The kids have been trying my patience enormously lately, so I thought it'd be a good idea for me to remember their charming moments. Good theory, right?
1. We came home from the grocery store one morning and Mac really wanted to play out front. Much to his dismay, I told him no, that I had to put the groceries up and couldn't watch him in the front yard. Cora then placed her hand on my arm and looked me in the eyes, "Don't worry, Momma, I can watch him for you!" Apparently that forty minutes headstart she has over her brother makes her infinitely older.
2. The kids invent words; I'm sure that's very normal. Mac often takes being a wordsmith to an extreme though, making up a word and thoroughly embedding it into his vocabulary. The past two weeks he's been using "ferociouness". It sounds like ferociousness but without the 's' at the end of the ferocious part. I asked one time if he meant ferociousness and was corrected abruptly. It means precisely whatever he wants it to, which is not ferociousness.
3. I've had a lot of talks with Cora about listening to her body. Your body will tell you when you need to go potty - don't ignore it! Similarly, your body will tell you when you need air when swimming under water - don't ignore it! (Explanation on the latter: she's highly competetive and challenges herself to underwater swimming contests; these don't always end well.) I walked into her room the other day and saw clean clothes strewn about. "Cora, why are your clothes everywhere?!" "I listened to my body and it said "NO" to these clothes."
4. Mac was holding a one dollar bill. "That's George Washington. He's our first President." And I smiled, surprised by his keen sense about money. And then Mac continued, "He went to the pyramid and came back with money." And my smile was swallowed by chuckles and a brief correction. Only very brief because I have no idea why the pyramid is there! Anyone care to educate me, to save me the time researching it later?
5. There are inherent differences between boys and girls. Raising boy/girl twins really allows a parent to see this since both children have equal exposure to toys (we don't enforce any gender particular rules when it comes to toys). That being said, Mac makes weapons out of things and Cora does not. We have a decent collection of lego duplos. Cora lately has been marrying off Cinderella to each male lego figure. Mac, instead, made "funeral spray". The spray, apparently, has a fairly obvious use: "you spray someone and they turn dead."
Showing posts with label humor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label humor. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Friday, March 28, 2014
7 Quick Takes
1. The kids, especially Mac, are at that funny stage in which they are infatuated by superheroes. They've never even seen a single tv episode or superhero movie (apart from The Incredibles) and yet they still are learning the character names and role playing. Sometimes, the details get a little mixed up. At lunch today, for example, I was informed that there are four Batman bad guys: Mr. Freezer Man, Penguin Man (aka Pink Man), The Liar, and The Joker. Amazing how a $1 coloring book impulse buy shapes my kids' imaginations!
2. Well, that was unusual. I just got called away to rescue Cora from the mini-blinds. She had somehow gotten the button on the back of her dress entangled in the mini-blinds. She offered no explanation as to how that occured...
3. I learned something truly delightful and edifying from the kids this week. You can make colored boogers. Step one: color extensively with markers, so much so that your hands become vibrantly colored. Step two: pick one's nose with said vibrantly colored fingers. Step three: marvel at the results. It should be noted that we were using "jewel tone" markers that day so the effects were extraordinary.
Sorry if number three grossed you out. I taught middle school for seven years and now have preschoolers. I somehow ended up in the land where people always find farts and boogers hilarious.
4. There are obvious downsides to having a Great Dane - he can clear counters easily, knocks the kids down accidentally, and leaves a trail of gargantuan muddy paw prints. I learned a new downside the other day. PSA - It is NOT a good idea to include the Great Dane when one is playing Hide n Seek. Normally he just barks or whines outside of whichever closet door I'm hiding behind. But Wednesday? Oh joyous of days, he got me stuck. I decided to hide under one of the kid's twin beds. And the dog followed me under there. And I got stuck. Dog didn't leave me any space for maneuvering. Had to have Mac pull me out by my ankles.
5. Speaking of the dog - I've incurred my first ever library fine because of him. He ate a book.
6. Bryan sold his motorcycle. It was bittersweet. He listed it Sunday and had sold it by Wednesday afternoon. He loved that bike but just didn't enjoy riding here. Texas heat. Large military base traffic. No riding buddies. Let it be known that I did not push him to this decision. He decided all on his own that it was time to part ways. The money is going towards his jeep and towards our next embryo transfer.
