Opal's Birthday

 Opal's 2nd birthday was on Saturday, which made for a fun family day. Her vocabulary is exploding these days. Just yesterday she counted to three (instead of saying, "Nine, nine, nine" for everything she counts). She's also building quite a repertoire of silly faces and enjoys sitting on the potty, though it seems to be more of a hobby than a lifestyle at this point. She's very cuddly and is testing my vow not to spoil my children, esp when she tips her little face down and says, "Me honey, Mama" ("I'm hungry, Mama") in the most pitiful little voice you can imagine, usually when she smells the opportunity for a "nack." (Apparently "s" is a challenging sound for kids--mine, at least.)

After a breakfast strata, Opal was ready to open her first present--a homemade book of baby photos: cut, glued, captioned, and wrapped by her big brother Rolland.

 Here's the birthday girl with decorations and presents. 

We spent the morning at the Forest Hills Community Expo. No, we don't live in the Forrest Hills community, but it was a nice way to spend a morning, we got lots of free samples. Here are the kids having a quick lunch before nap time.

Opal wore this hairclip to the Expo and seemed thoroughly confused by the attention.

 

Grandpa and Grandma Sterken came over for a Rice/Chicken dish and Kale-Peanut Salad, followed by...

 

 Dirt Cake! I was really happy with Naturally Nora's yellow cake mix, and I used the mousse that you usually layer between the Oreo crumbs for the frosting. It was pretty amazing. Rolland decorated.

After we ate, Opal tore into the rest of her presents: dolls, Duplos, and a backpack full of treasures. She had the lip gloss half gone before the night was over.

And just for fun: Here's a shot from the first day of Spring yesterday. I couldn't really capture how hard it was snowing. Last year at this time it was 80 degrees.

 

My favorite photo from our Spring Photo Shoot.

Update on Opal

Since Opal will turn two exactly one month from today, I thought it would be appropriate to share a little about how she's progressing, since I'm sure I won't get around to it on her birthday.

One of the most fun changes is in her vocabulary. She's in that "explosion" stage where she says new words daily--almost hourly. Her current favorite, though, is "Nomine!" which she uses, for example, when she's playing with a toy, and Rolland walks by on the other side of the room. I know most kids go through either a "No" stage or a "Mine" stage, so this is a fun treat, especially since I don't remember Rolland going through either--although, as Dave points out, oldest children don't have as great a need for vocabulary involving boundaries and possession. That said, I'm looking forward to the, "Please don't touch my stuff" stage, or maybe even the, "Come, dear brother, let us share my most treasured possession" stage.

Another favorite is, "Aw, MAAAN!" said with the same low-high pitch change used by much older children...and her parents. Obviously, Dave and I laughed the first time we heard her say that one, so it's now a regular part of our conversations with her. When I was nannying in Chicago before we got married, my boss informed me that I had taught her son, "Oh, rats!" (which, of course, I learned from my mother). I'm not sure why these expressions of disappointment catch on with kids, but I'm glad I don't use more colorful language, or I'm sure everyone in the grocery store would know about it eventually.

She also said her first three-syllable word ("buckaroo"), followed quickly by her first three-syllable phrase ("Here I am!") last night while skyping with Papa and Gigi, so be ready the next time you see her. I'll still be available to translate, though I may take some liberties, depending on what exactly she says about you.

It looks like it might be best to save her favorite greeting for adults ("Thpppph!!!"), her circus-like leaps from high places, her inexplicable crying at 6:00am every day this week, and her obsession with babies for another segment on her development. Let's see if I can find an appropriate picture or two to wrap it up....

 Here she is demonstrating the baby thing I told you about. (This is Anastasia Baby--Rolland's pick for his new little sister's name, but we won't be going that direction, so we thought a doll would do.)

 Learning from big brother.

 This is called a "love brush," where they tip their heads together while brushing their teeth. I'm not sure who started it (I guess it must've been Rolland) but they do it occasionally when both are in a good mood. Yes, Opal is wearing Rolland's pjs, which she usually wears in multiple layers, so this is is a rare photo. (In case you noticed the background, my belly is much bigger now.)

 A closeup at breakfast. Sorry about the red-eye. She's actually blue, like her daddy. It's just hard to catch her smiling on camera.

See? She actually enjoyed Christmas quite a bit, though you wouldn't know it from any of the pictures.

Ballerino

Rolland just came out of his quiet time room (the play room) wearing a Chinese silk vest, an Air Force hat, and cowboy boots. He walked over to me carrying a small cardboard suitcase wrapped in a life jacket, and asked me to help him zip it up. Daddy asked what that was for, and he said, “I’m having a pretend dance class, and my pretend age is 5, and I thought I was the daddy, but I just found out I’m the uncle, and this is my present box!” We’ve been watching a lot of Nutcracker recently, if that explains anything.

First a story, then a few photos.

Yesterday the kids in our BSF program heard the story of Cain and Abel, and at lunch afterward I wanted to talk to Rolland about it. It can be hard to get him to talk about what he's learned, but for some reason he launched happily into a nice, long, three-year-old version of the story, including that God didn't want Cain's sacrifice, which was a carrot. When he said that Cain killed Abel, I said, "Why did he do that?" to which Rolland replied, "His heart was in the wrong place." Suspicious, I asked, "Where was his heart?" Rolland pointed to his chest, near this shoulder. "And where should it have been?" Ah, if only Cain's heart had been a few inches closer to the center of his chest, as Rolland indicated, his legacy could've been so much different.

This is Opal. She is not potty trained. In fact, she is very un-potty trained...unless "potty trained" means that she can indicate the spot on the carpet where she just peed.

Here's Rolland working hard on a foam paw from the Hobby Lobby clearance rack. Tongue out.

