Reading Time

I don't know when or if Ernie will ever realize how much of a blessing she is to her siblings.

I took these pictures yesterday- I found the girls cuddled up together after I sent them to their room to get ready for nap.  Ernie is really SUCH an awesome big sister, and I'm sure she doesn't even know it.  It doesn't occur to her to exclude Mimi because she's little- they're just compadres in everything.  We went to the library yesterday, and I think Ernie spent at least two hours reading to herself or to Mimi!

These pictures are also appropriate today because my girls are in their room right now....Wonder Daddy is out for the evening, and the kids are giving me a run for my money!  Cocoa is so clingy that he starts barking and clapping like a seal whenever he sees me, the girls took a solid hour to use the bathrooms after dinner (and missed dessert AND bath time), and then played some sort of demented May Pole game that ended up with a ribbon around Ernie's neck.  Ribbon is in the trash, girls are banished to their rooms to read until scripture time, Cocoa is taking his nightly nap, and I'm just enjoying some quiet!

We had school this morning- Ernie learned about charts in math, I think she'll take to those just swimmingly.  I pushed the girls outside after their naps today, it was a surprise GORGEOUS day.  Sunny, not too cold...perfect for playing on the swingset, sweatshirts, and getting more of the garden put to bed.  We had our first really good frost on Sunday, and the tomatillos and ground cherries and nasturtiums were ready to be torn out after that.  I clip them off just below the soil line, to let the roots decompose and leave little air pockets in the soil.  There was a lot of fruit thrown away with the tomatillos and ground cherries, but it was almost all split open with the cold and rains.  I spread last year's leaf mold on the tomatillo/tomato bed- it's GORGEOUS.  Dark brown, almost totally composted, a few worms here and there that found their way in... I'm filling up every bucket I can this year with leaves, to spread on the beds next fall.  (Wonder Daddy runs over them with his mower, with the bag attached, and puts the chopped up leaves in garbage cans I've drilled with holes.)  So, my creative item today?  A compost pile.

Guest Post with Ernie, the Wonder Girl

Please welcome Ernie, who is practicing her letter writing and story-telling skills today!  She has chosen a picture from our last family vacation, and she is going to tell you about it.  I'll be transcribing.  And not editing.



We had lots of fun at Chelan!  Grandma and Grandpa rented the houses.  It was lots of fun there!  This is a picture of me, my cousin Ming Wai, my cousin Siu Jeun, and my sister Mimi.  Daddy's that big one in the picture.  He's spinning us around on the merry-go-round.  That's our favorite toy on the park beach!  It's so much fun.

I love going to Chelan.  I shared a room with Ming Wai!  My sister shared a room with Siu Jeun.  The room that Ming Wai and I slept in was a princess room!  It was a princess room because there was a princess bed, princess night stands, we each had our own lamp, we both shared a dresser, and we both got to share a bed. We each got to have our own pillow.  Sometimes in the night, Ming Wai would pull the blankets away from me.

On the day we were going to leave, we had so much fun, because we went to the beach before we left.  We lived in the house we lived in last time we went.  Grandma and Grandpa didn't get to sleep in it, because there wasn't enough rooms for them to sleep in it!  They slept in a different house, which is blue.  There's a driveway that goes up, it's kind of like a slide- you go up it, and when you're leaving you go down!  It was lots of fun.

I really love going to Chelan.  Daddy took me and Mimi to a pool.  We first went to the inside pool, but it said "No flotation devices allowed."  So, we had to go to the outside pool.  The sign there said "Flotation devices allowed."  We had lots of fun, even though Daddy didn't even know he was going to have a shower at the first pool that we went to (the inside pool,) he just took a shower at the house!

There were sprinklers at the house- Ming Wai has ladybug sprinklers, and Siu Jeun broke them by stepping on the ladybug sprinklers.  There were still some sprinklers left.

Thanks for having us go on a vacation, Grandma and Grandpa.  It was SO much fun!

Love-
Ernie

Ernie Through the Years

Please indulge me while I mine Flickr for treasures.

Just Born


One Year


Two Years


Three Years


Four Years


Five Years


Six Years

The Birthday

Ernie is 6.  I could say I can't believe how old my oldest is...but I can.  Oh, I can.  She is not a little girl any more!




Ernie was pretty sure she'd be princess today.

At 6:30 (half an hour before their earliest allowable leave-the-room time) she sent Mimi out to the kitchen.  "Mom?  Ernie needs somefing.  She needs bwekfast in bed.  She said I could come out!"  She is so good at organizing her minions.



