First holiday without her

Today marks the first major holiday without Grandma. Sure, there was Halloween, where we didn't go trick-or-treat at her house. And Labor Day, I guess. But there's something about Thanksgiving that says family. I am very grateful for my family, but I feel this hole now that Grandma won't be joining our table today.

In honor of her memory, today I have set HER table (the one I inherited and is now at my house!) with HER mother's beautiful china, and some of her linens and silver. I can't wait to take pictures of how beautiful our spread will be on such beautiful china, which ironically Grandma never used.

I also used her ancient grinder to grind the cranberries for her absolutely delicious cranberry salad. She gave me the grinder a few years ago and let me take the job of making the cranberry salad each year. I can't wait to dig into it today.

I'm so thankful for the many memories I have with Grandma, and the love she showed our family. We will never be the same without her, and we would not be who we are had we not had her all those years.

Miss you Grandma.

The chore store is working!

I know you've been wondering how our chore charts and chore store are working...

GREAT! Now that we are two months into it, most days I don't even actually put chores in his chart, but sometimes he likes to put them in there. He knows his daily chores are:

• Clean up toys - if his room isn't clean when he goes to bed, no Mommy buck.
• Brush his teeth, by himself. He does such a great job with this! (His singing toothbrush helps by letting him know how long to brush. I think he's also terrified of "cavity bugs".)
• Clear his place at the table after meals.
• Empty the lunchboxes after school on school days.
• Put away his laundry if there is any that day.

Some days I throw a couple of others, on the fly, such as setting the table if he is in the kitchen and needing something to do. He has gotten so much more helpful around the house since we implemented this. He has motivation to get his room clean, which is great.

This is not to say that we don't struggle with some chores, especially the room cleaning. He often looks at the mess he's made with all his toys, and starts whining that is too hard and he needs help, blah blah blah. I tell him I didn't help him make the mess, so.... (I really think I heard that from someone else...Mom?) He has gone many nights with no dollar as a result. Many nights I have to set the timer or give him a time limit or he won't really get moving. But he's figuring it out and I like not having to clean his room!

He also now has a bonus point chart next to his chore chart. If he does something without me asking him, especially buckling his own car seat buckle, he gets a sticker on the bonus point chart. After 5 stickers, he gets an extra dollar. The bonus points are rare and he gets really excited when he earns one. Today he earned an extra dollar and he was so excited! (He had taken it upon himself to sweep up some crushed leaves from a houseplant in the kitchen, so I decided that deserved a bonus point!)

And the chore store is a huge hit. It's open every Sunday afternoon after nap time. He has yet to save a dollar from one week to the next, so he hasn't been able to save for the two lego sets I printed and put $10 and $15 prices on. I pick up things at the Target dollar spot or Dollar Tree, and if it can be divided (like a pack of 3 play-doh or set of stamps), then I mark each item around $1. Bigger ticket items, like a light-up yo-yo from Dollar Tree, might cost $3 or $4 in the chore store.

Last week he kept telling me NOT to open the chore store on Sunday, because he wanted to save his dollars to buy the Lego garbage truck. I told him that was fine, but on Sunday afternoon, he changed his mind. And he settled for glow bracelets, a stamp, and a cookie cutter, but he was happy and so was I. He's telling me again this week not to open the chore store on Sunday, so we'll see if he follows through. The chore store is one of the top things he says he is thankful for this Thanksgiving!

The added bonus is that the chore store is a great math lesson every week! Almost every week, he figures different scenarios and talks them out. If he has $5...he'll chatter, "I have FIVE dollars. I can buy FIVE things that cost ONE dollar! I can buy this yo-yo that costs THREE dollars, and then I can buy two more things that cost ONE dollar."

He also returns something almost every week. He'll pick one item pretty quickly and pay for it, then change his mind and "return" it so he can pick something different. Decision making is painfully slow for him, but he really loves it so I just let him take his time.

I think I may put a couple of Mommy bucks in his stocking at Christmas. He will LOVE that!

For more Works-for-Me-Wednesday tips, visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer.

My math whiz

I have been wanting to write a post about Aaron's budding math skills. One of his favorite things right now is doing math facts. I bought him a set of math fact flashcards at the dollar store, and he learned how to use a calculator for addition and subtraction. I taught him how to figure out the math facts in his head, then check his answer on the calculator. He just loves to do it! (If you're interested, our technique is to catch the bigger number in his head, then the smaller number on his fingers. Then he starts with the number in his head and counts up on his fingers. So 7+2 is 7 in his head, 8 on the first finger, 9 on the second finger, then check the answer!)

Tonight I walked to the back of the house around 9:30 and saw Aaron's light was on and the door closed. I had left him with the light off and door open, so I knew he had sneakily gotten up to play. I walked in the room and found this precious little math whiz all wiped out on the floor.