7. I better wrap this up before the thunderstorm gets here. The sky is getting progressively darker and the thunder louder. And I'm on the desktop right next to the window - prime storm viewing space. So, without further ado, WE HAVE OUR CONTRACTS!!! Well, at the time of this writing, we have received one already and the other one is coming (two separate families so two separate contracts). Just need to print, sign and get notarized, and mail back. And then those snowbabies will be shipped to us!!! (or rather to our clinic, but you get the idea...)
Friday, February 28, 2014
Friday Funnies
7 posts in 7 days link up - Day 5 (more than half way!)
Earlier this week, I spent one afternoon sitting on the driveway planning my preschool lesson while the kids pretended to put out fires. They wore their monkey and owl backpacks filled with fire fighting accouterments, protected their heads with fire hats, and rushed from emergency to emergency on their trusty fire scooters. No lives were lost, no injuries sustained thanks to the efforts of the Trusty Firefighting Duo.
For the last twenty-four hours, Mac has been calling Bryan and I "Dude". He's seen Finding Nemo before, but not recently. And he's never seen Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. So we're at a loss where he learned this term and why it's worked its way into his vocabulary. Example: I say, "Mac, go find your socks." He replies, "Okay, Dude!"
Parenting gone awry. The kids do a great job of saying "excuse me" after they burp. Unfortunately, I've also taught them to say "Now you have room for more food!" to the burper. Oops.
While the kids don't always nap, they do go down for "quiet time" for about an hour and fifteen minutes each afternoon. They're allowed to take one quiet toy with them in addition to an assortment of stuffed animals and books. Cora's choice the last two days? A scientific calculator.
Earlier this week, I spent one afternoon sitting on the driveway planning my preschool lesson while the kids pretended to put out fires. They wore their monkey and owl backpacks filled with fire fighting accouterments, protected their heads with fire hats, and rushed from emergency to emergency on their trusty fire scooters. No lives were lost, no injuries sustained thanks to the efforts of the Trusty Firefighting Duo.
For the last twenty-four hours, Mac has been calling Bryan and I "Dude". He's seen Finding Nemo before, but not recently. And he's never seen Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. So we're at a loss where he learned this term and why it's worked its way into his vocabulary. Example: I say, "Mac, go find your socks." He replies, "Okay, Dude!"
Parenting gone awry. The kids do a great job of saying "excuse me" after they burp. Unfortunately, I've also taught them to say "Now you have room for more food!" to the burper. Oops.
While the kids don't always nap, they do go down for "quiet time" for about an hour and fifteen minutes each afternoon. They're allowed to take one quiet toy with them in addition to an assortment of stuffed animals and books. Cora's choice the last two days? A scientific calculator.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
How God Communicates
7 posts in 7 days link up - Day 4
God is known in the Bible for communicating with/to His followers in a variety of ways. Gentle breeze, flaming bush, through the prophets, loud rebukes and gentle words from His Son - just to name a few.
But God isn't all hail and brimstone or serious, solemn words. Sometimes He has a sense of humor.
I go to Adoration every Thursday evening from 9:00 to 10:00. Maintaining a mental focus can be challenging for me, so I often will write in my prayer journal. Here's an excerpt from a few months ago.
"Of all the places to be late, construction traffic made me 15 minutes late to Adoration. I'm not really mentally prepped to be prayerful now after the rise in impatience and "stuckness" I felt. I had no one to contact, to alert to the fact that I was indeed coming, I was just sitting in a parking lot on the highway.
"Oh, Lord, You rascal You. I finally arrive, say hello to You and sit down. And smell farts coming from my chair. I'm really not sure what message You're sending me. I do laugh and my mood lightens. My cloud of gloom and doom disperses somewhat.
"This has been a week of frustrations. Tonight's traffic. Imagined and exaggerated feelings of judgment from a family member. Communication difficulties with our adoption agency. Inadequacies on being a mother, a wife, a teacher, a cook, a housekeeper, the list goes on.
"Perhaps it's the hormones talking. I've been increasingly high strung; tonight's 45 minute stroll through traffic did not help.
"Perhaps this is why I got the fragrant burst of "fart chair"? Didn't know Your sense of humor was so, well, juvenile!"
Have you ever heard the story of St. Teresa of Avila? I often think of her whenever I have a run in with God's "humor".
