Xander's a pretty good little talker, but he has a few words that a stranger might have a hard time deciphering. These are a few of those words -
Rackmoon = Vacuum
Allspice = Applesauce
Peel = Peanut butter
Tootie = Cookie
Yabbity = Library
Daaandaddy = Granddaddy
Dumbers = Numbers
Dover = Grover
Pewter = Computer
Trainul = Triangle
Banket = Blanket
And my favorite one these days -
Lo djou = Love you :)
Makes my heart melt.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Saturday = Fun day!
I had to work on Saturday morning for a couple of hours. David and Xander came to visit me after my work was finished so Xander could play at the library. He looked at the stars on the wall (which he has to do every time), played with the trains, and then went to story time. As suspected, he wasn't extremely keen on story time (he doesn't like strangers, although he's getting better), but he loved the music and danced along during that time. He enjoyed the shakers (until he had to give it back) and popped bubbles at the end. He got to see Jason and Darcy, so that made his day, too.
After we left the library we decided to ride the light rail (our local train) down to Chick-fil-A and have some lunch. Xander hasn't ridden the train since he was a baby, so we were excited to let him try it again. He loved it! There are also some interactive panels on the walls of the building beside the train tracks. Xander had a great time running around making the sounds go off. There's a display outside the library with giant typewriter-like letters that he enjoyed climbing on and yelling out the letters. He was so exhausted by the time we got home, but he had such a great time! It was so nice to spend the entire day with daddy and enjoy time together as a family.
After we left the library we decided to ride the light rail (our local train) down to Chick-fil-A and have some lunch. Xander hasn't ridden the train since he was a baby, so we were excited to let him try it again. He loved it! There are also some interactive panels on the walls of the building beside the train tracks. Xander had a great time running around making the sounds go off. There's a display outside the library with giant typewriter-like letters that he enjoyed climbing on and yelling out the letters. He was so exhausted by the time we got home, but he had such a great time! It was so nice to spend the entire day with daddy and enjoy time together as a family.
Xander searching for bubbles behind the books.
Xander on the train - loving it!
Xander with the typewriter letters.
They made good seats, too. :)
Pointing out "A"
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Poopy Picasso?
David and I had an interesting experience this afternoon. Xander had gone down for his nap - we knew he probably wouldn't sleep because it was later than normal, but we thought we'd let him have some time to rest in bed this afternoon anyway. After laying in bed for about an hour we heard him start to fuss a little. David went upstairs to check on him and called down, "Did you put Xander down for nap without a diaper?" Of course I hadn't, but from that question I got a pretty good idea of the scene I would find when I went upstairs. But I really wasn't quite prepared for what I saw! David was holding Xander straight out, tummy-side-down. Xander was naked from the waist down, all of which was covered in poop! I wiped him up as best I could, while David stripped the bed and dropped the solids in the toilet. He apparently had peed all over his bed, also.
I had a friend who called her baby "Poopy Picasso" because he had a tendency to pull his diaper off, and well, create art? Thank goodness Xander wasn't interested in playing in it! I don't know if I could have handled that. As it was, he only really pooped on one blanket. Of course he peed all over everything else in his bed, but that I could manage. What an interesting Sunday afternoon!
It does kind of remind me of when Xander first started eating baby food. We gave him prunes because he was a little backed up. We didn't give him a little bit of prunes (if you're a new parent or are planning on having kids, remember this: if your kid is backed up, only give him a couple spoonfuls of prunes!), we gave him half of the container. Anyway, he was sitting in the middle of our bed. I had walked into the bathroom for something and David was in the shower. I came back into the bedroom and saw something brown on Xander's face. Yup, I probably don't have to go into much more detail. It was everywhere!!! He ended up with David in the shower that time. That was an interesting afternoon, too. :)
I had a friend who called her baby "Poopy Picasso" because he had a tendency to pull his diaper off, and well, create art? Thank goodness Xander wasn't interested in playing in it! I don't know if I could have handled that. As it was, he only really pooped on one blanket. Of course he peed all over everything else in his bed, but that I could manage. What an interesting Sunday afternoon!
