Drinking Beer
I know I have a lot to catch up on due to my Dell laptop being used as a trampoline (thank you LIttle MIss Ladybug) and deciding what to replace it with (love my 13″ Macbook). I have a bunch of pictures to share, but they are being held ransom on the Dell at the moment and I need to get them transferred (not to mention backed up).
In the meantime I thought I would share a cute and funny story about our darling little girl. She has been learning so many new things at Preschool and this has been resulting in her actually singing lyrics rather than just jibberish. Apparently they have been singing Jingle Bells at school (among other songs) and Ladybug seems to have taken a liking to this song and has been singing her little version of it along with Happy Birthday To You (her version, of course).
On the way home one night we were listening to our happy girl singing away in the back seat. Suddenly Daddy start to chuckle and then laugh. He pointed out that “Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells” sounded like “Drinking Beer, Drinking Beer” the way Ladybug was singing it. We both had a good laugh over this.
Ladybug’s version of Jingle Bells is:
“JIngle Bells, Jingle Bells
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells
One open sleigh, eh!
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells”
Not bad for her first Christmas song.
Bedtime Snuggles
Tonight we went to dinner at a favorite local burger/chicken joint and had our usual Thursday night dinner with one exception. Little Miss Ladybug got a strawberry shake, sung to and a present (new Dora doll with a Chinese outfit). She was so tickled. She’s had a rough week so a special day was just what she needed.
Then we headed to church and arrived back home after 9pm. I try to get her into her PJ’s and into bed as quickly as I can on these nights because it is so late. Tonight Baba when to get gas in my car and I headed up the stairs with Ladybug. She had fallen asleep in the car and was a bit cranky–not wanting to go back to sleep, but tired nonetheless.
I decided to rock with her in the rocking chair tonight because she was almost asleep again by the time we got to her room. I had stopped this part of the routine months ago because it was no longer conducive to her falling asleep anymore. It became a “chit chat” fest to her. I had missed it though. Tonight she snuggled into my arms and before long was snoring away. I rocked her through about five songs on her bedtime CD and then tucked her into bed. She grumped at me a bit because she didn’t want it to end, but she was snoring seconds later, too.
I so enjoyed taking in her sweet scents and feeling her warm body relaxed against mine. Everything always seems so right with the world when I’m in her room with only the night light rocking her to sleep. I didn’t want it to end either, Sweetpea.
Happy Three-and-a-half Years, Sweetie Pie!!
Today is Ladybug’s “half-birthday”. I cannot believe she is on the other side of turning four-years-old!!
We are coming up on our second Christmas where Ladybug will fully understand presents and start to understand Santa (and Baby Jesus, too!). I can’t wait for the holiday season to begin and to enjoy it through her eyes.
Last year she was still recovering from palate surgery and had never celebrated Christmas before. She also was still transitioning into the family and adjusting to her new life in America. So it was all pretty overwhelming to her. She enjoyed the lights and sounds of Christmas, but just didn’t understand all the fanfare.
This year I hope that she can start to feel the specialness of the season as we prepare for Advent at the end of this month and start to anticpate the BIGGEST birthday party of all. I’m working on collecting movies and books to help her learn about our family traditions and celebrations for this season of the year. I found a book by DK Publishing titled My First Christmas Board Book that has a TON of holidays of the season vocabulary words in it (I plan to teach her about the other holidays over the years, but we’ll work on one for now).
I bought this a few days after Ladybug’s first parent/teacher conference where her Speech Therapist said that a lot of what is holding Ladybug back is just lack of vocabulary. So I thought this would be a good step in the direction of helping her learn more vocabulary. I also pulled out the word books that her Nanas each got her last year to work on making sure she knew the words in those books, too.
Last month was the Scholastic Book Fair at Ladybug’s school. I found a few neat books that she has been enjoying:
Happy Veteran’s Day
Jim Houser, Steven Curtis Chapman’s Manager, has posted on his blog a link to a FREE streaming song that SCC recently recorded a demo song for a member of the Armed Forces in recognition for his service. It is available in honor of Veteran’s Day in America.
It is a *very* moving and BEAUTIFUL song. I hope that SCC will include it on a future CD.
Ladybug Has Some LONG Legs!!
