(This picture was taken by my mom.)

Dear Emma,

Happy 17 Month Birthday!

You learned to tip toe this month, which is good since we "tip toed through the tulips" at the annual tulip festival (one of our family traditions).

(Peek-a-boo!) 

You love, love, love the bath.  When you hear the water you come running, screaming "Baaaahhhhhhhhhhh".  Sometimes when I'm undressing you for the bath I look down and your eyes are crinkled up naughtily and you have half my shirt crammed into your mouth.  Clothes are not food.  Step away from the mama clothes.  And since we are talking about what is food and what is not food I will make a list, for your future reading pleasure, of the things that are NOT food…

• mama clothes
• bath soap
• bath water
• baby lotion
• hair clippers
• crayons

You love juice.  LOVE!  We only give you one sippy cup of juice per day (otherwise you stop eating food all together.)  One morning you drank your juice and I refilled your sippy cup with fresh water.  You brought me the water, shaking your head sadly and handed it to me.  In your other hand was Tessa's juice which you had pilfered and were sipping sneakily.   Sometimes when you drink your juice, you take a few swigs and then lean your head back and close your eyes.  You are a juice junkie, and I think I might be your supplier. 

Some of your milestones this month… you got your 8th tooth (during which time you were pretty fussy and clingy to me), you slept through the night (13 hours!) for about 2 weeks (I feel like a new person with all this sleep! Thanks!), you are starting to put two words together "mo boon" (more balloon), you can say "open" (OpEEEEEEEEE) and "Big Bird" and "puppy". 

You have a set of dance moves you like to bust out when music comes on.  (Picture feet stomping while turning in a circle and John Travolta disco arm movements.) I'm trying to get it on video so I can torture you with it show it to you when you are a teenager.

You are even more in love with Elmo this month.  We've even started calling you Elmoid.  You find the TV remote and bring it to me saying, "Elmo? Elmo?! ELMO!"  Sometimes if Tessa is watching one of her shows (anything not Elmo) you will get the remote yourself and change the channel.  On Elmo's show he says "Guess what Elmo is thinking about today?  Da da da DA!"  You like to say the "Da da da DA" part right along with him.

You can say "toy" now.  Too bad you can't tell which items are toys and which are not.  For instance here are the things we have caught you with lately that are NOT toys.

• knives
• scissors
• daddy's ipod

You are trying to run.  Don't think that I haven't noticed.  You must stop this immediately.  No good can come from this!

This morning you picked up a play telephone, held it to your ear and said "Papa?" (Grandpa?)  A little young to be taking over the telephone, aren't you?

While I'm trying to type this letter Tessa is in the hallway yelling, "Mom, Emma has the bag of pretzels."  And sure enough, you brought me the bag of pretzels and said, "CookiEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE?"  Um, sure.  You still like to raid the pantry.

Your nicknames this month are Emma Yemma Ding Dong, Tofutti, Cuddlebunny, Cootiebug, Elmoid, Cruddyface, Pooh, Little Pooh, Snuggle Bunny, Snuggle-bucket, Eh-muh (said in a whiny voice), and Little Moon Pie.

We celebrated Easter at church and also at our traditional Easter brunch, egg coloring and egg hunt at Grandma and Grandpa's house.  You had a lot of fun gathering Easter eggs (in the rain!).  Your favorite thing you found in your Easter eggs?  Blingy bead necklaces!

You have really taken an interest in books this month.  You nearly always bring me your "Lovey Dovey" or "I Love You All The Time" board books, which makes me think they might be your current favorites.  But really, you like any book with pictures of babies in it.

Tonight you woke up at 11:30pm for what your Daddy and I like to call your "Midnight Cry" and as I went into your room to rock you in the glider, I wondered… will this be the last time you cry out in the middle of the night?  You've already been sleeping straight through the night for a while now.  So as I rocked you I tried to memorize the feel of your head on my shoulder, your warm little self in your fuzzy feety sleeper pressed against me.  I tried to memorize the silky feel of your hair against my cheek and your sweet baby smell.  This is truly the best life has to offer, and I want to keep these memories so I can get them out and savor them in years to come.

Yesterday I was downtown in a restaurant getting take-out for dinner.  While I was waiting I looked out the window and there you were, laughing and nearly running down the sidewalk.  Your sister and father were close behind you.  The sun was shining down on all three of you.  As I watched you I thought that I must be the luckiest and most blessed girl on the planet to have you and your sister and your dad in my life. 

Emma, you are a joy.  I love you so much.  I'm so glad God blessed me with you.  I'm praying for you always.

Love,

Mama

I found this meme over at Baseballs and Bows and decided to play along.  Feel free to join in the fun.  If you do, leave me a comment and I'll link to you.

The A-B-C's of Homemaking

Aprons- Y/N? - Yes, I tend to spill or splash stuff a lot so I have a little mini collection of aprons going on.  My grandmother gave my sister and I matching smock/aprons (so ugly!) before she died and now it is my FAVORITE apron.  My sister and I wear them at church if we are helping with cooking for potlucks or fundraisers.  (See… ugly.  But still, LOVE!)

