Favorite Times

Papa and Gracie together again...(I tried and tried to get these pictures in order...) A day we won't soon forget!!!!


Waiting and waiting and waiting for Papa the Sailor Man to get off the ship!!!! TWO hours later we got what we wished for!!! There were family memebers that rode home with the ship from Seattle, the term for them is Tigers. I don't know why. However, our animal lover picked up on this and now we think she believes that there were ACTUAL tigers on board. They had priority in leaving the ship, and to this day Gracie speaks of the tigers and reminds us that, 'The tigers get off the boat first.'



I pray we never have to do this (underway stuff) again after this rotation!!! It's so bittersweet, knowing that we are together but soon apart once more.
Heart wrenching.

The Thinker

What does one think about at this age?

Stupid Photographer

I picked up my pictures today from a wonderful print shop downtown. With eager anticipation upon entering my car I rip open the envelopes and start to go through the pictures...They are some of the most tender pictures of Charlie right after we brought him home from the hospital, so sweet and amazing. I about started bawling when I saw them...You can barely make out the 10 to 15 images from the 'photo session' because I didn't think to USE MY FLASH. Almost unbelievable. If it wasn't my scatter brain after having a baby, it would be unbelievable. I'm just SO sad.

Back Seat Driver

I have a new helper in the car!!! I'm sure you could all use one of your own to help you get around town too! Did you know, 'Green is means GO?' and 'Red is means stop?' This bit of information makes my daughter smarter than half of the people in our town!!! Also, did you know that my 3 year old knows which way is home from where ever we are, and if we aren't headed in the right direction she'll let me know? I'm certain I never did this to MY mom!!!

NEMBER DAT??

Gracie has such a wonderful memory and with Papa gone so much she is always asking him, 'You nember dat Papa, you nember?'

Eating Supper

Yesterday prior to supper Gracie had a couple of oatmeal cookies, not a good idea if you want your child to eat supper by the way! We were having chicken stew and I had been coaxing her to eat for about five minutes, 'Gracie, sit down. Gracie, take a bite. Gracie, sit UP. Gracie, please put some food on your spoon and eat it.' To no avail nothing worked. Finally Jason spoke up, 'Gracie, take a bite of your food or you will go to the corner.' She begins to lift her spoon carelessly and of course, purposefully there is nothing on it and she says, 'OOPS, hhahhhaaa' repeated over and over again. Jason and I think it is cute and smile at each other as she is busy pretending she can't get food on her spoon. Again he says, 'Gracie, eat some supper.' She replies, I'm just kidding Papa, I'm just trying to be silly.' We laugh and she ends up eating a bite or two of food, I guess oatmeal raisin cookies aren't too bad for supper!!!--I'm just kidding, I'm just trying to be silly. It isn't as funny I suppose when I say it.

Sisterly LOVE

Charlie has decided while nursing, his new favorite pastime would be to bite his mom. I, his mother, do not think this is such a great idea. Yesterday is a day for the books. Gracie, as always, is hanging all over the chair as Charlie is nursing. Instead of just finishing as any baby should he decides it would be a good time to shock Mom. BITE. Followed by a smile. It is all I can do to not scream, drop the baby and run away, far away. I amazingly stay seated, zip my lips and flick his cheek. This is the first time there has been consequences for his actions. Completely shocked and stunned Charlie looks at me, eyes welling with tears and bottom lip out as far as it'll go, I know it is coming...wwaaaaaaaa....so softly. I somehow feel sorry for him, forgetting what he has just done to me. Gracie has witnessed this whole encounter of her mom being mean to her brother. I look at her as she is reaching to Charlie to console him. 'Oh, Charlie it's okay,' she says with her voice crackling. Her eyes are filled with tears.--Somehow I don't think they were for MY pain. Gracie then came over to her brother and hugged him for a long time. Poor Charlie.

Blinded by the CAKE

My neighbor Dianna came over the other night and brought over some monster pieces of cake at about 8pm. Dianna set them on the couch next to her. Gracie looked like a vulture circling the cake--or maybe a kitten ready to pounce on it. Either way, I thought she would ask for a piece and I would have to tell her no, but strangely that didn't happen. I thought to myself, could it be she just hasn't seen it?? I decided to move the cake into the kitchen so if by a slim chance she hadn't maybe I could prevent her from spotting it and avoid a confrontation. She came into the kitchen with me, then spotted some Play Dough at the table and started to play. Dianna and I continued to chat for about 10 minutes, we started to wrap up our conversation and I walked her to the door. Prior to closing the door I thanked her again for the cake. I hear my daughter JUMPING off the chair RUNNING through the house to me, 'CAKE? WHAT CAKE? WHERE IS THE CAKE????' Stammering over my words, 'Ah, ummm, honey, there won't be any cake tonight.' A simple sad, 'oh' is her reply to her mean depriving mother who will shortly there after stuff her face with a piece of delicious cake.

Beautiful Children


feel the love? (does Charlie look worried? or is it just me?)

Here she is anticipating her PARTY!!!


Wonderful

More fun moments of Gracie's party!!! 3 years...

HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY!!!




Gracie had her third birthday yesterday and it was a BIG hit! She woke up to her crazy mom singing happy birthday as she hid under the covers!!! Then proceeded to ask if her friends were here yet. She ate her first two meals and her cake on our special celebrate plate and ran around like a wild woman during her party, having a phenomenal time. Gracie also had tons o' presents to open which she is playing with today (thank you EVERYONE)...we are having a calm non productive day to breathe. AHHHHHHHH...