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mommyhood, things toddlers say

Things Toddlers Say 

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Happy Tuesday, y’all! Enjoy these little humor nuggets, and have a great rest of your week!

A story told to me by EK’s teacher…
Teacher: Can anyone tell me a good thing to do when you’re feeling sad?
EK: *raises hand excitedly*
Teacher: EK? Tell us.
EK: You go into your room, close the door, and tell Jesus about it.
Teacher: Well yes, that’s a very good thing to do!

There have been a couple of times recently where Hubby and I both managed to be in EK’s room at bedtime, just the three of us, for a song. Each time, she has said: Look! This is how we used to live! (Meaning just one kid, I suppose)

D, to the first chicken he ever saw in real life: Hey pretty!

Nana: Do you want to take another bite?
J: No thanks. No thanks for nothing.

A picture from J’s teacher… apparently it’s a caterpillar. 

My aunt and grandma stayed with us this past weekend. J came upstairs one morning to snuggle someone…
Nana: Good morning! Want to come snuggle for a few minutes?
J: Yeah (climbs up to her bed). Where’s Jan (my aunt)?
Nana: She’s in that room (points next door).
J, after a minute: Well, it’s been really nice snuggling you, but I’m gonna go see Jan.

EK, in the car with my aunt from out of town: Is that your GMC on?
Jan: My gps? Yes, it is.

EK, walking the block into school next to a bus: Mom, I saw its driver!
Me: Yes, buses usually have drivers.

There you go – what are your kids saying these days?

mommyhood, siblings, things toddlers say

Things Toddlers Say 

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Happy rainy Tuesday! At least if you’re in North Carolina. I hope you’re safe and well, wherever you are, after this past few days of craziness. Here’s a little bit of humor to cheer you up!

J: Did you know when we keep scratching our booboos they hurt more?
Me: That sounds right.
J: Yeah, it’s right, ’cause EK told me.
Me: She isn’t always right.

D: I ‘uf you, Joe Joe! I ‘uf you, Joe Joe! I ‘UF YOU JOE JOE!
Me: J, do you hear him frantically telling you he loves you?
J: I love you, too, baby brother.

J, pointing at hexagonal floor tiles in a bathroom: Mom! Look at those pentagons!
Me: Those are actually hexagons, but I’m really impressed!
EK: Stop signs are red ones of those!
Me: Actually, stop signs are octagons. *cue 20 minute discussion about many-sided figures.*

D, every time we put him on the potty and he doesn’t pee: It’s broken!

EK, putting my birthday on her planner: I just upgraded ya, Mom.

D, all day: I wan’ delly jeans! (Jelly beans)

EK explaining fire, tornado and lock down drills: Well, it’s so we’re safe. Like, just so there’s a fire, or a tomato, or if bears or lions come.

EK to her cinnamon roll: I’m coming for ya, cinnamon!

J, after snuggling with Hubby: Um, I put a little too much spit on Daddy’s ear.

J, looking at Hubby’s phone: Who’s that girl-man?
Hubby: …Barry Manilow…?
Me: *dead*

Well, I hope you enjoyed the little conversations, and the series of one-liners! Have a great rest of your week!

mommyhood, siblings, things toddlers say

Things Toddlers Say 

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Happy Tuesday! And for many of you, like me, I think a “Happy first day of preschool!” is in order! I hope your Labor Day was relaxing, and that this morning didn’t come too early. Here are a few goodies from the past week. Enjoy!

EK, handing me a note: In case you know, this is for you.
Me: I think you mean, “Just so you know…”

D, all day: I did it!
J, all day: Hey! Look at my butt!
Pretty similar, right?

J got stung by his first bee the other day. His response as he slowed his crying: Its because I was doing the wrong things!
After I assured him it wasn’t his fault, and said: And now my belly hurts! If everything hurts I’ll just be a… hurt man!

EK: You and Daddy are just like Cinderelly. You’ve gotta clean, cook, wash dishes, and dress people all day long!
Me: Are you saying I remind you of a princess?

A sign of too much Octonauts…
EK and J, running through the house: Emergency rescue! Emergency rescue! (Followed by every kind of fish in the sea)


Chopsticks lessons.

EK to J: We’re the weirdest team I’ve ever seen.

