Quick 5

Happy Gray Snowy Friday!

1.  Introducing our third little girl:

 2.  We are thrilled it's a girl.  We have all girl stuff.  We know how to handle girls, from their anatomy to their drama-filled mood swings.  Plus, both Lee and I had strong feelings it was a girl.  So we would have been shocked and would have needed a serious shift in our thinking if she had turned out to be a boy.  I know boys are wonderful, but we just had a feeling that our family would have three girls.

3.  Alaina was NOT thrilled about her new baby sister.  She's been wanting a brother for a long time now.  She wanted a brother to take to the new Cars Land in Disneyland (even though I told her she could just as easily take a sister.)  And every time we pass boy toys in the store, she says, "Oooo!  Let's get that for my brother!"  So you can imagine that when I told her that she was definitely getting a baby sister, she burst into tears.  We tried to remind her that God chose this little girl for our family and that He must have thought that she was such a good big sister to sisters that she needed another.  It brought little comfort to her.  Good thing she has a few months to come around.

4.  Alaina's desire to speak Spanish has crossed over to her little sister.  Whenever Joya is telling someone goodbye, you'll most often hear: "Bye!!  Adios!"  It is SO CUTE to hear a two-year-old say "adios."  Maybe I should start checking out baby Spanish vocab books and see if there are some more words we can all learn.

5.  On a serious note, I came under a bit of fire this past week.  During the debate I was on Facebook, having discussions about political things with a few other friends who were doing the same thing.  This election has become quite fascinating to me, and while most people shy away from talking politics, for some reason I enjoy a good debate these days.  However, in my post I unwittingly made what is considered to be a racial slur.  Now usually I'm not bothered by being called out on things like that because a.) I usually don't care THAT much about what people think about me and b.) it never happens because I never make those mistakes.  However, this WAS a mistake because I had NO. IDEA. that what I said was considered offensive.  What bothers me about the whole exchange was that I offended family, and I care much more about family than about random Facebook friends.  So here is my conclusion: I've apologized for the offense.  I truly didn't mean it that way, because I had no idea it could be taken that way.  I am definitely ignorant when it comes to most racial slurs.  I honestly don't think about race that much, and that might be a huge mistake in itself.  But I just don't consider someones race.  That being said, I am NOT going to Google every single way that I can offend a person of color, just to make sure it doesn't happen again.  So I'm hoping that you, as people who love me (whether by choice because you're my friends or because you have to because you're my family), will let me know when I err.  And you don't have to be mean or chastising about it; I truly don't know.  Just say, "Hey, don't say [this] in reference to [that].  [Someone] might take offense."  Mostly I'm sorry that the people who DO know these things know them.  It's sad that they have to.  But as far as I can tell, I have no racism in my heart.

Go Broncos.

Quick 5

Happy Friday, one and all!

1.  Joya's birthday party was fun for all.  And tiring for mom.  But mostly fun.  It's always fun to have the cousins in the same room, and it's always fun to eat Papa Murphy's pizza.  I'm sure Joya would have been content to open her presents over an hour so she could look at everything, but we pushed it along for the sake of time and everyone else.  She's been really enjoying her presents, which is fun for me to watch, because until now she hasn't cared much about anything.  Anyway, it was fun to have the family over to celebrate our little Joya Bear.

2.  This fall weather is making me happy.  On Tuesday, following the fastest emissions test in the world, the girls and I stopped at a park.  I definitely don't do that as much as I should, and the weather was perfect that day.  Upper sixties and sunny, with a gorgeous backdrop of blue sky and yellow and red trees.  Joya spent a full half hour going down the slide, saying "Ta!" (her version of Ta Da!) and climbing back up to do it again.  Around and around and around.  Alaina was all over the playground, but give Joya a slide and she's happy for a good while.  It was a spontaneous trip, so I didn't have my camera.  Which is too bad, because it was such a pretty day.

3.  Last week a bunch of ladies at our church put together baskets of goodies for Pastor Appreciation week.  Apparently they had so much stuff, that I, as a lowly, yet still qualified member of the staff, received two myself.  It has been a joy to have baskets of various baked goods in the house.  Cookies and zucchini bread and chocolate covered pretzels and homemade macaroons...we've had to consciously remember to eat the rest of Joya's birthday cupcakes.