Baking- I like to bake, but don't do it that often.  Okay, so I did bake cookies last night, but they were the kind where you just scoop the already-made cookie dough onto the baking sheet. (Cheater!)

Clothesline- Y/N? No.  But it seems like a good idea.  I joke with my husband that if we run out of clean underwear I'll just jump over our fence and pull some of the neighbors underwear off their clothesline.  Hee!  (Our view every morning over the backyard fence.)

Donuts- Ever made them?  No, but I have made home made funnel cakes.  Does that count?  They are kind of like donuts, yes?

Everyday- One homemaking thing you do everyday? - I start the dishwasher before going to bed at night and empty it when I get up in the morning.

Freezer- Do you have a separate deep freezer? - Yes.  But we don't use it that much.  It is full of old, weird stuff that I can't believe I ever bought.  I found a box of frozen mashed potatoes in there on Sunday that had expired in 2005.  What makes this even weirder is that I always make fresh mashed potatoes.  I NEVER use frozen.

Garbage Disposal- Y/N? - Yes.  It's new.  Now with 100% less sour smell.  It doesn't spew chewed up food in the cabinet under our sink like our old one did. 

Handbook- Y/N? - I tried once to make a Flylady style "Control Journal" but it got a little big and bulky, so I'm trying to simplify it. 

Ironing- Yes, but as little as possible. My mom and Rogene's mom are ironing queens.

Junk Drawer- My junk drawer is in the kitchen and all the junk is neatly organized into little bins (most of the time).  Right now, the drawer needs work.

 Kitchen- Design and decorating? - Cream colored walls, wood cabinets stained a nice light-ish brown and apple themed decor. (Picture:  top of the kitchen window.)

Love- What is your favorite part of homemaking? - Organizing and decorating.  I wish cleaning and laundry was my favorite part.  Imagine how nice my house would look!

Mop- Y/N? - Yes, but I don't use a mop.  I get down on my hands and knees.  For me it is easier, and it looks cleaner. 

Nylons- Wash by hand or in the washer? - Always in a mesh bag in the washer.

Oven- Do you use the window or open it to check? - My sister hates it, but I always open it.  My kids like to look in the window when something is in the oven so I always leave the oven light on.

Pizza- What do you put on yours? - Black olives and pineapple.  My kids like cheese and my husband likes pineapple and chicken.  Tessa helped make this home made pizza.  She helped roll the dough, spread the sauce, add the cheese and veggie pepperoni and pineapple.  Great job Tessa!

Quiet- What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment? - Blogging, reading, or frantically running around cleaning up before the kids get up.

Recipe card box- Y/N? - A very kind lady at our church gave me a family heirloom type book to put recipes in (as a wedding gift) and I use that.   As far as favorite recipe books go, I love the Betty Crocker cookbook.

Style of house - Ranch.

Tablecloths and napkins- Y/N? - I love table linens and have some tablecloths and cloth napkins but mostly we use place mats and paper napkins.

Under the kitchen sink - Clean kitchen towels, rubber gloves, dish cloths, garbage bags and clean sponges. (With little kids around I can't put cleaning supplies under there.)

Vacuum- How many times a week? - My husband usually vacuums for me.  Since my kids are pretty messy eaters we need to vacuum every day, but probably only do it 2-3 times a week (if we are lucky).

Wash- How many loads do you do a week? I should do about 10 or more per week, but most of the time we don't get them all done.  Anybody want to play the Laundry Mountain game?

X's- Do you keep a list of things to do and cross them off? - I LOVE lists.  I've recently started to keep my lists on the computer so I don't have a million papers lying around.

Yard- Who does what? - Umm… we aren't too good with the yard.  Thankfully my dad comes over every once in a while and makes our yard look better.  (If we do get some yard work done it is usually Rogene does most of the mowing and probably all of the weed pulling/killing.)

Before

After My Dad Fixed the Front Yard

ZZZ's- What is your last homemaking task for the day? - Turning on the dishwasher before I go to bed.  I like to go to sleep listening to the hum of the dishwasher… haha!

You have to check out this picture at Adventures in the 100 Acre Wood!  It is so adorable!  It is worth the click, I promise!

Thirteen Inexpensive-ish Gifts That Would Make Me Smile on My Birthday or Mother's Day

(Not that I need gifts to make me happy, but some people NEED to wrap things up with a bow.  You know who you are, sister.  Plus, my family is notorious for their pre-birthday wish list requests.)

(P.S. I stole this idea from Katkat, who had a birthday recently.  Katkat, did you get your Rottweiler?)

1.  Ipod speakers.  White.  Any kind that don't sound terrible. (I'm picky!) This model is about $45 shipped on eBay. 

2.  A hydrangea for my front yard. (about $20-25)

3.  Karen Kingsbury's Book "Forever" $11

4.  Willow Tree Tenderness Figurine (For my Willow Tree Figurine collection.) $21

5.  Willow Tree New Life Figurine (You know, for the collection.) $23

6.  Willow Tree Sisters by Heart Figurine (What?  I have a collection!) $19

7.  Stones of Remembrance book by Lois Evans $11

8.  Kitchen Aid Toaster in Empire Red (What?  We eat a lot of toast around here!) $60

9.  Bare Minerals Eye Shadow $13 (color: Faux Fox or Cashmere) and Shadow Brush $14

10.  Pedicure Gift Certificate (about $25)

11.   Sephora Gift Card

12.  Amazon Gift Card

13.  The King of All Gift Cards - THE TARGET GIFT CARD

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You have to go read this post at Antique Mommy about laundry.  So funny!

