Mar 1 ~ Grandma and Grandpa Essington took the girls with them to a pancake breakfast over at St. Mary's School this morning. From what I was told, Nattie and Katie were sure to eat more than their fair share of pancakes!  Doesn't surprise me one bit :)  This morning/afternoon was Mommy's turn to go do some activities that she enjoys doing. I am blessed to have wonderful inlaws who understand my need to get out once in awhile!  It was a beautiful day outside, so that was nice. I drove over to Berean Bookstore - picked up a few new interesting books that were on sale and also bought something for the kids for Easter.  I also did a bit of shopping at Kohls and got a couple items of clothing and some earrings for myself.  I met up with my good friend, Sara Emberton, at Olive Garden for lunch. We talked and talked and talked over our delicious lunches and tiramisu.

     In the evening, Natalie helped her grandma make a banana cream pie - Nat loves to help in the kitchen, so she was in heaven. Both girls spent lots of time banging away at the piano and playing toys. 

 

Mar 2 ~ We fully intended on making it to church over at Calvary this morning. But both girls have had colds that have come and gone and come back again over the past month. Just when I thought they were better, they started getting sick again right before we had left for the trip to Illinois. So this morning was an "I'm not feeling well" morning - we decided to skip going to church with Grandma and Grandpa. I debated and debated whether to pack up and head back home or whether to stay an extra night like we had originally planned.  In the end, I decided that we'd all probably feel better in our own beds at home tonight. I felt terrible cutting the trip short, but the girls had not been sleeping well and for some reason weren't eating too well either (probably because they were sick and also they don't tend to eat much at other people's houses).  We did stay for lunch and Natalie also got to ride all through the mud and muck outside on the bigwheel.

     The ride home to Iowa wasn't as peaceful as the ride out to Illinois had been days earlier. This was mostly because Katelyn was not feeling good and had a hard time staying comfortable. But we did eventually make it home. Craig was a big help in ordering us all some pizza for dinner and giving Katelyn a relaxing bath before bedtime. Everyone slept pretty well that night, so I felt I had made a right choice when deciding to come home a day early.  Sometimes things don't always go as planned - and that is okay.

 

Mar 3 ~ Natalie had her dance class tonight. She has still been feeling under the weather on and off, but not to the point that I absolutely have to keep her from every single activity. Katelyn and I strolled through the library while Nat was at rehearsal. For some reason, Katelyn isn't super fond of the library - I hope that improves as she gets older.  Found a whole stack of books for Nattie to pore over the next few weeks.

 

Mar 4 ~ Craig called me from work today.  Pearson laid off about twenty employees this morning.  From what I gather, these workers didn't know this was happening until it actually did happen. Makes us feel lucky that we have what we have and that Craig has a good job right now.  Craig has worked late the past few nights.  He was actually going to work from home after dinner tonight, but couldn't get connected to his work computer...so he went in tonight and was there until three in the morning.  It's been awhile since he's had to do that - hopefully it won't be an on-going thing.

 

Mar 5 ~ The kids and I were all feeling very sick today. I ended up skipping choir this evening, but did have to run a few errands. Did you know they make a Vicks VapoRub just for babies?  It really helped both girls out tonight - awesome stuff!  Craig received his yearly raise at work. It wasn't quite what we expected, but it was still pretty decent. 

 

Mar 6 ~ Today was "pajama day" at Nat's preschool. Natalie opted to wear her purple footed pjs with the baby chicks all over them. She was also allowed to bring her "Ellie" (stuffed elephant) to school, so she was a happy girl. While school was in session, Katelyn and I drove out to Cedar Rapids to pick up her one year photographs. While at the mall there, we stopped at Bath and Body Works so I could use the gift certificate my brother-in-law gave me last Christmas - bought some Moonlight Path perfume...love it!  Kate got to spend some time with Mommy riding the escalator (wheee!) and a few of the coin rides - one in particular had the character Lowly Worm (from Richard Scarry's stories), so Katie liked that a lot. Craig played in a late basketball game tonight, so the girls and I had supper at McDonalds. I hadn't realized that they still give out those tiny baby ice cream cones at McD's - so that is our new free dessert when we eat there. 

