*Madelyn making her fairy lacing cards fly

*watching Gracie and Madelyn try to drive the pink Mustang (it was very painful at first)

*Gracie singing "sweet child in mind" instead of "sweet child of mine"

*Gracie singing "don't want to leave them hungry for lunch" instead of "hungry for love"

*the way Gracie is a natural at rocking with the guitar

*watching Madelyn dance to I'm a Barbie girl in a Barbie world over and over and over and over

*Madelyn telling me that she couldn't do quiet time because there were monsters in her room

*Gracie naming her tongue "Blueberry Banana Tongue" after eating a very blue dum-dum

*Madelyn singing All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeth

*hearing Gracie singing Silent Night

*listening to Madelyn sing along with Jm as he sang to her before bed

*Madelyn walking into the kitchen after Jim lit a match, taking some deep breaths and then saying, "It smells like supper! It smells like poop!"

*Jim sharing Gobstoppers with Gracie for the first time

*Gracie saying, "That dum-dum made me excited!" (She's been getting too much candy lately!)

*the girls putting Jim to bed with a blanket and a baby

*Gracie making Daddy oatmeal and carrots for breakfast

*Gracie singing "Feliz Mommy Da"

*the girls sitting on Jim's feet while he tried to walk

*watching the Macy's parade

*enjoying Thanksgiving with my family

*watching the girls as they looked at our pretty Christmas tree

*Madelyn's excitement over her new red jammies

Gracie's Homeschool Materials

This is what Gracie and I will be doing after Christmas. I can't wait!

*Language Lessons for Little Ones 2 (includes poetry appreciation, copywork, learning how to read, pictures studies)

*the Five in a Row booklist and a journal to respond to the stories through art, drawings, etc.

*Five in a Row Character and Bible Study (Using a binder, she will respond to the Bible stories and will organize the stories as either coming before Jesus or after Jesus)

*Make flags using construction paper for all the places we visit in our stories

*find cities, states, countries and continents on either a globe or wall maps (Jim and I haven't decided which to buy)

I'm Thankful For...

*my two beautiful girls

*my husband

*my salvation through Jesus

*the gorgeous weather

*The Pioneer Woman's website

*my camera

*M&M's

*friends...especially long-distance ones that remind me of home

*books

*time to read to my girls

*T.V. time with Jim

*crossword puzzles with Jim

*food...especially Thanksgiving food

*Gracie's imagination

*Madelyn's sweetness

*Photoshop

*the external flash I'm thinking of buying

*the Bible

*my bed

*and many other things

*watching the girls chase a butterfly around the yard

*Jim reading the L.L. Bean catalog to Madelyn on the couch. She was totally captivated.

*watching Jim jump on the trampoline with Madelyn

*Gracie saying that the bread inside the bread machine looks like a dancing snowman when it is being kneaded

*hearing Madelyn recite No, David one night when she went to bed

*Madelyn saying she woke up in the wrong bed (wrong side of the bed)

*Madelyn whispering in my ear and saying she is talking to the ghost in my ear

*Gracie reading a lot of books to Madelyn before naptime

*watching Jim play Crazy Eights with Gracie using little itty bitty princess cards

*carving pumpkins

*watching The Great Pumpkin

*Madelyn's excitement over covering me with stickers

*Madelyn asking to play Ring Around the Rosy with me and her teddy bear

*the way Madelyn walks around with her hands in her pockets

*trick-or-treating with our two Snow Whites

*Gracie asking about God and sin

*Madelyn telling me that she had a "patapillar" in her cereal (it was really a piece of brocolli that she found stuck to her breakfast spoon and she thought it was a caterpillar)

*swinging with Madelyn and Gracie on my lap at the park (at different times, of course)

*reading to Madelyn on our bed

*picking out pumpkins with the girls

*watching Gracie at tumbling. She loves running cartwheels!

*surviving going shopping for clothes for the girls and me

*watching Madelyn fall alseep in her swing because she didn't take a nap in her bed today

*Jim cooking on Saturdays! Today is steak fajitas!

Gracie's favorite moment of the day...making a pretend present and a pretend fruitcake.

*holding Madelyn and dancing

*picking up Gracie from preschool and giving her a big hug

*drawing with Gracie

*hearing the girls play "Charlotte's Web"

*watching Charlotte's Web with them

*getting a head-start by making tomorrow night's dinner while the girls played in little tubs of soapy water

*just admiring my two beautiful daughters

*thoroughly enjoying "Mommy School Time" with Gracie

*helping Madelyn with an alphabet puzzle

*rocking and singing to Madelyn as I tried (unsuccessfully) to get her down for a nap. I know she enjoys that as much as I do.

*buying the girls "Snow Wipe" costumes--I have two beautiful princesses!

