The kitchen is one of my very favorite places to be, but since I've had kids I've had a harder time finding the time to get in there and whip up anything very gourmet. Fortunately, the two mouths I feed most often don't require a five course meal, nor do they request anything that requires any kind of significant culinary skills.
Clinton is a p-i-c-k-y eater. I hope it's an age thing because I have little to no patience for it....especially from big kids. He is usually happy with either chicken nuggets, some type of flavored rice, deli meat, any kind of cheese, raisins or any kind of fruit....or occasionally, a waffle for breakfast. And of course any kind of junk food he can get his hands on....chips, ice cream, chocolate, brownies...all the good stuff. But he's not interested in yogurt, most meats or nuts. And the closest thing to a vegetable that he'll eat is popcorn.
Lately, Clinton has been expanding his horizons. Every time he tries something new, we have a big celebration and tell him what a big boy he is! Some of his latest ventures include peanut butter (yay--a nut!), baked/mashed potatoes (yay--a vegetable!), cereal (but only dry!) and buttered pasta (great, another carb)! Good or bad, we encourage the trying of all new foods! Maybe one day we'll be able to add green beans or salad or real spaghetti....I dream of the day he'll eat what we eat.
Mmmm...peanut butter. Not sure if he was more excited about the peanut butter or the fact that I was letting him eat it out of the jar...
Our biggest eater these days is little Miss Priss. She is trying all kinds of yummy purees I make her. She LOVES peaches and butternut squash. She also likes bananas, apples, acorn squash and pumpkin. She eats more and more everyday....but she hasn't slowed down on the nursing. Every 2.5 hours she nurses....even during the night. And mommy is E-X-H-A-U-S-T-E-D!! WHAT HAPPENED TO MY 10 HOUR A NIGHT SLEEPER????
Heidi Sage is also teething (TERRIBLY!) so her favorite snacks right now are anything cold or frozen in her little mesh bags...peas, corn, grapes, apple slices... I forgot how hard teething is on the little ones (and the mommies).
As for me, I eat whatever I can while dashing between the bath, the playroom, feeding Heidi, running outside to find Clinton who has escaped, or running to catch the phone to hear about the latest, greatest restaurant Rodney's just eaten at. You would think the baby weight would just be falling off, but I guess I have very hospitable hips and thighs because the weight seems to be quite content where it is. I suppose I'll have to start running again soon... I love running, but I hate getting started into running!
At the request of our friend Tanya, we hosted a play group this week and it was such a great idea! We'll be doing it again very soon!
Clinton had a BIG time with all the big kids. Clinton, Anderson (Annie), Hutch (who I don't have a single picture of!), and Bek all played together in the back yard. For several days before, Clinton and I talked about how his friends were going to come over to play and how he needed to SHARE his toys.
I had no idea if he was grasping it or not, but when his friends got here he shared everything he had and did not have one meltdown!! I had to pinch myself!
Heidi Sage, on the other hand, missed her morning nap and was too busy with everyone around that she wouldn't go to sleep...so she was the one who ended up having the meltdown! I know, I know....I thought she was content all the time?? She is...except when I push her over the edge of hunger or exhaustion!
Below are the little kids. From left to right we have: Abby (Twin A), Lucy, Heidi Sage, and Norah (Twin B).
Sweet Anderson. She and Clinton see each other every week at Bible study. They're so funny. They are always SO excited to see each other, but they often fight like siblings. They're both quite feisty. Anderson is the youngest of four so she knows how to hold her own!
Darling Bek. This was Bek's first time to come over and play with us. He's another one of our friends who was adopted from Ethiopia. He's only about 15 months old, but like Clinton, he thinks he's about 10. He did such a good job keeping up with Clinton and Hutch who are both 2+.
I love this pic because you can see the size difference between Clinton and Bek, but like I said, Bek had no problems keeping up with the big boys. They ran up and down and up and down and up and down the back yard! It was so fun to watch!
Tanya with the twins who got pooped out with all the activity going on!
That afternoon Hutch and Bek's moms reported back that they both took 3 hour naps. And while Clinton didn't bless me with one of those, Heidi Sage took a 2 1/2 hour nap! That's her longest nap by about an hour and a half!! I guess she really was tired!
Clinton did impress me with a conversation we had later...it went something like this...
"Mommy! I pay!"
"Yes, you did play. Did you have fun with your friends today?"
