Christmas in Utah

Last night the girls wore their Christmas dresses to church for the candlelight service and were such a huge hit.  They stayed with us throughout the service and did remarkably well, especially considering the service didn't even start until 7pm.  We sang a ton of Christmas hymns, including We Three Kings, so of course Faith loved it.

During breakfast this morning we were able to skype with Frank for a half hour.  During that time the girls opened their presents from us and from each other.  I am so very grateful that the technology exists to allow us to talk with each other so far away and on such a regular basis; it has made this Christmas so much better. 

After breakfast we headed to church in more adorable outfits.

We opened gifts from my in-laws after church and the girls really enjoyed talking with them.  Both girls went down a little early for naps as they were tired from staying up late the previous night.  After naps they opened the remaining gifts under the tree.  I actually liked breaking it up in this manner.  It allowed everything to get played with and it wasn't so overwhelming.  I also really like limiting the number of gifts given at Christmas.  The girls got plenty of new toys and I enjoyed it more than a feeding frenzy of toys.  Also, it allowed for plenty of reminders of how giving presents shows love.

Both the girls received purses!

Rebekah really enjoyed this block set I think her favorite part was the little dude in the car!

Faith LOVES shoes and these sandals were a huge hit; she wore them the entire rest of the day.

Rebekah's Mega Blocks Table was an instant success and will provide hours of enjoyment for both girls.

Faith received this tea set and both girls really enjoyed having a little tea party together :)  I can't wait for them to get back to AR and are able to do this on their little table.  I'll have to make some placemats!

Here is me in my new hat!  Go Hokies!

These were just the highlights.  There were several more gifts that the girls loved and we are so grateful for wonderful family and friends to share such a special time with, even if it was over the computer.  But the best gift of all is Jesus.  Merry Christmas.



Christmas Crafts

At the library this season we were able to find several Christmas books, the two most notable were We Three Kings and On Christmas Day in the Morning, both of which are obviously singing books so it is no surprise that they are my girls' favorite books right now. 
As for crafts, because We Three Kings was such a hit I decided we had to do crafts based on those gifts given to Jesus in addition to some others.  The first one was gold.  My mom had some old poker chips which the girls painted gold and put in a clear plastic box and placed under the tree.

I really couldn't think of anything super creative for Frankincense so we just bought some and lit is while we sang We Three Kings together.

We made a homemade spice mixture for our Myrrh and put it in a little organza bag and put it next to the other gifts under the tree.  The myrrh verse is Faith's favorite in the hymn.

These are our hand print sheep covered in cotton balls.

 I cut out the letters for Jesus and Faith glued Cheerios on to them while we sang J-E-S-U-S (to the tune of Bingo) and it helped her learn the J and the U, both letters were previously really hard for her to identify.  We covered a shoe box with paper and then glued Jesus' name on to it, filled it with hay (shredded paper) and placed it under the tree as a manger for baby Jesus.
 

Our final Christmas craft was making a birthday cake for baby Jesus which we enjoyed after our Christmas dinner tonight.  Happy Birthday Jesus!

Faith August - 2 Years and 8 Months

Faith is such a cute little mama.  She still loves her dolly but has taken a new interest in certain stuffed animals and is equally as loving to them.  She is always very concerned if the dolly or bunny is crying and wants to make it better.  She loves babies and looking at them and talking about them and is very gentle when touching them. 
This month has been filled with Faith singing!  She has always loved to be sung to and she has always enjoyed singing but this month she has become so much better at remember the words after only hearing a song a few times.  She knows all 4 verses to We Three Kings and The Friendly Beasts (a new favorite carol!)  She also really enjoys and knows most of the words to Two Steppin' Round the Christmas Tree and Cowboy Christmas both songs my dad has been shamelessly playing for her at every opportunity.  As a side note, Rebekah gets incredibly excited when hearing the intro to these two songs as well.

