Adventures with Olive and Georgia

I did’t see it coming. I had ignored the glaring warning signs. I thought I had time.  The other day I was walking down the hall, and I turned to see it behind me, following me… A LITTLE GIRL.  Olive was following me to the bathroom, and when I glanced back at her, I was shocked. The saying I have heard so many times became truth right before my eyes. They really do grow up too fast! So fast, one day you don’t even recognize them. At that moment, I didn’t see my chubby baby. I saw a tall lanky girl. I didn’t see sparse red fuzz on her little round head. I saw a mass of messy strawberry locks. I didn’t hear coos and giggles and baby jabber.  I clearly heard and understood, “Wait Mom. I need to use the potty too.” She was suddenly not a baby anymore. She had become a kid! It had seemingly happened over night.  Apparently, when I normally look at my girls, I must choose to see them as my cute little babies and refuse to see these big girls that they are becoming. They s...

I've been cooped up in the house for the majority of this week with Strep Throat and then with three snow days and a pretty snowy Saturday. It's been a pretty delightful break from work and daycare, other than the coughing and snotting and refusing to nap. I've gotten to spend lots of quality time with my little cheese balls as well as watch and listen in on their personal arguments, discussions, role playing, and problem solving (in totally wonder and amazement, and while totally biting my tongue to keep form laughing out loud). I've tried to keep some of these little scenarios listed in the notes on my phone so that I could compile them and share them. I'm sure I'm missing a lot and some are just those "You gotta be there" moments, but here you go... From the Lives of Georgia and Olive at 2 years and 8 months  (Yes, that means they are going to be THREE soon. It's just not fair.) Olive's usual prayer: Thank you Goddess for this...

“They may be heathens, but they’re my heathens.” Or from Dolly Parton’s new special Coat of Many Colors- “You’re my worm.” We loved them before they were born, and we fall in love with them when we meet them in person, when we get slobbery kisses, when they hug our necks, and when they learn to be sweet all on their own. But what about when our children are mean, hateful, aggravating, and not at all what we have been trying to teach them to be? We still love them. We love them because they are ours to love. How does God love us? We are sinful and wretched worms. We are heathens. Even in our sin and shame, we are his creation. He made us and he knows us and he still loves us (Jeremiah 1:5, Romans 5:8). It's pretty astounding to imagine that love. Google Search: How long to punish a child I can’t bear to punish the girls all evening for something (even something terrible) they did at school.  At some point in their little brilliant minds, it stops being a less...

Matthew 25 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.   35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,   36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?   38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?   39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Just tonight I watched my daughters t...

I don't want to be depressing and all Debbie-Downer here, but I also don't want to only post happy moments of parenting. This blog is not a highlight reel of my experience in motherhood. I just want to be real, friends. So... Being a teacher is hard.  Being a mom is also really hard.    I have spent the past two years trying to figure out how to be both. That process is also extremely hard.   I have been somewhat of a stay-at-home mom during the summers, and I love it, but I am constantly looking forward to a break. That makes me feel guilty for not appreciating the time with my perfect angelic monkeys.   I have spent two school years as a working mom, and I have felt guilty for leaving my needy, whining cherubs at home each day.   I know that I love my children, and I love being their mommy. I also love teaching. I believe I am called to both big jobs, but actually doing both of them is so hard. This week, I have finally felt some relief fro...

"Boys will be boys." "He's all boy." "He's a typical boy." "Oh, he's just being a boy." But what about the girls?  The girls who jump and kick and wrestle and head butt? The girls who like bugs and dirt and bikes? The girls who could climb before they could crawl? The girls who can run nonstop for a solid 26 hours, without a yawn? The girls who defy and yell and fight back? The girls who play with animals and trucks and lick everything? The girls who fight sleep and dream up dragons and monsters? The girls who can bust a wooden baby gate by sheer force? The girls who can name all the toys in Daddy's box? I wonder because those are my little girls? They also love dresses, shoes, babies, nail polish, kisses and purses. But let me tell you, they can be WILD! So, when they do the crazy things that are just expected from little boys, what are they then?  Are they brats? Are they being bad?  Are they heathens?  Are they acting like boys...

Summer Project No. 1 - complete There is a new favorite room in our house; the play room! It was Tony's office (which is moved to the basement) and it was very dark brown that we never messed with after buying the house. It was a real transformation to be sure! I am a little jealous that I don't get my own space this bright and exciting! Check it out... ;)