Fr. James Martin describes one well-known incident here: "And while Teresa’s spirituality was a deeply reverential one, her humor also evinces a kind of playfulness in her relationship with God. Once, when she was travelling to one of her convents, St. Teresa of Ávila was knocked off her donkey and fell into the mud, injuring her leg. “Lord,” she said, “you couldn’t have picked a worse time for this to happen. Why would you let this happen?”
And the response in prayer that she heard was, “That is how I treat my friends.”
Teresa answered, “And that is why you have so few of them!”
This story, one of the most well known about St. Teresa, is often told as a way of demonstrating the abundant humor of the saint. But it shows something else: her playful way of addressing God. Moreover, it shows her assumption of God’s playfulness with her."
Thank you, God, for sending levity into my day. You who made the stars and the moon and the oceans also made the smile and laugh. Help me to smile and laugh a little more.
God is known in the Bible for communicating with/to His followers in a variety of ways. Gentle breeze, flaming bush, through the prophets, loud rebukes and gentle words from His Son - just to name a few.
But God isn't all hail and brimstone or serious, solemn words. Sometimes He has a sense of humor.
I go to Adoration every Thursday evening from 9:00 to 10:00. Maintaining a mental focus can be challenging for me, so I often will write in my prayer journal. Here's an excerpt from a few months ago.
"Of all the places to be late, construction traffic made me 15 minutes late to Adoration. I'm not really mentally prepped to be prayerful now after the rise in impatience and "stuckness" I felt. I had no one to contact, to alert to the fact that I was indeed coming, I was just sitting in a parking lot on the highway.
"Oh, Lord, You rascal You. I finally arrive, say hello to You and sit down. And smell farts coming from my chair. I'm really not sure what message You're sending me. I do laugh and my mood lightens. My cloud of gloom and doom disperses somewhat.
"This has been a week of frustrations. Tonight's traffic. Imagined and exaggerated feelings of judgment from a family member. Communication difficulties with our adoption agency. Inadequacies on being a mother, a wife, a teacher, a cook, a housekeeper, the list goes on.
"Perhaps it's the hormones talking. I've been increasingly high strung; tonight's 45 minute stroll through traffic did not help.
"Perhaps this is why I got the fragrant burst of "fart chair"? Didn't know Your sense of humor was so, well, juvenile!"
Have you ever heard the story of St. Teresa of Avila? I often think of her whenever I have a run in with God's "humor".
Fr. James Martin describes one well-known incident here: "And while Teresa’s spirituality was a deeply reverential one, her humor also evinces a kind of playfulness in her relationship with God. Once, when she was travelling to one of her convents, St. Teresa of Ávila was knocked off her donkey and fell into the mud, injuring her leg. “Lord,” she said, “you couldn’t have picked a worse time for this to happen. Why would you let this happen?”
And the response in prayer that she heard was, “That is how I treat my friends.”
Teresa answered, “And that is why you have so few of them!”
This story, one of the most well known about St. Teresa, is often told as a way of demonstrating the abundant humor of the saint. But it shows something else: her playful way of addressing God. Moreover, it shows her assumption of God’s playfulness with her."
Thank you, God, for sending levity into my day. You who made the stars and the moon and the oceans also made the smile and laugh. Help me to smile and laugh a little more.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Optimism
Optimism is...
...bidding on not one but two baby carriers in a local store's seasonal closeout auction.
Umm.
Make that three. I threw a wrap in there too.
Perhaps I have a problem.
PS. A note to my husband, I'm not planning on being super competitive with my bids. But if I win any of these items, they'll be great deals. Though I imagine you're still shaking your head at me...
...bidding on not one but two baby carriers in a local store's seasonal closeout auction.
Umm.
Make that three. I threw a wrap in there too.
Perhaps I have a problem.
PS. A note to my husband, I'm not planning on being super competitive with my bids. But if I win any of these items, they'll be great deals. Though I imagine you're still shaking your head at me...
Friday, June 28, 2013
Evolution of an Imagination
From a parenting standpoint, it appears that speech and imagination are directly related.
In the not-so beginning, there were only a few words, parroting back what was heard.
Then, we progressed on to more and more words, phrases and sentences even, strung together by growing minds.
Creative play began to grow, initially repeating things seen on tv or read in books. We were (and still are) constantly amazed by the amount of information toddler brains can retain.