Feeding the ducks in St George

Sleeping:
Nighttime sleep continues to go well, she is not really interested in nighttime potty training and I don't want to push it because I enjoy my sleep too :)  I figured once we back to AR I will start a sticker chart with her again and see how it goes.  Naps are still good but she has about 2 days every 2 weeks where she just doesn't sleep.  She is quiet but she just never falls asleep.  It is a reminder for me that eventually naps will turn to rest time and then unfortunately disappear all together, what a sad day that will be but I don't foresee it for several years. 
Eating:
I realized I hadn't put this in but for several months now, Faith has really like to eat her food whole, without me cutting it up.  She also REALLY enjoys dipping her food in some kind of sauce or condiment.  My parents drink a lot of coffee and have a cup with nearly every meal so I have been letting Faith have some (decaf) every once in a while.  I usually pour about a tablespoon in her milk and she will drink it that way.  Faith was the first to catch a 24 hour stomach bug this month that was passed to both me and my mother the next day.  The day she was sick she of course ate very little but about 2 days later her appetite returned and she continues to be a good eater.
Skills:
Faith is really enjoying writing letters on her doodle pro.  She does really well, actually, I am continually impressed.  I don't know if this is a skill per say but she has become much more confident in pouring water on her own face and head.  While wrapping presents for Christmas she learned how to tie a simple knot.  She really enjoys cutting paper and fabric which I let her do while I am sewing.  Her vocabulary continues to improve and she is a little parrot whenever my parents and I especially are talking.  She continues to parrot what I say in my reading.
Playing:
Faith is really doing very well and sharing with Rebekah; I am continually proud of her for playing so nicely with Rebekah.  She occasionally has a hard time with the fact that during free play the toys that are in Rebekah's purple bin belong to her and Faith can't get them out by herself.  She will insist that she is sharing but I have had to remind her that those toys are Rebekah's to share.  That usually seems to do the trick.  She is currently in love with the doll house my sister got her for Christmas.  She loves playing with it alone and with me.  Twice this month we've travelled to Las Vegas to visit my sister and Faith really loves hanging with her cousin, Sophie who is 9 months younger than Faith.  It is really sweet the way they enjoy each other.  We've visited the Cedar City Aquatic Center several times this month as well and she really enjoys that, although she doesn't really like the water splashing on her head.
Our Schedule: (very fluid except for meal and sleep times!)
0800 - Up, bready for the day, breakfast
0900 - Freeplay or errands
1000 - Outdoor time
1100 - Craft, get lunch ready
1200 - Lunch
1300 - Freeplay
1415 - Nap
1630 - Snack, solo play
1800 - Dinner, reading time, bath, Bible story, bedtime o/a 1950

 

An Early Christmas

The weekend before Christmas we motored down to Las Vegas to celebrate the holiday early with my sister and her family.  My brother-in-law works for a casino in town and Christmas is becoming a popular time for people to come to Vegas so it is a hard time for casino workers to rest for the holiday!  Friday it was a pretty nice day so we drove out to Red Rock Canyon and did a little hiking and rock climbing.

A giant lizard on display at the Red Rock Canyon Visitor's Center

On Sunday morning we opened the gifts to and from the Siquians.  We were able to talk with Frank while we opened his gift, St Petersburg, the board game.Hopefully I'll get a chance to break it out and learn how to play before he gets back so I can teach him!  Faith received a house for her dolls.  Rebekah was given this awesome counting farm which has provided us with some excellent solo play times since then!  From my parents Sophie received a sandbox which was a huge hit with all the kids, especially after Mervin added the balls from the ball tent to substitute for the sand.  From the Theisings, Sophie got a purse that I made and my mom embroidered her name on plus a toddler couch which was a huge hit with everyone, including Lady.

