No More Bugs

Last night I told Cia that we were going to the doctor today for him to take the bugs out of her ears so they didn't hurt anymore.

When I woke her up this morning at 5:45 am, she said, "No more bugs? Doctor?"

That's right sweety, no more bugs!

Everything went well- thanks for your prayers.

Reading

I'm a big reader. I really, really love to read. I can often feel like I don't have enough time to read all that I want to read. When I hear of a book I want to read I almost always try to get it right away, from the library, I am a HUGE fan of libraries- endless amounts of organized books that don't need to be cleaned up or put away in my house- what could be better.

To curb my reading obsession a few years ago I decided to only read fiction in the summer. Today, I came across this quote by Ron Bently that has changed my mind.

“Good fiction conveys truth even though it’s not factual.”

This is so true! I can't tell you the way my life has been blessed by good fiction. Les Misérables, To Kill a Mockingbird, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Jane Eyre- these are such favorites and have enriched my life greatly often drawing me closer to truth.

Now, as a Mom I love introducing my kids to great books. I am always on the lookout for good authors and stories. If you ever have any suggestions please pass it my way.

Two of my current favorites from the library today:
The Old Woman Who Named Things by Cynthia Rylant. This was a "Mommy why are you crying?" book.
Dogger by Shirley Hughes I'm enjoying this author quite a bit these days. She also wrote All About Alfie which the kids and I really enjoyed. My kids can very much relate to her stories and I like how the people in the illustrations are very ordinary people (like a Mom with a some extra baby weight).

Surgery...again

Please pray for our little wild child, Mercia. She will be getting tubes in her ears tomorrow morning. This is her second set as the first set fell out (it is supposed to). We are praying for no complications and that it will help her struggle with ear infections and pain.

Thanks!

Obama

Yesterday we were at a wedding in Alexandria, Va. The ceremony was at 2 and the reception wasn't until 6 so with a few hours to kill we went to a coffee shop with two of Erik's oldest friends, Tony & Emily. After we were sitting in the shop talking for a while we noticed some cops outside and then some secret service agents walking around. When we looked out the window and saw 8 black SUVs we knew it must be the Presidential motorcade. We went outside and learned that Obama was getting ice cream two stores down with his girls. So we stood there waiting for him to come out when a secret service agent basically invited us to go inside and get ice cream. Emily, who is a very big fan of the president, and I decided to go. He was just hanging out eating ice cream with his girls, just like a normal dad, trying to ignore all the people staring at them. Just as we finished buying our ice cream he got up to leave. I sort of pushed Emily up to get a picture with him and just as she was shaking hands with him I shot it (on her phone).

Anyway, a fun memory. See pictures of the event here.

Houdini

This is our Houdini child. You might notice that her pajama's are safety pinned closed (with an old fashion diaper pin). That is because about 6 months ago she decided that getting naked was more important than obeying Mom and Dad. After several months of training and to eliminate some temptation in her life and ours we resorted to safety pinning her closed. At first we used a regular safety pin, that only worked a few days. You might also notice that the pin has to go through the snap tab at the top of the pjs. That is because even with it safety pinned closed she can still get herself out of it. I started realizing her skill and the perseverance in her life when I found her (on several occasions) naked and the pjs were still pinned at the top.

The second skill our girl possesses is in driving. She can move her crib across her room. She is quite talented at this. She holds the railing, leans back and throws her body forward. Using this momentum she can get across the room rather quickly. Which is why her crib is now attached to the wall (on two corners). We did have 40 pounds of weights on legs but this also didn't work for long.

I really can't imagine what she is going to be like at age 5.

Squawberries

Today we went Squawberry Picking, at least that's what you call it if you are four years old, still suck your thumb and can't pronounce it correctly (I won't give any names). Late May, early June brings a yummy time of year. Strawberries are one of my favorite fruits (wasn't God good to give them to us) and also one of my favorite hobbies- jam making.

Making Jam is a family event. Some of us pick:

Some of us eat:

So much fun just to get this: