Moses on Sesame Street

Yesterday during lunch Erik was reviewing with Jack and Anna their Sunday School lessons. We hadn't been to Sunday School in at least three weeks, so there were several stories to go over. We went over Noah, Elijah, Ezra, and Moses and then asked the kids questions about the stories we'd just read. 

Well the kids weren't acting as if they were retaining any of the information they had been given. You know we'd ask,"Who did God tell to build a boat?" And Jack or Anna would either just look at us blankly or say, "Jesus!" because when in doubt, and your discussing the Bible, Jesus is a always a safe answer, right?

The day continued in its usual fashion, and last night before bed time Anna wanted to read an Elmo book she has. We sat down to read, but when we turned to a page with Oscar the Grouch on it she held her hand over the page and studied him closely. Then she exclaimed, "It's MOSES!"

I guess we know she was at least *sort of* listening during lunch. :)

My Girls

I love that I have daughters. There's something so special to me that Anna and Lily are sisters. I don't have any sisters and I am so excited that these two will have each other to grow up with. They are only 17 months apart, and I pray that they won't just be close in age but also close friends.

Anna is spunky, spirited, and either all or nothing. Meaning she's either happy or sad- there's no middle ground with this child! You can't tell from this picture, but she has beautiful curly hair, and I would love to know who she inherited that gene from! 

Anna is a huge animal lover and book lover. Her favorite toys are My Little Ponies, and she pretends that almost everything is a horse(including her food!) The only downfall I've seen come out of her love of horses is that she has tried on more than one occasion to ride Lily. Luckily Lily doesn't get too upset, but she does appreciate it when I tell Anna that her little sister isn't a toy.

My husband is in our church's praise band and he practices from time to time at home. Anna enjoys dancing around, but not usually as much as Jack and Lily do. There have been times Anna will sit and read her Bible while her brother and sister dance around her, so we jokingly call her our little fundamentalist.

This past week Anna has decided she wants to potty trained "like a big girl," and she's been doing amazing. After she goes potty she'll say(in what still sounds like a french accent), "I need a piece of chocolate(pronounced shockooolot:).

And then there's our Lily. There was a time not so long ago when I thought Anna was the most mischievous one year old in the world. And then Lily turned one. And now I don't think Anna held a candle to Lily's mischief!

Lily is so silly. If I take my eyes off her for a second she's into something she shouldn't be. Be it the dog bowl, the toilet, or the pantry. I'm pretty sure she'll be the child who flushes my keys down the toilet or eats my wedding ring. But she's so stinking sweet. She almost always has a smile on her face, and has an adorable laugh. Lily almost always has a baby doll with her and in my totally unbiased opinion says the word "baby" in one of the cutest voices. She also says please really well, and is getting the hang of thank you. Lily and Jack have a very sweet relationship, and Lily reminds me a lot of how Jack was when he was a toddler.

So that's what these girls of mine have been doing lately. Keeping their mommy on her toes(or more accurately on her knees praying for wisdom!), but yet making me smile and providing endless amounts of laughter in the process

Boys vs. Girls

Today I had an interesting encounter with my three year old and two year old.

I was sitting next to Anna, and Anna was trying to talk to the baby in mommy's tummy.

"Hello, baby! I love you! MUAH!" Actually it sounded more like, "Hewo, beebee! I wuv you! MUAH!" but that's beside the point.

So Anna was talking to my stomach while Jack played quietly nearby. I asked Jack if he wanted to say hi to the baby.

Jack looked up from what he was doing, thought for a moment, and replied, "No. I think I'd just like a snack."

And that is the difference between boys and girls.

She turned 2!

Dear Anna,

Yesterday you turned two! I think you had a good day. I mean, there were cupcakes involved so I don't think I know you had a good day! We had your party the day before your actual birthday since Sundays are tough to get everyone together. You got some cute dresses, a top, a crown, a dress up costume, books, and best of all(at least in your opinion) you received a recorder. Yep that's right, your great grandparents thought it would be funny to get Jack and you musical intruments. You both love walking through the house playing the recorders as loud as you can! It is very funny, and they keep you two happy.

It's been a big year for you, Anna. You've learned to walk, talk, sing, you actually grew big enough to be on the growth chart(at your last checkup you weighed 22 pounds!), and most importantly you became a big sister! I love watching you and Lily interact. I don't have a sister, so I'm really excited to watch you two grow up together. You love to hold her and help feed her cereal.

And Jack is most definitely your best friend. You two are constantly playing and chasing and getting into mischief things. We joke that you are either really happy or really mad. There's not much of a middle ground with you! People who meet you usually comment that you have,"Quite the personality!"

You have also become a daddy's girl(and a Papa's girl). The men in your life seem to melt the second you come up to them. At times you use this to your advantage, and when one of them catches you doing something you shouldn't, you smile and say,"Hi! How are you?" in your sweetest voice. Even though you're a daddy's girl, you love helping me with any type of house work(especially dusting.) You generally like to be where I'm at, and I often see you mimicking the things I do.

We love you so much, Anna! I praise God for you everyday, and I pray that one day you'll know Jesus. Happy Birthday, my spunky girl!

Please Read with a French Accent

I'm not sure why, but ever since Anna has started talking, she says things with an almost french accent.

It is hilarious, people.

We first noticed it when Lily was born and she was starting to say clear words. Everything that had to do with her new sister came out sounding like,"Zee Beebee." We thought it was funny, but it wasn't until she started adding other words that we really started getting a kick out of this.

Now everything is, "Da Papa!" "Da, Mama!"

And, for all you Little Rascals fans out there, she also says, "Otay" in a french accent.

I'm not sure how it happened. I'm pretty sure she won't always have this accent. But it has become one of our favorite inside family jokes. Jack even gets in on the fun and starts saying in his best french accent, "Zee Bebee!" And we just crack up. Even Lily thinks it's hilarious.

So if you ever happen to walk by, and hear a crazy family speaking in horrible french accents, please know that we are simply enjoying our little girl.