All I want for Christmas.....

For weeks now, Pooka-shell has been wriggling her two top front teeth. They were becoming quite a nuisance when she tried to eat. She even told me she was afraid they might fall out at night and go down her throat. She lost her first two (bottom) when she was only five years old.....I thought that was a little early. And now, at six years of age, two more are gone!

It is a strange thing for a mother to witness such rites of passage in her first born. I wasn't prepared for how much older she would look...and sound with those teeth missing. I sat with her and encouraged her to wriggle and twist them. We used a little teething gel left over from her baby days. She kept at it, and as it was becoming apparent that they were truly coming out....she was "shaking with excitement just like Wilbur" (her words, she just finished reading Charlotte's Web). Her little face flushed and her fingers shook...then out came the tooth! So exciting. The next one took some patience, but she did it. Here are the results.

11 years and counting ....

Happy birthday yesterday to a hard working, amazing daddy, always humorous doctor hubby! Yesterday was also our 11 year wedding anniversary. It is kind of neat having both days in one. For one thing, hubby will never forget his own birthday...therefore he will always remember our anniversary....good insurance for him ;0)

At this stage in our lives we are not able to celebrate such momentous occasions in a way I feel is fitting to the importance of them. Hubby was working all day...I had errands to run and meetings to attend. And we have no money to spare. We did the best we could. The kiddos made him their own style of birthday cards and even woke up at 3:30 a.m. to give them to him as he left for work. I got him one single present and hoped he could manage to get off work before 10 p.m. so we could spend a few minutes together.

Miraculously he was home by 7 o'clock (thanks to co-workers who helped) and our very kind friends were willing to watch our kids at a moments notice so we could go to dinner. The dinner was great and inexpensive. The time together was rare. The birthday cake and candles made it an occasion....and we did celebrate the wonderful day that hubby was born and our family began. Here's to many more!

Bubba-Do is four

Today our Bubba-do is four years old...Where did the time go? When we moved here, his big sister was the four year old and he was still the baby. Now he is dangerously close to kindergarten. I love how he adores frogs. I love that he constantly says "Mommy, I wuv you!". I love how generous he is...he almost always shares with everyone..especially big sister. I love that he is always excited to help with everything...even cleaning a toilet. I love that he is mechanically minded and is always pushing buttons, taking things apart etc. I love holding him...and the fact that at four years old he only weighs 27 pounds makes him so holdable. He is sweet and funny and brave and very intelligent.

I am so glad we have a little boy. They really are as charming as everyone told me they would be.

Daddy even had the weekend off to celebrate with us! The men of the house on party day.

Happy Birthday Bubba-do. I am so glad you were born. We love you!

Independance day

This fourth of July was different. The weather was beautiful, the sparklers were lit....we even had a nice dinner with friends. But this year the fourth of July landed on a Sunday, the Sabbath. We did not go to the parade...we were in Sacrament Meeting (worship service). It was an important lesson for our children...to show them where our priorities lie.

When we moved to the Midwest I never fathomed that holidays would be celebrated on Sunday. Naive? Maybe...it just wasn't on my radar to wonder. Growing up in Utah, if a holiday did land on Sunday, everything was just celebrated the day before, no question about it. Here everything is open on Sunday and it is really just viewed as the same as every other day of the week. City wide activities, carnivals, parades....you name it...usually on Sunday. Kind of stinks

It was interesting thinking on the driving force that created this great nation.... The desire for freedom to worship according to the dictates of our own conscience. We have that freedom so many lived and died for. As I attended church with my family on the fourth of July, I could think of no more appropriate place to be.