A Melody for Easter

We hit the road tomorrow bound for my sister's in Ga and we cannot get out of town fast enough!  Before I go, I am glad to have remembered to keep up my Easter blog tradition of picking and posting a song that really catches the spirit of the holiday.  This one I bookmarked last summer for this very purpose. 

 Happy Easter, y'all!

Just As I Am by Nichole Nordeman

I wondered how to come to You,

I did not dare believe it true,
 that You regard the orphaned ones:

beloved daughters, worthy sons,

The broken and the barren too,

I heard I could find some rest in You.

What kind of love in injury's place,

would leave instead the stain of grace?

So I come in sorrow and I come in shame.

I come to the cross with my pain.

Just as I am, without one plea,

but that thy blood was shed for me

and that Thou bidst me come to Thee,

O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

The pardon that I found from sin
spilled out from where the nails went in.

My heart will ever more proclaim

I had not lived until that day.

And I know there is a crown for me

beyond where mortal eyes can see

and I don't nod to any man,

but offer me just as I am.

So I come rejoicing with hands held high,

and I come singing words of new life.

Just as I am, without one plea,

but that thy blood was shed for me

and that Thou bidst me come to Thee,

O Lamb of God,

O Lamb of God,

O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

O Lamb of God, I come.

Up Close

When you are stuck inside on a freezing cold Spring Break, you amuse yourself with funny faces.

This one's my personal fave.

"Mommy, take my picture now."  I love the tiny mole on his cutie-pie button nose. I love his little nubby fingernails that he chews down to nothing.

Anna's sweaty head, precious profile, and flawless skin all flushed and warm after nap.

Squeezing out all the up-close, snuggly, and silly moments from Spring Break 2013 that I can.

Dress Up Inventory

Just because my brain is that sick and twisted, I decided to post pictures and lists of the kids' dress up stash. I can't help myself.  It's for remembering these precious, imaginative days.   

On hangers we keep the following:

Belle gown

Sleeping Beauty gown

Rapunzel gown

Mulan gown

Snow White gown

Fairy costume

Fancy sequined aqua dress
Leather cowboy vest

Cowgirl dress (doubles as an Indian dress)

Several leotards

Pettiskirt

Lion costume

Jedi cloak

Pirate shirt

Cheerleader costume

Doctor's coat

Tinkerbell outfit

Supergirl costume

Policeman's coat

Superhero cape

Pink cape

Knight costume

And in the stuffed dress-up bin beside it you will find:

Fairy wings

A couple tu-tus

Several pairs of dress up high heel shoes

Ballet shoes

Another leotard or two

Cowboy hat

2 Cowgirl hats

Wizard hat

Bonnet

Knight's chainmeal hat

Costume Jewelry

Witch hat

Bunny ears

Bat ears
Gloves

Davy Crockett hat

Swords and Light sabres

MANY tiaras/crowns

Cow Head hat

Scarves and sashes

Train conductor hat

Policeman hat

Pirate hat

Fireman's helmet

Clown hat

Handcuff

Grenade

Weather Update

Just popping in to say that it is snowing right now
and has been off and on all day.

I say, it's snowing ... on Spring Break.
That's amusing to me.

We are a week away from April and it's snowing.
Still chuckling to myself.

Never a dull weather moment here in Middle Tennessee. :)

Anna at 4 1/2

Our Anna-girl is officially a half-year older.  She's 4 1/2 now and that much closer to a big bad FIVE years old this coming fall. {insert image of me shaking my head in disbelief} And in honor of that, here are some Anna things for the keeping in order to remember a little more of her at this age.

New milestones for Anna since her 4th birthday:

• She's graduated from her car seat and now proudly rides in a booster seat. 
• And accordingly, she can know buckle herself in.
• She's officially outgrown her MyGym class and will finish up her tenure there this May.
• She now gets herself in bed for her nap all by herself, setting her nap clock herself, too.
• She's not allowed to NOT eat at dinner anymore.  We make her eat, even if it takes an hour at the table by herself.
• She is decoding words and using a lot of inventive spelling.
• As already blogged, she has asked Jesus to be her Savior.
• And just yesterday she took her first communion at church! 
• She's wearing 4T stuff now, but in bathing suits she is a scrawny 2T still. :}
• She is almost as tall as Noah.  They look so close to the same height.
• She can now put her whole face/head in the water thanks to having started a swim class recently.
• Bathtime has turned into a series of loud bumps and thrashing as she proudly practices swimming.
• Now she wants to be a swim teacher when she grows up. (A declaration that came after a particularly scary but successful day at swim class.)

Anna quirks that are particularly her:

• She is ALWAYS in pjs or dress up clothes when home.  Changes as soon as we hit the door.
• She will put on inside-out clothes and then pull them off again in order to turn them right side out.
• She opts for saying 'Sure' alot lately.  Sure it is, I sure will, Sure!
• She, for some crazy reason, STILL gets cradle cap in one specific spot on her head.
• She is like me - she cringes her way through AFV every Sunday night.
• She bemoans how long it will be before she can drive.
• She has her heart set on turning 6 so she can go in the attic and turning 8 so she can go on the roof.
• She collects ribbons, rocks, and claims she would like to collect tape, too.
• She is obsessed with planning her birthday party in the fall ... which she has requested to be a surprise.
• She wants to be an angel this coming Halloween and she wants an Angel birthday cake.
• She is so affectionate.  And this is reflected in the fact that she is a "card" making machine!
• She digs naming things.  Some of her name ideas for her dolls include Arianna, Ezra, Vanna, Doffey, Baffy (Bathy).

Quotes:

• "Noahhhhhh. I am tryinggggg to be a Christian.  Stop bugging meeeeeeee." 
• "I don't have many boyfriends, but I have a lot of girlfriends." 
• "You know what's super boring?  Waiting." 
• Speaking to her toy - "Good thing I brought my medical kit.  Now let me clean the wound." 
• She calls Jesus' crown of thorns his "pokey hat".
• When asked to put away some clothes, she said, "You know, Mommy, princesses aren't really made for helping with laundry."
• Me - when your guests get here you can say, Welcome guests!  Anna: "Ummm, I think I'll just say hello."
• When I commented how good Noah's hair smelled, Anna sniffed it and had a different opinion. "Noah, your hair smells like tortillas!"
• At the dentist's bathroom, I asked her if she could do it by herself or if she needed me. She claimed she needed me, so I went along.  Once in there, she confessed, "I just needed you for company."
• She calls out "cannon bomb" for "cannon ball."
• When Josh dressed her in an outfit she did not like, she pouted, "Daddy! I look so boring!"
• Then she warned him, "Mommy is not gonna like what you picked out!"
• In between watching Mickey Mouse and playing with her nativity set, Anna looked up and said out of nowhere, "Jesus is Christ the Lord. Always. You know that, Mommy?"
• Everyday after her nap, she comes straight to me and says, "Good afternoon, Mommy," while she nuzzles my arm.
• When dressed up in her new sparkly flip-flops, she said, "Listen - My fwip-fwops make a summery sound."

Big words she's used lately:  amulet, department, pendant, hallelujah, misunderstand, exhausted, categories

Recipe: Chicken Cordon Bleu Crescents

These were too easy to be as good and as satisfying as there were!  And I don't just say that because Josh was the one cookin' tonight. :}  Give this recipe a try.  Yum!  These would also be perfect for taking to parties. Thank you, yet again, Plain Chicken.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Crescents

• 1 can crescent rolls
• 4 tsp honey mustard dressing
• 4 slices baby swiss cheese
• 8 slices deli ham
• 8 fully cooked, frozen breaded chicken fingers (Tyson)

Preheat oven to 375.

Separate crescent rolls into 8 triangles. Spread 1/2 tsp of honey mustard on each crescent. Place one half slice of baby swiss cheese on top of crescent roll. Place 1 slice of ham on top of cheese and top with chicken finger. Roll up crescent and place on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken fingers and crescents.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Big Saver/Spender

My Noah Brown saved up a whopping $49 over the past few months and yesterday was able to drop that cash on some toys he has been pining for.  He got a rocket launcher and a remote-control helicopter.  And while I am glad he finally branched out and spent his hard-earned money on something besides Legos for once, I am a little dismayed that he stole my birthday shopping list for him.  :}

The new chopper pilot in action.  It took a number of stops and starts for father and son to figure it out.

