Making Beef Stew

I love soups and stews. I will confess that I don't just love the peeling and chopping aspect, especially since I tend to make double or triple batches so I can freeze it or have left-overs later in the week. However, the children are growing and with that comes greater capabilities. And so I start handing out the sharp objects more freely now.

This is how these pictures came about. Thomas peels (because my seven year old boy is more likely to lop off his finger than my six year old girl) and Sarah Grace cuts. Thomas is haphazard but cheerful in his work. Sarah Grace is meticulous and jubilant in hers. Who am I to rain on their little parades?



I still have to deal with the raw meat, though. Blech.

Daniel - Six Months

Photo Courtesy of Life's Mirror Images

I am 6 months old already and...
... Mommy says it doesn't seem like that much time could have possibly passed, but I guess it has.
...I am an expert bubble blower.
...I love to grab onto my feet and play with them.
...I light up like a Christmas tree when somebody talks to me.
...I don't know what a Christmas tree is.
...I still wake up regularly in the night because I've managed to flip to my back. I don't like it there. Mommy or Daddy trudge in to put me back on my belly so my frustrated cries don't wake the whole house.
...I will eat solid food if Mommy insists, but I would much rather have someone cuddle me close and give me a bottle.
...I don't want to hold the bottle. My title is Baby!
...I love to jump in my jumper.
...I enjoy riding around in the Ergo, but prefer the B'jorn so I can see what's going on.
...Mommy doesn't think I will ever crawl, but just go straight to walking.
...What's walking?
...What's crawling?
...Who needs either? There are plenty of arms to carry me!

Anna - Not Quite Three

The child is a wealth of words. People trip over themselves when they learn that she isn't even three years old. It's perfectly natural to us, though. I mean the entire family likes words. Joshua likes big words. I like lots of words. Thomas knows every word. Sarah Grace wants to know what every word means. Elizabeth has words, but is drowned out by her siblings. And so it is that Anna's vocabulary is larger and more correctly used than your run of the mill 35 month old child.

Her learning processes are very much so on average, though. Hilariously so, when you consider how broad her language skills are.

Example 1
Doo-Doo. Enough said. (I wonder how much longer I can allow her to go on with that...)

Example 2
As we were on our way to ballet this week, Anna was talking about cars.

"Is dat a Punch Buggy, Mommy?" (Slug Bug, Punch Buggy, you know the game, right?)

"No, baby. That's a PT Cruiser, like Memum has."

"Oh," she replied. After a few minutes, she pointed out another car. "Is dat one a Punch Buggy?"

"Nope. That's a Honda."

Why she thought it looked even remotely like a VW Bug, I will never know. But she is two.

So later this week, she looked out the window as we were waiting at a traffic light.

"Mama! It's a gween Punch Buggy!!"

"No, Anna. It's not a Punch Buggy. I'm sorry, sweetie."

"Oh... is it a Ponda?"

I giggled as I replied, "Not a Ponda, either. It's a Toyota."

"But it's gween, wight?"

"Yup, it's green."

After several moments of repeatedly mumbling 'Toyota' to herself, she piped up again.

"Does a Toyota bwing toys, Mommy?"

Example 3
We love to sing around here. Frequently, as we drive to and from places, the kids will hum a song and try to get their siblings and me to guess what it is. Anna tends to hum Jingle Bells and the Alphabet Song a lot. So when it's her turn to hum, we can all pretty well guess it in three notes. But today she veered. She hummed the "Oh come let us adore Him" parts to "O Come All Ye Faithful". (What? Your not already singing Christmas songs?)

The other kids were stumped and so I guessed. Since I was right, it meant it was my turn to hum a song. I hummed about half of "A, Your Adorable" before anyone guessed it. The older kids, sitting all the way in the back of the van, couldn't hear as well as Anna, who sits just behind me. She got all excited and blurted out...

"It's A Yowr Dordullbuh!"

I let her have it.

Five Minute Friday - Remember

For fun, for love of the sound of words, for play, for delight, for joy and celebration at the art of communication.

For only five short, bold, beautiful minutes. Unscripted and unedited. We just write without worrying if it’s just right or not.

Won’t you join us?

START

I played with the puppy to pass the time and hopefully hide my nerves. There was a back-of-my-mind fear that the little bundle of black poodle fluff might just pee on my dress and then what would I do? I watched as she bounced all over me, seemingly on springs. As I scratched her ears, I noticed my un-manicured hands.

Honestly, today of all days, they should be pretty.

"Leah! My hands need help! Do you have a file? Can you do my nails real quick?"

My friend calmly responded and sat next to me, gently taking my lightly shaking hand.

"Helloo?"

Two old friend rounded a corner with smiles and hugs. I patted the belly of the very pregnant one and laughed with her as she moaned about a hot and long summer and swollen ankles.

"Girls! Let's go."

We trooped down the steps and went to our appointed positions.

I hid by a door, but I heard his voice and Lora had to remind me to stay put.

Finally, the doors opened and the music floated out. I stood there clinging to my Daddy's arm, searching for the face of the man I loved. The man I was about to pledge my life to.

I laughed out loud as I saw his jaw drop. I had to be reminded to slow down and take my time down the aisle.

I remember finally resting my hands in his, and it didn't matter that they weren't manicured. I was glad the dog hadn't peed on my dress, but realized that wouldn't

STOP