Snippits

Yesterday morning, when I took Haydee up to take a nap in their room I found Payge singing to herself contently as she was cuddled up with her blankets in the laundry basket.
At the work Harvest Festival, Payge was asked what her name was. She looks at this person squarely and says "P-a-e-g-e- Payge," What is sissy's name? " H-d-e-e- Haydee". I guess we've learned how to spell and I didn't know it!
The last week or so at breakfast, Payge keeps telling me "pretty pink". I didn't catch on until today that with the ends of their pink spoons they were "applying" eye makeup.
Haydee loves to sleep in her ladybug costume, the one they didn't have a chance to wear this year. When she wants to put it on she comes up to me with it in her hand and says "fly?"Then she has to got look in the mirror to see how cute she looks. Bribing sometimes comes in order to get it off before meal time.
This morning I argued with my 2 year old, Payge about "who's fault it was" we both were apologizing, laughing and saying 'no it was my fault!" What a glorious moment.

The Best Place

Recently, my Grandma decided it was time to leave this old earth and join her husband, loved ones and best of all Jesus in Heaven. She had stayed with us longer than we could have hoped and we were blessed to have her on this earth for 86 years. Its always hard to say goodbye, but I have much joy in the confidence of her being in the best place of all.
As usual, nothing is coincidence and when she passed I was visiting my parents in Tennessee, naturally this dominated our time together, but with two toddlers they kept things entertaining. They are still learning how to stay in their toddler beds at home so, I was wondering how the sleeping arrangements away from home would work. The first nap time wasn't easy, but eventually they slept. Monday afternoon things were gratefully quiet and I worked hard on billing for my father in law. Little did we know they had discovered white-out, a black ink cartridge and permanent marker. Oh my goodness... you can only imagine! Meemee was gracious and took pictures of our two culprits, but mommy had to take lots of deep breaths as we tried to get the white-out off with a stainless steel scrub. Just this morning I was still seeing it on their feet, over three weeks later!
Well, meemee quickly baby-proofed the sleeping quarters, but as you can imagine... The next morning they woke early and I didn't hear them, but meemee did; just a little late. They had found a bag of makeup, mostly foundation and yes, you can imagine the room smelled of Avon makeup with foundation smeared all over their bodies, the carpet and their "beds". Oh, boy. Then later, forgetting that the makeup wasn't totally put away in a safe place Payge was sent to her room for a time out... it was really quiet, too quiet. Ok, finally I learned my lesson. The girls got the queen bed in the safe guest room and I slept in the office on a air mattress. At least I would sleep without fear!!!
I'll have to get pictures from my mom and post them for a good chuckle.

Around the corner

I think I get more excited about fall every year. I don't know what it is, but for as long as I can remember my happiest memories are during the changing of the seasons and in particular during the exit of summer and anticipation of autumn. I know that Missouri has a couple more months before the leaves all have changed and fall to the ground, but the unseasonably cool weather has helped my homesick heart. Truly a "praise the Lord" is in order. I will try to hold onto this when the inevitable "Indian Summer" happens.
My little girl is 18 months today! Can you believe it? She is growing so fast and I've noticed my gaze drifting to any newborn that comes across my path. NOT that I am ready for a third one, but I realize in time you do forget how difficult that first year can be and the longing starts kicking in.
We survived potty training week with great victory! Praise the Lord- and again I mean it. After two failed attempts I kept my expectations low and my grace level high. Payge is so proud of herself and I almost have stopped holding my breath that she will decide this is too much work and want to go back to diapers. When we crossed the potty training bridge I thought we should add the "big girl" bed along with it. Really, we just took a rail off the crib, but you would have thought it was the most exciting thing. Of course, we still are working on her staying in it after the door is closed, but at least she is still not staying up until 10PM and getting up at 6AM. She and Haydee now enjoy more interaction after prayers are prayed and songs are sung; I try not to intervene too often, because I love to see that friendship develop.
Haydee wants to use the big girl potty too, but after a day of trying to make it work, I've decided we need a few more months. Its such a shame really, all that diaper money I could save, but my little girl is just too little! She was practically falling in the toilet and trying to reach the sink to wash her hands was a joke. It would be more work in the end for us parents if we try to push it now, so I am actually going to enjoy changing her diapers knowing that all too soon, she will be using the potty too. Its funny, already I can understand why the youngest in families tend to get babied!
Well, the quiet has ended for the afternoon and now onto making dinner and remembering to enjoy these days because, they do go so fast.

