Busy again

We've been very busy but I have forgotten the camera for every major outing - so I won't go into the gory details. It has been a nice week though. I am feeling a bit better. Wes is refinishing the floors in the basement this weekend and this means we are really close to getting the office stuff relocated down stairs and a little room built for Mari! YEAH.

Earlier today the kids were playing with our little digital camera. Bronwyn was having her turn, she was trying to figure out what to make of it when Gavin demanded it was his turn. This discussion ensued:

Gavin - Its my turn, Bronwyn is taking too long of a turn.

Me - Gavin, when you were her age I let you look at and figure out the camera. You were able to take all the time in the world to look at it, figure it out, putz around. You didn't have to share it. Bronwyn doesn't get that chance because you are always grabbing things away from her. Is that fair? Shouldn't she get a chance to figure the camera out too?

Gavin - Then she should have been born first.

Me - Well I suppose you have a point.

The girls are good. Mari is such a beautiful little thing. She has such a nice disposition (so far). If we could only get her to sleep Mommy'd be doing great. My biggest issue is watching and making sure she survives her brother's love. Oh he loves his little sister. But, wow is it scary for me. She doesn't seem to be aware of the peril. He loves to pretend that she is attacking him and he rolls around with her - can you say AGGHHHHHH!

I took Bronwyn shoe shopping the other day. It was nap time and I was pushing my luck trying to squeeze it in. She very primly asked the lady at the shop if she had any "Dodo shoes" (Dora). The lady led us to some crocks and sketchers that had Dora. She really wanted the crocks and I just said no. So we tried the others on. At first she said, "Me bough dees (me buy these)?" I asked how they fit and she declared they were too small and said she didn't want them. I tried a couple other options, by this point she wouldn't put her feet into any of the shoes I showed her. I tried to get her to point some out but she wasn't at all interested. In fact, I had to bully her to put her own shoes back on - she wanted to set them on the shelf too.

Finally we found a little pair of sandals that she liked so I took them and ran to the till before she changed her mind. GIRLS!

Snow again

I wish I was kidding but I'm not. I have lots to report but I have been to busy to report it.

Quick highlights. Gavin had his first day of soccer on Saturday, he seemed to like it a fair bit. Wes is really pushing to get the basement family and play areas done. I am trying to get Mari to sleep a bit more through the night because I hit a wall and can't do it any more. This is why Wes is trying to get the basement done so we have a bit more room to get a space for Mari upstairs. We have also been sorting through the shed and going through all the stuff we've had in storage since we started on the basement. We are sort of in wait mode for a date for Bronwyn's surgery - so we are trying to get everything in order so we can run when needed.

It is one of those times where it has to get worse before it gets better.

There is much to look forward to - summer is coming whether it likes it or not!

I will post pictures and more cute stuff later - right now I just can't remember by the time I sit down.

Spring blizzard

Yeah - I am not joking. Nor am I impressed. Really this just sucks!

Conversations with Gavin

My son talks - a lot! A LOT!

The other day in the car we had a discuss that went sort of like this.

G - Mom... Mom... Mom, Mom, Mom...
Me - WHAT!
G - Grandpa has a magic marker.
Me - Yes he does and they are for use only on paper. They won't wash off if applied to walls or hands or anything at all. So only paper right?
G - Right. I know that - I know everything. Markers are for using ... (this is where I zone out for a rather long rambling description of something or other)... but that is why God made bathtubs. To wash the marker off.
Me - Oh is that so?
G - Yes, and he made magic markers - just for fun.

The other day he was made to clean up the big mess he made in the living room. We had a discussion that went like this:

Me - Clean this mess up Gavin.
G - Why should I have to do it.
Me - You made the mess you clean it up.
G - (Murphing and mumbling) I don't know why I should have to do your job.
Me - What?
G - This is hard and you should have to do it.
Me - Daddy, intervene NOW!

This is a chat that he and Grandpa had after returning from a brief road trip.

Pop - Gavin, tell your mommy what big birds we saw.
G - oh, ahhh...
Pop - Remember... they were...
G - oh, big white ones with black beaks.
Pop - Yes, what were they called?
G - oh, ahhh... I forget.
Pop - They were geese - s.., sn.... sn.... geese (helping him out)
G - SNOT!
Pop - No not snot - snow geese.

Ah - fun!

Kid post

I haven't had a cute kid post in a while - so here it goes.

Today Gavin read his first word. He has recognized words before, but it has always been in a context where his memory has triggered the name. Today was the first time he recognized a word and said it with out having any contextual hints. He picked up his little bowl and said - Hey this bowl is from IKEA. It says IKEA. Then he spelled it out for me. Backwards - but all the letters were there. Cool!

