Theia on Theology

I was cleaning up our back yard when Theia came out and stood on the back patio with a thoughtful expression on her face. I was placing the sand buckets on the girl's picnic table when she asked me, "Mama, are we gonna go to God's house soon?". I answered something to the effect of, I didn't know exactly when we would go, but that it would be wonderful, much better even than where we live now, and, best of all, we would be able to be with God all the time and see Him, instead of just knowing He is with us. She pondered this for a moment, then cocked her head to one side and said seriously, "I think I might be a little bit shy of God."

I love moments like that.

I told her we don't have to be shy of God. He wants us to know Him really, really well.

Froggimus Optimus

I have a new task master in my kitchen. Well, not IN my kitchen, but on the windowsill above my kitchen sink. This solemn fellow joins me just about every night while I wash the dinner dishes. He fixes me with his unblinking gaze and I just know what he'll think of me if I don't load the dishwasher before going to bed.

I'm pretty sure he has strong opinions about the condition of my screens and window tracks too.

Last night, after withering under his reproachful gaze for long enough, I pulled out the camera to see if it would faze him. He pretended not to notice at first, but after being flashed one time too many, he shot me a look of utter contempt, and hopped disdainfully back into the bushes.

The Sounds of Sickness

Theia: "My frope hurts." "I need to frop." "I'm gonna go frop in the toilet because I don't want any frop to get in my bed." "{wailing, completely mortified} I wetted in my b-e-e-e-e-d!" (we heard that two nights in a row before reverting back to nighttime diapers until she's completely over this) "That toast won't help my frope. I need some candy for my frope." And, most recently, since jealousy is setting in because her younger sisters are now sicker than she is: "My fever hurts." and, "I think I have a sore frope, I need some mestidin too."

Eliza: "I want a drink of water!" "No, I don't WANT a drink of water!" "I want my covers on!" "{kicking} No, I don't WANT my covers on!" "Can I have some juice?" "No, I don't WANT my juice!" "Daddy, can you come hold me in my bed?" "Get out of my bed now, Daddy." "Mommy, I want you to hold me." "No, I don't want you to hold me!" "I want you to stand up and hold me." "Don't talk to me, Theia!" "Ingrid's looking at me!" "{tearfully} I'm too sick to eat that."

Theia is very analytical, and into self-diagnosis when she's sick. You can tell when she really doesn't feel well because she becomes painfully polite. Its kind of funny, but pathetic too, how she suddenly remembers her manners when she's sick. She LOVES taking medicine (a little too much), and frequently tells me when she thinks its needed.

Eliza, on the other hand, is equally pathetic, but definitely NOT polite about it. Its kind of good, actually, because I always know how she's feeling. If I give her Motrin for her fever, her behaviour and disposition does a complete 180 so I know its working. Getting the Motrin in is the difficulty though. That girl is a fighter.

And Ingrid is just the most pathetically patient, long-suffering martyr of a sick baby you'll ever see. During her two worst days she just burrowed her little face in mine or Jessie's shoulder most of the day while we went about our business while holding her in one arm. She kept Jessie in bed late yesterday morning because she was sleeping so soundly on his chest for several hours, and she pulled away from me every time I tried to move her.

Thankfully they are all improving, although not completely over it yet. My days have been filled with sprinting across the room at top speed, trying to get to the twin streams trickling down the upper lips of my daughters before they take care of it themselves with the back-of-hand-across-the-cheek (and sometimes all the way up to the eyebrows) method.

Overheard

Theia: "Yep, we ALL have blue eyes. Except for Mommy. She has tan eyes."

Saturday Sick

Saturday.

Sick Kids.

Sick Husband.

Thankfully not Sick me.

Sniffly.

Snotty.

Sore Throats.

Sleeping.

'Cept me.

A Few Nuggets.

I gathered these up from our facebook statuses since that's where I record many of the cute things the girls say/do on a daily basis. My mom is always saying "I hope you are writing these things down somewhere other than your facebook status". So here I am, dutifully recording them elsewhere:

We just left the mall, where Eliza begged every two minutes to ride the "alligator". It took us awhile to realize she meant "elevator".

I was told by Eliza that I’m "like a princess" today. I think that's about as high a compliment as you can get from a two-year-old girl.

Eliza loves all the princesses, Cinderella, Cinder-White, Cinderbelle, and Cinderaura.

Ingrid is skilled at walking into a room and immediately identifying which object will freak out her Mom the most when tampered with.

Theia: (flexing her arms) "Look how big my whistles are!"

We try not to laugh whenever Eliza sternly tells Theia to "Go lie down in your bed!" after one of us scolds her, but its really hard.