It does kind of remind me of when Xander first started eating baby food. We gave him prunes because he was a little backed up. We didn't give him a little bit of prunes (if you're a new parent or are planning on having kids, remember this: if your kid is backed up, only give him a couple spoonfuls of prunes!), we gave him half of the container. Anyway, he was sitting in the middle of our bed. I had walked into the bathroom for something and David was in the shower. I came back into the bedroom and saw something brown on Xander's face. Yup, I probably don't have to go into much more detail. It was everywhere!!! He ended up with David in the shower that time. That was an interesting afternoon, too. :)
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Giant Steps to Change the World
I just read a new children's picture book by Spike and Tonya Lee called Giant Steps to Change the World. Pretty good book! Very uplifting, encouraging and inspiring for young kids. I could see reading this to a school-age group, in fact I'm thinking of reading it for African American History month to my afterschool groups. It's a bit long and abstract for young preschoolers. On the inside cover are some great quotes. Below are a few that really resonated with me.
"Hold fast to your dreams, for without them life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly."
- Langston Hughes -
"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world."
- Harriet Tubman -
"A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new."
- Albert Einstein -
"Happiness doesn't result from what we get, but from what we give."
- Ben Carson -
"Peace begins with a smile."
- Mother Teresa -
Lots of Links and Interesting Information
This may be useless information or might be kind of fun, but I thought I'd share some links with you. Some are new and some are old, but I thought each of them worthy to share with you.
The director of libraries for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library system, Charles Brown, will step down in June. Here is the article about those changes. There will also be many changes for our county in the near future that will directly affect the library, as well as many other county agencies.
I've started reading through the Bible chronologically this year. I find it so interesting to read through the Bible in the order these historical happenings took place. Who knew Job comes in the middle of Genesis?! I love this online version of the Bible - you can get it in any translation, look up reading plans, keep track of what you've read and it's also a mobile app.
My friend, Patrick, blogged about this the other day. Let's change the world together!
The Pioneer Woman has been a favorite for a long time, but for those of you that don't know about her check out her website! My sister actually made this cake from her recipes about a year ago or so - we didn't tell anyone (she only told me) what was in it until after they'd eaten it. And they all loved it! It was really good. In fact, I'll have to make that sometime soon. :)
If you live in Charlotte check out The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar at SouthPark. I haven't eaten there, but have a lunch date with some girlfriends very soon. It looks super-yummy!!
Just the other day David and I were talking about how the British pronounce the word aluminum. I had no idea it was different than the way we pronounce it! Then I was reading this blog yesterday and that blogger posted something about it, too! Go to this site to hear any word you could possibly think of pronounced. And definitely plug in the word aluminum spoken by the British! Too funny!
My friend, Geri, and I worked at the library together until last year. I remember one day while we were working neither of us really knew how to pronounce Jon Scieska's name, so being librarians at heart, we researched until we found this awesome website that pronounces the names of children's authors. You can look up difficult-to-pronounce authors' names like Wendelin Van Draanen, Cynthia Kadohata, Coleen Murtagh Paratore, and Chris Raschka, or even hear interesting facts about easier-to-pronounce author's names like Margaret Pererson Haddix, Nikki Grimes, and Tony Abbott.
*Interesting side note - I've met all of the above-mentioned authors before! Pretty cool!
“You can always trust the information given to you by people who are crazy; they have an access to truth not available through regular channels.”
-Sheila Ballantyne
The director of libraries for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library system, Charles Brown, will step down in June. Here is the article about those changes. There will also be many changes for our county in the near future that will directly affect the library, as well as many other county agencies.
I've started reading through the Bible chronologically this year. I find it so interesting to read through the Bible in the order these historical happenings took place. Who knew Job comes in the middle of Genesis?! I love this online version of the Bible - you can get it in any translation, look up reading plans, keep track of what you've read and it's also a mobile app.
My friend, Patrick, blogged about this the other day. Let's change the world together!
