My kids think corn is dessert. I'm willing to make corn everyday if it means I get to see this kind of cuteness.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Eating Corn
My kids think corn is dessert. I'm willing to make corn everyday if it means I get to see this kind of cuteness.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Stationery card
Flourishes Of Joy Religious Christmas Card
Seasons greetings with personalized Christmas cards from Shutterfly.
View the entire collection of cards.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Shingles- and why I'm thankful
I (Rob) found out this week that I have shingles. It's almost exam week at seminary, term papers are due next week, I'm scheduled to speak at a Chinese church in Miami next week...great timing, body.
Shingles started with what I thought was a strained muscle in my back. Then some tingling in my skin around that area and spreading to my armpit and chest. Before we learned it was shingles, my thoughts for possible problems were:
*fast moving cancer (not unlikely, given my family history)
*heart disease (I always assume this is inevitable as I get older)
*kidney failure (because WebMD suggested it)
*spider bite (since moving to Florida, I've woken up TWICE in the middle of the night because a large roach crawled across me. I killed both roaches. If roaches are crawling on me at night, why not spiders? And we have some BIG spiders in Florida.)
But then, very suddenly, the rash and bumps appeared, and I was able to rule out all of those except "spider bite," which then got ruled out by the doctor saying "you have a textbook case of shingles," which, for those of you that don't know about shingles, it's basically short for "What chicken pox does when it's been dormant in your body for decades and gets bored."
So compared to my fears, shingles isn't so bad, and I'm thankful for that.
Also, when researching shingles, I've realized that the only people who really write their personal medical experiences online are people who have horrible experiences. Nobody writes "yeah, I had such-and-such illness and it was not as bad as I feared." No, nobody with those experiences is motivated to write about it. The stories you see online are: "I was in constant pain for 4 months." "I wanted to stab myself and cut off my skin." "It was more painful than my broken tailbone." And everyone who hears you have shingles shares the horror stories they've heard or experienced. So I've been ready for the worst pain of my life. Thankfully, that hasn't happened...yet.
But it is painful. Very painful. And itchy...burningly itchy. And this will probably last several weeks. I woke up today and the pain had risen to a new level. It's hard to concentrate long enough to study, write papers, or work. And the kids don't understand why I can't hold them or roughhouse with them, which makes things much harder for April, too.
So to sum up, I'm thankful that I don't have any of the things I feared at first, and I'm thankful that my case isn't as bad as it could be. But I don't like having shingles. And if anyone wants their kids to get chicken pox, send them over, I think I'm entering my contagious phase soon.
(Also, for the seriously twisted, I have pictures of the rash available upon request.)
Shingles started with what I thought was a strained muscle in my back. Then some tingling in my skin around that area and spreading to my armpit and chest. Before we learned it was shingles, my thoughts for possible problems were:
*fast moving cancer (not unlikely, given my family history)
*heart disease (I always assume this is inevitable as I get older)
*kidney failure (because WebMD suggested it)
*spider bite (since moving to Florida, I've woken up TWICE in the middle of the night because a large roach crawled across me. I killed both roaches. If roaches are crawling on me at night, why not spiders? And we have some BIG spiders in Florida.)
But then, very suddenly, the rash and bumps appeared, and I was able to rule out all of those except "spider bite," which then got ruled out by the doctor saying "you have a textbook case of shingles," which, for those of you that don't know about shingles, it's basically short for "What chicken pox does when it's been dormant in your body for decades and gets bored."
So compared to my fears, shingles isn't so bad, and I'm thankful for that.
Also, when researching shingles, I've realized that the only people who really write their personal medical experiences online are people who have horrible experiences. Nobody writes "yeah, I had such-and-such illness and it was not as bad as I feared." No, nobody with those experiences is motivated to write about it. The stories you see online are: "I was in constant pain for 4 months." "I wanted to stab myself and cut off my skin." "It was more painful than my broken tailbone." And everyone who hears you have shingles shares the horror stories they've heard or experienced. So I've been ready for the worst pain of my life. Thankfully, that hasn't happened...yet.
But it is painful. Very painful. And itchy...burningly itchy. And this will probably last several weeks. I woke up today and the pain had risen to a new level. It's hard to concentrate long enough to study, write papers, or work. And the kids don't understand why I can't hold them or roughhouse with them, which makes things much harder for April, too.
So to sum up, I'm thankful that I don't have any of the things I feared at first, and I'm thankful that my case isn't as bad as it could be. But I don't like having shingles. And if anyone wants their kids to get chicken pox, send them over, I think I'm entering my contagious phase soon.
(Also, for the seriously twisted, I have pictures of the rash available upon request.)
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Lizards
Florida has a lot of lizards. My kids love lizards.
When Trey is upset, we'll call him over to the window to look at the lizards. At any given time, we're likely to see 1 or 2 wandering around on the ledge.
