Happy 2nd Birthday Juliet!!!

Juliet is at the age where she doesn't want to smile for the camera.  Robby did the same thing at her age, and it is so sad because a two year old's smile is so sweet.  And, Juliet is so sweet.  Of course, this year her personality has really taken on a life of her own, and sweet is not necessarily the first word people would probably use to describe her.  I would use words like independent, spirited, charming, energetic, friendly, and happy as well.

She has clearly developed her own interests, which include shoes, jewelry, purses, chap (aka chapstick and/or makeup), and she loves the movie Tangled.  At school, they say that she loves to play with baby dolls, but she doesn't do that too much around the house.  She does love to go shopping, either in real stores or with her shopping cart and purses around our house.  She also loves to talk on the phone, especially when she gets to FaceTime with loved ones :)

As with seemingly most little girls, she has her daddy wrapped right up in her little finger, and she and her big brother are great friends.  She also loves hugging Lincoln, and it will be really fun when all three of them can play together.

She truly lights up any room that she walks into, and she makes me laugh and smile every single day.  She so clearly likes to make up her mind about things, and while she is certainly showing a two year old's attitude sometimes, just as often, she is very sweet and obedient.  Tonight, we were over at a friend's house, and I did not want her going up the stairs.  When she headed up, I called for her to come back down and was ignored.  So, I went upstairs and asked her to come down, and she looked at me and thought for a bit about what she wanted to do.  Finally, she said "okay Mommy!" and then every couple of steps on the way down she would say, "Welcome, mommy.  Welcome."  Clearly, she had done me a big service in her obedience :), but her sweet spirit was really shining through at that moment as well.

I am so proud of her and so grateful to have been given the gift of being her mommy.  I can't wait to see what this coming year will bring and what I will be saying about her by the time she turns three!

The First Few Days

Life is pretty crazy as we are learning and adjusting to being a family of five instead of four.  Thankfully, we've had lots of great support from family over the past couple of weeks to help us through the transition.  But, Lincoln is such a joy to have.  He is already very busy asserting himself into the family and carving out his role in our lives.  His brother and sister have done an amazing job of adjusting to the new arrival.  They are both protective and concerned for the new baby, and each seek him out a couple of times a day just to check in and make sure that all is well.  Here are a few pics of the family and the kids over the last 10 days:

This was taken right after arriving home from the hospital

Such a good and careful big brother

Right after his first bath.  Lincoln does not enjoy the bath at this stage in his life.

 

Trying out some tummy time.  He tolerates it in small doses.

Such a proud big brother and sister!

 

Such a cute pic.  Not sure why it refuses to upload correctly :(

The Thing About Shoes and Harris Women

Last week when I picked Juliet up from school, she was barefoot and her shoes were in her cubby.  The teacher told us that the shoes seemed to be hurting her feet, so they took them off.  I was aware that they were on the small side, and I had purchased a couple of pairs of shoes for her the next size up.  So, I sent her to school the next day in a pair of shoes (with her thickest socks) that were the exact same style (though different color of course!), just one size bigger.  When I picked her up, she was barefoot.  The shoes were too big.  Since her birth, Juliet has been defying shoe makers by always having feet that fail to fit into any available shoe size.

So, I told Bryan that I had to get Juliet new shoes.  Despite his strong protestations that a child only needs one or two pairs of shoes and that Juliet does not need any more (showing just how ill informed he is on that subject), the next day when we were at Target, I checked out the shoe aisle, and while I found nothing too exciting, I decided to pick up a pair of pink tennis shoes and then threw in some flip flops because they were cute and cheap.  I went to find Bryan and the kids, and Juliet was the cart and was quite fussy.  In an attempt to get out of the store before a meltdown hit, I showed her the new tennis shoes.  She was immediately enamored, trying to put them on and giggling with glee.  That is, until we had to take them from her to pay, at which point the hysterics threatened to rise immediately to the surface.  But, she got the shoes back and was a happy camper again.

