The shortest and longest year ever.

My baby girl turned one on Wednesday. Miss Abigail is now an entire year old! Wow, this year really flew by! Well, that's not entirely true. There were times when it seemed like this year would never end. I suppose moving three times (twice being cross country moves) will do that to you/

Somehow, even though the majority of this year moved at a glacial pace, Abby's first year of life raced away from me at a break-neck speed. How is that even possible? How can a baby change so much in just twelve short months? This is my third time watching one of my tiny babies turn one. I shouldn't be so shocked by growth and development, but I am.

Abigail went from being the most adorable newborn baby girl I had ever seen, to being a smart, feisty, and beautiful one year old. It is astounding to me that in just 365 days an infant can go from not being able to hold her own head up (in the words of Jim Gaffigan, "babies are so lazy"), to standing all on her own and building up the courage to take her first steps!

I think Abby's development is so impressive to me, because it's happening so differently than Jude and Gideon's did. At this age, both the boys said four or five words regularly. Abby, on the other hand, can say so many words! It's not just that she can mimic (the boys did a lot of mimicking at this age), but she can identify things and call them by name. I told you she was smart.  I know, I'm bragging... sorry, not sorry...

I think my favorite thing about Abby is her personality. Like I said earlier, she is so feisty! She can give her brothers a run for their money, and she's not afraid to get in on the silly and rough play. Just don't get on her bad side. She's not above using those six teeth! Abby is also more than okay with dramatically throwing herself on the ground and pretending to cry. Yeah. She's sweet, but she's also a bit of a diva. You've got to watch out for her, because she uses her whole cute and innocent thing to her advantage. Her eyes say it all. "Mommy, look at how little and cute I am. There's no way I unrolled all the toilet paper, took my diaper off, and pooped in the hall. It must have been one of those wild and crazy boys... that are nowhere near this huge mess" Those big eyes and long eyelashes say more than words ever could.


This little child is also so loved by her big brothers! It's amazing to watch a three and four year old have a baby sister who can mess up their games, knock over their towers, and bite them so hard, and love her so unconditionally! That might be my favorite part of our family dynamic. I heard that older brothers are instinctively protective of little sisters, and I guess it's true. It really is sweet to see all three of my little nuggies interact.


I love my silly, sweet, beautiful baby girl! I am so thankful for such a darling daughter. She really does make our family complete. I cannot imagine life without her. The past year has been such a joy, and I can't wait see what the next year has in store!

Chyan
PS. Have a fun and safe Halloween!

Interview with a 4 year old. Christmas list edition

Jude and I have this game we play. One of us asks the other one a whole bunch of questions. The other person answers the questions. Basically, we are just having a conversation, but we like to pretend it's an interview.

Jude and I were playing interview last night. I was asking him a series of questions, and he was giving me awesome four year old answers. It was too cute not to share!

Christmas is always a popular topic in our house. Here's the part of the conversation that revolved around Christmas presents.

Me: Jude, what do you think we should get Daddy for Christmas?

Jude: I want.. hmmm. I know! TOYS!

Me: I know you want toys, but what should we get Daddy? What kinds of things would Daddy like for presents?

Jude: Soda! Daddy likes soda! He drinks it, and it goes in his tummy, and he says "mmm. Delicious!"

Me: That's a good point! What else do you think Daddy would like for Christmas?

Jude: Maybe like a cartoon, he likes to watch cartoons with me. Daddy can read. Get him things for reading. And a toy.  Something spooky for Halloween. And some guy fruits.

Me: What are guy fruits?

Jude: Like... guy strawberries, guy cherries, and guy watermelon. And apple pie

Me: Oh I see. Okay, well what do you think we should get for Giddy for Christmas?

image credit: dreamtime.com

Jude: Mommy, I want toys okay?

Me: I know Jude. I didn't forget. It's just nice and fun to get other people presents, too. Okay?

Jude: Okay.

Me: What should we get Giddy for Christmas?