EK, pondering nature: Why are ants so FAST?!

D’s two favorite foods: Zucchini (actual zucchini and sometimes mushrooms that are cooked a certain way) and tofu (typically in either curry sauce or in a noodle dish). He calls them “chini” and “toes-fu”. Naturally, yesterday he saw a pan of roasted Brussels sprouts, and said, “Fus-chini! Fus-chini!”

On Labor Day…
EK: Tomorrow, I’m going to my second grade of kindergarten.
Hubby: Second week, babe.
Again this morning…
EK: Am I in second grade now?
Me: No, kindergarten lasts all year.

EK, eating Chickin Minis from Chick-fil-A: Mmm… they have the best food ever.
Me: *silently agreeing*

Well, there you have it! What funny things are your kids saying these days?

home, mommyhood, random thoughts, travel

Relishing the End of Our Summer

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I’ve really enjoyed this summer. We’ve been burning the candle at both ends, in some ways, but it’s been a really fun, hectic, exciting, yet still relaxing summer. I definitely feel like we gave the kids a good time, made enough time for some dates, read a lot of books, and got a lot done around the house/yard.

Spending an unexpected week at our favorite beach was a definite highlight – shout out to our friends who let us rent their timeshare from them for a week! Bringing the kids to the beach Hubby grew up visiting was really special for all of us… including their first miniature golf experience! The beach is a good place for that.

We spent a lovely week at the lake with Hubby’s whole family, and had TONS of cousin time. Our kids got to fish, feed turtles, ride the boat (a lot!), swim “across the ocean” (basically between two of the docks), and spend a couple of mornings tubing! It was great to see them all playing together and even relaxing a bit.

We got to visit my parents’ house (the house I grew up in) once more before it sold… and we actually got to be there when it went under contract. We must’ve been a good luck charm!

Now that kindergarten has begun, and preschool will begin for the boys next week, I’m down to visiting the pool for the last few times and hitting up our favorite parks again before our schedules get crazy. We’ve done extra play dates with friends and chased our favorite food truck around town (seriously, my kids love the Bahtmobile!) and now we’re preparing for what will feel like a slow down, but will really just be a settling into routine. I’m thankful to have arrived safely at this point: back to a routine, to learning, to doing new things. It’s going to be a good year.

mommyhood, things toddlers say

Things Toddlers Say

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Happy Tuesday! Thanks for all the love on my poem about kindergarten. Y’all are really too sweet… it was easier to get my feelings out in poetry than prose (and add that to the list of things I never thought I’d say). I must say, this week was a slow one for the funnies, but it was a lot of preparing for school and really soaking up time with all five of us. I hope your kids have had a great first couple of days at school – and that all the parents had a nice first couple of days without them! Here are the quotations of the week!

Overheard at the breakfast table…
J: I’m Mr. Boil, the popcorn chef!
(We then kept the Mr. Boil ruse going for another two hours that day.)

EK: Can we catch fireflies sometime? We’re gonna do it like this: I’m gonna flick the lights, and the real fireflies will think it’s their family, and you guys will catch them!

Hubby: Come on, let’s get in the car!
J: Nooooo!
Hubby: But we need to take EK to school on her first day!
J: I don’t wanna go to school!
Hubby: We’re just walking EK in and then coming back home.
J: *relieved giggle* Ooohhh…

At bedtime, EK’s prayer song: I pray that I would one day be an adult and I’d find a man to dance with who is also an adult (still singing, mind you). I’ll say “truth” and you say “Jesus”. Now stomp your feet for hooray!
*almost literally 20 minutes later*
EK: How did you like my song?
Me: It was great!
EK: It was called “My Bright King Lord”.
Me: ……..
Y’all.

J, randomly this morning: Hey! Listen to this! Davy the baby and Katie the lady!
Hubby: Um, good rhyming.

Well there it is, short and sweet. What things have your kids said recently?

mommyhood, random thoughts

‘Twas the First Day of Kindergarten

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‘Twas the First Day of Kindergarten: An Ode to Parents’ Feelings

‘Twas the first day of kindergarten,
And all through the town
The fathers and mothers were
Not at all sitting down.
They were packing the lunches
And setting out clothes,
Filling the water bottles
And wiping their nose.
For, you see, they were trying
To keep themselves busy
So it’d be easier to hide
All the crying and wishing
For just one more day
With their sweet little dears.
So they washed some more dishes
To hide the falling tears.