(Nana- do you see all this bedding?  She loves EVERYTHING you make, even the baby blankets!)

After breakfast...cartoons!  We just ordered Netflix last month, and my kids are hooked.  They've watched ALL of "Ni Hao Kai Lan," all of "Diego," and are almost finished with "Dora the Explorer."  Our lives will never be the same...


We spent the rest of the day with the cousins, while the big girls went to their last day of day camp.

Ernie requests restaraunt meals a LOT.  Like, multiple times a week.  My sanity, and our budget, put a big damper on her plans but we let her pick a restaraunt tonight: Sushi!  Yum :)

We came back to the house for donuts (atta girl!) and a Skype session with Nana and Grandpa for present opening.



Six years.  We've both done a lot of learning and a lot of studying.  She is determined, focused, smart, and fair.  She's learning to imagine and think outside the box, which I love to watch unfold.  She is beautiful and strong and understanding.  She told me today she can't read big words, just small words like "atonement."  She really, really, REALLY likes to read.  She also told me that today, since she's 6, is her first day of first grade.  She's ready to hit the books!

Happy Birthday, beautiful girl.  We love you and adore you!  You're the best Ernie in the world.

The Eyes Have It

I can't help it- I'm nostalgic today.

I'm looking at this picture.

October 2010


And thinking of this one.

July 2005

Love those eyes!

Never Underestimate...

Ernie at her imitating-best:
ponytail on top of head
tiara/headband
skirt
pink shoes

All set to go!


We try and limit "screen time" for Ernie. We don't have television, and she gets one movie a day which probably only happens 2 or 3 times a week, normally. It's not a big deal, that's just how it normally shakes down. And I don't like dealing with her jelly-brain and glazed eyes after a tv overdose.

Keeping it real: This was NOT the case when I was morning sick, let me tell you! It's also relaxed quite a bit when she's very ill. And when she's at grandparents' houses.

The unexpected result has been her fascination with all things "dvd" as she calls them. Sees a picture of a reindeer?

"A same! A dvd!" (She has a Rudolph movie.)

Mommy wearing a headband?

"A same! A dvd!" (Molly Mahoney wears a headband in one scene of "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium")

Ernie wears pigtails? That's the "Castle in the Sky" movie. (Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli. Fantastic stuff.)

Cats are from "Kiki's Delivery Service" and pants are ALSO from "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium." All deer and rabbits are from "Bambi" and elephants are "Dumbo." Her little stretching dance is from "Totoro" and when I'm old I'm going to be "Granny" from "Howl's Moving Castle." (Or "Hoodwinked"...but that means SHE gets to be Red when she grows up.)



So, you can imagine the impression it made on her to see Bolt AT THE THEATRE during our Christmas travels.

I knew she'd enjoy her first real theater experience, but it's gone a little bit farther- Bolt followed us home!

Multiple times, she can't get in bed until she takes Bolt OUT of her bed.

I found her jumping up and down in the baby's room during the baby's nap. I scooped her up and fled to the basement, trying to get there before the inevitable wailing started. When we reached the playroom down there I set her down, and she FLUNG herself at the floor, screaming and sobbing- I'd left Bolt in Mimi's room.

We couldn't leave for a play date until I'd opened my car door, and in my best doggy-fetching voice crooned "Heeere Bolt! C'mon, boy!" and then tossed the resulting lump of imaginary doggy to the back seat and her waiting arms.

She's not terribly affectionate, either- she dumped him on the floor.

I've kind of worked at keeping her away from Dora, Bob the Builder, Disney Princesses (ok, not so much on that last one)... most of those seemingly addicting-like-Pringles characters that come with their own marketing teams. I didn't realize it wasn't their fault. It just comes with showing movies to toddlers!

Anybody else's kids LOVE movies? Or have imaginary friends?

How a Jam Jar Could Change Your Life

It's time for Melissa's weekly "Beautiful Life" linky fest! I love participating in this one- it's such a nice chance to slow down and appreciate.

However, no flowery words this week. We're entering busy season for tax accountants (that would be my darling husband), which means (coupled with his increased training program for upcoming triathlons, marathons, and crazy-distance bike races, as well as training for the CPA exam ad infinitum) I'm alone more that usual these days. Well, not alone, I have my two darling children...
Mimi
and (Queen) Ernie



but I think that says it all!

So, here is my beautiful life offering: The Eternal Family jar.


