August 8, 2010, at 11:36 pm | Happy Birthday, Jim! I know you’re not a fan of my “mushy” blog posts where I go on and on about how wonderful someone is. You wouldn’t want me to dwell on your incredible parenting skills, your devotion to God, your amazing provision for our family, your unfailing kindness to me, your dedication to our daughters, your great sense of humor, your uncanny ability to cheer the girls (and me) up, your tireless and admirable pursuit of all things motorized…so I won’t dwell on my utter adoration of you, because that would be too “mushy.” I won’t dwell on the fact that it was nine years ago today that I first set eyes on you, and I’ve loved looking into your eyes ever since. I’ll just end by saying I’m so thankful that the Lord brought you into this world, and into my life.
That wasn’t too mushy now, was it? :)
Happy Birthday, love.
August 6, 2010, at 10:56 pm | Okay, pop quiz, blog readers: Where would you find Becky and Susie on a beautiful, warm Friday night?
Answer: At the ice cream shop, of course!
(Here they are with Jim’s mom on the ubiquitous pink bench outside the shop that seems to appear in so many of our photos.)
And we even had reason to celebrate with copious amounts of ice cream, because the girls passed their two-year check-up with flying colors. The doctor was especially pleased with the improvement in their verbal skills since their last visit (Becky now speaks in 3-4 word sentences and has an extensive vocabulary that exceeds what I can count, and Susie speaks in 2 word sentences and has an age-appropriate 50-100 word vocabulary). The girls’ physical measurements have jumped along with their vocabulary. Susie now weighs in at 23 lbs 2 oz, and is 33-1/4” in height, and Becky is 26 lbs 7 oz and 34-1/2” in height. That puts Susie at the 10th percentile for weight and 50th for height, and Becky at 50th for weight and 75th for height.
Hooray for growing girls – and hooray for the ice cream that most likely caused their healthy growth! 🙂
August 5, 2010, at 10:29 pm | The girls new favorite activity is to collect rocks. The bigger, the better.
Today we went for a “hike†in the woods (what I call a hike, others would probably call a leisurely stroll), and the girls proudly showed me each and every rock they came across. Then they would carry the rock until they stumbled upon (often literally stumbled upon) the next rock that caught their fancy.
We eventually came to a spot with a picnic table overlooking the lake. The girls had worked up an appetite hauling all those rocks around, so we happily munched on our PB&J sandwiches. I had hoped they would appreciate the scenic lake view, and they did, although for a different reason. While I was admiring the beautiful expanse of water, they were paying rapt attention to the group of middle school-aged kids that were splashing happily around the shore. It wasn’t quite the peaceful communion with nature I had expected, but it was enjoyable all the same. The girls were thrilled to be around big kids, I was happy to be outside by the water, our tummies were full, and there was a whole trail full of rocks just waiting to be discovered on our trek back – life doesn’t get much better than that!
August 4, 2010, at 10:13 pm | We tried out the library near our new house today. I was a little nervous about bringing the girls to a new library, because they often aren’t the quietest patrons in the world, and I wasn’t sure if these librarians would be as understanding as our last ones. However, the girls behaved very well, so we didn’t encounter any frowns or scowls or shushes (yet). And the library even features two matching child-sized chairs, so we fit in perfectly!
August 3, 2010, at 10:33 pm | In an effort to convince the girls to play more soccer (and to convince Jim that soccer is a worthwhile sport despite his objections that it is a low-scoring, frequently-tied, feet-only game), Gabe got the girls their very own soccer net for their birthday.
Susie’s not quite sure whether to side with Gabe or her Dad when it comes to soccer. She likes the net, but so far the only thing she’s put into the goal is herself.
And a purse. And a rock. And a rubber ducky.
I fear Susie may grow up to be one of those girls who will be more focused on whether her ponytail holder matches her jersey than whether it’s her turn to kick the ball. Her Dad will be so proud!
August 2, 2010, at 9:37 pm | You know your child was born in the 21st Century…
…when she tries to plug in her book.
