if it's pictures you want...

...here are a few cute ones! but you can find LOTS more on my facebook page, so look there if you want to look at more shots of these adorable faces!

today we had a few inches of snow, so the kids (minus jack) and i braved the cold wind and played in the backyard for a few minutes. we had a blast! the snow wasn't wet enough to make a big snowman, so we opted for a tiny "snow baby." eleanor chose leaves for the eyes, a pencil for it's nose, and a carrot for the mouth. luther promptly tried to eat the carrot, then peed on the snow baby...well, fun anyway! *grin*

the things they say...

Eleanor told Todd tonight she was afraid of giants. How does she know about giants?! Wise Daddy told her they were just pretend, and that she could squish them in her mind (insert sound effects and hand motion). Eleanor laughed, "I can?!" Todd said over the next 10 minutes she would randomly pause what she was doing and "squish" a giant! Poor girl, she must have kept having the thoughts pop into her head...but she knows what to do! *grin* On a more serious note, you would not believe the questions this girl asks about spiritual things. Like this one in the middle of the night recently: "But what if I don't like what God knows is best?" Or, "Will some people not go to Heaven when they die? Why?" What opportunities to talk about the Gospel and the character of God with our little girl!

Will is enjoying telling "jokes". Like this, "ABCD...Daddy Jack!" or "ABCD...doggie!" or "ABCD...lamp!" You get the idea! Then tonight he came up with a new one as were reading a bedtime story about dump trucks - "Dirty book!" He did get a good laugh from us on that one!

Jack, sweet Jack, his hair getting long enough to stick up like little duck fuzz, laughing and smiling all the time, content as can be.

All's well on the kid front.

Chit-Chat

A little conversation I overheard Eleanor and Will having tonight, after we tucked them in:

Will: Costco, Eleanor, Costco!
Eleanor: Maybe we'll go to Costco tomorrow, William.
W: Trash day tomorrow!
E: I don't know William, I have to ask my Mommy and Daddy.
W: What you doing Eleanor?
E: What are you doing?
W: Looking.

Made me grin.


Also, Jack rolled over for the first time today! And then he couldn't stop. He rolled 12 TIMES!

William and Too Much Birthday!

Today was Will's 2nd birthday, observed (really it's the 12th). He has been looking forward to it all week! "Birthday! Yellow cake! Macaroni and hot dogs!" he's been saying. Talking about the grandparents coming, Miss Amy, the presents, the birthday song. I asked him what kind of cake he wanted, not surprised when he said yellow, his favorite color! I of course added some chocolate, but there was plenty of YELLOW. When he came downstairs after his nap, we had yellow and blue balloons up, he loved them! When we served up the macaroni and hot dogs (per his request) he could hardly wait. "Excited! 'Caroni!" he said. Then the cake came. We dimmed the lights, lit the two candles, and sang. He soaked it in and began picking M & M's off the cake while we were still singing! Then, with a little help from Mama, he blew out the candles. THEN we realized that the video camera wasn't working, so we repeated. *grin* And he gobbled up the ice cream and asked for more, but decided to leave the cake, funny boy!
Present time came. He opened a few gifts, enjoyed them, wanted to play. And then the gift from Aunt Polly. A big box, "Love it! Love it!" William was saying even before he saw what was inside. He must have had a hunch. He pulled out a REAL trash can and two REAL orange cones....and the rest of the night was history!!! Obssessed, that's the word. And possessive! He transferred the cones and trash can up and down the hall, over and over. Took the lid off, put it on. Stacked the cones, unstacked them. He could not contain himself! "Trash!! Cones!!" He forgot that anyone else existed. Several other wonderful presents were waiting to be opened, but he couldn't tear himself away! It was so precious and so funny, a memory I'll certainly carry with me! Eleanor was trying so hard to be patient, waiting for him to open the rest of his gifts!
Then bedtime came. "This is not going to go well" - Todd's words, prophetic! I can think of only one tantrum to possibly rival this one. As he was being hauled up the stairs, we told him to say goodnight, and he complied, screaming through his tears, "NIGHT NIGHT JACK!!! LOVE YOU PAPA!!!" The drama and distress lasted a while. Eleanor had to join in by crying for more cake as we tucked her in. OH MY. Well, Polly, you hit a home run!! More pictures coming soon. I praise God daily for William, for his energy and his sweetness. I adore that boy, my boy. Happy birthday to my sweet Will!