Our little Ladybug and getting quite tall. As a matter of fact, today she realized that she could swing a leg over the baby gate in the hallway upstairs and escape. Needless to say, Mommy was *not* pleased with this. Ladybug, however, was pleased as punch with her new accomplishment.
I don’t know what I am going to do when I need to corral our active little imp, but hopefully I’ve been able to help her understand that when Mommy wants her to stay in her room while she does other things, she need to obey. Ok, reasoning with a three-year-old is like reasoning with the wall, but I tried.
I Stink (and Other Potty Training Tales)
That is what Daddy and Mommy were woken up to at 6:15am today. What fun!! Mommy managed to get out doing the changing though.
Ladybug has been doing realitively well on Potty Training. Still has no desire to poo in the potty, but she is working to keep her diapers dry. She isn’t quite as successful at school though. I’ve decided to leave that alone for now and concentrate on dryness at home first. We’ll get to the school issue when we have consistency at home. I’m sort of hoping that once we get the idea at home, school will fall into place. We’ll see.
I’ve tried everything under the sun to convince Ladybug that ALL types of pottying need to be done in the toliet and not her diaper. So far, she isn’t convinced. I tried to go all panties, but my stomach just couldn’t do it so I caved. Probably not my best move in this situation, but ugh! So far Ladybug has found a renewed interest in the little potty.
For some reason about a week ago she asked for it and I pulled it out. She’s been 50% keeping things dry on her own and 50% is us reminding her. I’ve put it about half way between the bathroom and livingroom. She seems to like this set up because she can see what’s going on in the livingroom. Mommy likes it because she can also keep the thought concept that she eventually needs to move this whole process into the bathroom.
Happy Birthday to Maria’s Mom, Mary Beth
Today is Mary Beth Chapman’s birthday. I can’t but help thinking what a bittersweet day this is for her. It’s her special day, yet her heart is still grieving for a little girl that should be showering her with kisses and helping to make her day special with her other sibilngs.
I remember my birthday four short days after my D&C for our little angel. I was still numb with grief. I didn’t even want to celebrate it really. I was supposed to be pregnant with our child who was supposed to arrive in the Spring. I spent three more birthdays grieving the child we lost and still waiiting for the child that was to come. Each birthday was so bittersweet.
That last birthday before we laid eyes on our daughter was just as challenging as the first. I had hope that we would meet our child in heaven, yet my arms ached horribly for the child that we didn’t get to hold and the child that I wasn’t sure if would ever be placed in my arms.
So I think about Mary Beth today and how her arms ache to hold the child she laid to rest a few short months ago. At little girl that will always be five years old–whose birthday will come in the spring. It’s a precarious balance between grief and the present. Your heart yearns for that which was lost and yet waits with hope for a sweet reunion. However life goes on whether one wants it to or not as so we must remain in the present for our family that is still here.
Happy Birthday, Mary Beth! May you feel God’s peace and comfort today as your family celebrates you and spoils you. For those who would like to wish Mary Beth a happy birthday can do so at her blog.
For those lurking, please continue to keep the Chapman Family in your prayers. I know I have not blogged in some time, but birthdays, a wedding and holidays have passed for this family and all without Maria. Their hearts are still grieving and still healing. There are many firsts to come and many anniversary dates to work through. Grief is a process that continues through out life–it never really goes away, it just gets less raw.
I’ve Been Tagged!!
I’ve been tagged by my friend, Tracie.
Here are the rules:
My Quirks:
- I have to tap the top of a can of soda before I can open it–I’ve done this since 1979
- I cannot stand to have only one wet hand. If I get one hand wet, I have to rub my hands together to make them both wet.
- I carry conversations in my hear all day long. Luckily, the voices don’t tell me to do anything odd.
- I have a hard time stepping on cracks in the sidewalk
- I crave organization, but I can’t stay organized to save my life.
- I wiggle my foot (usually the left) when they are propped up.
The friends I’ve selected to play along are:
You know who you all are. ;o)
Sharing Our Blog…
Permission granted!!
I’ve created this blog for it to be shared and read. If there is some way that it can be helpful to someone, by all means, SHARE IT!!
School Pictures 2008
Last year’s school picture of Ladybug was not a favorite of ours. She still looks shell shocked and like she is about to cry. Almost exactly a year later, what a significant difference in photos. We absolutely LOVE this picture:
Curenntly Reading
What Ladybug is Reading
