Post By Adriana

Blogging about the subject of her choice (with some interpretation from Mommy): I've been trying for a while to figure out how to scale the stairs in our house. Ma-ma gated the stairs that are going down; so there's no fun to be had there. But I saw a little boy in our playgroup crawl up our other stairs, and it looked so exciting! I tried to crawl up, but it just didn't work. So, I decided to start going up the stairs like the big people. I just hold on tight to the spindles and walk up the stairs. Ma-ma shrieked when she caught me walking up the stairs. I'm not sure what the big deal was. Everybody else does it.

Mommy Questions:
What is the best part about having two brothers?
Having guys to protect you and to acknowledge the fact that you really are a princess.
What do you do for fun?
Eat paper.
What's your favorite thing to eat?
Besides paper? It would have to be mashed potatoes.
What is something you are afraid of?
The big, scary vacuum cleaner. I cry when it's on because it eats the yummy fuzzies on the floor, and one day it might eat me!
What is something new that you have learned recently?
I've discovered that we have a little pool right here in our house! It's so much fun to swish your hand around in the water. It's made of white porcelain, is in a bowl shape, and is a really convenient height for me. I think the big people call the pool room a bathroom.
What words do you know how to say?
"Ma-ma"; "Da-da" or "Dod" or "Da-ee"; "bye-bye"; and "na-na" [no-no] when I don't like something.
Thanks for helping Mommy blog.
Anytime, Ma-ma.

Post By Elijah

Editor's note:
This post will make little sense to you if you have never seen a Pixar movie.

Blogging about the subject of his choice:
I want to do [talk about] Mr. Incredible. I like to play with Dash. Mr. Incredible...he takes Dash and they play with toys.

Mommy questions:
What's your favorite thing to play with?
Tow Mater
What's your favorite part of day?
Eat at the playground.
What do you like to eat?
Carrots and apples and sandwiches and that's it.
What is your favorite sport?
Football!!
What do you like to do with Adriana?
Play toys with her.
What do you like to do with Isaiah?
Nothing. [The "can't live with you and can't live with you" relationship continues.]
What do you like to look at when we drive in the car?
Mr. Incredible. I like to go on a motorcycle. [Isaiah butts in at this point to correct Elijah. "No, Elijah, motorcycles are dangerous. Only go on a motorcycle if your wife will let you."]
Elijah, thank you for helping Mommy write the blog.
Okay.

Post By Isaiah

Blogging about the subject of his choice:
I like to play. I like to play basketball, and I like to play...[thinking] And I like to play soccer ball. And I like to play baseball. When I play army, we shoot and we fight 'cause it's so fun. I like to be the captain like we're pretending we're on a boat and we're playing a game like freeze tag. I like to play Indians [Mom tries to veer off to questions.] No, Mom, write "Indians". [Mom writes "Indians", and then we have to stop for an important potty break.]

Mommy questions:
Isaiah, what's the most fun thing you have ever done?
Let me think... Hmmm... Having birthdays. My favorite cake was Lighting McQueen. It was a play toy...you put on my cake. [Last year he had a cake decorated like a race track.] We had ice cream and cake and we played games on my birthday and people sent me presents.
What is your favorite food?
Spinach pie and ravioli.
Do you like to help Mommy take care of your brother and sister?
Yes, I like taking care of them and playing with them and other stuff and I can't think of anything else.
What do you like to draw?
A smiley face and a house and a car...that's all.
What is your favorite part of the day?
Holidays like Christmas.
No, I mean a regular day.
Picnics!!
Thanks for helping write Mommy write the blog.
You're welcome. Can I go now?

Coming Your Way...

Coming your way on the blog this next week will be some guest bloggers- three of them to be exact. I wanted to be able to introduce them before I turn the blog over to them.
Up first will be I.J.S. He is four years old; though he would want me to emphatically include in his bio that he has only 2 more months until he is 5 years old (which I've been informed is old enough to learn to fly a helicopter). He is interested in sports, writing letters of the alphabet, and provoking his younger brother. His favorite story in the Bible is the Tower of Babel and his favorite book is Charlotte's Web.
Secondly, we'll be hearing from E.G.S. He is three years old and has beautiful reddish hair that sticks straight up every morning. He is interested in food, food, and more food. His favorite story in the Bible would be anything that involves food and his favorite book is probably any local grocery store flyer that has pictures of... you guessed it... food!
Third, it will be A.E.S. This will be our only female guest blogger. She is almost 9 months old and is short on words but big on smiles. Her interests are pulling herself up on furniture and eating Cheerios. Her favorite story in the Bible is Queen Esther and her favorite book is Valley of Vision.
So watch out for them next week!

