a time to keep

Monday, November 1, 2010

Mac Funnies

{As I'm pulling brown sugar out of the pantry}

Mac: Mom! You've got cookie sugar! What are you doing with cookie sugar!??! Are we making cookies??

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Mac has some serious confusion on cupcakes and pancakes. Since his birthday he keeps pretending to be making pancakes. "Mom, I'm making pancakes for you!"

I suspected that he meant cupcakes, so today I asked him, "Are you making pancakes or cupcakes?"

"Pancakes."

"Did you eat a pancake on your birthday or a cupcake on your birthday?"

"I had a pancake on my birthday with candles in it."

Hmm.

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Mac likes to sing the son "God our Father" for the blessing. It's so cute--he sings it like this:

Gawd are Fah-der,

We dank you,

For our men-y BLESS-wings,

Ah-Ah-men

Ah-Ah-men.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The day of Mac's birthday party, he couldn't wait to have his cupcake. He repeatedly asked me throughout the day when he would get his cupcake. I told him again and again, "Wait for your party."

When guests began to arrive for his party, he began to get really excited about eating his cupcake. He kept asking me when it would be time. I answered that as soon as everyone arrived, we'd give him his cupcake.

We'd planned to sing to Mac first so he would not be antsy about having to wait for his cupcake while we sang to Arden. When everyone was ready, I told Mac it was finally time for his cupcake! I expected him to dash to the table in happy expectation. Instead, he flat-out ignored me.

"Mac, I said it's time for cake! Aren't you excited?"

"Mom, please give Arden her cake first!"

"Are you sure?"

"Please do Arden first."

So, we sang to Arden first. Then when it was Mac's turn, he reluctantly sat in his seat. I brought out the cupcake with three candles. Everyone began to sing. Mac's eyes began to fill with tears.

As the song went on, Mac became more and more visibly upset. His eyes were full of tears. His lips were quivering. He looked completely overwhelmed. I tried to comfort him and then helped him blow out his candles and gave him a big hug.

After that, he happily ate his cupcake.

Since then, he keeps telling me, "Mom, at my birthday, I don't like it when people sing. Please don't let people sing to me. Everyone was looking at me."

Apparently his Sunday School class sang to him as well--and he keeps telling me how much he didn't like that either.

So, we'll see if he changes his mind before he turns 4. But next year's party might involve only singing to Arden. And that's okay : )

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Happy Birthday Mac! (A week late)

Dear Mac,

Happy Birthday! You are three! (And actually--you've been three for a solid week now! Sorry for the late birthday wish, but since we spent your actual birthday partying, the birthday weekend hosting houseguests, and the week following at the happiest place on earth, I didn't have time to sit down and write a real birthday letter to you. And since you can't read yet and don't know the difference, I don't think you'll mind. But I do hope you read this someday--and feel the depth of the love daddy and I have for you!)

What a year it's been! You began the year with a brand-new baby sister. I'm so proud of the big brother you've become. It touches my heart to see you be kind to your sister. I love watching the two of you play together and giggle together. (You LOVE to make her laugh.) Of course, there are plenty of times the sweet tender moments take a turn...like the other day when you wanted Arden to walk to you. Against my better judgement, I allowed it. She toddled from me to you...you welcomed her with open arms...and then you body slammed her. The sweet sibling moment ended in shrieks of pain from the "gurl" (as you call her). So...your big brother role is sweet--but also requires a fair amount of supervision from me!

You also have mastered so much language this year, and it's been amazing to watch. A year ago, you were forming simple 1 or 2 word sentences. Now, you are the master of the run-on sentence! It's wonderful and shed so much light on what goes on in your head. For example, here is a conversation we had today:

{Context: washing our hands after I helped you in the bathroom at cookout. The hosts had candle burning on the counter beside the sink.}

Mac: Oh no Mom! Watch out! There's fire right there!

Me: Mac, it's okay. It's just a candle. We do need to be careful around candles, but it's not going to hurt us if we don't touch it.

Mac: {pauses to consider} Oooooh. Is someone turning one?

It's been fun to watch you play this year. You've mastered the tricycle, and daddy and I think it's time for your first bicycle! You have become very good at (simple) jigsaw puzzles. You enjoy drawing, especially the letter "M". You've finally mastered the digger at the park (it's pretty tricky, but you've got it!). You love your Thomas the Train set and using legos to build tunnels and parking garages for your trains. The most significant change in your play this year has been the amount of make-believe! You love to pretend, and are always telling me one complicated scheme or another about what is "happening".

