Kadie Lost Her Tooth

Finally lost the first tooth. She has been waiting for a long time as everyone else in her class has lost a tooth. It is amazing how little those baby teeth look when they fall out and how huge their big teeth look. She is a happy girl.

Hard to see but she lost the bottom right center tooth. Growing up!

Miny Miracles

Kadie actually let me teach her something this morning! She was doing her Math Minute (in the morning at the breakfast table because I cannot keep up with 1st grade homework) and she was basically just guessing. Math minute is to help kids speed up their addition facts, however you first need to know your facts which she does not. Anyway, she was guessing wrong so I taught her some simple addition tricks. The mini miracle is that she listened and then..... music to my mommy ears....said "Hey Mom, you actually know how to do this!" Yep. The sayings is true, what goes around comes around. I am sure my mom will read this later today and reminisce over the years of me and my sister treating her like she was a total idiot- good times.

Why is it when we are 6 (and older too) do we think our parents know nothing but our teachers are God?

I have often lovingly said that Kadie has an unteachable spirit. The polite way to say she was a "know it all". Not really in the typical obnoxious way but in the creative imaginative denial way. For instance when she was 4 she asked me how the lines got on the road. When I told her how they did that, she simply said in all seriousness, "Nope, that is not how they do it mom. These fairies fly down with paintbrushes while we are sleeping and paint dandelion dust on the road." She would tell me that I spelled things wrong when she could not even read. She would tell me that letters made different sounds than they actually did. She was serious, and I clearly did not know what I was talking about.

I was delighted when she went to preschool and actually listened and learned from her teacher. It gave me hope. But now we have this issue....full out battles over what the teacher said verses what I know to be fact. For instance there have been words that she is mispronouncing when reading. I will correct her occasionally and she will say "No, Mrs Hansel told me to pronounce it this way." I talking simple words that make no sense to pronounce differently. Are you kidding me? Then we have to go thru the whole "lying" talk which leads to defensiveness and denial. Again... good times.

But this morning there may have been a breakthrough. Not holding my breath but hopeful.

I do have to say, I cannot believe how fast she has learned to read. It is shocking. Jack was an early strong reader (before Kindergarten) so Kadie was more on the normal track. But all of a sudden she brought home a chapter book and started reading it! She sounded out the word "actually" last night. Wow. We were fighting over sight words 2 weeks ago, it is amazing how it just clicks all of a sudden. I forget that.

Yay! It is so fun when they can read.

Our Baby Turns 3!

Isabella turns 3 today. We did her party on Saturday so to avoid the continuous obsession we have not even told her today was her actual birthday. It is hard to believe that she is already 3.

Our baby is growing up. She is in panties and a big girl bed. She is talking and playing with little toys alone. Her little voice is so sweet when she playing little imaginary games with her stuffed animals. She adores Lucy and they are like two little peas in a pod. At night when we try to find Lucy to put her out she is almost always snuggled up on Issies bed. And she is smart. Freakishly smart at times. With numbers and letters but also with the things she says and how she can figure things out. She is still pretty bossy. She is tiny but it like a rudder on a big ship. She steers the entire family. But we love her so much.

About two weeks ago, she broke my heart. Brad was out of town and she was getting ready for bed (she has a wild burst of energy at bedtime). The out of the blue, she stopped and said "I lub you Mommy" then went on her way. I think this is the first time she said I love you first. It was precious.

Saturday was her first Birthday party (we have just done simple family stuff on the other years). I think it was the first time she really understood what a Birthday was. She went to her friends party a few weeks ago and I think it clicked and she has been obsessed about her Birthday ever since. We do simple for the birthday "like a playdate with a cake". So she had 3 friends come and we had fun. Jack and Kadie rearranged the living room and got out all the tents and tunnels for a bit fort. The little kids loved it.

Birthday Girl

So silly.

Daddy was a big hit when he walked in with the balloons. Issie LOVES balloons.