 

Mar 7 ~ It has just been a difficult time for me lately...I'm finding it really hard to keep motivated and find the energy to do what needs to be done around the house. I'm also finding it hard to put into words how I feel because I'm just so overwhelmed. And these things affect not only me, but also my family - so that is not a good thing. When I have bad days I tend to do three things...pray to my Lord, talk with my husband, and talk with my friend Sara. Well, speaking with Craig and Sara just isn't enough anymore...not that they aren't helpful, but that since I can't find the right words to say I feel I've become a burden and it is frustrating. And I'm ashamed to say that I'm even too down to pray most days. I can see clearly in my mind the image of the person I want to be and the things I want to accomplish, but I'm just stuck. I feel I'm mainly being haunted by two things - my recent miscarriage and I also have some hurt feelings over some various relationships in my life (past and present). I know I can't change the past...and not even sure I'd want to since the past helps mold us into who we are.  I just want to figure out a way to let go of some of these hurts so that I can be free and be a better me - the wife, mother, friend, and follower of Christ that I'm meant to be.  So I reached out to a friend at church who gave me the name of a counselor she had met with in the past and I've made an appointment.  I am very leary of counselors - you just never know who you're gonna get and what kind of twisted ideas they may be feeding you.  But this lady sounds very promising - she has been doing this for almost twenty years and is a Christian. She also doesn't like to keep you coming back into her office any more than she feels is necessary - she wants to get to the root of the matter and provide you with the right tools to help your situation. That way you are not throwing away your time and money. I just need someone to talk to who is not directly involved in my life. And I'm running into literally handfuls of women from my church who have talked with this lady and have nothing but excellent things to say about her. So I'm actually looking forward to my appointment in a couple weeks.

     So yeah, I've been quite sad about the loss of our baby. I always knew that miscarriage was a possibility with any pregnancy and I knew that for some people it can be really devastating.  But I didn't really "know" if you know what I mean - I didn't have the real experience under my belt. For some reason I thought I'd get through this a little easier than I actually am.  I know the days will get brighter and I will be a stronger person having gone through this. I will for sure welcome any future pregnancies, but am also afraid because there will now always be the true anxiety of another miscarriage. Today I started my first monthly cycle after the loss of the baby...so it is a hard day, but I am also glad, because it is a sign of good health. 

    

Mar 8 ~ Our family went to church tonight and then attended Family Connection together.  After our time at Parkview, Craig drove us downtown Iowa City to a tiny restaurant called Oasis that he had been to recently with some friends. This restaurant is known as "the falafel joint"...which a falafel is kind of like a hush puppy but made with chickpeas and different spices. Not too fond of those falafels at all, but the rest of the meal was pretty good. Upon returning home, Nat requested that Dad play her in a few rounds of Hi Ho Cherry-O!

 

Mar 10 ~ Natalie had dance pictures taken in her recital costume tonight. They did both individual and group photos. Mommy had a little trouble figuring out exactly how the costume was supposed to be worn, but once we got to the rec center it all made sense!  Nat's group is wearing powder blue leotards that have some sparkle to them.  They also have white poofy tu-tu's, white gloves, pink stockings, and of course their pink ballet shoes. It was suggested to have the girls wear a little makeup so they don't look washed out - so Nat was thrilled to wear a bit of blush and lipgloss :)  It was also suggested that the girls wear their hair up in a traditional ballerina bun...I was sort of nervous with that at first because the "correct" way to style it is to have the bangs slicked back with gel so that you see the whole of the dancer's face. Well, Nat has short bangs so I wasn't sure I could get it to work right. But not only did I get her bangs back, but I also got her bun pinned back securely. I was shocked when her teacher asked if I "do hair"...she thought the bun looked perfect. I smiled, told her that no I did not do hair, and thank you - when really I wanted to laugh out loud and say "Me? Do hair? Have you seen my own hair?".  I just hope I can manage to do the bun that easily when the recital rolls around. Nattie looked absolutely stunning!  I just couldn't stop looking at her...she took my breath away. It was so fun watching the little girls hop around in their outfits and fidgeting around during the group photo.

