Birthday Wishes

So as you all know the 19th was my birthday and I have to tell you the girls are to that age where they actually GET it...and the things they think of to make it special is a present in itself! I started the day with very special cards that they had made (and a super sweet camera from Jamie c:). They then asked if they could stay home from school to spend the day with me for my birthday (now that may have just been an excuse to not go to school, which is really no different than any other day, but for sentimental purposes I will choose to believe it was a sweet gesture!) Jamie planned a fun day for us and had Nana watch Jalen and one of the girls teachers took them home from school so we could go to a movie and dinner. By the way, Juno is one of the BEST movies I have seen in a long time! When the girls came home they wanted to bake me a cake. Again, very thoughtful, but that would require A LOT of help on my part and I really was not up for a bit kitchen mess, and I do mean BIG! So I talked them into making me a birthday sundae to which they agreed...but only if they could do it all by themselves - scarry! A few minutes later they returned with a mug that Ellie had made me for Mother's Day last year (not sure why it was in a mug when we have super cute sundae bowls - their own creative touch I suppose!), with vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup and more sprinkles than the ice cream and syrup combined! They sang me Happy Birthday and then started whispering amongst each other. I could see their little minds working as they said "but Mommy we still have to get you a present". I said you just did...a sundae and your love is all I need. That was not the response they were looking for because they disappeared and came back a couple minutes later with random things they had found around the house (interesting idea when you are 4 and 6 and have no money to go shopping!) They handed me a candle that was half burned and an empty frame that had been sitting in the office for awhile. Well, at least they know my taste and what I like (although how can you go wrong when you re-gift things that I had already bought for myself - obviously I like them!) Anyway, it was so sweet to see how thoughtful they were and how they truly wanted to make my day special! Now Jalen is obviously completely unaware of my birthday, but he as well made my day special with his big kisses he loves to give and his never-ending smile...happiness really is contagious! So to my family...thank you for making my birthday such a special day!

mini-me

Everyone has said from the beginning that Jalen looks "just like his Daddy", but I am seeing it more and more the older he gets and it really is amazing how much they look alike. I'm not sure if it is the hairline, the facial features or the expressions but he is a mini Jamie! His latest favorite thing is taking showers. Baths are okay too, but when he sees Daddy in the shower his arms start flapping and his legs start kicking and he literally tries to wiggle himself out of my arms to get as close as he can to that shower. Hey, it works for me because Jamie has to do all the work in the shower! He will stay in there for as long as Jamie's arms can hold him, with a grin from ear to ear the whole time! It must run in the family... Jamie will shower three to four times a day...I guess he really does take after his Daddy and more ways than one!

fat tuesday

So yesterday on the way to school Jamie and I told the girls it was Mardi Gras. After the big explanation about the big party and beads (which they are familiar with considering they have hundreds of those beaded necklaces!) we attempted to explain the meaning of Mardi Gras, or "Fat Tuesday" in the religious sense. When I asked them if they knew what Lent was Ellie said she did. She said "it's when you put your money in that box for 40 days". I then realized I had not done a very good job explaining what lent really was. Yes, we put money in the box that sits on our table for every meal that we eat, and at the end of lent we give that money to the families that don't have enough money to have good meals like we do. So I had to explain that was one of the things we DO during lent, but there was more to it than that. I told them how Jesus was in the desert for 40 days, hungry and without many of the luxuries that we are so lucky to have. So when I told them that we needed to give up something to remind us daily what Jesus went through they had all kinds of ideas. Ellie's first idea was TV...I said lets not get carried away and pick something a little more realistic. The next was the computer...again not much better...can you say webkinz?! Caleb was in the back seat saying he was giving up brushing his teeth...also a bit extreme! When I told them that it needed to be something you really liked to do he then said he would give up sleeping which Lily quickly pointed out "Caleb, you can't stay awake for 40 days". You know what comes next..."yes, i can". Lily then chimed in saying she would give up milk (funny since she is on a non-dairy diet!), then juice (you can see what she lives off of!), and when I suggested giving up whining she whined NOOOOOO! We told them to think about it during the day and let us know after school and we would celebrate fat tuesday tonight. So after Grandma took them to Red Robin for their fat tuesday treat, mud pie and all it was time for the big decision to be made. Ellie settled on not biting her nails and "not being mean to people" (I am thinking is that really something you have to work on giving up?!) but I suppose a little focused kindness could never hurt. Lily decided on giving up sucking her thumb (a good goal since she is almost 5)...but a REALLY tough one for her...maybe she can do it for Jesus!

growing up too fast!

It is that time of year again...the kids just seem to pass the never ending sick bug back and forth between each other and occasionally on to mom and dad too! As much as I dislike the runny noses and hacking cough there is one thing that I secretly love about a sick baby...all the cuddling I get to do! Jalen is not much of a cuddler normally but when he doesn't feel good he will lay towards me with his head on my chest and sleep...there is nothing sweeter! He is almost nine months already and I am trying to hang on to these special "baby" moments because I know they will soon be gone! He is trying to pull himself up on everything, has finally shown some interest on being on his tummy (I wasn't sure he would ever crawl!), and he loves faces and hair, his favorite being my face! He comes at me like a little baracuda and latches on to whatever he gets first, nose, chin or cheek while his little fingers grab at those little hairs on the back of the neck (the ones that hurt like no other!) They are the best slobbery kisses I've ever had! He cracks us all up when he is sitting in his high chair and tilts his head down, opens his mouth real wide and holds his arms out to the side and rolls his wrists...Grandma says he is revving up his motor! His sisters can make him laugh like no one else. They dance around and fall into things, trip and tumble to the ground and he gets going with the full belly laugh! As long as they are in the room he is pretty entertained (they are already like my little babysitters!) Emily asked me last weekend what my favorite age was with the kids. I really couldn't answer because there are such great things that happen at all of them...but this stage is for sure up there if I had to pick! There is something about being needed and loved but such a small, innocent, sweet baby! This is the time that you realize they really do grow up too fast!