words to encourage

we are all here to find
the place where our restless souls
will be free
we were all made to see
our hearts could not rest
until found in thee
divine invitation





you have redeemed my soul
from the pit of emptiness
you have redeemed my soul 
from death



i was a hungry child, a dried up river
i was a burned out forest, and no one could do anything for me
but you put food in my body, water in my dry bed
and to my blackened branches, you brought the springtime green
of new life
and nothing is impossible for you
you have redeemed my soul


this week i've been able to worship with page cxvi in person and it's been so wonderful. i hadn't heard of these songs before but i love them. (neither are written by page cxvi, but their take on them - as usual - is fantastic.) i thought i had blogged about page cxvi before, but i can't find it. well, i love them. check them out.

snack bowl

one of the things i hear jude say a million times a day is "snack bowl". 

basically he wants a snack - you guessed it - in a bowl.

but the way he says it makes us imitate him laugh every time he says it.

he kinda snuffles the "sn" part. it's pretty cute.

Jude speaks!

Jude's been picking up words like crazy these days.
Today it was:

My bad.
(I'm so serious.)
Pear
and
Ouch!

And for the last part of the day he walked around crying

"boo-beh! boo-beh! boo-beh!" because all of his blueberries were gone and I wouldn't give him anymore. (Have you seen blueberry poop!? You would hold back too, if you had. Trust me.)
He's such a little parrot and copies sounds and words quite well.
He can be so unbelievably cute and sometimes I feel really bad at how little one-on-one time I get with him - especially compared to how much time I had for Noah at this stage. It's hard!
How do you get one-on-one time with each of your kids?

Conversations with an almost 3 year old

Today at lunch we were sitting and enjoying our BBQ (because who doesn't love a September BBQ?) when I decided to ask Noah what he did in children's church.

Me: What did you learn about today, Noah?

Noah: Um....*pause* Abraham.

Me: *somewhat shocked* Abraham!?! Wow! *pause as I think up a good follow up question* What did Abraham do?

Noah: Um...I don't know. *pause* He did this. *points his finger up*

Me: This? *I point my finger up*

Noah: Yes. At all the stars.

Me: Because God promised to give him as many children as there are stars in the sky?

Noah: Yes. And Sarah was there. And she had a baby.

Me: *continuing to be jaw-droppingly amazed at his retention and ability to communicate the lesson he heard* And what was the baby's name?

Noah: Isaac.

Me: Wow. Baby Isaac.

Me to Jamie and Tim (our friend who was over for the day): This is amazing! I love this age!

We continue our conversation for a few more seconds and then it turns to something else - probably poop or how apple juice has sugar in it.

But for those few minutes there, I was basking.

Basking in the absolute pleasure and joy and amazement of hearing and seeing my son learn about something amazing and be able to tell me all about it.

Parenting. There is literally NOTHING like it.

I love my job.

Noah's funnies

Jamie: Noah, why do we have bums?

Noah: I don't know. *pause* Um, I think because we need them.

later...

Jamie: Why do we need bums?

Noah: For our own glory.

Catechism FAIL.

More funnies from Noah

Today at lunch:

Jamie: Hey baloney?

Noah: Yes, Jamie?

I cracked up. I couldn't help it. And then I wrote that exchange down. Jamie's met his match, I think.

Yesterday:

Noah in the car: Hop on the bus, Gus!

Me: Where did you learn that, Noah?
Noah: Grandma.

After dinner:

Noah: My tummy is SO FULL. (then proceeds to lift up his shirt to show us his large tummy.)

Noah wandering around the living room: Hey anybody seen my Hummer?

And pretty much at least once a day he says this:

My teeth are dirty!

and

Apple juice has sugar in it, Mommy.

Keep 'em coming, Noah. I love your hilarious sayings!

Your thoughts?

A while back Jamie and I watched a DVD of the best of Will Ferrell on Saturday Night Live and this sketch changed our lives forever:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haAhdtDmsOw

Specifically at 3:13. Harry Caray talks about Mad Cow disease and then asks Jeff Goldbloom, "Your thoughts?"

This. This phrase has been repeated by Jamie so.many.times I cannot even tell you how often I've heard those words come out of Jamie's mouth in the last few years of our marriage.

And now.

NOW....

My 2 year old Noah turns to me and says, "Your thoughts, Mama?"

Did you?

Did he?

Whaa?

He just asked me for my thoughts.

Of course he did. Of course. (And he continues to ask me for my thoughts at the most random times which completely throw me for a loop and make me laugh every.single.time.)

And on another funny note of things Noah has said...

Today I was helping him look for 2 cars he got yesterday (and has misplaced already...any of our party guests know where Noah put a black police car "the Sheriff" and a yellow car - both Pixar cars) and as we were tromping upstairs and I said,

Do you remember where you put them in your room?

Noah pauses and then says,

Um, I have to think about it.

Oh that kid.

