Leap Day

 {my three little loves on a WARM February morning}

{she'll be cruising around in no time!}

Big brother...big heart...

A few weeks ago, Isaac told me that he was starving. I asked him if he really understood what that meant. He asked me to tell him. So I explained that there are people...children even...all over the world who don't have any food to eat. That these people are hungry all the time and they sometimes even die because they don't have food. To drive the point home, I showed him images from the Internet of people who are starving. He just took it all in and agreed that he in fact was not starving, but just pretty hungry.

Fast forward to today. We had some friends over to play and one of the kiddos said, "I'm starving!" Isaac quickly corrected her, saying, "You're not actually starving because that would mean you'd almost be dying. You're just really hungry." Wow! He got it. And not only that, he has taken what he's learned and is teaching others!! LOVE this kid! :)

I was cutting vegetables this afternoon, preparing to take a meal to some friends of ours, and Isaac asked why I was taking them a meal. So I shared that his friend's grandpa had died (my friend's dad). His eyes nearly filled with tears as he said, "That makes me SO sad, mommy. Like, I can't even be happy right now." I told him that it IS sad when someone dies. He went on to say, "But I didn't even get to meet his grandpa! I wonder what he looked like. And how did he die, mommy? Is he in Heaven now? What do you think Heaven is like?" I told him about cancer and how it kills people, and then asked him what he thought Heaven was like. He said, "I think there are lots of flowers there...and lots of kids too!" We talked a little more about it, and then a few minutes later, I overheard him telling Naomi, "His body just stopped working, and now he's in Heaven." SO precious. This kid has more compassion than some adults in this world!!

His keen awareness of others, his depth of compassion and heart for the hurting, combined with his boldness to stand up against injustice is going to be a beautiful blend of qualities to make this little boy grow into a world-changer one day! I am tickled to find out what God has in store for him!!

{big brother wearing fairy wings and a skirt!}

She has a voice!

Sarah has recently found her voice and it is SO fun!! :) She loves to make us laugh. It's super cute!! :) Oh...and this sweet baby girl is sleeping 15+ hours every night (usually 10-12 straight through)!! Yay for sleep!! :) Here's a short little video of her talking! :) And yes...even her big brother loves kissing her cheeks off! Hehe.

{she loves her papa}

Lots of pics...

I am constantly snapping pics on my phone. Here are several from this past week....my kiddos are crazy! (And I wouldn't have it any other way!)

  {someone found her thumb!!}

 {sword fight with mommy}

My messy house...

I have recently decided that I need to figure out how I feel about mess. Part of me truly doesn't care. I look at the floors in my house, and they look like the photos below. The kids enjoy making messes. And they do help clean up when asked (for the most part). But another part of me feels sick about it. Maybe we have too much....stuff. Do they really need all of these things? What are they learning? Isaac has recently begun complaining about what he DOESN'T have. I know this is quite common. It's called "coveting" or "greed" and it comes with being human. But oh how we must fight against it!

He'll say things like, "But he has SO much more than I do!" or "She has more than me...it's not fair!" I cringe when he says things like this. I am so trying to teach them that the best things in life aren't things at all. And that it is better to give than to receive. And that there are others in this world who have NOTHING. And that we should be thankful for what we do have...not complain about what we don't have. These are tough lessons to teach a four-year-old...heck...they are hard for most adults to learn! I'm not sure what the answer is. My answer for everything is...PRAY! :) And it does work. It's not my job to change Isaac's heart. But I can lead him in Truth. And I can also provide an environment that is helpful in teaching these things.

I think we do have too much. We have an excessive amount of STUFF. I am in hyper-simplify mode right now. I started with my own sock drawer and closet, and will be slowly (because that's the pace that things go with three young children) going through our entire house and getting rid of stuff. My house doesn't have to be spotless. It's lived in, and I think that's kinda neat. But being cluttered with unnecessary things is not cool. 