The Pioneer Woman has been a favorite for a long time, but for those of you that don't know about her check out her website! My sister actually made this cake from her recipes about a year ago or so - we didn't tell anyone (she only told me) what was in it until after they'd eaten it. And they all loved it! It was really good. In fact, I'll have to make that sometime soon. :)
If you live in Charlotte check out The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar at SouthPark. I haven't eaten there, but have a lunch date with some girlfriends very soon. It looks super-yummy!!
Just the other day David and I were talking about how the British pronounce the word aluminum. I had no idea it was different than the way we pronounce it! Then I was reading this blog yesterday and that blogger posted something about it, too! Go to this site to hear any word you could possibly think of pronounced. And definitely plug in the word aluminum spoken by the British! Too funny!
My friend, Geri, and I worked at the library together until last year. I remember one day while we were working neither of us really knew how to pronounce Jon Scieska's name, so being librarians at heart, we researched until we found this awesome website that pronounces the names of children's authors. You can look up difficult-to-pronounce authors' names like Wendelin Van Draanen, Cynthia Kadohata, Coleen Murtagh Paratore, and Chris Raschka, or even hear interesting facts about easier-to-pronounce author's names like Margaret Pererson Haddix, Nikki Grimes, and Tony Abbott.
*Interesting side note - I've met all of the above-mentioned authors before! Pretty cool!
“You can always trust the information given to you by people who are crazy; they have an access to truth not available through regular channels.”
-Sheila Ballantyne
Friday, January 28, 2011
The human heart
"... Never again will I curse the ground because of human beings, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done."
Genesis 8:21
"...every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood." - now I understand some of my child's tantrums - he's just using his heart!
On a more serious note, this really does strike a chord with me. I know that we're born sinners and I know that I am constantly battling my own nature, but this hit me in a new way today. I know I'm not alone.
"Every inclination..." - not one thing I do on my own is pure and good. Those things only come from Christ.
"...of the human heart..." - all people, not just some.
"...is evil from childhood." - we started out that way. All of our evil tendencies as humans start from childhood. We're all born with them, we grow up with them, and we have them into adulthood.
And not only are we battling ours own evil nature, but we're also battling the Great Deceiver.
The Lord said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the Lord, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."
Job 1:7
I'm so thankful to have God's Word that tells me how to deal with all the evil surrounding me. Ephesians 6 reads:
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Genesis 8:21
"...every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood." - now I understand some of my child's tantrums - he's just using his heart!
On a more serious note, this really does strike a chord with me. I know that we're born sinners and I know that I am constantly battling my own nature, but this hit me in a new way today. I know I'm not alone.
"Every inclination..." - not one thing I do on my own is pure and good. Those things only come from Christ.
"...of the human heart..." - all people, not just some.
"...is evil from childhood." - we started out that way. All of our evil tendencies as humans start from childhood. We're all born with them, we grow up with them, and we have them into adulthood.
And not only are we battling ours own evil nature, but we're also battling the Great Deceiver.
The Lord said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the Lord, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."
Job 1:7
I'm so thankful to have God's Word that tells me how to deal with all the evil surrounding me. Ephesians 6 reads:
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Billy Elliot and the birthday party
Saturday was a fun day for the Littles. David, Becky and I went to see the musical "Billy Elliot." Fantastic! The dancing was fabulous and the storyline was great. I hadn't seen the movie or the musical before, so the whole storyline was new to me. I really enjoyed it. Of all the musicals we've been to this season including "9-5," "Dreamgirls," "White Christmas" and "Billy Elliot," this was the best so far. We still have "Young Frankenstein," "Shrek the Musical" and "In the Heights" left, so I'll let you know which is my favorite.
Today is JD's birthday, so last Saturday evening we all got together to celebrate. It was great! Everyone was able to make it - Mom, JD, Ame, Harry, Erin, Nathan, Kaitlyn, Patrick, Becky, David, Xander and me - so we had a really good time! Mom made a delicious dinner, Xander helped us sing "Happy Birthday to You," Patrick helped Papa open his presents and the chocolate cake was super-yummy! We had a lively game of Farkle in which David won by a hair, followed closely by Becky. Very fun!