     I started a new Easter tradition with Natalie this afternoon.  Actually, it will eventually be for both girls - Kate is too young right now. Over the years I kept seeing and hearing about Resurrection Eggs, but never bought them because my kids weren't the right age at the time. So this year I did get some - I think they are really cool and it appears that Nattie loves them as well. Basically it's a set of a dozen plastic Easter eggs.  Each egg has an object hidden inside...like a tiny cross, or a stone, or a miniature crown of thorns, etc. The objects, along with a booklet, help bring the story of the death and resurrection of Christ to life for children to better understand.  So I started out by hiding all the eggs around the house and having Nattie find them like it was an Easter egg hunt.  Then we sat down at the kitchen table and opened each one up to get a peek at each surprise. Then we put the objects back in their eggs. We'll be spending time on one egg per day...holding and feeling the specific object in our hands while reading about the meaning in the book and discussing together. If all goes as planned we will be through it by Easter weekend. It is so exciting!

 

Mar 12 ~ Oh yes, Katelyn now says "No" to us!  Good thing it is just so darn cute the way she says it...it comes out kind of in a sing-song tone of voice. Of course she doesn't exactly know when to use the word yet...like she'll say no to a cookie or a toy, but sometimes you get the feeling she does know what she's saying. For awhile now, Kate has also been standing fully erect on our children's sized rocking chair...not only that, but she does it while trying to get your attention by laughing and saying "Hi!". What a little stinker! :)  Meanwhile, Natalie dropped her baby sister for the first time today (there is always a first for everything in life). I didn't see it happen, but heard the thump and the wailing from poor Katelyn. Nat and I had a talk about how it's nice that she wants to be helpful and loving, but she is just not strong enough yet to be carrying her sister around. Sweet but scary!  We had a very busy choir rehearsal this evening preparing for this weekend's Palm Sunday services. My favorite part was gathering in a circle to sing At the Name of Jesus. That particular song has a lot of dynamics and just seems to produce an abundance of mental imagery.  We were having a difficult time hearing each other and coming together, so someone suggested we circle up. It was a great idea and reminded me a lot of some of the singing I did in college.

 

Mar 13 ~ It's been a trying time for me getting Natalie to preschool on time over the past month or so. We don't arrive extremely late or anything...just more often than not lately we've been rushing around and I get her there just as circle time has started. And I really do hate that because I don't want Natalie to feel rushed and I don't want to inconvenience the rest of the class. I think I've just sort of been in a cloud these days since the miscarriage. So I felt the need to apologize to Mrs. Fink today for our recent habit of lateness and let her know that I am aware of how disruptive it can be and that I hope to have it corrected when we return from spring break. She was really understanding about it and even stated just how well Natalie transitions from just coming in the door to sitting down and participating with her friends.

     While Nat was in school, Katelyn and I had a mom/daughter morning out together. We did some mall shopping, rode the carousel, and had our picture taken in the photo booth!  Katelyn is at the age now that she really gets into riding the carousel...just smiling and giggling and saying "Wheee!".  It's awesome. We happened to run into Emily Malone and her daughter Rebekah at Target. Stood there and had a pretty long conversation with her, which was really refreshing. Her family may be moving to Scotland by the end of this summer - what an adventure! 

     It was a really warm day today, so we were able to open our windows for a period of time - felt really good. Craig had a really full schedule today...he worked all day, went straight to basketball, and then right over to drive bus at the church.  So he didn't come home until super late tonight. We had Abe Lashmit over at our house for awhile tonight so his parents could go out and enjoy a date together. The kids had an excellent time playing. Later in the evening I received a call from a friend in Illinois - Mandi Birnbaum. We tend to just email mostly, so it was great to hear her voice. I'm hoping to get myself down to see her sometime soon.