Rebekah Joy - 14 Months

Such a big girl!  She moved to a forward facing carseat this month and what a difference that has made on our car trips.  Riding in the car with her was starting to get really rough but the change in aspect for her has made all the difference in the world.  Rebekah is also discovering her love for dancing.  She puts the moves on for about every piece of music that comes through the stero, even if it is just a little shake of the head.  She doesn't really dance when I sing to her yet but she really enjoys me singing to her.  She occasionally tries to join in when Faith and I are singing.  It usually sounds like a louder version of the whale noises that she makes when she is excited and imitating us saying "wow!"
Sleeping:
We continue with weaning the morning nap.  She probably takes a morning nap about every 3rd day depending on what is going on.  Basically if we are home she takes the nap and if we are out and about she doesn't.  On days she doesn't take the nap I try to get her down around 1:30 and she sleeps until after 4 but does wake up crying so I am thinking I might need to start putting her down a little earlier, closer to 1pm maybe.  Nighttime sleep continues as normal.
Eating:
Rebekah has started to like milk a little more this month and has acutally asked for more milk after her meal is over!  She continues to put up protest cries when I put meat on her plate but I have started swating her leg for that reaction to what she is given and that has seemed to help.  She quickly learned the sign for bread, as it is one of her favorite foods. 
Playing:
We had a few more good solo play days this month even than last month.  For about 10 days of solo play she had her Hide and Squeak Eggs in there and she LOVES these eggs.  I knew she would as soon as I saw them but I can't really explain why.  They are by far her favorite toy.  Her sister and cousin also love them!  During the time she had the eggs in solo play I never heard a peep out her.  Overall, I think once she is able to move to roomtime her solo play will improve (I hope anyway!).  We've started full on with blanket time as well although it is harder at my parents house because I don't have a kitchen toy box/cabinet here but she is learning the concept at least. 
Skills:
Walking!  That is the big skill for the month.  She took her first real steps (although they were really just shuffles) on the 25th of November but didn't do much after that until the first week in December and since then has just taken off.  She grows in confidence everyday and will certainly be able to walk to Daddy in the airport next year when he arrives home.  Additionally she is identifying body parts (head, nose, ear) and she has discovered her belly button which of course she loves.  She has also started shaking her head "no" when she doesn't want something.
Our Schedule:
Continues to be fluid while at my parents' house although I do strive for some regularity.
0800 - Up, get ready, breakfast 
0900 - Sister play, Freeplay
1000 - Chores
1030 - Nap, if taking one, if not we've usually been out running errands or at the pool or outdoor time and will stay out until lunch
1130 - Blanket time, Freeplay
1200 - Lunch, outdoor time or structured play with Mama
1330/1400 - Nap
1600 - Snack, Structured play
1700 - Solo play, freeplay
1800 - Dinner
1845 - Reading time, bath, bedtime o/a 1950

 

Zion Heard and Was Glad

Psalm 97:8   My dad had to get some work done on their car in St George so we all decided to go and take advantage of the slighter warmer weather (in the 50s there) and visit Zion National Park.  After a quick drive around part of the park we settled down for lunch and a short hike along the Emerald Pools.  The view was great.  Faith loved singing about Zion, the whole time! (the Z song from the ABC Bible verse songs)  And we talked a lot about her being a bit older and we would all hike to the top of the Great White Throne mountain.  I am hoping we get to go back there when Frank returns and we are able to all take another trip out here.  Additionally, I test drove the Toyota Sienna while in St George, I am on my way to becoming a mini van Mama.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is hands down my favorite holiday.  It has everything to do with family and food; it is the one celebration that hasn't been turned into a consumer frenzy and candy gorging free for all; it can't be secularized (although the godless media tries) because it begs the question of "to Whom are we Thankful?"  I am so thankful to God that my husband is the man that he is, taking care of his family and sacrificing time with them to protect and secure the freedom of many.  I am also thankful that I have wonderful parents to stay with during the holidays while my brave husband is overseas.  We celebrated Thanksgiving a week early this year to accomidate work schedules.  My uncle and his family drove down from Wyoming with my other aunt who flew in from Florida.  My sister and her family came up from Las Vegas and we had a FULL house for the weekend but it was great and I wouldn't have had it any other way.  The girls both slept in my room and did great, I even loved hearing the peals of laughter way to early in the morning becase they were making each other laugh.  My two cousins, Janna (15) and Johnnie Leigh (13) were so great with the girls, and the girls adored them.  Just yesterday Faith announced that she was going to live in Wyoming with them!  In addition to a bounty of delicious food, all of the women (and there were a lot of us) went down to the Cedar City Aquatic Center and had a blast playing in the warm (indoor) pool.  It was a wonderful celebration and I am thankful that God has blessed me with such a family.



 

A Quick Trip to Salt Lake City

Because we were so close, I decided it would be really nice to spend some time with our good friends the Foxes who we knew in both Virginia and Illinois and are now stationed at Hill AFB in Salt Lake.  So, I loaded up the girls in the wee hours of the monring and took the 5 hour-ish drive to Salt Lake at the beginning of the month (sorry I am just now getting this on here).  Jon and Jenn have a 3 1/2 year old who Faith just adored and a 4 month old who is the spitting image of his dad.  It was so nice to hang out with this great couple and I am so glad our kiddos had a great time playing together!

Faith loved pulling her Dolly around in Kathleen's little wagon.  By the time I took this picture we'd been outside for a while and I think the cold had zapped away the smiles but they really did enjoy it, I promise!

Faith August - 2 Years, 7 Months

Faith is very nurturing and loving; she doesn't like anyone crying or having owies.  Her goal in life is to make Rebekah laugh and I just love that.  We've had some sharing issues and first time obedience is beginning to decline so I need to work on those things. 