So, happy birthday, Papa! We love you!
Today is JD's birthday, so last Saturday evening we all got together to celebrate. It was great! Everyone was able to make it - Mom, JD, Ame, Harry, Erin, Nathan, Kaitlyn, Patrick, Becky, David, Xander and me - so we had a really good time! Mom made a delicious dinner, Xander helped us sing "Happy Birthday to You," Patrick helped Papa open his presents and the chocolate cake was super-yummy! We had a lively game of Farkle in which David won by a hair, followed closely by Becky. Very fun!
So, happy birthday, Papa! We love you!
The Kite Runner
I just finished The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. I literally just put the book down and came straight to my computer to write a post about it. Let's see if I can actually write this post through the tears that still linger in my eyes. This is the best book I've read in a very long time. I was totally sucked in to the story. I cried many times, felt the emotions of the narrator, loved the descriptive writing. It was really beautiful. It's not a light-hearted book. Don’t read it if you want all hearts and puppies, but it is powerful – a story everyone can relate to and feel the humanity in each chapter.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Week 100
I get weekly emails about my growing baby toddler - what things he might be able to do now, what he should be doing, and different things to look forward to him doing soon. Today I opened up my email and it said - Week 100! Wow! My child has hit 3 digits :)
This info is from Baby Center -
Language learning
This info is from Baby Center -
Language learning
Your child may be learning as many as ten new words a day now. Here are some of the language skills you can expect from your child by around age 2:
- Forms two- to four-word sentences ("Bird fly high.")
- Sings simple songs
- Follows simple instructions
- Uses pronouns, though not always correctly ("Me do it" instead of "Jake do it," but probably not "I do it")
- Repeats words heard in conversations
- Recognizes names of people, things, and parts of the body
Encourage budding verbal skills by continuing to read often with your toddler. Reading introduces new nouns, verbs, and ideas your child might not encounter in everyday life (such as a tiger in the jungle). Books with wordplay such as rhymes help kids make associations between like words.
These are all pretty spot-on! Last night David and I were having a conversation and I said something about the library. Next thing I know Xander's talking about Jason and the library! I was so impressed! He's also making lots of sentences, oftentimes supplemented with gibberish :). So exciting!
iPhone magic
Oftentimes, if Xander needs a diversion or if he's getting fussy in public, I'll give him my iPhone to play with. His favorite thing to do on the phone right now is to watch himself in the videos I've taken. He knows exactly where to go and how to get to them. If he gets frustrated trying to find a particular video then he'll hand it back to me and say, "Help, please?" What a milestone! I love that he asks for help, and I especially love how polite he is! He still has his moments, don't get me wrong. They're completely related to how tired, frustrated, or upset he already is. But overall he's learning that he's more likely to get what he wants if he asks for help instead of screaming or crying - love that!
So, back to the phone. It made me laugh this morning because I plugged my phone into the computer this morning and iPhoto popped up to download pictures. I agreed and it said that 32 pictures were imported. The funny thing is that 21 of those photos/videos were taken by Xander! It makes me laugh so much when I go to look at pics or vids and they're Xander masterpieces. :) He especially loves to take videos at our Waumba team meetings - too funny!
Here are 2 of my favorite "Xander Masterpieces" -
So, back to the phone. It made me laugh this morning because I plugged my phone into the computer this morning and iPhoto popped up to download pictures. I agreed and it said that 32 pictures were imported. The funny thing is that 21 of those photos/videos were taken by Xander! It makes me laugh so much when I go to look at pics or vids and they're Xander masterpieces. :) He especially loves to take videos at our Waumba team meetings - too funny!
Here are 2 of my favorite "Xander Masterpieces" -
Thursday, January 20, 2011
LOVE
Love is providing for your family, even if it's not always fun.
Love is rarely complaining about mundane tasks and chores.
Love is putting on comfy clothes and playing with your son.
