Translation...Please

Just a few days ago, I was reading to Ally while Christopher was playing and Natalie was watching television. Her show came to an end and she became whiny, asking for another show. Unfortunately, her native language is a bit hard to understand. Care to help?

Adam and Eve...out on the street

Allyson was telling me today that she told her friend the Adam and Eve story over lunch one day at school.  I asked her what she said. 

She proceeded to tell me the basic story.  Everything was accurate until I asked what the consequences were for their sin.  She said, "They were homeless...out on the street.  And yucky bugs bit them.  And I don't think they even had clothes.  And they died on the street."

Hmmm.  We're gonna have to review that story.

I thought I'd continue just a bit.  (I'd do just about anything for a good blog story.)

Me:  "Do you remember why they decided to eat the fruit from that one tree?"
Ally:  "I don't know."
Me:  "There was an animal there, talking to them..."
Ally:  "Animals don't talk."
Me:  "This one did.  Do you remember?"
Ally: "Oh! The guards!"
Me:  "HUH?"
---Silence.---
Me:  "There was a snake in the tree, tempting Adam and Eve to sin and do the ONE thing they were told not to do.  It was the devil in the snake."
Ally:  "I think I know what happened.  The devil must have been behind the snake talking."
Me:  "Yeah, well, kinda like that, I guess."

Sick and tired.

Natalie had a run-of-the-mill cold last week.  No fever, no aches and pains.  Aside from a VERY runny nose, she was largely normal. 

Unfortunately, she shared her germs with Christopher.  And his cold has NOT been run-of-the-mill.

Yesterday he was diagnosed with Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and a double ear infection.  For the past three days he hasn't let me out of his sight.  Up until today, he wouldn't let me put him down.  My arms are tired.  Yesterday I tried to work on my Bible study with him in my lap.  He didn't appreciate sharing my attention, so he tore out Joshua 2.  And now I'll never know how the whole thing with Rahab worked out.

Today he allowed me to walk away a time or two.  He even played awhile by himself.  And...he pulled himself up to his feet using our coffee table!  What a trooper. 

Happy 8-month birthday, little man!

Cultural Education

Allyson's school hosted an assembly last week.  After she tried explaining it to both of us, we determined that the assembly was kind of a cirque-de-soleil-ish-acrobatic-balance-y-show.  (I kinda think that term should be sent to Webster's.)  Since most, if not all, of our school-related information comes from a 5-year-old, we don't always get the whole picture. 

Anyway, the children were told that the performers were of Chinese decent and were there to perform various tricks that they should not try to replicate at home.  Ally tried to describe some of the tricks and told us (at least twice) about the girl that stood on the boy's head, "WITH JUST ONE FOOT!" 

At the end of her lively review of the performance, she knowingly declared, "CHINESE PEOPLE ARE AWESOME!"

"Look, Mom...

...I'm an octopus!"

 

"Now I'm an octopus AND a moose - with antleers."  

(Apparently she prefers pink moose and yes, she said "antleers.")

 

 

Extreme Makeover, Fox Edition

We didn't tear down walls or add windows or anything, but it was still a big change.  About a year ago we learned a boy would be entering our household.  In a home with only three bedrooms, we knew that our girlies would be bunking together before long.  Christopher has been living in various spots: bassinet, pack n' play, our room, and the basement office.  But our boy was ready for his own space and I was ready to get organized.  So...after several months of collecting fabric, frames, beds, mattresses, pillows, and other decor, we finally put it all together last week.

This is Ally's reaction when we revealed the room.  (She had seen the beds, but not the blankets, pillows and decor.)  

View from the door...Natalie is making herself comfortable!

 

Nat's bed.

Ally's bed.

The dormer reading nook.

They LOVE their room and have been sleeping really well!  Their first night was a bit loud and boisterous, but they fell asleep after about a half hour of giggles (mostly Natalie's).

Coming Soon: pictures of Christopher's room!  

High and Tight

Our nearly-8-month-old son got his first real haircut on Friday.  His hair has always been ridiculously long, but when I started pushing his hair behind his ears, I knew it was time.  Unfortunately, I totally forgot my camera, so the moment is lost forever.  But I did get some sweet post-haircut shots to share with you.  I hardly thought it was possible, but he's even more handsome now.  And doesn't he look older and wiser?

This is Dave's favorite angle.  He loves the straight line and can't believe that our friend and hair stylist, Sheri, could get it that precise when he wouldn't stop moving!

This is my favorite shot from this day. I just love the sweet look on his face. How could you not love him?

 

And here's a new skill!

No, the skill isn't eating the table.  It's pulling up onto his knees!  Soon enough he'll be on those feet, reaching all of his sisters' things!

I couldn't resist. One last shot...

