Can Psalm 23 help her find her way home?

Miss Rose needed ANOTHER school physical before first grade.  I guess because her last one was when she was 5, before pre-K she was due, even though her pre-K one counted for last year.  I don't understand.  All I know is they told me I needed to turn another form in and I couldn't talk them out of it.

If you recall, that particular appointment was like wrestling a bear.  One and a half years later, I hoped that Miss Rose was more calm, cool and collected and it wouldn't be the ordeal it was before.  I prepared her to have to pee in a cup, the hearing and eye tests and such.  She was a bit hesitant, because that's her.

Let's just say it could have been a lot worse.  I still ended up with pee all over my hands helping her get pee in the cup.  That was just lovely.  Especially while babywearing Lily in the sling to keep her contained.  I'm sure Miss Rose loved peeing in a cup with the audience of her mom and sisters too.

There was a touch and go moment when the doctor questioned whether or not she had recieved her Hepatitis A booster.  We were being seen at a different office than our usual one so they didn't have Miss Rose's complete chart.  Thankfully, the doctor chose to defer to when he could check out her chart.  That was the point Miss Rose stopped clinging to my leg for dear life.

Perhaps my favorite moment of the exam came when the doctor questioned her on our phone number and address.  We haven't really taught her either yet. I suppose we are slackers. 

In my defense, she can now recite the entire 23rd Psalm.  Which I am pretty impressed by.  So if she is ever lost, she can be comforted by reminding herself "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want."  She just won't be able to tell anyone her address or phone number.

Apparently I should have worked on the logical stuff first.  What can I say, I'm a pastor!  She's a pastor's kid.  I'm still pretty proud of her!  After we recite our memory verse tonight, I'll work on our address and phone number with the kids.

overheard

Overheard in my bed this morning, as all three girls were having some mommy time.

For no known reason, this exchange occurs:

Miss Rose: Gracie, can you say"rectangular prism?"


Gracie: Can you smell my foot? (while sticking said foot in her sister's face)

It still makes me laugh out loud!  I love being a mom and I live for these moments.

Sometimes the funny exchanges have some sort of reasoning behind the content.  Not this one though.  Just pure kid exchange!

A little update on my current journey...

I've been enjoying me some yummy food.  For the most part I haven't over-indulged, but definately not refusing either.  My aim is for balance, not going without or going with too much.  For me, this is about a lifetime, not just a diet that will end.  I'm sure after Valentine's Day passes, I'll get back on track a bit more.  Or maybe not, as Bean's birthday is coming up as well.  Well, I'll have a few days with no excuses!

I have been able to get in some runs and workouts this week.  I could have used one or two more, but the few I got are better than none!  I've been trying to do some ab work and arm work on a daily basis.  I feel a bit sore in those areas, so I guess it's doing something.

I had one of my best runs in a long time today.  I have really been focusing on making myself run faster.  Running with the Nike+, on my known route is a big help.  I know generally where my mile markers are and the Nike+ will tell me at any time what pace I'm running.  For a few months now, I've been running sub-10 minute miles on my shorter runs. 

Today, my goal was a 45min run of all sub-10 minute miles.  It took me almost 2 miles to find my groove, which is longer than normal.  But I finally found it and just kept pushing myself.  The more I push myself, I find that my "set speed" is getting faster.  When I push, I can run at an 8:30min mile pace.

The verdict?  4.8 miles in 45 minutes.  Blew 10 minutes out of the water!!  If I remember correctly, that put my average pace around 9:25 per minute.  I'm really having to push, and a lot of the time I feel like a lumbering elephant, completely ungraceful. 

My new goal?  5 miles in 45 minutes.  That would be a flat 9 minute mile.  I think I can do it.

in the middle

I know, it's been a while since I had to posts in one day.  But after what happened tonight, I couldn't resist. And you'll be glad I didn't.  I wanted to record this moment while it was still fresh in my mind.

Tonight we had our first ever Pizza Picnic.  It was a random idea that popped into my head--getting pizza at our favorite pizza place, spreading a sheet on the living room floor and picnicing together.  It was quite fun.

My first observation of the night was my spastic almost-6-year-old.  I know for a fact Miss Rose is one of the best students in her class.  Not the smartest, that's Jimmy who was reading chapter books when he started Kinder, but the teacher said she's the most responsible and was even given two word lists this week instead of one because she's learning so quickly. 

But asking her to repeat a story, while sitting on the floor eating, was like pulling the tooth of an ant.  I know, ants probably don't have teeth--so I mean this was an impossible task.  Miss Rose loves to talk about her schoolday, right after school.  Beyond that, it seems to disappear from her mind.  So getting her to recount a few things she had told me, to her dad was impossible.  She claimed to forget or not know, or she was just being goofy and her limbs were flying everywhere.  I'm serious. She was the contortionist in the three bean circus tonight.

Several minutes later, the story was still incomplete.  I was prompting Miss Rose once again when Gracie, who was seated between us just yelled out "NIPPLE."

I must digress and tell you that over our Christmas break, Gracie discovered nipples for the first time--or noticed and questioned about them.  It started one morning when the four of us were jockeying for bed space in our bed.  I think she unzipped her jammies at some point being silly and then asked about her nipples--so I told her what they were.  Then she wanted to see Miss Rose's "nibbles."  She went out to the couch, where her auntie was sleeping and said "Mimi, I have nibbles."  Gracie came back to where I was still in bed (pretending I was still asleep), pointed to a mole on my back and asked if it was "nibble" and where the other one was.

So back to tonight.  Gracie yelled out "NIPPLE" (she's obviously learned the correct pronunciation) and we all started dying with laughter.  Once I gained my composure, I made the mistake of asking Miss Rose a question to get her to finish her story once again.  Yeah, you guessed it, Gracie yelled out "nipple" again.  And for about five minutes, anytime someone started to say something, she would say "nipple" with the goofiest look on her face.

Clearly she was needing some attention.  So I asked if she had any stories to share.  Nipple was of course one of the stories.  And when I asked what store we went to today, it was the tootie store.  Another of her favorite words. 

Apparently tootie, booty and nipple are her top words these days.  Oh, I am a proud mom.  And she loves the song "Single Ladies."

Nipple was a popular word in our house tonight.  I have the sneaking suspicion that after the response Gracie garnered tonight, we haven't seen the last of this word.  I can't wait until it comes up in a public place.  Hopefully her Sunday School teachers won't be talking to me about it.

Yes, I did tell her to stop staying it a few times.  But honestly, I'm still laughing out loud just writing this post, so I was not in much control of myself tonight. 

My sweet middle child.  Making sure she gets her dues.  How I love her and look forward to all of these moments!

Dad of the Year Award

I always love to brag on Bean and what a great dad and husband he is.

He dressed the girls this morning so they could leave with me for church. They love to come early and get donuts and go to the early service Sunday school. I have to be out of the door at 7:15am, so assistance is needed!

All morning Gracie kept falling down. In fact, a few people commented on it, asking why she was falling. I had no idea. If I wasn't holding her hand, she'd fall. She took a couple good nose dives.

I was called in to change her diaper and as she was up on the changing table (which she is pretty much too big for...potty training coming soon) I noticed...

Her shoes on the wrong feet.

Bless Bean's little Mexican heart.

In the rush of the morning, he put her shoes on the wrong feet.

Which explains all the falling.

He's still dad of the year though!