The Children Have Grown...

Daniel was getting dressed yesterday and trying on shorts to see

whether or not they still fit.

The first pair: Daniel said, "These fit."

I said, "No, those are too short and look goofy."

The second pair: Dainiel said, "I know, these are too small."
I looked closely and thought, "What an odd fit."

I looked closer and said, "Daniel, those don't fit you

because they're William's jeans!"

He let out a loud laugh and said, "No wonder!

What were they doing in my drawer?!"

Ummm, sometimes the laundress does that. :)

Super Tuesday

So the kids are supposed to spend 10-20 minutes each day

reading up on current events. One day last week, I asked Kyle

if he had completed that. He really kind of hesitated before letting

out a "yes" that sounded more like a "no."

I said, "Really? What did you read about today?

Are you reading anything about the primaries going on

around the country? What's "Super Tuesday?""

He said, "Well...

Super Tuesday...

is...

when...

you get...

free pancakes at IHOP...

for National Pancake Day."

Huh. I had to give him credit for that one. Yes, they had just had free pancakes at IHOP in observation of National Pancake Day. :)

The Joy of Giving...

In families, as in the rest of life, there are those that like to

receive more than they like to give.

It doesn't take long to determine who falls into which category. The kids, also, quickly determine who is in which category.

Some children shop a month early for those special gifts, and some children "forget" and are so late that everyone just forgets about waiting for a gift.
We try to continually encourage those that like to receive more than they like to give to work on and recognize the joy in being givers.

Sometimes siblings decide to take this encouragment into their own hands.

This past Valentine's Day, someone shopped early and someone "forgot." But no worries, because the early shopper cheerfully told the "forgetter,"

"(Sibling name), I bought you a box of candy for Valentine's Day, but then I ate it. So don't worry about getting anything for me."

Perhaps I shouldn't have thought that was funny, but I did!

Fence Friend

So when you live in town, there are neighbors, and we moved in next door to Olivia. Daniel tends to be a more-reserved child (unless he knows you well), so this hole in the fence was actually a perfect way for him to feel comfortable talking to Olivia. It really is how they met and got to know each other. She's quite adorable, and if you look closely you can see her peeking through the hole. She and Daniel would share snacks with each other, talk, and play through that convenient hole.

Can you see her?

(Yes, I know the grass around that tree needed to be trimmed.)

One time they had made a plan to meet back outside at the fence and share a snack. Something changed, Daniel didn't make it back, and we found that Olivia had left a small package of goldfish crackers for Daniel through the hole on our side of the fence. Too cute.



They don't just talk through the fence anymore. They've played play-doh, baked and decorated cookies (in the kitchen, not the yard), and built many forts together; but they still talk and play through and over the fence. Many times when the weather is nice and the windows are open, we hear her calling Daniel's name from her back yard, and Daniel calls to her the same way. Sometimes Olivia goes in her back yard and sings as loud as she can, and we know that's her way of calling Daniel, too.

Christmas 2011

Yes, it's been over a year since I've blogged. Have you ever been/felt so behind on something that you've said, "Oh, forget it,"? Well, that's where I was, and I apologize. A lot has happened in the last year, and we're expecting a banner 2012 (LOL)! I'm just going to jump in, share pictures when I can, and not look back.

I'll start with Christmas! Jessica spent a couple days with us, and we really had a great time. We went to church on Christmas (Sunday) morning, then came home and put our jammies back on for "present" time. On Christmas Eve, we went to a candlelight service here in town. It was a sweet, special time for me, because last year at a Christmas Eve service in Alabama, I was pretty sure that I was losing another baby that I was carrying. I think I will always remember being in the balcony there and having a very hard time choking back tears, because of some physical issues I was having. So this year, I was determined to meet the Lord back at a candlelight service and praise Him for the little baby boy He blessed us with this past June. This was our first Christmas with William Truth.

Daniel's face in the previous picture reflects his joy over receiving socks in his stocking. :)

Jess made this blanket for William, and he shares great with his mommy. It is SO warm and cozy!

This box entertained William for the longest time. He just kept reaching for it and pulling at the paper. We did finally let him open the present.

Don't you love the "after Christmas" mess?

It was a sweet Christmas, but we were sad to not be with more family.

Maybe next year?

Yes, Daniel's still funny...

Brian and I were out at "Panda Express" to eat the other night with Elise and Daniel. We'd finished our meal, and Daniel was reading this sign on the counter that offered a free meal with the purchase of a gift card. It had a "Santa panda bear" on it.

Daniel said, "What does F-R-E-E spell?" We told him it spelled "free," and Brian said, "So now they're giving away free midget Santas with black eyes?"

Daniel's eyes got really big, and he said in that true-little-kid-at-Christmas fashion where their excitement draws out all of their words... "I want one!"

Daniel

At the library the other day,

Daniel picked out a lion movie and handed it to me.

I told him, "Daniel, that movie is in Spanish,

and you won't understand any of what they're saying."

He insisted that he'd like it anyway

so that he could learn to speak Spanish, so I agreed.

It was a little entertaining to watch him watch the movie.

We caught little bits here and there, but were generally lost.

When the movie ended, I asked him what he thought.

He hesitated a moment and said,

"Well, I may need to watch it one more time

before I understand it."