With all of the crazy weather lately, it has been difficult to keep the house a comfortable temperature. Last Sunday was mid-70s and beautiful, Monday it cooled off a little, Tuesday it was in the 40s, Wednesday it was 80, Thursday it dropped to the 30s when I was leaving work. The past three days have been consistently cool. We woke up this morning to a freezing house after shutting off the heat yesterday afternoon. I put on a sweater over my pajamas, and Audrey decided to follow suit.
As she put on her sweater, Audrey said, "I am putting on this sweater to keep my heart warm. God likes it when I keep my heart warm, because it keeps him warm."
Moments like that make my heart smile.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Springtime in the Suburbs
The days are getting warmer; flowers are starting to bloom; the grass is starting to grow again; the bushes have lost their shape. Ahhh....spring. Owning a house (not a condo) in the springtime is a totally different world for us. Never before have we actually been in the market for all of the flower pots, plants, and grass fertilizer that lines the isles at the local stores. Now, we spend our weekends working in the yard. I spent last Sunday afternoon pruning bushes that haven't been touched in the 3 years since they were planted. Today, Billy fertilized the grass. We also bought a tree to plant in the front yard, since our yard is completely devoid of any plants other than grass and the aforementioned bushes. It is more work than we are used to, but we are enjoying it. I have learned more about tree species in the last two weeks than I ever knew before.
Spring is always fun for children. Audrey is even more excited that it is finally warm enough to go play at the park across the street. She has even started calling it "my park." We've tried to correct her, but she doesn't seem to care. Barrett even got into the park action today and played on the swing for a little bit. We tried the slide, but he wasn't too sure about it. I think the static electricity turned him off from that.
As much as our family is enjoying spring, I don't think anyone is enjoying it more than our dogs. For the first time in their lives, they have the full run of a yard and do not have to be on a leash to roam it. My dad and some of his friends finished our fence last weekend, and it is awesome! It was a long haul trying to get it done; the first weekend they planned to do it, we had a snowstorm. Then we had a monsoon the next time. We are so glad to have privacy and a place for our dogs to run and play. The backyard still needs some work, but that will probably be a while off still. At least now when Billy is grilling in the evenings, the dogs can run and play without running off.
Spring is always fun for children. Audrey is even more excited that it is finally warm enough to go play at the park across the street. She has even started calling it "my park." We've tried to correct her, but she doesn't seem to care. Barrett even got into the park action today and played on the swing for a little bit. We tried the slide, but he wasn't too sure about it. I think the static electricity turned him off from that.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
4 Wonderful Years
It is so hard to believe that you are 4...well, when I really think about it, I guess it is not. You seem so much older than that sometimes. Just a couple of days ago, when your daddy and I were talking about some improvements we want to make to our house, you told us that "You get what you get and don't throw a fit." You also like to point out when we say words we shouldn't, help us make sure your brother isn't getting into things, and randomly give me hugs and tell me you love me (that is my personal favorite). You also give us full reports of everything that has happened at school. While I am not a fan of the fact that our commute home sometimes takes 30 extra minutes because of traffic, I do enjoy the conversations we have in the car.
As you grow older, you continue to get more and more opinionated about your wardrobe. This evening, you picked out the outfit that you want to wear to school tomorrow for your birthday, laid it out on the floor, and even chose which accessories you will wear with it. Some people may be thinking that this might lead to a future career, but you are instant that you want to be a veterinarian so you can help animals. Sometimes you want to be a teacher too, but the vet is definitely the top of the list. I wonder how that will fluctuate as you get older. One thing is clear though....you are not afraid to take the lead. During our parent teacher conference last month, your teachers even told us that you weren't afraid to stand up and take charge of groups of children, even larger groups of more than 5 children. You also love to perform on your "stage" in front of the fireplace (the elevated stone surround). You sing and dance, and don't like it when your brother tries to join you.