And then true original thought emerged. Stories we had never heard before, elaborate playscapes created out of blankets or an old shoelace. Despite what you read here, we do give them real toys too, I promise!
When they're not at each other's throats, these two nearly-three year olds have some amazing adventures together.
Wednesday - I filled up a 3.5 gallon bucket of water for the kids to play with on the back porch. The kids alternated who was being Jesus, washing each other's feet. "Momma, we're being Jesus, just like He washed the Apostles' feet!"
Thursday - clad in rain boots and fireman hats, carrying fireman axes and an ever trusty "rope" (the aforementioned shoelace), the kids hunted dragons for a good hour. The story line changed a little as the play progressed. Sometimes the dragons were good, sometimes the dragons were bad. And occasionally, the twins became dragons and came to roar at me while I was cooking dinner.
Friday - The kids like it when Bryan or I pretend to sleep and then wake up having a bad dream. Cora and Mac will then rush over, ask us what our dream was about, pat us soothingly, and then tell us to go back to sleep.
Episode 1: I "dreamed" I was a bird in a nest and a big cat was coming to eat me. My protectors yelled "kill it!" and rushed away to get "poison". They proceeded to climb on the bed carrying their "poison"-filled teacups and hurled the potion at the ceiling fan, saving me from all predators. we're not a violent family; I don't routinely, or really ever shout out "kill it!"
Episode 2: Mac pretended to have a bad dream. "Momma, Momma, I dreamed I was a bowl of ice cream and someone was trying to eat me!"
I'm watching brains grow and minds develop. And it's incredible.
In the not-so beginning, there were only a few words, parroting back what was heard.
Then, we progressed on to more and more words, phrases and sentences even, strung together by growing minds.
Creative play began to grow, initially repeating things seen on tv or read in books. We were (and still are) constantly amazed by the amount of information toddler brains can retain.
And then true original thought emerged. Stories we had never heard before, elaborate playscapes created out of blankets or an old shoelace. Despite what you read here, we do give them real toys too, I promise!
When they're not at each other's throats, these two nearly-three year olds have some amazing adventures together.
Wednesday - I filled up a 3.5 gallon bucket of water for the kids to play with on the back porch. The kids alternated who was being Jesus, washing each other's feet. "Momma, we're being Jesus, just like He washed the Apostles' feet!"
Thursday - clad in rain boots and fireman hats, carrying fireman axes and an ever trusty "rope" (the aforementioned shoelace), the kids hunted dragons for a good hour. The story line changed a little as the play progressed. Sometimes the dragons were good, sometimes the dragons were bad. And occasionally, the twins became dragons and came to roar at me while I was cooking dinner.
Friday - The kids like it when Bryan or I pretend to sleep and then wake up having a bad dream. Cora and Mac will then rush over, ask us what our dream was about, pat us soothingly, and then tell us to go back to sleep.
Episode 1: I "dreamed" I was a bird in a nest and a big cat was coming to eat me. My protectors yelled "kill it!" and rushed away to get "poison". They proceeded to climb on the bed carrying their "poison"-filled teacups and hurled the potion at the ceiling fan, saving me from all predators. we're not a violent family; I don't routinely, or really ever shout out "kill it!"
Episode 2: Mac pretended to have a bad dream. "Momma, Momma, I dreamed I was a bowl of ice cream and someone was trying to eat me!"
I'm watching brains grow and minds develop. And it's incredible.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Green Light!
It's amazing how easily children's poems get absorbed into my brain. "Green is go and red is stop. Yellow is peaches with cream on top..."
The HSG slides were found, misfiled in the office. I've longed to share this good news with you, but we made a last minute decision to visit the grandparents over the weekend. And I hate typing on the ipad which meant the news had to wait. So, a belated THANK YOU for your prayers!
Last Wednesday was my final day on birth control. Today is cycle day two (hopefully last cycle for oh, at least eighteen months!) and the first day of estradiol (a form of oral estrogen). I had my baseline sonogram this morning and everything looks as it should.
I had my pill bottle on the kitchen table during lunch and, after questions, explained to the kids that this is one of the medicines I have to take to get my tummy ready for the baby seeds. There was some initial confusion, as Cora thought these little blue pills were the baby seeds. "No, no," I explained, "Momma and Daddy will go to the doctor in two and a half weeks and then the doctor will put the baby seeds in my tummy. And then a few weeks later, you and Mac can come with us to the doctor to find out how many babies are growing."
