Make Believe Baby

Doh. I look suspicious. I'm not really pregnant. I just want to have a little girl so badly I stuff a watermelon up my shirt whenever I go somewhere so people will think I'm pregnant. I didn't think it was so obvious I was pretending until I saw pictures from Clark's friend's birthday party. This would have to be the most built up April fools stunt ever.

Which do you think I used this time?

Watermelon?

Basketball?

Birthday Balloon?

Geek

Formerly, the Grandparents were known as "Bapa" and "Nana" -- with my mom being more of a "Manna." Apparently that wasn't enough distinction for my mother. She would prefer Clark to call her "Geek." It serves her right. When we were young and they were renting, we rented a place from some people with the rather fitting last name of "Geek." She had to tell Ian about them right in front of Clark and she knows how well he picks up on new words. What was she thinking being the one to introduce that one? Did she really think she could teach him that word and not have him associate it with her? I've never seen a little kid so excited to go see a geek in all my life. Geek.

The Best Way to Have Ice Cream

Since my earliest ice cream eating days, this is how it has been done.
I can't take credit for coming up with this. It was taught to me by a very dear and tired-looking friend ;)

-Dish up a bowl of ice cream.
-Take a fork and break ice cream up into little chunks.
-Pour a couple tablespoons of cold water over the top.
-Allow to sit for a couple minutes.
-Gently mix around. You should now have a bowl of creamy goodness with crunchy little ice-bits.
-Enjoy! and if you're expecting a baby, dribble a little onto your bulgy belly from time to time.

Being with child, I'm supposed to drink about 3 quarts of water a day. I don't know how I would get through those last 2-3 tablespoons without this trick!

Come to think of it... I'm supposed to have a quart of milk every day too -- and isn't ice cream just glorified milk!?

Final thought. I think I'd like to try this a la mode!

Best Date Ever!

...And on Valentine's day at that! It was sweet, tender and memorable. I'm talking about the fruit! When I started getting that sleepy sinking feeling during Clark's nap, I made my favorite energizing pick-me-up -- cut up apples and dates with nuts and the yummiest thickest cream! Since we've switched all of our shopping over to the best store EVER, I've grown accustomed to the foods we buy there being the tastiest ever. Maybe hanging out with all the yummy personalities around the store comes out in the food's flavor. Somehow though, this date caught me by surprise and just made me thankful for all those happy little things that have happened to my tastebuds recently.
Anyway, if you loathe grocery shopping even half as much as I used to, if you want to feed your family organic without having to pull out a 2nd mortgage, or if you just wish your apple-a-day wasn't mushy, go visit Back to the Basics! They call it "the little store with the little price." I call it what happens when you keep all the yuckiness out and all the yumminess in!

Want-Fest!

"Want want want"

Once upon a time, when I was very young, my parents asked if I "wanted" to go home. Some wise and loving older friends of theirs asked them "and what's going to happen when she says 'no,' that she doesn't want to go?" Needless to say, they stopped asking what I wanted!
I heard that story several times growing up and always liked it. I always felt so secure in my parents decisions and I hear I was a well-behaved little gal.
Somehow I forgot all about it for a little while there though. I've been noticing lately how many times I ask "what do you want sweety?" Clark nicely cues me in that I've used the want-word by answering with "want want want," which is slightly irksome because he starts fussing "want want want" and I'm standing there with a fussy baby in my arms and no clue what he wants.
I'm starting to realize that even the smart little kiddoes who can speak very well and know all their numbers and letters simply don't know what they really want. They aren't old enough or wise enough to know what is best for them, so they keep chasing that thing that will make them happy instead of just trusting the ones who love them and have their best interests at heart. It reminded me of someone else I know and just happen to be.
So we're learning to just stop thinking about what we want and learn to appreciate those things that are given to us by such loving hands. It's nice to have such a cute little reminder of what life looks like when it is ruled by our passions and how happy that cute little reminder is when his choices are limited to happy or unhappy.
We've been singing "Trust and Obey" a lot while we're learning, which is extra fun because I know those wise friends of my parents know and like that song and I smile a little and think of them every time we sing it. I hope Clark embraces it heartily. I'm sure he will once he hears Mommy learned it from 'the original good parents' -- one might even call them Grand.

Trust and obey,
For there's no other way
To be happy in Jesus
But to trust and obey.

"Don't want want want"

Toe Jam Messes

Bible reading time has recently become more of a rest for my body than for my soul. I sit down to read and zonk! I'm asleep. Now while I will admit to being slightly more irritable than usual, I certainly have NOT been going around cursing all the little messes that are accumulating as my "Bible reading time" gets longer and less productive.
So why is my adorable little todler running around the house pointing out all the "dam" messes on the floor!? It's entirely his father's fault. From beginning to end, it's his father's fault.
Now before you berate my wonderful husband for swearing in front of a baby, let me just assure you that he has not.
We were looking at pictures of family members going over names with Clark. We got to Uncle Sam, and Clark happily pointed to him and said "Dam!"
Ian was right there with us, so why in the world would he try to teach him to say toe-jam!? So this morning when Clark was insistently pointing to his toes and saying his own version of "jam jam jam jam jam," I naturally panicked a bit and asked Ian why in the world my baby was using profanity. Ian explained that he knew what toe-jam was and didn't like it in his toes. So I picked it out and put it on the floor. At this point, I guess the problem sort of became my fault. I've been spending so much time "reading my Bible" that I haven't vaccuumed in several days. Every single crumb or piece of lint on the floor became toe-jam. After spending the morning hearing about every single one, let me just tell you, the floor is vaccuumed and there are NO more toe-jammy messes anywhere in this house. This is a great time for an unexpected visit! -- except that I'm planning to go read my Bible soon ;)

So Thankful!

All I can say is that when Ian is your husband, you are one super happy little lady. My parents sure knew what they were doing when they gave me to him. I must thank his parents for raising him to be so manly! I'm so proud that Clark wants to be just like him - and so blessed that Ian likes it and welcomes it when Clark follows him around doing everything Daddy does. It makes for one energetic, testosterone-y tot, but hey :) I'll take whatever comes with the territory to end up with a man like him for a son! In the words of my happy, energetic, snow-shovelling, mail-getting, trash-taking-out-ing, not-letting-mom-carry-anything-heavy-ing, wrestling, football-playing, running-in-the-house, crazy boys --- "HEY!!!"