Love is catching yourself in the middle of a rambling prayer and ending it because your child is hungry.
Love is taking your wife out to dinner even if she was "mean" to you this morning.
Love is laying in bed, exhausted from the day, and still finding time to laugh with each other.
Love is always putting your spouse first, even if you didn't get your way.
Love is having an understanding smile, even if you don't understand.
These things describe my husband at some point in the last week. I love that man! <3
I found the one my heart loves.
- Song of Solomon 3:4 -
Love is rarely complaining about mundane tasks and chores.
Love is putting on comfy clothes and playing with your son.
Love is catching yourself in the middle of a rambling prayer and ending it because your child is hungry.
Love is taking your wife out to dinner even if she was "mean" to you this morning.
Love is laying in bed, exhausted from the day, and still finding time to laugh with each other.
Love is always putting your spouse first, even if you didn't get your way.
Love is having an understanding smile, even if you don't understand.
These things describe my husband at some point in the last week. I love that man! <3
I found the one my heart loves.
- Song of Solomon 3:4 -
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Finally - the library!
I haven't taken Xander to the library regularly for many reasons. 1) Xander has never been one for crowds or strangers and the few times I took him to story time, he wasn't very happy about it. 2) He's been so young up to this point that he doesn't care anything about the books or even the cool baby/toddler space at ImaginOn. He's always just run up and down the stacks - being more physical than anything else! 3) I work there, so often the last thing I want to do on my day off is take him to the library!!
Last Saturday I was working, so David and Xander came by and hung out with me for a few minutes. Xander loved it! He played with the trains, the turtle-shaped "reading pool" and the furniture specifically for kids to crawl in and through. He had such a good time that I'm definitely going to take him back more regularly. It's been 4 days since we went to ImaginOn, but every single day since then he's talked about the library and Jason (one of my co-workers who happened to be working that day). At first I wasn't sure what Xander was talking about - when he says "library" it sounds more like "yabbity" - makes me laugh every time I hear him say it! So glad my little man is finally enjoying the library!
Last Saturday I was working, so David and Xander came by and hung out with me for a few minutes. Xander loved it! He played with the trains, the turtle-shaped "reading pool" and the furniture specifically for kids to crawl in and through. He had such a good time that I'm definitely going to take him back more regularly. It's been 4 days since we went to ImaginOn, but every single day since then he's talked about the library and Jason (one of my co-workers who happened to be working that day). At first I wasn't sure what Xander was talking about - when he says "library" it sounds more like "yabbity" - makes me laugh every time I hear him say it! So glad my little man is finally enjoying the library!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Peace
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
I take comfort in knowing that my God gives me peace. There is no need to worry or fear. I often find myself fearful of what the future holds. God hasn't let me down so far, and he's promised that he'll walk this road with me to the end! No matter if David has a job past April, or I have one past June, or Xander is getting the best possible care from his parents; there are so many things to worry about! So I'm thankful that I don't have to. Jesus told me so.
Jesus said, "I do not give to you as the world gives." That means that what he gives me will last forever - salvation. His love for me endures forever and when all is said and done I get to live with him in heaven for eternity.
Peace.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Amy's Birthday
Yesterday was my friend Amy's birthday. She and some other friends came over to celebrate. We had dinner together, visited and laughed at Xander's silly, sleepy antics! I made Amy's birthday cake earlier in the day and Xander was highly upset that I wouldn't let him have any. He learned how to say "birthday," "cake," and "Amy" very quickly! He told her over and over "Amy - birthday." It was too cute! He also loved when we sang to Amy, so he asked us to sing to her over and over. She loved it! He also wants people to do solos, so be aware that if you come over to the Little household you may have to put on a show! Some of his requests are - "Bus" (aka The Wheels on the Bus), "Letters" (aka The ABC song), "Birthday" (aka The Birthday Song), and "Bells" (aka Jingle Bells).
Xander's favorite
If you've read many of my posts then you must know that Xander absolutely LOVES Elmo! My good friend, Isabel, recently told us about this video by Will.i.am - Xander loves it! We watch it repeatedly some days.