 

Mar 15 & 16 ~ Choir sang over the weekend for Palm Sunday services. It was such a fun time glorifying God and singing praises with a group of amazing people!  There were a lot of us up there singing, too...the most I think we've had in quite some time. We sang Hosanna (which seems to have become an Easter staple at Parkview, but I love it), At the Cross, At the Name of Jesus, When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, Once Again, and The Power of the Cross. It was all just great music!  Kids choir was up there with us for most of the songs as well. I really enjoyed singing Once Again with some of the lyrics such as "Many times I've wondered at Your gift of life and I'm in that place once again...I marvel at this saving grace and I'm full of praise once again...I'm humbled by Your mercy and I'm broken inside. Once again I thank You, once again I pour out my life."  And then singing At the Cross with the awesome harmonies and the lyrics "At the cross where I first saw the light, and the burden of my heart rolled away.  At the cross I lay my burdens down."  We did The Power of the Cross at the end of the service with movie clips from The Passion of the Christ playing along with the music.  Very moving!  Choir had to basically refrain from getting too caught up in the clips or we'd be too in tears to sing. Craig said he was almost in tears himself. And I love that song, so it was great. The song starts with "Oh, to see the dawn of the darkest day: Christ on the road to Calvary." and ends with the lines "This the power of the cross: Son of God slain for us. What a love! What a cost! We stand forgiven at the cross!"  Wow...what a privilege to be able to sing for and about the Lord!  Not everyone has the freedom I have to do this and I am thankful for the opportunity!

     The Pierce family joined us over at our church for the last service on Sunday. Natalie was beyond thrilled getting to spend time with Lucas during Sunday school. Katie and baby Alyssa also did well in their rooms that morning.  Brian, Shawn, Craig, and I were able to sit together and enjoy the message. After church we all went to Texas Roadhouse for lunch.

    We had planned to just go straight home and relax after lunch, but as a last minute idea I decided to go to the mall with Natalie and spend some special alone time with her. Nat requested to go to the play area...so we did that for awhile and then had our pictures taken in the photobooth (just a fun thing I like doing with the girls once in awhile). Then we got some snacks and watched Horton Hears a Who at the movie theater. Both Natalie and I loved that movie!  We can't wait for it to come out on DVD.

 

Mar 18 ~ Tonight I drove the girls out to the mall to have their picture taken with the live bunnies for Easter. Daddy met us there after work. Both girls loved touching the soft fur of the rabbit! 

 

Mar 19 ~ Natalie and I colored the Easter eggs this afternoon. The coloring kit we bought also came with some zoo themed stickers, so she had a blast with that in the evening after the eggs had dried. I went out and about by myself for awhile after Craig came home from work. Trying to find Natalie a pair of dress shoes for Easter has been a challenge this year...it ends up that either the pickings are slim, the styles are strange, or they are just very uncomfortable shoes.  Nat is all about comfort these days. I ran across some bathing suits for the girls at a really decent price so I picked those up early...we'll probably be swimming at Denny and Wanda's in a couple months anyway, so I guess it's not too early. Also got a really cute spring jacket for Nat...I found it pretty funny to be buying both bathing suits and a jacket at the same time...that's midwest weather for ya! 

     I found Natalie sleep walking for the first time tonight. I happened to hear her voice and some noises from her room.  Went in there to find her standing near her dresser with the top drawer slid open. When I approached her and started talking to her I realized she wasn't truly awake.  She said something about looking for something in her drawer and then went back to sleep. I hope her sleep walking is just a short phase....my brother used to do it when he was young...though I haven't the slightest clue if he still does it or not. Natalie does tend to have what is labeled as "night terrors" from time to time. She'll wake up crying and saying she had a bad dream, but she never fully wakes up and I don't even think she knows who I am most times. That only happens every month or two, though. Staying on the topic of sleeping - our two dogs, Bailey and Brigit, are starting to fight at night on a more regular basis. They share a large cage in our basement at night and we've started to hear Brigit attack Bailey with lots of growling and such. So far no blood has been drawn, but we may have to separate them soon...I think they are getting grouchy and strange in their old age.