Sarah Bear

We've had a MUCH better week this week with Sarah! Praise God!! :) It seems like every day is getting a little better. She has finally found her finger/thumb and has just about mastered the art of self-soothing! :) She still has her fussy moments, don't get me wrong. But they are starting to become less frequent and less intense. She is also sleeping VERY well at night. Last night, I nursed her at 6:45pm, put her down at 7pm, then did a "dream feed" at 12:45am before I went to bed myself, and she slept until 9:15am!! WOW! That's over 14 hours of sleep straight through for that sweet baby! Awesomeness! :)

Oh...and this evening she laughed for the first time!! It was pretty sweet and totally adorable. It had all of us giggling, and I think Isaac got the biggest kick out of it. She seemed to enjoy the attention and making us all laugh. Got a little glimpse into how fun this is going to be once she really begins interacting with all of us. Gosh I love these kiddos SO much. :)

Isaac randomly asked me the other day: "Mommy, are you guys glad that you have kids?" My reply: "Absolutely! I wouldn't trade it for the world! I love you guys to pieces!!" He just smiled and made mention of maybe wanting to be a daddy some day. But definitely not a president. Because he wouldn't want to get shot! LOL. This kid keeps us laughing a lot. :)

Anyway...here are some pics from today. My SUPER duper chunky baby girl!! :)

 And here's a little comparison shot of Naomi and Sarah...

Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head...

During a story time at the children's museum today, the children were all encouraged to use their imaginations. The story came to a place in which Mr. Potato Head was about to get Mrs. Potato Head's hat from an alligator. So the story teller asked, "How is he going to get the hat?"

Without hesitating, Isaac yells, "He's going kill him!!" Surprised by this, the story teller says, "Okay...any other ideas?" And another boy yells, "He could shoot him!" and another yells, "Or use a bow and arrow!" Now with everyone laughing nervously, the female story teller asks again, and a sweet little girl recommends trading something for the hat. They went with that idea. Mr. Potato Head and the alligator exchanged a fish for the hat. And it made me wonder...how did all of those little boys feel? Why weren't their ideas chosen? Were they wrong? Were their imaginations bad? Or could it possibly be just the way they are wired? Designed by God to be little warriors and one day protectors of their families? And yet, as women, we cringe when we hear these traits come out. We roll our eyes or get nervous at their horrific imaginations. They like to play fight and wrestle. They turn EVERYthing into weapons. They like to take risks and do things that are dangerous. And they make us, their mommies, oh so uncomfortable at times.

God help me see my son, who is fearfully and wonderfully made, the way YOU see him! He was made in Your image...and that is a good thing! May I never squelch his sense of adventure or put him down for his vivid (and sometimes violent) imagination. Help me to nurture within him all that You have created him to be! I love my son and I am SO thankful for how You've made him, Lord!

Here's a fun example of the difference between my two kiddos. Can you guess which child built which potato head? ;) I'll give you a hint...Isaac is ALL boy, and Naomi is a girly girl! :)

I think I could have earned some sort of medal today. Just saying. ;) I successfully got four of us ready, lunches and diaper bag packed, remembered to pack the stroller, and left the house ON TIME! We left the house at 10am, and then did not return until 5pm. Can you say LONG day?!? The kids had a great time, and so did I! :) My back may be paying for it tomorrow, though, as I held Sarah the ENTIRE time. Most of that time was in the Baby Bjorn...but that's still carrying around 13+ lbs of extra weight! Hehe. Then in my exhaustion after the museum, I gave in to my kiddos' precious requests to go down to our neighborhood playground. Their laughter while on the tire swing TOTALLY made it worth it! :) Great day, spent with some great friends and some great children! :)

{joy...playing outside in February}

This boy of mine...

Isaac came downstairs in a pair of shorts and a long-sleeved t-shirt this afternoon, telling me that he was ready to go outside. I said, "Don't you think you're going to be a bit cold out there with just that on?" "No I won't!" he said indignantly. So I let him go out in 32 degree weather without shoes or socks, wearing only shorts and a shirt. He lasted all of two minutes before running back in. "So...I guess I will need more clothes." He dressed himself, and I encouraged him to put his jacket on. Then he played by himself in the backyard for quite awhile. He was laughing and having a splendid time exploring. He was very excited about his findings...much to my chagrin:

He enjoys wearing only his underwear throughout the day. They both do really. But we had friends over today, and so I kept reminding them both to put at least something on. He came out from the playroom wearing this:

