Does this say what I think it says?
Really?!
OH! This will be great fun!
SURPRISE!
Scott is just in shock that his daddy will be forced to drive a mini-van!
Summer Snapshot
13 years ago
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
Time in Toledo
This past weekend, Jon and I were able to get away to A Weekend To Remember marriage conference. In summary of the weekend, I overheard Jon telling someone, "It just helped to confirm that we are on the right track." Despite being a marriage conference, we probably gained the most valuable info during their short parenting segment. Family Life has over 50+ speaker couples who put on these events, so each person's experience will be different based on which two speaker couples get assigned to one's event. We really enjoyed our speakers and appreciated their sincerity and great humor.
The weather was perfect in Toledo, so we were able to take our share of walks and enjoyed the scenery.
We were walking along a boardwalk when all of the sudden we heard this odd loud noise. After a minute, we realized it was the sound of frogs. Not one or two, but THOUSANDS of FROGS all croaking at the same time. Look closely in the next picture and you can see some in the water. They were everywhere! Thankfully they were content to stay in the swampy water.
While we were away, my parents watched the kiddos, and Scott and Natalie had a great time at their "sleepover." They did special activities and got full time attention. However, I cannot believe how much I missed them. We were only gone Friday through Sunday, but it felt like much longer. Today, after a tantrum, mess making, and whining, I wondered why I had longed so much to get back to them, but perhaps this is part of the mystery of motherhood. :)
In all seriousness, I love my husband and am grateful for our time together, and I love my children and am thankful to be home with them again.
The weather was perfect in Toledo, so we were able to take our share of walks and enjoyed the scenery.
We were walking along a boardwalk when all of the sudden we heard this odd loud noise. After a minute, we realized it was the sound of frogs. Not one or two, but THOUSANDS of FROGS all croaking at the same time. Look closely in the next picture and you can see some in the water. They were everywhere! Thankfully they were content to stay in the swampy water.
While we were away, my parents watched the kiddos, and Scott and Natalie had a great time at their "sleepover." They did special activities and got full time attention. However, I cannot believe how much I missed them. We were only gone Friday through Sunday, but it felt like much longer. Today, after a tantrum, mess making, and whining, I wondered why I had longed so much to get back to them, but perhaps this is part of the mystery of motherhood. :) 
In all seriousness, I love my husband and am grateful for our time together, and I love my children and am thankful to be home with them again.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Back seat driver, Polly, and more friends
(How's that for a random title?)
I was hurrying to drive somewhere earlier this week when Scott exclaimed, "Mommy! Slow down!" When I asked him why, he said, "Because you're going too fast on this road." Eek! He was right.
Then, the other day, I pulled to the opposite lane to allow plenty of room for a man out walking. Scott quickly thought he needed to remind me..."Drive on the other side, Mommy!"
I told Jon these stories, and he was proud of our little backseat driver. However, today Scott told Jon that he needed to use his turn signal. I'm not sure if Jon thought this was quite as cute! :)
Scott took his turn with strep last week, and informed me one night of this, "I need another train that will help me remember to not cry and to swallow my medicine without spitting it out." For the record, he's an excellent little medicine taker. His sister on the other hand...not so much.
Playing in a "tent" together
I remember a nursery rhyme from my childhood that goes likes this...
Polly put the kettle on,
Polly put the kettle on,
Polly put the kettle on,
We'll all have tea.
Sukey takes it off again,
Sukey takes it off again,
Sukey takes it off again,
They've all gone away.
Look familiar? Well, this rhyme comes to mind frequently as I go about my day.
For example, you know the neat dividers for the silverware drawer? It seems like every other time I open the drawer, all of the big and little spoons are stacked in one big pile and all of the big and little forks are grouped in another pile. I divide them back into four slots, but next time I open the drawer, they are back in two stacks. AHHHH!!!
The decorative pillows on the couch seem to be another great example of this. No matter how often I neatly place them on opposite ends of the couch, they get moved elsewhere. Similarly, no matter how many times I put Natalie's socks on her cold little feet, she will always take them off again. I'm sure all moms (or perhaps wives) have some of the same type of moments. Just call me Polly.
Finally, remember what I was saying about our abundance of stuffed animals? Well, my parents were at a bookstore last weekend, and the store was giving out free stuffed birds. Needless to say, Scott and Natalie now have new little friends. Scott's named his Tweety. Natalie wants to sleep with hers. No further comment.
I was hurrying to drive somewhere earlier this week when Scott exclaimed, "Mommy! Slow down!" When I asked him why, he said, "Because you're going too fast on this road." Eek! He was right. Then, the other day, I pulled to the opposite lane to allow plenty of room for a man out walking. Scott quickly thought he needed to remind me..."Drive on the other side, Mommy!"