When we got home, she was ready for dinner, but we had to unload the groceries.  Of course, she was moving straight back into fussy mode.  I thought that the shoes would do the trick, but I didn't feel like going upstairs to get some socks, so I pulled out the flip flops, which she didn't see at the store.  The giggling phenomenon was ten times worse.  She was beyond giddy.  Bryan walked in on her holding the shoes on the kitchen floor and just bubbling over with happiness.  The dismay on his face was beyond priceless as you could see him coming to terms with the fact that like his wife and mother-in-law, his daughter at one already has a strong penchant for cute shoes.

Since then, Juliet has insisted on wearing her flip flops at all times when at home, though she happily is wearing her pink tennis shoes to school.  The picture above was taken right after bath time.  I had her in her pajamas and was working on getting Robby in his PJs when she came in holding her shoes and a bow and motioning with insistence that we finish getting her dressed.

The shoes are the first thing we do in the morning and the last thing we do at night.  It's the closest thing either of my children have had to a lovey.  I couldn't be prouder of her choice :)

Juliet's Winter Fashion Wear

Dear Minda,

Thank you so much for my wonderful purple furry hats and mittens. They are my favorite accessories. Please note how well they go with my PJs especially.  I do so love to dress up.

Cowboys and Cowgirls in Cowtown

So, I have this habit of putting things on my stairs that need to go upstairs the next time I am headed that direction.  Yesterday, I put Robby's super soaker water gun (why it was out, heaven only knows--maybe because we were on our third straight snow day) on the stairs to take up to his room while I was downstairs working and the kids were upstairs playing in Robby's room with Bryan.  A few minutes later, I headed upstairs, but when I got there, the door was shut, most likely to prevent Juliet from wandering around and getting into untold mischief.  I'm not sure what got into me, but I had this random idea to pretend to be a bad guy who was robbing them.  (We've been talking a lot about cowboys because we are supposed to go to the rodeo tomorrow.)  So, I quickly headed into our bathroom and got my accessories ready: a bright pink handkerchief leftover from college and Bryan's cowboy hat.  I put the handkerchief over my nose and mouth, got my hat on, and headed to do the deed. 

When I got to the door, I demanded all their money after announcing that I was a bad guy. The kids were more than delighted, and by some random chance, they had their nerf guns out and loaded up (really--this was pretty random as we don't play guns with any sort of regularity). But, I managed to get in, get the piggy bank, and get to my hideout (behind the big chair in our bedroom, of course). But, the good guys were soon hot on my tail. The bad news for me is that loaded nerf guns are far more effective than an empty super soaker, even if my gun was definitely the biggest one. I was done for in no time, and besides just taking my loot back, they stripped me of my gear. I have to say that it looks better on them anyway :)

Pesky

On January 7, 1985 my parents gifted me with a very dubious present--a pesky little brother who would go on to spend years of his life pestering me while convincing our parents of his general awesomeness.  They only see the fact that he is slightly taller than me (a foot is nothing in the grand scheme of things if you ask me) and slightly more athletic than me (the trophy case in my parent's house has exactly one trophy that does not boast of his glories, and I'm pretty sure that mine was one of those given to everyone who participated).  Then, take into consideration the facts that he is not only younger than me but also male, and you cannot be surprised that he always got away with everything I didn't.  Don't mention to me TVs in bedrooms because I've never gotten over him getting one when I was never, ever allowed to even consider that idea.  Curfews are also a sore subject.  ...10 years later....

Now, Curtis just finds new ways to pester me, like beating up my husband:

Buying my daughter Christmas presents with literally 17 twist ties that have to be individually undone in order to extricate the pieces from the box:

Teaching my son to sing "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause" and then to immediately become grossed out by the very idea:

Using my son as a basketball and attempting to throw him into the hoop after Aunt Jenna's ball game:

And, while there is no photographic evidence of the rest of this tragic tale, I can only promise its veracity--single handedly causing me to lose two consecutive games of Ticket to Ride followed by a dastardly and soul-crushing defeat in Royal Hearts.