 

Mar 20 ~ I had my first counseling appointment this morning. The place I'm going to is called Keys to Living which is located downtown Iowa City. As stated on their website, they are a nonprofit Christian counseling agency which serves the local church and community by providing assistance based on Biblical principles for individuals and families to help them mature spiritually, resolve problems and become emotionally whole. Karen Harvey is who I'm meeting with...and I couldn't be more pleased.  She is very inviting and warm and gives great feedback. I found out she lives in Kalona and does attend church somewhere over there. Talking with her is kind of like talking to someone's mom at church. She explained how our sessions will be like "dumping out puzzle pieces from a box and then slowly flipping each piece over to reveal a whole picture".  She asked just a whole variety of questions in order to start getting to know me.  And of course she asked why I was there and what I hoped to accomplish. Basically I told her that I want to figure out a healthy way of letting go of some hurts that I carry inside and how not to take certain things personally.  And how to find balance when it comes to caring for myself and my family of four...how to love others who are not in my immediate family, but to be able to do that without feeling like I have to carry their problems on my shoulders. We touched on my expectations for others...I was relieved to hear that she thinks my expectations aren't out of the norm or grandiose...but to put it simply: you cannot change others - you can only change yourself. By the end of our conversation she mentioned that she thinks I have some issues with grief and loss, and that we will focus more on that next time. And she thinks that maybe some of the people I have trouble relating with may have their own issues to do with bonding and self absorption. She sent me home with some Bible scriptures to meditate on. Jesus was mentioned more than once during our session, which I really appreciate. She also prayed with me at the end of our time together. I left her office feeling very light and felt I was breathing easier. It's great to have someone to just open up to and get a constructive response. I think this is a good thing.

     Jill Lashmit watched the girls for me while I was at counseling. It was such great weather out this afternoon...Jen (the neighbor in back of us) was out with her two girls playing.  So Natalie and Katelyn played out back with Morgan and Macy for a bit. Kate was just sprinting all over the place!

     Craig's parents and brother showed up in the evening. They came out to Iowa to spend Easter weekend with us. It didn't take Katie too long to warm up to Uncle Mike, and Natalie was happy to show him what was in her Resurrection Eggs. Natalie and I did make it through all twelve eggs before Easter weekend. I think we both enjoyed it...I do think she learned some from them, but some things are still hard to grasp.  We'll dig them out again next year!

 

Mar 21 ~ It was a girls' day out at the mall!  Grandma, Natalie, Katelyn and I drove out there while Dad was at work and the other two men stayed home. We had some Taco Bell in the foodcourt, ran around the play area, and finally found a pair of Easter shoes for Nattie. I think Grandma enjoyed watching the girls run around the play area!  Natalie then got to play a little tee ball in the backyard with Uncle Mike and Grandpa. 

     Craig, Mike, and I went out in the evening while Grandma and Grandpa watched the kids. Craig's manager, Chris Moudy, was celebrating his 30th birthday.  So a group of friends and their families were invited to join him for dinner at Chili's. After dinner the men went out by themselves for the rest of the night. It was a pretty good time.

 

Mar 22 ~ This morning started off with getting the girls' photos taken at Walmart.  Grandma Essington loves getting some quick pictures of them in their Easter dresses...and I admit that I love the tradition as well!  Nat and Kate's dresses were very close to matching this year...just some slight variation. They each had dresses that were mainly white in color with two broad stripes along the bottom. Natalie's stripes were pink and green, while Katelyn's stripes were pink and yellow (the coloring reminds me of the marshmallows in Lucky Charms cereal). And they each had different embellishments running just above their waistlines that matched their stripe colors. They had matching white wicker-like hats adorned with pink ribbon. Katelyn is at that age where you can't get her to wear a hat...she likes hats, but only when it's her idea :)  So no pics of Kate in her adorable hat, but that is just how it goes ya know!  I did manage to get the girls into some light pink tights. Nat wore some pretty white strappy dress shoes and I found the most adorable white moccasins with sweet floral bows for Katie. The dresses tied in the back - a look that I just love. Craig, his mom, and I were with the girls for their pictures. Very difficult time getting them both to cooperate, but had a few decent poses by the end. Walmart was also doing a free photo with the Easter Bunny at the back of the store just like last year.  So we took advantage of that opportunity. Natalie had almost no fear this year and sat very comfortably with the bunny. Katelyn was pretty scared, so I sat with her for her picture. 

