Blue Moon Birthday

I am officially 34 today, and it is also a blue moon. I happened to read somewhere that the next blue moon won't arrive until October 2015, so that must make this birthday extra special. And it was. It was the first birthday where I have had a child old enough to really know what a birthday means, and boy was she excited. Matt happened to have a vacation day today so this meant that we got to spend the day together as a family. I told him no less than 50 times in the days leading up to today that I just wanted to sleep in--meaning that I would turn the monitor off when Adrienne woke up and that I was not going to be the parent who tended to her. He listened. I never really went back to sleep, but it was nice to lay there for an extra hour while he got the girls' breakfast, etc. When I emerged, Matt made my coffee and Jillian was very excited about the party she had set up. She and Matt went on a secret shopping mission yesterday, and he gave her some money to choose some things for me at the Dollar Store. Jillian hand-selected the plates, party hats, and napkins for the occasion.  The napkins were fit for a queen.

She quickly prompted me to open her gifts--red measuring cups "because you need those, Mom" (actually, I did), a red bucket ("because you like red and we can put popcorn in it when we watch the Lorax"), and an artificial wreath ("because you can put it on the door, Mom!").

I am going to have to think of something to do with this wreath at Christmas time...she will not forget!

It was clear that Jillian was very proud of herself for all her hard work on the selection of these fine gifts and the arrangement of them on the table. It was totally precious.
Matt made me decide how to spend the day, so I did my best to come up with a plan that the girls would enjoy. We all know that a mom would truly choose a nice quiet day at the spa (for the record, Matt did give me a nice gift certificate to the spa), maybe some shopping, and an elegant dinner out, but that just doesn't seem to be the point of a birthday at this stage. I have been wanting to take the kids to LARK toys in Kellogg for awhile now, so decided today was the day to try. We headed east and checked the place out. It was total toy heaven, and full of nostalgia in the toy museum. They even had live llamas (why? I have no clue..) hanging around out back. The best part was the beautiful hand-carved carousel. It was amusing to me that wild-child Jillian was immediately fearful, choosing to sit on a stationary bench on the carousel while our cautious one had the time of her life on a flamingo, giggling as it went up and down and all around. She had such joy in her face that I couldn't stop watching her.

Matt looks lovely as a lady, doesn't he?

A rare unsure moment

I have to digress a moment to share a Jillian story that happened on the way to LARK. Adrienne was napping, and Jillian said "Um guys, look at Adrienne".  We did, and noticed that her head had sort of fallen forward, but she was clearly sleeping. Matt said, "Yep, she's asleep". Then Jillian, "I think she died". We looked at each other in both astonishment and a bit of humor. as the conversation continued..
Matt: "No, Jillian she is taking a nap."
J: "But she is so still. I think she really died, Dad"
Me: "Honey, she is really tired so she is just taking a little nap. She's OK."
J: "She is dead"
Matt turns to me, "Is she OK? Check her."
So I reach back to feel her breathe and reassure everyone that Adrienne is in fact doing just fine. It was admittedly a bit freaky, but honestly funny, as Jillian so calmly declared her sister's demise and tried to present her case to us. Yet another example of how Jillian really is so unpredictable. OK. End of aside.

Our next stop on the birthday adventure was Nelson, WI. I wanted to go to Nelson Creamery so we drove a few miles, over the river, and enjoyed a nice outdoor lunch of sandwiches with some delicious Wisconsin cheese. We snacked on some fresh cheese curds (aka "squeaky cheese" in our house) while we waited for our sandwiches, and Adrienne thought they were especially fantastic. My lunch highlight was discovering they served New Glarus beer (a WI microbrew that they do not export to MN), so I savored my favorite Moon Man (and brought more home)

The girls' attitudes took a sudden nosedive during lunch, so we headed home while they napped and hung out at home for a bit. We ventured out for a bit of shopping later (bad idea, poor attitudes were still prevalent) and ended up grabbing some Mexican food at a local hole-in-the wall (seriously, a dive) place we had been wanting to try. During our not-so-elegant meal, as Matt and I exchanged those frustrated glances that parents do, he says to me "You know, someday it will be your birthday and we will miss this. You will be waiting for them to call you, wondering when you will see them, etc." He is right. So, after we had done as much damage as one small family can do at El Carambas, we headed home for some ice cream cake. As we drove through downtown, Jillian pointed out the window at one of the Mayo buildings and said, "Hey guys, is that heaven over there?"