Along with play comes social life. It's funny to watch you play with others. You are generally more quiet around other kids than you are around us. You love playing with one or two other kids, but in a big crowd tend to stick to the edge of the crowd or play by yourself instead. You don't seem to be a ringleader, but you don't appear to be a follower either. I hope that makes you a "quiet leader"--but time will tell. You're quite at home with the "big kids" (youth group teenagers), and love when they come to our home, talking their ears off and inviting them into your room to play with your toys. You seem more comfortable around them than kids your own age--probably because they pay you so much attention and think everything you say and do is adorable.

You are stepping into the part of childhood when you beginning to understand that bad things can happen. With that has come some fear of things--like the dark. We try to keep you sheltered from scary images and ideas, but some cannot be avoided. The other day, we were looking a daffodil bulbs at Lowes when you pretty much jumped into my arms and buried your head in my neck. You had seen the Halloween decorations, including a very life-like witch, with a loud cackle and eyes that lit up. You would not move from the spot and I had to carry you (all 40 pounds, as we were told by the doctor last week)--while wheeling Arden in the shopping cart--out of the store. Now you won't go to Lowes--and I don't blame you! We try to help you take your fear to the Lord, praying with you and encouraging you to pray on your own when you are scared.

You've begun to ask many spiritual questions. We try to answer simply yet fully--a difficult task. It's such a blessing to see you interested in spiritual things. We pray continually for wisdom in guiding you. We pray continually that you will grow in your knowledge of the Lord and in your relationship with him.

This post would paint an untrue picture if I didn't mention your 3 year old WILL. You want things done YOUR WAY, and we will hear about it if things are not. You want fiercely to control the world around you, in any way you can. It's an interesting contrast--because you want so passionately to be in control, yet you also need to always know that WE (your parents) are in control. The irony--you (like all children) want control and fight for control--yet gaining control is also what you most fear (though you could never verbalize this), because it means your parents are no longer in control. I pray for wisdom continually in this balance.

The main thing I want you to know on your third birthday--how very deeply your daddy and I love you. We are so thankful for the gift of you. I love your sweet little boy self, I love you hands and feet and your sweet blonde hair. I love the words that come out of your mouth (usually!), and how you can't wait to show me when you've figured something out. I love watching you helping your sister. I love watching you tackle daddy when he comes home. I love seeing your little legs pumping the tricycle to go fast. I love hearing you "read to my buddies" at night (reading books in bed to your stuffed animals). I love who you are, and I love who you will become.

I pray that this year the gospel will become increasingly real to you.

I love you Mac. Happy Birthday!
Mama

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Happy Birthday Arden!

My dear, sweet Arden,

Happy Birthday! You are one year old today. What a precious year it's been! It seems to have flown by so quickly, so much more quickly than your brother's first year. I savored each day of your babyhood--but have also been so excited to watch you grow and learn.

You are such a sweet girl. You are a little shy. You love to be held and to cuddle. You let me rock you to sleep if I want--but you're perfectly happy to go to sleep on your own too. You're so sweet--but you're also tough! Having a rough-and-tumble older brother has taught you that. You get knocked down but get right back up. You fight back--which, though I hope to teach all my children to respond in love and kindness--I can't help but be a little proud of you for standing up for yourself. I hope that you can learn to take that same fighting spirit to stand up for others one day.

I love watching you learn to walk! You are taking a few steps at a time now--you can go about 4 feet before you collapse in giggles. (You think walking is hilarious and laugh every time you're able to do it--I really hope you don't take the same hopelessly giggly approach when you learn to drive!) I can see your determination and I think a lot of it has to do with wanting to keep up with your brother.

You are talking and SO proud of your new communication skills. Your first intelligible words were "Bye, bye" (sounds like "bah, bah), followed closely by, "Mac" (sounds like "Mah"), "No" (relatively clear), and "Uh-oh" (sounds like "oh-oh"). You have a word for Maya--it's difficult to tell what you're saying but it always sounds the same (sort of like, "Mah-ee"). You do not say "mama" but instead call us both "dah-dee". Pretty cute. You also use a little sign language--our own Anderson adaptations of "more" and "all done".

