we think that's a good sign. This picture is of Elizabeth lying down on top of one of the pieces he broke off the roof.

We all went outside to enjoy the craziness. The girls loved sucking on icicles. Amelie worked on hers for 30 minutes or so. She kept saying, "My mouth brrr. My mouth brrr."

Misty was fascinated to see us out the window. Isaac threw snowballs at the window, and she was quite intrigued - until he brought her outside with us. She wasn't a fan.

We worked on the most ginormous snowman we've ever made in our lives. Check out Amelie's face of awe!

She's Learning

2011-02-12T10:06:00.002-06:00

As Elizabeth and I cooked, I seized the opportunity to discuss healthy eating (I've learned a lot about teachable moments from my mother-in-law, the Queen of Teachable Moments!). "What food groups are we using?" I asked.

Elizabeth looked at the eggs, bacon, milk, avocado, and vegetables. "Well," she said, "we have the Pig Food Group!"

And what does one need other than the Pig Food Group after all?

Unfocused Prayer Time

2011-02-11T17:13:00.002-06:00

Elizabeth prayed for our dinner: "Dear God, thank You for this food. Thank You for our good days. Help Amelie..."

Amelie, interrupting: "No! Don't pray about me!"

Elizabeth, continuing: "Help Amelie to be less naughty tomorrow..."

Amelie, laughing as if this were an outrageous request: "No!"

Elizabeth, ignoring her: "Thank You for..."

Amelie, yelling, deciding to take matters into her own prayers: "Dear God!"

I hope God was laughing.

Amelie Loves Sam

2011-02-11T15:54:00.000-06:00

Batty for Bread

2011-02-10T16:19:00.002-06:00

I've heard great things about a book called Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois, and I finally got it at the library. I read it at night, and I was so excited that Amelie and I spent the next day baking bread! The book tells you how to make enough dough for about 4 loaves of bread, and then you can either refrigerate it for up to two weeks or bake it almost immediately. (The five minutes a day part does not include the initial dough-making or the rising, resting, or baking times.)

Since working with dough is NOT my skill set, it took us considerably longer than the book said, but we had a great time following the clear and reassuring instructions. I didn't have a big enough bowl, but you can see that our dough rose without a problem!

Shaping and baking the loaves was pretty easy, and I felt I was getting the hang of it by the time I tried the second loaf (although my kitchen got extremely floury!). We gave away the boule, but the baguette was incredible!

The best part is that I have the dough to make two more loaves in the fridge, getting better with age, according to the book. It includes recipes for about 100 different kinds and variations, from sandwich bread to brioche to pecan caramel rolls. I think this book is worth purchasing - I'm going to have a very hard time parting with it!

Who wants to come over and taste my new skill?

Spelling Test

2011-02-10T15:10:00.003-06:00

Amelie made her first word with magnetic letters today (to the right of her face in the picture). I know it's a complete coincidence, but I'm going to pretend she's learning German articles rather than telling me off in a very Goth-like manner!

Amelie's First Knock-Knock Joke

2011-02-09T14:08:00.001-06:00

Amelie: "Knock-knock."
Me: "Who's there?"
Amelie: "Grandma." (Are any of us surprised?)
Me: "Grandma who?"
Amelie: "Grandma come over to we house?"

Far be it from Amelie to ever miss an opportunity to see Grandma!

Sticky Chapstick

2011-02-09T12:29:00.003-06:00

Last week, Amelie approached Isaac and said, "Daddy, this chapstick sticky."

She had put SuperGlue on her lips!

Isaac was able to peel her lips apart before the glue set, and then picked it off after it dried.

We're thankful God protects even two-year-olds who can open childproof caps!

Who Are You?

2011-02-04T12:17:00.001-06:00

Elizabeth answered the phone for me the other day: "Hello, this is Elizabeth, Allison's daughter." (Don't you love what kids come up with to say?)

"Hello, this is Elizabeth, Isaac's mother," my mother-in-law replied.

Grown-Up Tricks

2011-02-03T19:09:00.003-06:00

I think Elizabeth is catching on to how this parenting thing works. I served baked plantain at dinner tonight (mmm! brings me back to Bolivia) and was surprised that neither of my banana-loving girls liked it at all.

After tasting it and giving a thumbs-down, Elizabeth remarked, "You can try it again a different day, but I don't think it will make a difference. That's just what moms like to do."

Practicality Reigns

2011-02-02T16:04:00.002-06:00

Amelie watched me pack for Breezy Point, so her new favorite thing to do is to pack all her precious objects (and books, and socks, and underwear, and my things, etc.) in bags and carry them around the house. One time, I asked her where she was going. "I not going anywhere. I packing!" I guess her imagination isn't quite there yet.