I'm pretty sure it's not, but perhaps the billowing smoke that you cannot see in this picture that was coming from the smokestack caused her to find it cloud-like and mysterious? You never know with her!
We ended the day with some ice cream cake (also selected by Jillian, evidenced by the sprinkles), an early bedtime for the girls, and a night on the couch watching TV. I think 34 got off to just the right start.

My favorite part of the day was Jillian's random, sincere, joyous interjections of "Happy Birthday, Mom!!" It always seemed to happen at a time of frustration, chaos, or during a behavior management moment. She has a gift with that timing of hers, I tell ya.

Meeting Teachers

Today was meet the teacher day at preschool. In Jillian's case this meant meeting teachers, 5 of them to be exact. I'll give you a minute to gasp over that number before I explain....better? I nearly fell out of my chair when I got the orientation information in the mail and saw that my 3 year old would have 5 different teachers (actually 10, because each teacher has an assistant!). I know what you are thinking--how did I not know this? When we signed Jillian up for school this year (back in January) we decided on three full days for her. I could absolutely have done the math and figured out how many different people she would have to answer to, but my brain was stuck in the days per week mode. Both Matt and I and her pediatrician felt that this would be a good amount of school to keep our bright, busy, curious first born engaged and challenged. I still feel that way, though I would be remiss if I didn't admit a bit of mom guilt over this many teachers for one little lady. Motherhood is one big exercise in guilt, though, isn't it?
Anyway, I told Jillian about her 5 main teachers and the classes she would be taking and she was eager to meet them. My little extrovert was so excited that she was up bright and early this morning to color a special picture for each of those 5 teachers (complete with descriptions that I had to write on them--my favorite was the picture of the beehive she made for Mrs. Leif, labeled "It's a honey thing where bees go in"). Matt was off today so he and Adrienne had some time alone while I took my big girl to check out her teachers. As soon as we walked in the school (same school as last year, FYI), I realized all of the issues surrounding the schedule details are purely mine. Jillian is at home in this place. She excitedly bounced around meeting each teacher, telling them about herself, shaking their hands, and even spelling her name for one who asked "what's your name?". She said, "Jillian! J-i-l-l-i-a-n!" Though we don't truly know any of her teachers except one (a repeat from last year), Jillian recognized all of them from lunch buddies last year and many already knew her. Whew! We ran into several classmates from last year (it's so cute to watch little girls reunite like old college friends, big hugs and all!), as well as other friends from play dates and Bible study. Jillian was happy to see her friend Ella and the two enjoyed listening to an audio book together.

So--here we go. Next week I will send my little girl to school on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. I hope it is a fantastic year for her that is full of new friends, learning, and most of all--fun.

14 Months

Adrienne is 14  months old today, and as far as I can see, has suddenly become a full-blown toddler. Just this week I watched a surge of independence appear in her as she firmly asserts her preferences. I find it more amusing as a second-time mom, which is probably a good thing. I actually laughed when she threw her first official temper tantrum on Tuesday. I removed her from her sister's room, where she was playing with a coveted purse (one you left here, Grandma), to put her down for her nap. She kicked, screamed, thrashed her hips, and flailed her extremities about in protest as I tried to change her diaper. Her current most-used word is "NO!", and she uses it rather appropriately. My favorite use so far occurs when we are in Target and Jillian tries to push the cart where she is riding. It happens every time. If I put something on her tray she doesn't want, she throws it off and says, "NO!". If I try to put her sleep sack on her at bedtime, she bats my hand away and says "NO!". When I tried to give her motrin this morning (darn eye teeth), she shook her head fervently in refusal and shouted, "NO!"

Despite this sudden streak of "uncooperativeness", she remains overwhelmingly sweet. She loves to check in with me for a hug every so often as she plays and blows kisses as she pretends to go "bye-bye". Her new thing at bedtime is to shove her lovie in my face and make kissing noises to signal me to kiss the lovie. We have to do this about 15 times.