Not that I personally know anything about laundry that sits in the washer until it gets stinky. 

Because my laundry is always dried in an, um, timely fashion.  *Ahem*

And I disavow all knowledge of any game called "Laundry Mountain" where the kids use the giant mountain sized smallish laundry pile as a play-thing to gleefully jump on. 

Note:  Emma is saying "Oh man!" in this video.

Crossing Over Our Jordon River

"We don't know when God will get us over the river. We don’t know how God will dry the riverbed and allow us to cross. But we do know, by faith, that he will act on our behalf. And while we wait, we remember.

We remember our Red Seas, the places where God has parted the waters for us, the impossible places where God came through and the Enemy was defeated.

We remember who brought us through.

We remember whose we are. We belong to Christ!

We remember that God’s delays are not delays of inactivity, but of preparation. He delays, but he does not deny. While we wait He prepares us for His answer according to His perfect, preordained plan.

We remember and link up with like-minded, stronger people who are going in the same direction. We cant afford to attempt the waters of Jordan alone.

We remember to tell our children, and our children’s children that they may see the mighty hand of God and take courage for the rivers they will have to cross. They piggyback on our faith when we share the stories of God’s mighty acts in our lives.

We remember to offer encouragement for our friends who walk beside us along the way."

I found this quote over at Especially Heather.  It appears to be from the book Stones of Remembrance.  I'm going to have to go get that book!

Meet Cuppy. 

Tessa's snuggly (her word, not mine).  She has loved this blanket since she was about six months old.  I tried to find a second one and actually located one on eBay, but it sold for over $50 even though in the store they sold for around $10.  (Some desperate Mama like me whose kid lost one must have been the winning bidder.  How else can you explain that?)

We met a kid at Tessa's Romp-n-Roll class who had one just sitting at the bottom of his toy box.  His mother saw how much Tessa loved Cuppy and GAVE the blanket to her.  It was an answer to prayer too, because about a year later Tessa accidentally left Cuppy at the mall and we never found him again.  Thank goodness we had a spare! 

Tessa and Cuppy.

 Meet Taggie.

 Emma and Taggie.

Emma developed an attachment for Taggie when she was about 6 months old.  I had read (and heard from other moms) that babies love tags on clothing and toys.  When Emma was born I found a website selling Taggie blankets and toys and bought her one to put it in her crib.  She totally fell in love with it.  It is true what they say about how kids like to play with the tags.  (With Emma I was smart enough to buy TWO so we have a spare.) 

I highly recommend this kind of blanket for babies.  Taggie blankets or toys would make great shower gifts too.

 When Tessa says her bedtime prayers each night it sounds something like this,

"Dear Jesus,

Thank you that we have a great day for our day.  And thank you for Mommy, Daddy, Emma, Cuppy and Taggie.

Amen"

(My nephew Braden, his best friend Jami, and the little girl baby doll.) 

At Braden's school each student has to babysit a special doll for a weekend as part of their homework.  You know, to show them what it would be like to have a real baby.

This doll cries, and you have a set of keys you use to turn the crying off.  One key is for feeding, one is for burping, one is for diapers, one is for attention.  If you neglect or abuse the doll (even if you set it down roughly!), it will turn off and can only be turned back on by the teacher, who then docks you a full letter grade for neglect or abuse. 

The teen in charge of the doll can't leave it with just anybody, it has to find a reliable babysitter who will actually insert the keys when the baby cries or else he risks the baby shutting off and the inevitable lowering of the grade.

Braden said the funniest stuff this weekend. 

"First she woke up at 12:30am and wanted food.  Then she needed to be burped.  Then 5 minutes later I had to burp her again.  An hour later she woke up and just wanted attention!  She wanted food again at 5am!"

So I said, "That is what a real baby is like!"

"She needed a diaper. And the right afterward she needed ANOTHER diaper!" 

And I had a flashback to when my babies were newborns.

Braden has been so great with this doll.  He held it all throughout church because he was afraid he wouldn't be able to hear the crying over the loud upbeat music we always have. 

I think it is really terrific that schools are showing teens what it would be like to have a baby.   Now if the baby really pooped, and actual diapers had to be changed that would be even better.  Oh!  And they should have to strap baby in a car seat, carry a diaper bag, and use a stroller too!

Okay, so I didn't use a hat, I used a Strawberry Shortcake puzzle bucket to pick the winner of the Ocean Star Book Contest.

And I maybe used crayons to write every one's names on my daughters newsprint paper tablet in my illegible handwriting (this is why I type, people!).

And I maybe even used child safe scissors to cut those names out.  (Some names were already cut out and placed in the bucket when I took the picture.)

And then Tessa picked the winner out of the bucket.  Watch this video to find out if you won!

Congratulations to Annaliza!