2.5

This is overdue by less than a week (Harper was 2 1/2 on Sunday) so I feel like I am on top of things! Also, I have had so many blog postings going on in my head but when I get a few minutes to sit and write them I just never feel like I have enough time to devote to what I want to say. So be on the lookout for more soon (hopefully).

2 1/2 is a milestone age for sure, but it is not like when Harper was younger and she made such huge, obvious changes every month (or week sometimes). The changes are much more subtle, at least to Jason and I who see her every day. We sit at the table at dinner sometimes and just stare at her with our mouths open, shocked at how grown-up she is and wondering when that happened! I love our family dinners, though, and appreciate the time that all three of us (4 if you count Toby sitting under Harper's chair begging) have together just to talk. So, here goes Harper 2.5:
The biggest, most obvious development is...HAPER IS TOTALLY POTTY TRAINED!!! She had one accident yesterday, but it was the first one in 2+ weeks, and was sort of due to circumstances beyond her control. She is on spring break this week and I had planned to use this time to put her through 'potty training bootcamp' but I ended up not needing to because thanks to peer pressure she got potty trained at school! All of her friends would go potty and Harper desired so much to go with them and be a 'big girl'. It really didn't take that long to happen either, it just...sort of happened. We were consistent about only big girl panties at home and they did that at school, too, and before I knew it- ta da! So yeah, no more diapers (except at nap and night). I am so proud of Harper but it is a sad moment because the diapers are really the last reminder of 'baby' left.
Another big change between 2 and 2 1/2 is this phrase we hear a LOT now: "I want to do it...by....myself!". Which I love and hate at the same time. The fact that Harper is independent makes me happy (and reminds me of myself!) but sometimes she does not need to do whatever it is by herself because of safety, timing, etc.
Harper also has really begun to develop her pretend play/imagination skills. She LOVES to read (well, be read to) and I think this has helped. I can't stress enough the importance of reading to your kids, no matter how young they are. Anyway, no soap box, back to Harper. She pretends mostly with her stuffed animals and acts out things she has recently experienced. Sometimes she just pretends with herself (i.e. she just woke up and told me I was the mommy kitty and she was the baby kitty). Sometimes she pretends things are other things (the sash on my bathrobe becomes a rope that helps her climb up the mountain which is our bed!)

It is so neat to see this begin to develop in her and I can't wait for lots more fun playtime!

Her appetite is still ferocious most days. She still loves pasta, fruit, and cheese best of all. She has a sophisticated palate for a two year old and also likes pheasant, amberjack, tofu, and risotto. Now that she's awake I need to get to it. I can't believe this sweet, funny, silly girl is already 2 1/2!

Blowing dandelions in the yard (you're welcome neighbors!)

Playing outside on a spring day!

Pretending to read to Pink Bear.

*Two more things! Harper LOVES cooking..actual cooking (she loves to help me or her Grandmother) and she has also started really getting into singing. She tries hard to learn the words and sing along to just about anything...which means we have to be really careful about what she listens to! Her favorite songs right now come from a cd of kids worship songs that the church gave out a year ago. She likes the "silly" song the best!

Harperisms 2013

Out of the mouth of babes!

1) (to Toby, with her finger pointed accusingly) "You poop outside. You no poop inside."
(just for the record, except for a stomach virus, Toby has NEVER pooped inside!)

2) Harper: "Daddy, fix this for me."
Jason: "I can't right now." (because he has fake grass all over our living room getting it ready for hunting...)
Harper to me while I am cooking dinner: "Mommy you not really busy. Help me."

3) After pitching a VERY long fit in the car because she didn't get her way:

 "I no happy". 

*Oh, really? The 10 minutes straight of screaming didn't give it away!*

4) After eating crackers with hummus and an orange at my parents house (which is 5 minutes from my house): 

"I hungy. I want snack."

(me) You just ate a big snack at Grandmother and Grandaddy's house, it's almost dinner time. 

"I hungy at home."

(meaning, I want to eat snack at MY house, too!)

5) After repeatedly asking my mom to "open other door" while they were driving. Finally, mom realized she was talking about the sunroof. She opens the sunroof...

"Hey sunshine! What 'cha been doing?"