{SUCH a silly boy}

And speaking of silliness, he has found much pleasure in trying to spell naughty words! :) Over the past few days, I just randomly decided to see if he could read some words that I put together. Simple words like "mat, bus, top, bed, dig, etc." And pretty much if a word follows all the rules and the letters make the sound they should, he can sound out just about any three-letter word...and a few four-letter words as well! :) This afternoon, he was delighted in himself as he discovered that he could read "b-u-t." I watched him as he began sounding it out, "buh...uh...tuh." Then when he put it all together and said it quickly, he busted out in laughter, saying, "I said BUT!!" Hehe. I didn't tell him that he would actually need to add another "t" to make it truly funny. He enjoyed his discovery. And it gave me a good laugh too. :)

I haven't been working with him AT ALL on his letters or reading. I'm still very much on my extended maternity break from homeschooling. But I'm enjoying this relaxed approach to educating them. I'm amazed at how much they are both learning with me doing very little to foster it! After Isaac finished working with these letters, I went to put them away. But Naomi began screaming at me, "No, mommy! It's MY turn!" I was surprised by her interest in the letters. I held up different letters so she could tell me what they were, but she insisted that I make words with them! I laid out S-A-T. She looked at it, and said, "Sssss....aaaaaa.....tuh....SAT!" My jaw nearly hit the floor. So I guess at two and a half, she's trying to keep up with big brother! I'm still trying to figure out what our "schooling" is going to look like in our home. But for now...I'm really enjoying this super laid-back-learning-and-growing-every-day approach.

Animal Party...

We had a lot of fun celebrating Isaac's birthday (for the third time) with his friends yesterday! We held it at our church building and had a zoologist come with live animals!! I think the kids had a lot of fun! :) Here are just two little sneak peeks from the day (more to come SOON):

Good Days and Bad...

 Some days look like this...

And others (like when we accidentally miss a dose of reflux medicine) look like this...

There are no words to describe the pit in my stomach...the aching in my heart...when my sweet baby girl will not allow me to comfort her. With her body completely stiffened and fists clenched, she screams and screams and screams and...well you get the picture. Sometimes I just have to give her a kiss, whisper "I love you," into her ear, and lay her in the crib to scream it out alone. I am only human. And after a few hours of constant screaming in my ear, and the heartache and stress of not being able to comfort her, I just need a little break. I love her to pieces. And I am SO over this newborn/colic stage of life. Bring on the cute baby stage!! :) Every day does seem to be getting better and better. But then we have days like today, that nearly set me over the edge. And the edge of what, I do not know. Perhaps sanity? ;) But she's sleeping (albeit somewhat fitfully) at the moment, and there is peace in my home again. Life is good. And I wouldn't trade it for the world. :)

More things to never forget...

We keep thinking of more things that we hope to never forget...

~The way Isaac and Naomi imaginative play "babies" and "doggies" together...complete with the most ADORABLE high-pitch voices of their characters. ;)

~When they begin demanding certain things or whining about what they've been given, we all laugh as I sing the same thing every time, "You git what you git, and you won't throw a fit!" :) Basically...a fun reminder to be joyful with what you're given and not complain about it.

~Naomi changing clothes about 30 times a day (and I am not even exaggerating...it may be more!).

~SHOOGIES! (pronounced like boogies) We enjoy pretending like there are these imaginary things (little pieces of sweet sugar, if you will) dripping from their skin. If I am overcome by their cuteness or how much I love them, I just HAVE to get some shoogies, which looks like me kissing their little faces off! Hehe. :) Lately, Isaac has taken the fun a step further by pretending to stuff all of the shoogies into his mouth and telling me that there aren't any left for me! :) Sometimes I steal them anyway! ;)

~moments of cuteness like this one taken last night...

From this season of life, I hope to never foget...

~How much we laugh.

~Me asking them, "Do you know how much I love you?" And them answering with a giggle, "SO BIG!" Then me tickling them while correcting them, "NO! So MUCH!"

~When they get frustrated trying to do something, I'll begin singing, "Just keep trying, just keep trying. No use in crying. Just keep trying...just get it done!" They start laughing as they work through their frustration and do what they originally thought was impossible.

~Isaac reminding everyone and telling us when someone has "made a bad choice."

~After taking their baths and getting wrapped in their towels, they like for us to cover them up in their towel entirely. Then we carry them in a ball to the other parent, saying, "Hey...I have this big load of laundry here for you." Then they pop out and surprise us with LOTS of laughter! :)

~Tickle bugs. "They're gonna get YOU!" And they run around screaming.