Eating:

The amount that Faith eats at each meal has certainly diminished; though she still loves food, she just doesn't love as much of it.  She continues to eat well and I have started allowing her to take sips of my V8 and coffee at breakfast, both of which she really enjoys. 

Sleeping:

We were working on nighttime potty training most of this month and that really wreaked havoc with Faith's nighttime sleep.  After she stopped wearing diapers at nap time last month Faith asked if she could wear panties at night as well.  So, we started a sticker chart and I began waking her up before I went to bed to take her to the bathroom.  It started out really well and the waking her up at 10 or 11pm didn't affect her much at all and she was waking with a dry diaper.  About 2 weeks into it though she began waking again a few hours after I would wake her when I went to bed.  I would take her potty during the second wake up but she didn't always have to go.  Eventually the 2am wake up ended and she started waking at 6am and then not going back to sleep.  So, I was interrupting her sleep and she wasn't getting enough of it which led to a cranky kiddo and a tired Mama.  So, I decided we were done with nighttime potty training.  Her sleep got immediately better and we've still had several days of dry diapers!  On a humorous note, one day I was talking with Frank on the phone and Faith walked in to hear me tell him "I am so proud of you."  Faith pipped up with "Did Daddy have a dry diaper?"  It was hilarious! 

Skills:

Faith speaks incredibly well.  She has a huge vocabulary and her grammar is nearly flawless.  She does say "Rebekah and me" rather than "Rebekah and I" and she uses "got" occasionally when she should use "have" but I have met many adults who don't speak English as well as Faith.  She continues to love being read to but now she has started holding her own book and pretending to read while I am reading to her and Rebekah, repeating the last word or phrase that I say on each page. 

Play:
Faith's imagination play has really taken off this month.  She has played mama to her dolly for a year now but she has started really enjoying solo play because her imagination has just taken off!  She really enjoys her wooden doll family and puts them in her shoes which act as cars for the family members.  She also spends a lot of time "reading" and I am always amazed by the book she chooses from the library to just love that period, it is always something to do with babies or small animals.  It is sweet.  I got the girls an early Christmas present, a  Little Tikes School Bus Activity Gym.  I thought the slide would be the biggest hit in this toy but Faith really enjoys "driving" places as well, armed with her purse, books, and Dolly of course.  She drives everywhere, the swimming pool, the commissary, church, St Louise, Salt Lake, the med center, and (thanks to my dad for teaching her this one) the liquor store!



 

Our Schedule:

0800 - Wake up, get ready, breakfast

0900 - Sister play, free play (or errands and outdoor time), if we aren't running around I try to work in craft and chore here as well

1200 - Lunch, then whatever we didn't do in the morning (i.e., free play or outdoor time)

1415 - Nap (somedays it takes her a long time to fall asleep somedays not)

1630 - She is usually up by this time, although somedays I do let her sleep a few minutes later.  Snack, free play, solo play

1800 - Dinner, reading, bath, bedtime o/a 2001

Pottage of Lentiles

We read through Genesis 25:21-34 over the last week and a half.  Faith really loved coloring this story because there were two babies involved.  She rarely called them both Esau and Jacob, usually it was Esau and Faith or Jacob and Rebekah but she still learned the names :)

The first craft we did was making Jacob's bowl.  We made it from a clay recipe using salt, water, and cornstarch.  The craft and recipes came from http://www.dltk-bible.com/crafts/mbowl.htm   I let it dry for several days before we filled it with the pottage of lentiles later in the week.

 

I found all the ingredients for our pottage of lentiles on clip art and printed them out for both girls to tape (with double sided tape) onto a paper plate.  We talked about each ingredient and then I let them color on te back. 

Finally, we made a pottage of lentiles using this recipe: http://www.hungrybrowser.com/phaedrus/m0712M04.htm

It actually turned out pretty good, although the bowl that Faith made earilier in the week didn't really work well for an actual bowl for her so she used it to feed her Dolly. 