*hearing Jim walk in the door after work

*reading through the books of Daniel and Revelation and remembering that we have a POWERFUL God who is in control

*Gracie telling me she believes in Jesus

*making chocolate cupcakes with the girls

*listening to the few moments when they happily play together

*Jim's yummy chili

*researching curriculum and attending a meeting that inspired me

*seeing the Lincoln Log village Jim made with the girls

*still praying that Jim will be on-board with homeschooling

*Gracie helping Jim outside while he changed oil in the cars

*Madelyn saying, "Come here, G!" after she heard Jim saying that to Gracie

*tickle time with Madelyn

*Gracie's open house at her preschool. She did a great job with the hand movements during her songs, but she didn't sing. I loved looking at her journal and her classroom.

*taking the girls to a theater production of Charlotte's Web. They both loved it! And it was so funny when Wilbur the pig ran around in the audience. Many giggles! Also, the electricity went out for several minutes during the show because of a bad storm and the emergency lights didn't come on. Very interesting!

*Madelyn going through a phase where she kisses everything

*Madelyn joinnig the big girl class at church!

*reading The Trumpet of the Swan with Gracie

*cuddling with Madelyn

*outside time with Madelyn and taking pictures

*planning activities for Gracie...and seeing the delight in her eyes when she was able to do them

*snuggling and reading to Gracie

*Language Lessons at the kitchen table with Gracie while Madelyn colored

*the sweet way Gracie watched over a baby at the library

*dancing with Gracie and talkig about what she'll be when she grows up. She said she wants to drive the fastest plane!

*spending the morning with the girls painting and listening to music

*mulling over an idea

Why is it that everytime I get it clear in my mind that I have to give up on homeschooling someone comes along and gets me all fired up about it again? A neighbor, who I did not expect would be homeschooling, is seriously thinking about it. And she told me about another friend whose little boy just started Kindergarten at our local public school and is learning swear words on the bus! God help me! I just might go crazy soon.

Compromise

I want to homeschool. Jim is still hesitant to say yes. So where does that leave us? Well, unless Jim changes his mind, we're left with compromise.

Gracie is now doing really well at preschool. I can see all the wonderful ways it is helping her. After dropping her off at preschool yesterday, I heard her say sweetly to a little girl named Ava, "Will you play with me?" Gracie is such a great friend and is developing skills that I have not seen her develop at home.

On the way to preschool, she always wants to say five prayers! I don't know why she has to say five, but it is teaching her to see God at work in her life. We are able to talk about whether or not God answered her prayers, see how he has protected her that day, and talk about the good friends and teachers God has given her.

Gracie enjoys having a place all her own. Next Friday is Open House at her school. She is SO excited to show Jim everything. They are also learning songs to sing to the parents.

These are all very positive things. My head is telling me I have to keep sending her to school, but my heart won't give up on homeschooling. And then it dawned on me. I don't have to give up. Jim still wants me to teach them at home. So, along with making sure they have as much outside time and free-play as they need, I will still be researching all my favorite homeschooling blogs and magazines for ways to enrich their lives and learning when they are home.

I have started brainstorming ways to stay involved in their schooling. Volunteering in the classroom, joining the PTA, starting a Moms-in-Touch prayer group. Continuing this newfound passion for photography and using it to do projects in the classroom and possibly even raise money.

But that is way down the road...

For now, the biggest lessons I am learning from all of this are submission to my husband and trust in God to keep my kids safe. A great friend read this verse to me the other day and it was just what I needed to hear...

"...They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear."
1 Peter 3:5-6

*the girls getting free balloons at the grocery store...hours of fun!

*homemade bread

*Madelyn putting her ducks on the "time-out square"

*Madelyn always asking, "I go with you?"

*watching Madelyn happily jump on the trampoline with bouncy Tigger

*the cool morning air...and time to play outside in it without rushing off somewhere

*snacktime with the girls and watching Gracie make letters with her pretzel sticks

*doing a color experiment with Gracie

*watching the girls paly and clean in the big bathtub while I cleaned the bathroom

*the way Madelyn says Snow Wipe (Snow White) and swimming soup (swimming suit)

*Gracie's excitement over playing "hotel" before bed. It involves a flashlight and eating cakes and drinking tea.

*seeing the girls looking at a costume magazine on the couch together on the couch

*two preschool mornings with no crying beforehand

*watching Gracie run into her classroom, find her name, and put it in the pocketchart

*singing to Madelyn on the couch

*the fact that Gracie wanted me to say 4 prayers for her on the way to preschool

*Madelyn has a favorite baby doll named Lucy. Gracie has one just like it named Caroline. Instead of calling her Caroline, Madelyn calls her "Gracie's Lucy". It is so cute.

*the smell of BBQ ribs baking in the oven--yum!

*being thankful for a husband who likes to cook, and for the fact that we have food to eat

*editing pictures of my beautiful girls

*playing with bouncy balls in the hallway and hearing the girls' squeals

*finding nitrite and nitrate-free lunchmeat at the store--yay!

Preschool Day 5

Gracie cried and cried all morning because she didn't want me to take her to school, but she ended up having a pretty good day! I'm so glad! Now we just have to see if she can have another good day.

Preschool Day 4

Not too much improvement. She cried when I dropped her off, which is the first time that's happened. She cried throughout the first part, but I guess did a little better towards the end. Everyone keeps telling me to keep trying it. I have my own opinion. We'll contiue to see how things go.

