Reluctant Pray-ers

Does it mean you're a bad mother if your child refuses to pray?

Ok, don't answer that.

But seriously, Ryan and I finally ended up in a fit of laughter the other night because we often hear these adorable stories of kids muttering their own sweet little prayers at the sage age of six months or informing busy parents of the true meaning of life when they hit age three. And then there's Reese, who has always been her own little person from the very start. Before dinner last night-like every other night- she had this discussion with Ryan--

"Good job folding your arms, Reesey. Would you like to say the prayer?"

"No."

"Daddy can help you. . ."

"No!"

"But why don't we just--"

"No No NO NO NO NO NO NO!" Shaking her head, and waggling her finger in Daddy's face. Fortunately, once Daddy suggested Mommy say it, she smiled like a little angel and promptly folded her arms.

I swear we're good people! All I can figure is she's just a very sweet, very spunky, I'm-doing-it-'cause-I-want-to-not-because-you-told-me-to kind of girl.

Parenthood just never plays out like you think it will.

Bacon-faced Badger

This morning I cooked bacon in the oven- a bit for Reese and Ryan for breakfast, and a bit more for something I was making later for dinner. I thought that I'd cook it now so it would be all ready to crumble later without the hassle of cooking again. Once it was done I put it on paper towels on a plate on the counter to cool before sticking it in the fridge. I then set to work on some relief society 'to-do's'.

Anyway, there I am, clicking away on the laptop, consumed by the new contact list I am working on when I suddenly notice that the room has grown silent. . . and there is. . . munching in the kitchen. I turn around and there is Reese, a fistful of bacon in each hand, snacking away as she watches the last of a Disney movie, happy as a clam.

Without me noticing, she had pushed a chair over to the counter and helped herself to the pile. When she saw me staring at her, she froze for a moment and then promptly stuffed the remaining two or three pieces into her cheeks and chomped away before I could pry them out. The air was thick with guilt, but I suppose that, like the crazy dog in that old Beggin' Strips commercial, the scent was just too much and she couldn't help her shameless thievery. The look on her round little face read, 'It's mine- mine! You can't have it, and there's nothin' you can do about it now!'

When I looked at the plate I found only two lonely pieces sitting there- she had polished off something like 6 or so before I caught her!!! Good grief!! So much for healthy eating-- or planning ahead.

Ryan laughed so hard he fell over when I told him about it.

Photo Catch-up!

Eating snacks at Reese's 'End of Summer Pool Party' put on by her nursery, soon after she decided to take a dip in the deep end- like mother, like daughter I guess.

Reese loves balloons, and since yellow is her favorite color I wasn't surprised that after getting it from Macey's the other day, she took it everywhere in the yard as she dug and played.

Sporting one of her Aunt's childhood outfits- (sorry guys, I don't know which one of you!) unfortunately, our little baby has a much larger head. :)

The turkey I made for Ryan's Thanksgiving Birthday dinner. I was pretty proud of it.

Reese LOVES being big and now takes it as an insult when I put her in her carseat instead of letting her sit up front with me.

Twin Bedheads-
and somehow I've been wondering where in the world she got her crazy hair?!

Taking her best friends on a short hike.

Caught trying on Momma's bracelets- I love this shot!

Listening to some tunes with Aunt Mae-Mae

So there's the latest and greatest- as always, almost everything we do revolves around our Little Miss Muffet, which is just the way she likes it. I can't believe how much she is growing up, and how fast it's coming!

Fall is Fantastique!

I decided that the easiest way to catch up on the last while would be to tell you a few reasons why it is so incredibly wonderful to have a 2-year-old in the Fall--


First teaching how, and then spending hours tromping and kicking through the fallen leaves in our driveway.

Blowing the last of the dandilions into the wind, and watching Reese lick the stray fluffs that stick to her lips and then pronouncing them, "Yummy!"

Taking time to examine rolly-pollies (a.k.a. potato bugs)

Screaming, knocking things over and eventually killing GI-NORMOUS spiders that find their way into our house and then watching Reese mimic all of my actions the next day (AHH! Mama- isss a SPIDE!) and then proceeding to whollop her own imaginary intruders.

