Heaven help us ten years from now

These two, aged 34- and 16-months, are stuck in the middle of five sisters.

Little girls who look nothing alike...

yet who have recently become inseparable.

You can hear them all throughout the house, entertaining each other with nothing but their laughter.


Both of them are seriously hilarious all by themselves. So when you put the two of them together, it's hysterical to watch.


I can't even imagine when they're both old enough to conspire together...

Uh...Can anyone suggest a good in-home security system? I have a feeling we may need to install one just to keep an eye on these two.

...Two little girls who look nothing alike. Well, with the exception of those devious little glints in their eyes. ;)

Parental Lessons learned the hard way...

#264: Remove DVDs when not in use

Jet and I were watching The Patriot the other night. It was late. We were tired. and not in the "mood" for the fairly violent battle scenes that were getting ready to happen.

So we turned off the TV and went to bed. No big deal, right?

Fast Forward...

It's the next morning. I'm sitting on the couch in the family room with my girls. When suddenly Raegan decides she wants to turn on the TV.


Now she is quite adept when it comes to manning the DVD, TV, and stereo system. And I, having enough situations to referee during the day, have decided to pick my battles and not make it a big deal.

So I thought nothing of the fact that she turned it on (we don't get TV stations, so I didn't figure she could actually watch something anyway).

But then I look up. And there on the screen, is Mel Gibson hacking into some soldier in the woods with a hatchet.

Though I can't be sure, because of the state of my mental frenzy, there was blood. Lots and lots of blood.

AHHHH!! "No!!! No!!! Noooooooooo!!"

I scream as I lunge for the OFF button, finally TAKING OUT the dvd from the player. Something we apparently overlooked last night.

Whoops.

A thousand things flew through my head in a second's time. I mean, we don't even let the girls watch Arthur from PBS for Pete's sake! And here, they were all exposed to a gruesome battle scene.

*This is me beating my head up on the floor as I bemoan my parental failings*

And there stood Raegan. Unmoving. Silently staring at the blank screen. Until she spoke with so much feeling I could never put it to words:

"Wooooah. WHAT. was. that?!"

It so made me laugh...and most likely is one of those times that you have to know her personality, voice, and body language in order to fully appreciate the moment.

But man, that girl has got some personality. and can add humor to most any situation. How I love her.

And how I will *forever* remember to remove the one R-rated movie we own from the player before Raegan walks into the room.

The Streak...er

"I. Do. It. Myself."

What can I say? She has an independent...uh, penchant for streaking.

"Fiery" is not a four letter word

When it comes to my girls, I...like any mother...am fiercely protective, intensely in-love, and obviously completely unbiased. ;)

*picture taken this past Easter at my parents' house. Selah (4.5), Alana (7 mo), Raegan (2), Charis (6)

Having four girls, one might assume that my days are filled with All Things Pink and Frilly. and that a fly on the wall of our day-to-day might hear shrill girlie shrieks, questions about how to best accessorize, and intense conversations about what it's like to be a real princess.

And while that may be partly true (as I type this my two oldest are playing dolls) you can't always assume what life is like based on preconceived ideas. Well, I suppose you can, but you won't always be right. ;)

especially if your assumptions revolve around the little girl that possesses this perfect, chubby profile...


and this mischievous, endearing grin...



Because my two oldest are (now) very mellow when it comes to personalities and how they interact with others, people naturally assume that my 3rd daughter...the 2 year old who has a fire about her...is a "handful".

Now of course, this could be due to the fact that this little one came from the womb fully equipped with the knowledge of how to effectively throw her hands over her face, flail herself on the floor, and whine this incredibly fake whine when things didn't go exactly as hoped.

I mean, sure...she waited until her place in the family was secure before strutting her stuff... all of 12 months. But still, she knew how to...uh, shall we say emote?... from early on.

So in all fairness to those who knew this about her, this could be the reason for the "I bet she's a real handful" assumption.

But

It's just not true. She's one of the sweetest little girls I know. Honestly.

When Lani came onto the scene, Raegan immediately loved and doted over this new little baby: "Raegan's baby", as we called her. There was no jealousy. no fear on our parts that she would vendictively hurt Alana or callously ignore her.

Nope. She gladly welcomed Little Bitty immediately.

In fact, she still spends her days trying to make this little blond girl laugh. bringing her toys. and giving her drinks.


(THIS is why Lani still doesn't hold the cup by herself. Who needs to learn new skills when you have three older sisters who will do it for you!?)

Raegan, though she does have an independent, fiery streak, has become the sweetest little girl in the past 6 months or so. gentle. patient. sympathetic.