*Gracie's excitement over learning about fire safety and doing "school" at home with me (I enjoyed it, too!)

*seeing Madelyn's pride as she did a puzzle over and over again all by herself

*reading The Little House in the Big Woods with Gracie

*doing picture studies and reading poems with Gracie

*pulling Madelyn around in the laundry basket

*reading on the floor with Madelyn

*making hot buttered noodles for Gracie to eat when she got home from preschool

*preparing book activities and language lessons to do with Gracie

Preschool--Day 3

Day 3 didn't go much better. She cried again, her juice and pretzels spilled and she didn't get a snack, and she missed me. We'll keep trying.

*Gracie finding the perfect climbing tree at the lake

*watching Gracie play in the water and mud and getting so dirty while Madelyn swang in her swing and was happy to stay clean

*the way Madelyn says "wishy" for "fishy"

Preschool--Day 2 on Thursday: Part 2

I dropped Gracie off in good spirits, but when I picked her up again, I could tell that she had been crying again. I guess there was a cupcake incident. They were celebrating someone's birthday, but she couldn't have a cupcake because of her allergies. Some of the icing touched her, and she freaked out because she thought it was going to hurt her. She wouldn't eat her snack after that and just cried. Then she started missing me. It seems the second day wasn't much better. We will see what next Tuesday brings.

Gracie made my day at lunch today by telling me that when she grows up she wants to be a mommy like me.

Preschool--Day 2 on Thursday

For the time being, I think I have restored some of Gracie's excitement about preschool tomorrow. I really do hope she enjoys herself more the second day.

Preschool--Day 1

Two things I want to instill in my children are perseverance and contentment, neither of which come easily to me.

"Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1

"I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation." Philippians 4:12

That is why I am taking Gracie back to preschool on Thursday even though she is refusing to go back. When I dropped her off she was unsure but excited. When I picked her up she was in tears. She said she didn't expect so many kids and roughness. She also said she missed me and felt like crying the whole time. I felt the same way.

I still want to homeschool her, so it is hard for me to send her back to a place neither of us wants to be. But Jim and I decided we were going to give it a good try. And I will. I will try to encourage her so she can learn a little perseverance and contentment. But in the end, I feel like someone else is doing my job, a job I am being called to do.

Preschool is a break for many moms, but for me, it is missed opportunities. Missed opportunities of taking walks and bike rides, doing art in the office, not being tied to a schedule, exploring with the girls. We all enjoy these things. But in an effort to figure Gracie out, I thought we would try preschool to see if she liked it better. Only time will tell.

*giving Gracie a special sparkly rock, a note from Daddy, and a Bible verse to keep in her pocket during preschool

*saying a prayer with Gracie before she left

*spending time with Madelyn swinging, reading, playing on our bed

*hearing the way Madelyn says, "Weeeeee!"

*picking Gracie up from preschool

Madelyn's Birthday

*baking Madelyn's Elmo birthday cake and licking the batter

*hearing Madelyn sing Jesus Loves Me

*swimming with the girls and Jim at the big pool. Gracie is getting so brave and Madelyn paddles her little feet so fast!

*watching Madelyn open all her presents. She got a tricycle, swing, pink play phone, corn popper, books, puzzle, clothes, a little bank, and a play doh monkey.

*eating the Elmo cake and singing to Madelyn

*hearing Madelyn say "we're eating chickens" when we went to pick up some chicken nuggets for supper (one of the two foods she will eat)

*hearing Madelyn sing "clean up, clean up, everybody clean up" when I drain her bath water

*Madelyn: "Where's phone?"
Jim: "It's in Gracie's room."
Madelyn: "Get it! Run!"

*taking Gracie to tumbling for the first time this fall and seeing her do so well!

*hearing Madelyn say "I hold you. I wuv you." to me as I held her after her bath

*telling Gracie she couldn't climb the tree in her underwear and remembering some other funny things I once told her. 1. Don't eat Baby Jesus. 2. We don't write on our eye lids.

*As Madelyn was lying in bed with me early yesterday morning, she was talking to me and I wasn't really listening. She turned to me with much attitude, pointed her finger at me, and said, "Mom. I talking!"

*Gracie's excitement over jumping rope in the trampoline

*watching Madelyn happily playing in the sand table by herself and bringing me a baked pie

*looking at pictures from Gracie's second birthday

*Madelyn asking to play with Daddy's bracelet (a silver bead necklace that Jim happened to wear for the girls)

*the fact that I shouldn't have laughed when Madelyn used a pen to draw all over her bare tummy

*watching Gracie at the library as she sat next to a little boy and listened to him read to her

*the girls playing with messy oobleck for an hour

*seeing them make a bed and "sleep" next to each other in Gracie's cardboard house

*Madelyn patiently trying to put on a winter hat and mittens

*Madelyn telling Jim at supper that Lily tried to eat a cricket

*the fact that Gracie thinks she made the electricity go off by having a crying fit

*hearing Madelyn call Daddy "Jim" at breakfast to get his attention--I wonder where she learned that?