4.  Apparently I'm something of a political junkie.  I've always been slightly in political things, but it's been magnified in the last couple of weeks.  Maybe because the presidential race has taken such an interesting turn.  It honestly felt hopeless and boring for most of this year, but now it's not so cut and dried.  I wish the nation wasn't so split on the decision; that seems almost counter-productive.  But it is so exciting to think we might actually get a change in leadership.  So now you know what I'm browsing on the internets these days.

5.  Our backyard is actually kind of pretty these days.  If you ignore all the yucky apples on the ground.  We have one bush that suddenly erupted into a rainbow bush.  These are the fun little surprises you find during the first year in a new home.

Happy 2nd Birthday, Joya!

October 14, 2012

Sweet Joya, you're two!  You are such a fun part of our family.  You bring joy, humor and hilarity to our household.  You love to dress up, and could spend hours in pretty princess dresses.  Your favorite toy is usually the one that Alaina (or "Lalala" according to you) has in her hand at the moment.  It is so fun to watch you learn to do things by yourself.  This year will be one of many changes for you: moving from the crib to a big girl bed, becoming a big sister, and ::maybe:: even potty training.  I think you're going to be a great big sister.  In fact, I think you were born to be a big sister, although you make a great little sister too.  Even in the midst of all your antics (like stripping down naked during nap time) I can't help and be so amazed by your sweet little face. 

We love you so much, baby girl!

Love,
Mommy, Daddy, Alaina and Baby

October 14, 2010

Quick 5

This Quick 5 is dedicated to my sis-in-law, Mindy, and her crappy week.  I mean, because she had a crappy week.  I hope it's everything you hoped it would be.

1.  A sign that perhaps Alaina watches a little too much PBS Kids: she has an intense desire to speak Spanish.  She's always asking me what words are in Spanish, and all I can give her is the very basics.  No joke, she will ask me for "Leche, por favor" at breakfast.  If I give her instructions, it's common for her to say, "Si, madre."  She tries to get Joya to speak Spanish too, but I usually intervene, since Joya does not even have a very good grasp on English yet.

2.  This weekend we'll celebrate Joya's 2nd birthday.  Her birthday is on Sunday, but that's a really busy church day for us, so we'll have our traditional 2-Year-Old Pizza Party with the fam on Saturday.  No theme.  No fancy cake, just cupcakes.  And we're doing pizza, because serving pizza is really the only thing this tired, pregnant momma can handle serving a crowd.  Luckily, pizza is one of the three meals that Joya will actually eat for dinner (the other two being mac and cheese and spaghetti.)  The good news is Apple Ben will be home from college on his fall break.  It'll be like old times.

3.  This past Wednesday night was Backward Night at AWANA.  I told Alaina about it, and then right before she and Lee left, I got down and started turning her clothes around backward.  She freaked out, and started crying really sad tears.  I told her all the kids were going to be wearing their clothes backward, but you would have thought that I was trying to subject her to some awful humiliation.  So I turned her clothes around, figuring she should wear her vest backwards once she saw the other kids.  She did come home with her vest on backward, but said she didn't like it because the tag kept "poking her in the chin."  I wonder how she's going to react to Crazy Hair Night in a few weeks.

4.  October is the month of the 31 Days blog posts.  I participated last year with 31 books that I recommended, and it was really fun to have hundreds of hits on my blog each day.  But this year I couldn't think of anything to write about.  Plus, apparently over 1200 people are participating, and it loses much of its appeal to know that so many others are doing things.  One of the blogs hosts it, and you can link up your blog there.  But, really, who is going to read through 1200 topics to find one they want to follow?  I think last year I was successful, because my blog was around #125 on the list.  I suppose, though there really aren't 1200 different topics.  And I didn't really want to write about something that someone else was writing about.  But I do have an idea now.  Maybe I'll move my 31 days series to January, when things get boring after the holidays.  I'm thinking of doing 31 Days of Normal, and posting pictures of Joya's plain chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting or pictures of the shoe pile in my girls' closet, just to show our fancy Pinterest blogging world that there are normal people out there who don't strive to make every single aspect of their lives magazine worthy.  It's a 31 Days that I would want to read about.