We never tire of hearing Theia and Eliza sing Jesus Loves Me; can't wait till Ingrid joins in.

We had fun shopping in spite of the fact that the outing ended with our daughter christening the floor of the Gymboree outlet store. (Yes, we cleaned it up.)

Theia is telling us a very scary story about an animal called "Chick-fil-a" who was "broke" by an alligator and bitten by a wide variety of other animals.

I was surprised to find a spool of thread in my hand after convincing the 1 year old to release whatever it was that was causing her cheeks to bulge and her front to be covered with drool. (I appreciated my big brother’s comment on this update: “Its nice to know you can still be surprised.”)

I was making pancakes this morning when my 3 year old came out and instructed, "Mama, put a big lot of syrup on mine. I'll come back and check on you in a few minutes." What does one say to that?

I give Eliza a fork so she can spear her food and then pluck it off with her fingers and eat it.

Theia asked Jessie earlier, "Daddy, did you ever see Mommy's wedding dress? Its SO beautiful."

We wonder when Eliza is going to stop calling both of us "Moddy".

We just had breakfast at Hardees in Jellico, Tennessee, where small packs of roving senior citizens terrorize families with small children.

We were just interrupted doing tae bo exercises that involved slow hip movement, by Eliza standing in our doorway (at 11 pm). We didn't notice for a few minutes and when we saw her she looked like she wasn't sure if she should laugh or run back to bed and pretend she didn't see. After we busted up laughing she decided to laugh with us.

Theia comes into the bathroom and says in a very patronizing voice "Mama, are you okay there in the shower?.....Okay, I was just checking on you."

We don't know how many times we've said "Eliza, that's Uncle Josh, not Robin, not Grandma" in the last 24 hours.

Dry cheerios were meant to be eaten one at a time, pinched between the thumb and forefinger, right? Then why do Eliza and Ingrid both eat them by the fistful, ensuring that only 3 out of 7 will make it into their mouths? (until later that is, when they eat the ones I missed with the broom off the floor).

Our children must not watch enough TV. Theia just handed an Elmo doll to Jessie and said "Here, Daddy, hold my little red baby for me".

Vote for Pedro Holly

I was really going to get around to doing a Halloween post, honestly, but I'm getting around to it sooner than later since there is now a competition that is forcing me out of hiding. Who could pass that up?

I sent a picture of the Girls over to Jen at 4tunate when I saw she was having a little costume contest on her blog (Wonderful blog by the way. Jen is a very godly and sincere woman, and her boys look like more fun than a barrel of monkeys). Their picture was among the 5 finalists so I am now unashamedly asking you to go over to 4tunate and vote for Bo Peep! It only takes one click, and I would get free personalized jewelry out of the deal!

We had so much fun putting costumes together this year. I borrowed this dress for Theia from my sister Robin. Our own mother made this dress for Robin when she was Theia's age, over thirty years ago (sorry, Robin). I should mention that my mom never taught me to sew and I now have an irrational fear of sewing machines.

Isn't this a sweet dress? Mothers, if you know how to sew, teach your daughters! They will thank you some day (at least, they should).

Jessie and I made Eliza and Ingrid's sheep costumes out of white sweater dresses that we've had since Eliza's first Christmas. We fashioned lamb ears with pink lining out of old cloth diapers and a pink onesie, then sewed black felt "hooves" on the inside of their cuffs. Finally, we sacrificed the arms of an old (unfortunate) white teddy bear for tails. The girls LOVED their costumes. Ingrid pranced around like she just knew she was the cutest thing in 4 counties the whole time she had it on.

Unfortunately she did a lot more prancing than standing still, so this was the best we could do for a group shot.

I love this picture of Theia and Eliza. Mostly because of Eliza's expression. This is a very typical Eliza expression. She always throws her head back and laughs over just about anything. Its also the only picture that shows a lamb's tail.

And while we're on the subject of costumes, take a gander at Jessie and me too. We had the bright idea of having Jessie dress as Billy Mays when we saw how many people were doing Michael Jackson tribute costumes. We thought Billy Mays deserved a tribute too, and how much easier does a costume get? It only took Jessie five days of growth to turn out quite a respectable beard. With a little help from some mascara and an Elvis wig with a hack job he turned out to look rather more like Billy Mays than I even wanted. And since we went as a couple, he had a little arm candy in the form of a devoted insomniac senior citizen who is addicted to the Home Shopping Network. I had "As Seen On TV" stickers on my checkbook, telephone, and slippers.

Doesn't he look frighteningly like Billy Mays? And don't I look ...just... frightening?