*playing house and doctor with the girls

*anxiously awaiting the news of our friends' baby's arrival

*hiking in Madera Canyon--the girls did great! Even Madelyn with her little legs kept up.

*Gracie showing Madelyn how to write letters and numbers on the magna doodle

*waffles for breakfast

*watching Madelyn stack little alphabet books

*Madelyn actually eating her lunch

*continuing to read Charlotte's Web to Gracie

*realizing that even though we are trying preschool for a couple months, I am 100% convinced that we should homeschool for kindergarten (and hope Jim will support me in that decision)

*finding a Charlotte Mason language lessons book that I am going to start using

More Data

As the debate continues over whether or not to homeschool, we have decided to collect more data (my engineer husband's way of looking at it). We have signed her up for preschool as a trial run in August. We just have questions that need to be answered before we can decide what to do for kindergarten. Some of them are...

*Will she like it?

*Is her need to be with other kids on a regular basis being met?

*Will my relationship with her improve if we get regular breaks from each other?

*Will she just get sick all the time from being around all the kids?

*Will she prefer to be at home instead of school?

*Are Jim and I comfortable with it?

*Is she learning bad behaviors from the other kids?

*Is she participating?--something Gracie does not always willingly do

*Is she even learning anything?

*Can we afford to keep sending her?

No matter what we decide, I will still continue to homeschool her. It is just in me, a part of who I am. In fact, I just found some really neat old-fashioned readers that I am going to order to start teaching her to read! I am super excited!

*the girls' Potato Head creations

*reading alphabet books on the "bankie" with Madelyn

*seeing how good Gracie is in gymnastics

*reading Charlotte's Web to Gracie and seeing how much she is liking it

*hearing how often Madelyn says "thank you" and how cute she is when she says it

*watching the girls fingerpaint for a long time

*Madelyn: "Where's the moon?"
Me: "I don't know. It's not out yet."
Madelyn: "It's seepin." (sleeping)

*making homemade biscuits and picking out our own cookie cutters to make shapes

Homeschooling

Jim and I have been talking A LOT about homeschooling v. preschool/public schools. Having worked in public schools and seeing first-hand what the learning environment is really like and researching homeschooling thoroughly, I absolutely want to homeschool for many reasons. We still have not made the final decision, but here is a list of reasons why I want to continue being my children's teacher.

*My educational philosophy is and has always been, "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." ~William Butler Yeats

*continue instilling in my children that learning is life and let them explore their world around them with a curiosity that cannot be fulfilled in the classroom

*"To form in his child right habits of thinking and behaving is a parent's chief duty...To nourish a child daily with loving, right, and noble ideas we believe to be the parent's next duty." ~Charlotte Mason

*to point to God in everything we do and everything we learn, all day long

*to create a tight family unit that learns together, plays together, enjoys life together

*to utilize Jim's knowledge as an engineer to do projects with the girls and help them with their math

*to let my girls play outside all day long as much as possible in the early years

*to develop their character and help them to learn to think for themselves

*the opportunity to watch the girls interact with each other and become close friends

*to avoid the way the federal government is trying to take over the education of our children and turn them into robots whose only goal in life is to compete in a global market...that should not be our only goal in life.

*My ultimate goal for them in life is to know Jesus as their Savior and be a blessing to others

I am following and would continue to follow the teachings of Charlotte Mason, an educator from England in the late 1800s. Go to simplycharlottemason.com to learn more about her.

*to snuggle on the couch with my girls and read as many great books as possible and use them as the springboard for learning art, history, geography, science, math concepts...the possibilities are endless!

We would read living books and do literature studies, nature studies, math as it relates to life, copywork, narration, dictation, Bible stories and memory verses...I absolutely love learning alongside my children!

As far as socialization, they go to...

*playgroup
*Sunday school
*Mom's group, which is set up just like preschool time
*small group
*tumbling
*the pool
*the park
*storytime at the library
*a homeschool group
*playing with the neighborhood kids

They come across many different kids and adults in these settings and, in my opinion, don't need a forced classroom situation to learn to be social.

Is this the easy option? No. I have struggled during these preschool years. But when I think about how quickly my girls are growing up, I don't want to miss out on learning alongside them.

*going to the pool and seeing both girls try to swim

*meeting with some friends and getting some good insight into why we should keep homeschooling...because I'm still not convinced that preschool and public schools is what we should do.

*the girls getting to play with baby chickens

*walking to the lake

*the girls laughing together in the pool and trampoline

*playing a flower match game with Gracie

*hearing Gracie patiently teach Madelyn her colors

*the girls' delight of pouring water on my legs in the wading pool

*hearing Gracie narrate what she was doing in the third person

*seeing my cute little girls in dress-up clothes

*the girls' laughter as they put dress-up clothes on Jim's head

*the girls making homemade ice cream with Daddy on Memorial Day

*Jim showing the girls his car video games

*supper cooking, music on, and the girls actually entertaining themselves nicely...two afternoons in a row!

