Trying something new......

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Winter INside

Several weeks back when the temperaturs plummeted below zero, I woke up about 5am and realized the furnace wasn't working! It was SO cold in the house (comparatively). We were all bundled up until about mid-day when it came on again. Dad had it looked at and it was a sort of funky problem that just happend at a bad time.... Anyway, Layla wore this hoodie all day. She LOVES hats and hoods.

By the way, most of you out there are known by name and by what state you live in (= She loves to "do states" when she gets bored of her food. We also have a world map (thanks to Jen for both) and she likes to "do countries" as well.

Spider

Tom started this game with Layla where he makes his hand into a pretend spider and one of his fingers is the head that talks to her and so on. It is a HUGE source of entertainment to Layla and she is always asking "where is spider" before or after naps/bedtime/sitting in a chair etc.

Today I pretended that spider got caught in my hair so I was saying "help help!" Layla was still lying in bed at this point and she popped up and said "I be Jesus and help." So she pulled my hand/spider out of my hair and cuddled with it stroking my arm with her other hand saying "Jesus goes like this". Then she babbled on some more about all this and said that Jesus comes in and checks on her.

All this talk about Jesus helping at night started when she was having really big nightmares after our trip in November and waking up crying with bad dreams several times a night. I have heard that kids can have a very real relationship with God and see him and talk with him etc but that we as adults can slowly erode that. So we've tried to be very clear that God/Jesus can talk to us and hug us and hold us when we are scared. Over the past few months she's talked several times about Jesus holding her and rocking her when she's scared. So who knows, but it is precious nonetheless and far be it from me to determine what her actual experience is.....

Sweet things about Layla lately

She said the full alphabet today - she didn't know mom was listening. (she's known all her letters since she was 18 months, but hasn't been able to reproduce the whole thing before).

Mom and Dad had some friends stop by today and totally of her own accord, Layla found her two matching miniature beer mugs (thanks Jen!??) and served the friends tea! Isn't that so great!

She knows about 90% of the words to Away in a Manger and sings it CONSTANTLY. Call for a serenade if the mood strikes you.

She likes to make up verses to "The Wheels on the Bus" and I love what it reveals about her little mind - Tammy on the bus says "where is Lilly", Ahma on the bus says "let's take a nap OR let's cook something", Baba on the bus says "let's take a shower" (please note, Layla does NOT shower with her grandfather! we've just had to really emphasize that Layla doesn't walk in on him in the shower so it is a rather prominent thing in her little world (= )

Alas, she is teething these days which is anything but sweet, but we still just can't believe how adorable she is.

Staying Put

Well, we've had the auspicious ultrasound and we are still grounded. We are feeling a variety of things, mostly on the deep, dark and frustrated zone as opposed to the light, happy carefree zone.

Feb 15 is the next date to look towards.

We're beginning to forget what "normal" life looks like. Meaning life that isn't lived from one segement to the next with everything hanging in the balance.

Granted, Haiti is a huge dose of reality and good distraction and keeps one eternally grateful for water, walls and food.

Anyway. That's where we're at.

I have fun things happening this week regardless so that is nice to look forward to....playgroup, library time, Listening Prayer time where I am assisting with someone, book club, dinner with friends this weekend. Of course I also lost my calendar so all of this is a little fuzzy (=

Staring out the window....

Today we got back from our 5 day holiday. It was LOVELY to come home to see Layla all happy and chirpy. Mom and dad did a great job with Layla and said that she only had one weepy time yesterday morning. Mom took her to the library a couple of times....we've started taking Layla to the library for the toddler story time and she's really enjoyed it. I love the library, but honestly, I'd kept away from the library because I knew I'd miss it so much more once we headed back home. I've given up on that now (= Layla is at the age she needs a little more stimulation and she is such a reader that I figured we'd just head on down to the library while we're here.

Our vacation time was lovely - I think I read 5 books - it was wonderful to have so much time to READ! Here's what I remember at the moment:
Animal Vegetable Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver - great read! a family decides to eat local food for one year and writes a book about it. Very interesting and informative without being preachy.
Good News Words by somebody Aitles - the story of a Wyclifffe couple working with a South American Indian tribe. It was a great overview of their life's work.
The Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander MCcall Smith - lovely stories of Africa told in SUCH an African rhythm. I've read this whole series and loved each one. They are fairly similar so I can't read them right in a row, though...
The Choice by Nicholas Sparks - just wanted a nice, generic story. Of course there is a romance but there is quite a tragedy to manoever through at the end. Well done and simple to read.
Halide's Gift by Frances Kazan - a lovely family epic set in Turkey at the end of the Ottoman Empire. Fascinating, not depressing or weird or anything. Just my style. Even though I was a World History major in college and do lots of reading of that genre, I just have NEVER felt I understood the Ottoman empire at all. Not sure how I missed it since it was a huge part of the history Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Baltic states, and Greece. You'd think I'd have stumbled across it more than I have.....