Luckily, I managed to come back and own him in our last game of the season.  Years from now, looking back on the Christmas season 2010, only one pertinent fact will remain: I came out on top.  Where I belong, naturally ;)

Golf is a, uh, .... Wonderous Sport?

We recently went to Academy to do some early (ish) Christmas shopping. The plan was basically that the boys would play around on the little practice putting green while Juliet and I did the more civilized shopping . . . like in the children's shoe section . . . or the outdoor cooking section . . . or the pretty much anywhere but the golf section.

Yet, somehow, there we all four were while Juliet and Robby battled for ground on the green, each sure that his/her golf ventures were more crucial than the other's. My attempts to lure Juliet off the putting green were entirely unsuccessful, and the final whisking away involved real tears (just hers, though I don't think a few tears on my part would have been wholly unjustified...)

I have heard all of the great benefits of golf. Trust me, golf runs thickly in the veins of both sides of the family. But, when I think of being a golf mom, all I can picture is my mother walking 36 holes in both pouring rain and scorching heat without being able to really talk to anyone or getting breaks to eat. No thank you. I am resigned to having one golfer in the family. But, two? That is just cruel.

I have hatched plans already to prevent any further interest on my daughter's part for this strangely alluring sport. My plans include new clothes, new toys, a later bedtime, access to sweets.....in short--whatever it takes.

Though, now that I think about it, maybe my real plan should be highly encouraging her to take up golf. It seems to me that even at the tender age of one, she has figured out that if Mommy thinks it is okay to play with, there is probably something more fun to be had somewhere. Of course, golf clubs are just destructive enough that she might figure out that they are actually a great thing to get her hands on after all.

Why am I starting to feel like I am already sunk on this one?????

Happy 1st Birthday Juliet!!

Juliet, you have finally made it. You are officially one year old. This year has been a huge blessing, and I cannot tell you how happy you have made us.

I love you so much.

I love your beautiful smile more than I love my first cup of hot tea in the morning.

I love your sweet snuggles more than I love homemade chocolate chip cookies OR brownies.

I love your infectious laugh more than I love sleeping in as late as I want.

I love your slightly mischevious nature more than I love shopping for a new pair of shoes.

I love your inquisitive personality more than I love curling up with a good book.

I love your modest drama queen tendencies more than I love watching Grey's Anatomy.

I love your wonderful (and not picky!) appetite more than I love even the best Mexican food.

I love your tenacity more than I love solving even the hardest word puzzle.

I love your warm greetings more than I love getting long emails or real mail.

And, it's not just me. You have made our family more complete. Daddy and Robby both love you so much also. We can't wait to see how you will grow over the next year!

Happy Birthday . . . er, Happy 11 Months Juliet!

This month marks my last month of celebrating Juliet's monthly milestones rather than her yearly ones. She turned 11 months old last week. So, naturally, we had her 1st birthday party last Saturday. What?? The girl is advanced; that's all I can say.

Actually, we had her baby dedication at our church this Saturday, so we just decided to have one big bash. It was an extremely special day. My maternal grandmother flew in from California for the occasion, and it was her first time to meet Juliet, which was so wonderful. We had great representation of family from both sides, and it meant the world to us everyone who was able for the tea party and then the service afterwards.

Getting the stage set

The tea party spread

Birthday cake, petit fours, blueberry scones, and the awesome flowers my grandmother arranged

The birthday girl makes her grand entrance

My favorite pic from the photo session with Nana

Outfit change 1: down to diaper for the cake! She just dug her face right in and stuck with it for at least 15 straight seconds. It was awesome!

Sharing her goods with Daddy

Opening presents is so fun!

Robby scored a couple of presents himself :)

We have now made it to the dedication service. Our pastor is praying for the family. As you can see, both children were really attuned to the prayer.