I told Jon these stories, and he was proud of our little backseat driver. However, today Scott told Jon that he needed to use his turn signal. I'm not sure if Jon thought this was quite as cute! :)
Scott took his turn with strep last week, and informed me one night of this, "I need another train that will help me remember to not cry and to swallow my medicine without spitting it out." For the record, he's an excellent little medicine taker. His sister on the other hand...not so much. 
Playing in a "tent" together
I remember a nursery rhyme from my childhood that goes likes this...Polly put the kettle on,
Polly put the kettle on,
Polly put the kettle on,
We'll all have tea.
Sukey takes it off again,
Sukey takes it off again,
Sukey takes it off again,
They've all gone away.
Look familiar? Well, this rhyme comes to mind frequently as I go about my day.
For example, you know the neat dividers for the silverware drawer? It seems like every other time I open the drawer, all of the big and little spoons are stacked in one big pile and all of the big and little forks are grouped in another pile. I divide them back into four slots, but next time I open the drawer, they are back in two stacks. AHHHH!!!
The decorative pillows on the couch seem to be another great example of this. No matter how often I neatly place them on opposite ends of the couch, they get moved elsewhere. Similarly, no matter how many times I put Natalie's socks on her cold little feet, she will always take them off again. I'm sure all moms (or perhaps wives) have some of the same type of moments. Just call me Polly.
Finally, remember what I was saying about our abundance of stuffed animals? Well, my parents were at a bookstore last weekend, and the store was giving out free stuffed birds. Needless to say, Scott and Natalie now have new little friends. Scott's named his Tweety. Natalie wants to sleep with hers. No further comment.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Random Pictures & Stories- Part Two...And Three...And Four...
(This post got a bit long...even Jon was ready to skim through by the time he made it near the end.)
Jon had to work during the Superbowl, so the kids and I sat down to watch a bit of the game together. They were super excited and cheered for both teams.
Scott discovered a way to drink from his cup without using his hands. Trust me...I put milk in there. :) Our happenin' party lasted all of 10 minutes or so. I was trying to turn the commercials off, but I didn't get a "scary" car commercial turned off in time, and Scott got pretty disturbed by it. Who needs to watch the Superbowl anyway when you could be watching Miss Patty Cake? :)
My sweet and oh-so-crafty friend, Molly, sent us a FUN Valentine's day package complete with treats, goodies, and homemade playdough with heart cutters for the kids. They are still enjoying her great surprise. Thanks again, Molly!!
We took the kids to a fun gym. I had taken Scott this summer, but I hadn't attempted to take Natalie yet. I thought she might run wild. For the first few minutes, she acted hesitant and stayed close by, and I thought that I may not have needed Jon's help after all. However, in typical Natalie fashion, she warmed up quickly and was off like a race horse. The kids had so much fun bouncing and running and tumbling around. As we were driving away, we decided that I shouldn't try going solo yet with both kids. Scott is begging already to go back, but I'm a bit leery. A few days after our great time there, Natalie came down with a 104 degree fever and is just finishing up her antibiotic for possible strep. I sanitized their hands before we left the parking lot, but I'm still secretly calling that gym a germ factory.
Scott enjoyed having Daddy along and got to do some things that Mommy couldn't do with him!
Ready for more randomness? We have toooo many stuffed animals. Some from my childhood, some that were gifts for the kids, some that snuck into our basement overnight. Anyway...I have heard great stories recently about kids who are eager to give their toys away to those who are less fortunate and have developed a heart for giving at a young age. With this idea in mind, I got two empty tubs and told the kids the sad story about how some children do not have any toys and that we need to give some of ours away to them. I said, "Let's fill one tub with animals that we want to keep and one tub with animals that we want to give away." I picked up my least favorite stuffed animal first (least favorite because it is the largest). I told the kids how some other children would love to hug and squeeze on the overstuffed lamb...or bear...I'm still not sure what it is. Natalie immediately came over and gave the big thing a giant hug, and Scott interpreted that she wanted to keep it. After trying to talk them out of a few others and failing, I told Scott to start by choosing one that he definitely was ready to give away. He chose Officer Friendly. (If you've been a long time follower, you'll recall that Officer Friendly is an adorable police officer puppet...certainly NOT one to give away.) I immediately vetoed Scott's decision and pulled Officer Friendly out of the "Give Away" tub. I told him to choose again, but he was too busy freaking out since Natalie had started to pile all of the animals (including herself) into the charity tub. Sooo....I could see we weren't going to get very far and decided to save the "give to those in need" lesson for later or perhaps have Jon go through them sometime while I distracted the kids upstairs. Surely Jon would know better than to give away cute little Officer Friendly. And I'm sure he'd know to keep that darling duck that I received when I was eight years old, wouldn't he? Ummm...scratch that idea. I'll just do it sometime when the kids are asleep. Maybe.