All Things Girly

It is so much fun to have someone else in the house who appreciates feminine things. I just didn't expect to get to start having girly fun with Adriana at such a young age. She enjoys sitting and playing with bracelets or watching me do my hair. A recent thing she has started to do is sit on my lap while I put on my make-up. She sits quietly chewing on the (closed) mascara stick and watching her mommy apply some Cover Girl.
But better than her love of jewelry or make-up, is a love that officially bonifies her a girly girl. If my closet is open and she's roaming around my room, here's what I'll find her doing:

She loves SHOES!! I had to get a photo as she tried on pumps for the first time:

I'm so excited! Another girl in the house to appreciate why you really do need another pair of black heels! I'm picturing future shopping trips to DSW Shoe Warehouse while my husband is picturing empty wallets...

Questionable Theology

We had some interesting and askew theological discussions going on today at lunch. The first was an argument between my sons. Elijah was saying that "Daddy is holy" while Isaiah insisted that such an idea was untrue.
A little farther into lunch, we were having our mini lunchtime bible story and verse. Often, Steven and I ask the boys catechism type questions such as, "Why did Jesus have to die on the cross?"
To which they answer, "To pay the punishment for our sins!"
Another question is, "What do we have to do to be saved?" (Answer: "Repent and believe.") Today, I phrased the latter question in a slightly different way since we were talking about heaven and hell. I instead asked Isaiah what we must do so that we don't have face our punishment in hell.
His answer?
"We don't die!"

Digestion

If you saw that I added a list of my favorite books in the left column of this blog, you might have noticed that the first spot belongs to Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers. Next to my Bible, there no other book that I love more. I often add it as a supplement to my daily devotions, and this morning was no different. But today, I was called away from my reading time on the couch by a, "Mommeeee...Come wipe meeee!"
Sometimes, with a baby in the house growing and changing so fast, you forget what they are now capable of. And, as I left the room to answer the urgent call, I forgot that my daughter is capable of pulling herself up to couches. So when I returned, I found my precious, leather-bound book had become a tasty morning snack for Adriana.

So, I've learned two things: I can no longer leave things on the couch, and my daughter has good taste in books.

St. Patrick's Day

Here in the D.C. area, we have been blessed to meet and make friends of many different ethnic backgrounds. We have friends that are Korean, Bolivian, Pakistani, British, Chinese, Peruvian, and Italian, just to name a few. There's even a couple we're friends with where ethnic make-up is that he's from Japan and she's from South Africa (we're still waiting to see what kind of accent their baby son will have as he gets older).
I've secretly always envied someone who can trace their origin back to just one nation. As for us, well, we're just mutts. I once wrote out all the nationalities that my children have running through their little veins:

• Polish
• Russian
• Scotch
• American Indian
• French
• Greek
• Hungarian

And there's more; the ones we have the most of are:

• German
• English
• Czech
• Irish

But on March 17th, we prefer to focus on our Irish roots. We have an Irish meal; wear green; pinch those who aren't wearing green; and say things like, "Kiss me, I'm 19.35% Irish!"

So Happy St. Patrick's Day from your part-Irish friends!

Under the Covers

Recently my boys have been doing this completely goofy thing at naptime. I'll go to check them after they have fallen asleep, and they have pulled the covers over their head. Then I pull the blanket off their face, and they're always sweating profusely. How can this be comfortable?!
The other naptime, I had to pull out the camera...
Elijah:

Isaiah:

Maybe I'm the weird one, but I have to be able to breathe when I sleep.

Bunnies & Bonnets

I feel like we are in some sort of between season right now. This in the past two weeks we've had days with snow flurries during which you're sure that it is still winter, and days of 60 degrees with the sun shining bright when your positive that it must be spring.
Around our house, we're excited for spring. With spring comes playgrounds romps, picnics, our annual zoo trip, duck-watching at our neighborhood pond, and lots of walks. Extra excitement comes from the fact that Adriana gets to experience her very first spring! We're getting her all prepared:
A bunny coat from Grandma Sieb:

A spring bonnet from Miss Caroline:

Bridal Shower

There are two events that I have planned since I was about four years old: my wedding and my sister Christine's bridal shower. My wedding was almost 6 years ago, but my sister's shower was this past Saturday. I had so much fun planning it!!
The cake:

Flowers, flowers everywhere:

We had to have a couple bowls of Christine's favorite candy:

The fridge was transformed into a photo gallery:

Opening gifts:

Posing next to the display of my mother's wedding dress:

I'm going to be in trouble for posting this next fuzzy slipper picture; but, Christine, just consider it payback for sneaking the nerdy kid picture of me into the photo display!

Before the shower:

After the shower:

Waking Up To Sunshine

Whenever Adriana (who will be 8 months tomorrow!) wakes up for her early morning feeding, my husband goes downstairs to get her and brings her up to me. (I don't even have to get out of bed- how totally spoiled am I!) Adriana is obviously aware of who transports her to her food, and this morning, instead of whimpering, she decided to be a little more grown up. At 6:00 a.m. we woke up to her little voice in the monitor.
"Dod...(pause)...Dod...(pause)...Dod!"
I can't think of a sweeter thing to wake up to!