Recently we were reading stories out of the Read ‘n’ Grow picture Bible, and the particular story we were reading had Egyptians in.  They were pictured as people without shirts on.  Hannah kept pointing at them asking, “Who’s that cold person?”  She considered them to be cold since they didn’t have any shirts on!

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Yesterday evening we were all lounging on our big bed and Hannah had her teddy bear.  I asked her what her bear’s name was.  She said, “His name is John”.  I was very surprised.  Then, I remembered that just that morning we had read about Zechariah and Elizabeth in the Read ‘n’ Grow picture Bible, and she was quoting what Zechariah had written after their son was born.

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Today (Thursday) Hannah still says, “His name is John” if you ask the name of her teddy bear.  Also, when I asked Paul the name of his teddy bear, he said “Zacharias”.  Hmmmm…do we have a trend of Bible names for teddy bears here?

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Thursday night I was driving home from my sister’s.  Hannah says, “We need to be quiet because Mommy is sleeping”.  Whoa!  I reminded her that I was driving.

Great-grandma reading to Hannah

lives at our house.  And her name is Hannah.

This little girl is absolutely brilliant!  Her mind must run 100 miles an hour to keep thinking up new stuff to try.  Here’s just one day.  Make that one evening to be more accurate.

While eating supper, Andrew caught her (in time) trying to put her dress, that she was wearing, in her bowl of soup.  (And how many of you parents would think to tell your little girls at the beginning of a meal, “Remember, don’t put your dress in the soup, dearie,”?)

After supper she happened to find a straight pin somewhere.  How did we know she found one?  She poked it in Andrew’s foot.

Paul and Hannah were playing in Hannah’s room.  Paul kept fussing, “Hannah’s covering up my things.  Hannah’s covering up my things.”  I was busy loading the dishwasher and washing dishes, so I told him to talk to Hannah to get her to do what he wanted.  He tried that, and then resorted to saying, “Hannah’s covering up my things” over and over again.  Finally, I walked into his bedroom to see what was the problem.  Hannah was very calmly relaxing on his bed, lying on her back on Paul’s pillow, and sucking her thumb.  Paul was kneeling beside her.  I didn’t see Hannah covering up anything.  I asked Paul how she was covering up his things.  He said, “With the pillow.”  I made Hannah get up and move the pillow.  There was Paul’s puzzle under the pillow!  That rascal!  She had put the pillow down on top his puzzle, laid down on the pillow, and listened to him fuss—and enjoyed it.  I had her relocate the pillow and resume her relaxing without “covering up his things”.  She had the hugest grin on her face!

Andrew got a can of soda pop, and having drank some, sat it down on the island.  Hannah very silently pulled a chair over, got the can of soda, and started drinking it.

She’s got smarts!  You’ve got to hand her that.

You’ve got to hear this one.  Yesterday while Andrew was being the main parent while I was gone all day, he took them out in the new (unfinished) addition while he did some work.  She got a hold of the nail-puller tool and banged a bunch of big dents in the drywall.

It is just imperative to know where she is at and what she is doing at all times!  No exceptions!  (And I thought as long as I never named one of my children Julia I’d never have to deal with all this thrilling mischief!  Something backfired.)

Paul has been going around shutting doors and saying that so-and-so “needs their privacy”.  Today, Wednesday, when I was getting dressed after taking a shower, Paul and Hannah both trooped into the bathroom, bringing toys with them.  Then Paul said, “Oh, I better shut the door so we can have some privacy!” and he shut the door.  It was entirely laughable.  Privacy with those two in the room?  Not a chance!

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Thursday was one of those embarrassing days when I didn’t finish showering until 11:00, and since I didn’t blow-dry my hair, but let it dry on its own,  I didn’t get around to fixing my hair until about the time the kids woke up from their naps.  While we were eating supper, Paul said to me, “Mommy, did you do your hair?”  Yes, Paul, Mommy finally did her hair for the day–just in time for supper.  How can he notice such things?!  I must do better in this department.

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Saturday evening, Paul stood up from playing and had a finger up his nose.  He said he had a frog.  I asked him if he needed help (meaning, for me to bring him a tissue).  Hannah rushed right over to him, saying, “I can help”, and tried to put her fingers up his nose.  *sigh*

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(A conversation on the basement steps while Andrew was exercising this morning.)

Paul: Hannah, do you want this blankie?

Hannah: Yes, I can hold it.

Paul: You can have this blankie.  It is clean.  It doesn’t have pee pee in anymore.

Hannah: It’s not wet, it’s just warm.

Paul: Here you go.

Hannah: Go get your teddy bear and your blankie.  [I] snuggle my blankie.

[Paul exits.  Hannah commences playing with her blankie and some croquet pegs, and singing at the top of her lungs.]

