Random snippets

Last night Sammy was talking to my parents on the phone when he suddenly said, "Green balloon!" He then turned to Stephen and I and very calmly said, "I didn't know what else to say, so I said 'green balloon.'" That kid cracks me up!

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A friend loaned us his Snap Circuit set indefinitely, because he knows how Mason's mind works. He brought it over Saturday, and he, Stephen and Mason spent a good part of the afternoon playing with it. Mason stopped playing with it (under duress) about 8:30pm, but wasn't able to go to sleep until nearly 10:30pm--his mind was too busy thinking about all the things he was going to make. He was up about 6am Sunday morning, snapping pieces together.

Watch out Ed Emberley--you are being supplanted by electricity!

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Now that it is marginally warm here (in the upper 30s!), Elise is outside constantly. This afternoon she wrapped up in a blanket and relaxed on the deck with her scriptures. Last time I checked, she was running around in short sleeves enjoying this soon-to-be-spring weather. I can't keep a coat on that girl!

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Lincoln is starting to sign! It is so fun to see him pick it up (finally)! He still grunts and points--and if I don't respond, the grunting gets louder and louder--but will stop when I show him the sign. It's almost as if he's saying, "Gee, Mom, it took you long enough! If you'll just show me what to do I'll do it."

Patience isn't a free gift, in case you were wondering

Why do I do things like pray for patience? Do I not realize that I will be given opportunities to have my patience tried and thus increase my capacity for it? I think I should just be given patience as a free gift. And yet, I keep having to earn it.

Anyhow, if any of you ever need to gain more patience, please take all my children to JoAnn Fabrics. You will have ample opportunity to gain more!

Sunday breakfast

Oatmeal muffins...a Sunday morning tradition. Best served with home-canned peaches and pears--and as a "flower".

1 c buttermilk (or sour milk - 1 TB vinegar + enough milk to equal 1 c)
1 c oatmeal

1/4 c oil
1/2 c brown sugar
1 egg

1 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Soak oatmeal in buttermilk. Mix next 3 ingredients. Sift dry ingredients together and mix it all up briefly. Spoon into greased muffin tins. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes (less time if you use mini-muffin pans).

Grass

I love grass. I don't think I ever realized it until the last couple of weeks, when I was hoping and hoping to see grass or dirt or anything that would make it seem like winter wouldn't last forever.

Last week:

This was actually Lincoln's first time outside on his own since he's been walking. The snow was just too deep before. He LOVED it.

Over the last week most of the snow has melted. Hallelujah!!! Lincoln thoroughly enjoys tromping through the sloshy grass to play in the mud in the garden and follow the big kids around. 

This was also last week--the snow drifts continue to melt--they aren't taller than I am anymore!

Maybe if I'm really, really lucky, I'll see some crocuses or daffodils soon!

Sweetpea Beauty

For our movie tonight we watched VeggieTales' "Sweatpea Beauty", which is about where true beauty is found--in the heart. Stephen was grading papers while the kids and I watched it, and when it was over, he asked the kids what it was about.

Sammy: There was a dwarf pea who could shoot acorns out of his bellybutton!

Mason: I wish I could train a skunk to be my friend.

Conversations

The other night...

Mason's prayer: "Please help Mormor to get well. Please bless her to be comfortable in her bed. Please bless Morfar's heart to keep beating like it's 'uspposed to."

And while tucking Sammy in...

Me: "I'm not sure if you should read that book since it has monsters in it." (Mo Willems' "Leonardo the Terrible Monster"--I also told him the end--that the monster becomes a good friend...)

Sammy: "It's not looking at pictures that scares me, it's the screaming."

Huh?

14 months

A half-eaten apple in my bedroom.

Bread pans in the bathroom.

Spoons in the living room.

Placemats in the family room.

Socks and underwear all over the floor.

Balls in the den.

A library book in the recycling bin.

A broom in the hall.

And all in 15 minutes.

Daddy-son date

Stephen and Mason went to some garage sale today with a friend and his son. When Mason came through the door, he was carrying a bag and absolutely beaming. He exclaimed,

"MOM! We got all this stuff and even more for only $5, because it's all junk!!!"

Stephen, Mason and their treasures

Understanding

I just realized why Lincoln screamed for much of last night, and why he is rather inconsolable at the moment: 2 molars and another bottom tooth broke through last night, and his 2 top molars are going to break through any second. Poor kid! I wish I had some frozen blueberries for him!