The whole family! What a blessing to have such wonderful support as we raise our children.

Hamming it up for Nana's camera!

Juliet's Favorite Things

In honor of my 10 month old sunshine girl who is always happy, a little ditty that pretty much encapsulates her outlook on life: (If you need me to tell you the tune to sing it to, I am going to be disappointed in you ;)

Pulling on cords and chasing the kitty. Eating blueberries and being so pretty. Playing with Robby on the playground swing, these are a few of my favorite things.

Smiling at Daddy and laughing with Robby. Grabbing at Robby's toys is my new hobby. Waking up happy at what each day brings, these are a few of my favorite things.

Bouncing and snuggling and drinking my bottle. Cruising throughout the house going full throttle. Listening to Mommy tell stories and sing, these are a few of my favorite things.

When I fall down, when I lose my toy, when I'm feeling sad, I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don't feel so bad :)



Juliet turned 10 months old on our 7 year anniversary. I feel less bad about how long it took me to get this up considering that we haven't made it to our anniversary dinner yet either :)

Cindarella or Step Sister?

I'm pretty sure I have a tina diva of a daughter already. You think not, do you? Well, let me present two pieces of evidence here:

1. Titled: "Gimme, Gimme--I'm the Fairest of them All."

2. Titled: "Of COURSE My Sunday School Teacher Told You that I Get the Cute Shoes of the Day Award"

Sick Day

A couple of weeks ago, both of our children got sick pretty much simultaneously. I worked the first part of the morning, so Bryan was in charge. Here is a comparative study of the difference between the sick day when Mommy's in charge and the sick day when Daddy's at the helm:

Daddy starts the day off with a quick "errand" that he had to run to pick up something from storage. Half an hour later I call to tell him that Juliet has started throwing up and I have to go pick her up from school (we thought only Robby as sick at first). When I ask where they are, I get only evasive answers. Then, these picks show up in my email...

At this point, they have made it home and Mommy is now in charge.

I'm not sure what to make of this stark difference, but I am just sure that there is a profound revelation about parenting and the differences in our roles somewhere in this day.

A Daughter's Plea

Dear Mommy,

I am now 9 months old, and I think it is time that we have our first serious mother-daughter heart to heart. I have to tell you something that you are not going to like. You might not even believe me at first, but I think that once I reveal the various pieces of evidence, you will have to accept the truth.

Gosh, this is harder to say than I thought it would be.....okay, here goes. Mommy, I do not feel that I should be labelled or treated as a baby any longer. I am going to show you that I am at least as grown up as my brother, and perhaps even more mature in many ways.

First, I now have my own toothbrush, and unlike my brother I actually love to brush my three teeth. In fact, my toothbrush is my accessory of choice most of the time. I even brush at the grocery store when the option affords it.

This leads to my second point, which is that I am now eating table foods just like everyone else. Sure my ham bits and cheese cubes seem to litter the floor more than make their way into my stomach, but that's not the point! The point is that I don't eat baby food nearly as often any more. So, I must not really be a baby after all. And, I am at least as capable as Robby of making a very good sized mess with a relatively small amount of food.

I also have a sippy cup of my very own that I am learning to use, and when I do use a bottle I finally hold it myself without your assistance.

I am also standing without assistance for good stretches of time and cruising along the furniture very quickly, which allows me to find and procure many items of interest that you seem to feel I am not grown up enough to chew on. Please, mommy, just let me chew on the wipes, the cat hair, the electric cords, Robby's shoe. I know what I am doing, and I consider these exercises crucial to my daily happiness.

I have very sophisticated taste in books. My brother might still like Curious George, but I have moved right into the more complex world of Shel Silverstein (oh the tears I have shed over the cruel fate of the lovelorn Giving Tree!)

Now, I have presented my case. I believe that the evidence speaks for itself. As such, it might be a good time for you and Daddy to discuss an allowance. Just think about it.