*Gracie telling me that she wants to be a photographer like me when she grows up because I'm a good photography girl. I'm honored that she thinks I'm "a good photography girl."

*Gracie giving me a kiss on the forehead--that NEVER happens!

*hearing Madelyn laugh as soon as I walked into her room after her nap and realizing that she had taken off her pants and underwear and thrown them on the floor

*watching Madelyn blow on a dandelion for the first time

*Madelyn putting a bib on Elmo and sitting him on a chair at the table

*telling Gracie how to spell words and watching her write them

*reading these words on my calendar-- "God, help me today to see my children through your eyes."

*Madelyn and Gracie getting tickled by Jim

*Madelyn asking to dance on Jim's feet

*hearing Madelyn say "I sorry" when she falls and hurts herself

*Gracie's excitement about doing quiet time

*realizing it was way too quiet in Madelyn's room and then seeing her run out with no clothes on with a big grin on her face and her arms in the air

*teaching Gracie patterns and how to draw a heart

*Gracie reading to Madelyn on our new rug

*hearing Madelyn say, "That's funny."

*the distinct and different ways Gracie and Madelyn look for missing things...One year old Gracie would walk around calling loudly, "Are you?" and Madelyn says, "Where go?" which ends up sounding more like, "Where doe?"

*finding Madelyn reading No, David! to herself on the couch

*learning to surrender to God and accept his plans for my life

*hearing Madelyn proudly exclaim, "I ready!" and "I dressed!" with her arms up in the air and a big smile on her face

*looking at furniture and rugs

*finding Madelyn reading Investing for Dummies and the dictionary. That made me laugh!

*reading No, David to the girls tonight with Gracie on one side of me and Madelyn on the other

*taking pictures of the girls as they happily played with the water hoses this afternoon

*playing preschool with Gracie--fingerpainting, field trips to the library and vet (for Lily's bath)

*seeing Tim and eating at Manuel's

*watching airplanes and jets fly in the sky over the lake

*Madelyn asking Gracie to dance with her

*Gracie, my creative girl, suggesting we make stick puppets instead of just gluing them on paper

*Madelyn telling us that Elmo peed on the floor

*looking at pictures from our Brookfield Zoo trip with Gracie

*making rainbows on the floor and wall with a glass of water in the sun--Gracie's idea--then drawing a rainbow in her science journal and learning ROY G BIV

*observing the bees in our blooming tree outside Madelyn's window

*making a snowflake with Gracie even though it was 95 degrees outside

*Madelyn saying, "Blargie, blargie!" a saying from her new favorite book

*the girls playing with a car in the hallway

*palying outside after supper in the "cooler" 90 degree weather

*sleeping through the night for the first time in a LONG time

*blueberry pancakes for breakfast

*cards and picture frame from Jim and the girls

*taking pictures of the girls

*

*enjoying that Madelyn asks to go in her playpen with a big blanket

*the girls watching Scooby together

*the girls writing and drawing together

*the way Madelyn says, "Yep."

Little Victories
*getting Gracie ready in the morning without tears from either of us

*transitioning from playing outside in the house to going to the bathtub by asking what tub toys they wanted to play with

*Gracie doing quiet time and enjoying it

*learning that creating an eager want in my children will make our days go more smoothly

*making a Red is Best picture and story with Gracie

*helping Gracie make her own book

*Madelyn doing GREAT at potty-training

*Gracie being a good sister

*watching my little butterfly girls wearing wings

*Madelyn jumping on the trampoline and saying, "I jump!"

*teaching Madelyn a little dance and seeing how intently she was concentrating

*watching Gracie practice with her jump rope

*Gracie's Cinnamon Gravy Soup that she made in the sandbox

*Madelyn pushing Gracie around in the laundry basket

*having a dance party with the girls

*finding Gracie laying down with a pillow, blanket, and books reading to herself, and Madelyn sitting in Gracie's chair talking on her phone

*Jim playing hide-and-seek with the girls while I made supper

*Madelyn hiding her eyes and counting

*Jim yelling, "Ready or not, here we come!" and Gracie yelling, "Alright! I'm in here!"

*watching our wedding and reception video

*Madelyn kissing Gracie's owie

*Gracie getting ready in the morning all by herself

*going to the park with friends

*painting mud pictures with watercolors

*going to the library

*Madelyn pulling her puppy behind her

*the fact that Gracie just needs needs NEEDS me all the time...one day I will miss this and want it back

*pulling Madelyn in the wagon in the driveway while Gracie ride her bike around us...we made so many loops in the driveway!

*Madelyn lying on ther stomach on the couch with a cushion on her back looking at the laptop

*Gracie's interest in stringing buttons and beads onto thread...she did it for a long time!

*listening to Gracie read books for a long time

*the girls playing in a "boat" of water in the backyard

*hearing Gracie count in spanish

*going on an imaginary journey with the girls

Reading in the Corner

*Madelyn calling me Mommy instead of Mama now

*"planting" seeds with Gracie at the Lake

*finding a new curriculum that I am so excited to use with Gracie this fall. It uses picture books as the springboard for learning, and I can use it in kindergarten if I continue to homeschool! Yay!

