Thanksgiving Fun

The girls lounging on Aunt Maren's steps, tired after a long and delicious afternoon. Libby refused to hold still for a picture. Getting ready to go in to see Tangled. It is a great movie!!!

We had a great Thanksgiving this year. Thanks to Aunt Maren and Uncle Clark for hosting. Thanks Clark for an amazing turkey! Thanks Geneva for yummy rolls. Thanks Uncle Brett for the tasty cherry pie! Thanks to everyone who ate my pies, despite the horrible texture issues. Thanks Paige for letting me win a round of both Rummikub and Skipbo. Thanks to the girls for eating some food.

When we got home, of course Libby instantly asked for a snack.

Anyway, in honor of the most popular movie going weekend of the year, we took the girls to see Tangled. It was SO fun! After the movie Libby wanted to go out to a restaurant, and conveniently so did I (we got into a later movie than expected, so there was no time to make dinner). So I prepped her when we came out of the bathroom to ask daddy if we could go to the Thaiger Room (pronounced Tiger Room, for the uninformed :). Libby repeated it back several times. Then when we got in the car I said, "Tell Daddy where you want to eat." She thought for a second and then said, "The Lion Room."

So close!

Reading Together

Today I was getting ready to have some of my visiting teaching ladies for lunch. Sarah asked me to read to her. I told her that Libby could read her the book she was asking for. Libby, clear at the end of the hall, held out her arms to Sarah and said that she would love to read to her. I got some good shots of them reading together. It was so adorable!

Moral Dilemma

Libby's dance studio is having their Christmas recital on a Sunday. I hadn't even thought about choosing not to participate because it is on a Sunday--but now I am stressing it. Should we miss it? Is it sabbath breaking to dance? No one is paying for the recital I don't think...It isn't the same as the championship basketball game, is it? Oh man. Help?

Christmas Idea

I decided to do a picture "advent" calendar with my girls this year with pictures from the Gospel Art Picture kit. Here is a link to it if you want to use it!
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B1szgRn0w_jzM2EzNGFhYzAtNjQyOS00YWU4LWFhYmYtYjAxZDBhMzE1MTQ2&hl=en&authkey=CI2Chs8B

Gratitude

Since Thanksgiving is this week, I have been thinking a lot about how thankful I am for the gifts in my life. Derek and I spent some time reflecting on this last night. We never could have imagined on June 21, 2003 just how blessed we would be over the next 7 1/2 years.

We are thankful for our degrees
Our jobs (past and present!)
Amazing contracts
The great places we have lived and for our house
Our vehicles (bless Derek's truck's heart!)
Our daughters that make our lives so rich
Our families that have given and continue to give us so much
Friends that love and help and listen to us
Wrestling (yes I am writing this!)
Technology that keeps us close to our loved ones
Our new baby on the way
The relative prosperity we have enjoyed

In the last conference President Monson quoted the Greek philosopher Epictetus, "He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has." I may not be wise all the time, but I am working on it and today I do feel my heart rejoicing for all that I have!

Libbyisms

Libby had a rough week this week. Being 3 is really tough I guess. All of a sudden she has gotten clingy and cries when I leave her. This happens randomly with almost no warning. I am so not used to it. She even cried at dance class this week. Hormones already?
Finally on Friday afternoon I basically held her down in her bed until she fell asleep. She woke up a bit grumpy, but then ate 3 bowls of popcorn while watching Fievel Goes West and became the cheerful Libby that I remember. She really just needs occasional naps to help her control her emotions. She (just like someone else I know very well, me) has a harder time being rational and calm when tired.
In fact, on Saturday, Sarah was napping and Derek and I both fell asleep watching football (this is a new ritual that I am enjoying very much). Libby just played on her own and let us sleep for over an hour. Amazing!
I had one of my favorite mommy moments with Libby this week though. She created a "car" in the corner of the family room. She said to Sarah, "Hey sweetie, come get in your seat and let's go!" They traded between being the mommy and the child in the seat for like 1/2 hour. Libby would say, "Mommy, can we go to the lollipop store?" Sarah would say, "No, not the lollipop store, how about the park?" Libby would rejoice and Sarah would make car sounds and pretend to drive. It was so pleasant to see them interacting as they pretended to be me. I guess sometimes I say things besides, "Get in your seat, NOW!" Whew.
Libby just told me I could be the littlest and she would be the "biggidest."
This week Libby also told me she was going to marry Dimitri (our garbage can) and then the next day she would have a baby in her belly too. Oh my!
She also picked a name for our baby if it is a girl. She suggested Anna, and I really like it. We won't worry about a middle name until the ultra sound. About 10 weeks before that. I think it will be around my birthday.