Speaking of Barrett, you love him dearly and he loves you. He does his best to say Audrey, which comes out more like "Ah-dah." Anytime you are in the room, he turns his attention to you, and unless he is hungry, you are the best at getting him to stop fussing or throwing a fit. You are quick to grab him a toy to play or give him a hug to calm him down. You have your moments where you get frustrated and make it clear that you want him to stop doing what he is doing, but most of the time, watching the way you interact with him and take care of him is very sweet.
You still love your Bitty Baby; she is your favorite toy by far. For your birthday, if anyone asked you what you wanted, you gave them a list of items you wanted for Bitty Baby. You also love to color; you can spend an hour straight sitting at the table drawing and coloring pictures. I didn't even know that a 4 year old could have that length of attention span! You love pretend play and like to make up stories about princesses and fairies. I usually get to be a queen, sometimes evil and sometimes nice. Barrett has been a handsome prince, an evil king, a frog and a monster. Daddy likes to be the monster so he has an excuse to wrestle with you and your brother. Sometimes Jack gets to be the monster too, and then we can throw the ball to distract him. This imagination of yours also makes for some very creative songs about whatever is on your mind. You sing them in the car, at school, in the bathtub, at the dinner table, in the cart at the store, and anywhere else you happen to be when you feel like singing. I love that about you; I hope you never stop singing silly songs.
Lately you have also started showing a great interest in the Bible. You love going to your Sunday school class and your class on Wednesday nights at church. You always come home telling us about what you learned, and reciting Bible stories with surprising accuracy. I pray that there will never be a day where God is not in your heart. You have such a kind heart, and I hope you stay that way as long as you live. A perfect example of that is your desire to be a vet so you can help animals. Barrett and I have been sick this past week, and you frequently tell me that if you had a real magic wand, you would dress up in your princess dress with a necklace and crown and wave your wand to make us feel better.
As you grow older, you continue to get more and more opinionated about your wardrobe. This evening, you picked out the outfit that you want to wear to school tomorrow for your birthday, laid it out on the floor, and even chose which accessories you will wear with it. Some people may be thinking that this might lead to a future career, but you are instant that you want to be a veterinarian so you can help animals. Sometimes you want to be a teacher too, but the vet is definitely the top of the list. I wonder how that will fluctuate as you get older. One thing is clear though....you are not afraid to take the lead. During our parent teacher conference last month, your teachers even told us that you weren't afraid to stand up and take charge of groups of children, even larger groups of more than 5 children. You also love to perform on your "stage" in front of the fireplace (the elevated stone surround). You sing and dance, and don't like it when your brother tries to join you.
You still love your Bitty Baby; she is your favorite toy by far. For your birthday, if anyone asked you what you wanted, you gave them a list of items you wanted for Bitty Baby. You also love to color; you can spend an hour straight sitting at the table drawing and coloring pictures. I didn't even know that a 4 year old could have that length of attention span! You love pretend play and like to make up stories about princesses and fairies. I usually get to be a queen, sometimes evil and sometimes nice. Barrett has been a handsome prince, an evil king, a frog and a monster. Daddy likes to be the monster so he has an excuse to wrestle with you and your brother. Sometimes Jack gets to be the monster too, and then we can throw the ball to distract him. This imagination of yours also makes for some very creative songs about whatever is on your mind. You sing them in the car, at school, in the bathtub, at the dinner table, in the cart at the store, and anywhere else you happen to be when you feel like singing. I love that about you; I hope you never stop singing silly songs.
Lately you have also started showing a great interest in the Bible. You love going to your Sunday school class and your class on Wednesday nights at church. You always come home telling us about what you learned, and reciting Bible stories with surprising accuracy. I pray that there will never be a day where God is not in your heart. You have such a kind heart, and I hope you stay that way as long as you live. A perfect example of that is your desire to be a vet so you can help animals. Barrett and I have been sick this past week, and you frequently tell me that if you had a real magic wand, you would dress up in your princess dress with a necklace and crown and wave your wand to make us feel better.
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