     After nap, the girls got to open up some Easter gifts from Gran and Grandpa E.  There were all kinds of new goodies. Some new outfits, books, Easter-themed jewelry, stickers, mini puzzles, bath toys, and other fun trinkets in brightly colored gift bags!  The big hit for Natalie was the jewelry and the slinky.  For Katelyn it was a big book with farm magnets. After dinner some of the family watched the original Here Comes Peter Cottontail on DVD.

 

Mar 23 ~ Happy Easter!!  Well, some people joked over the past few weeks about how the kids would be wearing snowsuits over their dresses and sweater vests this year come Easter morning. Very close to the truth - we did have to wear winter coats. It was cold and windy with a little light snow here and there. The whole family attended church this morning. Vocal team sang In Christ Alone, which is one of Craig's favorite songs.

     After church we all had a leisurely lunch at Outback Steakhouse. We sat at a big round table which was very cozy. Katelyn took a nap while Natalie watched Veggie Tales - An Easter Carol. Then it was time for Easter baskets from Mommy and Daddy!  I was able to fill their baskets for about seven dollars a piece this year, so I think I did pretty well. They each received two books (Sesame Street of course), a small soft brown rabbit, and a few pieces of candy. They also got these cute headbands with felt flower petals on them...I'm sure I won't be able to get them to wear silly, whimsical things like that in the future, so I better get it all in now!  Mommy and Daddy also gave each child their very own kite - a Hello Kitty one for Nat and a Winnie the Pooh one for Kate. So they'll be enjoying their first experiences with kites later this Spring! 

 

Mar 24 ~ We woke up this morning to a robin hitting our sliding glass door in the kitchen with it's beak. This went on for quite some time. We think it's probably a soon-to-be mama bird that has a nest nearby...most likely placed on one of the wood beams under our deck. So maybe the bird sees her reflection and thinks it's a mean predator bird.

     Today was a busy day. The girls and I ran a few errands, babysat Abraham for a bit, and Natalie had dance class in the evening. I've found a way to have a few extra minutes to myself during dance class. Since the class is only half an hour long, Katelyn and I have been relaxing in the parked van during that time. I turn on a video for Kate while I sit and read. It's really quite nice. We didn't have a very peaceful naptime in our home this afternoon...seemed like both girls were over-tired, but too restless to sleep. Part of it could be winding down from the exciting weekend with visitors (Grandparents and Mike)...and part of it could also be that Mommy really messed up last night. I accidently left the railing to Kate's crib down at bedtime - yes, she fipped right out and onto the floor!  Oh my gosh did I feel like the worst parent in the world!  Of course Kate seems physically fine (though maybe she's afraid to nap now), but to think of what could have happened!  I, myself, am traumatized so I'm sure I won't be making that mistake again.

  

Mar 25 ~ Today was "Silly Hair Day" at Natalie's preschool. So I took different colored elastic hair bands and made tiny ponytails all over Natalie's head. She giggled when she saw the finished product! 