Sarahisms

Here are some of my favorite Sarahisms for the week.
She has been working on her letters lots. She mixes up B and P, I and Y, T and I, but she is great with H, R, K, S, O and so many more. It is fun to have her tell you the letters because she always says, "I don't know...H."
She just asked me if she could write her name with a pen that has a plume. (quote from Fancy Nancy).
When she wakes up in the morning or after a nap, she knocks on the door and shouts, "Mommy, Daddy, can I come in now?"
I was changing her diaper the other day and she randomly shouted, "Elisabeth Mary Norton, get your shoes on NOW! Elisabeth Mary Norton!"

Food and Pregnancy

It seems so cruel that when you are pregnant you need to eat so often and food looks and tastes and feels so gross! I am starting to get over it, but yuck! Anyway, we have been doing more eating out than usual because cooking is the worst part. So here is a shot from a back of the van picnic at McDonalds. Libby loves their chicken nuggets and cookies, so I am always satisfied with the amount she eats there.

Libbyisms

Libby is starting to understand the baby in my belly concept. Today she said she wanted a baby sister so we could call her Libby.

The other day in the car I learned from Libby's rendition of the song that Jesus was baptized, not by immersion, but by emergency. If you try singing the song, emergency actually works pretty well :)

Sarahisms and Stats

Sarah "reading" the Pig Party to her baby.


Sarah was saying the blessing on breakfast the other morning. She said, "Please bless the toast and the cheerios that they can sleep." Oh the poor insomniac breakfast foods!





Another morning I asked Sarah what she wanted for breakfast. No hesitation she replied: "Starbursts." Awesome. She didn't get them though.

We had her 2 year well baby checkup finally this week. Our doctor was surprised and delighted with Sarah's talking abilities. She said that Sarah is basically a 3 year old in a 2 year old body. That would make sense since Libby expects Sarah to do everything she can do (and so do we sometimes.)

Stats:

Weight 27 lbs. 8 oz. 55%

Height 35 1/2 inches 80%

Head Circ. 19" 70%

Woohoo for a healthy, amazing daughter.

Seattle Police Awards Night

I was quite pleased with the dress I found on downeastbasics.com. It was only $25! I bought the shoes for $25 too. They killed my feet because heels and I don't get along, but I made it. I paid a fantastic seamstress in my ward to hem the dress (it was originally floor length) and was glad because I had a great time on the dance floor (with no tripping). It was so fun to go on a fancy date with my husband.

Poop!

Yesterday Sarah pooped and took off her diaper and got it all over her room. BLAST! That is when we decided to potty train Libby. But I can't potty train while I am pregnant. I don't have ANY patience. What to do! I hope it was an isolated incident.

Sarahism

Here is my favorite exchange yesterday in the car.
Sarah: "Achoo!"
Mommy: "Bless you."
Sarah: "Thank you for blessing me!"

Sarahism

Tonight I was getting Sarah out of the car at Costco. I was in SkippyJon Jones mode so I said,
"icarumba!" and swung her around. She looked at me seriously and said, "No, you are mommy." Get it? She thought I was saying that I was a carumba? You probably got it. But it took me a minute. What a smartie.