Madeline has been talking for the past few months but over the last 5 weeks (even more specifically the last 2 weeks) her speech has exploded. I am trying to catch her talking on video so I can post it but have been unsuccessful so far . She likes to run to the camera and look at the screen instead of being the subject of the video. We are working on it!
Her new favorite phrases are:
"I did it, I did it!"
"No, Mommy/Daddy/Maddie"
"Stop, Mommy/Daddy/Maddie"
"Maddie feet cold" - when she takes off her socks at dinner
"I help!"
"Emme, Emme, play" - her new friend across the hall
"Outside dark/cold/sun"
"Yum, yum, Mommy"
"Name and Place" - such as "Daddy school", "Papa church", "Oma house", "Anslee school"
"I fall down"
"I drop Ellie/milk/etc"
"I love you/Mommy/Daddy"
I am sure I am forgetting some. It is so cute to watch her learn new things and try them out. The other day she said "Mommy love Maddie" and my heart just melted. She has yet to say it again and since we were having a particularly stressful day that day I wonder if it was a special gift from God to remind me what is important.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRIS!
Today is Chris's 28th birthday!! This morning I am reminded of the words to the Jason Mraz song Lucky:
I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
I'm lucky we're in love every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home again
I know that lucky is not best sentiment since we are actually very blessed but there are no songs out there about that! Anyway, as I look back over 9 years of Chris birthdays, I am so incredibly grateful for where we are today. Things have not always been easy but we have weathered the hard times with each other.
My love, today I am thankful for...
your laugh
your ability to take an awkward situation and make it funny
your drive to succeed
your uncanny ability to know when I am talking crap :)
your God-given talent
your desire to know God better and understand His plan for our lives
your love for Madeline and how you are an amazing father
your patience and understanding
your enthusiasm for your work
your loyalty
your desire to see me smile
your love
Happy birthday, sweetheart. I am blessed to be on this journey with you. You challenge me to step out of my comfort zone and life is never boring. I thank God every day that you waited at that Starbucks for me. We aren't perfect and God is still working in our lives everyday but we are better together then we are apart and I look forward to many birthdays to come.
All my love.
A
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Dance Party
Many of you are quite aware that I am not a dancer. Yes, there may have been a few instances in the past where a little encouragement has gone a long way and there may be some out there who have been witness to my dance moves, however, this is not a regular occurrence.
Unlike her mother, Madeline is serious about dancing and has more rhythm than I have ever dreamed of having. Due to her love of dancing, Madeline has brought out my dancing queen alter ego over the past 18 months. We love to turn up the radio and dance all around the house. She twirls and shakes her little rear to all kinds of music. Some days it is appropriate kid-friendly tunes and some days we just have to let it go to a little ABBA or Lady Gaga or our current favorite Bruno Mars' Just the Way You Are. She begs for "moosic" and "dans" all the time!
A few nights ago (before the plague hit our house) Daddy even took her for a twirl around the living room while the credits to Finding Nemo played Beyond the Sea. Madeline was in heaven with her four favorite things - Daddy, music, Nemo and dancing!
Anyway, to get everyone else in the dancing mood here is our current favorite. Enjoy!
Unlike her mother, Madeline is serious about dancing and has more rhythm than I have ever dreamed of having. Due to her love of dancing, Madeline has brought out my dancing queen alter ego over the past 18 months. We love to turn up the radio and dance all around the house. She twirls and shakes her little rear to all kinds of music. Some days it is appropriate kid-friendly tunes and some days we just have to let it go to a little ABBA or Lady Gaga or our current favorite Bruno Mars' Just the Way You Are. She begs for "moosic" and "dans" all the time!
A few nights ago (before the plague hit our house) Daddy even took her for a twirl around the living room while the credits to Finding Nemo played Beyond the Sea. Madeline was in heaven with her four favorite things - Daddy, music, Nemo and dancing!
Anyway, to get everyone else in the dancing mood here is our current favorite. Enjoy!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Milk, Pray, Read...Repeat
As some of you will know, we decided to go ahead and move Madeline into a twin bed when we moved to Oxford. The new flat was already furnished with a twin bed and we had sold her crib when we left last year. Needless to say, it has been an interesting transition compounded by the time difference. Not one I would I recommend to anyone contemplating such an idea.
Tuesday will mark three weeks since we left Atlanta and I have only slept one night without being woken up by the pitter patter of little feet. Maybe this isn't a big deal to most parents and maybe we have been spoiled by our little one who started sleeping 11 hour nights at 6 months - either way it has been a long three weeks in our house. I knew it would take time for her to adjust and have been very patient with the changes. I know she can go to sleep in her bed and stay asleep as she has been doing great with naps for the past week. Nevertheless, I can guarantee you that between 5am and 6:30am, I will be woken up with a little hand on my cheek and a little voice saying, "Mommy, Mommy, sleeping?".