Christmas 2012

I realize there has been quite the absence on the blog front. Part of this is due to a lot of exciting changes in our lives and the business of the holiday season. At the end of November my parents found out that my dad got a job close toAuburn so they began making arrangements to move! Fast forward several weeks and they moved to a house within a few miles of us that they had never seen that I 'screened' for them (#trust #nervewracking). Plus, we moved Harper's school to one in Auburn to save on daycare costs, let her avoid the hour commute in the car, and to give her a chance to have a little more social time with kids her age. We were heartbroken to leave her old school because we loved and trusted the teachers there and felt like she excelled with them. But we knew enough about her new school to make all of us feel comfortable with the change. Now...on to Christmas! Here it is through pictures!

 Jason ran his first 5k with me, the Toys for Tots race! (he beat me, too!)

Our Christmas card. A friend said Jason wins best husband award for agreeing to it! I say Harper wins best toddler award since she cooperated for the picture!

 Harper's Nonnie and Poppa went with us to help us pick out a tree! They were great sports keeping her entertained and sweating in the hot weather!

 Harper and Toby loved the tree this year and managed not to knock it down or break any ornaments!

 Harper refused to get within 3 feet of Santa so this was the closest we came to a picture with Santa, a picture with the Georgia Aquarium's Scuba Claus!

 Santa came on Christmas Eve! He brought Harper an art table, art supplies, and a lazy susan to hold all of her crayons, markers, pencils, paint, etc. And to quote one of my all time favorite Christmas movies "SANTA! I KNOW HIM!"

 Harper knew just what to do when she saw her presents! 

 After Christmas at our house we went to Nonnie and Poppa's house and had Christmas with Jason's family and with Harper's new cousins! (Whom she called her sisters...which might take some explaining if she ever says that to people that don't know us well!)

 My parents got Harper a balance bike for Christmas. These things are awesome and she is already figuring it out pretty well! No major falls but she is not allowed on the street until we get a helmet (and wrist guards and knee pads Jason says).

 I got to see my sister at Christmas, too! So fun to have a whole week with her!

Harper is already playing while Jason goes through the fun Christmas morning tradition "putting the toys together". Unfortunately someone (coughcoughme) didn't realize it said 'some assembly required'. Oops. 

Open Book

***Disclaimer...my blog posts may not be frequent, life is too important and too busy for me to use my time for blogging when I could be doing something important. I will, however, try to catch up with life when I have some rare free time! In 2013 I do not resolve to be a better blogger...because I'd like to be a better mother, wife, daughter, worker, etc. Sorry blog world!****

So, in my younger years I've been called unemotional, unfeeling, even cold hearted. And that was by my friends! Maybe ironically enough, these characterizations never hurt my feelings. I never cried at movies, never got as giddy as other teens, never had the outward signs of emotions that is stereotypical of a lot of girls. I chalk it up to my 'unfeeling' British heritage. The reason I mention this is that in November I took a HUGE step outside my comfort zone and participated in the 'Thirty Days of Thankfulness' . Well, at the time I didn't realize that is what it was called and I just participated until Thanksgiving Day. Anyways. The point is, I put myself out there which is unusual for me since I am not a mushy person. When I decided to participate I had several things I was thankful for that I knew I would include. Then I figured I would run out of things to list so I had some funny/sarcastic things to be thankful for. Much to my surprise, I never ran out of actual things to be thankful for! I mean, I really am thankful for so much in my life but I thought thinking of a new thing every day would eventually become hard. It wasn't. God used that time to show me just how much he has give me...given all of us! I write this to encourage anyone reading (all 3 of you) to pick a month (don't wait until November, pick February, it's short! ;-)) and either publicly on FB or privately come up with one thing each day to be thankful for. I found my attitude changing during this time. Instead of coming up with snarky posts about Muscogee County drivers traffic I was excited to share about something positive. It also put that person/place/situation on my heart for that day as well. If you choose not to share your thoughts publicly then I encourage you to write them down. Being able to go back and reflect on what I was thankful for is so encouraging. It was important to me to acknowledge mine publicly since I tend to be an emotionally private person. But either way- try it! I bet you'll discover a world of blessings to be thankful for!

