BEST babies in the whole world!

My kids are awesome! It's so easy to blog about the hard times, but I am choosing to revel in the "I'm so glad I have Rebekah and Luke" times, like this weekend! Josh figured out that Lukey Duke was constipated (bless his heart)- it's not rocket science, I know, but it was not that he wasn't going, it was that the way he was pooping was tough on him. A few days of Califig, and he is right as rain. Josh agreed Luke had been "tough" for a while now, but he also predicted better spirits when he started pooping more normally again. Man, he was right! My little boy has been all smiles and giggles this weekend. LOVING it! Rebekah has also seemed to pass thru her defiance stage for the most part and is our sweet little girl again. Both kids went to bed much later than they should have b/c I was just enjoying them so much! These are sweet times. :)

A few snapshots of some sweet moments...

Rebes being herself...

Introducing...Luke the Fireman!

Playing with Lily at Lily's house in a tent. They were "sleeping," and Lily was insistent that Baby Callum and Luke (who were not making a peep) be quiet so they could sleep. Kate was wishing that Lily would apply that principle in the hallway when Callum is sleeping.

Rebekah was desperate to wear my tying-shirt thing...

Josh went to a last-minute conference in St. Andrew's on Friday, which gave the kids and me an excuse to ride the bus and hit McDonald's. Rebekah was giddy all day, just thinking about the adventure.

Luke rode in his stroller and drank milk and laughed at Rebekah.

He also discovered ketchup. Dang it. After devouring half of my fries, he signed "more," said "muh-muh-muh-muh," and pointed at other people's fries to the extent that they almost sacrificed their own for this hungry hippo. Looking at those cheeks, I'd say he hasn't missed too many meals.

The DESK!!!! You may recall that we bought an art table for Rebekah for her birthday a long time ago...we just never gave it to her. I just couldn't figure out where to put it- didn't want it on carpet if there would be paint, etc...didn't want Luke eating everything on the table...didn't have room in the kitchen. Nevertheless, I was so excited about this gift when I bought it at the last NCT sale (yes, in March), that I decided in the words of Tim Gunn, "to make it work." So, I barely had it out of the basement before Rebekah spotted it in its pink glory and begged to know what it was. I told her it was a present for her...a desk! She said, "A desk?! Just like YOU have a desk, Mommy?! And it's PINK?! Can we put it in MY room?!" In fact, yes, that's exactly where it's going! So, she immediately grabbed her cash register, which doubles as a computer, and started "to work." She has pencils and erasers, and tons of itty bitty papers and she just loves it.

I had to run out several times yesterday for the NCT sale, and to my delight, this was what I returned to: a carpet picnic with Daddy. There is NOTHING that warms my heart more than seeing my man playing with our kids. Rebekah was LOVING it! Notice that she is on a wash cloth...she had Josh set up on a blanket too and lots of toy food. (Mom and Dad, she is also wearing her Dallas Zoo t-shirt, which she proudly showed our neighbor, Mr. Jim, who graciously calls her Bekah G, which I love. Poor man gets hounded by our girl. She literally hangs over our wall to peer in his kitchen to see if he's there, calling "Mr. Jim!" repeatedly, to which he may or may not respond, regardless of which Rebekah begins her litany of things he must see, such as her polished toe nails or new shoes or Dallas Zoo t-shirt.)

NCT goodness

The day of the NCT sale finally arrived! This is a highly anticipated day where we moms queue 45 minutes early to be some of the first inside a massive "garage" sale. Plus, this time, Kate, Rachel G, and I were sellers, so we spent countless hours prepping our clothes with price tags, etc., organizing, loading the car(s)- it all required 2 cars!!- unloading 3 sellers' worth of stuff, leaving, going back for the sale, queuing for 30 minutes to check out, then going back for any unsold items that I/we wanted back. Yikes- long day, especially for the dads who took care of our kids solo! (I know that Josh and the kids had a great day by the stories I heard!!)

My haul...I didn't feel confident until I looked at it all again in line...then I was psyched! Now, interestingly, for the first time ever, I was actually in need of clothes for Rebekah! Especially church clothes- the girl loves to dress up. :) Good girl. I have a lot for Luke until he's 2, so I only got him a winter coat and a few shirts.

Let me highlight a few faves...

Pink trench: 2 pds

Luke's winter coat- army green: 3 pds

This was from seller 53- I know b/c Kate and I drooled over her stuff, but she over-priced it (like 2.50 instead of 1, which makes a big difference when you're buying a lot)...I didn't want to reward her for charging too much, but I had to get a few things...like this...

Check out this killer wool coat!!! 4 pds- my most expensive item- I think it's a 5-6, but Rebekah is every bit a 4/5 in UK sizes...when did that happen????

I LOVED this skrt- 1 pd!!!

This outfit rocks, too...dress, leggings, and headband- 4 pds! The girl who rang me up said it was her daughter's 4th birthday party outfit...she also wished she had seen that brown skirt!