Issie and Hope (these two were cut from the same mold, so much a like in so many ways)

Blowing out the candle. I made her a slug cake. (tried to make it look like a catapillar for the other kids but she loves slugs so to her it was a slug cake) When it rains here we have soooo many slugs so every morning she likes to count how many slugs are on the sidewalk from the door to the car- her record is 17!

"Bows" from Kadie. Issie gets very attached to stuffed animals so the kids got her several new ones including this one. So sweet.

I think this might be the first real time Issie has opened presents. Up til now she has not shown any interest so we have down played it all. Not now. She is totally into it. We got her Beauty and the Beast and I forgot what a great movie that is. Our whole family has watched a few times since then. Even Jack loves it.

It was a fun day. Issie we love you so much crazy girl.

blessings

It is early Saturday morning. I was just lying in bed, trying to fall back to sleep with 2 little girls playing puppy and mommy on Daddy's side of the bed. My mind started to quickly go to all the things I should do today. Send this email, order that thing, exercise, clean, make pancakes, and a bunch of other ridiculous expectations that I put on myself. It is like, I forgot all the peace I found last night when I allowed myself to take delight in my blessings and avoid being caught up in all the other stuff that needs to happen. (That word need is pretty subjective these days).

Then the phone rang.

7:15am on Saturday morning and the phone rang. It was our neighbour. A wonderful God loving family moved in to the house right up our hill on Labor Day and was an answer to 5 years of prayers that Jack would find a great friend within walking distance to our home. Connor has been that. He has been an amazing and fun new friend given to us by an awesome God. Well, the phone rings and it is the dad of this family. He tells me their older son has been in the hospital since Wednesday. "Things have been bad" as they thought it was an absess on his spine but now they realized it is a Staph infection in the blood. This does not seem better to me but he said this is better. Anyways, the 2 youngest kids Connor and his sister are coming to spend the day with us so the mom and dad can be at the hospital.

It was like a punch in the stomach. Satan tries (and sadly often succeeds) at keeping me all worked up, moving and doing and thinking ahead. I refuse to let him win. I see everyday how tenuous life is. How we are all here for such a short time. I just do not want to miss anything. I know God has a calling on my life, and I am so excited to be in that with Him. But I can twist it all and lose sight of the beauty around me at any given moment.

Thank you Lord for my family. Our health and all we take for granted every day. Thank you that we can love on and bless this family that has blessed us. I pray for healing for Mason. I pray you use this to shower him with your love, grace and power. I know he needs to feel you in his life right now, I know he has been pulling away. I pray that you pour out all your love and wrap him in your arms. Lord, do this or something better.

We are so blessed.

grateful

Today has been one of those days, actually it has been a week of yuck. But on my way home tonight from what was supposed to be a massage (my massage therapist forgot...ugh), I felt reminded of all that I have instead of all that has gone wrong this week. It was one of those days when I got home after the girls were in bed and Jack is at his dad's and all I wanted to do is gather everyone up for a big family hug. Those hugs where you don't let go for a really long time. I feel like those moments are always better in my imagination, since waking everyone up is a really good way to ruin and evening and then I would quickly forget what I was so grateful for. Just kidding.

I am blessed. I have a husband who loves me and SEES me and is my best counselor and usually the sound voice of reason when I feel crazy. I have my boy (trying to be a man) who is so sweet and handsome and has the most tender heart. I have my crazy girl, who makes me laugh and is so loving and forgiving. I have my baby, who is almost not a baby anymore but still says "Mommy I nEEEEED you" and melts my heart with her "tank you mama's". I have my home. I have a God who loves me and is fighting for me and has a plan for me. I have the cute little dog at my feet. I have friends who are so loyal and stand by me like my best cheerleaders and devoted prayer warriors. I am blessed.

All has been crazy. I want to blog but I put this pressure on myself to catch up everything that I have missed before I can start. What a lie. I will put things in, out of order and I will still know what happened. I love you family. I have a hot shower waiting so I must write more later.