The Honey-Do List

On Matt's day off, he finished my honey-do list. This included fixing the shower rod (needed new anchors), putting a door stop in Emily's room, moving toys out to our alcove-now-toy room, putting up a cute coat rack in Emily's room and.....putting together Emily's new bed!!!

The first day, Emily cried herself to sleep. She got upset when we kept walking her back to her bed, so eventually she just stayed in it and cried. The second day, she cried for naptime but not for bedtime. However, she did climb out of bed 10 times at bedtime, until finally she closed the door all the way to her room when I told her to get back in bed. And today? She fell asleep on our bed while I was putting Nathalie down for a nap...so we moved her to her bed while she slept. She only climbed out once this evening and then shut herself in her room. I've been hearing some noises though........she's probably not asleep yet.
The cute coat rack. Putting away her jacket is one of her "chores" now.
Cute picture.

The new toy area. Yes, she's naked.

Emily's bed.

Riding on Daddy's shoulders.

In other news, Nathalie and Emily adore each other. Emily wants to hold Nathalie all the time, loves to play with her (but not share) and tries to give her food. Whenever Emily is around, Nathalie laughs and giggles. She smiles and tries to grab Emily's toys. I hope this continues as she grows up! I'll put up pictures of Nathalie soon.

Also, Emily is a conversationalist. Recent conversation:

Daddy, "Emily, would you like some cereal?"
Emily: "Uh-huh"
Daddy: "What do you think?"

Emily: "I think it needs some salt.

That's what's happening!

Would you trade it?

I just finished reading A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. Earlier this year, I read The Kite Runner by him as well.

Both books are fictional stories about people in the Middle East during the Taliban regime. I have read several other books with wartime themes as well, and after finishing them I have an overwhelming feeling of gratitude.

Gratitude for my country.
Gratitude for food on the table.
Gratitude for the health of my children.
Gratitude for health insurance.
Gratitude for freedom to worship, live, love in the manner I choose.
Gratitude for the right to vote.
Gratitude for a loving husband who respects me.
Gratitude for a job at which he works hard, even though he doesn't like it.
Gratitude for money in the bank (albeit, not a lot, but there is a little).
Gratitude for my Heavenly Father.
Gratitude for the people who have died for the blessings I enjoy.
Gratitude for the people who serve now to ensure those blessings.

I don't think we realize the depravity people face around the world. Being a "poor college student" is endless wealth to some. I don't have to worry about worshipping in the dead of night, or stealing just to live. I don't have to worry about going out alone during the day or what happens if one of us gets sick. I don't have to worry about being raped to death, or about watching my husband get shot or blown apart. I don't have to worry about watching my children starve to death right before my eyes.

Do we really, truly realize how incredibly lucky we are?

Wonderlab

I have to give a shout-out to my grandma who took Emily (and Nathalie and I) to Wonderlab. This fun little science center is GREAT for kids. Nathalie liked all the sights.

Their AWESOME climbing structure....Emily had so much fun.This was Emily's favorite exhibit. There are different "doors" in the air tubes where you can change the direction of the airflow so that the ball or scarf comes out a different tube. She got a little confused by that, but she played at this exhibit for 30 minutes or so.

Nathalie and Labor Day

Nathalie was a big hit too! She can't say cute things yet, but she can blow some adorable raspberries and has the absolute cutest laugh, not to mention the fattest thighs. She was constantly in demand by my aunt and cousins--I only held her when she nursed! Too bad they wouldn't take her for the night... Nathalie getting loves from Emily....while Nathalie loves Emily, she doesn't love the loves.

Oldefar and Nathalie.

Nathalie with my cousin, Marilla.

Emily and Labor Day

We had lots of fun at Oldefar's and Oldemor's house of Labor Day weekend. That's Norwegian for Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma, which is what we call them now that we have Emily. Emily was the hit of the weekend, making my grandparents laugh by hiding their refrigerator magnets in their cupboards, yelling, "Oldemor! I'm here! I want some !", and falling asleep in my grandmother's lap. She kissed my grandfather's face and held their hands when we walked places and gave them lots of loves. I documented it! Went to the park two nights in a row.

"Look, I'm just like Mommy!"

"I'm the Captain of this ship! Now how do I get this hat on?"

The real captain, my grandpa.

Why save the bread for the ducks?

There's no place like home....

We are home. After an entire summer of being gone, not sleeping in my bed for two weeks straight ever, packing up and moving out (and with a newborn to boot!) we're home. I'm grateful for the fun travels, trips and experiences we had. I'm grateful for the family with whom we spent our time. I'm grateful for both our cars that got us where we needed to go and home. I'm especially grateful for a husband who works so we could afford to go on these trips.

But at this particular moment, I'm most grateful for my bed, which is enticingly calling me. I'm grateful for my pillows. My shower. My washing machine. And all the wonderful things I have here at home.

YAY!

Will post pictures from our Labor Day trip later.

Excuse me while I retrieve my brain

Whenever I go to the grocery store, I lose my head. It's the combination of two kids, one who likes to run all over, trying to get in and out and manuever the cart all over the store and avoid people. Today in particular seemed to be bad.

While I was in the checkout lane, a lady helped me unload the cart and then bagged my items. I got out to my car (I park waaaay out there so I can get a little more exercise), I realized that the fruit I had bought was not in any of the bags. So I load the girls BACK into the cart and head inside. When I get in there, I ask around. The lady who helped me said she put some tortilla chips in a bag with the fruit. So I go back to the car and check the bags again. Sure enough, the fruit is there hiding underneath tortilla chips.

I had a scary episode today. Goldish were 10/10.00 so I usually stock up. While I was getting some, Emily climbed out of the "car" attached to the front of the cart. I noticed that she climbed out. A minute later, I walked away, around the store to find some fruit. When I get to the fruit, I start talking to Emily (which is my way of reminding myself what we're getting). I look in the car. She's not there.

If you are a mother, you can imagine the panic that suddenly clenched at my heart. I looked around the cart. Emily wasn't anywhere near. I start breathing faster, and take off towards the back of the store where I had seen her last. I'm almost running and debating whether to go down the center of the store or head straight to the back. Something tells me to go straight back so as I turn the cart down an aisle, I see my little girl with some toys in her hands at the end of the aisle. A sales associate was walking behind her, holding her blankie. I almost cried in relief when I saw her.

So apparently, I either need a chaperone or a leash for the next time I go grocery shopping!