I off-handedly mentioned it in an earlier post, and it attracted a bit more attention than I'd anticipated! It's merely a small jam jar, labeled "My Eternal Family." Ernie brought it home from a church activity, along with a handful of marbles. We added a good number of gumballs to the stash, and explained the rules:

1. Everything we do that helps us to be an eternal family is rewarded with one ball in the jar.

2. Everything we do that DOESN'T help us be an eternal family, a ball is taken away. Or several, depending on how big Mommy's scooping hand is in the middle of a tantrum (hers or mine!)

It's made an amazing difference in our family. These are now some of her favorite activities when there's "nothing to do":

• scripture study
• picking up toys
• handing toys to Mimi
• going for a walk

Other activities we reward with balls in the jar include having families over for dinner, being extra good during Mommy's piano lessons, Family Home Evening every Monday night, prayers, and other good things as the mood strikes.

When the jar is full, we do a family activity. The first time, we all went out for ice cream at Baskin Robbins (oh my- she had NO IDEA there were that many flavors in the world!), and next time we might go to the zoo if the day is nice.

And before you say (or even THINK) it, yes: she's still 3 1/2 years old. She's still my same Ernie. She just happens to be very motivated by this little jar right now! (Case in point: "ball in jar" has been a recurring phrase in EVERY PRAYER THIS WEEK.)

So that is what's been beautiful this week. And I'll leave you with this photo.

Ernie, 4 months (and just learned how to raspberry)


Does anyone else have trouble telling my two children apart? No?

How about these two?




I think I'd best make sure I label all my photos!

Ernie's Lunch Prayer And a Jar

Ernie has started saying her own prayers, after listening to Wonder Daddy and myself for 3 1/2 years. She does a pretty good job!

***************************************************************

And the snow. And the plane. And not kill us.

And Mommy and Daddy and Baby Mimi happy. And me happy too. And a ball in the jar.

Amen.

**************************************************************
Ernie is grateful for the snow we got last night.
And she's grateful that no one died on the airplane that landed in the Hudson.

She wants us all to be happy. She wants to be happy.

And she wants to put a ball in her jar.

**We have a jar labeled "My Eternal Family." Every time we do something that helps us to be a happy, eternal, family (helping unload the dishwasher, putting away toys happily, reading scriptures, Family Home Evening, having people over for dinner and sharing our food) we get to put a ball in our jar. Tantrums and bad attitudes get balls taken out. When the jar is full, we're all going out for ice cream! I am amazed at how much this little jar has changed our house- she's 10 times happier than she was before. Much fewer tantrums, quicker to do what she's told, and she wants to pick up her toys and read scriptures to get extra balls in the jar. So cool! **

Guess Who?

So...who's who?

Mother of the Year? Not so much.

I was WARNED that my oldest might "regress" after the birth of the baby. I watched..and everything seemed cool. Until this week.

No nap Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday.

Three accidents, in front of the toilet (2 just today.)

One accident on the toilet. Yes, she's talented. No, nothing landed IN the large bowl she was sitting on top of.

All four accidents were met with an "Oh no, Mommy!" And then she grinned and asked for a bath. While she stomped around in her puddle.

I've tried saying "I'm disappointed." I've tried ignoring, and just cleaning. I've tried blowing up- I'm sorry, but I did. I haven't had much sleep and well...yeah. I'm sorry. I gave myself a timeout afterward.

Today, I tried something new: no bath or shower, just wet wipes. No more underwear, just pull ups. No big girl vitamin at lunch, just baby Tri-Vi-Sol (she was SHOCKED that anything could taste so bad.) No food for lunch, just a glass of milk. No songs at nap time, babies don't get songs. And finally, a baby lock on the inside of her door.

She happily went to bed- being a baby is fun! Pull ups are great! And princesses on the front! Hooray, milk in a sippy cup and attention from Mom! Then she got out of bed...put underwear and a skirt on...and tried to come show me. Oh dear. The screaming and sobbing. "I a E Mommy! A E!" (Translated: I'm Ernie/a big girl.) "A HEWP ME MOMMY! MOMMMYYYYY!!!" I finished nursing the baby, and went in to give her a tissue and a hug...and tuck her back in bed. She could sleep, she could sing, but she must stay in there until I come get her (5 minutes later, she was asleep.)

Now both my babies are asleep. Am I doing this right? Is it fair that we only get to do each day, each moment once? Am I rising to each occasion appropriately, or am I somehow stunting her progress? She's like a pendulum- one moment INSISTING on helping carry the groceries in. The next, sitting on the toilet for 10 minutes while I nurse, calling for me to come help her put her underwear on.

