Madelyn's teacher threw a Thanksgiving party for her class last Tuesday. She gave each kid a treat bag. The kids also made Thanksgiving cards for their parents. As I walked into her class, Madelyn rushes to me with the card a treat bag and says, "Happy Gift-giving, Mommy!" I still can't get her to say Thanksgiving.
In the car this afternoon, Christmas music came on the radio. Here is the coversation that followed:
Mommy: Ooooh, Madelyn, Christmas music.
Madelyn: Christmas music?
Mommy: Yes, it's Christmastime. Do you know why we celebrate Christmas?
Madelyn: Christmas?
Mommy: Christmas is a celebration of Jesus' birth. It's kinda like his birthday.
Madelyn: Birthday cupcake? Is Jesus one?
Mommy: No, Jesus is quite a bit older than that.
Madelyn: Two?
I wonder how old she thinks I am.
11/26/2007
11/20/2007
Glasses
JD and I both wear glasses. I wear contacts most of the time, but at night, I take them out and wear my glasses. I was putting Madelyn to bed one night and she kept talking about glasses. I wasn't really sure what her concern was, but I just figured she was interested because I had mine on. Well, I finally figured out that she wanted her glasses (sunglasses) and that she thought that I wore my glasses to bed. Try explaining the need for eyeglasses to a 2 year old. I was finally able to get out of her bedroom without getting her sunglasses, but she was so sure she needed to wear her glasses in order to go to sleep.
My parents visited last weekend and they both wear reading glasses, so Madelyn decided she needed to get in on the glasses wearing action:
I hope her interest in glasses remains because based on her genetic makeup, I'm pretty sure she'll need them one day.
11/11/2007
We will prevail.
Saturday, JD and I drove down to Blacksburg for the Virginia Tech/Florida State football game. We left Madelyn and Pierce here in Vienna with a babysitter. We had 16 hours away from the kids! What a treat! In addition, we visited one of my favorite places on this planet. JD and I both went to Virginia Tech, so the campus and surrounding Blacksburg community are very near and dear to our hearts. This was the first time we had been back to campus since the shootings that took place on April 16. I wasn't sure how I'd feel when I stepped foot on campus, but when we got there, I realized that things just seemed normal. People were excited about the game, playing on the drill field, perusing the bookstore, waiting in the endless line in the coffee shop...just like old times.
We visited the April 16 Memorial on the drill field, and it remains a very solemn place. Virginia Tech fans still file around it to pay respects and reflect on the events on that day, and yesterday, there were many Florida State fans as well. This is just something that transcends rivalry, and it was a great reminder of how nice people can be. I remember feeling very numb on April 16 and the days following as I watched the constant news coverage of the event. I finally allowed myself to cry as I watched the campus memorial service. Several university officials spoke, as well as President Bush and Governor Kaine. At the end of the service, Nikki Giovanni, a poet and professor at Virgina Tech, read a poem that she had written to commemorate the event. Here is some of what she read:
We are Virginia Tech.
We are sad today, and we will be sad for quite a while. We are not moving on, we are embracing our mourning.
We are Virginia Tech.
We do not understand this tragedy. We know we did nothing to deserve it,...No one deserves a tragedy.
We are Virginia Tech.
The Hokie Nation embraces our own and reaches out with open heart and hands to those who offer their hearts and minds. We are strong, and brave, and innocent, and unafraid. We are better than we think we are and not quite what we want to be. We are alive to the imaginations and the possibilities. We will continue to invent the future through our blood and tears and through all our sadness.
We are the Hokies.
We will prevail.
We will prevail.
We will prevail.
We are Virginia Tech.
After she read this, the crowd erupted in chants of "Let's Go Hokies.", and it was then that I finally let myself cry. I was sad but also proud in how my Alma mater was handling this tragedy.
Here are some pictures of the memorial:
And it wasn't all serious. We did go to the game and witness VT beat Florida Sate for the first time since 1975.
We will prevail. Go Hokies!
We visited the April 16 Memorial on the drill field, and it remains a very solemn place. Virginia Tech fans still file around it to pay respects and reflect on the events on that day, and yesterday, there were many Florida State fans as well. This is just something that transcends rivalry, and it was a great reminder of how nice people can be. I remember feeling very numb on April 16 and the days following as I watched the constant news coverage of the event. I finally allowed myself to cry as I watched the campus memorial service. Several university officials spoke, as well as President Bush and Governor Kaine. At the end of the service, Nikki Giovanni, a poet and professor at Virgina Tech, read a poem that she had written to commemorate the event. Here is some of what she read:
We are Virginia Tech.
We are sad today, and we will be sad for quite a while. We are not moving on, we are embracing our mourning.
We are Virginia Tech.
