Glimpses

As a mother it becomes so easy to just move from day to day through the routines with the odd tangent/mini-crisis that you move quickly to intervene. And then all of a sudden you simply look at your child and the 'adult' version seems to flash before your eyes. Being the sentimental soul that I am, I lose my rhythm and begin to backpedal to 'memorize' the benchmarks of time's passage. "When did he learn those words? How did he get to be so 'grown-up'? She's holding her head up perfectly still! She'll be eating solids soon!" And for a few hours all I want to do is to just be still, to see them NOW and remember. It happened alot on our Thanksgiving trip to Utah.



This picture is what made me write this post. My Isaac Bubba-love looks like a sixteen year old trampling through the snow. In reality he'd just got done playing with it and tucked his cold little hands into his pocket but you can see in his posture and his clothes a miniature of what he'll be when he gets older. Today he was really helpful with 'helping' to dress Keila and sounded just like an annoyed adult with a fussy child - "Hold on Keila ... quit wiggling!"

Keila amazed Kent and I when I placed her on the carpet for tummy-time and suddenly she was holding her head at the 90 degree angle without a fuss. She normal hates tummy-time and just yesterday I realized I can start her on solids.

They grow so quickly, I wish somehow I could record everything and rewind and play back the amazing growth and development they're capable of. How precious it is to be a mother and witness it so intimately!

Got Style?

All through the years I've really struggled with decorating. My mother had this amazing ability to combine different fabrics and colors that would make a statement in a classy way. I lacked such skills completely. For all the years we were in residency my excuse not to decorate was that we were moving and minimizing would make the process tons easier since we didn't know how often we might have to pack up. In reality I just didn't want to admit I had NO STYLE! A friend of mine (an art major) encouraged me to just go for it! Her belief was that if you liked it, everything would fit together somehow and express you. I've taken her advice to heart and I'm starting to notice things that appeal to me. In time I hope to have my home feel like an artful piece of me.

My first major endeavor was out couch. I bought the fabric for cushions a few days before Keila was born. Now finally after 3 months they're done ... and I rather like them! ;0) Here a picture complete with Christmas decor.

To Binky or Not to Binky ...That is the Question!

One of the many blessings Isaac listed on his turkey was his Pei-Pei (blanket) and his binky. It would devestate him to be without either and we're forever chasing the darn thing because, as fate would have it, his favorite has to be the one that's round. When we had Keila we were determined not to allow the cursed thing near her, but again, fate had a different idea. She began sucking her fingers so raw that a rash was developing on her otherwise darling 'mini-marshmellowy fingers'. In goes the binky - out goes Mama and Papa's plans!



I caught this cute picture right before Isaac's bedtime as the two siblings snuggled under Isaac's favorite blanket.

Stylin'

Isaac has reached that point in his life where choices=freedom and he wants to exercise that right as often as possible. Sometimes I have to laugh because as he does so, I really begin to see the personality in his little soul. I've decided he has a quirky,European sense of style. We caught him the other day wearing knitted baby hat I made 2 years ago. Somehow combined with his camera and green pants, he looked like a European backpacker seeing the sights.

Out of the Mouth of Babes

Isaac is just fascinating to listen to. He carries on a running commentary as he plays and amazes us with the words he's picked up. Here are some of our favorite conversations:

Kent: Check out those thunder thighs!
Isaac: Nah, these are my muscles!

After consuming a peach pie for FHE
Kent: How many stomachs do you have? 1, 2, 3?
Isaac: (giving Kent a 'you're so silly look') No, just one, Baba has one and Mama has a big one!

After reading a book from the library by Donald Crew entitled Freight Train.
Isaac: There's a hopper car, a box car, cattle car ... (pointing to Mama) and you have a caboose!
Flo: I do?!
Isaac: Yep, a big caboose!

While Isaac is sleepwalking
Isaac: Baba?
Kent: What's wrong son?
Isaac: I want pancakes!
Kent: What?!! It's 3 am. Go back to sleep.
Isaac: (sad little voice) Ooooookay.

After a FHE lesson about Thanksgiving and creating our turkeys with our blessings written on the tail feathers
Kent: So Isaac, what are you thankful for?
Isaac: My turkey.
Flo: What what does your turkey say you're thankful for?
Isaac: Gobble, gobble!