 

Mar 26 ~ It was a mommy/daughter fun kind of day today!  We did a lot of stuff together. First we went over to Hills Bank to set up Katelyn's first savings account. Our other reason for going to the bank was to check out the baby chicks. Every year the bank has baby chicks in the lobby that have just been hatched. Natalie was allowed to hold one of the fuzzy chicks in her hands, while Katie got to pet the one that was placed in her lap. Both girls loved it so much. And the bank very generously gave each girl a shirt saying "I saw the baby chicks at Hills Bank" and a coloring book with crayons. After the bank we drove to Cedar Rapids to have lunch and fun at Chuck E Cheese. Katelyn's face lit up when the characters began singing and moving on the stage. She was pointing and saying "Wow" and "Look at that!" (which sounds more like "Dookit Dat!"). We enjoyed our pizza and then went to play some games. They've changed a few things over there since we'd last visited. They got rid of the little toddler area that had the slide and such...so that wasn't too great for Kate. They also got rid of Natalie's favorite lady bug stomping game - so sad. But they now have a new horse riding game which both girls like and a pull-the-lever big-ticket-winning game that Nat was a little obsessed over :)  We had a really good time. The challenge though was keeping track of both girls at once - Kate wanted to take off toward the show area many times. So one of the last things we did was devour some ice-cream sandwich and popsicle treats while watching the show again. I like taking Nat and Kate to Chuck E Cheese during weekday afternoons - it's not nearly as crazy busy as it is on the weekends. 

     I went out by myself for awhile in the evening while Craig spent time at home with the girls. He and Natalie watched the space shuttle landing on tv. Craig said that Nat was pretty fascinated by the whole thing. She told Daddy that she wants to ride in a shuttle someday...as long as he will go with her. Isn't that just the sweetest thing?

 

Mar 27 ~ Today we had some snow - big, wet flakes of snow. In the evening I brought the girls over to Coralville Rec Center. I had promised them we could go watch Daddy play basketball before league ends for this session. Katie loved watching all the action and was shouting and laughing. Both girls like watching Craig play ball...and so does Mommy :0)  It just so happened that Gabe Kroeger was there as well watching his dad play. So Nat was pleased to have a buddy to hang with. After the game, Natalie got to dribble the ball a bit. She even got to dunk the ball with some help from her father.

 

Mar 29 ~ Our family spent some time together outside of the house today. We had lunch at Lonestar. It seems increasingly more tiring and laborious going out to eat as a family these days. Just getting everyone settled and keeping everyone happy is hard work. Probably one of the reasons we don't go out as often as we used to...that and it's harsh on the wallet!  I'm sure many families would agree with me. Regardless, fear of hard work is no excuse for not going out once in awhile. It is still good family times!  After lunch we spent some time running off steam in the mall play area before making our way home for naps.

   On a side note - the girls discovered that the living room door that leads out to our garage is magnetic. So the new pasttime is whipping plastic farm animal magnets at the door!  As I stated above - good family times!

 

Mar 30 ~ This afternoon I headed out to The Spot. This was the second of three meals I helped coordinate utilizing our Hearts In Touch group at church. And actually, I didn't have to do a whole lot for this meal at all. A young mom from HIT (I want to say her name was Melinda...I feel so bad that I can't seem to remember her name) had signed up and enlisted her small group from Grace Community Church. These ladies did a superb job and were so delighted to be able to serve!  Many of them brought along their kids and spouses and even stuck around to take part in chapel. I brought Natalie along with me this time. Melinda (?) had also brought along her daughter who was around the same age, so the two girls hung out all afternoon together. When it came time for cleanup, Nattie was eager to help wipe down the tables...what a big girl! 

 

 

 

 

 

~ She tells me with confidence now that she's ready to get her hair cut. We've planned on doing it sometime after dance recital in May. Now I'm the one being wishy-washy and not sure if I want to do it or not. We probably will since it will be getting warmer out. It's just hair, right?  It will grow back.