And I want to document, for memory sake, some of the sweetest that oozes out of her:

I've been sick for the past week. throwing up sick. *ech* But every time I was in the bathroom, she would come to the door and say "You okay, Mommy?"

I'd come out and she hug my neck, patting my back and saying "It's okay" over and over.

And when I'd ask her to pray for me, she immediately put her hand on my shoulder and start singing "Jesus loves me" over me. :) Too precious.

She's not one to throw a fit. or even require a spanking. All it takes is a couple of minutes in the naughty corner and she's crying, saying "I'm sorry!" over and over again. throwing herself in our arms and hugging us hard.

She doesn't want to disappoint or disobey. (and when she does require a trip to The Corner, it's because she didn't listen when we said to come in from the pool. and really, who wants to leave the fun of water to come inside?)

When she wakes from her nap, she doesn't sit and scream. In fact, she'll stay up there for an hour if I made her...just singing songs to herself that can be heard over the baby monitor.

Twinkle Twinkle little star. Deep and Wide. Jesus loves me. Psalty songs. ...it's just too adorable for words.

There's not much to her, body-wise. She's a petite little bug...


But she's got enough energy, spunk, and joy for people three times her size.


Yes, she's got drive. Lots of it. When it comes to water, she's got more confidence than her older sisters ever have had...


and she's determined not to let them leave her behind. What they do, she will do. Or at least some version of it...

(she's yet to master the tricycle. but that doesn't stop her from "biking" when her sisters do)

And yes, she loves running and always being on the move. but she asks "Can I run?" before doing it. Where she got that from, I'll never know. But I think it's unbelievably adorable.

So yeah, my little Raegan Roo is full of fire...as she brings warmth and life to the room.

Yet. She's not one to demand her way. or throw herself on the floor, kicking and screaming (thankfully, that's out of her system). or retaliate by biting or hitting a sister when toys are not shared (thankfully, that too only lasted for a few weeks a lllooonnnggg time ago).

Honestly, I just can't even put to words how precious this little girl is. But it's very important to me that I try.

Because I want my little girls...ALL of them...growing up knowing that they are priceless to me. That their differences from their sisters don't detract from who they are, but only add to the sweet spirit that our home has. And that I will, without apology or hesitation, make sure that people don't proclaim her to be something that she is not.

I want my girls growing up knowing that they can be fiery and determined and energetic and independent without being dubbed something negative.

As parents, I happen to believe that's our job.

They get it from their father's side.

Selah, from the time she was little bitty, was known for her adventurous spirit. It wasn't abnormal to see her with a black eye. or two.

By 6 months, my aunt declared Selah into Extreme Sports.

Always having to find the hard way to do things, she was walking up the hardwood stairs... backwards... when she could barely walk on even ground. Freaked me out.

and brought out the intercessor in me. ;)

She loves finding the physical challenge and attacking it. hence doing push-ups as a 4 year old!



That's why when she started doing backflips off the couch, we weren't surprised.

She lands on her feet as well. like a cat.

Though apparently, doing it that way became too easy. suddenly lacking in the "challenge" element.

Because she began to try it a different way...

I have no problem with this display of daring. With one exception.

My daughter Raegan appears to have the same drive running through her veins

and will try everything that she sees her big sisters do. Even the things she's never seen them do...like walking up the stairs backwards!

I'd say I have another Extreme Sports Girl on my hands. God help me.

But I guess I shouldn't be surprised, being that their Daddy did the most Extreme Sport there is.


Bull riding. And yes, that is my husband a top 2,200 lbs of untamed terror.

Maybe I should keep those home videos secret? under lock and key. away from the eyes of my girls who love a good challenge.

Baby powder

It's Raegan's most favorite thing.

I mean what two year old can resist its allure? All you have to do is give it a little shake and voila! out comes puffy white smoke.

And honestly, I usually don't mind. I mean after all, the stuff smells good and is usually an easy vacuum job.

Thus, this is the norm. Splotchy rugs and couches dotted with white dust. No big deal, right?

But today it got a little more out of control.

I present to you the teary culprit:

and the overjoyed victim:

Raegan turns 2

One tradition that we have as a family is Birthday Doughnuts.

Being that we don't see doughnuts in this house outside of someone's birthday, it's a Buh-ig deal to the girls.

This year, Raegan's birthday fell in the middle of my mom's Spring Break (she works for a college). So we went to her house for a mid-morning "breakfast" of chocolate-covered doughnuts.

And really? What's better than a day at Grandma's house, singing Happy Brithday, AND chocolate?!

Nothing!