He has other favorites, but this is definitely one of them! I thought it too cute not to share with you! I just love the message in this song. Xander is special! And so are you. :)
Here's the most recent one that we accidentally found - we watched it about 5 times this morning! Of course he would love it - it's the ABCs! He's really stuck on anything letter-related these days.
Xander gets frustrated if I'm not fast enough or if I'm doing something else, so he has learned how to press play for these videos on the Apple TV - all by himself!
He also asks for "Sandler" now (sounds an awful lot like Xander, but I know what he's talking about!)
Here's Sandler:
He has other favorites, but this is definitely one of them! I thought it too cute not to share with you! I just love the message in this song. Xander is special! And so are you. :)
Here's the most recent one that we accidentally found - we watched it about 5 times this morning! Of course he would love it - it's the ABCs! He's really stuck on anything letter-related these days.
Xander gets frustrated if I'm not fast enough or if I'm doing something else, so he has learned how to press play for these videos on the Apple TV - all by himself!
He also asks for "Sandler" now (sounds an awful lot like Xander, but I know what he's talking about!)
Here's Sandler:
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Ephesians 4:2
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Hmmm...I have not been heeding this command lately. When we returned from Cancun, I was so relaxed and ready, or so I thought, to come home and carry on our lives as usual. Friday, my first full day with Xander since we returned, was a disaster! We never got out of our pjs, there were at least 4 good tantrums before lunch, naptime was full of screams and crying, the nap was short - only 45 minutes - and when he woke up crying again and clinging to Mommy, I knew this was just how the day would be. The only way I could get him to calm down was to put on Elmo - and hold him. He would NOT let me put him down! I was afraid he was getting sick, but I've since decided that my poor sweet baby missed me. He doesn't know how to tell me that he's angry and sad that I left him for a week. Even if he was with two of the most loving grandmothers of all time, it still wasn't his routine and he missed his parents.
There were many times on Friday that I wasn't humble, gentle, patient or bearing with Xander in love! I got so frustrated at his tantrums, annoyed that he would only do things one way, and exasperated that he wouldn't let me put him down when I had things to get done! I think what I really needed to do was just sit and spend some time with my little boy. Wow. I just really missed the mark this time.
I worked yesterday and David stayed at home with Xander. In my head I kept thinking, "I'll get a call pretty soon about how rotten Xander's being," or "I hate to leave David at home with Xander on his day off when Xander's been acting like such a pill." Around noon I got a call from David to find out if I wanted to meet them at Chick-fil-A for lunch. They'd had a great morning! They vacuumed and swept together, Xander played with the teapot while Daddy washed dishes, David got a shower and Xander got a bath - he'd been a little angel! I met them at Chick-fil-A and Xander was contentedly playing in the kids' play area with all the other little kids. We got lunch and he sat and ate perfectly in the booth. He was so good we even allowed him to have an ice cream cone - since he asked. :) They came back to the library and played for a little while until they went home for Xander's nap.
I guess I learned my lesson. The next time Xander's having a bad day I need to just step back, spend some time with him and remember Ephesians 4:2. That is definitely a verse I'll be praying the next few days.
Hmmm...I have not been heeding this command lately. When we returned from Cancun, I was so relaxed and ready, or so I thought, to come home and carry on our lives as usual. Friday, my first full day with Xander since we returned, was a disaster! We never got out of our pjs, there were at least 4 good tantrums before lunch, naptime was full of screams and crying, the nap was short - only 45 minutes - and when he woke up crying again and clinging to Mommy, I knew this was just how the day would be. The only way I could get him to calm down was to put on Elmo - and hold him. He would NOT let me put him down! I was afraid he was getting sick, but I've since decided that my poor sweet baby missed me. He doesn't know how to tell me that he's angry and sad that I left him for a week. Even if he was with two of the most loving grandmothers of all time, it still wasn't his routine and he missed his parents.
