Little Loves

Evangeline has been hard at work making her school Valentines.  She is so excited for Valentine's Day.  The little hearts hanging behind her in the window is a little Valentine count down I made for her to make things even more exciting.  I overheard her explaining it to her Dad on February 1st (the first day we started it).  She explained it to him just like I told her..."I get to flip a heart over each day until Valentine's Day and written on the back is just one of the million reasons why you and Mommy love me."

 

Jed and Evangeline received a surprise Valentine from Papa and Karen....a cute Teddy bear and M&M's with their names on them.  It was almost too excited when Evangeline discovered their names on the candy pieces! 

 

Evangeline and Jed shared snuggle time with the new bear.  Finally Evangeline got the idea to give Jed one of her old bears so she could claim the new one.  Evangeline said she made sure to give him one of her best ones. 

 

I just can not get enough of their little faces.  

 

Evangeline's class put on a play and all of there parents were invited.  The play was Tacky the Penguin.  Evangeline was one of the penguins.  It was adorable.  Even though the play was in the middle of the day Kyle was also able to attend, so that was special.

We just love our after school custodian, Rick.  He's a farmer, circuit preacher and Vietnam vet.  One day this week Evangeline surprised him with a Valentine she had made for him.  He was so touched.  It says, "You are the best!  Thank you for the room cleaning.  The teachers really appreciate that."  He got the biggest chuckle out of the way Evangeline spelled appreciate "preishyeight".  He said it took him a minute to figure that one out.  I noticed a few days later that he had taped Evangeline's Valentine (and other cards she's made him) on the inside of his supply closet.

 

Mrs. Setzer, the librarian was another recipient of affection from Evangeline (a.k.a. Love Bug).  Here is a picture Evangeline drew after school one day just looking off her library book, "Too Many Valentines".  She amazes me!  This picture looked just like the cover of the book.  This is no tracing, just looking.  This girl!  I could never replicate a picture like that.  Mrs. Setzer loved it.  She told me that she was going to laminate it.  (the highest form of flattery from a school teacher :)

 

 

We have had more geese and deer in the field next to out house.  Just tons of geese and the day I took this picture Kyle counted 18 deer. 

A Boy and His Errr...Spoon

Jed loves the book Go Away Big Green Monster.  On each page we tell the monster to go away and make a little pushing hand gesture.  Jed loves to tell the monster to "da a-da". 

 

Jed's learning new words each day.  He now says "hat" and "yes" (though the yes is not quite in context). 

 

He's getting good at climbing up on the couch in the sunroom, which is a bit nerve wracking.  He's not exactly careful about anything he does.  He's always falling.  He's a bull in a China shop.

 

Jed loves to carry around his beloved wooden spoon.  The second we walk in the house he walks over to the kitchen counter and points up at the crock where I keep the wooden spoons and grunts until someone gives him one.  Then he proceeds to just walk around the house with it.  Sometimes he gets out a bowl and stirs, other times he whacks his ball around the room, every so often he gives his sister a whack.  Then he looses his spoon privileges and this makes him very mad.

 

 

 

 

Here's a picture Evangeline drew of Jed and his spoon...right before she got whacked and Jed lost his spoon privileges for the morning....

The mouse slippers are back in action.  Evangeline wore these things for years.  I'm so happy I get to see them again on Jed.  He loves them and they keep him from slipping on the hardwood.  It's also a sweet reminder of Aunt Jeanne.  They make me happy.

 

"Where's Jed?".... It's one of his favorite games.

 

"There he is!"

 

 

 

This picture of Pickles was an, "awww, mom, get your camera" moment.....

 

January: Here and Gone

Jed is always doing new things.  He says the sounds for dog, horse, cow, cat, rooster (he says cockol, it's cute) and does kind of a growl for bear, dinosaur, etc.  He loves to tell people "hi".  A few weeks ago I was eating with my mom and Evangeline at Panera and Jed was sitting in his high chair telling everyone that walked past "hi".  Most of the people noticed and said hi back to him.  He looked proud.  He still does a lot of communication with sign language.  He does the signs for book, more, all done and drink.  He even strings two signs together like "more drink" or "more book".  My favorite thing he is saying right now is "iss", which is what he is calling Evangeline.  Every so often he gets out all the sounds for sis, but mostly it just comes out "iss". 

Jed's also started saying "no" when he doesn't want something or doesn't want to do something.  He used to just shake his head and make a little garbley sound, but now he says "no".  It's adorable.  For example, I ask him if he wants to go night-night and he shakes his head and says "no".  He was eating a banana yesterday and I told him that monkeys eat bananas.  I asked him if he is a monkey and he said, "no".

Evangeline continues to amaze me every day with her reading and drawing.  She is also so sweet, considerate and caring toward others. 

Our neighbors, Joe and Alice are out of town for 3 months and asked us if we would like to receive their Terre Haute newspaper while they are gone.  Evangeline has really enjoyed the Sunday funnies.  She reads them start to finish each week and it's so cute to see her sitting at the kitchen table with the page held out in front of her like a grown up.  The day I took this picture she opted for the floor.