"Jes. I shrrr."
"Huh?"
"I shrrr my toes."
Fighting back tears of joy, "Oh, you sure did share your toys! Mommy's so proud of you! Give me five!"
Bebe sent some very adorable Halloween outfits for the kids, and despite Heidi Sage's face in the first picture, they do love them! Heidi Sage wore this on the first day of October to Clinton's preschool. She got lots of attention sportin' such a snazzy tutu and a really cute appliqued onesie. She had a cute bow, but by the time we got to dinner it had been ripped off and thrown to the side.
I know I've said over and over how content Heidi Sage always is, but in the picture I was eating in front of her and she was hungry. She was fed shortly after this pic was taken! :-/
Clinton really loved his shirt. He liked to tell me about the truck, the cat, and the pum-pin.
Thanks Bebe!!! We love the kids' new festive clothes! We can't wait to see what Christmas has in store for us!!!
It's plain and simple folks.....These precious brothers NEED A HOME!! So, I'm here tonight standing in the gap, ready to beg, plead, encourage, and pray these boys to their forever family!! You see...I met these boys!! And, you know the scripture, "Once our eyes are opened God holds us accountable....." Well, my eyes ARE open and I'm going to do all I can to find these boys a HOME...a real home with a Mommy and Daddy to kiss them goodnight...A home with brothers or sisters...A home where they can go to school and have dinner cooked for them....a HOME is all they need!!!
These brothers (here is the older one playing at Hannah's Hope orphanage in June with one of his friends) have been at the orphanage WAY too long!! They are watching children and babies and friends ALL LEAVING with their new parents and are left wondering, "What is wrong with us? When will our turn come?"
I just can't bare it any longer...I must do my part by spreading the word about these completely healthy, vibrant, on track, playful, lovable little boys!! The older brother, above, is thought to be around 8...They called him 7 when I was at HH picking up Lucy Lane in June and recently he was said to be called 9....so 7, 8 or 9 should be about right :)
The younger brother, below, is said to be 4!! He was the shyer of the two and the older brother has finally gotten used to NOT parenting him and is enjoying his childhood again...They have adjusted to the schedule very well at HH and the director describes them as sweet boys that would be PERFECT for the right family!!!!
While I was at HH in June picking up Lucy Lane, my sister Kelly snapped all these pics...She said these boys were cooperative and fun loving...They were very close to one another and showed lots of love for each other. We nicknamed them "The Curly Headed Brothers!" My sister and I were so struck by their beauty and sweet dispositions that we thought they'd be snatched up in a MINUTE!!! But today they are still there...3 1/2 MORE months have gone by and they still don't have a family on their way to get them!!!
One of the things that struck me while at HH was the fact that the older children would come up and ask, "What state is Martha (LL)?" I quickly figured out what they were talking about and I answered, "Oh, Martha is Tennessee!!" And, they'd get so excited and they'd all begin sharing their states with who ever would listen...They'd point to a child and say, "He is Texas"..."She is California", etc. These older children then pulled TWO children over and said, "They are nothing...can you help them!" Well, it broke my heart...Two waiting children were just pulled over that had not been referred yet!!! I'm happy to say that ONE of those children is now TENNESSEE!! I know one family here locally that picked up one of the waiting children...but NOW the brothers are still waiting, and it breaks my heart!!! I want them to have a state to brag about.....So, I'm asking this tonight: *Can you make room?? Will you make room?? Are these boys your children?? * Will you join me in praying for these precious brothers?? My prayer is that God will connect the dots like HE always does and someone will read this and their heart will explode with LOVE for these boys!! * Please pass this along to anyone that may have ever mentioned they might be interested in adoption....You never know "what" people are praying for and thinking about!! *Finally, if you were with AGCI and met these brothers over the past months as you picked up your children...please comment so someone with a stirred heart will see HOW real they are and JUST how much they need someone to step forward and become their Mommy and Daddy!! That's it folks!!! I refuse to go on with my comfy adorable life with my completely easy, wonderfully adopted baby and NOT do something about the children that were left behind!! God knows I SAW them and He knows 'I know' that they are STILL WAITING!!! So I must do my part to bring these boys to their forever family!!!!
To be able to see their pictures and to inquire about adopting these children contact Mindy Anderson. Her email is manderson@allgodschildren.org or her # is 971.244.1474 to talk to her directly about them.
Isaiah 54:2 (New International Version)
2 "Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.