I picked him up and put him in bed. I can't wait to see what he says about all the cards all over the floor in the morning.

Claire's favorite Bible story

Claire's all-time favorite Bible story is "Baby Moses". I think this obsession started because Mammaw has a book at her house called "Baby Moses" that is a lift-the-flap board book, and she gets Mammaw to read it to her over and over.

Recently, Claire has discovered that the story of baby Moses is in several of our children's Bible story books, with different pictures and words in each one. (She is sorely disappointed that the story is not in our Children's New Testament, though!)

The more I read her this story in different versions, I think I'm figuring out why she loves the story!

1. It has a baby. Claire is a little mother-at-heart. She has so many baby dolls, and she loves to mother them--strolling them around, covering them with a blanket, feeding them bottles, and preparing them food.
2. It has a baby bed. Or basket. Either way, it's pretty cool in her book. She would probably love a Moses basket for a baby bed.
3. It has a big sister who loves the baby. And there is no doubt that come May or June, Claire is going to be the best big sister in the world, just like Miriam.
4. It has a princess! What little girl's favorite story would be complete without a princess? The crown, the flowing purple dress, the jewels...that princess has it all!
5. The baby gets to see his mama! Claire knows that all babies want their mama. She is always talking about this animal or that baby needing to find its mama. And since baby Moses gets to have his mama take care of him, it's the perfect ending to the perfect story!

Fun fall day in the leaves

This morning we went to a friend's house to rake leaves in her huge leaf-covered yard. It makes for great photo-ops! Plus it was fun to visit with friends.

Aaron jumped right in and started raking...Claire was being a grump and didn't want to participate.


He raked a small pile and immediately jumped in!




Claire being grumpy.


She gave Bennett an evil look just for coming near. Boy, what do I have to look forward to in the teenage years?











Claire finally cheered up a little!

Funny words

I love some of Claire's mis-pronounced words:

"Dablong" : belong
"Dablana": banana
"Dajamas": pajamas

Some words it just cracks me up that she even knows. "Also" is one she uses in context all the time! "There is also a bird in that picture, Mommy! And also a rabbit!" Something about that word seems bigger than a 2-year-old.

"Archaeologist" is one she learned from a Dora book (for you non-Dora-educated out there, Dora's mami is an archaeologist). She will sit and "read" this book to herself, and it cracks me up when she says, "archaeologist" completely right!

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Today we met Chris's family at a restaurant after church to celebrate Mammaw's birthday. We got there before Mammaw, and Aaron came up to me, serious as a heart attack, and asked, "Mommy, has Mammaw arrived yet?" The way he said arrived just cracked us all up...he was proud to use that word and he enunciated it just right. What a smart boy!

Tonight we read a book that had a mommy who says "te amo bebe" to her little baby. When he figured out it meant "I love you", he said, "Te amo Mommy!" So sweet!

The one with the lost ring...

Thursday night we had parmesan chicken. I have a great recipe which involves smearing the chicken with a mayo and parmesan cheese mixture. Claire was standing in her chair next to the counter with me, and when I was ready to begin the smearing, I took off my wedding rings and put them on the counter.

Once I was done with the chicken, I washed my hands, put the chicken in the oven, and started to unload the dishwasher. Claire was still at the counter, and I asked her to come down and help me with the silverware. As she was walking to the dishwasher, I heard her say, "I have a ring!" (She had been chattering the whole time I breaded the chicken but sometimes I tune her out so maybe she was talking about the ring before...but I didn't catch it.) I looked down and saw she had my wedding band on her finger! I quickly grabbed it away and looked for my engagement ring. She didn't have it, it wasn't on the counter, and all she would tell me is, "I dropped it." Oh. My. Goodness.

I went into panic mode and looked all over the floor around her chair at the counter. I glanced in the garbage can under the counter (which has a lid!), in the open craft bin somewhat close to her chair, in the mess of play food in the floor by her kitchen a few feet away. I didn't see the ring anywhere!

I got more intentional about my search, patting her down to see if it was in her clothes. Then I sent Claire to her room so I could concentrate on the search and try not to panic in front of her! I was on my belly on the floor with the flashlight looking under the refrigerator! Whew, what a mess was under there! I searched in the craft bin, in the junk cluttering the counter, in the dishwasher, in the play food. Nowhere!

Chris got home and I was a frenzied mess. I managed to get the green beans and noodles cooking, then Chris and I tackled the garbage. I got a clean bag and we removed items from the trash one by one, inspecting them for the glint of my missing diamonds! It was a nasty job, as there was some really gross stuff in the trash, but I knew it had to be done!

After we thoroughly washed our hands, Chris continued the search in places I had already looked, and I got dinner on the table, despite my shaking hands. I picked at my food, and once we called dinner done, Chris pulled out the refrigerator. I cleaned the floor underneath (another nasty job!) and the grate on the front. We found some missing toys and magnets, but no ring. As Chris cleared dinner from the table, I swept the dining room, hoping I would somehow sweep up my ring. No such luck. I cried and cried.

