Manda's Monthly Musings

So, I have no business blogging with my to-do list being what it is, but when Amanda came in from playing yesterday and declared with a big sigh, I'm all tuckered out!  I thought, ok time for another installment.  So, to all the loyal Amanda fans out there, here is a sampling of random quotes throughout the last couple weeks, along with unrelated pictures.

Avery forgot her life jacket, so I held her hand because she was quite scared.

We are not allowed to catch her when she jumps in the water.  We can only be standing in the vicinity to retrieve her as she flails and kicks her way back to the top.  She's very specific on how it should be done.

She uses big words, completely out of context to try to get her point across when she's particularly upset or happy....words such as discouraged, nervous, disgusting, delicate.  It's quite hilarious, albeit sometimes disrespectful.

When Daddy gets home, I'm going to tell on you. (usually when I am disciplining her)

I was sitting outside with Aiden and she came running over to me crying...I was trying to get my bathing soup (sob) 'cause its a beautiful sunny day (sob) and the door hit my head.

Emerges from bathroom, holding her cereal bowl which is dripping with water...
Here you go Mom...I washed it for ya, so you don't have ta.

Here she is proudly showing me her new accomplishment...tightening her ponytail by herself.

She continues to be completely confused with how old she is.  She's been telling people she's four since the day Avery turned four.  I think she is genuinely confused, although we've made many attempts to explain it.  Not sure what Avery turning five in a couple days will do to her in that regard.

She was doing "the dance", so I said Amanda, go potty.  I don't need to (ALWAYS the response).  Yes, go.  You are doing "the dance".  I'm not doing the potty dance, Mom, I'm doing the birfday dance.  Then she proceeds to throw her hands in the air and do an elaborate "birfday dance".

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.

Proverbs 3:3-5

Project 365, Week 25

Another full week, AND with beautiful weather!  As I was putting all the pictures together, I noticed that our week started and ended with great-grandparents and I'm so thankful that my kids have that in their lives!  You think grandparents spoil (yes, they do), with great-grandparents there is zilch, zippo, nada that the kids can do wrong....everything they do is just spectacular and cute.  What a blessing to get to watch their relationship in action!

June 13

We took lunch over to Shaun's grandfather.

June 14

Bathing beauties.

June 15

Daddy, will you please put this dress on my (headless) princess?

June 16

I had a work meeting and a hospital visit...when I went to pick the kids up from my mom's, this is what I found....rough life.

June 17

Third Thursday is a street fest in our town during the summer.  Once a month, on the third Thursday, they close down part of Main Street and vendors set up on either side.  Thousands of people turn out to listen to live music and eat local fare.  We started the evening with free popcorn.

June 18

Cousins digging in the sand.  Aiden wasn't much of a help though...he was too busy eating it. 

June 19

We spent the afternoon with Shaun's other grandfather and his wife and also Shaun's sister Sarah while  Shaun, Tony and Jared golfed nine holes.

Later, we had a jam session.  We cleared the living room floor and the kids danced and screamed and requested Pop's songs.  I'd post a video, but I'm not sure you could handle it. :)  Intense screaming, laughing, dancing.  Aiden was completely taken with the guitar. 

Cousins!  They just never have any fun when they are together. :)

Thanks for hosting, Sara.  How was everyone's week?

Car Thoughts

Randomly in the car yesterday...

Avery said, Mom, when we get to heaven we should take our picture with Jesus.

When I kind of laughed, she said, Wouldn't that be nice?  You could take a picture of me and Jesus with your cram-ra.

Yes, Avery that would be nice...you and Jesus cheek to cheek, smiling.  May it be so.

At about the same time, the disciples came to Jesus asking, "Who gets the highest rank in God's kingdom?"

For an answer Jesus called over a child, whom he stood in the middle of the room, and said, "I'm telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you're not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God's kingdom.

Matthew 18:1-3

Aiden is Eleven Months

Isn't he handsome?  We are having so much fun with him!  More personality comes out each month and it is the most amazing thing to watch a little person emerge.  Let's do this month bullet style...

*Turning around to get off the couch and down the stairs.  He cannot get near the stairs without two sisters immediately running to his "aide".

*He goes up the stairs with no trouble

*Cut four teeth on top, really all the same day, though the one to the right of his front tooth was prominent first

*He's just started "singing"...I'm trying to teach him Twinkle, Twinkle

*He stands for up to a minute or two without holding on to anything.  He used to not know he was doing it, now he does it regularly

*For sure he is ticklish, though that's not a new development

*Eats well, though has quite a few things he won't eat.  This is a new concept for me since the girls never turned away anything.  Still can't pinpoint the things he consistently doesn't like however, I know he is a big fan of fruit, specifically strawberries.

*He sleeps right through the morning feeding at 6 am, so now we see him closer to 8

*Nicknames of the month: Dabby, Roo, Roo-Roo, Dukey

He gets packed around like this quite a bit and doesn't mind, unless he was in the middle of something.

See those teeth?

Believe it or not, I get this face some, too.

I cropped this photo so you wouldn't be able to see the AA battery he had in his mouth. :)

Apparently, men learn the remote thing early.

Roo, you have our hearts.  Mine skips a beat when I look in those eyes.  We love you!

I Heart Faces ~ All About Babies

This week at I Heart Faces the theme is "All About Babies".  We are going to celebrate itty-bitty babies this week...anywhere from babies still in mom's belly... to newborns... to little babies who still aren't taking their first steps.

This is five day-old Princess Gianna and I love it because I can picture her having spent the last many months just like this, warm and safe inside her mamma.