On another note, I just finished sewing patches on Eleanor's Awana vest. SEWING. This is coming from the girl whose husband had to show her how to sew a button on! True story. I did sew once as a child - a pillow stuffed with DOG HAIR. Another true story. GAG!!! Anyway, I think tonight I started to redeem myself!

addendum

How cute is he?! This was supposed to be in my last post but didn't show up.

Bits and Pieces

A couple of weeks ago we visited our family in WA and had SUCH a great vacation! We all stayed healthy and the kids traveled extremely well. I packed lighter, getting the hang of this! We went to the Puyallup fair, where we ATE scones, saw a huge pumpkin, ATE BBQ, petted lots of animals, ATE ice cream, saw dogs do crazy tricks, ATE crusty pups, watched a great juggler, ATE more scones, rode the carousel...as you can tell, going to the fair involves eating a lot of amazing fair food! We played at the park and spent great time not only with the grandparents but with Todd's brothers Scott, and Mike and wife Julann, and new baby Nora - our first neice! She and Jack are just a month apart. I have a ton of pictures from our trip on facebook if you want to see more!


The kids are always changing, always doing or saying so many great things! This stage of life, as well as being somewhat tiring, is so amazing and fun and precious. Sometimes it hits me how fast it is going, and I want to hold on! Eleanor is truly a little girl - no baby left in her! She is a perfect big sister. I love hearing her talk to her brothers, sometimes using the same phrases/voices I use...a little mother! She and Will are such playmates...pretty inseperable. It is fun as Will's vocabulary expands and the two actually converse! Eleanor is also quite dramatic these days! And she can debate like no tomorrow! She asks some wonderful questions about Jesus and salvation. I pray that God is working in her heart!

William will be two in just over a week! His love of trash cans and orange cones continues. He thinks Todd can fix ANYTHING! "Daddy fix it" is a phrase he says often. He loves yellow, loves to jump with extreme athleticism, loves to tackle and hug his sister, wants both to hold and kiss Jack and also poke his eyes and squeeze his head! Loves "I spy" books and trying to find things faster than Eleanor. He is a great talker. He loves nicknames. He refers to his grandparents both as "Papa and Mimi" and "Grandpa and Grandma." In fact, in WA one day he pulled out "Grampy"! Very funny, he came up with it himself. Jack he also calls "Jacky", and Eleanor is "Ellie-boo-boo" and "Sister" as well as "Eleanor." A few days ago he even asked me for a "nanny" instead of a "banana"! We continue to have bloodtests for his blood disorder, and things are looking very good, praise God!

Jack will be three months this coming week! He smiles all the time - more and more lately at his siblings. He has started to laugh, enjoys baths, and sleeps throught the night . I recently discovered he loves books! He smiles and coos at the pages and has begun trying to touch the book and bring it to his mouth. He came to our church's women's retreat last weekend and was the perfect little snuggle buddy for me. God has blessed us greatly with all three of our children!

I have thought more and more lately about the culture we are raising our children in, praying for God's wisdom. I read recently that in 2008, almost 50% of children in our country were born out of wedlock! Society is changing in so many ways. And just yesterday, I was heartbroken in learning that in cases of pre-natal diagnoses of downs syndrome, 92% of babies are aborted. I am horrified at the "culture of death" around us. I wonder what the world will hold for our children, and I just pray and pray for God's saving power in their lives!

My to-do list is so elusive these days, but I keep learning that that is okay! Trying to figure out daily how to best "redeem the time."

This week we are looking forward to a visit to the pumpkin patch, and family in town for Will's BD. Should get some good pictures!

There's a tiny taste of my world. And now I'll finish the laundry, pack a bag for church tomorrow, feed my sweet baby, and hit the sack! Hopefully all THREE kids will sleep through the night, and the toy chiauaua in our neighborhood won't be making any nose in the wee hours of the morning!