We have more of a timeline now:
April 27 - increase daily estradiol
May 6 - next sonogram in Austin (another uterine lining check to see that everything's cooperative)
May 7 - begin progesterone (vaginal suppositories this time as opposed to the injections from our previous transfers)
May 10 - Day three Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) in Austin (all three embryos, assuming they survive the thaw, will be transferred) Since these are day three embryos and we're doing a day three transfer, I assume the embryos will be thawed that morning and our transfer will be mid-morning or early afternoon.
Appx May 21 - Official pregnancy test, at a local lab
May 24 - MOVE
Week of June 10 - Pregnancy sonogram in Austin (first head-count!)
And then June 18 - 19, our tenth anniversary trip to Sinya. Even if we do nothing for those few days, the getaway will still be wonderful, and much needed!
As a side note on this post's title: The kids love playing "Red Light Green Light" on their bikes. They can correctly tell you that red light means stop, yellow means slow, and green means go. However, on their bikes, green means go, yellow means slow, and red means as fast as you can go. And then Momma will turn on her "sirens" and chase you and give you a ticket. They've been even more interested in this game since I recently had some, ahem, real life ticket experience. speeding, not running a light, and no sirens were used. And I was very compliant, unlike Cora and Mac when I pull them over.
The HSG slides were found, misfiled in the office. I've longed to share this good news with you, but we made a last minute decision to visit the grandparents over the weekend. And I hate typing on the ipad which meant the news had to wait. So, a belated THANK YOU for your prayers!
Last Wednesday was my final day on birth control. Today is cycle day two (hopefully last cycle for oh, at least eighteen months!) and the first day of estradiol (a form of oral estrogen). I had my baseline sonogram this morning and everything looks as it should.
I had my pill bottle on the kitchen table during lunch and, after questions, explained to the kids that this is one of the medicines I have to take to get my tummy ready for the baby seeds. There was some initial confusion, as Cora thought these little blue pills were the baby seeds. "No, no," I explained, "Momma and Daddy will go to the doctor in two and a half weeks and then the doctor will put the baby seeds in my tummy. And then a few weeks later, you and Mac can come with us to the doctor to find out how many babies are growing."
We have more of a timeline now:
April 27 - increase daily estradiol
May 6 - next sonogram in Austin (another uterine lining check to see that everything's cooperative)
May 7 - begin progesterone (vaginal suppositories this time as opposed to the injections from our previous transfers)
May 10 - Day three Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) in Austin (all three embryos, assuming they survive the thaw, will be transferred) Since these are day three embryos and we're doing a day three transfer, I assume the embryos will be thawed that morning and our transfer will be mid-morning or early afternoon.
Appx May 21 - Official pregnancy test, at a local lab
May 24 - MOVE
Week of June 10 - Pregnancy sonogram in Austin (first head-count!)
And then June 18 - 19, our tenth anniversary trip to Sinya. Even if we do nothing for those few days, the getaway will still be wonderful, and much needed!
As a side note on this post's title: The kids love playing "Red Light Green Light" on their bikes. They can correctly tell you that red light means stop, yellow means slow, and green means go. However, on their bikes, green means go, yellow means slow, and red means as fast as you can go. And then Momma will turn on her "sirens" and chase you and give you a ticket. They've been even more interested in this game since I recently had some, ahem, real life ticket experience. speeding, not running a light, and no sirens were used. And I was very compliant, unlike Cora and Mac when I pull them over.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Matching - First Attempt
I have a confession to make. I want so badly to "control" the adoption process, especially the matching phase, that I will sometimes look at "Waiting Family" page multiple times a day, in the off chance that there's an update. Though there aren't many postings that actually fit our criteria, it doesn't stop me from neurotically checking and rechecking. I should be doing things like stepping back and letting the agency place us and spend my time in prayer or something else productive, like cleaning the house or folding the ever growing pile of clean laundry. It's almost an addiction now - I can't stop.
My behavior is somewhat contradictory. I do still trust that we will end up with precisely the embryos that God intends us to have. I can look back at my life and our nearly ten years of marriage and clearly see God's hand guiding us. So why am I still struggling for control?