Both of my kids like to catch the lizards. Trey often succeeds only halfway (the tail half). Funny how those little guys can detach their tail when presented with a dangerous situation. Cosi fares a bit better. Her problem is squeezing the lizards in excitement.
Normally, I'm okay with all the lizard action. Yesterday, I was not.
It all started when I (April) tried to get both the kids into the car. As I was strapping Trey into his carseat, I saw Cosi dilly-dallying on the other side of the car. I kept telling her to open the door of the car and get in. Finally, she obeyed. As she got in, I heard her saying "Oh - you're so cute. I love you. I'm so gentle." I looked up to see her carefully cradling something in her hand, while stroking it (ever so softly) with the fingers of her opposite hand.
Yup - you guessed it. She was holding a lizard, but this one was very dead. It's body was partly dried out, enough that the guts sticking out the side of it's squished torso weren't all gooey.
After some minor freak-out on my part, lots of hand scrubbing, and a lesson on not picking up dead animals - we were back in the car and on our way!
More lizard stories to come...
When Trey is upset, we'll call him over to the window to look at the lizards. At any given time, we're likely to see 1 or 2 wandering around on the ledge.
Both of my kids like to catch the lizards. Trey often succeeds only halfway (the tail half). Funny how those little guys can detach their tail when presented with a dangerous situation. Cosi fares a bit better. Her problem is squeezing the lizards in excitement.
Normally, I'm okay with all the lizard action. Yesterday, I was not.
It all started when I (April) tried to get both the kids into the car. As I was strapping Trey into his carseat, I saw Cosi dilly-dallying on the other side of the car. I kept telling her to open the door of the car and get in. Finally, she obeyed. As she got in, I heard her saying "Oh - you're so cute. I love you. I'm so gentle." I looked up to see her carefully cradling something in her hand, while stroking it (ever so softly) with the fingers of her opposite hand.
Yup - you guessed it. She was holding a lizard, but this one was very dead. It's body was partly dried out, enough that the guts sticking out the side of it's squished torso weren't all gooey.
After some minor freak-out on my part, lots of hand scrubbing, and a lesson on not picking up dead animals - we were back in the car and on our way!
More lizard stories to come...
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Trey at 18 months
And in recognition of the fact that what most of our family really want to see here is pictures and videos of the kids...
Somewhere in the midst of a busy week, Trey sneaked into his 18th month. I'm not sure if that's a milestone we are supposed to commemorate, but it seems fitting to do so.
Trey is mischievous, brave, compassionate, and he thinks he's hilarious. He's tough (anyone with Cosi as a big sister would need to be) and smart (I say that totally objectively, not just because I'm his father).
Trey loves airplanes and birds, lizard watching, lizard chasing, lizard catching, and lizard tail removing. He likes puzzles and buckles, Mickey Mouse, blowing out candles, and playing with his sister. He recognizes a Papa John's pizza box in less than a second, and is convinced that every letter of the alphabet is either A, O, or an airplane (especially Ts and Ys).
Trey, two years ago you surprised us in a big way. Ever since then you have continued to surprise and delight us. We love you, big boy!
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Trey-by Houdini
Trey broke out of childcare last week.
We were at our final Campus Crusade for Christ conference. It was designed to help us with re-entry to the USA, which I think we're doing okay with (thankfully).
Trey was in the nursery during our meetings. Cosi was in the preschool class. Going into the conference, I was actually worried about our independent Cosi deciding to walk out of her class and jump into the pool. She thinks she can swim, but she can't yet. We've already saved her from drowning THREE times.
I should have been worried about our one-year-old.
Somehow, in the midst of parents arriving to pick up their babies, Trey walked through their legs and out the door. The hotel/nursery door did not open to a hallway, but instead it opened to an outdoor sidewalk that was situated next to the parking lot (scary!) Trey proceeded to wander around on the sidewalk for a bit, before being noticed by a couple that was staying at the hotel. Thankfully this couple recognized that one-year-olds should not be outside by themselves and they brought Trey back to the nursery.
I arrived at the nursery 5 minutes later to pick Trey up. At that point, nothing was said to me about the incident.
Later that afternoon, the nursery worker called us and told us that she needed to tell us something "serious" that happened. After she relayed the story (with tears), Rob and I ended up reassuring her that we weren't angry with her and we really weren't. Accidents happen, but thankfully God protected Trey and gave him a little adventure.
Now, you might be impressed by my calm response, but if I had arrived 5 minutes earlier and found my baby wandering outside, well, I probably would have freaked out. I strive to be honest, even in blogging.
And, we actually left Trey in the nursery again the next day. My rationale = Trey will never be so safe in a nursery as he was the day after the "incident."
We were at our final Campus Crusade for Christ conference. It was designed to help us with re-entry to the USA, which I think we're doing okay with (thankfully).