Proverbs 31:8 "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. ***Thank you for your prayers, thank you for passing this along, thank you for taking a part in finding these boys a home!! Happy Tuesday to you all, kj ps...i think this video is a great visual for the need in Ethiopia.....You might want to pause my music at the bottom of this page...I can see my Lucy Lane Martha's face in every child in the video...precious!!!
Anyone who has seen me around town lately, can probably tell that I L-O-V-E having a little girl. Don't get me wrong, I L-O-V-E my boy, but getting him dressed is more about explaining why we can't wear clothes out of the hamper or why a green plaid shirt with blue Mater socks is out of the question. All the while, across the hall there sits a closet full of beautiful things that make me happy. Like orange and black Halloween tutus, funky striped tights, sparkly shoes and ginormous hair bows in every imaginable color and pattern.
Yes, having a girl is so. much. fun. One day it will be all attitude and eye rolling, but for now it is bliss. And I'm savoring the moment.
Clinton has always been a Daddy's boy. The only time he picked me over Daddy was when he was sick, which was a lot pre-surgery, but still it wasn't the same kind of I-want-to-spend-every-moment-with-you love that he showed for his Dad. There was a small part of my heart that ached for that.
Well, my heart aches no more. Heidi Sage is definitely a Mommy's girl. On my hip or in my face is her favorite place to be. She loves talking to me about whatever babies talk about and then she'll laugh with big sparkly eyes, throw her arms up with that jerky baby motion, and then bury her face in my shoulder....and my heart melts every single time.
When we're sitting down she likes to put her forehead up to mine and shake it back forth to give me Eskimo kisses...as well as some open mouth kisses all over my face. Nothing like baby slobber all over your face.
Heidi Sage is so content. People ask me all the time, "Is she always like this?" And I can honestly tell them, "Yes. She's just very happy." It makes it so tempting to go ahead and try for #3...but I'm no fool. After two good babies, I'm surely due for a bad one.
Heidi is growing....and it is effecting her sleep...and mine. She gets up around midnight and then again around 5ish to eat. At her 6 month appointment today I realized why. Her 4 month stats left her in the 25th percentile. Her 6 month stats left her in the 25th percentile for weight (15 lbs 1 oz.), but she had shot up to the 60th percentile for height (26.5 in)! She grew 2.5 inches over the last two months. Her head circumference also shot up to the 75th percentile, so she just might be following in her bother's footstep....skinny, tall and one big ole' noggin'!
I've included a couple of pics of Heidi Sage. One of her in a new dress with some sassy tights sportin' some flower power; and another wearing an outfit that was mine when I was little. As soon as I can find the cord to my other camera, I'll be downloading some pictures of some REALLY cute Halloween outfits made by a very loving grandmother (Bebe)!
Have you had the Mango Smoothie at the Target deli? Clinton and I L-O-V-E the Mango Smoothie at the Target Deli. Upon entering the store we head straight to the deli to get one and we fight over -- I mean share -- it as we make our way through the store. It's pure deliciousness.
It's also pure sugar. And sugar turns to fat. And fat turns to my hips and thighs for a comfortable place to rest. And my hips and thighs are currently keeping me from my skinny jeans. And my skinny jeans make me feel good about myself.
So, the short of it is the Mango Smoothies actually make me feel bad about myself. But I needed a smoothie fix, so I started working on a version that only contained the natural sugars of fruit and and not the added sugar, or even scarier, high-fructose corn syrup. Gasp!
Here's what I came up with....
Mix one liter of club soda with one fruit juice concentrate. I used Apple-Cherry. Make sure it says 100% Juice, not Juice Cocktail.
Pour the juice into ice cube trays and put in the freezer.
Once they are frozen take them out and let the nearest two year old lick the tops to make sure they taste okay.
Put the frozen juice cubes in the food processor (or possibly the blender). If the juice is still a little wet it will probably process perfectly. If the juice is frozen solid, you may need to add a little water or juice as it is processing.
Put the deliciousness into the nearest cup with a straw (or spoon).
It's important to use the club soda rather than water because it freezes differently. Freezing water is too hard and won't break down like a Target smoothie.
...like--Not every birthday party is MY birthday party.
It's sad but true...and it was a lesson our little Clinton had to learn a couple of weeks ago.
This party was Jack's.