*having Jim home

*Gracie teaching Madelyn her colors with Skittles and reading alphabet books to her

*Gracie buying Skittles at the store with money she earned

*teaching Madelyn about apologizing after she hit Gracie in the face with a book. Not a favorite moment, but hearing Madelyn say "I sorry" was so sweet. And then Gracie saying, "I forgive you and still love you, Madelyn."

*Madelyn's interest in the alphabet and hearing her say the letters

*Madelyn reading the little alphabet books behind her chair in the corner

*Madelyn saying a prayer with her little hands folded

*Gracie's friendly spirit and sense of right from wrong

*finding Gracie combing Madelyn's hair and putting a bow in it

*finding Madelyn feeding Lily handfuls of dog food while I was helping Gracie get dressed. No wonder Lily and Madelyn are best friends

*reading to the girls as they both sat on my lap

*seeing how much joy little plastic balls bouncing in the hallway can bring to the girls

*fixing Easter dinner with Jim

*the girls' tea party with Jim

*Madelyn singing Baa Baa Black Sheep

*Gracie telling us she heard an animal sneezing outside her window when she woke up

*visiting with Joy

*the girls playing house and Gracie being the mommy and Madelyn being the baby

*watercolor painting with the girls

*the way Madelyn says "floway" for "flower" and "buck" for "bug"

*the girls playing in the hose

*watching Madelyn go down the slide on her own

*Gracie riding her bike all the way to the lake and back

*spending time with Jim

*taking pictures of the girls in sunglasses, which I will soon post on my picture site

*playing fish Bingo with Gracie

*the long walk around the lake

*the girls bowling together

*watching Jim and Gracie try to fly a kite

Gracie's Questions...

*Is it sometimes hard to be a mommy? (asked on a particularly hard day)

*What do you do in Heaven all day when you're dead? (as I had just fallen asleep for a nap)

Conversation between Jim and Gracie after Jim asked her to clean up the rocks. She managed to get more of the rocks in the yard than where they were supposed to go, so Jim said,

"Alright. Just go." (a little upset with her)

Gracie: "Daddy, I love you and forgive you."

Jim: "For what?"

Gracie: "For being angry."

*Madelyn thinking our black bean burritos were made up of bugs and poop

*finding a new tickle spot on Elmo

*seeing a full bright rainbow out our window while eating supper

*the girls calling Grandmother to wish her a happy birthday

*Scooby running away while cleaning the living room

*giving the girls time to watch some ants on a walk

*strawberry pancakes

*spending time outside as a family cleaning up the yard

*Gracie finding a lot of roly-polies and a grub

*Madelyn squealing over the bugs and repeating bug all the time

*seeing Gracie resting on Jim's lap in the outside chair

*the girls giggling while playing tag in the house

*Madelyn putting a picture of Lily inside her little purse

*Gracie saying, "How much ya gonna pay me for it?" when I asked her to give me my headband back

*Madelyn putting her sandals and pants on all by herself

*making Gracie's Curious George birthday cake

*Gracie wearing her pajamas and snow hat as she licked the scraper after making her cake

*the girls discovering baby birds in the bushes

*going to the children's museum

*giving Gracie her presents

*eating the George cake

*Jim taking Gracie to tumbling

*Joseph and Lydia singing Happy Birthday to Gracie on the answering machine

*Madelyn running and hiding under a blanket when I told her it was time to go potty

*Madelyn folding her hands in prayer when Jim asked if she wanted a pear

*the way Madelyn kept putting her hands on top of her head as she stood against the monkeys to be measured

*Madelyn finding a roly poly on her own

*Lily was dreaming yesterday and making funny noises. Gracie was very worried that Lily was scared, so she set her stuffed pig next to Lily. "I gave her my pig in case she was scared."

*Madelyn waking up and saying "hi" to the blender and mixer

*getting into the car last night for small group and hearing Gracie say, "This is the greatest night ever."

*laying on the floor with the girls on our stomachs looking at a book together

*the girls climbing all over me

*getting treats for all of us at the store and then going to the library

*Madelyn calling Olivia Bear "La La"

*teaching G how to set the table

*Gracie feeding a little black dog a treat at her friend's birthday party

*the girls diapering their babies...and hoping that someday the girls will keep their underwear dry

*the high voice Gracie uses when she talks to Madelyn and babies

*Madelyn asking me to kiss her baby's hand after her baby got hurt

*Gracie offering to kiss her baby's hand, too

*watching Gracie pick seeds from a seed pod and then try to plant them in the mud

*Madelyn's monkey hugs

*seeing Gracie make a bed for Madelyn and cover her up

*Gracie showing me her tumbling stretches

*the way Madelyn says "bup" for butt and ketchup

*the sight of Gracie's teeny tiny doll house house drying on our towel warmer

*giving Lily a bath and hearing Gracie say, "It's the best bath ever."

