Monday, November 25, 2013

After Lunch

Josiah often plays entertainer after lunch. Here you can see him in action, with a particularly responsive and participatory audience in Lydia. The girls ate black beans for this lunch--one of their favorite foods, partly because with beans, they can feed themselves! Unfortunately, black beans for lunch means much more mess than black-bean faces. They drop plenty into their chairs and smush them into their pants; they lose some onto the floor for Mama and Josiah to trod on; and even after Mama wipes and strips and sweeps, a couple lonesome beans often linger for an after-nap snack. These girls scour the flour as they make their rounds. While they might refuse food at the table or balk at new tastes, they usually don't hesitate to put any little find from the floor in their mouths.


Lydia

Blurry, but oh so cute!

Abby--a bit more pensive on this particular day

The coveted hammer

He was forewarned . . .

Josiah encouraging Abby to smile for the camera

Bean-girl Lydia!

Sweethearts
 
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Sunday, November 24, 2013

Siblings

Most days are trying days for Mama. Sometimes it helps me gain perspective to pull out the camera and look at the faces and antics through the camera lens. Of course, this usually only lasts a couple minutes before the girls try to poke the lens and pull on the camera strap, and Josiah takes advantage of my distraction and encumberance to jump on his sisters or "fix" them with his hammer. At least life isn't dull!


Lydia

Abby

Josiah caught in the act
As the above picture so classically shows, Josiah regularly picks on his sisters. The other day I looked around the bar to see him boring his fingers into Lydia's head in just such a way as pictured here. Of course, we went through the usual brief talk about being kind to sisters, and he had to apologize and ask her forgiveness before sitting in his chair for a couple minutes. "I sorry, Lee-ah," he said, and then said a word to me I didn't catch the first few times. Finally I understood him: "It accident, Mama! Accident," he repeated. Yeah, right!

I tried to get a picture of all three--I guess I succeeded in the very basic sense

More Josiah action . . .

Lydia getting into the rough-housing

He's getting to be a big boy, especially when he stands on top of a container

Not sure if this is nice togetherness or something else

Cheesy smile
Yesterday as we ate leftovers for lunch, Josiah enjoyed a bowl of cold peas (this was not inflicted on him; he loves them and asked for them!). I was talking to Jer and didn't watch him closely, but he caught my attention when he said, "One up nose!" I must have surprised him into denial by my sudden, concerned inquiry, but eventually we got him to acknowledge that he had stuck a pea up his nostril. I could see it when he tilted his head back. Jer plugged the other nostril and got him to blow, which sent the pea flying--much to Josiah's amusement. He wasn't traumatized by the experience and did try to replace the pea later on during the meal. This time we were forewarned and vigilant, though!
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Thursday, November 21, 2013

Weekend Fun

As promised, here are some more pictures from this past weekend.


Wonderful uncle and aunt and soon-to-be parents!

We've so enjoyed having Justin stay with us and seeing Anna on weekends! I think Josiah assumes they're a permanent part of our immediate family now. During a weekday he regularly asks, "Where's Anna?" or says, "Justin at work?" just like he talks about Daddy. Sometimes when he's sad or in trouble, he says, "I need Justin!" And every night he wants Uncle Justin to give him a bear-hug and an upside-down bear-hug before he goes to bed.
 

A lemon keeps the girls entertained
 


I think I mentioned before that Uncle Justin is the only man other than Daddy right now that the girls go to willingly. They're just about as excited as Josiah when Uncle Justin gets home. They love to play the seal/eel-on-the-ball game with him (a game that morphed out of Josiah's penchant for "chase"-type games and the availability of an exercise ball), cuddle with and climb on him, play peek-a-boo with him using rags after dinner . . . and they love having another set of comforting arms to hold them during the pre-dinner cranky hour!

They don't like to share!
 

Abby
 

Lydia with Uncle Justin
 

Curly tops--Abby on the left, Lydia on the right
 

Abby taking off into the wild green yonder
 

Lydia munching on grass
 

Uncle Justin thinking about swiping her mouth
 

Lemon!
 

Leaf!
 

More curls!
 

Me and my girls
 

Abby and Aunt Anna
 

Oh Lydia
 

The menfolk gathered around the chess board
 

Abby was a little excited
 

They keep life crazy around here

One last story regarding Aunt Anna and Uncle Justin: They went out to breakfast this past Sunday morning, and they headed out as we were eating our oatmeal. Josiah finished up his last bite, and they walked out the door. He turned to me and said, "Now what?"--as if I ought to come up with some new, exciting entertainment since Uncle Justin and Aunt Anna were gone! 
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Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Uncle D and Lauren

This past weekend Daniel and Lauren came down for a concert, so we got to see them for a bit. Josiah especially enjoyed the chance to "fight D," and all of us (including Anna and Justin, who will be featured in the next post) spent a leisurely Saturday morning in the backyard together.


Our lemons are ripening! Here Uncle D smells an early one.

Daniel drawing a face on the lemon for Josiah. Josiah insisted upon "toes" being added.

More drawing

Notice the chalk contraption put together by Uncle Justin

Up high!

Josiah takes a turn on his own

Chalk on the pavement with D and Lauren

Lauren and Lydia at the lemon tree

Daniel and Abby

The girls were pretty scared of Daniel initially. Abby warmed up more than Lydia.


Josiah attacks and Abby cries . . .

Abby not too sure about Uncle D holding her

The girls liked Lauren better

Lydia and Lauren again
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