You love to eat bread. Every time I bring it out, you react as if it's pure bliss--kicking your feet, leaning forward in your high chair, signaling for more. I have to reserve it for the end of the meal, otherwise you would eat nothing else. You have shown far more enthusiasm for bread than any other food.

I'm proud of you lately because you're learning to happily play by yourself. This is huge--since you've learned to crawl you usually use your mobility to follow me (or sometimes your brother) everywhere. But just in the past few days (and I hope it lasts!), you'll decide to go crawl in your room and play with your toys by yourself. (Actually, I say toys, but more often than not it's actually shoes. You are obsessed with shoes and love to play with them. You love trying to put them on yourself--though of course you are nowhere near mastering the skill. You will often crawl around the house carrying one or two shoes with you. So funny and cute...and girlie!)

Sweet Arden (or, "baby gurl" as your brother calls you), we love you so dearly. I am sad to see your babyhood dissolving as you become a toddler, but I am so excited to see who you are becoming. I pray that you grow in Jesus: knowing him, loving him, trusting him, and becoming more like him. I pray that we can be the parents that you need. I pray that you and Mac grow closer and closer, and learn to love others in the world by learning to love one another. I pray that these early years of your life become a foundation for a life lived in Christ, and that we are able to make decisions for you to that end.

I am so thankful that the Lord has entrusted you to us. You are a blessing, every day. Happy Birthday my sweets!

I love you,

Mama (or, "Dah--dee"--your current name for me)

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Overheard this morning, as Arden was crawling around the refrigerator at the place we stayed this weekend, pulling at the grate at the bottom of the fridge:

Mac (to Arden): No, no, no Arden! Don't pull that! Jesus put it there!

Me {thinking I'd surely misheard}: Who did you say put it there?

Mac {solemnly}: It was Jesus mom!

Friday, September 10, 2010

Arden...talking?!?!?

A few nights ago at supper Arden waved and said, "Bye Bye", clear as a bell. I thought maybe it was a fluke--a coincidence of making a baby noise at the same time as a gesture, especially since no one was going anywhere. But the next day, my mom popped over for a bit and when she left, Arden waved and said "Bye Bye" again. Wow. She is 10 months old. I KNOW Mac wasn't doing this at this point. {But really, the funny thing with first words is that you never can know for sure what a child's first word is...how do you KNOW when they have a word and a thought paired up? Without a gesture or a clear context, there's no way to really tell...}

The next day, Arden woke from her afternoon nap sooner than Mac. She was in the kitchen with me, playing on the floor while I made supper. I noticed that she kept repeating a sound that sounded like "Mah". Next thing I know, she's stealthy crawled away, and when I go to look for her she's pulled up on Mac's closed bedroom door. Was she saying "Mac" and looking for him? (I'd love to think so, but then she's also quite aware that Mac's room is where the vast majority of the toys are....so it was likely more want of entertainment than sisterly affection.)

In other news, Mac is entering the phase of "I'm-obsessed". (I hope it's a phase, at least!) His current 2 obsessions are: "church music" (cd of kid praise songs given to him by his new Sunday School teacher) and his Aunt Meg. His almost-3-year-old brain is SERIOUSLY fixed on these 2 things about 99% of time. (That's an exaggeration...but if I say 80% of the time, it's not an exaggeration.) Cute...but wearing me down. The first thing he said this morning when he woke up, "Daddy I turn on my church music now?"

A few cute pictures to share...I'll post more from our beach trip soon!

A recent tantrum. I decided to take a picture since it was just SO DRAMATIC. Who knows what he was complaining about? He was distracted and forgot once I took the picture.

I asked Mac to carefully pour a few more cheerios on Arden's highchair tray. He happily obliged. I think she's rather he always prepare her food from now on.

On the road. We've taken quite a few tricycle walks lately.

Arden admires herself in the mirror after a bath.

Sweet! I love this picture. The expression on their faces is not joy at being together, but anticipation of the slide they're about to go down at the park. (Thus the yellowish reflection on their faces.)

We have a million beach shots that I'll post soon. It was SUCH a beautiful time to go, and so deserted that by the end of the week, Mac and Arden ditched bathing suits and donned only underpants and diapers on the beach.