I also thought this red corduroy dress with the buttons (down the back, too) would be fun during the Christmas season.

These are corduroy capris- I was picturing some great tights underneath and a thick sweater...

This was fab! I am thinking a solid long-sleeved tee and jeans underneath...

I couldn't pass these white capris by...

Or this teal dress...thinking over bright tights or leggings with tall boots...yes, we have some.

I am a sucker for bright sweatshirts and layering.

The kids after the sale...Luke was making faces at me... :)

Rebes was super-excited about the new shoes I found her- one pair pink, the other bronze. She also asked if she could pick out her church outfit tomorrow...um, maybe...if you choose the brown skirt and bronze shoes...

All in all, I got 35-ish items for 45 pds...not bad!

Calling it dry

I am tired of buying pull-ups! Rebekah has been potty-trained for more than a year, but I haven't dealt with nights yet. Mostly it's an issue of not wanting her to have to get up in the middle of the night to tee-tee (and therefore me having to get up too). Plus, now we have stairs and a baby gate, so it's tricky, even if accompanied. However, she is totally capable of waiting until she wakes up, she doesn't always choose that.

Sidetrack a moment with me, please...when we go to the HUB, Rebekah has become accustomed to getting a small bag if Skittles. (Judge not lest ye be judged.) Sadly, she now takes them for granted (thus Luke feels entitled as well), assuming that she gets them every time we go. Furthermore, the reasonably-priced 10p bag has gone up to 15p!!! You need to know that my personal money has been divided in half as a result of extra expenses and less income, so a 50% increase is tragic indeed. :)

Thus arose my plan- reward a dry pull-up with Skittles! It worked the first 2 days. Then, on day 3, with solemn face, Rebekah informed me that her pull-up was "very, very heavy", and therefore wet. With the sweetest face ever, she petitioned, "Let's call it dry and do Skittles anyway." It took every bit of resolve to stand firm and say no.

Flashback... Wednesday?

It has been a while, but I thought I would try doing a flashback again. Having 2 kids lends itself to that. Anyway, as I watch my Luke, I often find myself racking my brain for what Rebekah was like at this age.

Here is Rebekah at the same age, in our beloved Iowa house, with our boxer, Samson.

This was also her first time to throw up. :( Josh was champ, but was not about to get vomit on our couch, so he practically ran to our linens closet to grab this heinous sheet. I LOVED the snuggled-up pic, the thumb-suck, and their attention directed at the TV. :)

From previous posts, you may be picking up on a rough couple of weeks. :) Luke and Rebekah have both been clingier/fussier than usual. For example, Rebekah did not go to sleep until after 10 pm last night. I put her down at 8, she was crying at 9, I went in immediately and she was sobbing, choking out, "I just miss you, Mommy....I don't want you to leave me...." I fought back my own tears and snuggled with her for quite some time, assuring her I was here and not going anywhere. She wanted to see Daddy, too, which Josh jumped at b/c she has been favoring me almost in a hurtful way. He has spent some quality time with her recently, so it has been hard, I think, for him to see her distance herself. She was fine when we left, then I heard her again at 10. I went in, and this time I felt it was more to see if I would come and if she could get up, etc. She quieted quickly and was fine. Today, she asked if we could visit Daddy at skewl, so Josh was delighted to take a break and play with us this morning. She also chose to play with him tonight and showed him a lot of favor. I really believe that she is just needing intentional time. We have been trying to sit with her- with computers closed- and play with her. It has made her world. :) (I remember feeling so special when my dad sat on the floor played Checkers with just me- granted he never let me win.)

I was wondering if Luke needed the same thing. Thanks to my dear friend, Andrea, I had some insight a while back that he may need purposeful play. He does not seem to enjoy just holding something- he wants to put it somewhere or in something, or drive a car and say "vroom", or build with blocks. So, I am trying to be intentional there, too. Rebekah has picked up on my strategy here and tries to make a lot of fun games for him that he doesn't fully understand- go figure. :) Sweet sister.

Take-home point: I think it's easy to want to develop independence in my children so much that I unintentionally neglect lots of quality play time with them. *There is nothing wrong with them needing me.* Typing it sounds so obvious, but it is freeing nonetheless. :)

All this to say, I think the kids are doing better and feel very loved. :)

Bits and bobs

I just dug this relaxed little buddy, catching some Veggie Tales...it's like he is one with the couch. Cool thing is that he can back off the couch now and down the stairs- he still falls here and there- mostly when I leave them downstairs to watch a movie while I work out upstairs...usually he just needs a little Mama attention and is right as rain again.

Also loving his preference for utensils. Last night he wouldn't touch his pea soup- until I gave him a spoon of his own. he chowed down. :) Luke has always been pretty dexterous. This is where I think I shine as a mom :)- I am totally okay with messes- I always tell Josh, "It's just part of being a kid." You will RARELY hear me say no b/c something is too messy. That's what the washer is for. I apologize for the implications for hand-me-downs. (Becky- notice the shirt- we love it!!! (It's the My Aunt Rocks!!))