When we celebrated Clinton's birthday back in February, he still hadn't been to enough parties to really grasp what was going on. All he knew (or cared about) was that a choo-choo cake had sat on the table taunting him for 5 whole hours before the guests arrived. After a while he figured out the gifts were for him, but once he found one he loved he was done opening the rest.
NOW Clinton knows what a gift is and he knows he wants to open it. Because hidden beneath the beautiful, colorful paper begging to be ripped to shreds is a surprise toy. And lately Clinton is convinced someone is going to show up and give him a robot truck!? (Dang those Nickelodian commercials!)
He also knows when I tell him we're going to a party he is going to get cake. Since SWEETS is Clinton's favorite food group, he LOVES a party!
I made the mistake of thinking it would be really cute if Clinton decorated our gift for Jack. Actually, it may have been for the best. Clinton was able to learn before the party that it was JACK'S gift.
I wrapped the gift in brown craft paper. I then called Clinton inside to come and color it. He took his markers and carefully colored every side of the paper. As soon as I heard the last marker lid snap back on I also heard paper ripping. "Clinton, no!" A surprised look followed by a I'm-doing-it-anyway smile and then more ripping. "No, Clinton! This is for Jack, not Clinton." "Shack?" "Yes, Jack." This brought out the pitiful pouty lip and a few tears. I taped the paper back together, and then put the gift on top of the China cabinet. Tears, screaming, sobbing...he left nothing out and continued to cut his eyes back and forth between me and the floor as he checked to see the progress his fit was making.
I kid you not for 15 minutes this went on and on. He would follow me from room to room to let me know just how disgruntled he was. BUT as soon as Rodney walked in the door, Clinton ran to him SMILING, grabbed his hand, led him to the dining room, pointed to the gift and said, "Dad! Dat's Shack's!! Not Kenton's. I go Shack's poddy!"
So, lesson learned before we ever got there...but did it stick?
Clinton made sure to show everyone his handy work. And he even let Jack open most of his presents...
...but he couldn't help himself now and again. This face kept me on the edge of my seat wondering when the lesson we had learned was going to wear off. Luckily, Jack got enough toys that he was willing to share.
And truth be told, Jack wasn't nearly as interested in his gifts as he was little Hot Momma Heidi. They were having to force Jack back to the gifts because all he wanted to do was visit with his girl.
One part of the party Jack thoroughly enjoyed was the cake. And did I mention how much Clinton loves cake?
Only Clinton doesn't like to BE the mess! He ate his very carefully.
And while Jack and Clinton were each attacking their cake in very different ways, Heidi was on the prowl with another hunky baby (Michael). They "talked" and looked at each other sharing grins and occasionally reaching out to hold hands. So sweet...but it made Jack a little jealous that cousin Michael was going after his girl....on his Birthday!
I'm proud to say Clinton attended another birthday party this weekend and remembered the protocol. Whew!
I think when you grow up in Texas, you always have a great appreciation for rain. Rodney thinks it's funny that I think your grass should be brown during the summer...but isn't that how it always was? It just got to a point where it was ridiculous to even try to water your yard. The heat always won.
As long as there's no lightning, we here at the Williams' house are big believers in playing in the rain. The other day Clinton got the party started and after getting a few shots of him enjoying God's sweet gift, I joined in on the fun.
I didn't think we were ever going to get him back in the house. Thanks to Ratatouille, he knew we had to go in when the lightning appeared.
"Sked me!" (Telling mommy, "Scared me!" about the thunder.) He ALWAYS does this with his hands when he talks about being scared.
Loving the rain!
It seems we've been really busy lately...busy enough I haven't been able to blog!
Clinton is keeping me very busy. He's into everything, asking about everything and wanting me to play with him all the time. We've been racing matchbox cars, building train tracks, tickling Heidi Sage, cooking, and anything else that pops into his little head.
He now helps me make his eggs. I've never been able to get him to eat eggs, but Bebe did when she let him help make them...so, now he helps me make them. He insists on breaking them himself....he does a great job...for a 2 year old...which is still a mess. He likes to scramble them and does it well enough I usually don't have to help. He likes to pour them into the pan, which I do have to help with because he hasn't quite figure out to get the bowl over the pan FIRST, then dump it over. And he pushes the eggs around in the pan while they cook. Then he eats them...some of them. For as big as he is, he eats surprisingly little.
He also likes to help me clean, and does a pretty good job with this as well.