We are strong enough to stand tall tearlessly, we are brave enough to bend to cry, and we are sad enough to know that we must laugh again.
We are Virginia Tech.We do not understand this tragedy. We know we did nothing to deserve it,...No one deserves a tragedy.
We are Virginia Tech.
The Hokie Nation embraces our own and reaches out with open heart and hands to those who offer their hearts and minds. We are strong, and brave, and innocent, and unafraid. We are better than we think we are and not quite what we want to be. We are alive to the imaginations and the possibilities. We will continue to invent the future through our blood and tears and through all our sadness.
We are the Hokies.
We will prevail.
We will prevail.
We will prevail.
We are Virginia Tech.
After she read this, the crowd erupted in chants of "Let's Go Hokies.", and it was then that I finally let myself cry. I was sad but also proud in how my Alma mater was handling this tragedy.
Here are some pictures of the memorial:
And it wasn't all serious. We did go to the game and witness VT beat Florida Sate for the first time since 1975.
We will prevail. Go Hokies!
11/09/2007
8-Months Old
Pierce is 8 months old today. He is babbling a lot, really trying to crawl, very good at army crawling, and cutting his third tooth. Here are some new shots taken today:
Just after his nap.
He really wants to crawl, but...
army crawling is quicker.
And just after his bath.
11/04/2007
Goodbye Daylight Saving Time!
Have you ever wondered why we change the time twice a year? Well, you can go here for an explanation:
http://geography.about.com/cs/daylightsavings/a/dst.htm
While an hour one way or the other is not a big deal in theory, it does throw me off a bit. If it throws me off a bit, I can imagine that it messes with the kids a bit, too. Actually, the kids didn't do badly this morning. By their biological clocks, they actually got to sleep a bit later compared to a "normal" Sunday morning. We go to the 8:00 am church service, so we are up early on Sundays. What I really don't like is that it will be dark within an hour or so of the kids waking from their afternoon naps, making jaunts outside a little more challenging.
The fun thought, though, is that in 4 weeks, I will allow myself to start decorating for Christmas. Yipeee!!!
http://geography.about.com/cs/daylightsavings/a/dst.htm
While an hour one way or the other is not a big deal in theory, it does throw me off a bit. If it throws me off a bit, I can imagine that it messes with the kids a bit, too. Actually, the kids didn't do badly this morning. By their biological clocks, they actually got to sleep a bit later compared to a "normal" Sunday morning. We go to the 8:00 am church service, so we are up early on Sundays. What I really don't like is that it will be dark within an hour or so of the kids waking from their afternoon naps, making jaunts outside a little more challenging.
The fun thought, though, is that in 4 weeks, I will allow myself to start decorating for Christmas. Yipeee!!!
11/03/2007
My Sweet Husband
This past week was a rough one, mainly because I don't function well on little sleep. Friday was the breaking point, as we had stayed up late on Thurs. night to watch the VT vs GT football game, and Pierce once again graced us with his cries at 4:30 am. I was very short with JD Friday morning and felt bad all day about that. I was also sluggish all day with the kids.
As I was getting Madelyn up from her nap, the doorbell rang. My first thought was "I'll just igore it." It rang again, and I decided I should check to see if I it was someone/something important. I'm glad I checked. This is what was waiting for me:
As I was getting Madelyn up from her nap, the doorbell rang. My first thought was "I'll just igore it." It rang again, and I decided I should check to see if I it was someone/something important. I'm glad I checked. This is what was waiting for me:
11/01/2007
Halloween
We have tried several times to get Madelyn to dress up in costumes, and she really hasn't been interested. She has an Elmo costume that I was sure she would love, but it really almost terrifies her. JD says it's because she thinks she's putting on a real person. I guess when you think about it like that, it is kinda scary.
Last night, we had a few trick or treaters come to the door. Madelyn was somewhat interested in giving them candy, but she really wanted to know why she didn't get a twick or tweek. I explained that she needed to wear a costume in order to go trick or treating. So, she decided she would put on her little ladybug shirt, and JD got home a little early last night. They went to visit a couple of neighbors and she told me she was brave enough to say, "Twick or Tweek". Now, every piece of candy she sees is called a "twick or tweek."
Another funny word: axsick--I didn't mean to hit Pierce. It was an axsick.
Last night, we had a few trick or treaters come to the door. Madelyn was somewhat interested in giving them candy, but she really wanted to know why she didn't get a twick or tweek. I explained that she needed to wear a costume in order to go trick or treating. So, she decided she would put on her little ladybug shirt, and JD got home a little early last night. They went to visit a couple of neighbors and she told me she was brave enough to say, "Twick or Tweek". Now, every piece of candy she sees is called a "twick or tweek."
Another funny word: axsick--I didn't mean to hit Pierce. It was an axsick.
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