Gymnast Madalyn doing her split-- "Ta-da!!!"
Monday, January 31, 2005
Girls Rock!!!
I am so proud to announce that she did it!! My sweet friend, Sarah Kay Wollschlager, won first place for her entry in Zondervan's "What's in your Head" writing contest!!! She'll receive a 1,000 dollars prize and a trip for two to the Zondervan headquarters in Grand Rapids, MI to discuss publishing her entry, "Pieces of Glass."
CONGRATULATIONS, SK!! You deserve it--all that hard work has paid off!
I titled this post "Girls Rock" in her honor...and because the only recent pics I have to post are of the girls in our family...mostly of Ballerina Madalyn.
So in keeping with today's theme, I decided to give you a fun link, as well. It's to an article that was printed in Housekeeping Monthly on May 13, 1955 titled "The Good Wife's Guide." Our good friends in Wheaton, Tara and David, first showed it to us, and Shaun and I have had MANY of laugh over it. Trust me--you will too...a hint as to what the joke's about...
Can you say, "legalism?"
Freedom in Christ is a great thing!! And while the feministic pendulum has swung entirely too far in the opposite direction, I'm so glad we're out of the fifties and that marriage has come to mean more to most of us than taking a lifelong vow of becoming a butler and a maid. I'm glad our family isn't called to appear perfect and happy, but rather to be Christ-dependent and holy.
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."
~Galatians 5: 1-3
The link is http://www.robinsweb.com/humor/good_wife.html
I promise, you'll be printing it out to read to your friends! We sure have!!
Parallel-Play
First of all...a big congratulations to Dustin and Katy Owen, who are expecting a baby sometime this August! Also, a very belated Happy Anniversary to Kim and Justin, Julie and Chris, and Elisa and Erik! And also, congratulations to Sarah Kay Wollschlager, who's book entry in the Zondervan writing contest is now one of the five finalists! They find out the winner...today...I think?! She'll have to let us all know!
An update, if you have the time:
The morning after my last post, Shaun found Madalyn standing in her crib! She was holding the rail and going up and down from her knees to toes--pulling up and not quite seven months yet, crazy girl! She always stands on the very tip of her toes, like a ballerina on point. I don't know how she'll ever really learn to walk if she keeps that up! She's also mimicking Shaun and saying "da da da da." Both of our kids said da da first. I must be a bad mom because I think most babies say "ma ma" first! She also ate her first saltine cracker at the mall yesterday, in the restaurant...let's hope she doesn't decide they'll be her sole diet, as has Evan. She did try to steal some of my salad when I wasn't looking. I turned to find her with strings of carrots hanging from her mouth and ranch dressing all over her face! What a funny thing!
Evan...
The other day I was helping Evan use the mouse with the computer and he was so proud. I said, "now go tell daddy what you did!" So he ran into the family room and looked at Shaun who asked, "what'd you do?!" Evan said, "I touched...I touched the bunny rabbit." (He couldn't remember what the mouse was called.)
Honey and Poppy visited yesterday and we went to the mall. Evan got to play in the brand new children's area--which he was thrilled about. He ran around yelling and talking excitedly. Mom said it's so funny how they all get so excited to be together but can't quite play with each other interactively yet. They play next to each other instead. "It's called parallel-play," she said.
But I don't blame him for enjoying the company--Shaun and I are still like that. We'll spend whole evenings sometimes, sitting next to each other on our laptops--total dorks, I know--and work on our separate projects. Or we'll read in bed like that, too. Scrapbooking fans, also, complete many a page in the presence of fellow scrappers! I guess sometimes it's nice to just have somebody next to you, even if you are lost in your own little world.
It'll be really fun, though, when he can start playing interactively...to see how he fits in with his friends...if he's the clown, the somber one, the brain, or the prankster. He already feeds Madalyn pretend food out of the pages of his picture book. Shaun got onto him the other day because he thought he'd put something in her mouth, (which is an obvious "no no,) and I said, "No, he's only pretending to feed her Cookie Monster's cookies."
Of course, girls are more mature than boys, as a general rule. My friend Kristen's little girl, Ainsley isn't much older than Evan and she was so sweet to him a couple weeks ago. He was babbling away, and he's used to not getting a response, but she would answer "Uh huh, uh huh... Yeeeah," in the sweetest, nurturing voice. I have precious pictures yet to develop of them together...will have to post some later. He was shocked and quite pleased to get such a cordial response from her...so a big thank you to Ainsley Clifford!!
You are so sweet!
A Bath from Evan and a Note from the Real Mommy
Our baby girl is growing up! We found her sitting up in her crib the other day at the end of a nap, and she now does it constantly--goes from her tummy to the sitting position. She's also a little piggy...loves scarfing down her rice and formula and is soon to start on other foods. We can't describe her smile and her laugh...pictures don't do them justice. She is such a happy baby...is always wanting to make eye contact and share a silly laugh over nothing.
She ADORES Evan and they play together now. They lie next to each other and exchange toys and "talk." Evan was trying to teach her her shapes today. "This is a circle, Madnin," we heard him saying to her. She stands/bounces in her saucer and tries to chase him and they scream back and forth while he runs past her over and over again. He'll also squeeze between her back and the boppy pillow so he is holding her, and he hands her toys and chats with her like that. Melts my heart...words can't say how happy it makes me to see them play. He kisses and hugs her, too. He also bosses her some and can at times be snatchy....but generally he protects her and guides her...what an incredible big brother! I've prayed that they would appreciate each other, and continue to pray this for them; that they would enjoy each other's company throughout their lives...be each other's greatest advocates.
Evan is always surprising us. Today he mentioned the "silver cup" and I was surprised he'd picked up the word "silver." I also asked him where his stuffed cat was and he told me it was on the bench...which I was surprised he used the word "bench" to describe the backless chair that's in our bathroom under my makeup mirror. It's amazing what sponges they are at this age!
He also was watching me put make-up on the other day and looked in the mirror and then at me and said, "That's the real mommy," to me. I have no idea when he learned "real," but he did.
Another cute happening was when I was in the bath with Madalyn, bathing her. He was watching, and helping to hand me things and he reached over and touched my knee and open and closed his hands on it several times and then said, "There. All clean." And then he proceeded to clean Madalyn's belly button and hair and everything he could with the cutest little grasping-hand motion.
He's also singing more now and playing make believe. He was sitting in his chair singing "Row, Row, Row, Your Boat," and then rolled off to the floor and said, "Oh no, I fell in the water!" And I realized he was copying his "Little Bear" movie where they sing that song and then fall off a raft. It's so weird to see him doing things like this...babies don't do these things, but kids! He's not a kid...he's my baby! (And of course he does still sing it like a baby, which is sooooo precious! I'll be really sad when he can sing it perfectly.
I've written plenty for now, I suppose! Love to you all!
~Katie
