Because, why not. Funfetti cookies, fried burgers, Psalm 139 and affirmations about who she is. This night led to a very dear chat and bedtime that I'll always remember.
Memorable markers:
Two front teeth cuteness. It's SO cute. She has the perfect lisp and the gap in her smile is just the dearest thing.
Clothes making cuteness. This is her new thing, drawing clothes and now cutting out clothes for their little beanie animals (a pug and penguin). Adorbes.
Finger knitting frenzy - went through a whole skein in a couple days.
Reading. She's reading and I can just see the lights going off as she reads labels, signs, book covers. No hiding anything from this girl now, ha.
Love. She is just full of love and joy and exuberance. She is flexible, inclusive, adaptable, perceptive. Basically surpassing me in every way and I learn so much from this precious child.
Bestie. She has one. L is a kindred spirit and I remember that feeling and I'm grateful she has this gift of friendship.
Florida
Because, we were invited! We spent a week with gma N and gpa K on the beach. Oh, the beach. I can still smell the ocean and hear the waves and feel the sun and sand. I can see the sun rising and the moon setting, and Karis & Judah digging and running and discovering. It was a lovely week of togetherness, we quickly settled into a routine of pool swimming, beach combing, lunch-ing, rest-ing, adventure-ing, dinner-ing. Sprinkle in some Charlie and the Chocolate Factory reading, gma and gpa doing every bedtime . . .
Super bowl. Karis learning to swim, really swim! A trip to see the manatees that weren't there (Judah: "Where are the bananatees!?"). Stopping to see sunsets. A trip to a bird/wildlife reserve and dinner at Captiva. Day trip to see aunt K and uncle M (butterfly garden, swimming, fish dinner, cupcakes), morning speed walks on the beach, chats and coffee and dolphins (out the front door almost!). Dream like. We are deeply grateful for these memories.
Oh, and let's remember "Delta Club". Karis led a game, sparked by their Delta wing pins
And then "Toyza Hoyza", what Judah called the toy store they visited.
We bottled up lots of sunny and warm memories to last way beyond the winter months here.
Just so memorable, grateful.
Sunday afternoon we did our traditional run to Barnes and Noble to spend grandma/grandpa gift (My Little Pony, Thomas) and to use a gift card at Jimmy's. Yum, fun, done.
The day of Valentine's was simple and sweet, fresh biscuits and raspberry jam and purple play-doh and reading Bear Hugs and pink milk and then - well, I just fell into 1 John and then 1 Corinthians (you know, ever pursuing meaningfulness at the busy breakfast table . . . rarely works this way). And I was just really reminded, humbled, challenged to love in action and truth. Some very "duh" things, for sure, and I so need reminding: love is not a feeling. And then sister C sent an article about just that thought, that we can't rely on feelings to love well. Clearly I needed that message.
And then we listened to Love Never Fails. So good.
And then the next day at a meeting I shared all this with my coworkers and a dear friend titled this blog for me: "it's more than pink milk". So true. I didn't even cover St. Valentine - I mean, what a guy, it sounds like .
Felt like a memorable, special day of knowing Love.
More Birthday bliss
L & C turned one, how joyful to celebrate their precious lives! They did a fundraiser-open-house-party, inviting people to party and also give to Ronald McDonald house in lieu of gifts - what an awesome idea. We adore you, love to you all.
Books lately:
Karis - Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, All of a Kind Family, Beatrix Potter stories
Judah - Spaghetti & Yeti, Wonder, Wild Ideas, Hand Hand Fingers Thumb, Beatrix Potter Stories
Andrea - Present over Perfect, Your Sacred Yes, Everyone Brave is Forgiven, The Royal We, Silence, The Art of Memoir, Your Four Year Old: Wild and Wonderful
Trevor - Confessions by St. Augustine, Unfettered - short stories, Bilbo's Last Song, lots of random JK Rowling
Karis-isms:
- "I wish we could've sat on the other side of the restaurant"
- "Mommy, watch. With a very careful gaze, please"
- "Okay Judah, let's do the feelings dance!"
- "I wonder if they have a bbq side and a dining room side. I hope we can go on the bbq side tonight" (while going to a restaurant, bbq equals bar)
- "What are you giggling about? Am I cute?"
- "I will drink the remains of my milk"
- "Mom, you're a superhero!" (after I pulled a bed out and found her toy underneath)
- She's super into My Little Pony, oh kindred spirit
- "Mom, what does 'duh' mean?"
- "Which honey are you talking about?"
- She loves to create play for her and Judah - recently making beds for their panda bears in their tree house, doing "feelings dances" after dinner, dancing to music before bed . . .
- "No mom, it's a storm trooper"
Judah-Jabbers:
- "Hey mom? Why . . . ?" (all day every day)
- "Is the bug alive or dead? Where did the bug run away to?" (still scared of bugs)
- All in one short car ride: "Why is Judah Moon's skin brown? Why do frogs croak? Why is the sky not blue today?"
- "My favorite princess is Mommy" (awwwwww)
- "Can I hug you at Karen & Martin's?"
- "What are the swimming pool and ocean doing?"
- "Why do Drewie & Melanie have two babies?"
- "Oh yeah, mommies and daddies can get bugs"
- "I NEED SOME PEANUT BUTTER!" (he rarely asks for food, but this is oft requested)
- "I HAVE TOYS IN MY ROOM!" (at bedtime, after lights out . . . rule follower, knows no toys at bedtime and so this upset him. We laughed!)
- "Everett thinks I'm cute"
- "I FORGOT TO EAT MY PANCAKES!" (on the way out of a church pancake breakfast)
- He loves to put his socks on toys . . . hilarious. Over trucks, legos, trains, animals (as gloves on their hands)
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