Protection Through the Storm

    Last night there was a tornado warning going on and sirens were going off.  We had our emergency kit ready to go and are prepared.  I couldn't help but to remember a memory from when I was about 7 years old.  My family and I were all in the basement while the tornado sirens were sounding.  I remember being scared and crying.  My dad sat down next to me on the stairs and ask why I was crying.  I told him I didn't want to die, between sobs.  That's when he explained to me that God is in control.  When we follow Him and His ways there is nothing of this world to fear.  I accepted Christ as my savior shortly after this talk.  When ever there is a storm I am reminded of God's protection over me.

Pictures once things started to calm down:

 Popcorn while listening to the storm.

Backyard Happenings

   

The kids played with their tent in the back yard.

Eliot cooling of with some ice water.

I knitted while they played.

Grace tried to pretend I wasn't taking a picture of her.  It didn't work =]

Daily Rhythm

    Recently we've added a Daily Rhythm to Grace's days.  She's at an age where I would like to get her used to a schedule in hopes of preparing her for  homeschooling.  She has really loved doing something each day and I love not having to come up with things last second when she asks to paint or cook, frequent requests, or simply telling her no because I am too busy.  I prefer the word rhythm over schedule.  Rhythm implies an order in with things are done opposed to at an exact time each day, as schedule implies.  This was our first week.

This is framed and on the dinning room

 table as a reminder to get thing planned out the night
 before. I had intended on writing "Kitchen"instead of cooking for
 more broad choices and I also messed up the top, edited out.  I'll redo it eventually.

Monday- Kitchen

I had her put peanut butter on sliced apples.  I thought for sure she would

 devour these but instead she was was more proud of work and had to share them with all of us.

Tuesday- Coloring

(I consider painting as coloring =] )

We painted the rind from our 

cantaloupe from snack and used them as stamps.

I thought this came out pretty well but

 Grace didn't seem to enjoy this one too much.  I think

 it would have been easier for her if the pieces were smaller.

Saturday- Cleaning

I had Grace get out her play dishes, all the ones she

 could find that is, and had her wash, dry, and put them away them. 

 She was quite wet when finished but she was at this for a while since she

 kept rewashing everything. I thing we will be doing this one a lot.

    We also did a daily rhythm on Friday, story.  We sat on the floor and I read Summer in Brambly Hedge from the A year in Brambly Hedge set.  The other days we were very busy visiting family from Colorado so we skipped them, oops.  Hopefully that won't happen very often. The plan is to do this while Eli is napping each afternoon. Tomorrow is Sunday so we'll have a nice a day of worship, fellowship, and rest. Looking forward to it already.

Enjoing The Great Indoors

    Due to it raining a couple days this past week we have had more indoor playtime than usual.  Keeping two little ones inside who have become accustom to going out two or three times a day is a tiresome. 

One day we had popcorn and a movie in the living room. I pulled the futon cushion out on the floor then put some pillows and a blanket down. They were in heaven.

Another day I let them play with an old moving box.  This entertained them both for about an hour. 

We've gone from days of sunshine in the high eighties, to pouring rain, and now the temp has been in the low sixties.  Crazy weather but full of play and imagination.

My Babies are Growing Up

    The last few days I have been going through the kids toys looking to get rid of some things and packing up some things they have out grown.  In doing so I came across Eli's teether.  I couldn't help but to think about his and Grace's tiny fingers, sweet fuzzy skin, and the adorable baby yawns.  I miss nursing my babies to sleep and the way they yearned to be cuddled with.  Now it's the other way around, I'm the one begging for their cuddles.  I miss their sweet little giggles from just seeing me smile at them.  I miss their flakey newborn skin and their quite hick-ups.

This tiny baby boy has turned to this,

A much bigger baby boy who is slowly starting

 to want to do things himself.

More shocking yet, this precious baby

 girl has turned to this,

An independent little girl who loves to help he little

 brother and comforts him when he is hurt.

    I might yearn for those teeny tiny baby days but I have these amazing, unpredictable toddler days to look forward to each morning.  We paint, learn our colors and shapes, chase each other playing jack in the bean stock, have tea parties, and make forts.  Grace and Eli give me new twists each day but I wouldn't have it any other day. 

Summer Promises

[Flowers will be picked]

[Our sidewalk will be regularly "chalked"]

[We will find all the good hiding spots]

[We will go to new parks and old favorites over and over]

[We won't be afraid to get dirty]

[And when we aren't outside we will wish we were]

Simple Days

    I love the days when we slow down and enjoy life. The days when we spend time inside and enjoy one another without the temptations of "Having to do something." Days where we the kids are content with playing quietly with their toys and each other. Days when Grace doesn't ask to turn the TV on after her hour of Wake Up Screen Time is over. Monday was one of those days. 

 We stayed in our pajamas until noon, reading book after book.

They devoured each book, taking their time looking at each page. 

All day, everyday Grace watches the squirrels from the window. I have

 never seen more squirrels in one neighborhood than I have in ours.  

Once Eli was napping I threw together a little tea party.  We had cucumber sandwiches

 and peanut butter cookies with blueberry tea, sweetened with a little honey. 

Grace thought drinking out of her little teacup was the funniest thing.

Although I'm not sure peanut butter cookies were a great combo

 with the blueberry tea, Grace sure wasn't complaining!

    Of course there was fighting between Grace and Eli, time outs, and tears but there is nothing like a calm day with sweet words and lots of cuddles to jump start the week.