As an explanation, Hannah’s blankie had gotten wet with pee-pee, and I washed it yesterday.  Paul discovered it clean and dry in the wash basket this morning.

I have been thinking of this post and wanting to write it for a couple weeks now.  Tonight, I am doing it.

This is a tribute to the staff behind the NYD (New Year’s Day) event held up at my parents every year.  It is so far the one time of year when all my siblings are able to get together.  This year, I wasn’t even part of the staff.  Last year, I was one of the workers (staff) a couple days, but not nearly as many days as some others.  And, I have never been on the committee that puts all this together.  So, even though I have a whole lot of appreciation for the staff and the committee, I don’t have first-hand experience in all aspects of the preparation for this event.

Because it is the one day that my family is all together, we are determined to make it an enjoyable occasion, and one without frustration and regrets as much as we can.  Things like this don’t just happen by accident or at the last minute.  The preparation begins far in advance.  Along about May, my sisters start e-mailing to form the committee.  Some are asking who is going to be on the committee, and others are asking if anyone objects to them being on the committee.  So far, we’ve always had just the right amount of volunteers on the committee.  So, around May, the committee is formed.  I think it is usually two people—one person is in charge of logistics such as food, preparation of the food, and preparation of the site.  The other person is in charge of the name-drawing, the events of the day, and the order and time of the events (this person is called the MC (mistress of ceremonies).

The last two years, my capable and smart sister Miriam has volunteered for the logistics side.  She excels at organizing and planning to the extent that I am astounded and totally amazed and wonder how in the world she can figure out and keep straight so many details.  She has a detailed list for every single day of the week prior to NYD of what needs done on that particular day.  That includes site preparation (cleaning, decluttering, etc.) and food preparation.  Not only is there a list for each day, but each day’s list is color-coded in order of priority.  That way the higher priority items on the list get done first, and then we move down to the lower priority items.  That way if something doesn’t get done that day, it is a lower-priority task and not a really important one.

And that’s not even the half of what Miriam does.  Starting about August, she finishes soliciting menu suggestions and finalizes the menu for NYD, including the breakfast, lunch, and supper.  She then watches for sales, stalks the mark-down racks, and sleuths the aisles for freebies to purchase at the very lowest price the food for the day.  She also sends out a list of needed items to see if anyone has a stockpile on hand to donate from.  And, it’s specific (3 apples, 4 qt. green beans, etc.).  Miriam sends out a NYD menu list to everyone.  That lets everyone know exactly what they are to bring for NYD.  That involves the specialty foods, like ribbon salad and pies.  (This year I was responsible for 3 apple pies.)   She gets all the stuff, arranges to have the right amount of crockpots borrowed, foil roasters on hand, tableware ready, etc. for the big day.  She also has detailed lists of what foods get put in the oven at which temperatures at what times.  When stuff gets mixed up, poured into the crockpots, put into which bowls etc.  When I arrive at 9:00 a.m. or so on NYD, there are bowls and pots and ovens and stuff sitting ready with big notes on them directing what goes in them at what time.

Note the big paper on the stove hood–it tells what
goes in the oven at what temp. at what time.

And somebody is there and has been following the program doing the stuff on the lists, putting the turkey in the oven at 6:00 a.m., etc. to make sure everything happens on schedule.  So many of us (well, me, at least) just show up and start taking orders and seeing what needs done.  Somebody has figured this all out ahead of time, arranged for the goods and tools to be available, and made a list of what needs done.  This stuff doesn’t happen by itself!

And, it pays off.  There is no frantic rushing around, no last-minute runs to the store, no standing around dying of hunger because the turkey won’t be done until 4:00 p.m.  Everybody can just enjoy working together and doing what needs done.  And there’s nothing to figure out about what needs done because it’s all listed and timed, so we just look at the clock and at the list.

Miriam, our great organizer, filling one of the
umpteen crockpots we use for NYD.

Lucy preparing to heat the rolls.

Glen eating the breakfast of sticky buns (that
Miriam made and brought for breakfast).

Luke & Laura slicing the ham.

Miriam arranging the utensils.

Rachel mixing up the dressing.

Lucy putting the ham bone away
to be used for soup some other day.

The main food table (with Gail in the
front in the picture).

That’s still not all that Miriam does.  She keeps track of every cent spent to buy all the food for this day, and at the end of the day, she lets each one know their total for the food.  It’s ridiculously low (considering it’s 3 meals).  I think our total was $7.40.  She is one great shopper, I tell you!