We were given our first matches (yes, plural) last Monday. Have I mentioned how quick this was? Matching interview January 24 and we received our first matches February 11!! After much discussion and prayer, we ended up turning down one family while "keeping" the other. The family medical history was more serious than our family could potentially handle. And now we're waiting again for an additional match.
The tentative game plan is to do the embryo transfer either April or May. We'll only thaw and transfer one set of embryos and come back to the second set later.
On a slightly different note, I have another secret to confess. I found the twins' genetic mother on face.book. It's a convoluted story of how I found her considering I didn't even know her last name or where she lives. And I wasn't even looking - the situation just presented itself. Impulsively I face.book messaged her. A week or two went by and I forgot about it. Until this morning, when I saw that she had responded. I don't really know what expectations the two of us have for future communication. So far, we've both gently reached out and said hello.
I am thrilled by this contact whatever may happen with it. I've felt a surprising joy in seeing a few pictures of the twins' genetic siblings. Cora and Mac are similiar, but still unique. And Mac has the only set of blue eyes out of the bunch.
It amuses me to no end that Cora is nearly as baby crazy as I am, though she expresses it differently. I pine silently. Her baby crazy desires are tempered by her shyness in public, but she wants to hold every baby she can. In the meanwhile, Cora keeps trying to call Mac her baby and get him to sit in her lap. As they are the same size and he's usually resistant towards sisterly affection, this doesn't go over too well.
My behavior is somewhat contradictory. I do still trust that we will end up with precisely the embryos that God intends us to have. I can look back at my life and our nearly ten years of marriage and clearly see God's hand guiding us. So why am I still struggling for control?
We were given our first matches (yes, plural) last Monday. Have I mentioned how quick this was? Matching interview January 24 and we received our first matches February 11!! After much discussion and prayer, we ended up turning down one family while "keeping" the other. The family medical history was more serious than our family could potentially handle. And now we're waiting again for an additional match.
The tentative game plan is to do the embryo transfer either April or May. We'll only thaw and transfer one set of embryos and come back to the second set later.
On a slightly different note, I have another secret to confess. I found the twins' genetic mother on face.book. It's a convoluted story of how I found her considering I didn't even know her last name or where she lives. And I wasn't even looking - the situation just presented itself. Impulsively I face.book messaged her. A week or two went by and I forgot about it. Until this morning, when I saw that she had responded. I don't really know what expectations the two of us have for future communication. So far, we've both gently reached out and said hello.
I am thrilled by this contact whatever may happen with it. I've felt a surprising joy in seeing a few pictures of the twins' genetic siblings. Cora and Mac are similiar, but still unique. And Mac has the only set of blue eyes out of the bunch.
It amuses me to no end that Cora is nearly as baby crazy as I am, though she expresses it differently. I pine silently. Her baby crazy desires are tempered by her shyness in public, but she wants to hold every baby she can. In the meanwhile, Cora keeps trying to call Mac her baby and get him to sit in her lap. As they are the same size and he's usually resistant towards sisterly affection, this doesn't go over too well.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Two and a Half
Well, the two and a half marker has come and gone. I took kid measurements on almost the right day and am posting in the right month. Maybe I get some sort of honorable mention mommy award?
Both kids are just over 39 inches tall and 42 pounds. They wear mostly 5T clothes. The sleeves are a little long in some shirts and the pants often need to be cuffed, but nothing smaller will fit their shoulders/ribs/hips. It truly amazes me how close in size these two continue to be. Oh, and they're potty trained! Well, at least potty trained enough that our diapering budget has been GREATLY reduced. And I'm becoming familiar with the location of every public restroom in every building we frequent.
Two and a half year olds are pretty hilarious, when they're not encouraging your hair to turn white (let's not look too closely at the hair at my temples) or making you foam at the mouth.
These kids love to sing, including theme songs to their favorite tv shows. We often sing a parody of a Cat in the Hat song at lunchtime: "Trees, trees, glorious trees" becomes "cheese, cheese, glorious cheese". Cora gave it her own twist today and came waltzing out of the master closet singing "shoes, shoes, glorious shoes" - two pairs of high heels completed her ensemble.
Mac's memory is incredible. He's started giving me directions to stores when we're out driving. Including stores he's only been to once before. Conversation with him can be somewhat a nightmare, due to his memory and random associations. He spent a good five minutes the other day detailing a whole list of things he wanted to see. I eventually realized he was describing the posters in the story room at the library - we haven't been there in over a month.