Jude: Two toys.

Me: Two toys? what should the toys be?

Jude: A lot of race car toys.

Me: Aw, Jude! That's a nice idea. Giddy loves to play with his race cars and race track!

Jude: Aaaannnnd VeggieTales' Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber VeggieTales toys.

Me: Okay

Jude: And a Disney Junior Jake and the Neverland Pirates book. And that's all.

Me: What about Abby? What should Abby get?

Jude: Just baby toys.

Me: Well, what are good toys to give babies?

Jude: Just toy food and a baby doll toy.

Me: Okay. Anything else?

Jude: She likes baby bath toys for baths. And a bowling ball!

Me: You think Abby needs a bowling ball?

Jude: Yeah! Come on, Mommy! It will be fun!

Me: (After a fit of laughter) Okay. Here's a hard one for you. What should Mommy get for Christmas?

Jude: Just... like... a box.

Me: A box?

Jude: Yeah. And you and Abby share girl food. You can eat it and it can go down in your tummy and you say "mmm. Delicious!"

Me: Girl food? What's that?

Jude: Apple pie

(So I get an empty box and a pie that I have to share? Thanks a lot, buddy.)

This kid is a hoot! I have no idea why food is being categorized as "girl" and "guy," but I can tell you that all the "guy fruits" are his favorite fruits. He eats them, and they go down in his tummy, and he says "mmm. Delicious!" Apparently, he also has apple pie on the brain.

Another thing you may have noticed, is that Jude is very specific about certain things. It's not just Jake and the Neverland Pirates. It's Disney Junior's Jake and the Neverland Pirates. It's not just Bob and Larry toys. It's VeggieTales' Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber VeggieTales toys. When Frozen is on, he is not just watching "Froyen." He is watching "Disney's Froyen."

Jude is just one of those kids that is so dead serious and literal about things, that he doesn't realize how hilarious he is to the rest of us.

Chyan

Beautiful and weird little minds

Let's do a little experiment, shall we? Imagine we are talking about different kinds of animals, and their characteristics. Now imagine I ask you, "what kind of animals can swim in the water?" What do you think your answer would be? Fish? Shark? Dolphin? Maybe  whale or octopus? All these answers are correct, and probably the most common and obvious answers. Well, at least they are the most common among adults

How did my children answer this question? Gideon said that ducks could swim. He is right, and I don't know why I was surprised by his answer. Water fowl is often found in lakes and ponds. Gideon loves birds.  Of course ducks should be right up there with other top answers. Why did I not think of that? I loved that his answer was just a little outside the box

image source: pinterest/ebay

Jude answer threw me for an even bigger loop. If Gideon's answer was a little outside the box, Jude's wasn't even aquatinted with the box. What was Jude's answer? Elephants.  I was blown away! Yes, elephants do swim. In fact after Jude said that, I spent fifteen minutes online looking at pictures of elephants swimming under water. I have to tell you, it is absolutely breathtaking (I didn't include a picture, because of copyright laws. So you got the eleduck instead). I told Jude that I really liked his answer (and that he was right), but I was just wondering why he gave the answer he did. He just said that he liked that elephants could swim, and he also liked their "trunk noses" and that their trunk noses can be loud and scoop up water to drink. "Oh! And bears can climb trees!"* Wow. He just really liked that elephants could swim, so he remembered that. He deemed elephant a more acceptable answer than fish, because it was more interesting to him.

I asked the boys if they could think of any other animals that could swim. Jude said hippos, and Giddy's second answer, accompanied by some pretty adorable motions, was octopus.  For the record, it took going through four or five more animals before either of them said fish. I have to say, I loved that the most common answer was not anywhere near either of their first answers. I love how their creative, and seemingly odd, minds work! It breaks my heart to think that one day, they might think that giving the most common answer is better than giving a more unique, equally correct, answer. I hope to foster the idea that the elephant and duck answers in life are just as valid as the fish answers. Maybe we could all use a few more not-so-common solutions.