August 1, 2010, at 10:08 pm | Our friends’ visit ended all too soon today. We loved having a houseful of guests, especially ones as adorable as these. I mean, look at those cheeks!
Becky tried to wake Liam up for just one more playtime before they left.
The girls got in one last Gabe-tackle before their departure.
Jim decided we’d just hold Liam hostage.
Alas, we had to let them go on their way, baby cheeks and all. We hope it won’t be long before we can see them again!
July 31, 2010, at 10:49 pm | We were thrilled that our mid-West friends Jay and Phebe were able to swing by our house today on their way to visit family on the East Coast. Becky and Susie were especially happy that they came with their three-year-old daughter and eight-month old son, giving the girls both a big playmate to adore and a little baby to kiss.
Becky: “I adore you, Kyana.â€
Liam: “I got lots of kisses today from lots of little girls.â€
We spent a wonderful afternoon on the water, and everyone had a great time, including…
…The little girls – Becky followed Kyana around like a shadow…
…The little boy – Jim loved bonding with his “little buddyâ€â€¦
…And the big boy – Jay got the urge to jump off a nearly 60-foot high bridge, so he did…
And don’t worry – I’m not afraid that the girls will be copying Jay’s ways any time soon. While Jay was scaling the rock face to get up to the bridge, I could hear Susie softly saying, “No no. No no.†I’m so glad they’re chickens!
July 30, 2010, at 9:37 pm | One of these days the girls will be old enough to write their own blog posts. But until then, as their surrogate typist, I have to make my best guess as to what is going on in their little brains. The last few days, though, my job as mind-reader hasn’t been very hard. I can see it in their eyes: “Where, oh where, has my Alli gone?â€
Their cousin Alli left to go home to Arizona a few days ago, and life just hasn’t been the same. No more late-night full-body tackles, no more early-morning wake-up calls. No one who lets them play with grown-up sunglasses or who can sit through long stretches of cartoon programming with them. No one who gives in to their repeated requests to be carried up the stairs, no one who can convince them that their veggies are really “bunnies†that need to hop into their mouths.
Hurry back, Alli. We all miss you!
July 29, 2010, at 11:57 pm | One of my favorite parts of observing the girls’ development is watching their increasing interaction with each other. Up until recently, I would have said that they don’t really play with each other. They would play alongside each other (I think the term is “parallel playâ€), but not with each other. However, now I am starting to notice one brushing her sister’s hair (despite her protests) or handing her a book to read (once she’s already done with it) or making sure her cup is in the right place (any guesses as to which child insists on having everything in the possession of its rightful owner?).
This evening as they were enthusiastically enjoying their new water table from Grammie, I caught on video a humorous interaction between the girls. Becky had discovered that if she pleaded enough, she could convince Susie to come over and help her stand up from a kneeling position. And of course, it quickly became a game and Becky kneeled down again and again and again, and Susie dutifully helped her up again and again and again. It’s a good thing Susie was there to offer her assistance, because my patience would have run out after the first or second time. I suppose there’s some sort of meaningful lesson in there somewhere…your sister will always be there to help you get onto your feet…never weary of doing good to those in need…make sure to wear dark pants in case of grass stains when kneeling…in any case, I’m glad they were there for each other. And I’m glad I was there with the camera!
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ABOUT US I'm blessed to be saved by the grace of God, loved by my wonderful husband Jim, and embraced by my twin girls, Rebecca Faith and Susanna Joy and my sons Jimmy and Danny. I started this blog in May 2008 when I was hospitalized for pre-term labor at 24 weeks gestation. The Lord allowed me to keep the girls inside until they were 34 weeks along, and on July 27th, Rebecca made her debut, followed by Susanna, five minutes later, on July 28th. We ecstatically welcomed Jimmy into our lives on April 25th, 2011, and Danny on August 31, 2012. This blog has been a personal journal of faith and motherhood and the only way I can remember which child did what and when. Thanks for stopping by to share in my Faith and Joy! Feel free to e-mail me at: [email protected]. |
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