Busy Summer

Well, I can't believe we are almost finished with August, kids are back in school, but the heat is still up around here. It has been a crazy busy, summer, more than I anticipated, but its been full of good memories and still time yet for more to be made.
I started a new job at the Y teaching swim lessons and also worked on getting re-certified for lifeguarding. April got married in June and Aaron got married in July. We went to Iowa for the 4th and , drove to Colorado for the June wedding, North Carolina for the July one. In one weekend I drove to Tulsa and then to Columbia. We had my parents drive through and stay the night as they moved to Tennessee and one week part of Spencer's family came for a visit. To top it all off we took a trip to Branson to spend a week with all of the Wicks clan. Phew! No wonder we haven't really met anyone in town!
I wish I could say the fall and winter was going to be slower, but it looks like between fishing, hunting, canning visits and the Holidays we will be gone once or twice a month. So, its a good thing we have a comfortable mini-van and I'm working that extra job for all the gas!
In the meantime, Spencer is enjoying his job and the promise of a good future with the business and the girls get more fun everyday. Payge and I have attempted potty-training a couple of times, but this week I think we will have success. I've only got some evening classes to teach so I thought I would enjoy a slow week and get'r done! I am praying through every moment and take comfort that millions have gone before me.
The girls and I found a closer park recently and had a blast feeding the ducks in the giant pond and watching Haydee climb up higher on the equipment every time she got a chance. She is such a little daredevil and thinks she can fly. Both girls have loved to swim this summer and I dread going because they also both believe they know how to swim. Last week we had some milder weather and we went to the Deanna Rose petting zoo again and even though I was sad to not have any friends or family to go with me, the girls and I had an awesome day together.
I am, as I do every year, looking very much towards fall and I think this year will be the best yet. With colors only the Midwest can offer and the joy of the heat and humidity gone, I know it will be good.

A Saturday Morning at the Park

There aren't many parks close by us, but daddy has been looking out for ones when he drives around the city for work. He's been excited about showing the girls this perfect one, only 15 mins away. We went as early as possible since the day was going to be really hot. We had a great time and enjoyed driving our new mini-van! We both always said we wouldn't ever get a van, but with all our traveling to Iowa, Colorado and now Tennessee it seemed like the best idea. We sold our Altima and paid cash for our sweet '95 Honda Odyssey. It really is the coolest one around!
Last summer, I would tell myself, when days were hard, that next summer will be so much fun with my girls; they'd both be walking and we could play at parks and so many other fun things. I'm so grateful that has become a reality. It really is becoming so much more fun and worth all the trouble of having them so close together. I know that they will always have each other to learn and live life together.

Summer haze

Well, summer in Kansas City has been waaayyy hotter than I ever dreamed. They say it doesn't usually get like this until July/August, but we've already hit triple digits not to mention the same in humidity. Ugh. Enough complaining, I am trying to work on my attitude and remain grateful for the a/c.
I've been a little neglectful on everything lately. The wedding in Colorado and then I came back full steam to a new job teaching swim lessons at the YMCA. I am enjoying it and now being off this week. I'm so grateful that the Lord opened this opportunity. It has forced me to take the girls swimming too and they have loved it. Payge is quite the swimmer, which would not be too much of a surprise since both mommy and daddy always loved the water. Its hard to get her out of the pool now and she's not too happy with me when we go to the Y and she doesn't get to go in. Haydee likes it too, but she's not been feeling very well. I think its two year old molars and believe me its been miserable both night and day. Praise the Lord those will be the last ones... just a little bit longer.
Payge showed great interest in potty training, but I have been unsuccessful in accomplishing much progress so far. My mom bought me a book that she read and used to potty train me, it worked in less than a day- go figure. After I finish reading it and try to find all the tools they recommend, I might try again. I really have been praying about it and so far the Lord has not blessed my efforts. So, I wait and see if she'll be ready to try again soon. Another right of passage in parenting. I can now talk knowingly about the battles of pt.
We haven't loaded many recent pictures, but this one of Haydee is too cute. This is what we call the "papau expression" her sister does it and so do two of her cousins. I see it a lot these days, she is getting more communicative. Especially, when we have time alone if she gets up before Payge, I try to enjoy those quieter moments and let her babble. I try to cuddle her too, but she won't sit still for anything these days. When she is half asleep I try to steal those sacred moments. Ahhh, they do grow up so quickly. Its hard to not wish the hard days away when they are so dang hard, but I am trying to savor the sweet things and remind myself it won't be like this forever.

Half the one and twice the other

I just realized yesterday that the Payge is exactly twice as old as Haydee and Haydee is exactly half as old as Payge! Of course this is because Payge was 14 months when Haydee was born. I still can't believe she was that little! No wonder I've been going nuts. It has been so hard and yet I wouldn't change it for anything. There is no sweeter joy than hearing them playing and laughing together even if its minutes before screams of anger over a toy. It will only getting better.

Haydee is all over the place these days. She won't sit still for a second, especially not for a picture. All the ones we took the other day were blurry, as you can tell. We've been working on her walking, taking long strolls in the backyard area to get some longer distances in. Both girls love being outside. Thankfully, we have a small deck that I can block off to keep them contained for a time, but otherwise not having a fence means they can go for miles.

Norbit, the next door dog is loved by both girls. Whenever they wake up or we come home Payge asks to see "da puppy?" . Thankfully, our landlord/neighbor thinks its great to have the girls go play with Norbit. I just don't appreciate the thick, dark dirt between their deck and ours; not to mention this all requires constant supervision. Oh well, I will certainly have a great farmers tan since the back deck will be my summer home.

The hat represents some of the KC's Royal's newest fans. Its convenient that they are doing quite well! : )