Watching him work it is like watching a new child emerge. It takes more finesse and self-control than you would expect.

You can't imagine all the giggling that goes on when it lands/crashes though. :}

Little boys and all their toy phases are the best!  This is a shot of my living room right now - castle, soldiers, pirate ship, bumper hockey, beyblades, and his new rocket launcher.

 Some days the mess gets to me.  Other days, like today, I just thank the Lord for these precious signs of life in my home.  Love that boy (and his sister) to pieces!

Signs of Spring

The calendar says it's spring, but our weather says winter has not quite hit the road.  Now, I am not complaining about that, trust me!  I am glad that next week's Spring Break will be with temps in the 40s and 50s.  I just keep that opinion on the down low so as not to aggravate my friends. :}  BUT, while the weather is not quite warm, we are seeing signs that spring is juuuust around the corner.  

Our raised-bed garden is now prepped and ready for cucumbers, tomatoes, and broccoli.

The sandbox has been stocked with fresh sand.

 

The fire pit has been pulled back out and has a nice new cover now, too. We roasted marshmallows last weekend, in fact, when the temperature jerked up into the 70s.

Anna's dahlia flower from last summer is apparently growing back in.  That was a fun surprise! She has been setting up rocks around it to "protect" it. :}

Things like this can be seen drying on the back porch on a daily basis.  Oh, yes.  Summer is on the way!

 

Our neighbors daffodils are in bloom and so is our bradford pear tree.  Josh even went ahead and ran the mower over the back yard because it was getting tall in spots.

 

And the sidewalk chalk is back in action as well.  Apparently, Daddy, Noah, and Anna were keeping score.

 

Looking forward to the coming week off of school and the following weekend with my sister.  The outlook is bright for sure!

Back At It

Noah is back at tee ball as of yesterday when he went to this spring's first practice.  We didn't get the coach we wanted from last year, but this new guy seems to have his act together, too, so we'll sit tight and hope for the best.

Noah really showed off his skills and it's neat to compare to last year.  It is clear he's one of the better kiddos on the team by sheer virtue of the fact that he has a year of tee ball under his belt.  It'll be neat to watch him respond to being a little ahead of the rest of the team.  He is so accustomed to always being the littlest one and a natural follower anyway.  Maybe this year he'll really blossom in this baseball scene. He batted so strongly and got some good practice at catching and fielding.  Looking forward to enjoying another sweet spring season ... as long as I can keep my competitive impulses in check. :}

Anna was back at her third swim class today and made HUGE gains.  She put her whole head under water a bunch, swam a few feet unassisted several times, jumped in the deep end, and started using her arms to stroke (even if only in tiny underwater spurts).  I just cooed and cooed over her bravery and effort afterwards and I asked her how she felt about all they did today.  "I felt like a real swimmer!" she said. 

She also has decided that she wants to be a swim teacher when she grows up.  I will have to tell Mrs. Beverly that one; that is a huge compliment to her teaching and manner.  Anna went from fear to inspiration in just 2-3 30 minute sessions with her.  Such a blessing ... and relief!

In my excitement, I went ahead and priority signed Anna up for another quarter when this one ends and a mini-quarter for Noah come June.  Here's to this summer being our last year needing swim lessons!

Quotes from my Childhood

Things I heard a LOT when I was growing up:

Think, Think, Think, Kimberly. Never stop thinking. 

Happiness is wanting what you have.
Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

Do the right thing.

Tracy, I don't care if they like me.  It's the results I'm after. 
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
The truth shall set you free.

(sung) My children are boneheads, they whine and complain... 

Your first option is to do nothing.
Forewarned is forearmed.
Say what you mean and mean what you say.
How you are perceived is YOUR responsibility.

How 'bout them apples? 
I'm a poet and I didn't know it, but my feet show it, cuz they're longfellows. 