Fall crafts a la Pinterest

Fall is one of my favorite times of year, especially Thanksgiving! Harper and I have been celebrating the season by making a few crafts that I saw on Pinterest. I love making crafts with her because it is such a fun time together and then we have our fun moment together marked by the craft so it helps us to remember that time! We still have more crafts on our fall 'to do' list but here is what we have made so far!

 Our fall tree 'before'. This was made out of a paper lunch bag and was so simple! I actually love the look of it without leaves, it reminds me of the whomping willow from Harry Potter.

 Here's the after. We used orange, red, and yellow tissue paper. Harper got to rip the paper in little pieces then we both glued it on the tree. Warning: you will be covered in glue and tissue paper by the end of the project (but we didn't mind!).

 This fall wreath is made out of a paper plate and leaves collected entirely from out yard! I think Harper's favorite part was picking up the leaves and putting them in our bag to bring inside. Note of caution: check leaves for bugs before bringing them inside!

How could you resist hanging out with this cutie?

Long overdue updates!

We've been busy in a fun way lately...I realized I am way behind in just general life updates. I thought I'd just do a picture update instead! 

 Harper's Aubie themed birthday party...from 'Toomer's Lemonade'..

 to a Caramel Apple Bar (not Aubie related, just super yummy and one of HG's favorites- apples!)

                                                           ...to Aubie treats as a favor!...

 Aubie on the birthday banner and the invitations and the food table...

 to a compilation of Harper's favorite Aubie highlights video...

 All Auburn All Orange (or something like that?). Harper was Aubied-out with an Aubie headband and pin!

 Old school Aubie on the cake!

 And even an Auburn wagon as a gift! She had a blast and loved every bit of Aubie!

 We made our living room into 'Publix' and she took her purse, grocery cart, and babies shopping.

 Picked out pumpkins...

 Went for a hay ride

 Gained TWO new members of our family (my nieces, Harper's cousins)

 Tailgated, cheered on our tigers even through a terrible season, and went to Tiger Walk

And this little peacock went trick or treating! 

Humbled

This is an excerpt from an email I sent at the end of June. I have debated sharing this story for several months because I don't want anyone to think that we think Harper is 'extra holy' or is better than any other child. As the joke goes, she is the best child I've ever had! ;-) Seriously, though, she has not done this as often over the past several months as she was at that time. However, I think there is an important lesson in her childlike faith. Jesus speaks several times throughout the gospels of 'faith like a child'. I think that as adults we let so much of the world influence our thinking that it is hard for us to revert back to the time of childlike wonder and awe at our awe inspiring God. I honestly believe that all people of faith should question their faith to some degree- a faith that is never tested is naive. BUT once tested we should be so moved by a God that loves us without fail that we do have that child-like wonder for our God. Here is the story:
You know how you never totally understand something until you experience it? Like when people say having a child is the most humbling experience you can have. Well, I know for sure that is true! Usually in the business of coming home, taking Toby out, unloading the car, spending a few minutes with Harper, putting away dishes, starting dinner, eating dinner, cleaning up, getting Harper ready for bed, then getting me ready for bed I don't have a lot of time (or don't make a lot of time) to remember to pray for other people. I even forget most nights that we even have a sponsor child, Abhishek. We even have a picture of him on our fridge to remind us, but I still forget. Harper, however, has been remembering lately. Every day, usually when I am cooking, she sits in front of the fridge, points to his picture, and says "Pray Abhishek". So we say a short prayer for our sweet buddy in India. Today, however, driving home, Harper asked "Pray? Abhishek". My 21 month old has a better memory and a bigger servant heart than I will ever hope to have! I am going to be praying for faith like a child from now on, because this little girl amazes me with her faith! She doesn't want to pray just because she is reminded by seeing a picture or because it is habit to do so before a meal- she actually thinks about this all by herself and wants to pray! I don't know why God has given me such a sweet girl but I am sure thankful for such a blessing! 

I added the alphabet over the woman's face because we are not entirely sure who she is and I don't want to get anyone in trouble! Our sweet Abhi!

So there you go. No excuses. If a 21 month old can do it so can I. So can you. I will strive to live a life worthy of the calling that I have received. Now let's go do it!