5.  Heard in the van on Monday on the way to MOPS:
Alaina: Hey Joya!  Knock-knock!
Joya: Knock-knock!
Alaina: No, it's a joke.  Knock-knock!
Joya: Knock-knock!
Alaina:  No!!  KNOCK-KNOCK!!
Joya: Knock-knock!
Alaina:  No!!!
Joya: Knock-knock!
Alaina: NOOO!!
Joya: Knock-knock!
I didn't intervene.  I just laughed my head off. 

Happy Fall Day.  It sure is pretty outside.

Quick 5

Well, I'm hungry.  Really hungry.  All the time.  But I'll do my best to refrain from making the Quick 5 about all the things that sound really good to me right now.

1.  Last Friday I baked cookies for the first time in who knows how long.  Maybe even for the first time this year.  I've had a strong urge to bake for a few weeks now, and I was waiting for our island to be up and operational to do it.  Then I was trying to decide on a good time to bake them, because I get really tired so easily.  Afternoons are out, because I can't bake something and then make dinner a couple of hours later; I don't have the energy for that.  But last Friday morning we had nowhere to go and nothing to do, so I busted out the old tried-and-true chocolate chip cookie recipe.  According to Alaina, she's "easy at cooking" so she helped.  Joya looked on.

Alaina's stool allowed her to help.  Joya's stool allowed her to barely peek over the edge.

You don't have to teach a girl how to eat cookie batter off a beater.

2.  Much to our surprise, we have apple trees.  We bought the house and lived all summer believing we had crab apple trees in our backyard.  But those little apples grew bigger and bigger and turned from green to red streaked with gold.  Lee got brave and took a bite out of one, and lo and behold it was sweet.  Sweet and crunchy, like store bought apples (if store bought apples had bug marks on them.)  Most of the apples are actually salvageable, if we cut them up.  Now we have to figure out a.) how to cultivate apple trees and b.) what to do with all the apples.  The thing is, I don't really like apples.  I enjoy an occasional Gala apple, but if I had the choice between apple pie and no pie, I'd pick no pie.  And I've never cared for the taste of homemade applesauce.  But now it appears that God has given us many many apples that I need to learn how to be a good steward of. 

3.  Alaina had her first paying chore last week, speaking of apples.  Of course those apples are falling all over the backyard.  (They also fall on our roof, and since one of the trees is right outside our bedroom, I get to hear the lovely thunk...roll in the middle of the night.)  Anyway, Lee paid Alaina one cent per apple to pick them up last week.  She filled her bucket and brought them to Lee, who counted them and put them in a trash bag.  She made $1.04 last week.  And probably could make that again this week.

Alaina picked up apples.

Joya played with the soccer ball.

 4.  Last week I was doing dishes after dinner and I hear Lee ask Joya what she was eating.  It was after dinner, and she shouldn't have had anything in her mouth.  Suddenly he called, "Tori!  Joya has something all over her face, and she smells like fruit snacks!"  Upon further investigation, Joya had found and consumed approximately half of my green apple Chapstick.  She is now forbidden from our bedroom, unless we are in there.

5.  Wednesday night was one of the those long nights with a fevery baby.  Joya spiked a fever again and spent a good two to three hours awake.  However, she was not fussing or crying or moaning.  She was singing.  She started singing at about 8:30 and at 9:30 I told her to stop and go to sleep.  She said, "Okay, Mommy!" and proceeded to continue singing as soon as I shut her door.  Finally after another hour I discovered that she had spiked a fever, so I brought her in bed with me to try and get her settled.  Again, she wasn't fussy.  She was just singing up a storm.  She fell asleep around 11:30 (in her own bed) but at 2:00 I heard her singing again.  I gave her another round of meds and told her to go to sleep.  She did fairly quickly that time.  I have never heard a baby sing instead of fuss when they don't feel well.  But Joya did.  You would think that singing is much better than crying, but in the middle of the night when you have a tired, pregnant momma, singing is almost just as annoying as fussing, and that is something I never thought I would say.

If any of you ever feel the urge to bring me some fried chicken, don't fight it.  Just go with it.