Let's don't and say we did.
Fiddle fart
Bull Frockey

Whatty? (when we called "Daddyyyy")

A half-truth is a whole lie.   

You are a Higginbotham, You wear my name.
It takes just one "Aw, shit" to ruin a thousand "Atta boy!s".
Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.

Music and Technology

Tuesday was Technology Night at Noah's school and the first graders were also featured in a singing performance.  It was fun to see Noah doing what he loves - singing his little heart out!  Well, in this first shot, he's technically making faces and hanging with his buddy, Owen. But, still - fun.

Soon, they got into position.  His short, short stature proved beneficial for once - he scored a spot on the front row where I could take a million pics real easy. :}

 

Flashing me a smile!  

Getting down to singing business.  

 

All the little motions were so adorable.  All the first-grade babies were singing and motioning so whole-heartedly. 

 

I particularly love this shot. :) 

 

 

Concentrating so hard on his sound.  Adorable!

Afterward, in the classrooms, the kiddos hosted the parents in a tour of all the technology they use on a day to day basis in class.  Computers, iPads, iPods, and here, the smartboard.  Look closely; there's a Noah-boy in the middle of this crew.  He's the one holding the wand. :)

This is also the night I blogged about already when we met his perfectly-matched long-term sub who's coming next month when Mrs. Arnold leaves to have her baby.

Collecting More Words

I am reading a book called The Robe and it is timed perfect for this Easter season.  All of my latest word collection additions have come from it.  Faves in bold.

limn

frowsy

hawsers

himation

fatuous

tatterdemalion

grandiloquent

leonine

manfully

obstreperous

profligacy

dotard

impedimenta

persiflage

glissade

peradventure

unconversant

Ten Things

• It feels like we are bleeding money this month.  Josh might need to get a second job. :}
• Chewie is not the devil after all.  He has a UTI and an ear infection in both ears.  Poor thing.
• I just booked a new photog for our October family photos.  Really excited about him!
• Anna is officially 4 and HALF now. I should post some Anna particulars soon.
• Noah's next birthday looms near.  Can't believe he is going to be SEVEN!
• We are so excited to get to go see my sister's family over Easter weekend. :)
• And to that end, I am on a wild good chase for suitable Easter attire for the kids.
• I lost my taste for Diet Dr. Pepper back during the flu.  It's so weird to me.
• We finally got some new neighbors.  They are the youth pastors at a local pentecostal church.
• Spring Break is only a week away!

Super Sub!

Noah's teacher is very pregnant and only plans on being at school for about another month plus a week or two maybe. Now you know me and my peanut-allergy precautions. I have already been making mental notes to remind Mrs. Arnold to fill the sub in on Noah's allergy details and such.  And then I planned to go meet her myself and make sure I thought she was well-informed and aware of how to go about foods in the classroom with him.  I would give her a quick epi-pen tutorial, too, for that matter. 

Well, as luck would have it, tonight at Noah's singing performance at school, we got to meet the woman who will be her long-term sub through the end of the year.  And it turns out that the sub, Mrs. Graham, and I sort of know each other ... but not really, but almost. :)  Those details aren't important.  What is important to note about Mrs. Graham is that - BIG BONUS - her own daughter (Anna's age) is allergic to peanuts! 

How fortunate is that for us?!  : D   {Relieved exhale}  I will tell you.  Very, very fortunate.  Very fortunate indeed.  I don't have to worry about her knowing the basics, the emergency protocol, the constant awareness, etc.  She's got a very personal interest and history with severe food allergies herself, so my boy is more than covered while Mrs. Arnold is gone.  Phew!

So excited at the coincidence and couldn't help but note it here!

Thank you, Lord! : D

Idiot Animal

The dumb dog that we've had for 2 1/2 years now has suddenly started peeing all over the house.

It's bad enough that we have to clean up after him when he leaks during his excited or nervous moments.  A submissive pee-er is an annoying issue I have tolerated til now.  But now that he is voluntarily peeing around the house, I am afraid I have no other choice but to kick him in the head.  And that only because I can't quite convince Josh to take him out behind the shed and shoot him in the head. (Relax, relax - I haven't kicked him in the head yet.  But in my heart I have.)