In a similar vein, she blanked out on the word "look" recently. As she watched Sam stare at her, she invented, "Sam eye-ing me." I was proud of her creativity, until she amended, "I not know what eye-ing means."

The Proof is in the Pictures

2011-01-30T19:19:00.002-06:00

Let's see, what did Amelie do recently? She undressed herself while going to sleep.
She covered the cat in baby blankets and then dragged her off the couch.
She slathered herself in lotion - and I do mean "slathered." She's also done this (twice!) with Vaseline, which doesn't show up in pictures and is much more difficult to remove.
She dumped the entire salt shaker into the bowl of vegetables for dinner while I was still setting the table.
She is currently screaming from her crib after I put her to bed early because she squirted soap all over the sink (she is forbidden to use soap for exactly that reason).

Is it any wonder that I live for bedtime some days?

Pictures Are Back!

2011-01-29T23:05:00.002-06:00

Please go back over my last several posts to look at the pictures you missed - they're back on now. And I confess that I am really proud of the pictures of me after my winter run, so those are the most important (although the kids are cute, too)!

Photography Bloopers

2011-01-29T22:44:00.006-06:00

I wanted to take pictures of Elizabeth skating with Sydney, so I asked them to skate toward me while I skated backwards.

That was a good idea, right? What could possibly happen?

I ran backwards into a snowdrift, sending my camera clattering across the ice.

Raise your hand if you saw that coming. Now, raise your hand if you saw that coming and didn't tell me. Maija? Arlie? Any of the kids skating toward me as I headed for disaster? No one? Thanks, guys. That's why we skate in a group: for safety!

The best part was that a lady standing out on her balcony overlooking the lake yelled out, "That was hilarious! I wish I had it on video so you could win Funniest Home Videos!" Good thing I don't have a lot of pride!

Three Steps Backward

2011-01-27T20:58:00.002-06:00

I've been so excited about the progress in obedience and self-control that Amelie has made over the past several weeks. The beginning of this week was amazing and I really enjoyed her company. She was charming, affectionate, and actually helpful around the house. We even spent one whole morning baking and cooking together without destroying the kitchen. The whining and neediness had practically disappeared and we had real conversations.

Yesterday things went downhill, and today was just as bad. She touches everything! Everything! I can't control her little hands for one second. She's constantly grabbing things, spilling things, distributing things around the house, and generally messing things up. All day, she says, "I want you pick I up. I want you pick I up." All day. I can't get her interested in anything and I can't break the cycle of TOUCHING EVERYTHING. I'm frustrated. (Gee. Can you tell?)

I don't know if the pleasant interlude was just an anomaly (get it? "un-Amelie?") or if today was. (Please, God, let it be today!) I don't know if I should feel hopeful that her behavior can change or frustrated that I saw how good it can be and can't experience it. Grrr.

More Than I Wanted to Know

2011-01-26T14:35:00.002-06:00

When I got up this morning, Amelie informed me, "Daddy's brown stuff came out. He's potty training!"

Picture Problems

2011-01-26T14:32:00.002-06:00

As many of you have noticed, I'm having problems posting pictures to my blog from my new computer. I could see them when I first posted them, but they have since disappeared. When my dad comes over next, we'll work on it! Until then, no more pictures. Too bad. I have some really good ones!

No Secrets Here

2011-01-24T22:14:00.002-06:00

Today, Isaac held up a crumpled wallet-sized photograph and said, "I found out why the printer has been working so slowly and why the paper keeps getting jammed. Someone stuffed this picture into the printer."

From her seat at the dining room table, Amelie shouted, "I! I! I!"

We weren't really surprised.

Fun with Cousins

2011-01-22T20:21:00.004-06:00

Elizabeth's cousins spent the week at Breezy too. They are way more fun to play with than I am. They usually even beat Grandma and Grandpa, which is really saying something! The three big cousins went ice skating while Amelie napped. They are all pretty good skaters, but apparently it is more fun to sit on the ice than to skate sometimes.

All the cousins spent time painting wood creations in the craft room. I love it when someone else plans and cleans up!

Elizabeth and Sydney were full of giggles as they played a game involving throwing plastic coasters onto stools. Full disclosure: they didn't make it up. Isaac did. And although all the adults tried too, my cousin Maija was the undisputed winner.

Amelie and Jordan skipped the coaster throwing and pretended they were frogs. Oh, the fun things you can do with a king-size bed!

