Saturday, May 31, 2008

Someone Please Remind Me To Never...

Remind me to never:
1). Go to Target alone with 2 children in tow.
2). Go to Target alone while my dear husband satifies his deep rooted love of farming by taking a few days to harvest wheat.
3). Did I mention the list I created was long enough to rival Santa?
4). Oh, and Lucas decided to not nap on the way which meant he wanted to be held during the adventure in the store.
5). Yes, I carried him and pulled a grocery cart destined to top the greatest dollar amount spent at Target by the Young household.
6). Don't talk to the woman from church who has 5 kids but is at the store with only 1 because it makes me feel like a whimp for barely surviving with 2!
7). Finally, someone please remind me to never forget to cherish these days. Lillian asked to go to McDonald's afterward and I gladly said yes, thinking it will save me having to fix lunch AND unload groceries when we got home. She said, "Oh, thank you, Mommy! This has been the best day ever!"

Friday, May 30, 2008

School's Out!

I joyfully ended the school year today but it was bittersweet for Lillian. She said goodbye to Ms. Ella and her friends at Kiddie Kollege for the last time. Lillian didn't seem concerned; it was me who felt like a chapter in life was ending and it is a time we will never have back. Next year, she will go to pre-K in Guthrie. Lucas doesn't realize his life is changing, but I think he will enjoy spending the summer with Mommy and Lillian. Let the fun begin!

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Memorial Day Weekend 2008

We started the weekend in Apache with Grandma Charlotte and Poppa. Charlotte snapped this picture on Sat. The wind was blowing and the humidity was out of sight. We look a little sweaty and windblown!

On Sat. evening we went to the historic community of Medicine Park. The cobblestone buildings and unique stores make it a popular tourist stop. Growing up in the area, I didn't appreciate the uniqueness of the town. Now, it is an enjoyable place to spend an afternoon or evening. Brent took this picture of a tree that has to be 100 years old. It is hard to get a feel for the size but if you look in the bottom left corner, you'll see me and Lillian.
Grandma Charlotte and Poppa with Lucas and Lillian
Sunday night brought us to Trace and Sarah's house in Elgin. Trace smoked a delicious brisket and we enjoyed spending the evening with them. Brent made me take a picture of the brisket because it was Food Network quality but I drew the line at posting it on the blog. I don't need a slab of meat taking of picture space! Trust me-- it was good.
We got to Grammy and Granddad Doug's late Sunday night, but that didn't stop Lillian from being up at first light to check out the new tree swing. She decided it is better than her old swingset.

Granddad talked Brent into taking a lift from the front end loader to secure the swing to a higher branch.
Monday was spent in Maysville with the Brown family. Brent got to spend time with his cousins and the kids (2nd cousins) were happy to renew their friendship. This is Cole Young, Lillian, and Winston Brown.
Wyatt, Winston, Lillian, and Cole intently watch the lone fish in Rhonda's pond. That's my arm holding Cole's shirt. He would have walked right in if someone didn't hold him back.
Lillian shows off her Young strength when she takes on the Brown boys, Wyatt and Winston. She held her own despite the odds. It must be that "I can't lose!" mindset that she gets from my side of the family!







Monday, May 26, 2008

Memorial Day Madness

Yes, there will be a MAJOR post for the weekend festivities but at last check, the camera said we took 178 pictures. It will take some time to sort through and choose the ones to post. I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday!

Friday, May 23, 2008

Picture Bible Revisited

Lillian and I have started a new nightly ritual. We read several pages of an old favorite of mine, The Picture Bible. I'm sure Grandma Joyce remembers how many times I read through it as a child. She kept a record and promised $50 for each cover to cover completion. It was saved until I went to college then I had a surprise waiting in my mailbox each month in the form of a check. Sadly, my copy is held together by masking tape. The pages are falling out and the cover is ragged. Since I loved the book so much, I "borrowed" my brother's not so well loved copy to keep on my bookshelf. I started showing Lillian the comic strip story of Adam and Eve. She was hooked! We read several pages every night. It might take several months but we will make it all the way through the Bible by the time we finish. Definitely worth our time! My favorite Bible story is, and always will be, about Esther. That is due, in part, to the beautiful pictures of her as queen in the Picture Bible. I hope Lillian enjoys it as much as I did.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Lucas: 5 months

