Posts Tagged ‘Julia Mabel’
She ain’t no chikin
Posted on: July 10, 2010
- In: Life
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Yesterday a herd {haha!} of us celebrated Chick-fil-A’s Cow Appreciation Day. Chick-fil-A just so happens to be one of my favorite places to eat. Ever. And I do recall once saying that if Iowa City ever got a Chick-fil-A I would be willing to live here for forever. They came. And I’m staying true to my word.
Being the totally awesome mama that I am, I walked out leaving our camera on the countertop. Yep. I am so smart. But thankfully Leah caught the above photo and a few others, like this one:
Clearly, Julia was under-dressed. This was our first “CAD” so I didn’t realize just how stiff the competition was going to be. But I’ll be prepared next year, don’t you worry. I might even get myself something like this.
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12 month photo project is a challenge started by Tara Whitney. Here’s what you do:
- Take a photo of your family once a month.
- Write a few things about that month.
- Make it into a book at the end of the year.
June just might be my favorite month. Well, actually, I have 4 favorite months and June just happens to be one of the four.
Hannah turned 1 two weeks ago. It was an amazing time of fellowship with our friends and family. Having her turn 1 seems far more surreal than with Julia. Now that Hannah is getting older, that just means Julia is getting even older. A very bittersweet feeling. As for The Bear, she’s a walking machine. From her first step, it took her a few weeks to really gain confidence – but now – now she wiggles out of my arms until I put her down so she can walk. She refuses to wear shoes, which doesn’t surprise me in the least given Julia’s original reaction to them.
As for Julia Mabel, we are getting some where in the “Why?” department. Last week I started a new rule that she needs to ask full sentence questions {“Mama, why are we going for a walk?”} to help 1) stop her asking so many why’s and 2) make her think through her questions. Oddly enough, the full sentences haven’t slowed her down nearly as much. They did for a couple of days, but not any more. But, I think we’re both less frustrated by the question/answer conversations because we are having just that, a conversation. Secretly I wish there were a way to get paid every time she asks “why?”. I think I could easy use that money to pay for both girls to go to an Ivy League university.
Jonathan officially left his PhD program. He had resigned in May, but after some processing, decided that perhaps he needed to stay in the program after all. As it was, he was enrolled in the Department of Engineering {DE} but doing research under the School of Library and Information Science {SLIS}. Jon regularly sees his advisor from SLIS but never from DE. When he went to speak to his DE advisor, he was informed that too much time had lapsed between his comprehensive exams and dissertation so he would need to retake the comprehensive exams {and a few classes?}. Well, long story short, he decided enough was enough and he left the program. It was hard on him at first, but as time goes on he’s feeling like he made the right decision.
It seems like every month goes by faster. It’s been a joy to reflect back each month a really take everything in.
A few weeks back, Leah posted about her strawberry patch and beginning harvest. Since she’s had such abundance she’s been sharing with all her friends. She gave me a call one morning to tell me I could come pick some strawberries if I’d like. Oh yeah. We headed over after naps. I spent all of 15 minutes picking berries and came home with this:
Funny enough, that’s actually only half of what I picked. For every 2 I put in, Julia ate 3. I’m not even joking. Notice the quickly abandoned graham cracker at the bottom of the strainer? I’d given it to her at the beginning as bribe for not eating the berries. It didn’t work.
Once we got home, the Windhamettes and I sat outside in the hot summer air eating fresh picked strawberries and whipped cream.
Hannah was especially delighted.
Happy Father’s Day!
Posted on: June 20, 2010
- In: Life
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I can’t even begin to tell you all just how much I love Jonathan as a father. He is truly the dad to the Windhamettes that I always wanted as a girl. He is kind and loving. He is thoughtful, affectionate and ever-giving. He showers them with attention that only a father can do. It is beautiful and has brought me much healing in regards to father/daughter relationships. I am more than blessed to share this life with him. More than blessed to have him as the father of two vivacious girls. In every sense he has truly earned, not the title of father, but the prize of being called a daddy.
Happy Father’s Day, Jonathan! I love you and can’t tell you enough for how amazing of a father you are! Thank you for sacrificing for our family and for striving to stay the course with your Heavenly Father so that you can continue being the father our girls need.
Why I love Iowa in the summer
Posted on: June 7, 2010
- In: Life
- 5 Comments
Every summer, Iowa City hosts Summer of the Arts. Each weekend the city holds different events or festivals. They all prove to be pretty awesome and we’ve really enjoyed them more and more each year. This weekend was Arts Festival – a celebration of local and regional artists. On Sunday they have Children’s Day, with different {free} activities for kids to do. The biggest hit was a 5/6 ft tall cardboard castle set up for painting:
Julia could have stayed at the castle for hours she loved painting so much. The only draw back? The paint wasn’t washable. Seriously. Who gives kids non-washable paint?? Like my friend, Leah, said “Clearly a mom wasn’t in charge.” Never the less, the castle did give us the idea to make our own last night for painting this week while Jon is out of town. But, I can guarantee I’ll be buying washable paint!
- In: Life
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I love painted toenails. And when it comes to painted toenails on little girls, heart be still. However, getting my 2 yo and almost-1 yo to hold still long enough while the polish dries is impossible. Inevitably, the polish ends up smeared, rubbed off or all over my bathroom counter. Then I found a solution: 60 second quick dry polish.
You gotta love a product that makes these cuties look even cuter!
H's toes
J's toes
Hello Summer and cute baby toes!