Super-Cool Winter Pictures

2011-01-22T20:06:00.002-06:00

These are some pictures of me after a recent run. It was only 3 miles, but it was 10 degrees. It's the first time my eyelashes and hair have ever iced over! I was thrilled and very proud of myself. I spent the last mile hoping they'd show up in the picture I made Isaac take the minute I got home. Cool, huh?

Fooled You

2011-01-20T10:05:00.002-06:00

Amelie, after scribbling on an index card: "This my recipe. I need it to cook."
Me: "Oh, what does it say?"
Amelie, looking at me with condescension: "I no can read!"

Go, Isaac!

2011-01-14T20:10:00.003-06:00

Isaac is in Kansas City for a regional convention for his company, and he just sent me a picture of the award they gave him! He's really good at doing securities (a type of investments) for his clients!

(I apologize for the blatant bragging about my husband. I'm very proud of him.)

Good Morning!

2011-01-14T13:57:00.002-06:00

At 5:20 this morning, Isaac went into the girls' room to find them immersed in building forts. Elizabeth misread the clock. Think either of them went back to sleep? Nope. Apparently, that's how early birds roll.

Impulse Control

2011-01-13T16:17:00.003-06:00

The girls and I were talking about our plans for Girls' Night when Isaac is out of town tomorrow night. We decided on painting our toenails and fingernails for Breezy. This will be the first time we've given Amelie the chance to get painted. "Can you stay very, very still?" I asked her sternly.

"Yes! I stay still! Still, still, still!" she answered earnestly. Her answer might have more believable if she hadn't been jumping up and down in excitement, though!

Notes on Running in the Cold

2011-01-13T14:00:00.003-06:00

If I wear two pairs of socks, running tights, regular athletic pants, a tech shirt, Isaac's warmer running jacket, a hat, and gloves, I feel great in 8 degree weather!
Running uphill on an inch or two of loosely packed snow is very similar to running on sand.
Icy sidewalks require the same concentration as trail running. In addition, you have to maintain momentum, not slow down or speed up, and definitely don't change directions or you'll slip! Isaac went down hard once a couple weeks ago, but he runs on much icier days than I do. So far, so good for me.
St. Paulites do not plow their sidewalks very carefully.
It's still way better than running on the treadmill!

Just the Necessities

2011-01-12T19:43:00.003-06:00

I've been packing (very early) for our annual Breezy Point trip. Amelie has decided that putting things in bags and carrying them around the house is great fun, so she packed for Breezy too: three recyclable bags full of all her babies, their blankets, their bottles, and every pair of underwear she owns. What more does a girl need?

After a fun morning of packing and an relaxed afternoon baking banana bread in which Amelie was her normal happy (okay, occasionally whiny) self, she didn't eat a bite of dinner (not unusual in itself) and then sat on my lap without moving for 35 minutes (very unusual). I took her temperature, and it's 102.5. Poor kid! It came out of nowhere. We'll see how tonight and tomorrow go. At least we don't have any plans.

Help!

2011-01-08T15:14:00.003-06:00

Two is the age of initiative, which can be a very good thing. It can also be not so helpful. Amelie has begun helping unasked - something that I'm not sure we want to encourage! In the last week, she has

cleared a glass bowl of salsa from the table, across the white carpet at someone else's house - without being asked.
carried someone their wine glass that they'd left on a table - without being asked (I'm not sure if I'm more relieved she didn't drink it or break it!).
cleared a glass from our table at a full run across the wood floor and took a tumble, breaking the glass - without being asked.

Do you see a pattern here involving glass and helpfulness?

Oh, yeah, and last night she slathered herself with Vaseline. That was fun to clean up.

Scratch Homemade

2010-12-31T13:03:00.002-06:00

I just cooked chocolate and vanilla puddings from scratch on the stovetop. Elizabeth tasted, and judged, "They're good. They don't taste like real pudding, but they're good anyway."

Mom, I take this opportunity to apologize (yet again) for preferring boxed potatoes to your nice homemade mashed potatoes from scratch when I was little. I don't know what I was thinking. I must have been a kid like Elizabeth!

Ten Years!

2010-12-30T10:36:00.002-06:00

Ten years ago (in exactly 16 minutes from now!) I married my best friend. Whatever mood I'm in - content, silly, sad, bored, get-stuff-done-mode - he is the one I want. I never get tired of time with him. I always want to know more about his opinions, how he thinks, what he's processing. I respect who he is and what he does. He's always the same great guy, whether with me, his family, his friends, or his colleagues and clients. I am so blessed.

It was great at the beginning, and it's only gotten better.

Happy 10th anniversary, Isaac!