Adrienne makes animal noises (cat, goat, mouse, monkey, elephant, dog, pig, cow, horse), asks for favorite books by name ("dum dum dum" for Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb by Dr. Seuss--the monkeys play drums to the beat of "dum ditty dum ditty dum dum dum, "moon" for Goodnight Moon), and loves to shout at and for her sister "Jee--yee--uh!" Jillian thinks it is rather entertaining to ask Adrienne to say words and then giggle at her approximations. She is right. I usually hear, "A, say Cheerio!" or "A, say banana!" about 75 times per day.

Since deciding to walk last weekend, Adrienne is really moving along and can't be trusted. She pretty much left cabinets, drawers, etc alone while just crawling (which really surprised me, but I was thankful), but it making up for it now. She is like a moth to a flame with the dishwasher, lower oven door (which will never be used now..), trash, and the drawer where I keep the foil, baggies, etc. It just might be time to give her a drawer for her "stuff" to divert her attention. She also is pretty excited about door knobs and stands on her tippy toes to try and reach them. I'm thankful she can't.

Adrienne loves to be outside and shrieks with delight when you ask, "Do you want to go outside?" She loves to play in the cozy coupe on the deck, swing, take wagon rides, and toddle around the yard. Last week she played with sidewalk chalk for the first time with Jillian, which was a smash hit.

Books are still her favorite activity, along with pushing a doll stroller and loving on her babies or anything stuffed. She loves sunglasses and bows, showing both off with pride and gesture to all we meet. Perhaps we have a true diva in the making? Here are a few recent pics of our (sniff) toddler....

Sunglasses at breakfast are not an uncommon accessory these days

Little fashionista with one of her "bows"

Someone stole ALL the sidewalk chalk from her sister. You can bet this joy was short-lived.

Sisters, sunglasses, and sidewalk chalk (and Jillian in a dress that is WAY too short!)

Coloring like a big girl

Just strollin' (and wearing another bow..)

Books, lovie, her favorite PJ's, and a post-bath comb over. She was mid elephant noise when I snapped this one.

Art

Jillian is totally in a create mode these days. She wants to color nonstop, and will do as many messy crafts a day as I will allow (which, sadly, are not many...I am working on my tolerance for that type of chaos). I am always surprised by what she comes up with, and by how accurate her drawings are. Once she tells me what it is, I can totally see it. Take this masterpiece for example. Can you guess what it is?

It's "a fox eating fruit", of course! Not bad 'eh ? I am just as excited as she is about her art class that she will start at school next week. Can't wait to see what she brings home. God bless that teacher for managing an art class full of preschoolers!

And....She's Off!

Adrienne made great strides (literally) in walking over the weekend. She just suddenly decided to get over her fear and walk. I can't get over how much she's progressed in the last 48 hours, both in speed and confidence. It is so exciting to witness this milestone, and see the pride oozing from her as she builds skill. I cried as she toddled all the way across the kitchen to see her daddy, giggling the whole way. It's such a bittersweet moment to watch your baby turn into more of a little kid. I want to cling to her precious baby-ness as long as I can. Here are a couple of videos I took of our toddling girl. The first was taken on Saturday afternoon, just as she decided this walking business was A-OK, and the second was taken just before nap this afternoon, with a few more walks under her belt. You go, girl!

Dragons and Rhymes

My oh my, this was quite an interesting day of conversation around here. Jillian had a poor night of sleep, which is rather unusual for her. This also means I had a poor night of sleep. She appeared at my bedside multiple times between 3:30 and 4:30 quietly telling me there was something scary in her room. I went up, turned on more lights, assured her there was nothing scary in her room, reminded her she was safe, and put all her stuffed friends back into her bed. As an aside, I would like to point out that my immediate mission is to train her to wake her dad up when she is scared--I'm happy to let him play the hero in closet-monster battles. This morning I learned that it was not a monster we were dealing with, but a dragon. She came bounding down the stair telling me about her dream:
"Mom! I have to tell you about my dream. There was a dragon on my bed! And he was eating popcorn! A dragon made popcorn on my bed!"
We giggled about it and talked about how silly dreams can be, and then I pointed out that sometimes dreams make us scared in the night, and that's OK, but that they aren't real.
We went on about our day with little talk of the offending dragon, and then at rest time she told me she was scared to be alone in her room. I asked her why, and she said there was something in there. I asked her what it was, and she told me to come up and see. I walked into her room and found her staring into her closet. She said, "Mom, watch this" and proceeded to walk up to her low-hanging closet rod where a lone purple polo shirt hung (which by the way, she has never worn--I apparently didn't know that she absolutely will not wear collars or buttons when I bought it). She gingerly approached the shirt, then quickly tapped it so the hanger and shirt were swaying back and forth on the rod. Then she ran out of her closet and shouted, "See! I think a dragon did that!" She certainly has quite the imagination. We then had a discussion about how dragons (at least the kind she is speaking of) are not real.