But then they remembered
The tantrums and tears
Over small things and large things
Like scratches or fears.
They’d make mountains of molehills
And things inconsequential.
They kept saying, “MOM!”
Till there was potential
For a nervous breakdown!
Or at least an explosion
Of some stressful shouting
That would cause a commotion.
They remembered those times
That they’d almost forgotten,
Of cleaning up messes
And wiping all the bottoms.

But between feelings of love,
And feelings of relief,
The parents would still know
That the school day is brief.
Their children would return,
Tired but happy.
They’d want to chat, have a snuggle,
And maybe take a nappy.
Then it’s dinner, and a bath,
And send them off to their beds,
The moms and dads needing
To rest their own heads.

It takes energy to love
All those little ones well,
And to worry and fret
Over healthy food or weird smells.
We’re entrusted these kids
For the shortest of seasons.
How can we not also
Give hundreds of reasons
To be protective and kind,
Giving all the hugs and kisses?
One day they’ll be grown,
And we’ll be the ones who miss them.

mommyhood, things toddlers say

Things Toddlers Say 

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Happy Tuesday y’all! Who eclipsed around here?! The bigs and I wore our glasses and waited on the back porch for the sun to disappear… which it didn’t quite as much as I thought. But two funny things happened: I never could explain that the crescent was the sun and not the moon, and EK danced around for a hour shouting, “They’re disappearing!!!!!!” So there was that. Here are the rest of the funnies!

J: Can we go back and change D’s diaper?
Hubby: Why?
J: He pooped.
Hubby: How do you know?
J: Because he poops all the time.

J, explaining potty training to his cousin: You just point your hiney stick down toward the water and pee in the potty!

Me, to the kids: I’m sorry I was angry.
J: it’s okay, but your eyebrows are still pointed at your eyes.

EK: Did you just drop that (bok choy) in the floor?
Hubby: Yeah, I guess so. Silly me!
EK: Maybe you don’t know how to cook after all.


EK: That’s me and J on a horse and we went past a river, and past a waterfall, and then we were home!
Everyone: Literally none of us can draw as well as you can.

J, in a tattletale voice: J is hitting myself!
Me: Umm…

EK, putting on a new dress: It’s so soaky! (Silky)

Everyone’s new favorite saying: You’ve gotta be kidding me!
Everyone’s new favorite movie: Baby Boss (I literally haven’t watched it. They see it when Daddy’s on duty.)
D’s favorite new thing: No tanks. (As in response to any kind of food, sleep, or hygiene. Cool.)

Well that’s all there is today, folks! Enjoy your week!

mommyhood, siblings, things toddlers say

Things Toddlers Say 

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Happy Tuesday, y’all! I hope your last bit of summer is relaxing, as ours will hopefully be over the next two weeks. We are all done traveling for a while, thank goodness. Here are the week’s funnies!img_3843

EK: When we get inside, do you want me to tell you about the helmet of the armor of God?
J: No, I don’t wear helmets.


D, pointing to the cockatoo: I wan’ toggle cockadoodle!

EK: When I get to kindergarten, I gotta stop doing baby things, do my ABCs (she’s ticking these items off on her fingers as she lists), be nice to my brothers, do what I’m supposed to do… then I’ll be doing the kindergarten thing.
Me: You sure will!

D, about five times in a row, holding his hand out: Too so! Too so! Too so!
Me, finally figuring it out: Too slow! Oh!
He wanted to play the high five game: up high, down low, in the middle, too slow!

Watching Star Wars Episode II, and I’m reading the beginning aloud…
Me: …mysterious Count Dooku…
J: *snickering*
Me: …to help the overwhelmed Jedi…
J: Well that was a lot of words.

EK, trying to tell me about Amidala: I love Queen Mazilla.

EK: I shared my blueberries with J!
J: Yeah! I asked her for some and she thinked about it, and den she said yes!

D runs up in a hat…
J: Looks like pirate D is here.

EK planned Hubby and me a “date” and then asked us to dress appropriately (aka gave us heels and a tie, respectively).Then she took J on that same date.