There's been lots of cat snuggling going on around here.  Pickles is a special cat, that's for sure.  He sure loves Evangeline and he is right to be super nervous around Jed. 


Kyle had to go to Springfield for a few days for work.  Evangeline was very upset about him leaving.  She moped the whole time.  She was so excited when Kyle got back home.  He brought her what we call the "Daddy doll".  It's Kris Bryant, but it looks just like Kyle!  We were all cracking up.

 

I found a note in her little journal and was sure to send a picture of it to Kyle while he was away.  It says, "I am feeling sad today.  Daddy left us to go to Springfield.  He had to go to a meeting there.  I bring my locket every day to school.  Somethings I just think of him.  I miss Daddy and I bet he misses me."

I spent some special time with Evangeline last weekend.  We attended a Marshall band fundraiser, Cocoa and Canvas.  We created a decoupage snowman picture and there was a cocoa bar there which made it even more exciting.  It was fun helping her make this canvas (she did most of the work).  She kept calling the event "Mama and Me".  She really looked forward to it and we both enjoyed the whole experience. 

Friday was the 100th day of school.  I can't believe how fast the years fly by.  First and second grade made shirts with 100 items on it.  Evangeline and I both made a shirt with 100 balloons on them.

Our house is feeling more and more like a home lately.  We recently bought furniture for the sunroom.  I organized the shelves with all of the kids games, craft supplies and books now easily accessible to the big girl and not so easily accessible to the baby.  We have been spending so much time in there and I think we will live in there in the summer. 

It snowed after church this week.  Nothing stuck, but it was the kind of snow that made you feel like you were inside a snow globe.  After lunch Evangeline wanted to go outside and play.  I looked out to check on her and saw that she was just sitting on a rock at the end of the driveway staring out in to the corn field.  She sat there for the longest time.  When she came in I asked her what she had been doing outside and she said, "just sittin' on a rock looking at the pretty world."  I told her that I saw her sitting out there and she said, "Just sat there on the rock thinking about God.  I don't know why, I just wanted too."

 

The days just seem to fly right by.  It's hard to believe Wednesday is already the first of February.  We are just doing our thing...wake up, work, home, dinner, play, showers/baths, bed....do it all again tomorrow.  This is the time of year where I crave summer vacation.  It's far off, but I'm really looking forward to a break in the routine.  It's exhausting sometimes. I'm ready for time to slow down again.  I'm ready to have my babies all to myself.  



 

 

Winter Fun

Evangeline's become a master potholder weaver.  She made 3 potholders they day we opened up the kit she got for Christmas.  She was so proud of her accomplishment.  As she held a potholder up to admire it she said, "I don't even want to use if for potholding. I just want to hug it."

 

It's been such a mild winter so far.  We filled up the bird feeders last week.  There are so many birds that visit our yard.  I've seen many cardinals, blue jays, and woodpeckers.  We've also had lots of deer and wild turkeys.  

 

It's snowed a little bit.  Not much, but there was enough on the ground to try out the new snow gear.  Jed didn't seem to enjoy himself.  At one point he fell and got little snow under his mitten.  He was so mad.

 

My little artist draws pictures of the snowy scenes we wish for....

 

My friend Lesley was in town for a brief visit.  I got to meet her baby, Madisyn, for the first time.  It would have been nice to get all the kids in a picture, but unfortunately Lesley's mom was rocking Madisyn to sleep when we thought about it.  Evangeline took this picture for us, so Jed was the only child to make the picture....we'll try again next time.

Pickles The Christmas Kitty

After several tears and several trips to various humane shelters we finally got our kitty.  Who knew adopting a shelter cat would be so challenging. 

 

We went to the Terre Haute shelter to look at the kittens.  We left with a cat in mind, but we decided we would get the things we needed and come back for a kitten the following day.  The next morning we stopped at the store and bought all of the necessary cat supplies before heading back to the shelter to adopt.  Evangeline was beyond excited.  When we got to the shelter we were told that all the kittens had gotten a cold so they weren't going to let any of them go home for 7-10 days.  Evangeline was crushed.  The Marshall shelter was closed so we couldn't look there, so we decided to find out if the little orange kitty that she had originally seen on Pet Finder was still available in Clinton, IN.  He was.  She had to wait another day to get him because they were closing.  It was a hard day to wait because her heart was set on getting her cat that day, but well worth it.  The orange cat was just what she was looking for.  

 

Pickles is so frisky and playful.  He is like a little puppy.  He follows Evangeline everywhere.  She is so attentive to him too.  She's a good little pet owner.  She was even scooping the litter box right out of the gate without being asked!  I'm very proud of her.  She just adores Pickles.  He is one lucky cat.  

 

 

 

Evangeline had all kinds of welcome signs out for Pickles.  She had made a few different cats of different colors so she could be ready to throw the right one up depending on what the cat she picked out looked like.  I'm sure he felt very loved and welcomed the very moment he stepped foot into our home.

 

Evangeline made sure to tell me that her dreams came true the day we brought Pickles home.