Rebekah Joy - 13 Months

My little pumpkin is such a cutie! This has been quite a busy month for Rebekah and she has borne it remarkably well.  We temporarily left Arkansas to stay with my parents in southern Utah for the remainder of the year.  She has been inundated with new sights, new people, new places, a new bed, and has kept her smile through it all.
Sleep:
Although it was a little rough during the first few days after our arrival in the west, her nighttime sleep continues well.  She, her sister, and I all managed to share a room on several occasions at my sister's house in Las Vegas as well as visiting some friends in Salt Lake City and we all slept very well  in such close quarters.  Although I don't think she is ready to drop her morning nap, she doesn't necessarily need it everyday.  Towards the end of this month I have begun experimenting with giving her a morning nap two days out of every three.  My goal is for her afternoon nap to be longer than 45 minutes or an hour which is where is started to get to around the middle of the month.  We are still in the trial phase right now but it seems to be working.
Eating:
She continues to eat like a little piggy, after I make sure she gets all her milk which is 18oz a day (8 at breakfast, 5 at lunch, and 5 at dinner).  We have had a few incidents with fish and chicken in her refusing to eat them.  I offer her whatever I think she is going to like the least as the first course in her meal and nothing else until she finishes that.  I have also started correcting her for crying when she sees what I put on her tray.  Really she only cries when she sees that it is meat.  Veggies, fruit, bread, cheese, she does great with all of those.
Skills:
My sister lent us my niece's walker and that has really helped improve Rebekah's walking skills.  At the beginning of the month she was straight kneed in walking but now she is cruising everywhere and bending both her knees when you walk with her.  She has learnt to roll a ball and I know she is trying to say "sister" when she sees Faith.  She is also imitating our speech a great deal and blabbing away all the time.  She still has yet to attempt to say "Mama" but we hadn't been her a week and she was already working on "Granddad"!  She has also started to dance! 
Play:
Her solo play has actually started to improve.  I don't know if my playing the Mozart Horn Concertos during her solo play has helped but she is quieter now!  She has solo play in her bed here in Utah so I can watch her on the camera and she does a lot of laying down clutching her doll or other stuffed animal that I give her to play with but there is some play that goes on as well.  She and Faith are doing very well with Sister play.  I actually do it in my room while I am getting ready in the adjoining bathroom and it works well.  There are 2 play areas in the house here in Utah and Rebekah enjoys the different toys in both of them and is good about respecting Faith's bin as being off limits until a toy is taken out and left by her sister. 
Our Schedule:
This is a lot more fluid now that we are at my parents' house, who are both retired but this is loosely what we do each day:
0800 - Wake, dress, breakfast, sister play
0915 - Freeplay upstairs (if it is a nap skipping day we try to go out to the park, pool, or run errands here)
1030 - Nap; I wake her at 1130 if she isn't already up
1130 - Kitchen play
1200 - Lunch
1245 - Outside time (walk, park, etc.)
1400 - Nap
1600 - Snack, Freeplay with Mommy, Freeplay downstairs, solo play
1800 - Dinner
1845 - Reading time, bath, Bible story, bedtime o/a 2001

 

Isaac has 2 As

10/7/12 - UPDATE
For our second go round with Isaac and Rebekah, I found this great song/hand motion poem here and the girls both loved hearing it and acting out the story!  For our first craft we revisited the water pitcher craft from last year (but updated it using old water bottles). 

We also made bracelets like those given to Rebekah by Abraham's servant (although these were made of pipe cleaners and foam shapes rather than gold).  Faith insisted on making 2 each to conform to the story, I just love her little attention to detail!



 

11/6/11 -

This was the first Bible story time we did where a name in the Bible was someone Faith knew, namely her sister, Rebekah.  Although I think it might have confused her at first but she figured out that her 1 year old sister had never ridden on a camel.  It was also great timing because we'd been talking about my ring and how that meant I was a wife, and then we had to point out every one's rings to show whether they were a husband or a wife and Genesis 24:67 states that Rebekah "became his [Isaac] wife" and she was proud of herself that she knew that the Biblical Rebekah must have worn a ring. 
We read Genesis 24:4, 12-26, 58-67.  Our first craft was making bracelets like the ones Abraham's servant gave to Rebekah.  Ours were not gold however, they were beads!

Our next craft was a water pitcher, like the one that Rebekah carried on her shoulder.  I printed out Genesis 24:13-14 and Faith helped me tape it with packing tape onto a water bottle with a pull top, one that she could open on her own.  When she is older and we repeat this craft (and we will because she liked it) I'll give her a pitcher with a screw cap.  She poured her water into Lady's water bowl since we don't have a camel trough! 

Of course we had to make one for Rebekah too!  She wasn't interested in carrying it on her shoulder as her namesake did but she still loved the craft.

Finally, I made a camel out of an egg carton and Faith painted it.  Painting is one of her favorite things so of course this was her favorite craft!  I didn't have any brown paint so I asked her what color she wanted to paint the camel and her answer "yellow and maybe some pink too."  What an awesome looking camel!  http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/mcamel.htm