See that look in her eyes? It's the content and satisfied, my-life-is-in-perfect-order-now look. The one that says "Oh. You still here, Mom? Huh, I didn't notice."

That night we did it all over again.

Yes, those are two doughnuts with candles stuck in them. What can I say, I'm an over-achiever when it comes to my daughter's birthdays.

We didn't even do presents this go round. Shhh! Don't tell. Seriously, she has no clue. In her little mind, she had an a-ma-zing birthday.

Especially when we went to a friend's house for dinner the next evening. My job was to bring the dessert... being the exceptionally wise mother, I brought Birthday Cake.

More singing and blowing out of candles?! Does it get any better than this?!!

In the eyes of a two year old? I think not.

Though next year, I'm thinking Lazy Mom has to get her booty in gear. A 2 year-old may not realize she was totally jipped, but a 3-year old will.

Especially since this summer is Selah's 5th birthday. The birthday year where we go "all out". Raegan will totallly expect something next birthday...after seeing Selah's Grand Hoop-la.

Thankfully, both sets of grandparents left phone messages for her...she got them after our dinner party at a friend's house.

Grandma & Granddaddy, Grandmama & Grandpa...This is how excited she was to listen! :)

We still have those messages on our answering machine. She listens to them non-stop.

Quick glimpse...

Today my computer will be shut off. and I will spend the entire day focusing on my girls.

And hopefully the back of my eyelids, as I am ex.haus.ted.

But for now, here's two quick snapshots of my little bitties...

Raegan (23 months) and Alana (5 months)

Isn't it crazy how Alana's head is pretty much the same size as Raegan's? :) Makes me wonder if the girls will soon be the same size.

It amazes me that they're sisters...being as different as they are.

Yet I think that may work to their advantage. helping to cement a solid relationship. where comparisons don't reign supreme.

I mean, who spends time comparing apples and oranges, right?

But one thing is most assuredly the same. I want to *squeeze* them both. Mm Mm, I love me some girls.

Mastering the concept.

Not too long back, I was fairly certain that Raegan didn't quite grasp the whole idea behind the potty.

Take note of its doubling as a toy box. housing all of her Fridge Phonics letters.

I mean, yeah...she knew to sit on it. and make the "pssss" sound.

But that's where the understanding seemed to end.

And I was good with that.

I figured Hey, I'm not really ready to go all Potty Commando. not with Lani still waking up in the middle of the night. and me homeschooling two girls. and trying to practice good hygiene. ALL while making sure my girls don't starve.

A mom has got to prioritize, right?

I figured by her Kindergarten year, I'd be all over it.

Except that Raegan has become quite the dangerous little toddler.... Being completely adept at removing all types of clothes, she has become our resident Houdini.

Couple that with the fact that she loves to be naked and you have nothing short of a toddler strip club.

AND when you take into account that she is also trying to potty train herself...and is now if full bootcamp mode... you have a disaster in the making.

For those of you that have not parented toddlers yet, I'd advise you look away. This may cause involuntary retching. Never a good thing.

For the rest of Club Parenthood, I'd imagine you'd just casually say "Uh-huh. Junior did that one too. 'Cept his was worse."

WELL...while the oldest girls of my small brood have been swooning over the Office of Marriage and all it entails, my third daughter has had her sights on other goals.


Unfortunately her aim ain't so good.

Yes. I did just post a picture of poop-gone-astray. I have resorted to becoming one of those parents. The kind of parent that naively thinks other people actually care about the intestinal products of their offspring.

But I'm not posting the picture of Naked Child, if that's any consolation. Does that redeem me?

Yeah, didn't think so.

So there you have it. The start of my day. Right there on the bathroom floor. All before 9AM.

What a large mouth you have

No, the point of this picture is not to show you Raegan's bicuspids. nor is it to show off the exceptional size of her 22-month old mouth. Though both are rather impressive. :)

But to give you an insider's view into what our house looks like these days. Why is she screaming, you ask?


To put it plainly...because I put a stop to this.

The na*ked boot-ay.

The one that is not potty-trained. and therefore has no respect for the rather expensive rugs we have scattered throughout our home.

So I harnessed those chubby little cheeks. With a pair of whitey-tighties.

Only they weren't, being a size or two too large.

But that didn't stop her from hysterically screaming "Too Tight! Too Tight!" as she ran around the house. somewhat akin to a puppy trying desparately to rid itself of a leash.

Seriously. This whole potty-training thing is over-rated. There are days I think I'd rather stick my head in the toilet than try and get her to cooperate.