If she wasn't so darn cute in her frog pajamas and her hair sticking straight up I might be tempted to scream or cry or lock her door but instead I pick her up and give her hugs and kisses and beg her to please go back to sleep for Mommy. When that doesn't work, I lay in a twin bed amongst the zoo that she insists on sleeping with (Ellie the monkey, Emmitt the duck, a nameless purple dog, a baby doll, Jack the puppy and whatever else she collected before venturing to my bedside) and hold my little girl. My little girl who runs and jumps and insists on being independent, whose favorite sentiment is "me do it", who can count to ten and name 5 colors, who is almost half as tall as I am, my little girl who is growing up way too fast. For just a few minutes as the sun peeks through the window she is my baby once again.
I know that we will have to unlearn our new habit of waking mommy up and I know that she needs to stay in her bed. These are all things we are working on as I have no plans for my ten year old to wake me up in the same way every morning. However, for right now, in this time and place, I am grateful for these moments. I can always have a cup of coffee to get through the morning or take a catnap in the afternoon but I will never have these days again for they go by far too quickly.
Tuesday will mark three weeks since we left Atlanta and I have only slept one night without being woken up by the pitter patter of little feet. Maybe this isn't a big deal to most parents and maybe we have been spoiled by our little one who started sleeping 11 hour nights at 6 months - either way it has been a long three weeks in our house. I knew it would take time for her to adjust and have been very patient with the changes. I know she can go to sleep in her bed and stay asleep as she has been doing great with naps for the past week. Nevertheless, I can guarantee you that between 5am and 6:30am, I will be woken up with a little hand on my cheek and a little voice saying, "Mommy, Mommy, sleeping?".
If she wasn't so darn cute in her frog pajamas and her hair sticking straight up I might be tempted to scream or cry or lock her door but instead I pick her up and give her hugs and kisses and beg her to please go back to sleep for Mommy. When that doesn't work, I lay in a twin bed amongst the zoo that she insists on sleeping with (Ellie the monkey, Emmitt the duck, a nameless purple dog, a baby doll, Jack the puppy and whatever else she collected before venturing to my bedside) and hold my little girl. My little girl who runs and jumps and insists on being independent, whose favorite sentiment is "me do it", who can count to ten and name 5 colors, who is almost half as tall as I am, my little girl who is growing up way too fast. For just a few minutes as the sun peeks through the window she is my baby once again.
I know that we will have to unlearn our new habit of waking mommy up and I know that she needs to stay in her bed. These are all things we are working on as I have no plans for my ten year old to wake me up in the same way every morning. However, for right now, in this time and place, I am grateful for these moments. I can always have a cup of coffee to get through the morning or take a catnap in the afternoon but I will never have these days again for they go by far too quickly.
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| 1 week |
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| 23 months |
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
I originally meant to post this a few weeks ago but had problems with the video uploading. Here's hoping it works this time!
We took Madeline to the Georgia Aquarium last weekend and had so much fun. It was amazing to see everything through an almost two-year old's little eyes. She was captivated by how many fish there were and all of the colors. I think she would have climbed into the tanks if we would have let her! She also did a little dance at one point!
We took Madeline to the Georgia Aquarium last weekend and had so much fun. It was amazing to see everything through an almost two-year old's little eyes. She was captivated by how many fish there were and all of the colors. I think she would have climbed into the tanks if we would have let her! She also did a little dance at one point!
Madeline was very entertaining for the other people visiting the Aquarium as she has to wave and say "Hi!" to almost everyone we passed. She now insists that she is a pink fish with purple scales and swims around the house.
She is such a sweet little girl with a heart that is open to everyone. She loves new experiences and constantly reminds me of God's blessings on our lives. It is hard to even describe her without sounding like a crazy mom but I truly believe that she is exceptional and God has a plan for her which is greater than we can comprehend.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Menu Planning
On Friday, Chris travelled to Durham to pick up our things which had been in storage there for the past 15 months. While I am excited to have towels, our TV and my winter coat among a ton of other things, it is my now almost complete kitchen that I was really waiting for. I don't consider myself an amazing cook - I like to follow recipes, I don't do a ton of experimenting and I most definitely would never win a quick fire challenge on Top Chef since I need a few hours every Sunday afternoon to make my weekly meal plan. Regardless of all these factors, I love to cook and find much enjoyment in deciding what to make, shopping for all of the ingredients and then of course the actual cooking (and eating!).
As I sat down today to work out what we will eat over the next week, I thought you all might find it interesting to see how we eat a little differently here. Plus, I am asked quite regularly about groceries and such that I thought I could post how much a week's worth of food cost once I buy everything. No promises that this will be a weekly blog entry but you never know.
Dinners
Monday - Shepherd's Pie and steamed green beans
Tuesday - Homemade chicken fingers, baked sweet potato fries and steamed zucchini
Wednesday - Italian Tortellini Soup and crusty bread
Thursday - Roasted Vegetable Penne
Friday - Bangers (Sausages) and Mash with steamed carrots
Saturday - Leftovers (C is out at a school thing)
Sunday - Meatloaf, rice and gravy and steamed broccoli
Lunches
Vegetable Pasta Salad (two days)
Tuna Salad Sandwiches
Black Bean Quesadillas
Vegetable English Muffin Pizzas
Saturday - Turkey Panini Sandwiches and homemade baked tator tots
Sunday - Hot dogs and chips
Breakfasts
Pancakes, Oatmeal, Eggs and Toast, Yogurt with homemade granola and fruit
Sunday - Sausage Gravy and Biscuits
Snacks
Granola, Pumpkin Bread, Hummus and Vegetable Sticks, Fruit Dip and Apples
So, that is the plan for the week. We will see how much it is going to cost me tomorrow morning. We do know that cooking/eating at home is a lot cheaper than eating out. I learned in Durham that eating at home is so much more enjoyable when you are eating food that is delicious. I can't wait for our first week of real cooking/eating and I think Chris and Madeline are excited too.