For more Things I Love Thursday, check out Jill at Diaper Diaries.
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12 month photo project is a challenge started by Tara Whitney. Here’s what you do:
- Take a photo of your family once a month.
- Write a few things about that month.
- Make it into a book at the end of the year.
Is May ending already?!? That can’t be. Because if that’s the case, that means 1) Hannah turns 1 in two weeks 2) Jonathan is done with his crazy weekend MBA course 3) Julia had her tonsils removed and 4) I’m just standing here wondering “what just happened??!”.
Whew. Does time ever slow down? May has been a whirlwind of a month. Julia had an amazingly quick recovery from her tonsillectomy. The following weekend was Mother’s Day, so it was an extra bonus to have her feel so well. My Mother’s Day was really, really nice. Very relaxing and I felt extremely loved {the dozen roses Jonathan gave me did the trick}. Plus, the night before Mother’s Day, our dear friends, Matt and Kristen, gotten engaged. While we weren’t there for the proposal, we did get to spend time with them right before and after. It was a sweet time and we’re thrilled for them both!
As of today, Hannah took her first steps! She doesn’t go far {just 3 or so steps} but she’s “walked” several times between Jon and me. It’s a bittersweet moment in this mama’s life.
Jonathan’s career path has really been in flux this last month. He has been deciding whether to finish his PhD or to focus more primarily on his MBA. After getting some strong council, he’s putting his MBA classes on hold until he has finished the PhD program. Our family is now shifting our schedules to allow him more time to work on his research during the evenings. It’s going to be challenging having him gone more, but we’ve decided to do it in 4-6 week groups so that no one gets burned out. Hopefully the end will be here before we know it!
We spent Memorial Day weekend in Chicago. It was a blast! Despite the Windhamettes having such little sleep, they did really well the whole trip {although there might have been one too many suckers consumed to ensure obedience}. We spent a lot of time at festivals and in Millenium Park. It was great being away from normal life for a while, but Jon and I agreed, as much as we love big cities, we really love our little city life.
*Yes, I am totally wearing the same jeans as I did for last month’s family photo. Just realized that…
Chicago, Chicago!
Posted on: May 29, 2010
- In: Life
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{Be sure to check out my flower hair clip giveaway!}
I have a love of big cities. Thankfully, so does Jonathan. And from what we can tell, both girls seem to be pretty impressed with them too. So this weekend we are going to Chicago.
Here’s a list of great things to do in Chicago with kids:
1. Lincoln Park Zoo
It’s free and open to the public. It’s in the middle of the city {well, technically it’s not in the middle, but you’d think it was} with several entrances and exits, making it perfect for just popping in and out whenever you need. They do some pretty incredible water shows with their seals and their mammal habitat allows you to get amazing up close views of leopards, tigers, etc.
2. Chicago’s Children Museum
While a little on the pricy side {$10 per person over age 1}, it’s suppose to be one of the best museums to visit. There are 3 stories of fun to be had and it’s located off Navy Pier. The downside? It’s 3 stories of fun, meaning, you’re not going to be able to see it all in one visit. Our family is still debating if the girls are too young to really enjoy themselves this go around.
3. Navy Pier
While our girls are too small for the ferris wheel, it’s perfect for older kids. But, with all the candy shops, fast pace atmosphere and sites to see, it’s bound to be a hit for our people-watching kids!
4. Shedd Aquarium
We took Julia when we came to Chicago in November 2008. However, she was a little on the young side at the time but I think she’s going to love all the “fishies” this time around. The Shedd has thousands of displays of beautiful sea creatures, ranging from otters and whales to octopus and dolphins. It makes for great and fun learning experience.
5. Millenium Park
Millenium Park is more than just a park. They host concerts, festivals, free workouts and beautiful scenery, among other things. You could easily spend half a day musing around exploring the Cloud Gate, the Crown Fountain, and the Lurie Garden. It’s a great place and perhaps the site I’m most excited to visit.
- In: Life
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Why?
Julia has really embraced the use of “Why?”. Here’s our conversation on the way home from the park earlier today:
“Julia, let’s go home and eat lunch.”
“Why?”
“Because we’re all hungry and it’s time to eat.”
“Why?”
“Aren’t you hungry?”
“Yes. Why?”
————————————————-
At home, making lunch.
“What you doing, mama?”
“Making lunch.”
“Why?”
“So we can eat.”
“Why?”
“Because we’re hungry.”
“Why?”
I could go on all day. She will repeat them over and over and over again.
For days I’ve tried catching all this on video for your entertainment {and embarrassment factor when she’s 16}. But every time I start up the camera, she immediately looks at me and says “Oh, I want to see Julia” and stops asking her questions.
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I once heard it said that the proof of a good mother was a dirty/messy house. Let me just say, I so don’t believe that. Being a hyper-OCD person, messy and I just don’t mix. I think it’s an important life lesson to teach your children how to clean and be clean. In my mind, dirtiness usually equals laziness – not a characteristic trait I want for Julia or Hannah. However, I’ll admit that since having Hannah I’ve realized that good mothers usually don’t have perfect houses. And here’s why:
Kids don’t care about messes.
Mabel and Hannah couldn’t care less about a dirty kitchen or toys all over the living room. What they care about is being loved and having my attention.
And truth be know, if this
Produces this
And this
I’m okay with a little mess. But, I still think it’s vital to teaching my children how to clean.
A Wife Loved Like The Church 
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