Chyan

*By the way, I realize the bear thing has nothing to do with any of this. I just thought it was really cute, (and this is my blog) so that's why it's a part of the story.*

Some days are just awesome

I love my kids. I love all the laughs, the learning, and the cuddles I get from my relationships with each of my little nuggies. I love that my husband makes it possible for me to be able to spend every day with my children as they grow, learn and develop. My life is very blessed and I am very thankful!

Don't get me wrong. I am not trying to make my life seem like a candy-coated dream world. Sometimes being a mom is tough. Sometimes being a wife is tough. Sometimes just being a grown up is tough. There are those days when I wonder what the... heck... I got myself into. There are times when I think that there has to be other women that would be better suited for my husband and my kids. There are days when my greatest fears and anxieties seem realized. Some days are just the worst.

But then again, some days are just awesome. Yesterday was one of those days. You know it's going to be an awesome day when Jude initiates affection. He is not big on cuddling. Sure, he lets me give him hugs and kisses, but sometimes it's not even half-hearted on his end. Yesterday, for no reason at all, Jude ran up and threw his arms around my neck. Then he looked at me and said "You're my mommy in the whole word!" I'm still not sure if he was saying that I was his only mommy, his favorite mommy, or the best mommy, butI don't care. It made me cry. That little gesture was by far the sweetest thing he has ever done.

Then we "played Disney Preschool." I should explain. You see, Jude and Gideon don't like the idea of practicing letters or numbers unless it is part of a game. Jude actually came up with the brilliant suggestion of playing Disney Preschool. Now we can work on and practice all kinds of things... as long as it is Disney themed. During our Disney play time, it really registered with me how well Gideon is doing with his colors and shapes! It was very exciting.

We wrapped up our day with an eventful trip to the post office, where Gideon announced "I like stamps! They stickers!" And Jude informed me that the post office needed him to make a special delivery of toys. I told him that was very nice of him, but he can't because he doesn't work for the post office. "Um, yes I do!" Oh boy... well, he always says he wants to drive a mail truck at Disney when he grows up. Yeah, we are big on Disney here.

Oh and no big deal, but Abby pointed to a tree and said "tee," then she pointed to a couple of dogs and said "gog." I am one proud, happy, and content momma. Let's hope today is just as awesome as yesterday!

Chyan

I guess he's not an infant anymore.

It's been a week, and I still can't believe my little bitty Giddy is three now. For some reason, I am having a hard time seeing him as any older than 18 months. He just still seems so baby-like to me. Jude started looking like a little boy fairly early, but Gideon still has his wonderfully round baby face. Do you remember the cartoon Tom and Jerry? Gideon reminds me of Jerry the mouse. He has these perfectly round cheeks, and the little pot belly that most toddlers have, and all mommies love to squish. When you look at Jerry the mouse's physique, and compare it to Gideon's, you will not see a big difference.



Not only is Gideon wonderfully squishy, he's also ridiculously sweet and cuddly. If you need a good cuddle, Gideon was the baby to call. He might not be a little baby any more, but he can still out-snuggle anyone, any time, any place. Maybe that's why I'm having a tough time letting him grow up. I can't imagine not packing Gideon around. I can't fathom a world where I don't wake up in the middle of the night with Giddy curled up at the foot of my bed like a little puppy. What if he out grows his cuddliness? I literally cannot let myself think like that. I just can't handle it.

Gideon is showing me in so many ways that he is growing up and changing. Potty training is almost complete (praise the Lord), and he is handling it so well! His vocabulary is also growing, which is great, but I just wish he still called me "Momma," instead of the more grown-up "Mom." Gideon also has a great grasp on numbers and colors. He is a fast learner, and loves to make new friends. He is also very polite. His new favorite thing to say is "no thank you." Sometimes it doesn't even make sense, but it's always his go-to answer. "Gideon, have you seen your black shoes?" "No thank you, Mom!"

