Sarahisms

Sarah is in a stage that I remember with Libby. I call it the "No, NO, NEVER." Stage. When I ask Sarah to do anything (when she is in the No, NO, NEVER mood) that is all will say. For example: Mommy: "Sarah, let's get your pjs on."
Sarah: "NO!" "NO!" "I Will NEVER WEAR MY PJS."
Mommy: "Sarah, get out of your carseat so we can go in."
Sarah: "No! I will never get out of my carseat!"

OOOHHH it can be frustrating. But, she is pretty easily distracted, so I can usually work around it and help her forget that she will NEVER wear her pjs or get out of the carseat, or whatever.

On the flip side, she is so stinking polite. She ALWAYS says "You're welcome" if I say thank you, and she ALWAYS says "Thank you" when I give her something. It melts my heart.

She has a bit of a cough and after every coughing spurt this morning she would say, "I'm OK!" just to reassure us.

She is still totally lost when it comes to colors. I remember that Libby took awhile to figure out colors too. But the best is that she calls her "blankie," the one that she carries all the time, her "pink blankie" but it isn't pink. Maybe a slight hint of pink now that it is getting worn out. But really it is cream and blue and red and a variety of colors that are not pink. It will be interesting to see what happens when she figures this out.

I don't know if I have ever mentioned this, but she has a hard time with the letter L. She loves to say her full name though, so she says that she is "Sarah Dewouise Norton" and her big sister is Wibby or Ewisabeth Mary Norton.

Why?

Since Libby's favorite question right now is WHY? I have a few of my own to ask my girls.
Why do you go outside in the snow, instantly remove hats and mittens and eat snow with bare hands until you start crying because it hurts so bad?
Why do you love a food when someone else buys it, but when I buy it for you and bring it home you don't eat it?
Why do you choose the kitchen to line up all the cans in the house (garbage, recycling, flour) right when I am trying to cook in the kitchen?
Why do you beg me to make you popcorn and not eat a single kernel?
Why do you always say "I don't know" when I ask you a question, even when you do know?
Why do you call for me and not answer when I respond?
Why do you have to wake each other up in the mornings?
Why are you so adorable?
Why are you so much like me?
I love you girls!

Libbyisms

"Mommy, is it still Valentine's week?" "Can I have another Reese's heart?"

(I had a little growth removed from my ear last week and I had some knarly stitches.) Libby told Derek, "Mommy's ear is GROSS!" She continues to ask me how it is doing. She went with me to get the stitches out and was fascinated.

I put away a bunch of her dresses that were too short. She keeps asking me about them. Specifically. I bought her 4 replacement dresses, but that girl is like an elephant. She doesn't forget things, even when you really want her too.

Sunday Walk

The best part about early church for me is the peaceful Sunday afternoon, which usually for us includes a walk. It is the best talking time Derek and I have. The girls love to be outside. Today it was cold but beautiful. They both spent lots of time outside the stroller running along this pedestrian bridge part of the Interurban trail. I am thankful for the bikers that have urged the city governments to create so many beautiful trails around Seattle.

Pantry Problems

Our water heater is in the pantry. So when the pilot light went out and wouldn't re-light (we did get it re-lit once) we called our amazing plumber Bala. But this meant that we had to pull everything out of the pantry. Luckily Derek was home in the morning to help out. Bala fixed the water heater and then I got the job of reorganizing and cleaning out everything as I put it back. I was tired, and still a bit weak, but I LOVE a good organizing project. But I wasn't the only one who had a good time.

Happy Valentine's Day

I love Valentine's Day. It appeals to that part of me that still loves to cut out and paste hearts onto paper and give (and receive) candy. Like Halloween only cuter colors and a more managable amount of candy. This year it was a treat to have my parents with us, except that we were all at various stages of the stomach bug, so we didn't get to enjoy it as much as we might have. But we did have a fabulous finger food feast and a cute table setting. I didn't start barfing until Tuesday night. Thankfully we have all had the bug now and I finally cleaned the house and we can move on.

Libby Says the Pledge

I love this video of Libby because in 30 seconds or so you get to see all aspects of her personality. 1st, her good memory: we have only had our little at home preschool 5 or 6 weeks and already she has the pledge memorized from saying it once a week. 2nd, her bossy nature. She just can't resist telling Sarah what to do and how to do it. 3rd, her love of performing. 4th her love of manipulating her voice for effect. She is a gem, a challenge and a handful all at once, as you will see.

SHOREWOOD!