EK: Can we stay up till bednight?
Me: Do you mean midnight?
J: There’s many scary creatures at the midnight in the darkness… like the uglyfish. And a stinky sock! And like a shrimp!

The other night, D spent five minutes holding up different colors blocks and shouting: “Mooooom! Mooooom! Blue? Mooooom! Mooooom! Geen?” (And so on.)
Then earlier today, he spent 5 minutes sitting still on his tricycle as I tried to read my book, screaming, “Moooooom!” until I looked at him. I’ve come to the conclusion he needs a lot of affirmation right now.

Well, what are you kids saying these days??

mommyhood, things toddlers say

Things Toddlers Say 

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Hello, Tuesday! We’ve had an awesome week of vacation, being separated from our technology most of the time, hands and feet turning all pruny in Lake Norman. Today it’s back to reality, but here are a few of the things I managed to write down this week. Enjoy!

J, matter-of-factly : I just like calling my cousin “bro”.

J: I made a telescope! (a bunch of square magnets with holes in the middle all in a row)
Hubby: How far can you see?
J: I can see all the way to the clock. And you can’t see anything without it but I can see really far with it.
Me: At least he has the right idea what a telescope is?

D: *kisses J*
J: He’s giving me love kisses! I’m getting covered in love kisses!

J: I’ll make you a rainbow out of these blocks. You just make sure they don’t match and that’s how you make a rainbow.
Me: Yeah, that’s almost it.

D’s new words:
tuggle=snuggle
woe-woe=yellow
Pickey Moss=Mickey Mouse

J: Gon Gon (his grandad) I have something important to telled you. Your food is really good.

EK: I don’t like it when people jump on my bed.

Me: Then why do you jump on your bed?

J: Mama, daddy, do you speak Chinese?

Me: Ni hao ma? (Which means “how are you?”)

J: Ne hsu ma hsu hsu ma ma eeeeeee! Chineeeeeeeese!

EK, bringing me an envelope: Mama, can I open this antelope?

J’s new thing is repetition games. Such as: when he’s putting on his clothes, he holds up each item, “Is this my shirt? Is this my pants? Is this my socks?” until we’ve affirmed each item with its correct name. Or he will hold up some blocks, one by one, “Is this a square? Is this a square? Is this a square?!” with increasing excitement each time. This morning it was doing several different actions/sounds and asking, “Is this loud? Is this loud?”

What silly or weird things do your kids do?

Everyday Exiles, faith, mommyhood

Looking for My Patience

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This post originally appeared on Everyday Exiles.

I’m a parent; of course I lose my patience sometimes. It’s just what we do when things go awry, or when the day’s been too long, or when we’re pushed and stretched to the point of breaking. I’m not saying it’s the right thing to do, or that it is built into our systems as humans, but I don’t know a parent who has never lost their patience.

But I find that I have stretches of time where I lose my patience more than I keep it. I could blame it on hormones. I could blame it on low sleep. I could find a hundred other excuses for not keeping my cool, but what it all comes down to for me is relying on the Lord for my strength and patience, instead of relying only on myself. What do I mean?

I mean that  I can’t do it on my own. My striving, my best efforts, my standards for myself… none of those things can hold up without some divine intervention. I know that I need to ask my heavenly Father for patience before I need it, not during or after. I have to make the prayer for patience my mantra, and I have to keep reminding myself that my own patience isn’t sufficient unless it’s supplemented with His patience. I know I can’t be the best mom without His help.

While I don’t always find time for those long, elaborate, journaled prayers each day that I loved to write before my life was full of parenting, I need prayer even more than I did then. I find that I’m more conversational in my prayer times, coming and going through prayer throughout the whole day, praying for and with my kids, praying for help in a moment of weakness, for healing booboos, for bedtime to come quickly, and for more patience.

Who knows best how to parent more than God does? He is the perfect Father, the One whom our parent-child relationships should be modeled after. We can be frustrating children, I am sure. Reading the Bible can show us example after example of children who disobeyed, and made terrible choices. But God is full of patience, full of grace, and full of love for us at our most insolent of times. So when I am an imperfect parent, I try (even if it seems too late) to draw support from the perfect Parent, a Father who loves me – and my children – with all the patience we can imagine.