Caricature

Yesterday we attended Delta's company block party and had this caricature done of the kids.  The last time we had one done was when we only had two kiddos; Abby was 3 & Em was 2.  Can you correctly label who's who, L to R, top to bottom?

I'm still chuckling as I look at Courtney's calm, serene face here...she was far from it at the time...2 hours past naptime, hot,  & sick of waiting in line for an hour.  As she squirmed and flailed & tried to paw the artist's sketch board with her grubby chubby little fingers, I just kept feeding her cotton candy and chips to keep her still long enough for the artist to catch literally even a 2 second glimpse.  I'd say he did pretty good.  :)

Happy Father's Day, Wade...from your 4 beautiful blessings & your adoring wife!

Bad

Emily came home from school today and announced with full 7 year old drama and tears "Mama, today was the baddest day of my life!...I can't get the toilet paper to work right (whining & pouting)."
"That's why today is the worst day of your life?"
"Nooooooo...not just thaaaaat!"
"What else happened then?" 
"(scowl)...I can't remember."
Sounds pretty bad.

What Babies Do

Emily got to bring and 'share' her baby sister for show-n-tell at school this week.  When the teacher asked "And what does your baby sister like to do?"  Emily replied "eat scrounge off the floor."  Guess we should have done some prepping beforehand.

Rags to Riches?

As the girls were getting ready for school, Emily asked innocently, "Mom, when you were little, what did you wear...rags?"  Where do they come up with this stuff?

Where Do Babies Come From?

 

Conversation between the girls today as they came home from school and loved on their baby sister...

Abby:  Ooooooh wejustloveyourbabychub...justlovethatchub...ourlittlechubbers...

Abby again:  All that chub comes from Mama's milk!

Emily:  Naw-aw...her chub comes from dirt.  Daddy says we all come from dirt. 

1st Day

1st day of 1st grade for miss Emily Gracia, and 1st day of 3rd grade for Abba-do. Before the bus picked them up, the 3 of us prayed together over their school year. Afterward I looked at Abby and she had tears in her eyes. "That was just touching," she told me with sincerity. And then she offered up a spontaneous prayer of her own. Oh, my heart. Love those girls.

Praying that God gives them a good year--of good friends, good teachers, and good learning. Praying His protection over them over all that they are exposed to and need to filter through. And praying above all that they grow in their relationship with Him, and share His love and truth with those around them. Lord, may they influence more than they are influenced.

Emily, You Rock!

Happy 7th Birthday Emily! You are a gem to have in our family. I love your sweet, gentle self. I love the way to get excited about little things, and the way you are so kind and helpful with your baby sister. I love your knack for art, and your hugs that abound. I love the birthday themes you've chosen over the years...bugs, duckies, Cinderella, Bitty Babies, Scooby Doo, and this year...ROCKS! Among the festivities were rock painting, "dirt cake" with gummy worms (your idea) and a scavenger hunt for Pop Rocks. Grandpa K also gave you his rock collection from when he was a kid.

We love it when you feel special, Em...because you are!

Coat or No Coat, That is the Question

Emily wanted to know if she'd have to wear a coat this morning for school. She confessed that she really didn't want to have to wear one...because she'd be chasing the boys on the playground and she might get hot!

Reasons

On Saturday I had planned to take the kids to the park. All the girls had to do was put a way their laundry and be nice to each other. No such luck. There was wailing and gnashing of teeth when I informed them they had made their choices and missed their chance. After Abby calmed down, she came in and said "Mama, I think I know the reason Emily and I can't get along...I think it's because you make us put away our laundry." Right. Makes perfect sense.

Also during the aforementioned not getting along & half-hearted attempts at laundry putting-away, Emily came upstairs to whine and complain that Abby had called her a such-n-such. Upon questioning, Abby said "Oh no, I wasn't calling her that, I was saying it to satan." Another good one. (How convenient when little sister is standing next to you...say whatever you want and then excuse it by insisting you were just rebuking the enemy.) Clever. They never cease to amaze me.

Details

When the girls get home from school each day, I like them to come and check in first before they head off to play. We take a few minutes and I get to hear about their highs and lows of the day.

Yesterday was no different. Abby came in from school, put her things away, ran upstairs and began telling me about her day. A minute or two into her story, it dawned on me that I never heard Emily come in. I asked Abby where her sister was. Her reply? "Oh, I forgot to tell you--Emily's stuck up in a tree and needs you to come out and help her get down."

2nd Day of Kindergarten

Emily started kindergarten this year. These were some of her comments after just the second day...

"I had a great day!!! There was nothing bad about it!" And then as an afterthought she added "Well, actually, my best friend broke up with me and I don't even know why!"

"Really? Your best friend, huh? What's her name?" I asked.
"I don't know," said Emily with a smile.

So the next day she came home and we asked if the girl was her friend again yet. Emily said the girl smiled at her. Emily was satisfied.

The following day the two started playing together again. Again we asked Emily if she knew her name yet.
"No, but I just asked her if I could call her Lisa and she said yes."
(Note, there are no Lisa's in her class.)

Glad that worked out then. :)

Random Morsels From the Kiddos

Em (while sitting on the counter with Nathan): Hey Nathan, stay here and I'll get the whoopie cushion. Then we can sit up here and toot! (Devilish giggles.)

Em & Abby: Mom, you are the bestest cook! Oh, and Daddy, and God, and Rachael Ray,...and that one girl with the long hair, and our neighbor Jean...(Glad to know I stand out from the rest.)

Nathan: Mom, where is Jesus?
Me: He's everywhere, honey. He's right next to you,...
Nathan: No, He is under my pillow.

