Prayers for Peace

Another thing that I haven't mentioned yet... While I was away from this blog, something terrible happened. My sister's husband beat her up and threw away everything she owned. He wasn't arrested or anything because she hit him back. I don't know what kind of logic that is. Then after he beat her up, he degraded her in front of her children.

Thankfully he hasn't shown his face since. But he hasn't stopped being so terrible. He was telling their daughter lies about how my sister was sleeping with men. Who tells a seven year old that?! Forget the fact that it's a lie. It's disgusting, putting those thoughts in a child's head.

She was able to get her job back after the incident. I assume that when she said that, that it meant that he had (once again) gotten her to quit a job. He was so paranoid about her talking to people and wanted her to quit the last time I saw them. Now she's in her own apartment. There's a police officer who lives a few apartments over.

The oldest boy is so angry. He's so verbally abusive to my mom. He even admits that it's because she can't do anything so he wants her to know how much he hates her. Please pray for peace in his little heart and mind. I see so much of my brother in him (my brother who committed suicide in December '06). It really scares me. This anger. This hatred. This fear. I wouldn't want that same fate for my nephew.

I guess that's partially why I disappeared for so long. I just haven't felt like myself for so long. My brother died in such a terrible way. Everyone was effected. Both of my sisters and my mom were on antidepressants, my brother's wife won't let us have contact with his child, and now this. And my mom was diagnosed with 3rd Stage Renal Failure. (PS she has a kidney surgery being scheduled... not sure of the date yet.)

Peace. Peace in our family. I pray for peace.

Toilet Paper

Anna made clothes for her doll out of toilet paper today. I was sitting there watching her wrap it around the doll's body then she tried to make a hat for the doll. Haha. It's so much fun watching her.

Two year olds are so much fun!

New Phrases

Anna's newest phrases:

1. While standing on her head on the couch (her legs propped against the back of the couch), she said, "Looka me! Daddy, looka me!" hahaa

2. Today while in Dairy Queen, she got up from her seat to go look for daddy. She said to me, "I'll be right back, Mommy. I'll be right back." Hahaha. xD

Your Sins Are Forgotten

I think I'm the kind of person who probably beats herself up about sins more than God Himself. I think I had to hear this song.

She Naps!

Sleeping Beauty is living up to her name as we speak. She hadn't napped in three or four days. I was beginning to wonder if naps were officially M.I.A. b/c it had been so long. She's napping right now.

Dinner's cooking. I'm enjoying my blog once again. It's been so long. I've forgotten how much I've enjoyed connecting and networking with so many wonderful Christian women. And I've forgotten how much fun it is to share Anna's firsts.

I was thinking today about Mary-Kate and Ashley Olson when they were on Full House and they were two... I can see now how they got them to say their lines. I can tell Anna to say just about anything and she'll repeat it. Today I was having some fun and I told her to say, "You got it, dude!" Yeah, it's still cute when it comes out of a two year old's mouth! haha :D

Anna... Tomboy or Girlie-Girl?

This is the great debate when we theorize about big-girl Anna Daisy.

Evidence for Girlie-Girlism:
Anna loves to wear dresses and sandals.
She loves to have her hair fixed and loves to look in the mirror to check the results.
She kisses her reflection.
She doesn't like to get dirty.
She takes three or four baths a day (good thing we don't pay for water!)
She usually has me wash her hands several times throughout a meal. Hahaha.

Evidence for Tomboyism:
She never stops climbing.
She's not afraid of heights.
She never stops running.
She can roll with the big boys.
When she plays, I often notice her playing with the boys instead of the girls. Maybe because girls are too scared of falling or getting hurt? I don't know. But she usually plays with the boys. Yesterday we let her run around the McDonald's Playplace. She and two big boys... one that was about four and the other who was about seven were playing in the slide. They would CLIMB to the top of the tube-slide, then all tumble to the bottom. It took everything in me to not save her from impending disaster. Good thing I didn't b/c she was never hurt. She had a great time and was pink-cheeked and hot at the end of those two hours.

Maybe she'll be a wonderful combination. Physically adept, yet loves girly things. That would make daddy happy and mommy. xD ehehhee

Beach Photos

Anna loved the beach. She still asks every once in a while, "Mommy, want go bye-bye beach?" And if we see anything resembling a horse or carousel, she asks, "Mommy, want go bye-bye car horsey?"

