Jilly Bean

There are so many things I love about my Jilly.  Here are just a few.

She is very independent.  This can be frustrating, but it is also so cute.  She insists on trying to get her shoes on and get dressed.  Tonight she took her pajamas away from me, walked about 10 feet away and put them on all by herself!  Crazy.  My boys definitely didn't do that this early.  They didn't care!  This love of putting things on carries over to costumes too.  Tonight after dinner I heard Nathan yelling that he didn't want to go to jail.  Here is the arresting officer...

After they were done with this, they moved on to another one.  Is she not the shortest spiderman you've ever seen?

She kept running around the house saying, "Piderman to da rescue!"

She has a couple of phrases I just love right now.  Tonight at dinner I gave her a plate of tortellini.....she looked at Calvin and said, "My hot is going up!"  We discovered she was referring to the smoke rising from her plate.  Clever...don't you think? 

I love it when she's been trying to get something and finally gets it.  With a note of satisfaction she always says, "aaaaaiiiiiiirrrr we go."

She's got a great sense of humor.  If she makes a mistake when she's talking she repeats it in a really funny voice.  She'll point to the milk and say, "Can I have some water?"  Then she'll look at me and say, "WATER?"  And she'll just crack up.  She is very silly.

The girl is totally in to make-up.  It started with a couple of princess lip glosses, and like any good addiction, just built from there.  Nana gave her some old face powder and a couple brushes....she's in heaven.  I find her all the time just sitting with her make-up like it's the best thing in the world.



Oh...and she likes this.....

When we are home together she'll run up to me and say, "Can you paint my toes?  Pleeeease?"  How can I resist that?

This sweet little girl is in LOVE with all her blankies.  She loves the minky fabric and can't even touch it without putting her thumb in her mouth.  The two just go hand in hand.  She has two taggies.  They go everywhere with her.  One was supposed to be an extra, but that's not how it worked.  Now when I put her in her crib she says, "Where's my one taggie and two taggie?"  Both have to be accounted for or we're in trouble.  There are also two other small blankies and two quilts that have this fabric.  They ALL have to be in her crib.  Nana keeps making them thinking then I'll be able to wash the others.  As soon as Jilly knows there is another one, it just gets added to the collection.  Besides that, her Biddy Baby (Baby Jill) sleeps with her, and SHE has her OWN minky fabric blankie.  Can you say obsession?  I really need to get a picture of her with all these blankies...and Baby Jill with hers.  I'll work on that.

My little Jilly is so much fun.  She has a smile that melts me and she just makes every day better.  She really likes her Mama too.  She just prefers to sit with me...sleep with me (not every night)....you name it.  I'm okay with that.  I know from experience that these days go too fast.  My baby girl is growing up before my eyes and I am loving every day of it.  I'm so blessed to be her mommy. 

YAAAAWWWNNN....

Monday I started another long-term subbing job.  In Kindergarten.  I'm tired.  I promise to post more interesting things again, but not tonight.  Please forgive me.

To hold you over.....check out this other tired girl.

Summer Dining

These two monkeys have become fast friends.

Every day since it has gotten warm they play outside like crazy, and when it's time for lunch they say, "Mom, can we eat outside...pleeese?'  Of course I let them.  I'd be crazy to want them to spill all over my kitchen instead of the deck.

Jilly thinks Nathan is brilliant. She loves the ideas he comes up with and he likes that she looks up to him. I often look outside to find him riding his 4 wheeler or tractor with her right in front of him...hitching a ride.  Today he said, "Jilly...I'm going outside to mow.  Do you want to trim with the push mower?"  Of course she did.

Sometimes they bring the babies outside.  This is another reason Jilly loves Nathan.  While he is a man's man...he also loves to play babies.

I'm glad these two are such good friends.  Nathan will be a great protector of his little sister.  I know what you're thinking...won't he teach her a lot of questionable things?  Won't they get into a lot of trouble?  Yes.  They will.  Those will be great stories though won't they?

Sometimes It's Hard To Be a Parent

Look at this face.

This is the face of a little boy who doesn't get to ride this today.

Riding this tractor is about his favorite thing in the world to do.  But he got in trouble last night.  He was very difficult at bed time, so at one point we took away the tractor for a day.  Today he has asked me about a hundred times, "Mom, can I please ride my tractor?"  He is just so sad.  He was talking to my mom on the phone, and at one point she asked him WHY he couldn't ride his tractor.  He said in a very pathetic voice, "I jistobeyed my Mom and Dad."  Translation:  disobeyed....but I like it so much better the way he says it.

The good news is bed time went very well tonight so he WILL be able to ride the tractor tomorrow.

Rico Suave

Last night there was a family dance at Calvin's school.  We had a great time.  Here's how it went....

We all danced a little and listened to the band. 
We ate some pizza.
Nathan and Jillian and I talked and stood around with some friends while about 6 little girls followed this guy around...

Do you blame them?

I'm back.

I know.  It's been a week since I've posted.  I don't know what's gotten into me!

I had a fabulous Mother's Day yesterday.  I told myself I was going to get a picture of myself with my kids, but I forgot!  We were so busy having fun.  The day started with me sleeping in.  My favorite. (:  Actually Marc lets me do this most Sundays so I'm pretty blessed.  Then it was off to church.  After church we went to the resort to hang out with my Mom and Dad.  We had an awesome lunch of chicken on the grill and then got to enjoy some time outside.  We played baseball and played on the playground and then cruised all over in the golf carts.  Something we've all been dying to do for the past 6 months! We came inside and had some dessert and watched the Twins.  It was such a relaxing day filled with people I love!

While I didn't get pictures from yesterday....I do have pictures from Easter I haven't posted yet.  I wanted so badly to get a good picture of my kids.  NOT an easy task.  I started with these before church...

I gave up and figured we'd try again after church.  My Mom did get a few that were a little better.  We have MANY pictures, but here are a few of my favorites.

What can I say?  There is no "perfect" picture, but these are my babies. You can certainly see how cute they are, and I love everything about their little personalities. I am so blessed to be their Mommy.

"Children are a heritage from the Lord. The fruit of the womb is a reward." Psalm 127:3 - a very special truth for all of us today!!

Superstar

Last week Calvin went to a football camp at Bemidji State University with his best buddy Walter.  It was just a one day camp where the football players went through some drills with them, they had a picnic and then they got to stay for the BSU scrimmage.  Marc was there with the boys and they had a ball.  One of the highlights of the camp was that they got a t-shirt and then the players signed it for them.  Calvin came home so excited!  Here he is in his shirt...

As I was looking at his shirt and checking out the signatures I noticed something.

Me:  "Calvin, which player signed here on your arm?"
Calvin:  "Oh!  That's Walter!"

These two crack me up.