Tribute to Pooh

With the Chinese (Lunar) New Year approaching, I thought it appropriate to give you an update on our Pooh Bear. What can you say about a 90 year old woman trapped in a 3 year old's body?

She's come a long way since we brought her home 18 months ago. Was it easy? No, still isn't. She has a strong will and still has moments where she doubts her 'place' in this family. Is she happy? I believe so. She laughs and smiles much of the time. She is more spontaneous with her 'love'. She can also 'withhold' her affection if she is mad at you. (such a girlie thing to do)

She's a bright girl with a survivalist mentality. She observes and mimics behaviors in order to 'fit in'. I don't think she feels comfortable enough just to be "POOH", still. We get glimpses of it but we still get a lot of imitation. I think we'll discover the REAL POOH is a very funny little girl with a flair for the dramatic (Ok...we see that already). She is very smart but needs to know why certain 'subject matter' is important to her and her ability to survive. I mean, why bother learning the ABCs if it isn't going to help ME in some way. Two of her favorite phrases: "What about ME?" and "Me, too!". She also has a natural athletic grace about her. I see many hours of dance in her future.

She is STUBBORN. Take potty training...PLEASE. Let's just say Sawyer is leaps and bounds ahead of her in that department. Also, one day she was saying NO to mommy. Bad idea (in the context she was using it). So she went to timeout. Upon emerging from timeout, I asked her to apologize. She said, "Sorry Mom". Then I asked her to say: "I won't say NO to mommy anymore" (or something like that) She said, "Sorry Mommy". (Can't tell a lie mom, I'm probably going to tell you NO at least 1,000,000,000 times in my lifetime)

Speaking of Girlie Girl......
I was wearing one of my rings the other day (not something I do in the day-to-day trenches I live in). The instant she saw that 'sparkle' on my finger, she grabbed my hand and made over that ring like a pro. Her words, "when I get big, I wear a ring like that!" She has 3 pair of 'sparkle' shoes, which she loves wearing. She is always hoping to get a bra, just like mommy. (hate to burst her bubble on that one) She loves wearing new outfits. She'll dig through her drawers trying to 'create' just the right outfit to wear. It doesn't have to match but it MUST be bold and different from how it's been worn previously. And BOSSY (yes, that's a girlie trait she MIGHT have picked up from me, or perhaps it's genetic. Yeah, it's probably genetic.). She likes nothing better than to 'boss' the boys around. She'll tell Judson to flush the potty and wash his hands after he goes to the bathroom. (See the irony in that?) If Judson asks me permission to do something, she'll answer for me. She seems to be a natural!

Each day, she seems to emerge a bit more from her cocoon. With all of my kids, it is a joy to watch as their little personalities develop. She (along with her brothers) makes this life worth while. Enjoying the day-to-day with these kids fills Randy and I with such joy and happiness. We are truly blessed.

Kung Fu Fighter

J sure loves Karate these days. He came home yesterday with a red stripe on his belt. That means he's mastered 4 things he needs in order to get a new colored belt. (For the younger kids,6 and under, they do that to help keep them interested before they start learning patterns/katas, etc) So, I think he's due for his white belt with a yellow stripe, whenever Mom brings $5 to pay for it.He's also loving basketball. You can really tell the improvement since the first of the season. His dribbling and defense have greatly improved. Offensively, well, we still lack the basic understanding. I suspect that will have to wait til next season. Who cares, he's having a great time.

The Perfect Storm

We had the most beautiful snow 'storm' today. It was "The Perfect Storm". Perfect, because we didn't HAVE to drive in it. Perfect, because the ground was so warm, it didn't stick around. Perfect, because the kids got to play and make a snowman. Who can ask for anything more?

Someone preferred eating snow to playing in snow.Making the snowman.
Sawyer stayed on solid ground for the most part.
Our Mardi Gras Snowman.
Someone needs a bath and a nail clipping!
P.S. To Kelly: Don't be grumpy just because you guys have 'white out' conditions from November to March! We like our 'once in a blue moon' snows. They are 'just right'.

It's Raining, It's Snowing!

We had our first snow in several years yesterday. It was predicted to turn to rain, so we HAD to go play in, if only for a few minutes. So, we bundled up. Sawyer would NOT keep his mittens on but it didn't matter. We were not out there for very long. They had a blast catching snow flakes on their tongue. Judson said it tasted like DIRT! Now, we need a BIG snow so we can make a snow man. Here's keeping our fingers crossed for that day to come soon!!!!!!

He's a Clown, That Charlie Brown

Every family has to have a comedian. It's a requisite. You have to have someone who is always trying to make you laugh. Judson and Ansley are funny but more in an unassuming kind of way. Now SAWYER, he's the comedian. He's the slap-stick, Moe-Larry-Curly kind of funny. He'll be watching JoJo's Circus (Disney children's show) and they'll be doing clown humor. Sawyer starts running around in circles yelling "Whoa" or he'll throw something up in the air and let it hit him in the head (something soft and lightweight) and then fall on the ground. Then he'll get up off the floor and run around again, yelling "Whoa". Then he'll come up to me and say "That's funny"!
He's always coming up to you saying "LOOK" and he'll have something on he shouldn't or be doing something he shouldn't. The key is NOT to laugh. Laughter is like a drug to a comic. The more you laugh, the more they do to try to get a laugh.

All I ask, PLEASE do NOT teach my son how to put french fries up his nose!

Ansley's Birthday

We celebrated Ansley's birthday today. (All week long she had said, she wanted to have a balloon tied to her tricycle and ride outside. She also wanted a Barney cake. That is what we did for Sawyer's birthday.) Judson was bound and determined to make it a 'surprise' party. So all day, he kept saying Happy New Year to Ansley. He never once acknowledged it was her birthday. Every so often, he'd come up to me (or his dad) and *WHISPER*, "I think it's working. She thinks we've forgotten her birthday"

So I took Judson to basketball practice. Then we all went out to eat. We came back and while the babies were napping, Judson and I made cookies and cream cupcakes. (Thanks to our handy dandy Cake Doctor cupcake cookbook) When Ansley woke up (Still very grumpy from just waking up), we brought her into the kitchen and yelled SURPRISE!. She didn't know what was going on. Then we asked her to blow out the candles. Again, she was confused. It wasn't until I brought out the ice cream and she saw PRESENTS that she snapped out of her fog and came alive!She did NOT have Barney, nor did she ride her trike. We wanted to do something different so that she would know she doesn't have to do everything like her brothers. It's very hard trying to figure out in this situation, did she want Barney because she likes Barney or because Sawyer had Barney. Anyway, she had Curious George and she enjoyed it very much. So I think the 'party' was a success. Happy Birthday, Pooh Bear!


House shoes brought by Santa!