There were many times on Friday that I wasn't humble, gentle, patient or bearing with Xander in love! I got so frustrated at his tantrums, annoyed that he would only do things one way, and exasperated that he wouldn't let me put him down when I had things to get done! I think what I really needed to do was just sit and spend some time with my little boy. Wow. I just really missed the mark this time.
I worked yesterday and David stayed at home with Xander. In my head I kept thinking, "I'll get a call pretty soon about how rotten Xander's being," or "I hate to leave David at home with Xander on his day off when Xander's been acting like such a pill." Around noon I got a call from David to find out if I wanted to meet them at Chick-fil-A for lunch. They'd had a great morning! They vacuumed and swept together, Xander played with the teapot while Daddy washed dishes, David got a shower and Xander got a bath - he'd been a little angel! I met them at Chick-fil-A and Xander was contentedly playing in the kids' play area with all the other little kids. We got lunch and he sat and ate perfectly in the booth. He was so good we even allowed him to have an ice cream cone - since he asked. :) They came back to the library and played for a little while until they went home for Xander's nap.
I guess I learned my lesson. The next time Xander's having a bad day I need to just step back, spend some time with him and remember Ephesians 4:2. That is definitely a verse I'll be praying the next few days.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Cancun
Cancun was fabulous! David and I had such a nice, relaxing time together. We enjoyed swimming, laying by the pool, lots of reading (I finished 2 books!), sleeping, eating, and walking on the beach. We really didn't do much of anything else! We exercised every day while we were there - I was so proud of us for going to the gym! It made me feel somewhat less guilty for eating everything that I did! I don't have too many pics simply because we'd been there before, so we didn't take many of the facility itself. We meant to take our camera out on the beach, but it was so nice just to walk and talk and not worry one bit about anything else. I certainly came home rested and relaxed, although I wasn't at all ready for the weather - 28F with snow and ice on the ground! Cancun was 80F...so nice this time of year!
Not the greatest pic - taken with our phone. However, you can see our faces got a little sun-kissed! This was our favorite restaurant at the resort, an Asian place called Wok. The Tempura fried ice cream was the best!
Friday, January 7, 2011
Prayers & Shout-outs
Xander and I pray pretty often. We always pray before mealtimes, with Daddy if he's home, and we always pray before bed. Sometimes we'll even stop what we're doing and just pray in the middle of the day! For the past few months, ever since Xander learned people's names, he's given what we call shout-outs. In the middle of a prayer that David or I are saying he may say someone's name and will continue to say that name until we mention them in prayer. He usually comes up with another name until we say "Amen." Now we have to keep our prayers fairly short or we'll never end!
Earlier this week I was putting Xander to bed. We had prayed and I said, "Amen," waiting for his little echo, like he always does. Instead, he said, "Toys?" Not even thinking that he wanted to play (he was exhausted afterall), I said, "Oh! You want me to pray for your toys? Dear God, thank you for Xander's toys. Amen." And he echoed his little "Amen," completely satisfied. It makes my heart smile knowing that he wants to pray, too!
Another night this week after bedtime prayers, I said "Amen" and Xander echoed his little, "Amen," but then started jabbering away in his Xander-language. After a little bit (and it was really time for bed) I took his little hands in mine and said, "Amen." He immediately said, "Amen," rolled over and laid his little head on my chest. I had recognized words in his jabbering like Mommy, ball, Daddy, tractor, and Mimi. I really think he was praying! How sweet!
I've claimed 1 Thessalonians 1:2 as Xander's verse -
We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers.
Earlier this week I was putting Xander to bed. We had prayed and I said, "Amen," waiting for his little echo, like he always does. Instead, he said, "Toys?" Not even thinking that he wanted to play (he was exhausted afterall), I said, "Oh! You want me to pray for your toys? Dear God, thank you for Xander's toys. Amen." And he echoed his little "Amen," completely satisfied. It makes my heart smile knowing that he wants to pray, too!
Another night this week after bedtime prayers, I said "Amen" and Xander echoed his little, "Amen," but then started jabbering away in his Xander-language. After a little bit (and it was really time for bed) I took his little hands in mine and said, "Amen." He immediately said, "Amen," rolled over and laid his little head on my chest. I had recognized words in his jabbering like Mommy, ball, Daddy, tractor, and Mimi. I really think he was praying! How sweet!