I am so proud of the little boy Gideon is, and the man he is becoming. I can't help but burst with pride every single time I look at him. He is loving, and has such an amazing sense of humor! Giddy might be a middle child, but he is using that to his advantage! He is never without a playmate, and instead of being pushed aside, Giddy is always finding innovative new ways to be the center of attention.
 Gideon is such an amazing little boy, and I am so blessed to be his mom!

Giddy at 3 years

Giddy at 1 year

Lying to my kids should be easier

Yup. I lie to my kids. I know people say you should always be 100% honest with your kids, never ever tell them a white lie, blah blah blah. First of all, I'm calling bull...poopy. Even the most honest parent lies to their kids every one in a while.

It might be a lie of omission. "Uh oh. That really noisy toy you have isn't working." Maybe it "isn't working" because you needed a battery for the t.v. remote, and that toy has been on your kill list for a while now.  That counts as a lie.

Some parents tell white lies "Wow! What a beautiful picture!" Is it really a beautiful picture? Or does it look exactly like the drawerful of other monochromatic scribbles your two year old has handed you over the  past month. Of course you love your precious baby's artwork, but even you know it's not going into an art museum any time soon. So technically, you lied

Some of us just straight-up bald face lie to our kids. Let me give an example other than that tired old "Santa" lie. My dad has an abnormally long, almost  hook-shaped scar from his appendix being removed as a boy. All five of his children, and two of his three grandchildren, have seen it and asked about it. All of us have gotten the same answer. "That's where Captain Hook got me when I was fighting him on his pirate ship." Yup, my dad led all of us to believe that he fought Captain Hook... on his pirate ship... wait a minute! That must mean he's Peter Pan! I don't think I need to explain that this is a huge lie. (Shout out to my dad. Love you! Love that story!)

I have to admit. I lie all these kinds of lies, and probably more, to my children, but that's not what this is about. My problem is that it's already getting harder to lie to them! My oldest just turned four! What is going on? I should have a few more years of lies left, right?

I noticed things were going down hill fast for me just a few days ago. It seems like the biggest time I lie is when I am trying to get Jude to eat. He is my picky eater, so I will say just about anything to get him to eat. Gideon and Abby will eat just about anything, so they are never the concern.

Well, the other day, I was making lunch and I realized my produce was getting low. I didn't have any carrot sticks. I didn't have any "broccoli trees." I didn't have any lettuce to make a salad. Was I really out of apples and bananas? Uh oh. Looks like I am going to have to serve canned veggies. You should know that Jude has two arch enemies: Meat, and Canned Vegetables. What was I going to do? He needed to eat something! Well, he was just going to have eat the french cut green beans.  just in case you forgot what those look like, let me refresh your memory:

cantstayoutofthekitchen.com

Yeah, they are not a visually appetizing food. I would have to convince Jude that it was either a different food, or that canned french cut green beans was something he would want to eat. If I could pull this off, it would be my greatest con yet! 

I decided to give the green beans a cool new name. I gave Jude and Gideon their plates. Giddy didn't even seem to notice the green slimy veggies that were plopped down next to his entree. Jude, on the other hand, couldn't see anything but that wet mound of... something on his plate. "Mommy! I don't like that!" He knows he isn't supposed to say stuff like that, but he does anyway. "You don't know if you don't like it. You've never tried it. It's... dinosaur food! All the dinosaurs on Dinosaur Train love to eat it!" Gideon said "No they don't." Thanks a lot, Giddy. He's supposed to back up my story by eating those soggy strings of bean. 

Jude looks at me like I am an idiot, then looks at the green beans, then back at me, then back at his plate. Finally, Jude just sits up and says "That looks like green beans." Busted. I must be getting sloppy with my lies, or maybe Jude is just getting smarter. "Fine." I say defeated "They are green beans. And you still have to try them"

I might be a liar, but hey, my kids still have to at least try everything I give them. 

Are there any lies you regularly tell your kids, or am I just a monster?

Chyan