I know what I pray for each night and morning: Patience. What do you pray for?

Friday morning was a SHOPPING day! Of course, we didn't do much for the economy (sorry guys) but we had fun. Wonder Daddy was given a gift card to a large electronics store, so we wandered there for a while. I took the girls and hit the Joann's sale. We all grabbed a bite to eat, and then hit the big sale at....Goodwill. Everything was 40% off! I found a great shirt (new with tags!) and short trenchcoat, and Ernie got her very first tricycle. She was so excited when she found out that we were going to buy it. She actually did a happy dance in the parking lot as we put it in the trunk :) It's on our deck now, with the gate closed, and she's spent hours out there yesterday and today riding around, and talking to her imaginary friends. And you can't beat the price- $2.40.


By the time we arrive home, we'd been shopping for 4 hours, and Ernie was DONE. She was a sobbing mess. "Why are you crying" "I DON'T KNOOOOOOW" *sob sob* After a good nap, she was up and perky...and ready to do something we'd been promising her all week long.

We had a high school classmate and his cutie-pie wife over for dinner earlier in the week. She works at Costco, and came with a large jar of truffles for Daddy and I, and a gingerbread house kit for Ernie.

Now my whole house smells like a cookie!

Wow...she was listening

Last night was our weekly Family Night- we have dinner together as a family, and then have a family prayer to start off right, followed by a song (normally Popcorn Popping), and a short scripture lesson and a small activity. If Ernie is really lucky, all this is followed by a treat. It's a great thing, and I think it will make our family stronger if we keep at it.

The past few weeks we've been pulling our lessons from the new nursery manual "Behold Your Little Ones"- it's fantastic! It has great little lessons, with activities, coloring pages, teaching tips....everything you need to get a grasp on how to teach the gospel to your tiny tots. Maybe it's just me, but it's rather daunting to think of everything I know to be true, and try and figure out how to distill that knowledge and pass it on to my children.

Last night's lesson was number 5, "Jesus Christ Showed Us How to Love Others." I told Ernie the story about when Jesus taught 5,000 people and they were hungry. He took the bread and fish he could find, blessed it, and told His disciples to tear it up and fill some baskets to take around to the people. When they came back everyone was full and the leftovers filled more baskets than when they started! He loved the people and so he fed them. We handed Ernie a little basket and she took it around and pretended to "feed" us all until we were full.

I thought it was just a cute little activity for her, but this morning she grabbed the basket, filled it with all her "Cootie" pieces (you know, the build-a-bug game?) and proceeded to feed me and herself until we were both FULL. Then she sat down and told me about Jesus- when he was born, it was sunny. Then he died and went home, and it was dark. Then he came back to his body!

"Behold Your Little Ones" indeed.

And We're Live!

Camera is found, Etsy is stocked, and we're moving forward.

Hooray!

For those of you who see my blog in a reader, click through to my site to see the new "Mini Etsy" widget on the sidebar- you can see a preview of what's in the shop, and click through to see more.

And, even if you don't see anything you like in my shop...check out the rest of Etsy. It's a fantastic crafting community, with so many talented people! You can see my favorites listed in the etsy shop. LoLo Craft, Black Apple, Just Lovely...so many fantastic artists!

And in home news, Ernie has discovered something.




She's the same color as a potato.

Thank you.

Crafting

"The crafting has consumed my life, dahling, as only crafting work can."

Name that kids flick, with my egregious tampering?

My supplies take up half the dining room right now, and I even turn Wonder Daddy's trips to the hardware store into crafting forages for plumb bobs (found it!) and 20-guage wire (fail!) But he's so sweet, he doesn't even mind asking the nice men in red aprons where he might find 20-gage wire, SANS PLASTIC COATING, for his wife. (Yeah, that lady over there ogling the tiffany-style chandeliers. It's for her.)

Ernie and I have been working on tutus this week, as you can see above. Luckily for me, she doesn't mind one bit. In fact, she loves to help me! She especially loves to sample (and claim) the wares. Here she is, all set to leave with Bobby for the evening. When we picked her up 4 hours later, she was still wearing that tutu! I'm pretty sure it will be included in tomorrow's outfit as well.

Three

You know, I really like this girl. Wednesdays are just really long and tiring, and Wonder Daddy called to say he was going to be home late. I decided I couldn't hold off on dinner anymore and warmed up Ernie and my spaghetti and meatballs before she had a complete empty-tummy meltdown. Mimi was amazingly asleep in her swing for a few moments, so I sat down with Ernie to wolf down my bowl of pasta with two hands free before the baby woke up again.