Then, there’s the MC, or mistress of ceremonies.  This year that was Lucy.  Again, she started on the thinking end of this around May, when the committee was formed.  Along about August, she conducts the name-drawing for the gift exchange and sends the entire list out to everyone.  That way, people have adequate time to knit scarves, make wooden stools, or put together photo albums (or make jam, as I did) or whatever they want to give as gifts.  Then, as time goes on, she solicits input from all involved.  For those of us with little kids, she asks when nap time is, when would be their best and happiest times (to know when best to have gift-opening for little kids), what times do they need to eat, etc.  For others, she finds out who can be there at what times and who wants to leave on a great moose hunt or duck-calling trip by 2:00 p.m. (or whatever time).  Then, with her great brain, she comes up with a super great schedule that works around all those things.  She has done this a couple years now, and has never failed to accommodate each person’s desires.  She also sees the time frame when everyone will be present and schedules the family picture for that time.  She comes up with a master schedule of what is happening at what times and sends it to everyone a couple weeks in advance.  On the day of the event, the schedule is posted on the door so at any time somebody can look at the schedule and see what is coming up.  Of course, she and Miriam work together with the schedule so that the meal times are congruent with the food preparation and cooking schedule.

Now, the picture thing is no accident either.  Lucy figures this all out (how she does it, I’ll never know).  Before the main event, she has figured out where the picture will be, what will be in the background, which chairs, stools, benches etc. will be where and covered with which blankets.  Then, she has figured out exactly who will be in each place.  She figures all this out without the subjects present.  On NYD, as we were enjoying our meal, Lucy was arranging furniture and draping blankets so that when we arose from the table, she, with paper in hand, directed each person to their pre-determined spot, and then voila!

We were in place, the cameras were already on tripods and ready, and the pictures were taken.  As painlessly and quickly as could be with a group this size.

I am so proud of Lucy.  I don’t know how she gets this all together (did you take photography in college, Lucy?), but no one had to switch places, or move around, or rearrange.  She just had it figured out perfectly.

O.k., there’s my written tribute to the NYD staff and committee.  I know it’s not quite the international Olympics (even though I’m sure the NYD committee could handle even that!), but it is an event that we like to enjoy and not have stress and headaches over.  So, the solution is planning in advance–lots of planning way far in advance.  It pays off.  Thanks, folks!

Here’s a confession.  My sole responsibility for NYD this year was 3 apple pies.  I completely forgot about them until 11:00 p.m. the night before!  How could I do that?  I was properly disgusted with myself.  The next morning, I peeled and sliced the apples, and then, for the very first time in my whole life, we bought pie dough at the store on the way to my parent’s house.  You can tell I need someone to organize for me and make me a list!

That would be my birthday.  So far we have had a wonderful day.  I started out by getting up at a good time (always the start of a good day) and of course did my exercise program.  Then, I made a breakfast that I really like–a fried egg sandwich, bacon, and pink grapefruit.  Yummy-yum!  It was fantastic.

Then, I just showered and did child care, practiced the piano and read stories this morning.  Of course I cleaned up the kitchen and did the normal stuff, but not anything extra.  Then, for lunch we had another of my favorite foods–baked potatoes!  I love them!  We had baked potatoes for lunch, and we used the leftover bacon for a special topping.

After lunch, since it was so nice outside, I took Paul and Hannah outside for some swinging time and general playing outside.  This has been pretty much our first outdoor play time this year, and definitely for a long time because it has been very cold the rest of the time.  We all had a lot of fun.  Paul even “mowed snow”!

After the play time, I put Paul and Hannah down for naps, and then I treated myself to a bona-fide, crawl-in-the-warm-bed (as opposed to lying down on the couch, which usually prevents me from sleeping too long) nap.  I slept, with no guilt because I was celebrating my birthday, for (I kid you not) nearly 2 hours!  I had no idea I was that tired.  I loved it!  I felt great when I got up.

After getting up, Andrew took me out to a restaurant of my choosing for my birthday supper.  I chose A Taste of India, a restaurant we hadn’t been to before but Andrew was always saying we should try it sometime.  I chose it because I wanted something different and something I couldn’t make at home.  It was very good.  I loved the luscy and the Naan the best, but it was all really good.  Paul and Hannah even ate a reasonable amount of food.

Now, we are back home.  I have been working on my blog and Andrew and the kids mixed up an Angel food cake (which has just come out of the oven).  We are soon going to eat some of it, and then……..I suspect have……..presents!  I am really enjoying my birthday.  I know I’ll have to do less relaxing and more productive working other days, but for today, I am taking it easy.

Yesterday morning, Hannah independently sat her big bear on this little red chair, arranged her blankie on the bear, and then came to me and asked me to get the camera and take a picture of her bear.  Wow!  That’s the first time she prepared a subject and asked me to photograph it.