He and Cora were pretending to be doctors the other day when Mac announced, "I'm Doctor B____!" I racked my brain, furiously going over the list of all tv doctors I could think trying to decide where this name came from. And then I realized that's the name of his actual pediatrician. Whom he's seen twice since we moved here in June.
We love the Brother Francis videos at our house. Santa put "Let's Pray" and "The Eucharist" in the kids' stockings. Not only do we now hear the Our Father sung day in and day out while the kids play, but they're reenacting scenes from the movies, especially the saint portrayals. "Blessed Imelda wasn't big enough to receive Jesus. I'm not either." Holding up a sandwich a lunch, "This is the Lamb of God, the Eucharist". They'll often use Cora's tea set as a set of chalices, patens, and ciborium and set up the microwave in their kitchen as a tabernacle. It's not unusual to see one or both of them kneeling in front of their kitchen, "I'm praying like Blessed Imelda!"
Books come to life regularly. I love listening to them read books to themselves. Where the Wild Things Are and Going on a Bear Hunt are current favorites. Oh, and Tikki Tikki Tembo (ever read that book? Can you still recite the older brother's name? Passing on a legacy here - first my siblings and I could say his name, now my kids can rattle it off - Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo!)
And then there are the bikes.
Cora and Mac each received a balance bike for Christmas. And they LOVE them. As long as the bikes stay clean, they can even ride them inside. These aren't just any ordinary bikes, though, they double as motorcycles. Routinely, the kids will put on their "Army clothes" and back their "motorcycles" down the driveway. They'll ride madly to some other driveway and then stop and "exercise". Then they come back to "take a shower" and then they get back on their "motorcycles" and ride to their "offices". And then it's time for a lunch break and off they zoom to a "restaurant". Any guesses who they're imitating?
Two and a half is exhausting, exhilarating, and hilarious. Sometimes I feel like I need a coffee iv put in. Other times I feel I need to just sit back and watch the circus perform. And every day I thank God for the joy these two bring to my life.
Both kids are just over 39 inches tall and 42 pounds. They wear mostly 5T clothes. The sleeves are a little long in some shirts and the pants often need to be cuffed, but nothing smaller will fit their shoulders/ribs/hips. It truly amazes me how close in size these two continue to be. Oh, and they're potty trained! Well, at least potty trained enough that our diapering budget has been GREATLY reduced. And I'm becoming familiar with the location of every public restroom in every building we frequent.
Two and a half year olds are pretty hilarious, when they're not encouraging your hair to turn white (let's not look too closely at the hair at my temples) or making you foam at the mouth.
These kids love to sing, including theme songs to their favorite tv shows. We often sing a parody of a Cat in the Hat song at lunchtime: "Trees, trees, glorious trees" becomes "cheese, cheese, glorious cheese". Cora gave it her own twist today and came waltzing out of the master closet singing "shoes, shoes, glorious shoes" - two pairs of high heels completed her ensemble.
Mac's memory is incredible. He's started giving me directions to stores when we're out driving. Including stores he's only been to once before. Conversation with him can be somewhat a nightmare, due to his memory and random associations. He spent a good five minutes the other day detailing a whole list of things he wanted to see. I eventually realized he was describing the posters in the story room at the library - we haven't been there in over a month.
He and Cora were pretending to be doctors the other day when Mac announced, "I'm Doctor B____!" I racked my brain, furiously going over the list of all tv doctors I could think trying to decide where this name came from. And then I realized that's the name of his actual pediatrician. Whom he's seen twice since we moved here in June.
We love the Brother Francis videos at our house. Santa put "Let's Pray" and "The Eucharist" in the kids' stockings. Not only do we now hear the Our Father sung day in and day out while the kids play, but they're reenacting scenes from the movies, especially the saint portrayals. "Blessed Imelda wasn't big enough to receive Jesus. I'm not either." Holding up a sandwich a lunch, "This is the Lamb of God, the Eucharist". They'll often use Cora's tea set as a set of chalices, patens, and ciborium and set up the microwave in their kitchen as a tabernacle. It's not unusual to see one or both of them kneeling in front of their kitchen, "I'm praying like Blessed Imelda!"