Bon appetite!
Wednesday, October 06, 2010
We Made It!
After a week of being without internet or phone it is amazing how lost you feel! The first few days were nice and tranquil but I soon needed to be connected to the world again. We have now been in Oxford almost exactly one week and the words that come to mind when describing the last 7 days are: fun, frantic, stressful, beautiful, challenging, exciting, comforting and a little intimidating. In so many ways it is like we never left and yet it is painfully obvious that we still have a lot to remember, relearn and see for the first time. It does very much feel like home - just a home that you have been away from for awhile.
The plane ride was challenging to say the least since Madeline decided she no longer wanted to have anything to do with her parents, her food, her toys or really anything except kicking the poor man's seat in front of us. For a child who is normally quite behaved she was in rare form. Unfortunately, our flight was delayed by 3 hours which meant we missed dinner time and bedtime so can you really blame the 2 year old for being uncomfortable, tired and hungry? Thankfully, she fell asleep about 2.5 hours into the flight and slept until we landed. I think everyone around us was grateful!
Previous to leaving, there were a number of points in the trip which Chris and I were a little concerned about given the 11 bags and toddler we were toting around but at each point God put someone in our path to help us. A porter brought a huge metal cage to pick up all of our luggage and transport us through the airport to the parking deck, he then walked Chris to the rental car desk and waited until we were ready to load our luggage into the trunk (and the sides, and the floors, and my lap). Prior to receiving our luggage we were ushered to the front of the customs line straight through which meant we avoided about a 2 hour wait. God bless the woman who saw us and took pity on our tired selves - she must be a mom!
The drive to Oxford takes about an hour and a half and thanks to Chris' superb driving skills we arrived without incident. Seriously, he is fantastic at driving here and didn't even flinch when his navigator fell asleep mid-sentence! Our apartment is in a little village just outside of Oxford city centre and although the building itself leaves a little bit to be desired the apartment is quite nice and roomy. Once we get some pictures up and rugs down on the laminate wood floors it will be much better! Everything we need is pretty much within walking distance and most certainly within reasonable distance on one of the many buses which run nearby regularly. Chris does have quite a ways to go to the Faculty of Music where he spends most of his time. We are looking to buy a bike to make it easier (and cheaper!) for him.
No pictures yet as we left the camera cord in Atlanta! Thankfully, we can buy a replacement on Amazon and should have pictures up in the next few days. I guess to sum it up - the city is beautiful, the University will leave you speechless, Madeline has already managed to win over most of the locals and Chris and I are just so grateful to be here amongst it all.
With much love,
A
The plane ride was challenging to say the least since Madeline decided she no longer wanted to have anything to do with her parents, her food, her toys or really anything except kicking the poor man's seat in front of us. For a child who is normally quite behaved she was in rare form. Unfortunately, our flight was delayed by 3 hours which meant we missed dinner time and bedtime so can you really blame the 2 year old for being uncomfortable, tired and hungry? Thankfully, she fell asleep about 2.5 hours into the flight and slept until we landed. I think everyone around us was grateful!
Previous to leaving, there were a number of points in the trip which Chris and I were a little concerned about given the 11 bags and toddler we were toting around but at each point God put someone in our path to help us. A porter brought a huge metal cage to pick up all of our luggage and transport us through the airport to the parking deck, he then walked Chris to the rental car desk and waited until we were ready to load our luggage into the trunk (and the sides, and the floors, and my lap). Prior to receiving our luggage we were ushered to the front of the customs line straight through which meant we avoided about a 2 hour wait. God bless the woman who saw us and took pity on our tired selves - she must be a mom!
The drive to Oxford takes about an hour and a half and thanks to Chris' superb driving skills we arrived without incident. Seriously, he is fantastic at driving here and didn't even flinch when his navigator fell asleep mid-sentence! Our apartment is in a little village just outside of Oxford city centre and although the building itself leaves a little bit to be desired the apartment is quite nice and roomy. Once we get some pictures up and rugs down on the laminate wood floors it will be much better! Everything we need is pretty much within walking distance and most certainly within reasonable distance on one of the many buses which run nearby regularly. Chris does have quite a ways to go to the Faculty of Music where he spends most of his time. We are looking to buy a bike to make it easier (and cheaper!) for him.
No pictures yet as we left the camera cord in Atlanta! Thankfully, we can buy a replacement on Amazon and should have pictures up in the next few days. I guess to sum it up - the city is beautiful, the University will leave you speechless, Madeline has already managed to win over most of the locals and Chris and I are just so grateful to be here amongst it all.
With much love,
A
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