Random Razorback Moments - GO HOGS!

Sam's Shopper

We shop fairly often at Sam's Club.  This was big sis' choice for shopping attire on a random trip during the first weekend of September:

We love her sense of style! :)

Cotton Candy

It's time to catch up on some events I haven't documented for September.  :)

We went to a sweet one year old birthday party complete with sweet treats, cotton candy, and a visit from the ice cream truck.  It really was a fun party with good friends!  Little man's favorite part was the cotton candy :)

The Library

We love the library at our house right now!  My mom gets credit for my own love of books.  She took us to the library all the time growing up, my sister and I knew where all the cool hiding places in used bookstores were located, and we all spent hours reading together.  Mom even "retired" recently so that she could work part time at the library, her dream job.  :)

When big sis was little we spent time going to the music, art, and reading activities for toddlers at the local library.  Once little man arrived the combo of two kiddos, work, and school proved a bit much to squeeze in trips to the library.  But once he was 2 we got little man his own library card and started going to the library sporadically.  This past summer, after little man turned 3, we were able to make library trips part of our normal routine. We check out books, videos and books on tape for road trips.   I've even been able to start reading again for fun.  And do you know they give our kiddos tattoos each time they visit?  Who wouldn't love a librarian who gives away tattoos??? 

Big sis is starting to learn to read sight words in Kindergarten right now.  She is a bit hesitant at times because she gets frustrated that she can't read every word yet.  But every day she learns a little bit more.  I look forward to the day when big sis picks out books at the library that she can read to us.  :)

The Gift of Love

When the kiddos were babies and toddlers I would hum lullabys to them as they drifted off to sleep.  I found that singing the words kept them too distracted and they wouldn't settle.  Favorites included You are my Sunshine; Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star; Old MacDonald had a farm; and tunes from the Sound of Music and Mary Poppins.  Big sis liked the music much more than little man.  He usually told me "stop singing" after a while.  ;)

My favorite tune was actually a song I remembered from church.  I found out recently that the melody is from an old Irish folk tune called "The Water is Wide".  I knew it from The United Methodist Hymnal as #408 "The Gift of Love."  When I hear the tune in church or outside of our house it always makes me think of our bedtime rituals - I either smile or get a bit misty eyed since our "babies" are growing up fast!

Big sis is going through another scared phase and it is taking all the patience we have to deal with it.  She won't enter a single room in the house alone . . . and whether we are patient, encouraging, or down right frustrated it doesn't make a difference.  She still freaks out every moment she is by herself.  This phase comes and goes but it is trying for the family because realistically we have to guide her on how to deal with fears.  This week I have spent extra time talking to her about fear and courage.  Tonight we talked at bedtime and then I sang "The Gift of Love" once again - words and all this time.  I think I did this to remind myself to speak with love since my patience is wearing thin lately.  My favorite line of the song is "Let inward love guide every deed . . .".  I know we will get past this phase and it will probably make several more rounds through our house again. Tonight I just hope that some extra mommy time and a familiar tune will help her through this round ... 

I forget the title of this tune from time to time and have to search for it again.  So I'll document the title and lyrics here just so our kiddos (and myself!) know what I sang/hummed to them all those years :)

The Gift of Love
(Author: Hall Hopson, copyright 1972 Hope Publishing Co)

"1.  Though I may speak with bravest fire,
and have the gift to all inspire,
and have not love, my words are vain,
as sounding brass, and hopeless gain.

2. Though I may give all I possess,
and striving so my love profess,
but not be given by love within,
the profit soon turns strangely thin.

3. Come, Spirit, come, our hearts control,
our spirits long to be made whole.
Let inward love guide every deed;
by this we worship, and are freed."

Tailgating

We were able to go tailgating with some college friends on Saturday, September 10th.  It was a fun gathering and both of our kiddos are finally at good ages to go tailgate.  The weather was beautiful, the food was great, and we enjoyed letting the kiddos run wild while we caught up with our friends.  Little man was so busy that the pic of he and I sitting together was one of the few times he slowed down.   We haven't tried sitting through a game at the stadium yet - I even get bored and uncomfortable sitting there that long.  But we are ready for some more Hogs football this fall.  Woo pig sooie! 

Brief Update

Um . . . this fall semester is already keeping me uber busy!  I haven't kept up with blogging as usual.  And I pretty much LIVE for every weekend because the weeks are so busy during the day and evenings.  To keep on top of my workload I have inadvertently moved to four 10 hour days M-Th and then I work a half day Friday.  The positive thing about the 10 hour days is that I can bring my work home so I work most of the day, take a break to spend time with the kiddos in the afternoon/evening until they fall asleep, and then I work until my own bedtime.  I don't want to keep up this schedule forever but I am surprised at how I have been able to keep up so far.  It is a delicate balance at best which has been tested the last three weeks with various family member's illnesses (my head cold, big sis' tummy bug, and little man's strep . . . welcome to fall).  We have all been surviving this chaotic final semester of me "going to school."  Countdown continues to December!

Next post will be all cute pictures of the kiddos.  Just had to sneak in a dose of the reality around this crazy household :)

All American

Another one bites the dust . . .

Big sis' second tooth fell out on Saturday, September 3rd.  Well, "fell out" is probably the wrong way to describe the tooth coming out.  It was more like big sis forced it along on Friday by biting into an apple which got the tooth extremely loose.  Then Saturday morning she attempted to coax it out with another apple followed by extensive brushing.  Finally, after an hour of the tooth saga it began to bleed.  So mommy grabbed a paper towel and pulled oh so gently and that tooth just popped right out! 

Big sis wrote a new note to the tooth fairy "I like the last one.  I want a new one."  I think she was talking about the gold coin she received.  I love that she included a picture of her and the tooth fairy hanging out at the bottom of the note.  Of course the tooth fairy obliged with her own response. :)