Busy Days

Since Bella's birthday I've felt like we haven't been doing too much but then I downloaded the pictures from my camera this evening and found that there really have been quite a few cute moments. We're heading on vacation tomorrow, so I don't have a lot of time to blog, but I wanted to post a few fun ones.

One rainy day I decided the kids needed to expend some energy so we took bikes, balls, and other toys to the church and played in the gym for nearly two hours. However, despite the things that we brought, the kids' favorite thing to play was "the garbage can monster" - go figure.


I also taught them how to put on a play and to use terms "first act," "final act" "musical number," "standing ovation," "audience," and "applause." That was so much fun. They came up with the cutest things. My favorite was when Benjamin, in an effort to say, "Ladies and Gentlemen" said, "Girls and George." Bella's musical number was "I will stand up" - a primary song (p.278) that she loves. She stood up on the stage and I sat on a bike down below and of course, she received multiple requests for an encore. :) So wish I'd gotten it on camera!

We also visited a library on a different rainy day - been having a lot of those lately - and luckily, unknowingly came on a day when they were doing a space exhibit. The kids had a blast (no pun intended) in the rocket flying to the moon, jupiter, and pluto (I'm sorry, I still pretend its a planet), and driving their moon buggy around collecting moon rocks. I love it when there's toys that I have fun playing with too.




Finally, today, a beautiful, sunny day, we went to Greenfield Village. I love that place so much. I'm such a history buff and could spend all day there in the various houses. However, I've never been without small children, so my main destinations every time are the farm, the carousel, the horse-drawn carriage, and the train. Still a great time, though, and so nice to be outside in the sunshine and to be able to have friends join us and share in the fun.




Have to say, though, that my kids have an eerie ability to track down water wherever it may be. People sometimes laugh at me for brining a change of clothes EVERYWHERE I go. You would too if you had my kids, believe me. You don't think of Greenfield Village as a water park, but my kids found the old flower pots by the side of a house which were filled with rain water, the horses' watering trough, and every single muddy puddle in every single field of grass we passed. By the time we left, (again - so wished I'd taken a picture before washing them!!) both my kids were soaked head to toe in muddy water. They got many curious, puzzled looks as I walked them to the restroom. They'd both worn white shirts which were brown clear through and even their face and hair was mud encrusted. Their shoes squished and leaked as they walked. Whenever someone commented on their appearance, Bella would say, "Me dirty! Me jump water!" and grin.

I hope people didn't mind me stripping my kids naked in the public restroom and washing them off in the sink. I'm European, okay? Nudity's not such a big issue to me - deal with it. :) Filthy muddy car seats are a bigger problem. In any case, it was fun to see them so happy. A lady actually came over while I was washing Benjamin and said to me, "I saw him jumping in those puddles in the field. He looked like he was having the time of his life!" He really did. And his buddy Amelia, standing at a safe distance, laughing her head off each time the muddy water sloshed over his head, only egged him on more. I can just see him as a teenager trying to impress the ladies. I can only imagine what stunts he'll come up with then.

Happy Birthday Isabella!!

Isabella turned 2 years old today. She was very excited all week for her birthday. On Tuesday she said, "Sunday me birthday!" Wednesday when I asked her how old she was going to be she told me, "One hundred." Saturday I reminded her that she'd be two tomorrow and asked her if she was excited. She said, "yeah! Mary sing happy birthday to me!" naming her nursery teacher at church. I was amazed. I hadn't told her that they'd do that, but I guess she remembered that it's been done for others. All day today she went around wishing herself (and everyone else) a happy birthday.



We celebrated with dinner on Saturday at IHOP where she and Benjamin enjoyed their favorite - the funny face pancake. And then she bit into the creamer container and squirted it all over herself, my mom, and the seat. (Don't let kids bite creamer containers.)


After which she purposely spilled her water onto her pants and we decided dinner was over.

On Sunday we started the day off with mother's day gifts and birthday gifts and singing. Benjamin insisted on helping open every gift. Bella was very patient with her over-bearing brother and they had a great time.


After church we had a mother's day dinner, birthday cake and more singing. As soon as she'd seen the cake and blown out her #2 candle, she commanded, "Cut it!" and motioned with her hand where she wanted her slice. While Kelly cut and served the cake, I kept her entertained by allowing her to decorate her birthday crown with stickers. Then she devoured her piece's frosting in three bites, ignored the actual cake, and demanded, "more cake!" Definitely she has become a two year old. :)


Isabella has been a joy to have around since the day she was born.


Such a happy, smiling, silly, friendly little girl. Currently she loves singing while playing on the piano, playing hide-and-go-seek, duck-duck-goose, play-doh, and candy land, taking baths, "helping" with chores like laundry and cooking, and reading books - her favorite is "When Vera Was Sick". She also loves snuggling stuffed animals and blankets and taking care of her dolls. She has become quite a little mommy. She has one doll, "dolly," which she prefers over all others and which she'll feed, wash, diaper, and put to bed repeatedly all day long. She's always very concerned when another child cries and usually goes over to see how she can help.

At the playground she prefers the swings over all else. Her favorite foods are blackberries, cheerios with soy milk (she calls it cereal milk), and plain cream cheese on wheat bread - not strawberry cream cheese which Benjamin prefers. She's terrified of the "snapping turtles" that Benjamin told her live in the basement (which luckily disappear if you turn on the light.) She is a very picky dresser - she will not wear just anything. It must be what she chooses or what you can carefully convince her will look good.

She will ask to "lick it" (and happily will if you let her) anytime you're mixing something with a spoon or spatula, be it whipped cream, brownie batter, mayonnaise, cream of chicken soup, or mashed squash. Bella loves to flush the toilet for you ("Me flush it when you done?") and will very angrily yell, "me do it!" if you forget and do it yourself. She loves to color on tables, walls, and herself, but not so much on paper. She prefers to pour the last bit of water/milk from her cup or bowl onto the floor or her pants rather than drink it. She is the slowest walker in the family, (not because her legs are shortest - she purposely dawdles) and is always last whenever we go anywhere (coaxing her or calling to her will only make her grin mischievously and slow down even further - a problem in parking lots.) She almost always comes out of time out wearing different pants than when she went in. Her way of negating a sentence is to shake her head while saying it, such as "like it" while shaking her head and making a disgusted face means, "don't like it." So you have to watch her when she speaks or you miss the meaning entirely.


Bella is quick to say sorry when she's hurt someone. She is quick and anxious to learn. She has started praying and bearing her testimony on her own. She'll sing songs to herself when she thinks no one is around. She adores stickers and mooches from anyone who has a ready supply. She loves to cuddle, especially at bed times or after waking. She loves playing with Benjamin. She loves to clean up toys or wipe up messes and spills. Most importantly, she loves being with her mommy and I am so grateful that's me. What a blessing and a teacher she has been to me. Happy Birthday sweet girl - you're amazing.