quote

"You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance."

-Franklin P. Jones

the mute button

E uses one (mostly just in her crib). A green one. A pacifier. I know that one day I have to break her from it and I'm not looking forward to that process, but we decided that that moment hasn't come yet. We want her to talk more before it's time to put it away, so that she can express herself better and also understand us more. But here's the problem... her 2 year molars that are coming in. She chews through her pacifiers all the time and at first I thought that maybe this would be a good way of ending the need for one, letting her keep the broken ones and realize that she no longer likes them. But that's probably not a smart option since little, green rubber pieces are most certainly a choking hazard. Not sure what to do.

early bird

I am not a morning person. Which is why I try to get up early every day. It may not sound as if it makes any sense, but here's why...

• As a non-morning person I like to have time in the morning for things that needs to be done. I can't be rushed. So even though E doesn't wake up before 8 am (I try not to let her sleep any longer than that.) I still set my alarm for 6:30. When I was working I used to only hit the snooze button once, but now I hit it for at least half an hour. I get up, get ready, prepare E's meds, check FB... I just like my me time. I need that time to myself in the morning.
  
• If I sleep much longer I can't go to sleep at night and that begins a bad circle...

Library

I took E to the library for the first time today. We got there an hour before story time and she just played and had a ton of fun. She did sit down for story time, for a little while. But she was more interested in the toys so she went back to playing. After 2 stories about presidents and the white house it was time for craft - a wreath made from a paper plate and some stars. And then you could draw or write something in the middle. That was the plan. Ella did her best and I must say I love the result. What do you think?

between the songs

Yesterday as I was cooking I was listening to the radio (and yes, E and I were dancing around the kitchen floor as usual). I found a good song on a radio channel I normally don't listen too. (A very popular, secular station.) And as the song ended and the radio host started talking I was reminded why we don't have this station programmed on our radio. The host was talking about how you could sign up for something online and win prizes. The way she did this was appalling! She told people to go to their web site, and instead of working they could just surf around there and pretend to be working. Ha ha! (not funny) She went on and on about this for quite some time.
I know that some people have jobs with spear time, where it's ok to do this, but this lady was trying to make it sound ok to trick your boss.
No wonder most people don't respect their superiors nowadays.

Be yourself!

Today you are You,
that is truer than true.
There is no one alive
who is Youer than You.

-Dr. Seuss

I just read this and it made me think of a time a few years ago, when we sat in my friends' parents' kitchen, me and some of my dear old friends. I guess we had nothing to do and someone came up with the idea that we should describe each other with one word each. A lot has happened in my life since then. I got married, moved away from home and those dear old friends to another country, made new friends, had a kid... I wonder what words people would use to describe me today. Would any of the old words come up or will they all be new. I think that some of them still fit, they are still me, but maybe no one sees them anymore. Am I showing people who I really am, or am I trying too hard to adjust to the role I assume other people think I should play? Am I making any sense?

Ok, I got a bit deep there. Who would have known that Dr Seuss would trigger all that. =)

"...with soap all over, scrub, scrub scrub"

Today was the day E washed her hands with soap and somehow got it in her eyes. She tried to make it better by rubbing her eyes, not a very good idea when your hands are covered in soap. It just kept getting worse. A wet wash cloth did the trick though, and later that day I found her playing with the soap again...

First time sledding

Now I lay me down to sleep...

"If you like to talk to tomatoes, if a squash can make you smile..." =)

C and I usually pray before we go to sleep. Most of the time he leads us in prayer, but sometimes it is me. Lately I've felt that we've gotten caught in a patter that I don't feel very comfortable with. We usually start with asking for forgiveness and thank the Lord for things, which is good, but in our case it feels more like the obligatory beginning before we start to ask God for things. We're not really asking for "wants", more for "needs", but I still feel like we just ask and ask and ask. Like I said, not a pattern I feel very comfortable with.

"If you like to waltz with potatoes up and down the produce aisle... (Do we have a show for you)"

E got 2 new DVD's from Nanny (grandma / farmor) for Christmas. Or was it for her birthday? I can't remember... anyways...
One of them was "Boz the bear" that I've never heard of. E loved it and is very sad right now b/c she snapped it in half the other day. As we were watching this movie it struck me that when the twins prayed before bedtime everything started with "thank you". They never asked for a thing. I told C and his reply was... "huh". He kind of gave it a thought and then he went on to whatever he was doing.
The other DVD was... (have you guessed it yet?)... "Veggietales". It was one about trusting God. The main story is about Gideon, but there is also a story about George Mueller. He started an orphanage, but they didn't have any breakfast for the next morning. So they prayed. This is were C and I would probably have asked for some food if we were in this situation. But not George. He thanked God for the food He was about to provide. I mentioned this to C and that night our prayer was a little different. There was still some asking, but I think we are allowed to ask God for things. It's just not supposed to be the main thing of every prayer. And our prayer that night was more about thanking God, not only for what we have, but for what we are about to recieve. After all, God is providing for us and we just have to trust in Him.

Isn't it amazing what we can learn from kids movies?
"Broccoli, celery, gotta be..."
(This song is the best. You should hear C and I sing along to it in the car...)

Happy New Year! Gott Nytt År!