Lucas is now 5 months old. The last post showed him trying veggies for the first time. That is old hat to him now; he polishes off a jar with ease. Lucas wants to sit on his own in the worst way but he is still top heavy. The best he can do is use the boppy for support. Sometimes, he gets to leaning one way and falls over. That makes him mad- kinda like a turtle.
Hand eye coordination is improving daily. He reaches for anything that catches his eye. Eyeglasses are a favorite target!
Still drooling like a waterfall but no teeth yet. Clothes seem to be shrinking as his belly grows as quick as his length. 3-6 month sizes for onsies and sleepers won't last long!
Lucas, Lillian, and Daddy


Sunday, May 18, 2008

Weekend Happenings

First of all, I need to come up with a catchier title for weekend events but since I don't have one , this is as original as it gets. I finally got the hint that Lucas was ready for more than cereal when he stared at every bite of food that I put in my mouth and opened his little mouth, thinking it was for him. He tried squash Friday night for the first time. He wasn't sure at first, but quickly decided it was okay.
Lillian had another first this weekend when she had her hair cut professionally. She and I went to the Cost Cutters in Guthrie where she bravely allowed the stylist to wash and comb her hair. The picture doesn't show it very well, but she had 3 inches cut off. Her remark after getting back in the car? "When can I get my hair cut again?" I guess that means the trip was a success.
We found this nest with 3 eggs one evening last week. Much to our surprise, it had 4 eggs the next day. We have seen the mother sitting on the nest several times a day. Our nature lesson is to watch the progress and maybe witness the hatching. This nest is in the grass so we have marked it with stake so Brent doesn't mow over it.
Lillian and Lucas on Saturday
Our friends, Jared and Paige, came over Sat. night with their 3 boys, Thompson, Bode, and Cooper. They are 4, 2, and 1. Lillian plays well with Thompson and all of the kids liked riding bikes. Lucas will be able to play with Bode and Cooper next year. For now, Cooper borrowed Lucas's walker while he took a nap.
Lillian frequently says that Lucas is her best buddy in the world. We think this is so sweet right now but I know that feeling won't last forever. This story does show how much she enjoys having him around. She woke up Sat. morning and peeked her head into our room. I told her to check on Lucas because I could hear him "talking" in his bed. After enjoying a few more minutes of rest, I decided to go check on them. I found Lillian in Lucas's bed, reading him a book. He was peacefully listening to her and chewing on his blanket. I didn't get a picture but that will stay in my mind for a long time, watching the 2 of them enjoy each other on an early Sat. morning.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Never Too Early To Hit The Books...

Lillian enjoyed "reading" to Lucas. If he didn't like it, he couldn't go anywhere.

Mother's Day 2008




Thursday, May 8, 2008

Mother's Day

To all my friends and family who are mothers- Happy Mother's Day! This was a forward that filtered to me one day and I've saved it for days such as these. I've reread it many times; it gives me peace in my days of chaos.

I Am Invisible. It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to betaken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on the phone?"

Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible.
Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disney Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30, please."

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going ... she's going ... she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it.

I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this." It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."

In the days ahead I would read - no, devoured - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: (1) No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.(2) These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.(3) They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.(4) The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it." And the workman replied, "Because God sees." I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become."

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table." That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, "You're gonna love it there."

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

God Bless You as you build your Cathedrals!

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Arghhh...

I decided to update my blog design for a change. I carefully chose a design and, after many botched attempts, finally managed to copy it. What is up with the orange stripe across the top?!?!?! More changes to come... if I have the patience.

Sunday, May 4, 2008

3 L's: Lessons Learned From Lillian

With a little bribing, we convinced Lillian to let us sell her swingset in our garage sale. The bribe involved buying "something big for the backyard." To us, that meant a trampoline; to her, that prompted a whole list of requests including a motorized Barbie car and a "big, big swingset." She did NOT include trampoline in her list of requests. We didn't mention it for several days and then decided that parents know best . Brent picked up the trampoline Friday and brought it home to surprise Lillian. The other things were forgotten in her excitement over the trampoline. Lesson(s) learned: #1 Just because it makes you excited, doesn't mean your kids will be. #2 Letting a 4 year old have a part in a decision like that isn't always a good idea! #3 Reading directions is a good idea.

She helped Brent put it together Friday evening and had time to jump on it before dark.

Cousin Cole came over to check it out Sat. night.
All in all, Lillian loves the trampoline. She spent several hours outside Sat., enjoying the cool temps. and jumping. It's good exercise, too!

Friday, May 2, 2008

Around the House

Now that Lucas can sit with little support, we transitioned to a different bath seat. That meant moving back to the small tub and an easier time for Mom lifting him in and out of the tub.
Watching Curious George before school; Lillian is multi-tasking with her toothbrush.


 
Blog Design by Sweet Simplicity