*Jim playing hide-and-seek with the girls

*feeding Gracie's piggy bank with the pennies she earned this month

*puzzle with Madelyn

*playing traffic cop as Gracie rode her bike and Madelyn pushed her baby in the stroller

*watching Madelyn's little feet dance on Jim's feet

*the way Madelyn puts our hands together when we say a prayer

*Gracie and Madelyn rocking together in the rocking chair

*swinging with Madelyn at the park

*admiring just how big Gracie is getting as she played at the park

*the way Gracie willingly helped me clean up the house

As I was telling Gracie at 6:49 this morning that exactly 29 years ago I was born, she patted my stomach and said, "Your tummy is big."

Thank you, Gracie.

*the loving way Madelyn pats her baby's back

*the girls combing my hair and trying to put it in a ponytail

*Madelyn's chubby cheeks and little pigtails

*reading on the blanket yesterday morning

*the presents waiting for me on the hope chest and my family who got them

*the cards that came in the mail and the people who sent them

*the Facebook wishes

*enjoying the first relaxing Saturday morning we've had in a long time and not getting dressed until lunchtime

*Gracie and me each reading a magazine on the couch

*seeing Madelyn laying on a blanket holding her baby, and Gracie curling up next to her (even if it only lasted for a minute)

*seeing Gracie's excitement over catching a caterpillar for her bug cage and showing her pictures of caterpillars on the computer

*hearing the grown-up way Gracie talks sometimes

*the way Madelyn takes Gracie hand and asks her to walk with her

*seeing the joy in the girls' faces when I brought home little bracelets for each of them from a fundraising event that I went to

*giving the girls their Valentine's Day gift--bubbles!

*taking pictures of the girls blowing their bubbles

*watching Madelyn pat Gracie to comfort her when she cried this morning

*Gracie pushing Madelyn around in a box

*blowing GIANT bubbles with the girls

*hearing Lily's foot flapping around on the floor and then realizing she had a post-it note stuck to it

Embarrassing Moment of the Day

*On a walk, Gracie saying very loudly, "That's a fat lady." as we walked by the lady. I really hope she didn't hear her.

*watching Gracie slide through Jim's legs as she danced with him

*taking pictures of the girls at the lake

*Madelyn's excitement over a picture of Jim I put up on my nightstand

*hearing Madelyn say "pretty" when Jim turned on his light-up Mustang clock

*looking out the window with the girls at lunch and Madelyn spotting a big hawk soaring in the sky

*Gracie's helpfulness washing the floor and sorting the laundry

*the girls having a tea party for their stuffed animals

*watching Gracie bravely handing out invitations to come to our church to two kids

Me: "Jim, are you going to take Gracie's birthday off?"

Gracie, in a very whiny and concerned voice: "No, don't do that because then I won't get my birthday cake."

Me, a little confused: "We're not taking your birthday off the calendar. Daddy's just going to take the day off from work so he can be with us on your birthday."

Gracie: "Oh. Then, I would like that."

*listening to Madelyn sing to herself all the time. It's just so sweet to hear her little voice as she sings.

*going to Bible study. Gracie is so blessed with a great teacher who does a Bible story with her and her friends while the moms do their Bible study.

*making silly faces with Gracie

*watching the sweet way that Gracie helped Madelyn slide down the little tree slide

*listening to the girls talk on the phone to Grammy. Madelyn had an actual conversation with her!

*the cute way Gracie wants to learn all the names of her friends' family members. She will say their names over and over until she has committed them to memory.

*holding Madelyn yesterday morning in her warm dark room

*Madelyn putting a bean bag on Lily's head and laughing

*Gracie: "I love God. He's amazing." Then, sniffing me, "You're smelly."

*Madelyn saying yellow

*watching Madelyn march around to the beat of the music

*going down the slide with Madelyn at the park

*getting new books at the library

*all of us watching Little Bear on the couch together

*the excited way Madelyn said "Dada" when she saw him after her nap

*watching Madelyn tickle herself in the tub and giggle

*seeing what a great big sister Gracie is becoming

*putting Madelyn's puzzle together with her

*watching the girls play dress-up

*seeing Gracie try to put a clip in Madelyn's hair and watching how patiently Madelyn sat there

*hearing the news that Bethany's baby, Alice Bay, was born on Monday!

*seeing pictures of her on Tuesday

*doing a letter book with Gracie and seeing her excitement when she writes them correctly

*watching Gracie draw

*seeing Madelyn walk around in dress-up shoes, carrying Gracie's laptop and a baby

*Gracie's excitement over catching a cricket for her bug cage and her naming it Crick Jimmy Cricket

*Gracie: "The reason I'm scratching is because I'm cleaning my bones." Me: "What?"

*listening to the girls giggle together in the tub

*Gracie saying, "I'm trying not to wake the sun up by stretching." She truly believes that she can wake the sun up when she stretches.

*the girls climbing into bed with us in the morning.

*Madelyn getting put in her first time-out for throwing crayons and paper and telling me no--not a favorite moment, but a memorable one.

