Great weekend, back to it at home.

We had our church family retreat this weekend and had a wonderful time! We were in Cohutta Springs (almost to TN) at a lodge. It was beautiful, Anna-Kate had a great time with here friends (and playing with all of the older kids out on the lawn), we had a great time of worship and hearing The Word from Dr. Richard Pratt, and the fellowship with other families was great. It's hard that we live so far from church, we struggle to really connect well with others as we are always rushing out the door to get the kids home for their naps.

Now we are back to normal and the swing of things here. I've been really praying about ways to save money and be a better steward of the things God has given us. So, I've been reading up on "couponing" through various sites. Today, for example, at Publix, I was able to bring my total from $100.96 to $74.82. Coupled with that is the savings I've had at Walgreens, and I am keeping my total shopping budget to $100 a week (diapers, cleaning supplies, paper supplies, toiletries and food). If I can cut $25 a week and save $100 a month that would be $1200 a year extra to put towards savings. That's significant!

In other news, Copper got attacked by a dog today. It was a neighbors dog, so we know he doesn't have rabies or anything. Both kids were outside with us when it happened, and, as I was screaming, Anna-Kate freaked out and was crying. Chris literally kicked the dog off of Copper. Copper's been pretty shaken up all night...and so have I. It was really scary...I think really I was scared because I didn't know what to do and kept thinking, "what if this was one of my kids?"

To lighten the tone....tonight Chris was reading a book to Anna-Kate and realized it was getting time to take a bath.

Chris: "Anna-Kate, it's 7:30 and time to take your bath."
AK: "No daddy, not 7:30, it's 7:49".

Ha.

Swingin' the ABC's

Ryan is finally big enough that he's been enjoying the swing--almost as much as Anna-Kate.



Anna-Kate enjoying the "big girl" swing, while it was Ryan's turn on the dolphin:



Both kids happy. Warms a mothers heart.



Chris' friend from work gave us the dolphin swing--and let me just say that it is a huge hit! Through watching playgroup I've certainly seen first hand that sweet adorable children are fallen, sinful human beings (not that there was any doubt, but anyway). Of course, every child wants what every other child wants at the exact same moment. In our case, this is inevitably the dolphin swing. So what's a mother hosting six 2 year olds to do? Teach sharing.

Super.

How can we do that with so many kids? We sing! All of the kids love to sing their ABC's, and it is just long enough that the kid swinging gets a full turn, then they all know it's time to trade after the song is through. Now, when Anna-Kate wants something, she says, "I sing my ABC's Mommy". I can't take full credit for this stroke of genious, another mom started it, but we have certainly continued it and spread the sharing joy through other playgroups as well. Try it sometime. :)

a continuation of my earlier post

When we went to get Ryan up from his nap, she climbed up on the railing to look in on him. He was on his belly and looked up, grinning, at her. She says, "o wow, Ryan need a trim Mommy". I said, "does he have crazy hair?" She replies, "o yes."

After I nursed him, I put him sitting down on the ground while I helped her go potty. We came back to his room and she saw a stack of clothes I bought ahead for next spring for him. She holds the first thing up, "o this is cute" then put it on his lap. Then, "o this cute too Ryan", and put it on his lap...continued through 3 more items.

We walked downstairs for me to feed him his solids. I said, "Ok Anna-kate, you need to play by yourself for a little bit so Mommy can feed Ryan". Her response? "I know Mommy, I know."

The world as seen by Anna-Kate

I walk in her room this morning (she's been awake for a little bit and her closet door was open). "Mommy, I want to wear new fall clothes." Seriously? I guess she'd been looking at them for a while. :)

While reading a book she sees a picture of a bull. "what's that?" I ask. "A baby" she says. "No, a bull, a daddy cow" I say. "No, baby bull--he's got a paci" (his pierced nose with a ring).