After dinner Chris played with the kids while I continued searching and cleaning, and crying. I went through the trash...again! I kept thinking, "Why didn't I put my rings in the container on the window sill like I always do? We'll never be able to afford a ring like that again, not to mention the sentimental value of the ring I've worn for nearly 8 years now." Sob sob sob...

Chris had the idea to ask the neighbor for a metal detector. We feared maybe Claire had swallowed the ring. She normally doesn't put stuff in her mouth, but a couple of days before Chris caught her with a (closed!) safety pin in her mouth. We didn't really think she could have swallowed the ring, but since it was nowhere to be found, we thought it was a possibility. The neighbor's friend down the street had a metal detector, and we brought it to the house to run over Claire. She thought it was quite hilarious, as did Aaron. We had to hold her off the floor, because apparently there is metal in the floor of our house that kept registering. The metal detector didn't beep at all over her whole body, so we gave the metal detector back and sent the kids to bed.

I went back to the kitchen, laid on my belly, searching all over. I decided to search the corners of the room again, and there, behind the china cabinet, clear across the room from the counter Claire had been at, my ring lay there on the floor. How it got that far across the room is anyone's guess, but I was beyond relieved to have found it. I bounded out the door to the neighbor's driveway, where they were still congregated outside working on a car, and showed them my sparkly, newly-found ring!

What a happy ending to a crazy night! These rings are not leaving my finger again for a very, very long time!!

The one where they pretend to be mills...

A few nights ago I got this video of the kids running around the living room wearing themselves out. I was reading a book and realized they had made up some crazy game where they were pretending to be mills, so I had to catch it on camera. And no, I have no idea what a mill is or where they got it. Aaron told me it's something that runs around. ???





Oh, and Chris is in the background a couple of times dutifully putting boxes of children's clothes in the attic. Thanks, hon!

More funnies...

Last night while I was making dinner the kids were coloring at the kitchen table. Dinner time was getting close, so I told Aaron to put all the markers back in the box. A few minutes later I looked over at him and he was still playing with the markers instead of obeying me. I didn't say anything, but just gave him a stern "look". He gave me an innocent but shocked look and said, "But I didn't hear what you said Mommy. I had my hands over my ears when you said it." Uh, yeah. He got sent to time out and came back to put away the markers without me having to tell him again. I think he heard me!

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Last night I went out with my bookclub, so Daddy was in charge. He told me he had gotten Claire out of the tub and was combing her hair. Both of the kids like to ask pointless questions, so she asked, "What are you doing Daddy?"

"Combing your hair," he replied.
"Why are you combing my hair?" she asked. More pointless questions.
Daddy answered, "Because it's all crazy. I'm getting the crazy out."
Claire said, "I make Mommy crazy."

Yes, she does!! And she's heard me say it before--"You kids are driving me crazy!!"

Snuggle time

Claire was so sweaty from running around the living room playing with Daddy and Aaron. Mommy just watched from her perch on the couch, until the kids decided it was snuggle time!

How are you feeling?

I've been getting this question a lot lately, so I figured I'd give you one detailed answer! I'm almost 11 weeks pregnant.

I'm feeling good, for the most part. I tend to crash in the early evening...this first trimester always gets me bad with the fatigue. I'm only a couple of weeks away from the glorious 2nd trimester though, where the energy returns and I'm not big enough to be uncomfortable yet. The kids and I stay home more often than we used to, mostly because I don't have the energy to go all day. They don't seem to mind.

I don't have morning sickness at all...never had it with my other two either. I think only 50% of women get morning sickness (according to something I read on the internet, which you know is always true!), so I guess I'm the lucky 50%.

I'm definitely pooching and can't hide this pregnancy any longer. A lady at work this week, who didn't know I was expecting, actually asked me if I was going to have a baby. She had noticed my pooch the day before and knew it was out of place on me unless I was pregnant. (She had better be glad I am pregnant or I would have been mighty offended!!) I'll probably start taking bi-weekly side-view belly shots for the baby's scrapbook in the next week or so. I did that with Claire's pregnancy and love to see the pictures of how I grew! I'm definitely growing faster this time! I've already unpacked my maternity clothes and started wearing a few of the pants on days when my only two pairs of regular pants that actually fit me are dirty.

I'm also starting to feel the baby move in the last week. I can hardly believe I can feel it this early, but it's really an undeniable little flutter--there is no doubt that baby is moving and shaking already. In fact, he/she is moving as I type this! It's like someone is repeatedly thumping inside my abdomen just below my belly button. Really a cool feeling.