I want you now to picture a little 2 1/2 year old girl skipping around in the backyard chasing butterflies. Do you have that image. OK - now strip away the backyard and substitute our living room (or yours if you've never seen mine). Now change the motivation from chasing butterflies to avoiding an angry mother who is trying to get you to clean up or do something for her. There now you have how Bronwyn acts when being disciplined. As they say - You can't change what you don't acknowledge. She isn't keen on change.

Mari is getting everywhere and fast. She figured out today that if she can position herself on the floor by her brother while he is eating popcorn she can try get the popcorn as it lands on the floor. I had to pull at least one piece from her mouth. I got a couple as she was about to stick them in - she wasn't happy with that!

So there you are - my kids.

Spring is here

Yeah! Yeah! and more Yeahs!!!

I haven't posted pictures in a while. I tought it was because I hadn't taken any - but I had scads on my camera. So here are a few.

Happy Easter to all! God Bless your homes.

Funny story

OK - I wasn't going to share this story because it is just mostly silly. But...

Yesterday Wes brought up a load of laundry for me to fold. As I folded it I started noticing funny blue stains on it. He thought something dark must have bled into it, but it didn't look like a bleed. Then I noticed that it seems sort of stiff, like it was some type of liquid that spilled on the clothes. I pulled out the clothes that were affected to soak them and see if I could get the stains out.

Tonight he went down to investigate and see if anything was dripping on the clothes. He came in and asked me, "Are you sure you didn't spill anything on that load?" I answered, "It doesn't have to be my fault does it? I know something went wrong but why do you assume its my fault?" Hee hee - I guess I am argumentative - ahem.

His question got me thinking. Finally I said, "Wes, you know these stains look like the liquid laundry detergent that I add. Do you think that I could have forgotten to turn on the machine after adding the soap?" Since Wes put the load in the dryer for me I then asked, "Could you have then put the wash in the dry without noticing that it was dry and hadn't been run?" The a-hah light went on and he said, "I thought the clothes seemed pretty dry."

So between the two of us we managed to pull off something quite amazing - the good news is that we did all the work and the clothes are still dirty. Ha ha - somehow not so funny.

Again I'm tired

Really? you say - what a shock!

I had family call us last night and ask if they could come crash at our house. We are not set up for daily living right now let alone guest so we really had to hustle to come up with something. Our guests were very gracious about the conditions and it was wonderful to see them. I won't disclose who it was, I'll just say it rhymed with Eric and Erica!

What a treat to see them. Eric has been a special cousin for well as long as I can remember. I don't think you could find a person with a more loving and gentle spirit.

The kids played at Mom and Dad's yesterday - had a blast. Robbie brought Gavin his bike from last summer, Gavin who wasn't really that interested in bike riding last summer (it was apparently too much work), had a blast. He rode and rode and rode - it was great to see. It would seem the bike riding has finally clicked - next step is to get the training wheels off - but that is a long way off I think.

Mari is getting around and is into everything - I have to watch so carefully. The kids leave things on the floor and in a couple seconds I'm digging whatever it was out of Mari's mouth. Sheeesh.

Bronwyn is doing better for those who were worried and were praying. Thank goodness.

Spring seems to be coming - yeah!!

For Faith

OK - I never do this! Ever!

I have been following a blog of a family who's little guy also has HLHS. I have never felt very comfortable writing about people or even asking for prayers unless I know I have their permission. But...

This post is not about them - but inspired by them. So Faith I am sorry for dragging you into this - particularly because we have actually never met.

I want to describe how I felt about having Mari.

I had a great level of fear when I first got pregnant. Bronwyn's cardiologist was excited for us and very supportive, which gave me courage. The first ultrasound cleared - whew felt a bit better. Next ultrasound cleared - whew - even better. Echo showed no problems - big big sigh.

So then Mari was born. Apparently healthy and no problems - with the doctor's approval.

How did having Mari affect me? Well, as the birth of any child we love her and we are thrilled to have her. But there is more.

Not long after Bronwyn was born I started to long for another child. I would tell Wes that I just wanted to feel normal again. I just wanted to have a baby and take her home. I was mourning the loss of not having Bronwyn home with us but rather in the hospital.

Having Mari has been one of the most healing experiences of my life. She has help heal wounds I didn't even know I had. My maternal desires and instincts were somehow restored and validated. Being able to bring Mari home only one day old and caring for her with no extra medicines or procedures was so liberating.

We did not have Mari because we had problems with Bronwyn. We always intended to have three. We had her because we wanted her and we love her. I guess her birth has just given me more than I ever imagined it would.

To me this has been a gift from God. He has blessed us so richly with her birth. She is not an easy baby - but she is good natured and wonderfully sweet.

Our family feels complete now. I think of them all as my heart kids.

When Gavin was a baby I prayed that he would be like King David and be "a man after God's own heart."

When Bronwyn was born her heart lead us to new places, new faith and new understanding.

When Mari was born she helped heal the wounds of my heart.

God has blessed us with riches beyond our wildest dreams!