~ We are still using the "rock jar" with Nattie (see Feb entries for clarification). It seems to work pretty well and she likes it. We've added a discipline chart to use along with the rock jar idea. We found that the rock jar alone was just a little unclear for Nattie...it takes so long to fill the jar that it starts to get boring. So we now have the "ice-cream cone" chart on our fridge. There are four scoops of ice-cream with a favorite activity written on each scoop...right now they are dolls & dollhouse, art activities, bedtime story, and tv & videos. Scoops get taken away with bad behavior and she loses each corresponding activity for the rest of the day. How do we tie it in with the rock jar?  If three of the four scoops are left by day's end she receives a rock (we give her a little room for mistakes by not making it all four scoops - no one is perfect), if it's an awful day with all scoops gone she loses a rock from her jar, and anything in between is just sort of neutral. Each morning begins fresh with a full four scoop cone. At least this way the ice-cream chart gives more immediate consequences, while the rock jar has her working toward a goal. It sounds a little complicated, but really it's not. We decided to post a picture of her reward on the wall behind her jar so that she can see what she is working towards. So I found a picture of Dora iceskating - Nat colored it and it's on the wall.

~ Nat has been really into her dollhouse lately. And like always, reading is a huge part of her day. She doesn't actually read yet, but remembers the stories or makes them up from the illustrations and then "reads" outloud.

~ She has been fascinated with my wedding ring these past few weeks. We talked about how the ring goes on the "special wedding ring finger", how the man places it on the finger, etc. 

~ She's always asking "Does Daddy go to work today?" and is totally bummed when the answer is yes. Also, if she's had bad behavior during the day she'll tell me not to tell Daddy. What a Daddy's Girl! :)

~ Nat can count all the way to 100!  I didn't realize this until Craig said he thought he saw her do it while his parents were here at Easter. So I dug out one of her counting books that has 100 objects in it and she counted each one. 

~ We were walking through Barnes and Noble the other day and saw they had a few stuffed elephants just like Nat's "Ellie" on display for sale. Nattie picked one up, sniffed it, and stated with disgust that it didn't smell like her Ellie. I thought that was pretty cute...that Ellie is so familiar to her that he has his own smell.

~ loves to help fold laundry - sometimes folds her dolls' clothes just for the fun of it.

~ She tries to be the little mommy with her sister sometimes. Once in awhile we have to remind her that we are the parents and to let us handle it!

~ She and Kate love to dance in their chairs in the car!  I'll look in the review mirror and see them just boppin' away to the music. A few times I've caught them doing a synchronized head bob - kind of like on that movie A Night at the Roxbury!

 

 

~ loves hats...especially this green fishing hat we have in the dress-up trunk.

~ has discovered the joy of hiding things in the kitchen cabinets. The cabinet under the phone is usually reserved for the green fishing hat, while the cabinet next to the fridge is where you'll find Raffie (stuffed giraffe) and/or Paci (pacifier). And if I ask her "Where is your ___?" she'll typically go right to the cabinet it's in.

~ enjoys throwing food on the floor or smearing it in her hair

~ Both girls love their music! More often now I'll turn on some upbeat music (typically children's songs or praise & worship tunes) while they play in the upstairs living room. Then during lunch I'll play something softer and more soothing to wind down with before nap. The Flanders family had given us a CD called Sing Over Me: Worship Songs & Lullabies when Kate was born.  I love it and so do the kids.

~ can put large beaded necklaces on by herself as well as some hats. Attempts to put on her own socks and shoes.

~ has started jumping and spinning in circles.  It is so adorable.  Especially the jumping...she squats down real low to get a good head start!

~ is starting to get into pretend play quite a bit...pouring with the teapot into a cup, rocking a baby, feeding a baby, requesting help putting on dress-up clothes, etc.

~ Kate can throw a temper tantrum like no one else!  She will kick and scream at the top of her lungs.  She will throw herself to the floor and bang her head.  She will even hold her breath in the middle of crying until her lips start turning blue. And all of this sometimes just because we've said no. 

~ She notices things out the window while we are driving in the van and points to them.

~ If I tell Katelyn we are going bye-bye she'll grab her shoes or coat and bring them to me and is so excited.

~ Her all time favorite song is still the Sing, Sing a Song from her Sesame Street DVD...she sings it constantly...sounds kind of like "See, See a Saw...La La-La La La..." But now she also likes Old MacDonald and sings the "EIEIO" part real clearly.

~ Katie gives great hugs with sometimes a pat on your back!  Once in awhile you will get a kiss and she'll say "mwah!"