*laughing and playing with balloons with the girls

*watching Gracie practice catching a ball with Jim and doing a great job

*listening to Madelyn sing to herself

*Gracie falling on her knees and praying because I asked her to do something she didn't want to do

*Gracie sining, "We all live in a yellow subbarine."

*the girls dancing with their teddy bears

*playing with a toy car with the girls

*listening to Jim and the girls play basketball...and all the giggles from the girls

*watching Madelyn walk around on her tip-toes with no clothes on before her bath

*hearing Gracie say her bedtime prayer all by herself for two nights in a row

*listening to the girls playing under a blanket "tent" for several minutes together. It was so sweet!

*seeing Gracie draw people who actually look like people

*buying Madelyn Elmo underwear and her wearing them for an hour on Saturday, using the potty, and staying dry!

*hearing Madelyn say the letters J, I, and M

*listening to Jim and the girls roaring at each other

*watching Jim be a great dad to his little girls

*While doing a CAT mining truck puzzle with Jim, Gracie said to him, "Well, it doesn't give you any challenge." She said it in such an adult way, it made us laugh.

*Madelyn's new words as taught by Jim--"Bella" (a bear) and "butt"

*the way Madelyn covers her ears when I vacuum

*cuddling with the girls on the couch under the blanket, singing, and saying a prayer...and the way Madelyn folded her hands for our prayer

*Gracie's green peppers (play-doh) that she put in her crockpot (a plastic egg)

*Madelyn's giggles in the trampoline

*Madelyn learning yet another new thing...climbing onto Gracie's bed

*M saying "sister" for the first time

*playing doctor with the girls and Gracie wearing the stethoscope around her waist like a belt

*the girls' crazy bed hair after sleeping in past 7:30

*Gracie grabbing Madelyn's hand at the lake and leading her as we walked, and all the people who walked by and smiled at my darling little girls walking hand-in-hand

*Gracie saying things like, "My, this soap smells good!"

*Madelyn realizing she can reach the handles and open the doors

*listening to Madelyn "read" a book for the first time

*Madelyn putting her little purse on her arm, waving "bye-bye", and blowing kisses (imitating me)

*Gracie: "I would like to make a quilt."
Me: "I'm not sure how to make one."
Gracie: "You just get a big blanket, pick out some decorations, get some squishy stuff, sew on the decorations, and you might be done."

I didn't know it was that simple!

*watching Gracie draw. Her drawings are taking shape and starting to look like things! Yesterday, she drew a big castle.

*hula-hooping with the girls

*homemade apple pie

*Gracie helping Madelyn brush her teeth. Madelyn never lets me help, but she opened up for Gracie!

*Madelyn sat through three Curious George stories on the couch with Gracie and me

Me
*holding each of the girls in their towels after bathtime

*taking a walk with Jim and the girls

*hearing the news that a MOPS friend, Jill, had a baby boy today

Gracie and Madelyn
*playing with new, clean plungers at Lowe's. Yes, they found this very exciting.

*watching a new DVD in the car

*the Snoopy mailbox we saw

*Three Little Kittens day at school

*the tumbling class Gracie went to. She liked it better than the dance class she tried earlier this week.

*I'm just so thankful for my girls and trying to enjoy every moment with them, even if Madelyn is crying right now and doesn't want to go to bed.

Gracie's
*coloring with Madelyn and Mommy

*putting stickers on her calendar

*playing in the tunnel with Madelyn

Madelyn's
*playing with Elmo underwear

*sitting with me and typing x z dddeed xx ccc

Mine
*hearing Madelyn say, "Where's Gracie?" while putting her hands up in the air. She has been doing this all day!

*watching Gracie do such a great job riding her bike today. She was so proud of herself!

My Favorite Moments
*the sounds and smells of home--the dryer running, food cooking, kids playing

*After singing Come Thou Fount at breakfast, Gracie told me, "Wow! You sing really good!." If only that were actually true!

Gracie's
*getting an ice cube in her lemonade at supper

*eating a chocolate chip cookie right out of the oven..."That's a pretty good cookie."

Madelyn's
*helping me make the purple puree for our cookies and soup. Helping just puts a smile on her face!

Our Favorite Moments
*Dance class with Gracie. Both girls enjoyed it!

*talking to Bethany on the computer for the first time

*taking a walk in the warm sun

My Favorite Moments
*lying on our bed, reading to Gracie while Madelyn napped

*listening to Gracie read The Missing Mitten Mystery to Madelyn. She remembers books word-for-word and even uses the same expressions and tone of voice that I use. It's amazing to me!

*watching Gracie play with her dollhouse

*Madelyn's helpfullness with chores

*exploring the backyard with Gracie


Gracie's Favorite Moments
*exploring the backyard, looking at weeds, and jumping on the trampoline

*wearing a pink Snoopy shirt from Grandmother and Grandpa

*wearing new comfy pajamas from Bethany that has a cat on it that she can touch because it's not real

Madelyn's (I'm guessing)
*pointing to Snoopy on Gracie's shirt and squealing

*seeing Lily and bringing her home. When Jim walked in the door after work, Madelyn was excited to show him that Lily was home.