Rebekah has taken her "I'm a mommy, too" feelings pretty seriously. She now pushes Mickie (or Madeline) in the stroller on our walks. She is a pro- she can snap the lever down in the back with her foot, and she knows just when to pop up the front wheels for a curb. She was also quite proud of this outfit- she picked out the whole thing, dressed herself entirely, and just bounced down the stairs in it, beaming. I am amazed at her ability to match colors.

I am also impressed with her ingenuity and resourcefulness. She has stacked our trashcan on top of the stool to get to her stickers.

Just thought he was cute.

The kids were chasing each other- Luke LOVES crawling this paved perimeter.

I just thought these were pretty.

And....Josh just sent in his Master's dissertation!!! He is almost an official Master Master!

Date day

Today was my swim date with Rebekah. For pervert avoidance issues, I suppose, you aren't allowed to take pictures of the kids at the pool (go figure), so just imagine a little girl skipping with glee all the way in, asking about the BIIIIG blue slide...you see, my girl can describe any park by its slides. She knows their names, too, but it's the slides that really categorize which parks are superior. So, we rode the biiiig blue slide (a long, super-fun and fast water slide) 5 times and just "swam." I told her I would get her swim lessons so she could swim for real someday, to which she asked is we were just pretending. Fair enough.

After 45 minutes, she wanted to get a snack- of course, she chose Burger King and devoured a kid's meal. Like last time, she sat across from me for about 1/2 a second, then asked if she could sit "right next to you, Mama?" Um, yes. 1000 times yes.

Then, we remembered that the sports facility erected across the main street from us was having an open grounds day for the public to see. Josh, in his new-found health-kick, wanted to check out the gym because as a student he can get a membership for 11 pds a month (about $16). I also had heard about a bouncy castle (try explaining that to a 3 year old who is intimately familiar with castles).

The rest of these pics are to show you the ENORMITY of this facility!

This is Rachel- she is the daughter of one of the gals I talk with at the HUB- she is a big fan of Rebekah!

Loved the view...those buildings are on the beach, or at least very close.

Who knew they had face-painting?? Choosing a design and waiting in line were definitely the hardest part.

Excited that a design has been chosen...

Sweet thing is soooo like me and very cautious...

That may have been the last pleasant moment we had before her nap. Seriously, this has been a rough week. Plus, I am far from patient, so I have not exactly dealt well with abnormal defiance and meltdowns over things she usually brushes off. I am confident it is a stage, and I actually think she's growing, too. She is eating like a horse and have you seen her hair?- it's miles long. I digress, but do not feel like dwelling on a sore subject. :)

Anyway, onto something a little more heartening, Luke ate...wait for it...FRUIT today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He actually finger-fed himself some peach and some apple...granted the apple had peanut-butter on it, but we'll take it. This is a huge step. He was quite precious and very laughy today. I enjoy those days, they balance out moody big sister days. :) Plus, he is loving certain books right now and I love seeing his preferences come out- for instance, he loves the Bug Book, the Very Hungry Caterpillar, 8 Silly Monkeys, and a Jakers! sheep book Great Aunt Sharon gave them. The common denominator is they are all hands-on- the first 2 have holes in the pages and there is little more Luke loves than to put his finger through a hole. The monkeys book has raised monkeys on it and the sheep book says baaa when you open the last page and Luke brings it over, saying baaa himself. LOVE that kid.

I should mention that I chose opportune moments that had nothing to do with good or bad behavior just to look Rebekah in the eye and tell her I love her. I do this a lot anyway, but I felt it was crucial today as she was misbehaving and being disciplined or spoken sternly to so many times. I found that by the end of the day, Rebekah was taking her own turns to tell me how much she loves me. She also asked forgiveness for her disobedience and seemed truly repentant. It is so important to me for my children to know beyond a doubt that they are loved no matter what they've done, what they look like, or how they perform. I do not want them to feel like they have to earn my love or approval. It was sweet to see her feel secure in my love even on a hard day.

Incidentally, Josh and I have agreed that preschool is not the best move for Rebekah at this time. Since I stay at home and do not need her to be taken care of, we are going to try to defer until January, or even next year. She is guaranteed a free spot at 4 anyway, so that's no biggie. The immediate relief I felt at this decision was confirmation enough. My resolve is to be more intentional with her, though. I am not an advocate of early learning, as strange as that sounds. Rather, I am a believer in contextualized teaching through experience and as life happens. So, I will not try to teach her to read or do flashcards or anything like that because I believe that all children catch up with each other anyway, and I have no desire to do that or to burn her out early. (She has the rest of her life to do school- just look at her daddy!) However, I can play with her (and Luke) more intentionally and so I will.