How Do Your Drifts Grow?

Five hours ago...

3 hours ago...

Now... 

and there's no stop in sight.

Good thing I stocked up on toilet paper and chocolate...

Becoming 2

So princess #4 has turned into quite the little spazz recently.

It sort of cracks me up.

She runs around the house yelling, "AY-IE!!  AY-IE!!"

and then she'll collapse on the floor and throw her legs up in the air.

She follows me around, insisting she has poopy.

(I'm trying not to get my hopes up.  Haven't had an early trainer yet.)

She sleeps with about 100 stuffies in her crib.

I'm not kidding.

And she has to kiss each and every one of them and have them all 

"arranged" before she can go to sleep.

Even then I'll hear her for a good hour after I've left her room, talking to her friends.

 She must sit in her own chair at the table (no booster seat anymore!) and use real utensils.

She does not like me to help her brush her teeth.

She's started actually sitting still while I read her books.  Her favorite is George.  "George was curious!"

And as her command of language improves, she's become easier to handle.  She gets less frustrated, or at least isn't as quick to flip out.  She tries more words, works to make herself understood.

She's just... well...

well, I guess she isn't really becoming a spazz, she's just becoming 2.

Sigh.

Where did my baby go?

Interrupting Your Regularly Scheduled Winter

There is just something about nearly 60 degrees in JANUARY that is document worthy.

The sun is shining.

The windows are open.

Jack Johnson is blaring over Pandora.

Life. Is. Good.

(we just won't talk about how we're supposed to get snow next week....)

The Mouths of Babes

I thought it was going to be one of those defining moments in my life.

There we were, gathered around the table for dinner.  My 4 princesses and me.

It had already been a day... a day from, well, hell.

Day 2 of fevers and sore tummies.  Day 2 of snow and ice covering the ground.  Day 2 of being cooped up.

We were ALL done.

I'd already melted down once.  When I went to make dinner (waffles) and found that we were out of flour.

When it's already been a day from hell, something little like that can really set a mama off.

I was saved by a stack of waffles preserved in the freezer that I had forgotten about.

God's little nudge that it was all ok.

I salvaged myself and got us all to the table.

That's when princess #4 said in her sweet innocent baby voice, "pway! pway!" as she reached across the table for her sisters' hands.

I said a quick blessing.

And then it happened.

Princess #3 spoke up.  And in her wise 3 year old voice began:

"I want to pray to Jesus..."

And I thought, this is it.  I've come to my very end, I'm no longer able to manage on my own strength and God is going to speak to me right now, here at my dinner table, through my 3 year old.

She stuttered around a bit as she often does when her brain gets ahead of her voice.  You could almost see the wheels turning.

She began again:

"I want to pray to Jesus that on my birthday, I want Santa to bring me..."

Uh, hold on.  This is not going the way I thought it was.

"I want Santa to bring me a DS, pink phone, iPad, computer, and light up toothbrush."

Just keepin' it real.

Revisiting The Tiger Issue

A week ago or so I joined I'm sure hundreds of bloggy moms as I attempted to dissect and inspect the claims of Amy Chua that the Chinese method of parenting was superior to Western parenting.  And while I  wrestled with putting my thoughts into words, I thought I had adequately described my feelings on the subject.

Then I ran across this post.  Mama J is a Chinese Christian mama living in Singapore.  And when I read her eloquent letter to her son, I thought, "YES!  This is what was missing for me in Amy Chua's approach to parenting!"  Yes we push our children to be their best, and lovingly correct and guide.  But for a Christian parent, there is more to this life than being the best or earning accolades by your own strength or even just being a good person.  I loved Mama J's unique perspective on this issue and how she reconciled being both a Chinese parent and a Christian parent.

It's worth a look.  Let me know what you think!