With help like this, who needs a maid? Well...I do. I'd still love one. :-)
I have lots of pictures to share, so I'll try to get those posted soon. But for now, I'm going to head to bed for some much needed rest and enjoy Texas' big win tonight over Tech. Hook 'em! Hope everyone is having a good weekend!
I'm a comparative person by nature. I don't make impulsive decisions, I sit in the aisle at Target and compare price to quantity to versatility to brand name to blah blah blah. That's just who I am...I wish I could help myself, but I can't. So, I'm learning to accept this about myself.
I am finding this comparative nature to be a bit troublesome when it comes to my kids, though. I find myself comparing them to other kids their age. SUCH A MISTAKE! I was starting to worry about Clinton because he wasn't counting to 10 like Ethan Steece or talking clearly like Conley or playing pretend like Dalby. And while I was watching his every move to see if he was headed in the direction of these other kiddos, I found my child has his own skill set. And while it's not your typical show-off skills, it's still quite impressive.
Clinton can't count past three. And he often won't do that. Even if he counts to three, he often just says "Tree, tree, TREEEEE!" with the voice inflection mimicking that of "One, two, THREE!". I've gotten over this as I have discovered that even though he won't say the words, he actually understands the concept....but only as it relates to matchbox cars and monster trucks...and only up to three. "Clinton, can you bring me three monster trucks?" Three will appears. "Clinton, can you pick up those two cars?" Two get picked up.
And also as it relates to cars, trucks and heavy machinery, Clinton is well versed in his colors. He's not a big fan of talking about colors, unless we're talking about some type of motorized vehicle...but don't let him fool you, he knows his colors. Wed, Arnch, Geent, Bue, Ite, Back, Poople and Oh-oh.
And he doesn't appear to talk that clearly either, and in some cases he just doesn't, but a lot of the words he's trying to say are really hard words. Giant Excavator, Ambulance, Tractor, Skid Steer, Harvester, Bulldozer, Car Transporter. I kid you not, the kid knows every type of heavy machinery by it's name. And if you get it wrong, he will scream "No" at you until you say the right one. You can imagine how pleasant some of our conversations are in the car as we pass construction sites and I'm trying to drive and figure out exactly which piece of machinery he's talking about. When we went to meet his teacher last week, they had Clinton's favorite book...something about working trucks, I forget the name. I had to tell the teacher, "He can't count. He doesn't know his letters. But he can identify every piece of heavy equipment in this book. And he likes to do it over and over and over."
And I've been watching for some time as our sweet friend Dalby plays pretend so daintily. She likes to mimic the things she see's....cooking, getting the mail, taking care of babies. At first I thought, "Oh no, Clinton doesn't pretend play." And then I realized he does...he's just not copying me. He lines up his matchbox cars and runs over them with his monster trucks. He takes his dinosaur around the house and let's it "eat" Heidi's bows, his matchbox cars, Heidi's leg...whatever it's hungry for. He rams his ride-on dump truck into the walls and yells, "Trash-Trash" like in his book..."Smash! Crash!".
So, to sum up...he's not behind....he's just different. And I love every little different thing about him!
Trying to take a "First Day of School" picture and he refuses to look at me....typical Clinton.
And while it doesn't appear so in this picture, Clinton was really excited to go back to school! And so was MOMMY!
On your blog, that is... Obviously I do, seeing as I have two children and only one of them is in the header. The current blog design I have was done by Blogs for a Cause. Nikki is a college student who does blog design as a way to raise money for her many amazing mission trips. She will be graduating soon and will be moving to the Dominican Republic. So, she is now trying to raise as much money as possible so that she can stay as long as possible!
For the month of September she'll be doing blog makeovers for only $20 if you will also post on your blog about this deal! Check her out at madebynikki.blogspot.com. And be looking for my new blog design!
I am a promise
I am a possibility
I am a promise with a capital "P"
I am a great big bundle of potentiality
And I am learnin' to hear God's voice
And I am tryin' to make the right choice
I am a promise to be anything God wants me to be.
I can go anywhere that He wants me to go
I can be anything He wants me to be
I can climb the high mountains
I can cross the wide sea
I'm a great big promise you see!
I am a promise
I am a possibility
I am a promise with a capital "P"
I am a great big bundle of potentiality
And I am learnin' to hear God's voice
And I am tryin' to make the right choice
I'm a promise to be anything God wants me to be
Anything God wants me to be!