When I finished just sat there with my head in my hands feeling tired and scrutinized and generally end-of-the-day-ey and wondering if I should throw the girls in the car to get milk for my little sister's birthday party I was hosting in 45 minutes, or if I should send someone else, because we really needed more than a quarter gallon between the 7 of us.

I heard a little voice "Mommy sad?" "Yes" I nodded, "Mommy is a little sad." "Oh." She paused. "I your fwend Mommy." That's when I almost started to cry. "A Daddy, a Mimi, a me...we a fwee! A fwee fwends." She pushed her noodles and milk across the table towards me, climbed into my lap to wrap her arms around my neck and said "I you too, Mommy."

I love you too, sweetie.

How could a girl be so lucky?

Halloween Re-Hash

Oh folks, this was a good year. We've never convinced Ernie to hit more than a house or two- we've always had church parties on Halloween, and traipsing around the neighborhood is not high on the agenda of a cranky two-year-old. But we're in a new ward now, and our party was TUESDAY, leaving the holiday totally open!

Ernie was a champ- legs and arms pumping, she strode from door to door. A few loud knocks, an energetic "Boo!" (we work with the words we've got, and trick or treat is definitely NOT in the arsenal yet), a quick "Najoy" (Yeah, that means "thanks") and she was off to the next house with porch lights. Wonder Daddy stayed home with a sleeping Mimi, and we traded places once she woke up. Because when she wakes up she wants food NOW, thankyouverymuch. His exact words over the phone were "I've held her off as long as I can." Somewhere in our family lines there is an eagle whose genes are finally showing themselves. You can see her little face start to twist and screw... just before she blows completely through you ear drums and your brain starts to throb. Yeah, it's short but potent.

I hope everyone had a fabulous, safe holiday...and welcome back to NaBloPoMo! You're about to hear a lot more than you have been about my little family, and my frantic efforts at a craft business, i-ground-the-wheat-myself bread, hand-made holidays kind of life!

Gather your courage, and welcome!

Happy Halloween!

The Days Fly Past

The days fly by in a blur, but here are some moments.

Mimi loves to sleep in my arms, and we've spent our nights together in an arm chair. Today she napped in her car seat- no choking or kicking, and no waking up after five minutes. Hooray, I might get to use my lovely bed again!


Wonder Daddy's aunt and uncle spent the night with us and left early in the morning for his first-ever marathon. Here they are trying to get a happy picture of Mimi, at 9:30 pm, for Nana. Unfortunately, FAIL.


Made my first loaf of french bread, and it won't be my last! Thanks for the superb recipe, Nana! (Click through for recipe.)

We've spent a few evenings with my parents- it's bliss to sit around and watch the girls entertain my family. (Thanks for letting us spend more than 16 hours with you over the weekend to watch conference!)
And thank you Mom Mom for still being willing to play Cooties with Ernie...for the hundredth time.
And thanks Mom Mom for combing your Grandma visits with ours while I learn to wrangle two daughters.
Ernie loves her time on Grandma's bed, watching cartoons and eating all of Grandpa's pretzels and cashews.
I love this picture of Grandma and Mimi!

The Best Part of Waking Up is NOT Folgers in Your Cup

Ever find your self sitting around on a Sunday afternoon, waiting for a toddler to wake up so you can go to Grandma and Grandpa's house for dinner? With a plate of fresh cookies? And you wonder out loud "What would happen if I....?" And your husband grabs the camera?

And THAT, my friends, is why I'm "I Wonder Woman." I ask waaaay too many questions.

Enjoy!

Mr. Bobblehead is hungry

Wonder Daddy attended a baseball game last night with about 40 of his office-mates. What a fun thing to do for the employees! Since he doesn't drink beer, the $25 gift card was WAY more than he needed for dinner so he picked up a few things for Ernie.

The bobblehead doll has become a "Magic 8 Ball" of sorts. At first, Wonder Daddy would ask it a question ("Does Ernie want to help set the table?") and Mr. Bobblehead Doll would nod a confident YES. But then his powers were turned to darkness. Does Ernie get juice with her breakfast? Yes! Will Daddy take Ernie to the park today? Yes!

This could be a problem. But at least he's just as excited for pancakes as Ernie was.

Notice that the placemats are out, her place is set, and she is all ready. This is what she did while waiting for Mom and Dad to get out of bed this morning.