Books come to life regularly. I love listening to them read books to themselves. Where the Wild Things Are and Going on a Bear Hunt are current favorites. Oh, and Tikki Tikki Tembo (ever read that book? Can you still recite the older brother's name? Passing on a legacy here - first my siblings and I could say his name, now my kids can rattle it off - Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo!)
And then there are the bikes.
Cora and Mac each received a balance bike for Christmas. And they LOVE them. As long as the bikes stay clean, they can even ride them inside. These aren't just any ordinary bikes, though, they double as motorcycles. Routinely, the kids will put on their "Army clothes" and back their "motorcycles" down the driveway. They'll ride madly to some other driveway and then stop and "exercise". Then they come back to "take a shower" and then they get back on their "motorcycles" and ride to their "offices". And then it's time for a lunch break and off they zoom to a "restaurant". Any guesses who they're imitating?
Two and a half is exhausting, exhilarating, and hilarious. Sometimes I feel like I need a coffee iv put in. Other times I feel I need to just sit back and watch the circus perform. And every day I thank God for the joy these two bring to my life.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Oh the craziness that is my brain
I can't say that I worked constantly on our home study. It was more like a few days on and a few days off. With the exception of a few details coming from other sources, I'm done with the bulk of the paperwork. Woohoo!
Between working on our paperwork and hearing a constant stream of birth/pregnancy announcements, babies have been on my mind. A lot.
I've always had vivid dreams. It's no surprise that babies and/or embryo adoption has worked its way into my dreams, albeit in a bizarre fashion.
Last night's dream started with me and Bryan completing some sort of obstacle course. The final leg, I completed by myself - dangling from wooden handholds while suspended over water. We finished triumphantly and then moved on to the fertility clinic. There I was greeted by some Southern belles bustling about and counseling me on good dental care. They cleaned my teeth for me, chattering away about how sparkling teeth are of utmost importance for an embryo transfer.
The chatter never ceased as I was ushered into the transfer room. Apparently a match had been made for me - I knew absolutely nothing about the embryos. I kept requesting more information on the embryos and the genetic family, but I only kept hearing the same generic info from the smiley blank faces over and over. Three embryos, two blasts and one the next stage. "There's a next stage?" I'd ask. "Oh, honey, of course there is!" And that'd be all the information I got.
Transfer occurred. Next thing I knew, I was repacking my bags hurridly, trying to leave the resort before I was charged for an extra day. A nurse strolled in, "Sorry, dear, the embryos didn't survive the transfer. You're not pregnant." And I was left gaping, holding mismatched socks.
"How can that be? You just performed the transfer!"
The nurse strolled back out as I was protesting that it was simply too soon to know the results of a transfer.
I resumed my frantic packing, thinking this was the weirdest resort I'd ever stayed in. And thinking I didn't like how this transfer went down. At least my teeth were clean.
Between working on our paperwork and hearing a constant stream of birth/pregnancy announcements, babies have been on my mind. A lot.
I've always had vivid dreams. It's no surprise that babies and/or embryo adoption has worked its way into my dreams, albeit in a bizarre fashion.
Last night's dream started with me and Bryan completing some sort of obstacle course. The final leg, I completed by myself - dangling from wooden handholds while suspended over water. We finished triumphantly and then moved on to the fertility clinic. There I was greeted by some Southern belles bustling about and counseling me on good dental care. They cleaned my teeth for me, chattering away about how sparkling teeth are of utmost importance for an embryo transfer.
The chatter never ceased as I was ushered into the transfer room. Apparently a match had been made for me - I knew absolutely nothing about the embryos. I kept requesting more information on the embryos and the genetic family, but I only kept hearing the same generic info from the smiley blank faces over and over. Three embryos, two blasts and one the next stage. "There's a next stage?" I'd ask. "Oh, honey, of course there is!" And that'd be all the information I got.
Transfer occurred. Next thing I knew, I was repacking my bags hurridly, trying to leave the resort before I was charged for an extra day. A nurse strolled in, "Sorry, dear, the embryos didn't survive the transfer. You're not pregnant." And I was left gaping, holding mismatched socks.
"How can that be? You just performed the transfer!"
The nurse strolled back out as I was protesting that it was simply too soon to know the results of a transfer.
I resumed my frantic packing, thinking this was the weirdest resort I'd ever stayed in. And thinking I didn't like how this transfer went down. At least my teeth were clean.
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