3.5

Our little lady is now 3 1/2 years old...and boy, did we work hard in this half! I would challenge the "terrible twos" claim and tell you that 3, so far, has been MUCH more challenging. Lucy is very independent, and very smart. A deadly combination. She is working overtime to test limits and learn which buttons to push, and I admit, mine are sometimes very easily pushed. Especially my patience button. Getting this girl out the door in the morning has at times reduced me to tears. I feel like it takes her 5 times longer than any reasonable small person to do something. She easily (and purposefully?) gets distracted. "I want this! No, I want that!" Tears. Tantrums. "You're not my friend." Hiding from me. Refusing to stand up. SIGH...



But what gets me through those times is the good stuff, and there is plenty of that! There are days when she is simply delightful. There is no other word for it. So funny, so smart, so creative, so FUN! She is learning so much about the world and has questions about EVERYTHING. She spins her own stories using bits and pieces of anything we happened to be talking about the past few days, combined with things we did a year ago, sprinkled with things from school. She loves to talk, which is sometimes exhausting...but also fascinating. I love how her mind works, and seeing the look on her face when she makes a new revelation is priceless. She's very expressive and her facial expressions are sometimes quite hilarious.

During the winter we like to keep Lucy active, so she's got a lot going on. She was able to start Sunday School this fall, which has been very fun for her and for me, as I am one of her teachers. :) She is enrolled in dance class and swimming class. Dance class she likes, swimming class she loves. They must be paying off, because she's a strong little girl and can often be found carrying bulky objects up and down the steps! She is still around 40 pounds and has gotten a little taller in the meantime, just over 40 inches or so.

Some of Lucy's favorite things these days are:  talking about babies (lots of pregnant people/new babies in our life right now),  making meals for us ("Jessica, your food is ready!"), creating scenarios with her stuffed animals, leggings ("they're not pants, they're leggings!"), yoga with mom, singing (she has a great little voice), Barbies, breakfast with Daddy and his friends on Saturday morning, anything that has to do with her brother, Super Why, talking to Grandma and Grandpa on Skype, books about Christmas, chasing Buddy, and maybe most of all, art projects.

There are tough days, and it's with a combination of resignation and pride that I admit that part of it is because she's a lot like her mama. :)  The good days are SO good and balance all the rest of it out.  I thank God every day she is our daughter!



Happy Thanksgiving!

We started our holiday on Wednesday with a special Thanksgiving lunch at school.

Then, Thursday we headed down to Storm Lake for Big Overmohle Thanksgiving. Always a big crew!

And of course, the family tradition:

We were joined by my sister-in-law and my nephews, D and E. All the kids visited with Santa at the end and received a special book. Lucy wouldn't sit on his lap, but was more than willing to have a conversation. I couldn't hear much of what she was saying, but they chatted for awhile.

Afterwards, Grandma surprised them with some little mice she found in her pocket, just like the ones at Santa's Castle!

It was a very fun couple of days, and nice to be in my parents' house again. Looking forward to Christmas!



Remembering Betty

One year ago today we lost Husband’s mom. I remember receiving the call that Friday afternoon – I had just finished Lucy’s school conference and was walking across the parking lot to my car. I went to the house and grieved with the rest of the family, saying final goodbyes to her earthly body after her spirit had already left us. A few days later there was a beautiful service, and then we got back to the business of everyday life, trying to manage the gaping hole and knowing things would never quite be the same.

Although she is not physically here, Betty is with us all the time. All of us can tell the stories...

When we spread her ashes this past spring, there was a ladybug on her parents’ headstone at the cemetery. A real ladybug, not one of those Asian ladybeetles. I hadn’t seen one of those in years (and haven’t since). I pointed it out to Lucy, and she still remembers it. She’s been known to talk about it when we pass any cemetery.

Husband’s sister emailed about her time at the casino, when a woman sat down at her table to play. Her name was Betty. (Betty did love a casino!)

I even keep getting spam emails from her email account. (Is anyone else getting these?!)

And of course, there were many message through Lucy. We will never forget the date of great-grandma’s birthday!

But a few weeks ago, we got another emotional, heart-lifting sign. Our church had All-Saints Sunday, celebrating those who had passed in the past year. Betty’s funeral was held at our church, and she was included in the celebration. Husband’s dad came with us - it was just Dad, Husband, and me as Lucy spent the night at an auntie’s house. I chose an open pew near the middle, and Dad sat on the end.

The service was beautiful. At one point, the name of each person being honored was read, a bell was rung, and a candle placed along the center aisle was lit. The acolyte started in the back of the church and moved forward to light each candle. And wouldn’t you know, when Betty’s name was read, where was that acolyte?

He was lighting the candle right next to my father-in-law. Literally, it was hooked onto the pew immediately in front of him. He had only to look up and it was RIGHT.THERE.

It was just one of those choke-through-tears moments for all of us, but I also had to smile, because of course! Of course we would be sitting in the pew where that candle was lit. Because that was Betty.

And just this past Sunday in church, someone approached and handed me a couple of pictures. At Betty’s funeral, lily bulbs were given out. One of the ladies working at the funeral that day had taken some home, and they came up beautifully. She so graciously went out of her way to take photos and let us know that Betty was honored and remembered in just the way she would most love – through flowers.

As Lucy says, Grandma is in heaven, and “she’s an angel flying around God.” We’re so glad she takes time out of all that joyous flight to send us a message every now and then. Betty, you are missed.

Swimming Excitement

Tonight Lucy had an audience for swim class - Daddy, Mommy, Grandpa, Auntie Candy and Cousin Hayley! She loved the attention and had an awesome class.

The highlight was that she jumped in all by herself for the very first time! Teacher Jenny had them all stand with their toes on the very edge, then jump in, trying to land their feet on her hands. Lucy went first and did it with no hesitation! I was in such awe I didn't even try to capture it on camera. THEN - once she jumped in, she turned around and swam back to the wall by herself! So proud. She is doing such a great job and learning so much.

EWG Guide to Healthy Cleaning

Finally! The Environmental Working Group has come out with a list rating household cleaners. I've been using the SkinDeep database for years for beauty products, and have been wanting to know a bit more about household cleaners.

Although I'm sure some of this warrants being taken with a grain of salt, it seems to be a pretty comprehensive guide. It also reveals how deceptive packaging can be. For awhile, I have been using this stain remover. If you look closely, you can see a "Greenlist" emblem on the label. I assumed this meant it was environmentally-friendly. But according to this database, it scores an F, the worst you can get! Upon more detailed research, Greenlist is a process deployed by the company who makes the products, not an independent reviewer as I assumed.While some strides have been made, there is still apparently a long way to go.

My other surprise on this list was that my go-to HE laundry detergent, Seventh Generation, did not fare well. The one I use in particular scored a D. "D" is for disappointing! Across the board on other projects, they did not score as well as I would have expected. I just switched to Whole Foods 365 Everyday laundry detergent, unscented. I'll let you know how it works! I've got some other cleaners that may need replacing, and others I thought might be bad that actually aren't. For example - "Lysol Professional Disinfectant Power Toilet Bowl Cleaner" just sounds like an earth-polluting product by nature, doesn't it? Not so. Actually scored a B. Just goes to show, don't judge a book by its cover.

Any products you were surprised by in this database?