Speaking of Hannah, she is making all kinds of progress in the potty-training department.  We got serious about it about 2 weeks ago.  With our holiday festivities and travels over and we would be home a lot, I knew this was the time to set some high expectations and see if she could fill them.  Of course, she has been bowel potty trained for a while now (we got that finished up this summer).  For the last month or two, she has been randomly asking for the potty when she has to pee.  So we started some more serious training, which amounts to me taking her to the bathroom about every hour, and also whenever she asks for it.  In just 12 days time, she has gotten to the point where she normally only wets her diaper at nap time and at night.  She has also developed the ability to consciously produce her pee-pee on demand, and also the ability to hold it if we are in the store or can’t get to the potty right away.  I think that is awesome progress for such a short time.  We are really proud of her.

Here are some more pictures of Hannah, just to show how wonderful she is.

Hannah & Paul reading stories on the bean bag
chair one evening.

Hannah listening to Aunt Lucy read stories.

In the evenings right before baths and right after
Paul and Hannah like to play “king” by standing”
on this short dresser in Paul’s room.

Hannah lovingly holding her favorite
baby doll.

Caressing her baby doll.

Hannah eating supper with Bobby & Paul at the
New Year’s Eve/graduation party.

Aunt Julia & Hannah

Hannah “folding” napkins on New Year’s Day.

Aunt Katie & Hannah

So, there’s some pictures to up-date you on Hannah.  I still think Hannah is going to be a dermatologist.  Her biggest interest is in any and all skin irregularities.  She wants to feel them and then kiss the “bumpies”.  She keeps our exposed bumpies well-examined and well-kissed.  She also wants her own bumpies frequently kissed  by us.  Sometimes, if they are about healed, she has to hunt hard to find them.

She is also clear full of bright ideas, some of which aren’t the greatest.  If I don’t hear Hannah or see her, I need to rush and find out what she is doing.  Unlike Paul, who most of his life whenever I went to check on him he was surrounded by books and reading, she is usually brandishing scissors, or has dumped a box of straight pins on the carpet, or pumping soap out of the hand soap pump bottle, or standing on the piano keys and figuring out how to go higher, or whatever.  You can’t even imagine up the things she figures out to do.

We love her to death and think she’s cuter than anyone else in the world.

One of the things I really love about winter is the citrus fruit.  And, now that I am officially off a diabetic diet, oh, I can’t tell you how much I am enjoying citrus fruit this winter!  There are not words to describe how much I love pink grapefruit and oranges!

Last week I discovered a sale at Food Lion on pink grapefruits and oranges.  I got a 5 lb. bag of the grapefruits and an 8 lb. one of oranges.  They were outstandingly good!  We had them all eaten in 2-3 days!  I then went back and got two more bags of each.  Sadly, we are now eating on the last bag of grapefruit, and the last bag of oranges.  The grapefruits are particularly special because they are Texas Sweet grapefruits, grown in Texas.  They are sweeter and richer than the average pink grapefruits.  The oranges were grown in California, and they were tops!  A rich, full orange flavor.  Earlier this winter I got some that were grown in Florida, and we weren’t very impressed with them.

On an average day, it is normal for us to eat 3 grapefruits and 5-6 oranges.  Paul and Hannah love them too.  I think we should be getting some healthy vitamin C around here!

So, if you hear of another good citrus sale, let me know.  I’ll soon be on the hunt for more pink grapefruits and oranges.

This evening at the end of supper, Paul and Hannah asked for some peanuts.  As they were eating them, Paul started playing with them and gave each piece of his equipment (that he had “watching” him eat supper) a peanut.

A while back Andrew’s parents had us store some bookcases for them.  Now, they are ready to use them again.  Needless to say, we had put things on the shelves, and last night Andrew and I unloaded them so we could return the bookcases.  (I must give Andrew credit for doing ninety percent of the unloading.)  Today, until we got them loaded in the van, Paul and Hannah discovered they could snuggle on the shelves.

Hannah wasn’t content to snuggle on any shelf, she climbed as high as she could.

Paul didn’t want to miss out on anything and insisted on climbing on the high shelf too.  Notice that he put his car on the top shelf.  He could just barely reach to put it there!

When Paul woke up from his nap this evening, one of the first things he commented on was that the shelves were gone.  Yes, Paul, no more snuggling on the shelves for now.

white foot

blue foot

Winnie-the-Pooh foot!

High foot, low foot,

slow foot.

Sick feet,

bare feet

up-in-the-chair feet.

Young feet,

madly-in-love feet!

Clod-hopper feet,

Princess Hannah feet.

Feet, feet, feet!  How many feet you meet!
Feet finding food to eat,

feet finding a proper seat;

Feet standing in a row,

feet with no other place to go.

(Ahhh…there’s my spoof on Dr. Seuss’s “The Foot Book” for a picture review of New Year’s Day at my parents with all my siblings, in-laws, fiances–I guess there was just one of those, Laura’s fiance Branden–nephew, and grandmother.  If you hover your mouse over the pictures, it will tell you who is in each one.)