familySmilestones: July 2014

For Sale . . . Again

Our house is officially back on the market today. It's not a huge deal. A minor setback in the scheme of things I guess . . . but man, what a bummer!

We love our house. As excited as we are to move, we are really going to miss this house.

Our first house! We did so much to make it ours, even though many families called it theirs before we called it ours. Windows, furnace, garage, painting, electrical. More we could do, but the rest is for another family.

The home we brought both of our girls "home" to. Setting up nurseries. Late night feedings. First birthday parties and almost everything first under their first roof.

The porch . . . We crammed 20+ people around the table for Thanksgiving, celebrated Kaili's graduation, my 30th birthday, and hosted several late-nights with friends. A space heater and a warm pair of socks and you could stay pretty cozy out there in the winter. I love eating meals out there, reading, rocking, watching tv. It's quite possibly my favorite place in the house.

The kitchen, maybe the only kitchen in the world that you have to move shoes to open the freezer, but functional none the less. Pinky and I have made a lot of banana muffins, caramel corn, and cheese quesadillas in that kitchen. It's the kitchen I have burned, undercooked, and tried many recipes. (All the while moving shoes!)

The yard . . . I'd be lying if I said I was leaving all of the rocks I had hand-picked from rock piles on the farm. Sorry, for the most part, they are already loaded. I've also dug up some of the plants so I can take them with me as well. Hostas, peonies, buttercups. So many perennials that show up just in time for summer and bring a splash of color with little care. And then there's the apple tree . . . apple sauce and apple pies. I even tried apple cheese cake. But most of the apples went into carboys for wine. I love having an apple tree. (LOVE) And a place to hang the girls' swing.

It's been such a great house. It's hard to imagine our Christmas tree decorated anywhere else. A year from now, I hope we are settled in and making our new house our own. And I hope, and pray, that someone buys our house and makes it their home. It's a great place to bring home babies, host friends and family, and create memories.

4 and a half

There is this BIG GIRL living in my house and I don't know where she came from. Honestly! She's riding a big bike, going on lots of play dates, adventuring on the big slides and toys at the park, telling jokes and stories (lots and lots of stories).

So independent.

So strong willed.

So determined.

So silly.

So smart.

The other day we were driving in the car and she said, "Mom, did you know 3+5 is 8? and 5+5 is 10?"

I just love how her brain works . . . although her brain seems to be wired somewhat like mine . . . hard to shut down.

We have had lots of interesting conversations in the last few weeks. Most crack us up. I wish I wrote them down sooner. Here's a couple funny comments and conversations:

Sitting at the dinner table enjoying a meal together, she says, "Hey mom, do ya want me to punch your husband?"

WHAT? (No, honey, I did not coach her to say that, I swear! But it was funny!)

Driving in the car on our way to church she asked "What day was it when I came out of your tummy." We told her and she says, "Hey, that's the same day as my birthday!"

YUP! Clearly we have missed some important conversations about what a birthday is . . . huh!?!?!

Her new "phrase" for almost any situation goes something like this:

"Sure is a good day for some fresh water."

"Sure is a good day for ride on our bikes."

"Sure is a good day for some ice cream."

The last couple of weeks, I have been trying to be more deliberate about spending time with Pinky while her sister is napping. Although it is usually the best (only) time to get a hundred other things done, I have been trying to spend most of that time doing something Pinky chooses. Sometimes we color in the porch. Sometimes we lay in the hammock or work in the yard. We read books, watch movies, and enjoy the quiet time just the two of us. It's been great! I sometimes feel bad that we haven't had as much time together as I had hoped in the last year. So, I am going to enjoy this time, these summer afternoons with my 4-year-old! And I'll try to write down more of her funny comments.

Ice cream at the lake - the best!

Lazy afternoon in the hammock.

She does pretty well, except that she spends most
of her time riding in "lala land". (SCARY!)

Can't beat a chocolate ice cream mustache
on a Thursday afternoon.

13 months (and a few days)

Little Rosie has had a BUSY month. In fact, everything about this girl is busy. I'm not sure if she keeps me young or makes me feel old . . . depends on the day and how much sleep she lets me get I guess. She is into everything. I often hear her sister saying:

"Mom, she's in the bathroom."
"Mom, she's climbing the stairs."
"Mom, she's got your phone."
"Mom, she's ......."

No wonder she's tired at the end of the day!

A week ago, if asked, I would have said she crawls more than she walks. Not so much the case these days. She is on the MOVE! She can handle most terrains and loves this new freedom, especially outside. I must admit, I am enjoying it too. In addition to walking, climbing has also become one of her favorite challenges. So far, she has made her way to the TOP of the piano, she enjoys sitting on her sister's play table, and she likes to stand in her toy rocking chair (and once she has her balance, she likes to rock it just a bit). If there aren't any now, I certainly see gray hair in my future. OY!

Although she is still on the little side, her personality makes her large and in charge! She has started pointing and babbling at the same time in a tone that feels an awful lot like scolding. (Yikes, where did she learn that!) She loves to have screaming matches with her sister, especially in the tub where it echoes or at the dinner table when we are way too close to appreciate this silly interaction. If you were to judge who was loudest, I am not sure big sister would come out on top. She continues to sign "more", "all done", and sometimes "milk" and has a few words she is starting to say:

     Bella = "Beba"
     Dad = "Dada"
     Mom = "Mama"
     Up = "pu"
     Down = "du"
     Done = "du" or "ahdu" (all done)

She also likes to say "nananananananana" an awful lot. I don't know what it means. Sometimes it is happy, sometimes, not so much.

At meal time, Rosie often eats more than her sister. She often initiates the prayer by folding her hands first, and if we are too slow, she has no time for it, she is ready to EAT! She is loving fresh summer fruit and enjoys a good hotdog (I use the word good loosely) and summer sausage. Unlike her sister, she has not fallen in love with cheese. And unlike her sister, she LOVES mac n cheese. (This makes her pasta loving parents very happy!)

When given the chance to play with what she wants to play with (and not what her sister will let her play with), she is often playing with the toys in the toy kitchen and playing with babies. She loves to feed her babies a bottle, put them in the stroller and push them around, pat their backs and give them hugs. I am amazed by this play . . . especially since it was not modeled by her sister or mom, at least not much. Watching her play with babies is one of the most precious things I have ever seen.

We've had a busy summer so far. Trip to the farm. Great Grandma's 80th Birthday. Trip to the lake. Lots of play dates, picnics at the park, back yard pool fun, and a few bonfires, although bedtime comes too soon for her to have experienced a roasted marshmallow yet. But hey, there are lots of summer days ahead!