- We greatly enjoyed our Thanksgiving week! Ricky took a week's vacation, and we drove up to Cincinnati to visit with Ricky's family (the 7-hr drive only took us 9-9.5 hours). So many highlights, here's a few: slept in every morning (while Ricky's dear mom took care of the kiddos), put together a 1,000-piece Waldo puzzle (picture below), went out twice during afternoon naps, celebrated Christmas less than 24-hours after Thanksgiving (Ricky and his brother made many jokes about that, leaving me in stitches), visiting with Ricky's grandparents who flew in for the week from Arizona, playing board games into the night (shout-out to the new addition, Ticket to Ride), riding a stairlift, and eating (a 5-lb. weight gain would not surprise me)... [Confession: I was very neglectful and took very few pictures during our trip :(]
- Aolani's antics: leads the way and calls out behind her "Come on, baby" (like he's her puppy), feeds the baby breakfast and lunch, is beginning to learn the alphabet, unveiled her too-big, purple Future Asburian t-shirt and wore it continually day and night over her outfits until I hid it, is getting to be a good, little helper, shuts the bedroom and bathroom doors behind her (and us) to keep the baby out, every once-in-a-while I have thought that she may be growing more obedient, giggles and says that the baby is talking when he repeats his sounds, heard her tell her friend, "I'm scared of lawn mower," and then hide her face, nods in agreement while praying (like I do!), when we don't understand something she says, she puts her head in her hand and says, "Oh man" (like I do), doesn't tell me when she poops and tries to wipe herself (not good), gets up out of bed several times at night before going to sleep (probably curious to see what we are doing) and early in the morning (climbing on our bed to nurse or sleep or play with toys), and received a larger, heavier, hand-stitched blanket for Christmas from her great-grandmother and carries it with her everywhere.
- Micaiah's mishaps: enjoys pulling all of the books off the book shelf (and looking at them), is a head-banger (hard to explain -- got to get a video of it -- but whenever he does not get what he wants or is sad, he throws his head on the floor like he is overwhelmed with grief and agony!), is quite the lap baby and is completely content sitting on me, clapped his hands the other day after he tooted, and clapped his hands when he first discovered how to open the nightstand.
- I have recently finished reading Ann Voskamp's book, One Thousand Gifts, and I must say that it is worth every bit of praise it is receiving. I am still processing what and how to implement her insights into my daily grind! {Because, honestly, eucharisteo is hard. I can easily give thanks for three things a day without my heart -- my eyes -- being changed. I want my attitude to choose and be gratitude when anger, hurt, frustration, control, depression, selfishness well up and consume my mind and my words. I want to live it, breathe it... Yeah, like I said, I'm still processing.}
- Successful activities: Non-unique -- we picked five little and five big books to stack, separate, and alternate in a line (any big and small items work, make them a similar item though). I had my first two unique ideas for activities that were hits! One -- we had a page of the whole alphabet on it (colorful letters, upper and lower case). Aolani would bring a fridge magnet over and place it on the letter it matched (we would sound it out and talk about words that begin with it). Two -- I punched holes in a 12-inch by 3-inch piece of colorful card stock paper. Then, I cut some thin ribbon, and showed her how to thread it through the holes. She got it right away! (This was one of my car activities.)
Micaiah loves these refrigerator magnets, too!
Just admiring her wild, beautiful locks!
- Verse to memorize this week (and the next): 2 Peter 1:3 ~ His divine power has granted to us all things pertaining to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,
