How could it not be happy with these smiling faces?
Happy New Year!
Jan 1st, 2015 by ECM
21 Month-Old Janie
Dec 31st, 2014 by ECM
Jane-Bug turned 21 months on the 20th, but I haven’t been online much the past two weeks, so I didn’t do an update. I’m determined to catch up today, even if it takes me all day! So. We were starting to wonder about her verbal development, but she’s babbling quite a bit. She repeats any word–dinosaur, pin-cess, tRee, etc–but allegedly has not said Grandma or Grandpa to Grandma and Grandpa Muller yet. Her favorite word is No, said with a long whine. It’s usually the first thing she says to me when I come in to get her in the morning. Either that, or Poopy! She’s quite diligent about telling us when she needs a diaper change, so I’m seriously going to strip both the little girls next week and do a potty boot camp for both in the backyard until at least one of them is reliably out of diapers.
Janie definitely gets unwrapping Christmas presents. She’s really fighting the high chair and just prefers to sit at the table with the big kids. I might just give up and get rid of the high chair when we get home. She still only has about a 20 minute attention span with a movie, and she loves popcorn. She loves to brush her teeth and doesn’t mind me pulling her hair back anymore (just pulls out her ponytail when she’s throwing a fit). She’s entering the lovely stage of temper tantrums for such provocations as handing her milk she she asks for milk, getting her out of her high chair when she asks to get out, giving her Blankie when she reaches for Blankie, and picking her up when she asks to be picked up. You know, the hardcore mean stuff.
She’s been SO picky this trip, but she sure loves Christmas cookies, chocolates, candy canes, and cheesecake. She’s basically been surviving on sweets with a tiny bit of blueberries and yogurt every few days and a couple sweet potatoes over the past week. Oh, and popcorn. Fortunately she drinks milk and loves her multivitamin, and she’s a fourth child, so I’m not sweating it right now.
She’s very attached to her Blankie and is pleased as punch to have a Tib doll so that she doesn’t have to steal Betsy or Tacy from her sisters anymore.
Hunter House
Dec 28th, 2014 by ECM
We finally made it down to Ann Arbor to check out Kelly and Kaitlyn’s restaurant! Everyone was a fan of the sliders, and KK and Andy make yummy milkshakes…
Ann Arbor Hands On Children’s Museum
Dec 27th, 2014 by ECM
We’re spoiled because The Magic House is SO good, but the Ann Arbor Hands On museum was a decent morning excursion. The girls’ favorite exhibit was the old-time general store.
and Janie really loves Grandpa!
Merry Christmas!
Dec 25th, 2014 by ECM
We got over to Perry this morning to see Great-Grandpa and Audrey and Rich and Becky!
Snow, Cold Weather Fashion, and the New Doctor in Our Family!
Dec 20th, 2014 by ECM
He rushed outside and immediately began making snowballs…
This is what we wear to watch Grandpa chop firewood. Because you can’t just wear a tutu outside in Missouri in December.
Cammy has her PhD! We are so proud of her!
The kids were thrilled to wake up to a beautiful snowy wonderland this morning, and they couldn’t wait to get out and play in it. Elizabeth was perhaps the biggest fan, but Janie LOVED her snow gear and sledding down the front yard. She came in and told me all about it: “Whee!”
Pictures to come…
Puppet Show
Dec 15th, 2014 by ECM
I have a million things on my list of things to do today, so what have the kids decided to do? Why, make a puppet show with one of the big amazon boxes we received last week. Paper bag puppets, hand-drawn scenery, the works.
Sigh. More to clean up later, but at least they’re keeping occupied!
More Love to Thee, O Christ
Dec 13th, 2014 by ECM
More love to thee, O Christ, more love to thee!
Hear thou the prayer I make on bended knee;
This is my earnest plea,
More love, O Christ, to thee,
More love to thee, more love to thee!
Once earthly joy I craved, sought peace and rest;
Now thee alone I seek; give what is best:
This all my prayer shall be,
More love, O Christ, to thee,
More love to thee, more love to thee!
Let sorrow do its work, send grief and pain;
Sweet are thy messengers, sweet their refrain,
When they can sing with me,
More love, O Christ, to thee,
More love to thee, more love to thee!
Then shall my latest breath whisper thy praise;
This be the parting cry my heart shall raise,
This still my prayer shall be,
More love, O Christ, to thee,
More love to thee, more love to thee!
(Elizabeth Prentiss, 1869)