Passion Pops

Occasionally I have to share a recipe.  Not because it's something fancy and fabulous.  Usually just because I thought it was tasty and easy.  I made these for Ally's class snack last week and my MOPS meeting.  As you'll see below, Natalie approved of the recipe.  I got it from a magazine (I don't remember which), and I'm pretty sure they named them "Passion Pops" because they looked so Valentine-y with the pink and red sprinkles (not because they're particularly passionate...).

Passion Pops

12 caramel squares (unwrapped)
32 vanilla wafer cookies
1 cup of chocolate chips (your choice of chocolate)
16 lollipop sticks (sold at craft and baking stores)
Sprinkles (we used heart Valentine sprinkles, but you could use any color or variety)

1.  Melt the caramel squares in the microwave (most packages have heating directions).  Working quickly, drop a dollop of melted caramel on a vanilla wafer.  Place a lollipop stick over the caramel, then another cookie, making a sandwich.  Continue with all the cookies.
2.  Melt the chocolate chips.  Dip and turn each lollipop in the melted chocolate, fully covering the cookie sandwich.  Tap off the excess on the side of the pot.  Drop sprinkles over the chocolate lollipop or dip the lollipop in a bowl of sprinkles (however you prefer).  Put in fridge for 5-10 minutes to cool.  Serve at room temperature.

These were yummy and fun (and simple) to make.  The vanilla wafers were a bit crumbly, so the lollipops could be messy to eat.  David's suggestion was to use small chocolate chip cookies in place of the vanilla wafers.  That sounded heavenly to me!

So, here is the evidence that Natalie enjoyed her lollipop. I think she had already licked off the cute heart sprinkles...I realized belatedly that I should have taken pictures of them before she got her hands on them!

Nat's Antics

This Natalie of ours is a hoot.  We've said it many times and it seems others agree with us.  

We're gathering proof.

Last week we took the plunge and removed the pacifier from her mouth.  She still gets it for naps and nighttime, but since she used to have it in her mouth about 23 hours a day, this is quite an improvement.  And she is handling the whole thing so well!  The first day was the worst.  I explained to her (several times) that she could have the "binko" when she went to bed.  We've always put an extra binko in her bed, so she'd be able to find it in the night. So that first day, after she was denied her vice, she climbed up into her bed and found her extra.  I told her she could hold it, but not put it in her mouth.  It's hard to see here, but she soothed her need by rubbing the pacifier on her lips.  She also chewed on the handle for a few minutes.  After that first day, she was on a roll and has done swimmingly.

A few days ago, we were stopped at a traffic light.  Natalie was happily waving and saying "Hi!"  There were no pedestrians around, and no cars next to us.  Puzzled, I looked around to solve the mystery.  Her new friend was the flashing hand sign, telling pedestrians not to cross the street.

When she woke from her nap yesterday, she called down to me, "WAKE UP ME!"


Ally made Natalie a perler bead Elmo for her birthday (those little beads that melt together with an iron).  This sweet little Elmo had been left on the floor of the living room, not in the direct path of traffic, but visible from several vantage points.  Now I know none of you are like this, but sometimes I just get used to things being in a weird place and I just leave them there.  The first few days I see it and think, "I should put that away."  After that, I just get used to it and no longer notice its presence.  None of you ever do that, right?  Yeah.  Anyway, a few days ago I took 3 1/2 seconds to put Elmo with Ally's other bead projects.  Later Natalie was digging though her sister's masterpieces (a fun hobby) and discovered her Elmo.  She promptly snagged it and returned it to its proper place on the living room floor.  Cause that's where it belongs.

Words of Wisdom...by Ally

Ally was examining her fork the other day and said, "Sometimes don't you think forks look like sharks?  Cuz they're gray and they have points like teeth."

Nope, I've never thought that before.

How 'bout you?

New Feature: Ally's Lens

IMG_4833, originally uploaded by AllyMFox.

Ally captured this photo a few weeks ago, and I couldn't resist adding it.

We recently gave Ally our old digital camera and we have been greatly enjoying seeing the photos that she captures! If you look in the right pane of our site, you will see Ally's very own photo feed from Flickr.

We will be uploading her latest photos every few weeks. You may want to go over to Flickr and subscribe to her RSS feed so you can see life through "Ally's Lens"!

I Wan' Poopie....

In case you don't already know about it, "Everyone Poops" by Taro Gomi is a "classic" piece of children's literature.  In an effort to introduce Natalie to the greats early in life, I pulled it off of Ally's bookshelf the other night and read it to her for the first time.

Little did I know that this would fast become her favorite book!  Several times throughout the day and every night before bed she comes yelling, "I wan' poopie, I wan' poopie..."  I dare you to resist reading it to her when she comes up to you with her little two-year-old dialect and asks for  the "poopie" book.  Let's just hope that all of this reading causes her to have an interest in potty training in the near future! 

Did I mention that the illustrations are very tastefully done?!

"All living things eat....so Everyone Poops" -- Taro Gomi