I mean, it doesn't sound that bad when you read it typed, but when you hear your little two year old say those words...it just sounds so adultish coming out of his mouth.

And then today when he already had us laughing at something he was doing he turns to us and says,

Oh my gosh!

Oh.No.He.Didn't.

Of course it doesn't help that neither Jamie nor I generally have a very good capacity for holding in our laughter which of course communicates to Noah that this is a funny thing to say that gets him lots of positive attention.

Sigh.

Being a parent sure is fun, but sometimes it's hard to have to be "the responsible one" (and realize that saying things like "Shoot!" or "Crap" or "Oh my gosh" WILL be repeated if you repeat them enough times).

Conversations with Noah

Tonight at the dinner table:

Noah: *spits in frustration*

Me: Noah, in our family we don't spit.

Noah: (without skipping a beat makes a funny face and blows gently with his mouth) Do we do this?

Me & Jamie: laughter

Seriously, who does this kid get his cheek from?

questions from a child

Last night:

After the water was draining from the bathtub

Noah: Where's the water going?

Me: Down the drain.

Noah: Can I go too?

Me: *laughs* no. Do you know why?

Noah: Cuz I'm too big?

Me: Yep.

This morning eating our waffles at the kitchen table

Noah: What are YOU eating, Mama?

Me: Waffles.

Noah: What's on it?

Me: Peanut butter. (Don't hate. Peanut butter and brown sugar was my favourite growing up. I was reliving my childhood.)

Noah: *pause* Is it delicious?

Me: *laughs* Yes. It IS delicious.

*pause*

Is YOURS delicious?

Noah: Uh huh. (Mouth full of waffle.)

Non stop talking

Overheard from Noah:

"O is for Africa. P is for Oh-port (airport)."

"I'm a GREAT driver!" (said while playing with Lightning McQueen)

"Hi!

Hi!
How do you do?
I'm fine!
Wanna crash?" (conversation between two of his cars)

"Happy Mother's Day, Mama!" (said to me today)

We had friends drop by briefly yesterday and near the end of their visit H said to me, "He talks so much now!"

Yes.
It's almost non-stop sometimes.

But the gems that come out of his mouth crack me up and melt my heart.

**just now Noah asked me, "Where's your balls, babe?" Um...

(He was referring to the golf balls in the back yard.)

Breakfast conversation

More funny Noah-isms...

This morning at breakfast Noah looked up at me and gave me the thumbs up.

Noah "Thumbs up, Mommy. (pause) That means you're good. (pause) That means you're sad."

Me "No it doesn't! It means you're great!"

Noah "It means you're a crazy driver, Mama."

WHAT?!?!

Seriously, folks. I'm a fantastic driver. Probably the 2nd best I know. (Jamie is definitely the best in my books.)

Crazy kid.

Wonder who he gets it from?

Who & What (why is on its way I'm sure)

Lately Noah's questions have been so great.

Just now he asked, "What's the cheese called?"

Other questions:

"Who made our house?"

"Who made this dinner?"

"Where did my church go?"

"What's it called?"

"What her name?"

"Is that delicious, Mama?" (re: me eating a piece of cheese)

names

Lately Noah's taken to calling me "Mom".

And not just "Mom", but "MoooooOOOOM" even if he's sitting right beside me. It's funny and interesting all at once.

He still calls me Mama and sometimes Mommy. But right now it's either Mom or Mama.

Or it's "Mom. Mom. Mom. Mom. Mom. MOOOOOOoooooM."

Goodness gracious I'm going to go out of my mind.

More funny phrases from Noah

I am loving the phrases that are coming out of Noah's mouth! They crack me up.
Today was,

"I want to tell you something, Daddy."

"Yes, Noah?"

"I want to go downstairs."

He also has discovered, "Watch me, Mama!"

I love his phrase "Try again." and when he trips or slips he will often look up at me with a smile (if it's a minor fall) and say, "ha! I trip/slip!"

He also called me a "cheeky monkey" today and told me I was funny. :)

Oh and the other day while I was driving him and Jude somewhere he told me I was a crazy driver. I felt the need to explain to him that I was not, in fact, a crazy drive but actually I am a very good driver. He insisted that I was crazy and I then decided I wasn't going to defend my stellar driving skills to a 2.5 year old and so we ended the conversation.

This is a fun age, but the downside is correcting wrong words/phrases - like when Noah will tell (usually) Jamie to "stop talking!". Not cool.

rhyming

Today in the car, on the way home from the Y (pretty much the entire way) Noah and I went back and forth saying,

See ya later, Alligator!

In awhile, Crocodile! (My favourite is Noah's pronounciation "croc-oh-dile")

Not too soon, you big baboon!

I laughed every time he said "baboon".

Bath time conversations

Tonight in the bath Noah was inspecting his latest "owie" that he got from wiping out on the driveway. It's a large gash on his knee and he looked up at me watching him and tried to hold up his leg to me.