On Saturday Shorewood sent 8 guys to the regional wrestling tournament. 6 1/2 qualified for state. It was amazing to watch. 2 first places, 3 third places, a 4th and a 6th place. The team took 2nd in the tournament. There was a great article about it in the Everett Herald. Now on to state!
http://http//www.heraldnet.com/article/20110212/SPORTS01/702129846/1007

More Stomach Flu

Well, just when Sarah really started to feel better, Libby started throwing up. I have one positive thing to say about Libby as a sick girl. She usually got her barf and diarrhea in either the potty or a bowl. Only a few times did it end up on the floor out of the hundrends of times that her body exploded over her 4 days of illness. She is however, very demanding and angry about being sick. (I sympathize, but by the end of 4 days I was at the end of my rope!) This was a long flu. Derek got it just when Libby was almost better. I have felt yucky throughout, even before the girls got sick, but never have gotten to the barfing stage. Maybe I will. I pray for Baby Ben's sake that I can avoid the worst of this one. Finally Libby and Sarah are better...but I think they are getting a cold. What gives!

Birthday Surprise

Maren and Derek gave me a funny birthday surprise. They almost had me fooled.

Sarah Update

Sarah is still sick (at least as of the middle of the night when she barfed AGAIN). This is the longest stomach issue I have ever come in contact with. It must be food poisoning I think. Anyway, she acted much better last night and she woke up with a clean diaper this morning, so I think there is light at the end of the tunnel.

One hard thing about having a barfing kid is that you have to feed the rest of the family. When she was feeling a bit better the other night she helped Libby and I make pizza. Libby insisted that they wear their matchy aprons. So cute! (Thanks Grandma Debbi!)

Please?

Yesterday I asked Libby to take a banana peel to the garbage for me. She said, "Say please!"
So I said it. Then she said, "Say Pretty Please." So I said it. Then she said, "Say Top to Bottom Please." (Which I think is her version of Pretty Please with Sugar on Top.) I said it and she took the banana peel to the garbage for me. Oh, when things come back on you. So funny.

Sarah and Mommy's Superbowl Shindig

Yesterday we had a pretty intense day, but Sarah was pretty tired and crabby today...in the extreme. I should have realized something was going on when she wanted to come to Relief Society instead of nursery. Anyway, she asked me if Emmi was coming in to nursery to do singing time. When she heard that the answer was yes, she was willing to go back to nursery. Not 10 minutes later she BARFED all over the nursery, herself and her blankie.
So, Sarah and Mommy are having our own party at home, watching Sleeping Beauty and drinking Sprite. (Actually, my tummy has been a bit off for a few days. No barfing luckily.)
Daddy and Libby took the baked beans and broccoli salad to the other party without us ;(.
This is the 2nd year in a row that we have gotten a stomach bug right around this time. Bleh. Literally.

Prayer time

We have had some pretty funny evening prayers lately. The other night Libby was saying something about her belly button, but we couldn't make out what.
Both girls have decided they can start the prayer on their own, but then they just start saying um...um...um...until we step into help.
This was Sarah's prayer the other night.
Sarah: "Dear Heavenly Father...um..um..um."
Mommy: "We're thankful for this day."
Sarah: "We're thankful that we could see the octupus."
Mommy: "We're thankful for our family."
Sarah: "We're thankful we could go to the zoo."
Mommy: "Please bless us to have a good night's sleep."
Sarah: "Please bless us that we can go to the zoo."
Mommy: "Please help us to be kind to our family."
Sarah: "Please bless us that we can go to the zoo."
And so on. Hilarious. Wonder what she was wishing we had done that day.

Mischief

There has been lots of mischief around here lately. Libby got into my makeup and got it on the carpet. (Thank you FOLEX for taking it out.) She also smeared toothpaste all over herself and the bathroom rug. Very minty and refreshing smelling. When I left them the other day, they got out the measuring cups and the big bin of flour (which is NOT easy to pull out of the pantry for a reason...but they managed it) and took in into the living room. Derek woke up to a huge mess of flour on the carpet. What is the deal? I am pregnant. I need them to be angels, not devils. But here is one of my favorites.
I went to put on my boot and found this surprise. Yum.

District Wrestling Tourney

This weekend was the district wrestling tournament. It is the first time that Shorewood has been 3A (rather than 4A the larger school designation). It was a different exprience--better matchups all around. Shorewood is taking 8 on to regionals next week. On Friday I went by myself so I could actually watch. Today I took the girls in the afternoon. They enjoyed playing. They even borrowed headgear a time or two and ran around like wrestlers.

New Dresses

Costco has their summery dresses out, and I had to get the girls' Easter dresses. They liked them so much, I had to make a "compromise" with Libby. She could wear the dress, but only for 15 minutes. Now she is really into the "compromise" idea. She also let me braid her hair!