~Naomi saying she wants to do a "crap" (aka CRAFT). Or saying that she wants some more graham "crappers" (aka CRACKERS)! Haha!

~When they have a run-in with an inanimate object (like a door, a chair, wall, etc.), we playfully yell at that thing and I tell it to stop hurting my precious children. They get a good laugh out of it, and it helps to distract them from the pain they are in.

~Their love of singing and dancing. Every. Single. Day. They LOVE running around in just their undies while worshiping God. Totally undignified! :)

~The constant state of learning and growing they are in! They both ask LOTS of questions. Isaac's lately have been getting pretty abstract...asking about what's out there beyond the sky or what is under the ground we walk on or where the water goes after we flush our toilets. :) He's beginning to discover that there is more to this world than what his eyes can see...and his curiosity is contagious. ;)

~Their innocence...and purity.

dreaming...

{dreaming of warmer weather}

I just can't stop...

Taking pictures of these kiddos, that is! Not sure what it is, but my heart has been overwhelmed with gratitude lately. I just love these little people more than I ever knew was possible!! :)

{love this one too}

 and just one more...

{even super heroes need a little break}

Well hello there, beautiful!

{LOVE this sweetie pie!}

Potty Trained.

So you know when people say that every child is different? And that you can't expect the same things to work with every child? I have loved watching this unfold recently in the realm of potty training. I have chosen to take a very laid back approach to this whole potty training thing. Isaac began pooping on the toilet when he was two...and never looked back. He remained in diapers and pull-ups, though, until well after his third birthday. I would always ask him if he wanted to go pee on the potty, and he just wasn't interested. We spent a weekend last May to officially "train" him to pee in the toilet. He did great and has been in underwear full-time (during the day) ever since. He is just now wrapping up his time in pull-ups at night, but has regarded them just like undies and has only had a couple of nighttime accidents over the past several months.

Naomi has been a different story. We tried "training" her during that same weekend last May before her 2nd birthday. She just didn't get it...having had a difficult time reading her body's cues when she was about to go. And she wasn't bothered by having wet or dirty diapers. She has gradually been more and more bothered by it, insisting that we change her immediately after peeing or pooping in her pull-ups. I knew she was definitely showing signs of readiness, however, I wanted to wait until after our Disney vacation to really buckle down and "train" her. She stayed dry and clean in her pull-ups throughout our entire Disney trip!! Since we've been home, she has INSISTED on wearing underwear. Naomi has more or less trained herself. She just decided that she was ready to wear underwear and has not looked back. She's had a couple of accidents from not making it to the toilet in time. But she is pretty much completely trained (day AND night)!! :) It feels really weird to have not done a single thing to encourage this from her! And it feels SO nice to have TWO potty trained kiddos! :)

Good Days...

Some days are tougher than others. And others seem to flow effortlessly and are filled with joy and peace. Today began rough. I've been up since 5:30am, and not by choice. :) By 9:30am, I hit my wall for the day. The kiddos were driving me nuts. And I was tired. But I began praying and asked to the Lord to meet me. I had to rely on Him for strength today. I put on their favorite worship DVD (a live concert by Jana Alayra). And we danced. We laughed. We worshiped together. And we had a lot of fun. The day has slowly gotten better. Sarah is having longer moments of contentedness (though as I am typing this, she is crying in her crib). She just does not like to be put down for any amount of time. She's discovered people. And she wants to be in someone's arms all. the. time. :) And since she's cute and I love her more than words can say...she gets what she wants MOST of the day. But my arms are tired (and so is she). So I'm letting her try to discover the beauty of self-soothing. Sadly, it's not going very well. But here are a few pics from one of her content periods today:

{can't}

 {get}

 {enough}

And these two spent the morning getting on each other's (and my) nerves. But after lunch, they played quietly and VERY well together. LOVING the peace in my home. :)

Here is a little video clip from our time watching/listening/dancing to Jana Alayra. Isaac's definitely got some moves! Wonder where he got those?? ;)

One last thing. As I am wrapping up this post, baby number three just SOOTHED HERSELF!! I can hear her sucking away at her fingers. Woohoo! What a clever baby! Praise God! :)