Nathan (who's got a sensitive sniffer): What's dat smell, Momma?
Me (not smelling anything): I don't know Nathan, what is it?
Nathan (very matter-of-fact): It's cow poop on Daddy's head.

Never a dull moment.

It's Hard to Be a Kid

Apparently it's a hard lesson for a 6&7 year old to learn: when Mom says it's time to pick up & you've got 15 minutes to do it, Mom means business.

Yes, apparently it's more appealing to fight, bug each other, and get distracted by the hot pink stamp you found--and stamp hot pink butterflies on your noses and eyes and everywhere else. But it's not so appealing when the timer dings, the mess is still everywhere, and thus consequences must ensue. And no, Mom won't fall for the excuse that your little sister forced you against your will to stamp your face in 5 places. Nice try.

And to my 2 year old: you added a nice touch by wrapping yourself in the curtains and suspending yourself from our not-so-sturdy new curtain rod. I appreciate your thoughtfulness amidst all the chaos. Daddy enjoyed it also--coming home after 2 days of overtime up at the farm, walking down to the back entrance to surprise his kiddos and seeing you there on your own personal flying trapeze. It was a good welcome home greeting. Thank you for that.

Oh, to y'all: don't be surprised if today at VBS you see two girls with rosy pink noses, and one with a scab, too. (She discovered on her own that the butterfly stamp doesn't rub off very well.)

Getting Into the Spirit of Things

(This post is from the other day)


They all gave birth to their beach balls today.

Emily pointed out that everyone was pregnant in this house, except for God.

Abby wants to know what it's called when you have seven babies at once.

Responses

Alright, Erin & Carla, you asked for more :)

A few of the comments & responses from the fam...

Emily (age 6): "Mama, I was hoping you would have a baby, and my dream came true!"

Nathan (age 2): "Where is it, Mama?" (Inspecting my tummy.) "Is she (we don't know the gender) just a widdow-tiny-bit, wike de Itsy Bitsy Spider?" (Does hand motions to demonstrate.)

Abby (age 7): "Oh mom, I can already see the baby making your tummy stick out a little!" Um, no, that would just be my tummy leftover from the previous 3 of you.
Abby also asked me randomly a few weeks ago, before she even knew about the pregnancy, "Hey Mom, how big does your v_____ have to get to pop out a baby? 'Bout like this?" (Used hands to make a baseball sized circle.) Yeah, about like that I told her.

Wade (age 35): "I can't wait until you start showing." I then asked if he was excited about baby. "VERY!" He confirmed. He'd also told me "I can't wait until this bugger joins the other little buggers."
Me, too, Honey.

More Labor and Delivery :)

I've mentioned before that Abby and Emily have always loved playing labor and delivery. Usually they themselves are the ones with dollies stuffed under their shirts as they coach one another through their 5 minute immaculate labors.

The other night they were playing labor and delivery again--but this time, Barbie style. I wish I had taken a picture...Barbie lying in bed with little cribs next to her, a makeshift bassinette warmer, items for examining a newborn baby, and even a waiting room with chairs & coffee table.

They say children model what they live--this goes for playing, too. I guess that would be accurate, as they just found out this past week that there will be a new addition to our family in 7 months!
That's right...we're going to increase the population of Hudson by one more.

Baby Prestrud #4 is scheduled to arrive at the end of February! We had an ultrasound last week, and little Peanut looked very much like the 7 week ultrasound picture above. Just a little bean with a blinking heartbeat. We brought the girls along for the occasion, and announced the good news to them at the Doctor's/Midwife's office.

Yay! :)

A Crush

Emily asked me the other night at dinner "Momma, do you know who I have a crush on?" (Uh-oh. It's happening already?) No I didn't.
"God." She revealed. "You'd let me have a crush on God, right?" Phew.

You betcha, baby. Love Him above all others. Give Him your heart, mind, body, soul, and spirit. You'll never regret it.

And guess what else? He says you can even be the bride of Christ. How's that for cool?

Birthday love

A few shots from Emily's birthday.






We've got a tradition--Grandma P. makes the birthday cakes each year for the kids' birthdays. We tell her the theme and she gets to work! This year was Scooby Doo. Some other cakes she's done for us have been: a ladybug, a duck cake, a music note, a Barbie bride complete with train and veil, a tractor, & a big strawberry--for Strawberry Shortcake.



We aren't normally extravagant spenders when it comes to birthdays or Christmas, but the girls have been wanting a house for their Barbies for forever. So...ta da! Their wish came true! It was from us, along with Grandma & Grandpa Knutson, and also Aunt Bria (with thanks also to a great online discount.) Emily is standing next to it--it's that big. (It was a bit tricky, however, explaining to the girls that it was Emily's birthday present, but was for both of them to use.) We wanted Emily to feel really special--lavished, as sometimes the second born gets the shaft when it comes to new things.

Planning for & hosting parties tends to overwhelm me a bit--no matter how much I pray about it ahead of time. But this one went really smoothly, actually. I had Wade's help, and I was more relaxed than I usually am. Dare I hope that I've actually made some progress in this growth area? Well, in any case--another party down, and the next one won't be until November when Nathan turns 3. :)

Confessions

Emily and I were painting our nails. Em was all excited and told me how she feels pretty when her nails are painted. It's fun to be a girl. :)

So first we clipped them and cleaned all the dirt out from her outdoor adventures. As I was clipping, she confessed in hushed tones..."Um Mom, I do actually pick my nose. And when you clip my nails,...I can't."

Connections

Emily and I were playing the game Connect Four. (Anybody else love that game as a kid?) Em was on a winning streak. She informed me as to the reason for her success..."I pray every time. Works! You should pray, Momma."

When I laughed at her cute but faulty logic, immediately she came back with "Don't put this on your blog." (Which made me laugh all the harder.)