The pics I've been promising

I have four pages of a 25 page research paper due in 72 hours, but I believe it is more important for my audience to see what is going on in my life. Besides, yesterday I turned in my application for diploma, and once you turn it in, I think it's pretty much mandatory they graduate you.

Two Saturdays ago (how embarrassing I am just now blogging about two Saturdays ago, but since I make my own rules it is okay), Little's cousin celebrated her fourth birthday. I took lots of pictures, so I tried to narrow down to just a few.

They are not in any particular order, which is why her hair is a wreck on the very first picture. This is while drying off, which is why she looks like Shaggy.



Husband and his Memaw, one of the sweetest ladies I know.



This is Husband's Papaw. Hard to believe the woman above is married to the man below. He tries to act all serious and mean around the grandkids. Likes to tell people the grandkids are scared of him. Just this weekend, I asked Little is she wanted to go see Memaw Frazier, and she said no. Then I asked if she wanted to see Papaw Frazier, and she said yes. So Papaw, you got them grandkids scared to death of you.



Playing in the sprinkler was so much fun.



And then, we played with some of Cousin's toys.



And Grandma took pictures. Since the purchase of my new camera, I have turned into Grandma. We are ridiculous.



And the fan felt so good to Little.



And she had so much fun going down the slide.



This is right before we got in our pool one afternoon. I thought she looked a tiny bit mischievous, but I disregarded that notion. Until just now. I remember she ate a banana. And now that I see she is holding my old camera case, I know why she looked so mischievous. Two days later, we found banana in the camera case. And the camera case found the garbage.



This is what I discovered one night when I was dead tired. Somebody had a party in my bed. So I did what any good wife would do...I politely pushed all the toys onto Husband's side of the bed, crawled into bed, and went to sleep. When Husband came to bed, he noisily threw every toy into a chair and gave me the "Stank eye" while doing so.



And if you have not read my post from this week, please do so before continuing on.

This would be the family after getting the news that Christmas will be a little bigger this year. Nona's smile is out of control.

Situations

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Phillippians 4: 6-7

I'm a blog stalker. I'll admit it. I found it embarrassing that just a few weeks ago, I called a particular place and asked for a department, and the person that answered the phone is someone I have never met but I know her fears, her joys, and what she did this past weekend. I blogstalk her. And I told her.

I have not been arrested yet, so I assume that I am not the only one who blogstalks. Maybe she had heard that before. At least I hope so.

All of that to say, that of my many daily readings, this verse that I've heard hundreds of times, brought so much comfort and peace to me yesterday. Again:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Phillippians 4: 6-7

I tell those in my Sunday School class that when we pray for something God always answers. We have to be prepared for the answer.

Yes.

No.

Wait.

And we have all experienced this variety of responses from God. We've all had our feet washed during those times. We've all had our faith tested in those experiences. We've all had lessons to learn much like those in Biblical times.

Amazing. Amazing how many years have passed, and we still are able to learn more about God's love, grace, and mercy. Last time:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Phillippians 4: 6-7

You know what I like about this verse? Paul does not tell us that when we request something of God He will answer exactly what we have asked or in the time we ask it.

But there will be peace. And there will be protection.

Thought you might need to hear this today. I did.

Just when we thought

I promise I will have pictures eventually. Not today.

Just when we thought

we couldn't love anymore,

He said, "You three,

will soon become four."

Tantrums and picnics

You ever been this hungry?

Needed to do the double hand shove? All I can hear is Mike Myers in a thick Irish accent slowly saying, "Get in my belly!"

And when we don't need food, we need rest.


A lot of rest.

My mother's day card. I must be really special for Little to use those Mickey stickers. And I got two Donald's. Mommy is doing something right. Well...

At least, I previously had done something right. This is because I will not let her sit by the hot water heater. I know. DHS should be immediately contacted.

I did manage to get invited to a picnic. Little preferred using her Cozy Coupe to maneuver back and forth through the house, until all of the items had arrived at the picnic. This went on for forever.

Daddy got invited too.

We had "ba-getti."

We ate it with our "Torks."

And Daddy did not have to lift one finger.

Not even to lift his cup to his mouth.

Because I can

I just haven't felt much like blogging. I don't know why. I just don't wanna.

And that's why I haven't. Because I can do whatever I want to do. As long as Little is fed, clean, changed, content, rested, watching Mickey.

It should be no surprise to anyone that Little can do a lot of things because she can. So why am I surprised by this?

Why am I surprised that Little still, still takes a pappy? Because she can.
Why am I surprised that Little refuses to potty train? Because she can.
Why am I surprised that this morning she demanded that I take her metal grocery cart full of wooden vegetables, fruits, and pantry items and place it in my car to carry to Memaw's? Because she can.

So when I refused to pack up that buggy, those groceries, because I can, it was no longer for discussion. I won.

But the potty training thing, Winner, all 36 inches and 27 pounds, is Little.
I have waved the white flag. The war is over.

She won't really tell me why she will not potty train. She admitted that she liked having her diaper changed. Well, now she also likes something else.

She likes having a bath in the sink. Not like when your sweet precious little one can first sit up, and like every other Southern woman, you place that sweet love in the kitchen sink. No.

I am now having to wash her hair like she is paying for for my services at Mommy Salon. Towel under her neck and chest. Head in the sink. Loving life. This has been going on since Thursday. It ends with me soaking wet, my cabinets minutes away from mildewing, and the floor needing a caution sign.

If I wasn't concerned my camera would drown in all the hoopla, I would have it handy to take pictures.

And because I can, Husband, I am sleeping late Saturday. Write it in your calendar. I know your reading this.

Genius

I managed to do some cleaning out of Little's toy box. It was a spontaneous cleaning event. When Baby Pink, our beloved baby doll, has lost her spoon, Mommy must become an archaeologist and dig through the years of toys.

I will stop here, and inform you that I cleaned out the toy box so well that Husband has not even noticed.

One might ask if that upsets me. The answer is no. Let me tell you why.

Before a child stakes claim on your home and all of its contents, everything belongs to you. If you want to throw away anything, you can. No one complains. No one notices.

But after that precious little one comes, nothing is yours. (Not even bathroom time.) So when you cut a piece of Christmas wrapping paper too short to wrap the intended present, you keep it. It is still in the guest bedroom on May 3. Why? Because the world would stop turning if Little did not have access to that particular piece of wrapping paper.

Where was I? Oh, toy box. So I gathered up toys and put them away without any notice from anyone.

Genius. Yes I am.

Mother's Day warning

Warning to everyone: Mother's Day is Sunday.

Yes, I know we just had Easter.

You should have seen the look on mine and Husband's faces when our pastor announced Mother's Day projects for this weekend.