After rest time, Jillian sat and colored for a long time at the kitchen counter while I worked on freezing some garden tomatoes. Adrienne was still asleep, so this was a nice time of uninterrupted conversation for Jillian and I.
J: "Mom, what's rhyming mean?"
Me: "It's when two words have the same sound, kind of matching sounds...like 'dog' and 'log'"
J: "Oh, you mean like 'boat' and 'goat'?"
Me: "Yes! Very good!"
This started a thirty minute interrogation session where she asked me what rhymed with each of about a bazillion words. Finally, when she could sense my fatigue, she said,
"Mom, I know what rhymes with peanut butter"
Me: "Really? What?"
J: "Jelly!!"
Then without waiting for much of a response for me, she changed the topic.
"Mom, how will I get to God and Jesus in heaven when I die someday?"
Me: "Uhhhhh....." (seriously, how do I answer this? And how did we get there from a conversation about rhyming?!?!?)
J: "Mom, how will Jesus get me when I die?"
Me: (taking a stab at evading any literal answers about what happens to a body post mortem) "We don't have to worry about that, because God will just take care of us at that time"
J: "Well, I can't be flushed down the toilet like a fish because I'm a kid and I won't fit!"
This was just another example of how she keeps me on my toes. Every. single. second. of. the. day.

New This Week

Here are a few things that are new around here.

-Words: Adrienne added two to her vocabulary that I think are pretty cute. The first is "bow". She is now into them and wants one in her hair all the time. I am ecstatic about this, as I find little to be more adorable than a wee girl with a hair accessory.

The other new word is "cheerio" (actually, chee-yo). I got her to say it for the camera at breakfast this morning.

-Steps: Adrienne has worked up enough nerve to take a few steps. While I would not at all consider her a walker yet, I have counted 5 consecutive steps on multiple occasions. I'm still embracing her cautious personality. Here is a clip of a few steps she took over the weekend. Apparently her sister's Snow White dress is a good motivator.

-Ramblings: I decided I don't get enough chance to ramble on this blog, so I started another one. This one is  is food-related. I  have contemplated this for awhile, but was still hesitant for various reasons. I sent a few friends a recipe I created and loved last week, and one of them left me the most encouraging voicemail about how I missed my calling....so I guess that just tipped me over the edge. I think it will be a fun place to post recipes I try, and will help me keep track of what I make. The girls might think it's fun to read someday, too. Who knows. If you are interested you can check it out here

Three Weeks

Matt took Jillian to the fair exactly three weeks ago. It was only just today that I was able to convince her (read bribe) to let me cut the admission bracelet off. For some reason this was a beautiful accessory to her, but to us, she looked like a college kid proud of a late night at a club.

Unfortunately, just three short weeks after the fair, her beloved goldfish, Dorothy, died. I discovered Dorothy floating around the tank yesterday afternoon and immediately e mailed Matt. Here was our actual correspondence:

me: i think dorothy is dead. if she's not, she's close. she is in the bottom corner of the tank (still upright), but not moving. i tapped the tank, etc. nothing. i can't tell if the movement in her fins is by her intention or just the movement of the water from the filter. in any case, i will leave it up to you to decide if we get to have the "everything dies' discussion, or if we do a switch-out while she sleeps. your call, dad!

Matt: I say we tell her.

So, we did. When we went up for bath Matt sat her down and we explained what happened. She had trouble understanding why Dorothy got sick (like if she did something wrong) and had lots of questions about "fish heaven". Matt told her we needed to flush Dorothy down the toilet, and Jillian said she wanted to do it. We gathered in the bathroom, Matt said a prayer, and then we sent Dorothy on her way. Then true emotion set in for Jillian and she lost it. There we all were in the bathroom, crying over this goldfish (Jillian because she wanted a fish, and Matt and I because our child was so sad). Matt promised her a new fish, and I told her we would get the picture of she and Dorothy printed and find a frame so she could put it in her room. She liked this idea and so we made it our mission today. Dorothy is now memorialized in a pink glittery frame on Jillian's nightstand. I am sure we will start this whole cycle over again once the new fish is purchased!

