December 27, 2009, at 10:12 pm | It was a tough transition today to a (nearly) empty house. When I went in to get the girls up for church this morning, they both pointed to the empty spot on the floor where their Aunt Angie had slept for the last week. I know they missed their morning game of peek-a-boo that they had played daily with her. And it just wasn’t the same bringing the girls downstairs and not seeing Grandpa bustling about the kitchen getting coffee ready for the household. And I was sad to not have Grammie’s help corralling the little hooligans into their clean diapers and new outfits. What a blessing it was to have them all with us for a whole week!
My mom’s latest parenting mantra was “Distract and Conquer,†so we employed the technique in her honor. Jim distracted the girls by letting them wear his new cold-weather hats and I put on some music to conquer the silence in the house. The girls put the two together, and ended up with a dance routine featuring the latest in headgear.
Enjoy the show!
December 26, 2009, at 11:43 pm | I had an surprise treat this evening. My family was scheduled to fly back to California this afternoon, but airport delays caused them to have to rebook their flight until tomorrow morning, giving us an entire afternoon and evening of unexpected family time. We played with the girls, ordered in pizza and Chinese food, watched a VHS tape from my childhood (anyone remember the 1961 classic Christmas story Babes in Toyland?) and just reveled in our bonus time together. It’s been a wonderful, full, fast week. It’s hard to believe it’s over already. The next time we see my family again, the girls may be able to call them by name! I can’t wait to hear them exclaim, “Grammie! Grandpa! Aunt Angie! We love you!†Okay, that may be asking too much from them verbally in only a few months, but you never know! In any case, I know we’ll all be excited to be together again.
December 26, 2009, at 12:34 am | We had a very Merry Christmas! The girls hauled in yet more gifts…
…including their very own ATVs…
…which doubled as seats at a drive-in theatre:
But of course, gifts weren’t the reason we were celebrating. And it wasn’t because of the food…
…and it wasn’t even because of the beloved family that joined us today.
All those things are wonderful reasons to rejoice; but ultimately, we gathered together to give thanks to God for sending His Son to be born a man, so that He could bear our sins and give us eternal life.
“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins…We love because he first loved us.†1 John 4:10, 19.
December 25, 2009, at 1:29 am | The girls dug in early to their Christmas loot, and are already enjoying a new tea set (thanks to Grammie and Grandpa):
and new hooded towels (thanks to Aunt Mary and Uncle Jeff):
As you can see, the girls like to put their presents to use immediately. I don’t normally allow the girls to wear sneakers with their ruffled dresses, but the new shoes from Jeff and Mary were just too exciting to put back into the box!
I don’t know where the girls get their impulsive need to try everything on from! 🙂
December 24, 2009, at 12:22 am | Today was a historic day. The girls spent the entire day with their dad and grandpa while all of us ladies spent the day traipsing around New York City (well, “traipsing†probably isn’t the right word…it was more like very brisk walking while trying to keep our scarves tightly wrapped around our chilly necks). All of us – both men and women – had an enjoyable day, and I’m grateful that the fun and food involved in my day revolved more around Broadway and Starbucks than peek-a-boo and milk. My mom, sister, and mother-in-law and I saw The Lion King (courtesy of my Gramma – thanks Gramma!), ate dinner at The Hard Rock Cafe, gaped at the Rockefeller Center skating rink and oohed and aahed at all the amazing Christmas light displays. It was a wonderful change of pace for me, and I’m proud to say that Jim and my Dad did a fantastic job keeping the girls entertained, fed, and even bathed and changed while I was gone. I’m thinking that we should make this a yearly holiday day trip for us ladies, as long as the guys agree to baby-sit again. I imagine Jim will be more inclined to agree to this once the girls are potty-trained!
December 22, 2009, at 11:59 pm | What are Aunts good for?
To teach bad habits like blowing bubbles in your water, of course!
December 21, 2009, at 11:03 pm | I took advantage of the extra people around to get a rare picture of the four of us together. Of course, we’re not exactly all smiling at the camera, the girls look a bit perturbed, and my hat is anything but stylish…but regardless – we’re all together!
Rebecca (on left): “Who’s driving this thing? My sister? I don’t think she can reach the pedals!â€
Susanna: “Dad, I think you’re about to run over the cat.â€
December 20, 2009, at 11:48 pm | 
Grampa: “Susie, let me tell you about the second law of thermodynamics.â€
Susie: “I’m all ears, as long as you let me touch the keys on your computer.â€
December 19, 2009, at 10:42 pm | Despite the threatening weather reports, no snow storm materialized in our area (yet), allowing my mom and sister to arrive here safely and on time. It was a joyous reunion all around. The girls ran around the house in excited circles when we got home from the airport, pleased to have even more people with which to play. We’re all very happy to be together! And now, let the snow come – these Californians want a White Christmas!
December 19, 2009, at 12:25 am | My father arrived at our house this afternoon after his very own version of “Planes, Trains and Automobiles.†The poor guy experienced more travel snafus than any one person should have to endure, culminating in being stranded at a train station in New York in 15 degree temperatures with no coat and hazy prospects for finding transportation North. Thankfully, he finally made it safe and sound to CT, and even though he missed the business meeting he had flown out early to attend, we’re very happy to have him here. Lord willing, my mom and sister will arrive tomorrow, and I pray that their travel experiences are less eventful than my dad’s.
We had some friends over tonight for a little get-together, and as usual, the girls provided the entertainment. No games are necessary when there are two little people bustling about! Although, the girls themselves do require entertainment, as you can see from the photo below picturing Susie holding a cell phone. Apparently a houseful of visitors wasn’t enough of a distraction; we had to add a little technology in there. I’ll blame that on her dad’s genes – I think he’d take his laptop to every social engagement if he could!
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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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