"It's my owie, Mama. Kiss it."

So I leaned over to give his knee a kiss but I got his leg instead.

"It's right there, Mama. Try again." As he points to his knee.

Oh man. I laughed so hard. "Try again."

Have I said how much I love this talking stage (most of the time)?

digging for worms

Yesterday Noah and I were digging in the garden when he mentioned that he wanted to find some worms.

So I dug really deep and found one and brought it up for him.

"It's cute, Mama."

Cute, eh?

Then of course he wanted to touch it. So of course I let him. He is a boy after all.

When it wriggled away from his touch he giggled and said,

"I tickle him, Mama."

Oh Noah. You are so stinkin' cute!

Wishing and Words

We spend minutes and hours wondering what it will be like when our child first starts talking.

What will their first word be? When will they put a sentence together?

Wishing they could adequately explain to us why they are crying, laughing, screaming, quietly thinking...

And then they do start.

Whew.

Noah's language has picked up and absolutely taken off in the past few months. He's got sentences and words and questions coming out the whazoo.

And speaking of questions...

Oh the questions!

Noah likes to ask, "Who's that?" "What's that?" "Where did they go?" and lately...."WHY?" I quite think he knows what it means but he heard it on a VeggieTales song and now sometimes he'll say, "WHY?" And then when I tell him, he'll respond with, "God's bigger!" Clearly the two go hand and hand. :)

And it's not enough to say, "I don't know." (Even if I really don't know!) Or even sometimes to tell him the answer. He just keeps asking the same thing over and over and over and over and over. It's enough to make me lose my mind. Car rides are full of observations and questions from the backseat. Sometimes hilarious, and sometimes a bit maddening.

In fact, I had forgotten what it was like to drive with a child who can't speak yet until I was driving with just Jude in the car and I reveled in the silence.

Don't get me wrong, I love the things Noah comes up with or the way he says certain things. But...it's pretty constant throughout my days and on days like today (when it's a Sunday and I find myself flying solo due to some work opportunities for Jamie) I am going a bit batty (even now, Noah is looking at me, showing me his toast and saying, "I eat supper? This my cookie monster toast?" And I have no idea what cookie monster toast is.)

I suppose it's just a reminder to myself to live in the moment. Stop wishing it were different, older, through this stage...to use my eyes and ears and take it all into my heart and fully live in it.

To quote (from the top of my head) 2 books of Noah's:

"And so we say,

Hooray for Eyes!
Hooray, hooray for Eyes!"

"It's good. It's good to hear with ears."

language is funny

Noah's either Irish or Jamaican.

Lately, when he's talking about something that belongs to him, it's

"Where's me pillow?"
Or

"I want me Thomas cup."

It's hilarious and Jamie and I can't help but smile and laugh whenever we hear him say it.

Also, the other day, I was baking a cake and when I pulled it out of the oven Noah exclaimed loudly, "It's a WHERE, Mama! It's a WHERE!"

The pan was a square.

I laughed and said to him, "WHy I am saying WHat WHat WHay?"

He just stared at me with a blank look.

As many of you may be if you haven't seen this movie (or at least the trailer). Enjoy (just the first 40 seconds).

language skills

*This post was written yesterday*

Noah either cannot or chooses not to say words that start with "sp". He'll say them, but with an "f" sound instead.

My absolutely favourite word of his right now is "foon". As in, "I need a foon for my soup, Mama!".

Too cute.

Speaking of words - the boy has been making me laugh so hard all day long today!

First:

We were both sitting at the table and I was trying to get one last email sent but he wanted me NOW. So he's sitting there saying, "Mama. Mama. Mama. Mama." and then he realizes the voice he's using sounds like Kermit the Frog because all of a sudden he goes, "Mama. ... Kermit the Frog."

I laughed SO HARD. He just stared at me with a half smile wondering what on earth was so funny!

Second:
On our way to pick up Jamie from work Noah saw a "city bus" and so the entire drive there (all of about 7 minutes) he was talking about the city bus and how there's a bus driver and then there were 2 city buses, etc. So I start asking him questions and then I say,
"Where is the bus going?"

"There. To that."

"What is that? What's it called?" (Because I'm not going to turn around and figure out what he's talking about while I'm driving.)

"Um...it's called....The Banana Store."

I laughed so hard when I realized it was No Frills he was talking about that we had just passed. So I congratulated him on explaining what he was talking about to me so that I understood. I went on to talk about the power of words and how it's important that we use our words properly and with respect. He just said, "Yeah."

Third:

On our way home from the library Noah said, "I a pirate, Mama. Arrrr."
And he kept saying that he was a pirate so I quickly snuck a look in the rear view mirror and he had pulled one side of his hood over one eye (for a patch!). I laughed again.

There was one more but now I can't remember.

All in all, it's been a funny day. Today Noah is in the Terrific Twos.