Check out Brody's shirt: "MY AUNT'S COOL!" :) He probably got a few extra hugs that day! :)
Grammy took Scott for an afternoon prior to Valentine's Day. They made delicious V-day cookies and cute Valentine's for us. Scott had a great time. Carol and Scott also took some cookies by Scott's great grandpa's house. Don wanted to try to sit up to see Scott on that day and was able to talk to his great grandson. That was the last "good" day Don had before going to heaven on Valentine's Day. I'm grateful that Scott got to see him that one last time. He will be missed.
Scott's my usual baking buddy while Natalie is napping. Today, however, I was feeling brave and allowed both kids to help me in the kitchen. I braced myself for arguments over who got to stir or pour in the ingredients, but I was pleasantly surprised. Instead, Scott kept saying, "Here Natalie, do you want to stir?" Now...before you think too highly of my three year old, you must hear the rest of the story. Natalie was a much more messy stirrer and often splashed things out of the bowl/onto the floor. Scott knew better than to do this, but he loved watching his sister make the mess. He stood by and giggled and giggled with each sloppy stir. She then tried to sample some batter which caused Scott to laugh even harder. Natalie was also loving every minute of it!
THE END! :)
Jon had to work during the Superbowl, so the kids and I sat down to watch a bit of the game together. They were super excited and cheered for both teams.
Scott discovered a way to drink from his cup without using his hands. Trust me...I put milk in there. :) Our happenin' party lasted all of 10 minutes or so. I was trying to turn the commercials off, but I didn't get a "scary" car commercial turned off in time, and Scott got pretty disturbed by it. Who needs to watch the Superbowl anyway when you could be watching Miss Patty Cake? :)
My sweet and oh-so-crafty friend, Molly, sent us a FUN Valentine's day package complete with treats, goodies, and homemade playdough with heart cutters for the kids. They are still enjoying her great surprise. Thanks again, Molly!!
We took the kids to a fun gym. I had taken Scott this summer, but I hadn't attempted to take Natalie yet. I thought she might run wild. For the first few minutes, she acted hesitant and stayed close by, and I thought that I may not have needed Jon's help after all. However, in typical Natalie fashion, she warmed up quickly and was off like a race horse. The kids had so much fun bouncing and running and tumbling around. As we were driving away, we decided that I shouldn't try going solo yet with both kids. Scott is begging already to go back, but I'm a bit leery. A few days after our great time there, Natalie came down with a 104 degree fever and is just finishing up her antibiotic for possible strep. I sanitized their hands before we left the parking lot, but I'm still secretly calling that gym a germ factory.
Scott enjoyed having Daddy along and got to do some things that Mommy couldn't do with him!
Ready for more randomness? We have toooo many stuffed animals. Some from my childhood, some that were gifts for the kids, some that snuck into our basement overnight. Anyway...I have heard great stories recently about kids who are eager to give their toys away to those who are less fortunate and have developed a heart for giving at a young age. With this idea in mind, I got two empty tubs and told the kids the sad story about how some children do not have any toys and that we need to give some of ours away to them. I said, "Let's fill one tub with animals that we want to keep and one tub with animals that we want to give away." I picked up my least favorite stuffed animal first (least favorite because it is the largest). I told the kids how some other children would love to hug and squeeze on the overstuffed lamb...or bear...I'm still not sure what it is. Natalie immediately came over and gave the big thing a giant hug, and Scott interpreted that she wanted to keep it. After trying to talk them out of a few others and failing, I told Scott to start by choosing one that he definitely was ready to give away. He chose Officer Friendly. (If you've been a long time follower, you'll recall that Officer Friendly is an adorable police officer puppet...certainly NOT one to give away.) I immediately vetoed Scott's decision and pulled Officer Friendly out of the "Give Away" tub. I told him to choose again, but he was too busy freaking out since Natalie had started to pile all of the animals (including herself) into the charity tub. Sooo....I could see we weren't going to get very far and decided to save the "give to those in need" lesson for later or perhaps have Jon go through them sometime while I distracted the kids upstairs. Surely Jon would know better than to give away cute little Officer Friendly. And I'm sure he'd know to keep that darling duck that I received when I was eight years old, wouldn't he? Ummm...scratch that idea. I'll just do it sometime when the kids are asleep. Maybe. 