Her idea of potty training is stripping down to nothing and streaking through the house. Somehow I don't think that qualifies for socially acceptable behavior.

But eh. We homeschool. So I suppose that lets us off the hook, being that we're apparently not raising socially "with it" kids anyway. Right? *bwah haha*

So help me, Lady,

If you don't get that camera out of my face....
Have I mentioned I got a new camera for Christmas? (Thank you, hon!)

Nothing fancy. Nothing big. In fact, it resembles a box of cards. thin. sleek. capable of more things than I am aware.

I got it just two days before my other camera died. *ka-put*

And, as you can see by the above picture, the Maternal Paparazzi is driving the kids to do senseless acts of vulgarity.

Anything to make that lady with a camera go away...

Sounds heard around my house this evening....

**Don't forget to go to the previous blog and leave your blog site (or email it to me) since my computer has rebelled, committing electronic mutany... effectively erasing your blog sites from my Favorite File.


Joe Cool here (21 months) likes to do things her way. Enough like our way, so she feels like a good girl...just her version of it.

Like meal-time prayer, for instance.

The three oldest girls were sitting at the table. I was just walking into the dining room when Raegan busts out, "Food. Body. Amen."

And then she proceeds to devour...

I foresee Inner City Ministry in her future. Not a lot of fluff. just straight to the point. :)

...
And then there's my oldest girl. Charis (6)...

The ever sweet-spirited little lady. always wanting to see the bright side of things. always wanting to encourage.

Jet was holding Lani, and trying to manuever a knife at the same time. I offered to help. To which Charis yells out,

"Mommy is so very awesome!! She can cut food with a fork!"

Just reading that, it may sound sarcastic. But sadly it was beyond sincere. Apparently I'm not very impressive...if my ability to cut meat stands out and dubs me awesome.

Eh. Who am I kidding? I'll take whatever "awesome" accolades I can get!! ;) Even though it always appears to be the small things that leave a lasting impression on the girls' awe of me.

.....

And then there's my little Selah-bug (4 1/2 yrs).

She walked up to me today, crying "I miss my Daddy!"

After having him home (and all to themselves) for five days straight, his going to work this morning came as a bit of a shock.

Me: Do you want to call him?

Selah: No. (Imagine those big eyes puddled with tears. saying no only because she knew he was busy at work. but wanting to talk to him all the same)

Me: Maybe he'll call you? Because I know he misses you, too!

Selah: It's okay if he doesn't call me. She sighs and walks away. (insert me frantically emailing Jet that he had better call. Seconds later, the phone rings.)

Selah answers the phone: It's DADDY!! She cries all over again as says that she misses him.

I don't know if, outside of this blog, that she'll remember this little interchange years from now.

But I know, without doubt, that Doted-on Daddy will.

....

After writing some of what my day looked like today, my mind rests on one thing. And that is this...I truly feel sorry for people who view children as a bother. an annoyance. a "have to" if you want to wear the hat of Parent.

Because children are treasures. Beyond worth.

I can't imagine my day without them. And I'm so glad I don't have to.

Recipe for love. Canine style.

Take one rather large dog...
With a propensity to love little people...



Add one small girl with a strong desire to lavish gifts on large animals.

And you get one huge pile of brand new raw hide bones.

And a very happy dog.

As you can imagine Toby tends to favor the little Cabinet Thief.

I'm going to wash your mouth out with soap...

Hello Poison Control?

Uh, yes. I have a problem. You see my 21 month old got into the bathroom.

Well, no. She didn't ingest anything. At least not that I'm aware.

Because...I didn't know where else to turn. and you people are supposed to help, right?!

Well...she came out of the bathroom with sopping wet hands. The bathroom that has no sink, mind you.

Uh-huh. That's my guess. She stuck her hands in the toilet.

Well, it's just that... *sigh* when I walked in, those same hands were in...well, they were in her mouth.

I know it's not really a poisonous substance! But you don't understand. I'm a busy woman and that toilet isn't always the most sparkling fresh place in the house. I wasn't planning on someone using it for a punch bowl.

I will from now on. trust me.

But all I want to know from you, Poison Control Dispatcher, is should I try and make her throw up or something? Because if she doesn't, I may.

Because sometimes being one of the youngest

...just plain stinks.

Dear Raegan,

In order to save you the time, I am giving you this picture as a reference... when, later in life, your siblings challenge you to prove that you were, indeed, the least favorite among the crew.

For when we had a round of hot chocolate, your sisters got buckets. And you, my dear one, only got got a wee drop.

in something resembling a shot glass.

But for the record, you loved it. and had three "shots" full.

My humble apologies,

Mommy