singin' the blues

I have been a completely uninspired blogger of late. Rachel has so much personality these days, and I feel so brain-dead that I can't seem to put her little personality into words for a blog. I hope it will come back to me soon...

I did want to point out one unbelievable thing (to me, anyway): Jarrad and I hit double-digits today. 10 years ago--TEN--we went on our first official date. Woah. We're getting old. Ten years ago, I was barely 18 and he was 19, and he took me to Chili's and to hear a friend of his play the blues at a cute little bookstore/coffee shop. He introduced me to intimate live music and Stewart's Orange Cream Soda that night, and, although it took me a while to come around, I really did start to fall in love with him then. He was so sweet and boyish, with his big blue eyes and James Dean-like wardrobe. I heard Jarrad play the blues a few weeks later at another hole-in-the-wall down the road from the site of our first date, and can I just say that...um...there's nothing like a cute boy playing soulful music. Chili's became a fav date for us throughout college, and he eventually proposed to me there, almost three years later. Remembering my college years is equivalent to remembering that season when we were so carefree and in love, and I wouldn't trade that experience for anything in the world. In fact, I'd relive it several times over if I could!

Anyway, sorry to all you Rachel-followers who are mostly waiting for another blog about our little sugarplum...here are a few pics to keep you afloat...

musings by rachel

Ohhhh, Rachel...

We have been reading The Big Picture Story Bible before nap and bedtime, and Rachel has loved it! I have enjoyed it, too, because it really gives an overview of the story of Jesus and the grace God brought to humanity through His son. Anyway, I was discussing with Rachel that the Bible says that everyone who loves Jesus will be in heaven one day. She thoughtfully inquired, "Take toy?" Well, what would heaven be like without toys, eh??

And yesterday, my girl, who insists on doing everything, "my byself," was sitting on the floor, bare-bottomed, trying to get her undies on, when she calmly grabbed her left ankle, pulled her foot up, said, "spank spank," and smacked the bottom of her foot. She repeated this on her right foot. I was watching from behind, so I sat down by her and asked, "Rachel, what was that? Why did you do that?" She stayed focused on her task, but mumbled something about her feet not going in the holes of her undies. Oh, brother!

As my mom always says, kids are a "laugh a minute!"

published!

A friend of mine emailed me last week requesting that I guest-author an entry about potty training for the Prayer of Hannah blog, an informational blog written by five devoted mommies. I was super-flattered to be asked, and I had such fun recounting the thought processes that drove our potty training choices. Thank you, Christina, for the opportunity to write!

choreography

For memory's sake, here is Rachel's current show-off routine:

1. one somersault
2. one split
3. jumping several times (perhaps saying, "hibbit, hibbit!")
4. running in circles
5. crawling in circles
6. repeat

i uv ooo

When I left Rachel in her room for nap time today, she played happily [and loudly] for several minutes before falling asleep, which is not unusual. Today, however, she added a new twist: in the middle of her play, she started sweetly yelling, "MOOOOMMY! MOMMY! MOOOOOOMMY! I UV OOO, MOMMY! I UV OOO!" As she probably predicted in her mind, I melted when I heard it. I did, however, resist the desire to go snuggle her to pieces, which disappointed her into her more usual pre-sleep whine. Still, it made me feel pretty warm and fuzzy...

Here is sweet Rachel, enjoying one of MY yummy, gourmet chocolate birthday cupcakes baked by Ms. Lynn. She was pretty Stokked. ;)

to the beach and beyond

Since my last post, we've had a most relaxing family vacation at the beach, Rachel's first real experience. We went last year, but she was still just so enthralled to be walking and independent, that she mostly walked circles on the beach, in our condo, and wherever else we were. She hardly noticed the water and the sand last year, but this year, she was fascinated by all of it. She loved swimming, especially in the pool, where she figured out how to slowly get herself around with the aid of her swimmies and nothing else. "Rachel do it by yourself" was her catch phrase for the week, and she did: she jumped in, she swam, she dug holes in the sand, and she collected seashells, all "by yourself."

I theorize that this vacation will go down in history as our easiest because we had three of us hanging out with just 2-year-old Rachel all week (GiGi came with us), and sweet, young, innocent Rachel was perfectly content to play and enjoy her surroundings at all times. When she wanted to go from the ocean to the pool, we went, and when she wanted Daddy to play with her, he did. Next year, and forevermore, she will have to share everything. And I'm sure that, just when we think it should get easier--when the kids are old enough to kind of take care of themselves--they'll start getting grand, conflicting ideas of all the things they'd rather be doing. One will want Daddy to come to the pool, while one will refuse to leave the beach, and another will just want to go inside for lunch, or maybe off to the local beach junk store. And so, in honor of the most relaxing vacation ever, a video by Daddy...

bags & bellies

I have had an itch to sew lately, but the room that houses my sewing machine is a disaster. While Jarrad was home and occupying Rachel yesterday afternoon, I cleared a path, and last night, as soon as my little precious baby went to bed, I hopped online to find a bag I could make out of an upholstery remnant I bought a long long time ago. Here is the finished product. It was SO much fun! I used this tutorial, and I think I'm going to modify the dimensions a bit and make a good sized diaper bag for our next baby. I also might venture into making some fitted diapers soon too, but we'll see!

As for Rachel, here is a better picture of her post-haircut style. See her bouncy little curls in the back?? I love it! She isn't exactly showing them off in the picture--she was turning from the camera so I couldn't take her picture. Silly girl...here are some random funny Rachel sayings:

• "Calm down, Mommy."
• "One more cookie, Mommy--that's all."
• "Bother you, bother you," (when her undies are riding up)
• (After singing an unknown song with unintelligible lyrics), "Know that song, Mommy?"
• "Ohhhh, how cuuuute!"
• "Spiderweb, eat the 'squitos. STAY OUTSIDE!"

As for the new baby...well...she's a'growin.' I hate this picture of me, but, in case you were wanting to see, here's my big baby belly, at almost 28 weeks (my hair is at 7 weeks; I had to sadly cancel my appointment last week because Rachel was sick). Rachel is fascinated by it, and is constantly asking to "see Mommy's baby." She talks to my belly, hugs it, kisses it. She says, "snuggle heeeeer," and then rubs her nose on my belly button. It's nice that she's so interested. When we ask her "What should we name our new baby, Rachel?" she always replies, "Baby Sister!" Not much help, but cute, all the same.