Check out Brody's shirt: "MY AUNT'S COOL!" :) He probably got a few extra hugs that day! :)
Grammy took Scott for an afternoon prior to Valentine's Day. They made delicious V-day cookies and cute Valentine's for us. Scott had a great time. Carol and Scott also took some cookies by Scott's great grandpa's house. Don wanted to try to sit up to see Scott on that day and was able to talk to his great grandson. That was the last "good" day Don had before going to heaven on Valentine's Day. I'm grateful that Scott got to see him that one last time. He will be missed.
Scott's my usual baking buddy while Natalie is napping. Today, however, I was feeling brave and allowed both kids to help me in the kitchen. I braced myself for arguments over who got to stir or pour in the ingredients, but I was pleasantly surprised. Instead, Scott kept saying, "Here Natalie, do you want to stir?" Now...before you think too highly of my three year old, you must hear the rest of the story. Natalie was a much more messy stirrer and often splashed things out of the bowl/onto the floor. Scott knew better than to do this, but he loved watching his sister make the mess. He stood by and giggled and giggled with each sloppy stir. She then tried to sample some batter which caused Scott to laugh even harder. Natalie was also loving every minute of it! 
THE END! :)
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Random Pictures & Stories- Part One
Whenever we get out the Mr. Potato Head set, Natalie ends up with the glasses on. She puts them on upside down about 75% of the time. 
Natalie likes for me to sing Jesus Loves Me to her at night. I used to sing, "Yes, Jesus loves Natalie!" But the last few months, Natalie insists that I insert everyone's name. I sing, "Jesus loves..." And Natalie says, "Daddy!" Then, I sing, "Yes, Jesus Loves..." And she says, "Scott!" And on and on...making sure to cover all four of us each night (and sometimes even her beloved stuffed "Ernie" gets the blessing as well) . She also will sing the last note with me every time. The Bible tells me "SOOOOOOOoooooooOOOOOOOOOOoooooo!" 
Enjoying the mild weather!
A girl and her shoes...
A multi-tasking officer/firefighter 
A few Scott quotes: **The other day, he asked me to draw a train for him. I attempted. Scott then said in his serious voice, "But that looks like an elephant on wheels!" (I have to admit that he was right. I hope he doesn't get his artistic ability from me.)
**Surprised me with a random: "Mommy, you look nice today." (This was said at about 7:00 p.m. when I was probably looking anything but nice. But...I'll take it! :)
**A few nights ago, Scott called me back into his room after tucking him in and said, "I just needed to ask you four questions. My number one question is what is inside wood? (My scholarly answer) My number two question is what does is look like inside people's tummies? (My brilliant answer) My...(forgetting what number he was on...must have been blown away by Answer #2) number 14 question is how do animals eat? (My answer again) And my number four question is how is water made? (Answer and immediate exit)
The next night as I was tucking Scott in, he said, "I just need to ask you nine questions." We nipped this ritual in the bud right then and there. :)
**Scott fell down while running. He said, "Woah! I'm fall-able!"
Friday, February 10, 2012
L-O-V-E
Scott is such a sweet big brother to Natalie, and Natalie seems to really love Scott. Their friendship continues to grow as they want to do a lot of things together. They each ask for the other when one is away. Scott is so very patient with his train track destroying, Lincoln Log smashing, tower crashing little sister. Oh how I hope this continues and that their relationship continues to deepen!A few examples: Scott will give Natalie countless rides around the basement in his trailer.
Yet when it's his turn, he's not too upset that the vehicle doesn't move. (Checking out to see if there is a problem with the tires?? No...it's just the little driver.)
Scott frequently has a side kick when he gets on the computer. 
He kindly endures the hugs/neck squeezes. 
Notice what is taking place in the picture below. Hurricane Natalie strikes several times a day on the Island of Sodor. :)
I was getting on Natalie the other day for something when Scott immediately left the room. Later, I discovered that his beloved friend "Bear" was in Natalie's crib. When I asked Scott about it, he told me that he had thrown Bear into her crib because he thought I was going to put Natalie in time-out and he wanted her to have his friend. Is that not sweet?!:)
The other day, Scott asked, "When Natalie turns two, will she talk to me?"
Here, they are doing their game of the week...pretending to be bunnies and hopping around the house and repeatedly saying (yelling), "HOP! HOP! HOP!" For some reason, this game doesn't seem to be growing old fast enough for me. And you know that great feeling in the morning when you first see your kid? Well...I've also come to love the first time in the morning when they see each other. They will both enthusiastically wave at one another with those sleepy morning eyes, and it always makes me smile.
Like all siblings, they still have their moments, but at least for this post, we will focus on the good. They really are good little friends.
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