I can't remember the others, or the ones I took along just to skim through (=

All that being said, we had a great time and it was lovely to not be on call all the time. We're so grateful for mom and dad and how layla is so flexible. I'm really pooped. I probably shouldn't be blogging this late at night!

Random Bits of Fun

Tom and I have been attending church here: http://www.covenant-pres.org/ and really loving it. I was a member here ages ago when I lived in Colorado Springs and taught highschool for three years. I attended en masse with the Platte House Girls .

Today Layla picked up her "naked baby" and very seriously held her at eye level and asked "what are you thinking?" Cracked me up. I ask her this when she is looking pensive or oddly emotional. Love what she picks up. We call her dolls by very practical names. Naked baby has no clothes. There is also China baby, new baby, small baby, Africa baby and so on.

The Big Girl Bed experience is going very well. I continue to be amazed at how well she adjusts to some things. So glad this wasn't a big deal. The next hurdle is potty training. She is totally aware and cognizent of what needs to happen - she just doesn't want to do it! If she has to poop, she'll dart away from what she's doing, run into the bathroom and do her business in her diaper. If you ask her anything about it, she sometimes says "I want to poop in my diaper" or "no say poop, no say this". The last is my favorite (= Hang on to that idea kid - not talking about it makes it not real!

So being a church today made us tell the story another 20 times about the placenta thing and how we are waiting yet again. It about did us both in. Tom and I watched the last part of Lord of the Rings that was on TV and he went to bed early. I am out here blogging because I can't sleep at the moment.

If we're staying, I really need new socks. I NEVER wear socks there so I have been resisting - i was just going to toss these wholey pairs when done. Is that a word? Layla is VERY bothered by wholes in my socks. She can't resist pulling on them to get my toes back inside.

If we're leaving, I really need to hop on my photo projects! Now that the Personal Trainer test is done, I have all sorts of time and energy (comparatively speaking!).

one month, six months. hmmmm what is it going to be????

2010

It's about 730pm - my favorite time of day because Tom is putting Layla to bed. It is quiet (apart from Layla and Tom giggling and laughing),
The house is mostly picked up
Jake Johnson is playing
I have a fresh cup of tea
The candles are lit
My Christmas-gift-portable-hard-drive allows me to sit WHEREVER I want in the house (=
I am wearing comfortable pants

It doesn't get too much better than this!

The first thing Tom and I said to each other this m0rning was "May this year be better than the last!". That isn't to negate all the wonderful things that have happened, and it doesn't discount all that we feel the Lord has been working out in us. We'd (more me, really!) would like a year without so much drama. Is there such a thing as a drama-free year or at least a low-drama year?

Hopefully 2010 will see us moving back to our home in the Middle East, having a healthy baby boy, potty training Layla, and getting back into some Arabic language. I'm sure there's more I should be thinking of, but that is what is on my front burner these days.

Anyway - I hope all of you have had some time for reflection on the changing year. It is so easy to just let things pass without acknowledging them (= That takes time, energy and effort.

Well, we'll see what happens this year!!

Layla is now in a Big Girl Bed!

I had a very sweet video of Layla saying goodbye to her crib, but it woulnd't upload. Oh well!

For awhile now Tom and I have been kicking the idea around of transitioning Layla into a big girl bed. When we had plans to leave the middle of January, it didn't seem reasonable to push the issue. Now that we are not sure WHEN we are leaving, and given that I can no longer pick her up, it was open for discussion. What really pulled the trigger was that a couple of days before Christmas I was shopping for maternity clothes at the Arc thrift store and found a beautiful toddler bed with 2 (?) mattresses for $20! Can't beat that! So once we had it home, we pretty much had to start the process.

She's done really well - for her morning reading nap we don't expect her to stay in bed, just to play quietly in her room. She does a great job of doing that for about 30 minutes. Then for her afternoon nap we are still laying down with her for about 20 minutes or so to make sure she is calmed down enough to leave. When she was in her crib she was so energetic at the beginning of her naps she was virtually doing laps in her crib!

Anyway, Tom lays down with her for longer at night, but she's never gotten out of bed once so that is a good thing. An added bonus is that for some reason she is napping longer during the afternoon and sleeping until about 930am! Not sure why we are getting this little blessing but we'll take it (=

Flashback

My parents wanted to take a picture of Layla in the same dress I was wearing at her age in the painting. Back in Taiwan you could get paintings cheaply made from a photo graph. I love this one at the bottom - she is so clearly confused!