Trey was in the nursery during our meetings. Cosi was in the preschool class. Going into the conference, I was actually worried about our independent Cosi deciding to walk out of her class and jump into the pool. She thinks she can swim, but she can't yet. We've already saved her from drowning THREE times.
I should have been worried about our one-year-old.
Somehow, in the midst of parents arriving to pick up their babies, Trey walked through their legs and out the door. The hotel/nursery door did not open to a hallway, but instead it opened to an outdoor sidewalk that was situated next to the parking lot (scary!) Trey proceeded to wander around on the sidewalk for a bit, before being noticed by a couple that was staying at the hotel. Thankfully this couple recognized that one-year-olds should not be outside by themselves and they brought Trey back to the nursery.
I arrived at the nursery 5 minutes later to pick Trey up. At that point, nothing was said to me about the incident.
Later that afternoon, the nursery worker called us and told us that she needed to tell us something "serious" that happened. After she relayed the story (with tears), Rob and I ended up reassuring her that we weren't angry with her and we really weren't. Accidents happen, but thankfully God protected Trey and gave him a little adventure.
Now, you might be impressed by my calm response, but if I had arrived 5 minutes earlier and found my baby wandering outside, well, I probably would have freaked out. I strive to be honest, even in blogging.
And, we actually left Trey in the nursery again the next day. My rationale = Trey will never be so safe in a nursery as he was the day after the "incident."
Monday, October 15, 2012
Do it Anyway
Our sassy Cosi is 100% my daughter.
Cosi: "Mom, may I throw this sand?"
Me: "No, you may not throw the sand."
Cosi: "I think I'm going to do it anyway."
I thought it was pretty good usage of the word 'anyway.'
Cosi: "Mom, may I throw this sand?"
Me: "No, you may not throw the sand."
Cosi: "I think I'm going to do it anyway."
I thought it was pretty good usage of the word 'anyway.'
Thursday, September 20, 2012
you gotta protect your brother
This is a story about how proud I am
of Cosi.
We've been trying to teach Cosi to protect her brother (instead of beat him up). We're hoping that we can teach them to take care of each other as they grow up.
We'll ask Cosi, "What should you do if someone hits Trey?" She'll say, "I'll tell them 'NO NO - Don't hurt my brother!'" Well, Cosi had a chance to put those words into action.
I was in the hallway when I heard Trey crying. As I walked into Cosi's room, I heard Cosi tell her friend, "No, let my brother out! He doesn't like it." Cosi's friend had locked Trey in the closet and was holding the door shut. (side note: Cosi, herself, has done this very thing to Trey on occasion) However - this time, instead of joining in, Cosi was helping her brother.
Our little girl is growing up :) Or - at least placing sole rights on the torture of her brother...
We've been trying to teach Cosi to protect her brother (instead of beat him up). We're hoping that we can teach them to take care of each other as they grow up.
We'll ask Cosi, "What should you do if someone hits Trey?" She'll say, "I'll tell them 'NO NO - Don't hurt my brother!'" Well, Cosi had a chance to put those words into action.
I was in the hallway when I heard Trey crying. As I walked into Cosi's room, I heard Cosi tell her friend, "No, let my brother out! He doesn't like it." Cosi's friend had locked Trey in the closet and was holding the door shut. (side note: Cosi, herself, has done this very thing to Trey on occasion) However - this time, instead of joining in, Cosi was helping her brother.
Our little girl is growing up :) Or - at least placing sole rights on the torture of her brother...
Sunday, September 9, 2012
All Cosi wants for Christmas is...
A Bra?
Seriously. If you ask Cosi what she wants for Christmas or her birthday, she answers that she wants a bra. I'm not totally sure where this desire came from, but I suspect it relates to her wanting to be just like mommy.
That girl cracks me up. I suspect she might make Santa blush. We'll see...
Seriously. If you ask Cosi what she wants for Christmas or her birthday, she answers that she wants a bra. I'm not totally sure where this desire came from, but I suspect it relates to her wanting to be just like mommy.
That girl cracks me up. I suspect she might make Santa blush. We'll see...
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Sand and Water
I love online garage sales (via Facebook). I recently purchased a sand & water table. The kids love it! Here are some pics to prove I'm not lying.
Note the messy, sand-covered floor. You don't see that in the advertisement pictures. The kids in the ads are also pretty good about keeping sand & water separate, but those elements were combined within the first minute over here.
Trey's a bit of a climber these days. Cosi, on the other hand, takes her sand play quite seriously. She is constantly filling cups with sand, dumping cups into other cups, etc.
"Picture time is over," say-eth the baby.
Note the messy, sand-covered floor. You don't see that in the advertisement pictures. The kids in the ads are also pretty good about keeping sand & water separate, but those elements were combined within the first minute over here.
Trey's a bit of a climber these days. Cosi, on the other hand, takes her sand play quite seriously. She is constantly filling cups with sand, dumping cups into other cups, etc.
"Picture time is over," say-eth the baby.
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