Mommy, I want a watch.

My reply: Not until you can tell time.

This conversation occurred yesterday.


Today:

Mommy, I can spell time now. Can I have a watch?

Partners in crime

They know they are not supposed to play in my jewelry box, but I caught them red-handed.

Me: Madelyn, what are you doing?
Madelyn: Well, Pierce wanted to open the drawer.
Me: Are you supposed to be playing in my jewelry box?
Madelyn: No, but Pierce asked for help.
Me: Madelyn, do you love Pierce?
Madelyn: Yes.
Me: Should you help him make good choices?
Madelyn: Yes, but he said "Help. Help."
Me: Next time, help him by making good choices, and please obey and stay out of my jewelry box.
Madelyn: Well, you should tell him to make good choices.

Can you name this tune?

He loves "singing" the song Elmo plays and sings at the end of Elmo's World segments from Sesame Street.

Tattoos in Heaven?

Madelyn received a temporary tattoo at a birthday party last weekend. While taking a bath tonight, she was very carefully washing her arm so as to not wash off the tattoo. She then asks,
"Will we have tattoos in Heaven?"

Not sure, Hon, but I really doubt it.

Naked baby

What is it about babies (or toddlers) and their love for all things naked? As soon as I get Pierce out of the bathtub, he sprints out of the bathroom and runs all around the upstairs. Today, I decided to change Pierce's diaper on the floor instead of his changing table, and when I took his diaper off, he flipped over and ran off before I had time to react. He was doing laps around the play room and laughing hysterically. I actually got some pictures of him the other day naked as a jaybird except for a hat of mine and a toy stethoscope. They really are funny, but I'm hesitant to post them on the blog--security issues and all. You can email me if you're interested.

Candy

Madelyn has about 30 "favorite" types of candy. She informed me about this as we were buying trick-or-treat candy. "Mommy, let's get this. It's my favorite. Ooohhh, Mommy, let's get this. It's my favorite." So on and so on. People around me in the store thought this was pretty funny. I found it annoying, but I'm glad we could provide entertainment for those around us. She also saw about 100 things she wanted for Christmas, but only two were important enough to remember once we got home.

Columbus Day

I appreciate Christopher Columbus. Really, I do. But should we really celebrate him with a federal holiday? In Northern Virginia, schools close for federal holidays, so Madelyn did not have school on Monday. Couple that with Pierce being sick (fever and stuffy nose), and it was a LONG day. Madelyn was disappointed about not having school, and we were pretty much home bound because Pierce was not himself. He was very whiny, and I held him for a good part of the day. My back was killing me by bedtime. I guess life is pretty good when this is all I can find to complain about, but school's back in session tomorrow. We're all happy about that. Plus, Pierce is on the mend, and his fever was gone by mid-morning today.

Picture Dump

A couple of days ago I realized that I had a lot of pictures of the kids on my cell phone. Most are from this summer, but I thought I'd post them on the blog anyway. So, here they are

Taken at a park downtown when we met JD for lunch

Playing at the neighbor hood "Tot Lot"

Ditto

It looks like Pierce is in a football stance, but he's really acting like a dog.

Pierce behind the wheel, wearing a stethoscope

AWANA

Madelyn is now in AWANA (Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed). I am now an AWANA leader. We've been at this for a few weeks. AWANA is a program that teaches children Biblical principles through stories, crafts, music, and most importantly, scripture memory. Madelyn has now memorized 9 Bible verses and actually remembers most of them from week to week. The kids wear vests (kinda like boy scouts) and receive patches as they work through their books. Madelyn received her first patch and I did my first sewing in quite some time. I realize that sewing on a patch is not a big deal for most, but it is a huge deal for me because I have a hard time sewing buttons back on.

I mentioned that I was an AWANA leader. The first week of AWANA, Madelyn was on my class roster. When we walked into the room, she asked where her teacher was. I informed her that I was her teacher, and her response was, "But, I want my real teacher." The rest of the evening went down hill from there. She was either super clingy or she refused to do everything I suggested. So, we switched her to a new room and things have gone smoothly ever since. The only downside to AWANA is that I feel like our Sundays are now completely occupied. We're at church for about 3 hours on Sunday mornings and then back for another 2 hours in the evenings. However, it gives Pierce and JD some bonding time those afternoons and I think Madelyn is really benefiting from the program. I am, too. I, of course, am memorizing scripture right along with Madelyn. Also, I'm having fun putting these Bible verses into silly sounding songs. It helps us both remember them.

September pictures

are posted here. I realized, as I was uploading them, that I hadn't taken many pictures last month. I will try to improve during October.

More camping pictures

Fishing with Kathryn


Lawson caught a fish that was "this big!"


Madelyn and Kathryn


The three amigos