This and That Part 2

There are several things I have been enjoying about my family lately. One involves Jack and Kayla. Sometimes, they go off together and it gets very quiet. I don't worry about that. It always means they are playing legoes or having a birthday party for a stuffed animal. Something like that. Now, if it's Samuel, that's another story. The other day he had gotten everyone's toothbrush and put them in Brian's shoes. I know. Where's his mother?? The other thing he goes off on his own to do is flush the toilet. But that's not so quiet.
Well, back to the point. Jack and Kayla spent some time making a paper doll family. One of these even has a backpack. I love it.
Another thing I love about our family is we all like to read or be read to. I like seeing other people's current book lists so here's a book picture. Strawberry Girl is just a delight to read although I do edit a tiny bit. Very different from other books we've read. Jack, Kayla, and I read it every night. Jack is enjoying a series of books about a pig named Freddy. This one involves a space ship. Samuel loves Elmo book and animal books. Kayla always laughs at Amelia Bedelia.
The Man Who Moved a Mountain is one Brian's been reading. It's a biography about a man who live close to where we live now. I can't say enough about The Child's Story Bible. It's so well written.
I am waiting for a book from the library which I've heard great things about, The Guernsey Literary and Sweet Potato Peel Pie Society. In the meantime, I reread parts of Home.

A good book is such a treasure.

The Best Part of Waking Up...

I know you can finish that line. Well, most of you can (I love ya J.B.!) Don't you remember the commercial for Folgers coffee? That commercial is my reality now. Only it's Maxwell House. Half-calf.
Typically I start waking somewhere between 5:30 and 6:00. And I always choose to close my eyes for "five more minutes." At some point though(much more than five minutes), I literally wake up and smell the coffee. And before I open my eyes I think,"OK... the coffee."
You see, we got a new programmable coffee pot. It's set for 6:00. And seriously, when I smell the coffee, I stumble out of bed with my eyes half closed and head for the kitchen. It's such a delight.
Come on now. Who's with me?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine
surprises
for
the
morning...

yummy treats...

(a chocolate raspberry tort, de-lish!)

...and my little valentine helper. I could eat him up.

Think Samuel

What do these pictures have in common? I'll give you a hint. Think Samuel.

The first picture is the baby gate at the bottom of the stairs. It is no obstacle for Sam. He has been found standing on it. Do you see how thin it is at the top???
The second picture show the stairs, yes. Sam likes to climb the WRONG side of the stairs. I'm not sure if the "monkey see monkey do" started with him or the bigger two.
The third is the vent. Samuel often brings the vent cover to me. He likes to pick it up and carry it around or look down the vent and say "Ball." Might he have thrown a ball down there?

He looks pleased with himself, doesn't he?
But really. Does it get much cuter than this??

This and That (a stolen title from s.d.)

The weather this week has been crazy. One day around lunch time we were out riding bikes with friends at the duck pond. By 4:00 that afternoon it was snowing-one of those "blizzards" we love!
The warmth yesterday was a wonderful reprieve- just enough to give us a taste of spring and get us through the rest of the winter, maybe?

Brian was away yesterday on a ski trip. So as is our custom when he's not around for dinner, we had a breakfast dinner, complete with bacon and chocolate chip pancakes. (He's not a fan!) While we were eating, Jack said with a contemplative smile, "Mommy, do you know what I've been wondering all day?" "What's that?" "I've been wondering, what's a pancake without syrup?"
He also asked for the "Aunt Jamama" syrup. I had a good laugh.

This morning, Kayla has a new brother, Peter Pan. They are twins and are teaching the rest of their brothers and sisters to fly. Smile.

A Big Day

Yesterday was a big day! Kayla read her first book! She really did great. We've been working towards this for a while now. We start with a book like this, full of mostly short a words and a few sight words thrown in. (Attempting to create an interesting book on those premises must have been a challenge.) Getting through these first readers is somewhat laborious but so worth it as a whole new world slowly opens up. I'm excited for her.

Feeling the Need

"Let not conscience make you linger,
Not of fitness fondly dream;
All the fitness He requireth
Is to feel your need of Him."
Joseph Hart

The last line of this hymn, "Come Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy," has run through my mind over and over lately. Last week had some hard days, mostly to do with school. Homeschooling with a toddler has been more challenging than I ever dreamed it would be. And in the midst, God has used it to allow me to feel my need of Him, deeply at times. I don't always realize that is what I am feeling and I surely don't always like it. But to recognize it for what it is, oh what freedom!! Our frustrations, grumpiness, desperations, crankiness, you name it, all show us our need of Him. Broken sinners, needing a Savior.
I love the freedom that comes with forgiveness.