We'll probably find out the gender in early January, if not late December. My doctor does an 18-20 week ultrasound so it just depends on how I time my appointments. I'm looking forward to knowing the gender so I can settle on a name and start getting rid of all the extra baby stuff cluttering up our nursery and attic! If it's a boy, all the girl stuff is going, and vice versa! We need some space in this cramped little house!

Bag lady

Yesterday as I tackled the mountain of clean laundry in my bedroom floor, and tore my closet apart taking out the summer clothes, Claire entertained herself quietly, doing who knows what. When I saw her next, this is what she looked like.



She had TWO of Chris's socks on EACH foot, and another sock on her hand. She was pushing her babies around in the stroller, stuffed full of rags in the basket underneath. And you can't miss the fuzzy little purse, with something or other in it. She looked like a bag lady! And she was so happy!

Today has been fun!

This morning I was woken by the sounds of Aaron playing with blocks in his room. Chris had apparently gone in there with him to play for a few minutes before he got ready for work. Within a few minutes Aaron and Chris came to my bed to wake me up. Aaron started telling me, "Mommy! We were building a chameleon, and then we knocked it all down!"

I gave him a puzzed look. "Chameleon?" So he repeated himself. And I said, "Chameleon? That's a lizard, Aaron!"

Chris was laughing so hard and said, "No, Aaron, it was a pavilion. Like the one at the park."

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This morning we went to the library. I just love the library! I love the fact that I can read different blogs to get preschool book recommendations, go to our library website and find them, and if they are at a different library I can put them on hold and within a couple of days they are waiting for me at our library! So today they had about 6 books waiting that I had put on hold. Several of them were Richard Scarry books. Aaron just LOVES Richard Scarry! He always says, "Mommy! Read me a Scarry story!" The books are so detailed he loves to sit by himself and look at all the pictures to see what's going on in Busytown.

One of my favorite things about the library is seeing the kids pick up books that look familiar (favorite authors or stories like Curious George or Berenstein Bears) and latch on to them. Today Claire randomly chose 2 books from the shelf and brought them to me and said, "I want to read these again!" Sure enough, we had checked them out a long time ago, and apparently she remembers reading them! It probably helps her memory that we read the books approximately 30 times before we return them to the library. Unless it's a Dora/Diego book...then it's probably well over 100 times. We made it home today with probably 30 books...which is a light trip for us!

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After the library, we headed to Dollar Tree to buy items for our Samaritan's Purse Christmas boxes. Our church is organizing Operation Christmas Child and I picked up two boxes for the kids to fill. They had such a good time choosing items for the boxes--one for a boy and one for a girl.

By this time, I was very hungry, and Chick-fil-A was right across the street. So we splurged and decided to eat out for lunch. What a great decision! We saw several friends there and had a great time. Except that once when I was taking Claire to the potty she actually fell in (GROSS!) and got her shirt all wet, so I took her shirt off and had to carry her bare-chested to the van to get a clean shirt. The only one I had was one of Aaron's short-sleeved shirts but it worked! Thank goodness I had the foresight to put a change of clothes for each of the kids in the van. I need to change them out to winter clothes though--all Claire had in the van was a spaghetti strap tank top!!

Yes, I'm still here--with some scattered thoughts

I have found blogging time hard to come by these days! I constantly blog in my head throughout the day, but never get around to sitting at the computer to get it all typed in. And now that I am sitting here and determined to blog about something, I can't remember 90% of the funny things the kids said that I wanted to record, or the deep thoughts I was having that I felt I needed to share.

So here are some random thoughts--

*Aaron has run two random fevers this week that have gone down within two hours, and other than that he's been fine. It's strange and we're not sure what's wrong. I had to keep him home from school today because of the 24-hour-fever rule, but he was perfectly fine! So I didn't let him have a veg-out day. We did a big floor puzzle, had a fun lunch, did worksheets to practice handwriting, and had music time and play time.

*Claire is fully potty trained now! Hooray! We still have an accident here and there, but she wears underwear all her waking hours and a diaper at nap and nighttime. I am so happy and proud!!

*I am still very tired and feeling so very behind. I have had lots of deep thoughts lately about what my purpose in life is. What is my mission? I think God is reminding me that my first two and most important jobs are wife and mother. I have got to put my home first in my agenda!! I feel so scatterbrained lately I can't keep up with housework which puts a strain on everything it seems. And I have been increasingly leaving the children to watch TV while I rest or work, which causes lots of mommy guilt. I'm having trouble with a balance.

*Speaking of my mission, I think my mission field is my children. I have not been praying with them or speaking of spiritual things or reading Bible stories often enough. This is an indication of my time spent alone with the Lord, which hasn't been much lately. I need to be a reflection of Him to my children and I can only do that if I am coming to Him daily. Lord, help me!

*Are you overwhelmed by all my thoughts yet??? Thanks for reading! I hope to have a more cohesive post soon.