Contrasts

As predicted, it has been a rough behavior week as we battle the backlash of grandparent withdrawal. I have heard people say that kids "punish" you when you return from an adults only trip by acting out as revenge for leaving them. Though I think that's a bit harsh of an assertion, I can see maybe a tiny bit of truth in it. Tuesday was particularly ugly, but it had some sweet spots thrown in. I am always amazed by a child's ability to be so naughty one minute and intensely cherubic the next. Jillian provided such a nice example of these contrasts. The following two scenarios occurred within about an hour of each other.

Naughty: While playing on the floor with her sister, or actually just near her sister, she picked up a stuffed monkey, looked at me, then proceeded to smack Adrienne across the face with it. Unprovoked, and for no obvious reason. I sent her to her room until dinner (which was punishment in that she did not get to watch her show while I cooked as she usually does) and told her that she was going to have to tell her dad about this when he got home.  The story becomes humorous when we cut to the dinner scene. As we are eating Matt asks Jillian about her day. She of course does not bring up the incident of violence. I remind her that she has something to tell her dad.
J: "Oh you tell him, Mom"
Me: "No, Jillian, you need to tell him what happened"
Matt: "What happened Jillian?"
J: "Oh, nothing...."
Me: "Jillian you need to tell your dad what you did to Adrienne today"
J: "But I don't remember" (said while looking sheepish and biting her lip)
Matt: (in his serious, stern dad voice) "Jillian tell me right now"
J: (casually) "Oh, it's just such a long story"
Nice try, Jillian! Visions of teenage years make me sweat.

Sweet: Jillian came downstairs from her "rest" time and Adrienne was still sleeping. She said, "Mom I have a great idea! Let's put a blanket on the kitchen floor and have a picnic with our snack, just you and me". I concurred that this was a fun plan and she was happy, smiley, and engaging in the conversation about a whole host of topics. At one point I got up to to get a drink and she said, "Mom, sit down. I am not done talking to you" (OK...). I returned and she said, "I love you, Mom". "I love you, too, Jillian" Then I just got curious, as I like to hear what she has to say about things.
Me: "Jillian, how do you know you love someone?"
J: "Well, they love you. It means I love you"
Me: "OK, but how do you know?"
J: "You have to have Jesus in your heart"
Me: "Yes, it's good to have Jesus in your heart. Do you have Jesus in your heart, Jillian?"
J: "Not yet. I should ask him right now. We have to pray, Mom"
I am quiet, sort of stunned, as I watch her fold her little hands, close her eyes and bow her head as she prays,
"Dear Jesus, get into my heart. Amen". Then she turns to me, opens her eyes and exclaims,
"There, Mom! He's in my heart!! Can I have some more popcorn?"
This kid is something else. Love you, Jillian.

Birthday Favorites

The disc of the pictures Shannon took for Adrienne's birthday was waiting for me when I returned from our trip. It contains 421 images, and each one tells a story of a special moment. Because this blog functions as my journal and baby book, I want to make sure to include some pictures so that they are printed in the annual book. I'm still reeling over the beauty contained the pictures. I'm not talking about physical beauty of people, but of beauty in the mundane parts of a day, beauty in heartfelt emotion, and beauty in candid moments that go unnoticed unless some very talented person (read Shannon) purposely records it. Here are some of my favorites.

I love the look on Will's face as he prepares to push Jillian

No one hugs quite like my mom

The funny part about the above picture is that Matt accidentally snapped Adrienne's chin when he was trying to put on the hat. She cried, and he felt terrible

First taste of ice cream. Verdict? Yum!

The unmistakable fire in her eyes. Classic Jillian

Betcha she was saying "Mmmm"

Yes, I think this oversized dress will do nicely

Love that the book happens to be open to the last page of one of our favorites: Dimity Duck

Discovering her extra lovies in the drawer. This girl loves her "nigh nighs"

We have a lot of pictures together from the last 16 years, including some beautiful wedding photos. But this one? It is hands down my favorite of all. It just embodies who we are together. I love, love, love it.