Check out more photos at KISS THE FROG 4 ME.

Been A While

Oh my it's been a while since I've written on here!

So much has been going on.

The school year is done. Paul did very well in his studies. I got a 4.0... but I was only taking 6 credits, so it wasn't huge. We're finally done babysitting the boy we were watching. We're glad for that. He didn't like being away from his mommy, Paul hated watching him, he cried so much, Anna wanted to be babied extra when he was around, we were only paid 130 dollars in the whole semester... it was a real mess. So that stress is off from our backs, aside from the fact that my student loans were sent into collections WRONGFULLY. Ugh. The stress.

On the bright side of things, Anna is growing so tall. 2T is out of the window. She's fully in 3T and she wears some 4T. Her hair is growing longer and it's curly! She's so bright. She counted to 8 randomly the other day. She loves to pretend to count most of the time, "One, two, three, six, seven, eight!" hahaha. So she hasn't counted all the way to eight since, but I'm proud nonetheless!

With potty training, she's doing SO WELL! She's been going potty on her own for several days now, telling me when she needs to go potty (both pee and poop) and even when I put her in a diaper, she wants to go in the potty. :D I'm so proud!

I'll add a picture of her that I really loved. (Of course I love them all, but this one I love as well!)

I should also add that I'm done breastfeeding. Anna still asks, but now it's getting painful and unenjoyable. Her teeth dig into me and she sucks until it hurts then she pulls my hair. And it really isn't a painful decision, either. We lasted 2 1/2 years. That's no small feat. Anna is healthy and growing. I'm sure she's getting her vitamins (she gets Nemo gummies). So, I'm proud of how long we nursed. I still get my cuddles at night when we cosleep. =)

Anna and the Potty!

Anna has been so good at potty training--I HAVE NOT! I have been pretty lazy on the potty training thing, but she has been so good and so motivated! For the past three days, she has come to me holding her pee-pee and saying "Potty!" and we go to the potty and she goes potty! She just did that a few seconds ago and she went poop! It's so awesome! I had no idea that she would be so easily potty trained! It's really good! :D I'm happy about that!!!

Trip to the Zoo

MORE PICS

Since I really don't have too much to say, maybe this will end up being a photo blog lol. XD Well... what can I say? Besdies the fact that it's four in the morning and I can't sleep. I tore a muscle, dislocated a rib, or broke a rib, so it's very hard to find a comfortable position. Anyhow, Anna is getting so tall! It's kind of crazy. She was as tall as a 3 year old that we met at a birthday party this weekend. We're officially outing the 2T clothing. Thankfully 3T/4T summer clothing is quite cheap. So we bought a ton of short outfits on sale at Target. 2.80 a per piece! What a deal. What a blessing! And Target's clothing is always so cute! She's always talking and says the most hilarious things... such as, when Paul is flirting with me Anna will say, "Daddy, what are you doing to mommy?" hahaha She's quite the chatter, risk-taker, and monkey. And such a girly girl, too! Enjoy the photos. Some are of Anna playing with a bubble blower wand we bought for her and others are of Anna at a birthday party this weekend.

Easter Photos

We had a great time with family this weekend. I think Anna has enjoyed it. She's basically been living on candy ever since. *sigh* I can't get her to eat anything else. At last, the candy had to be tossed in the trash! No more candy. No more gummies. It's getting way out of hand. Sweet-tooth baby girl... just like her mommy!

Poem

Where Boyhood Meets Manhood
by Sarah Pemberton

This is where the river meets the sunset.
The stream bends and twists,
falling over rapids and rocks,
tumbling over stones and debris.
This is where tall yellow weeds stretch toward a mango sky,
blanched by a hot summer sun.
This is where a boy stomps in the shallow end,
where brownish still waters soak his shorts
and weigh down his tee shirt,
where tawny skin is kissed by freckles,
and autumn eyes are rimmed with July,
and brushed with August.
This is where his father stands.
Hands on hips, lips at half mast.
Where boyhood meets manhood,
and everything between is whipped in meringue
and forgotten like a peeling sunburn.

April is Autism Awareness Month

glitter-graphics.com

More Pics