Collecting chestnuts from the ground to give Melese and Kyle each morning before our workout

Eskimo kisses- lots and lots and lots of Eskimo kisses.

Pretending to be 'ghosties' chasing each other around the house


Basically, I just feel like a big kid again, which is tons of fun. So with all the stress and increasingly frazzled nerves I'm acquiring as the mommy of a very active two-year-old, I'm delighted to report that I'm also extremely happy and have never enjoyed life more!

Nothing like a hyper toddler to remind you that life is not a never-ending list of to-do's, but actually the most awe-inspiring, purely blissful journey we'll ever take!

Wow.

I was totally surprised by the number of comments on that last post-- nothing like a little 'poop talk' to get the conversation rolling, huh?

But seriously, thanks so much for all the suggestions and sympathies. Great to know we aren't the first to deal with this mess. :) And I'm REALLY excited to have a few new ideas to try out!

Thanks a million!

Are you SURE this is Noble?

That's right, I'm talking about Motherhood.

It's been a crazy weekend. But let me give you some background. Reese likes to take her diaper off. A lot. Mostly when she's supposed to be sleeping, luckily so far the damage has been minimal.

But it finally happened. After a weekend bout with the stomach flu (complete with the sudden crying in the middle of the night and going in to find her an absolute mess after throwing up on herself), yesterday Reese joined the hundreds of kids that, up until yesterday I thought parents were making up in order to get sympathy, ripped off her diaper and decided to paint her Poopy Picasso all over the wall.

Why?


No, seriously-- W H Y ? ! ! !


Dis-gus-TING! There just isn't anything more to say on that except that my sister's two-week-old is looking pretty good right now- sleep deprivation and all! I wonder if she'd be up for a trade? ;) Ryan and I have been flirting with the idea of duct-taping her (Reese- not Lily) into her diaper before all naps. Is that cruel and unusual punishment? :)

Hilarious Breakup

I know I've been talking an awful lot about zucchini lately, but I was just looking through a few fun food blogs, and happened upon this 'breakup letter'. It got me laughing so hard, that I thought surely there were more than a few of you who could relate with my friend 'Cream Puff'. For what to do with your lingering zucchini and other great recipes, check out her blog at:

http://www.creampuffsinvenice.ca/

Dear Zucchini,

I’m sorry to have to do this to you in such a public manner, but you leave me no choice.
I have tried to let you down gently, but you just don’t seem to be getting the message. At first, I thought that if I just ignored you, you’d understand. But you didn’t. I tried leaving you in the refrigerator, but you insisted. I withheld water, but you kept coming. I even left you for three whole weeks, without any contact, and still you were there.

I don’t know any other way to do this but to send you this letter in the hopes that you will finally hear what I’m saying:

It’s over.

Yes, it’s true, things were great in the beginning. You were so fresh and green, the only plant thriving in a garden of that had, up until that point, been bare.
You were sweet, Zucchini. You were. You were always waiting for me when I got home from work and on weekends, you filled me.
I don’t deny it.

But Zucchini, you’re too much. You don’t know when to stop. You put too much pressure on me. You, I could handle. But then your family started arriving, and your extended family, and your friends … what was I supposed to do with all of you?

Look, I thought that going to Italy for three weeks would be the answer. I thought that during that time, left alone to your own devices (and no water), you’d understand that you couldn’t crowd my space.

How was I supposed to know that it would rain for the entire summer? How was I supposed to know that while the rest of the garden slowly began its inevitable decline, you would still be inviting your zucchini relatives over? How was I supposed to know you’d live so long?

Please don’t take this the wrong way. I will always think you’re beautiful and there will always be a part of me that loves you.

But right now, it’s all about the tomatoes. They’re plump and juicy.
You’re not.

Goodbye, Zucchini. It was fun while it lasted. Call me next summer. Maybe we can hook up again.


Yours truly,

Cream Puff