AK:"What time is it?"
JH: "Uh, 8:05."
AK: "Why?"
JH: Because that's what time it is."
AK: "why?"
JH: "because that's when you wake up"
AK: "Why?"...................

When she woke up from her nap yesterday, my Mom went in to get her. Anna-Kate said, "Nana, my daddy flew an airplane to work today." Pretty good memory I think.

Such a helper

Yesterday I was preparing to make a pot of coffee. I don't usually drink coffee in the mornings, but it was one of those mornings. Ahhh. Ryan woke up at 6:45 in hysterics. Forgive me, but I was unaware that hour existed, and am fully happy to forget it from this day forward--yuck. Anyway, as I was getting the coffee out Anna-Kate came running into the kitchen saying, "I help you Mommy, I help!". What sweet words! I was so excited at her enthusiasm and told her that I would indeed love her help. So, she dutifully dragged the chair over to "help" (aka being able to see and try to scrounge food within reach). Anyway.

JH: "I'm so happy you want to help Mommy make coffee".
AK: "No Mommy, no coffee. I make cake."
JH: "Well honey, it's morning and we aren't making a cake right now."
AK: "But I want cake...with iciiiiiiing." (the multiple "i's" are supposed to denote the whine...)
JH: "Well, we aren't' making one today, sorry."
AK: "but why?"

Please, use your imagination for how this conversation continued for another few minutes and then finally ended with, "because Mommy said so."

Glad to know she wanted to help... :)

Why Mama?

Yep, we're there. Here's how her bath went tonight.

AK: Why there bubbles in my hair Mama?
Me: Because there is shampoo in your hair.
AK: Why shampoo?
Me: To make your hair clean.
AK: Why that? (pointing to conditioner)
Me: To make your hair soft.
AK: Why Mama?
Me: Because I like soft hair.
AK: Why?
Me: Because it feels nice.
AK: Why soft?
Me: Soft, you know like lotion on skin--it feels good.
AK: Oh. Well Mommy, where's my heart?
Me: Right here (as I point to her chest).
AK: Why?
Me: Because that's where God put it.
AK: Why in here?
Me: To keep it safe.
AK: I need new heart riiiiiight here (points to her arm where giggles the clown painted one at the beach.

Tiring but funny

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Anna-Kate now "reads" books with me (ie, she has them memorized and quotes it as I read). So I was reading a Sandra Boynton "Dinosaurs" book. The words are:
"Dinosaurs early and dinosaurs later...
dinosaurs crammed in an elevator".

She said, "...dinosaurs cammed in belly later."

So, I guess I need to work on my diction.

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I can't begin to say how blessed I was by my children today. They were actually playing together, and it warms my soul and almost makes me cry at how sweet it is. Anna-Kate was lovingly hugging her brother, giving him kisses and sharing balls, rattles etc with him. He responded with continuous giggles as his eyes just followed her wherever she went.

She is crazy about him, and he certainly loves his sister! I keep hearing about babies' first word being their older siblings' name (as that's what they hear all day). Thankfully, Anna-Kate is a mouthful. Hopefully I have "mama" in the bag. :)

An American tradition! :)

Well, it's official. Our little girl had her first cheeseburger happy meal yesterday. She started singing the Cheeseburger song from Veggie Tales right before lunch time. Then, she got it in her head that she wanted to eat on as well. Chris was working from home--to save $$ on gas, and since our gas stations were out over the weekend--so off we went for lunch. I could kick myself for not taking my camera to McDonalds, but alas, I did not. So, here are pics from when we got home.

Showing me her happy meal:


Actually smiling for me:


I was trying to get a picture of her "prize"--Glenda (the good witch) from Wizard of Oz. Madame Alexander is doing the McD's toys right now. Glenda didn't make the picture in this self-portrait:


Here's "Glenda baby", as she is called:


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The second tradition Anna-Kate participated in is making an apple pie. These are the pics from last week in Macon when Mom enlisted help cutting out flowers and hearts for the top of the pie. :)