So I won't forget....

I have a terrible memory. I think I'm going to remember all of the cute/funny/incorrect things my children say and do, but I won't. Even at the end of the day, when Isaac gets home, I will give him a recap of the day and will say so often, "Annette said the funniest/cutest thing.... what was it now??.. i can't believe i can't think of it.... maybe I'll think of it later..."  Makes me sad that I've already forgotten a ton of things that Annette has said that made me laugh. The things that made me look at her in a mesmerized kind of way. The moments I can't believe that she is really 'mine', and that she's not really 'mine'. Those words that make me stop and realize how precious she is. Her young thoughts and misconceptions that remind me of how God created her exactly the way she is. She's only two. So very close to the very moment God formed her. I want to capture that innocence. And learn from it. And laugh about and cherish it.

So this is my place to record those special words. Some will probably be only funny to me (and my family:) and some might be so sweet they will make other people smile or cry. All of them will be worth remembering to me..... and to my little ones too, when they're a little older. I know Isaac, my sisters, and I all get a kick out of the stories our parents tell about the funny things we used to say when we were kids. I called McDonald's 'Dommies' and called french fries 'french-a-fries'. A silly thing to most people, but a special memory to our family.

And Charlie- well he is just starting to say a few words, but I'm sure it won't be long before he starts to say something to make this list:)


Annette:

Pat a cake, pat a cake.........

Roll it, and pat it, and mark it with a 'beach', and throw it in the oven for baby and me.

She says this EVERY time she repeats this rhyme. Which is a lot. Why?

Last week, we checked out a book called Miranda's Beach Day because we are going to the beach in May with my Mom and Dad and sisters and some close family friends (the Cramblett's). We took Annette to the ocean at 5 and 8 months, but obviously she doesn't remember it. So, reading this book has been a great way to get her excited about the trip. I'm guessing this is why she decided to substitute the word 'beach' for 'B'.

Mommy! We don't talk about that, silly! Hee hee hee:)

We drive to North Little Rock about 3 or 4 or 5 times a week. I tutor and mentor at a couple of schools in NLR and our Mother's Day Out is over there. AND my sweet Mom and Dad and sisters and brother, and lots of friends are there. So, we make the trip a lot. It's a pretty long drive (usually 30 mins) for my two toddlers so we do a lot of  'I spy' type things. We spy boats on the river, we spy the Junior Deputy baseball fields, the Episcopal football field, tall downtown buildings including Daddy's office, etc.
The car DVD player was also a big help in making the trips seem a little shorter, BUT...quick side note... I was putting Charlie in his car seat the other day, when Annette decided to shove TWO DVD's into the slot before I could reach her. I tried to remove them, hoping the player might still work, but I could only get one to come out. Luckily it was the borrowed library dvd that I got out. I would have been even more mad if I had to pay a hefty fine for a lost library item. Anyways-- the DVD player is toast now. She has had to suffer the natural consequences of not being able to watch a movie on our 30 min trip. Poor,poor, thing ;) BTW, it costs 800 bucks to fix the player b/c it came pre-installed in our car. Not happening.
NOW, back to the spying game. Annette noticed a bridge as we crossed the river and asked what it was. I told her it was a bridge and told her we were driving over a bridge right that second. That's when she says, "Mommy! We don't talk about that, silly!" and laughed this silly little laugh. Like we were talking about needing to go #2 or something! So funny!   Why do I think she said that? I have no idea. Except that her Grandad says, "britches" for pants ALL the time. So maybe she thought we shouldn't talk about 'bridges' because they sound a lot like 'britches'.   Isaac and I came up with that theory, but who knows. Silly girl.

Does this make God happy? 


When I am disciplining Annette, I try to talk to her about what she did wrong and how God wants her to be kind and loving and to obey her Mommy and Daddy. (So glad God is on my side! Ha! Especially when it comes to disciplining :))) For example, when she's been too rough with Charlie or I've asked her not to kick the DVD player in our car for the hundredth time (which, as mentioned earlier, she broke this week), she will now say this before I can get it out of my own mouth: "Does this make God happy?" 
Today at lunch she kept putting her filthy-been outside with no shoes on- feet up on the table while we were eating. Not appetizing. So, when she left them up there after I had asked her nicely to put them down at least 2 times, she could see in my eyes I was about to take her to time out. She looked at me and said, "Does this make God happy?" Isaac and I just looked at each other.  She ended up in time out over this. She did not even budge her feet. UGH. After our time out routine, she sat back down to the table and said "I put my feet down now. God is so proud of me, now". Soooo sweet. BUT. Then she put her feet on her Daddy's chair and a centimeter away from the table and on Charlie's high chair, all the while asking "Can I put my feet here? Can I put my feet here? Can I put my feet here?"  Battles in discipline. Story. of . my. days. But those special moments where  I see annette or charlie's 'unique' design on display, those make the job OH SO worth it.