I've claimed 1 Thessalonians 1:2 as Xander's verse -
We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers.
Mom on the Move - Sarah Ledford
I wrote a post awhile back on ekissa, a ministry that a friend of mine, Sarah Ledford, founded. She has been honored on a blog, so check out the article about Moms on the Move! Congratulations, Sarah, and keep up the good work for the glory of God!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Getting ready...
...for Cancun! David and I are so excited about leaving for Beach Palace on Saturday! We'll leave early on Saturday morning (our flight leaves at 7:15am, but we'll have to get up around 4am...yikes!), but we'll be able to spend the majority of the day in Cancun since we get there before lunchtime. And I'll have plenty of time to sleep while we're there - and I intend to do a lot of that! Sleeping, eating, swimming, playing, walking, talking with David, enjoying rest and relaxation...the list goes on and on. We've taken two big trips together since we've been married, both to Cancun - one for our honeymoon in 2004 and one in 2008. I feel so blessed that David and I have been able to take some trips alone together every few years of our marriage. It's such a great time for the two of us to be together. That's my favorite part about going away - that I get to be with my best friend!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Running of the Lights
Reflections
2010. An amazing year.
Xander turned 1.
David and I both turned 30.
We both served at church – me in Waumba with the 2 and 3 year olds, and David doing the lighting during service.
We enjoyed time with our small group at church.
We spent time with friends and family in many different capacities.
David, Xander and I ran a 5K together – our first and last until Xander can handle it on his own, considering I spent the last quarter mile running with him in my arms!
David and I ran another 5K together.
David and I (with my friend, Geri) completed a 10K within our goal time!
David passed all his exams and became a registered architect.
David and I went to NYC, just the two of us.
David and I went to NYC, just the two of us.
David got a job at Lambert in Winston-Salem after being out of work for 15 months.
Xander was introduced to Elmo – and he LOVES him!
We lived with Mimi and Papa for a few weeks, going back and forth from Mocksville to Charlotte.
I kept my job at the library despite all the lay-offs that happened.
I lost some great friends from the library’s lay-offs, but kept some great ones and even added a few new ones!
We had many weekends at the lake house with friends and family.
We had two trips to Myrtle Beach with both sets of families.
David got a job at Neighboring Concepts in Charlotte which meant we got to move back home.
Xander had many milestones including learning to walk, run, attempting to jump, talking a lot more, saying everyone’s names, learning his ABCs, learning how to count to ten, having his first sickness (hand/foot/mouth disease - twice), throwing a ball, “driving” a car and anything else he can pretend is a steering wheel, and so many more things I can’t think of right now!
My best friend, Isabel, and her son, Quique visited from Texas – thanks to my mom for an awesome birthday present.
I had an appendicitis, which required surgery to have my appendix removed.
My Papa died.
We went to Nashville for Thanksgiving – a typically 7-hour drive that took 9 and a half hours. But it was worth it.
And we had an exciting Christmas with family where Xander really enjoyed opening gifts and getting into the festivities.
I look forward to what 2011 has for us!
My Little Count
Xander started counting to 10 last week. He loves numbers and letters, but I had no idea he could count to 10 by himself until last week on New Year's Eve. We had finished breakfast and David was helping Xander "jump". After about 5 "jumps" David's arms were tired, so he told Xander that we would count to 5 and then he would need a break. We started counting to 5 with Xander and he would finish, "...6, 7, 8, 9, 10." We were astounded! And of course we praised him like crazy - "Good job! Good boy!" And now he counts from one to ten...but of course he also praises himself for it. Love it!
It's a little bit amazing that he calmed down for this. He counted to 10 for me perfectly and when I pulled out the phone to record him, all he wanted was the phone. It took a second, but I got a fairly good recording of him counting to 10, even if he is wiggly. :) This is truly a proud moment for me as a parent!
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