Angry much?  Yes, I'd say so.

We have taken to blocking off the stairs because it seemed he was peeing upstairs only.  But today Noah brought me some of his toy soldiers from the playroom that were covered in nasty, crusty dried yellow crap.  So I can only assume the dog now pees in other downstairs locales, too.  Our last resort is to start crating him when we leave the house and at night.  That starts today and already annoys me because it is one more thing we have to do while we are trying to pile out of the house at any given time.  I am not much interested in any more dog maintenance than we already do, so I am doing so quite begrudgingly.

And in light of that mood, I have already warned the kids to prepare their hearts to say goodbye to Chewie if this bad habit doesn't stop and stop quickly.  Mommy is close to her breaking point.  Mommy is hating on the dog.  Mommy won't put up with much more.  He's just a dumb animal.  (To which Noah tells me "dumb" is a bad word because Mrs. Arnold says so.  And I told him she is right; we shouldn't use that word to describe people. But in the case of a dumb animal, I will allow it.)

Watch your back, ChewChew.  Your days are numbered!  {Insert evil eye}

Taa Daa: Birthday Bits

So I turned 34 on Sunday.
Josh and the kids made me a cake to mark the occasion. :) 

I have taken to requesting projects getting completed in lieu of gifts lately and I much prefer it!  For this b'day, I asked Josh to fashion me some strips of hooks for all my measuring spoons/cups.  Turned out great!

Anna gave me a new pair of scissors (since I lost my favorite pair a couple months ago) and I just think it was the most thoughtful little gift!  I love my new scissors ... and all the more since she picked them out.

And it was just a fun bonus to get this new cake carrier, too.  I've wanted one for awhile but never mentioned it to Josh or anything.  I was tickled that he grabbed one while shopping with Anna.  I was also tickled to get some birthday money in the sweetest birthday card from my mother-in-law and father-in-law.  It's gonna be difficult to spend it on myself and not something already in our budget, but I am gonna give it a go. :)  Thank you, Carol!

And in an odd turn-of-events, after an 8 month silence, I got a ridiculously cold and dry card from my parents from whom we are estranged again.  I don't even know what to make of that.  And that's all I'll say about that.

Quotes from the Carpool

My friend, Cindy, keeps a blog of her own.  And occasionally, she posts funny things her daughter says.  She calls them "Claire-isms" and they are always such a hoot to read.  Just now, I was gifted with a few Noah-isms that she picked up recently on the ride to school with my apparent know-it-all/comedian.  Hearing how your kid acts when you are not around is so surreal sometimes. Embarrassing other times.  But always, always smile inducing. :}

Cindy emailed:  

Noah-isms from our morning rides to school:

"My mom knows everything, like how much houses cost. A big house costs a million dollars and a small house costs $10."

"My dad knows what one fousand plus one fousand is -- TWO fousand!"

"Mickey Mouse peed on a house, what color was it?"

Except for the Pee joke, I was relieved that's all he said.  Last time I got an update about Noah's conversations of choice, the boy was scaring the living daylights out of Claire by telling her that a bad guy broke into our house that night and that his daddy shot him with his gun!  Boys.

Anna + Sea Star

Our little pink tadpole took her turn at a swim lesson today and it went just swimmingly!

You know me and last summer's drama with Noah learning to swim.  {Shiver} I had my share of pre-swim-lesson anxiety that I was mature enough to not project onto Anna.  She has been really looking forward to today for the past couple weeks!

She cried one time after she went under against her wishes, but Mrs. Bev was a more-than-competent soother for a panicky child.

The other three boys in her class were clearly better swimmers.  They could stroke and swim to the teacher unassisted, face in water. So it seems Anna is a special case in her group. :} Good things it's a small group.

Thankful for a gentle and highly recommended teacher for my girl's first go at swimming.

We have strict orders for Anna to practice putting her face in the bathtub in goggles WITHOUT using her hand to plug her nose.  Challenge accepted!

We'll see you next week, Sea Star.  And every week after that til May ... whereby I will probably re-enroll the girl AND her brother in a couple mini-quarter classes just for good measure. :)