 

Two cute kids cuddling on the recliner. Opal's favorite word is "cozy."

 

 Rolland dressed up as...any guesses?

This one is more obvious. I had gotten Opal undressed in the morning, and then gone out of the room to get something. The next thing I know, she comes waddling up to me, proud as she can be at having dressed herself. And, yes, both legs are in one hole. Textbook.

Saying it Out Loud

Last night we ended up having kind of an un-sleepover, which led to a very late bedtime for all three of us, and yet God used my bladder alarm to get me up quite early this morning. As I was reading my Bible (because I figured that why He got me up), I found Isaiah 40:28-31 about how God doesn't grow weary, and He gives strength to the weary. I printed it off, hung it up, and proceeded to make coffee, when suddenly I realized that I was way too excited about that caffeine jolt. So, after an embarrassingly long struggle, I dumped the coffee out and decided to see if God would really give me the energy I needed to parent well all day. And I really think He did, and coffee had nothing to do with it. So, I thought I'd better give him the glory for that, and how much more public can you get than the internet?

The end.
(Until tomorrow when I get weary again.)

He's Off!

Well, this evening we ripped the first loop off our paperchain countdown. Dave left this morning, and so far I've gone shopping, forgotten to feed the kids dinner, and put them to bed an hour late. I need you, Honey!

Actually, Dave did a really good job preparing, so this morning we had a lovely, relaxed breakfast and even had time for a rousing round of Ping-Pong Bandit, followed by Fireman Sam, Doctor, and Yogurt Tub Stack-Up. I think that was good for all of us, and now our house is bandit, fire, and injury-free, so I think Dave will feel good about that as he's away.

After we said good bye, it occurred to me that I've been prepping myself for the whole time he'll be gone, and now part of it is already over. Each moment only means that we'll be together sooner. Very romantic, I know.

Fortunately, I've checked out Kisses from Katie from the library, so hopefully a dose of that will give me perspective. I mean, I miss Dave, but it's not like I've moved to an impoverished village on a different continent to adopt dozens of orphans...by myself. That said, Dave did have a dream last night in which Opal grew up to be a black girl, so maybe that's in our future! Let's do it!

Catch Up

Since last I wrote...

Opal has learned to walk, gotten a ridiculous hair cut (sorry, I haven't taken any pics yet), and started saying "ba ba" on a regular basis (opinions differ as to what she means by it).

Rolland has stopped wearing diapers at night, and has responded to countless crises as either a Welsh fireman or a ping-pong playing sheriff (always in costume, of course).

I've walked a 5k, taken a trip to the ER, and become a little bit famous. (Click here. If you look closely you can see the right half of my face and my gray shoulder. I really had to lean just to get that much in the shot.)

Dave has survived a 4th-grade field trip to the Kalamazoo Air Zoo, turned 35, and hit a really good stride with teaching Colossians to our Sunday school class.

We've also secured tickets for both Croatia and Colorado and are trying to grasp how quickly the summer is coming, while feeling like these last 2 weeks of school will never end. Ever.

Oh, and I just got an email saying we didn't get the house. Whew! It was too cheap not to try, but it was kind of a fixer-upper.

In Grandpa and Grandma's garden

Easter Sunday

Making the right kind of friends

Trail ride. Yee haw!

Ready to roll

Look Right!

Recent fun:

We acquired a piano from some friends who are moving. It's not in perfect tune, but the kids are already showing signs of prodigy, and I'm reliving my high school days when I played the piano instead of having friends. Ah, memories. :)



We recently walked to Family Fare for ice cream (instead of patronizing the nearby Country Sundae or Ice Cream Ally, who charge as much for a kid's cone as the grocery store does for a quart--easy decision). When we arrived, Rolland, as usual, jumped right into the firetruck cart while Opal rode in the stroller. About 3 minutes into the store, Opal started having a huge melt down for no apparent reason...until I realized she was doing everything in her baby power to get near that firetruck. As soon as I moved her, she was a happy as Spot the Fire Dog, and I enjoyed a moment of "This is exactly why I wanted kids!!!" They were so unbelievably cute in there together. The picture doesn't do justice.



Though Opal's actual birthday was on a Friday, we celebrated with G&G Sterken on Sunday after church. Here's the first look at her new Playmobile bus.



My parents came to visit for a fun-packed week that happened to land on Carol's birthday. Here we are at Meijer Gardens, just before we went to see the butterflies. Rolland was disappointed that they didn't land on the outstretched arm of a 3-year-old boy. I have new respect for the intelligence of insects. Nonetheless, we'll all wear sequins next time.



Lastly, in reference to the post title, when you're driving this Spring, don't forget to watch for bikers. I got "bonked" last night while riding with an empty trailer (Praise the Lord!!!). I'm bruised and sore, but fine. But, please pray for Ryan, the kid that hit me. I have no doubt he'll be the world's safest driver for the rest of the summer, but I hope he can let God use this jarring experience as an opportunity to draw him closer to Him.

20,000 Words

We've Sprung!

Today was Spring in West Michigan. We were in the 70s, and everyone was happy, and windows were open, and you could hear laughter ringing from playground to playground across the burbs. I'm going to not check the weather forecast and just assume it'll be like this till June, when it tops out at 75, unless we've planned a trip to the beach and we'd like it just a touch warmer for swimming.

Seventy degrees...and only 2 more full months of school. Pray for Dave as the kids start to get that Spring Break itch.

In other news:

Rolland's cute moment this week: I told him we were going to have his "best friend" over for a playdate, and when I mentioned that this friend's little sister was coming, too, Rolland said, "Oh good. She's my best-friend-in-law."

And Miss Opal is officially walking while holding fingers. She used to plant her feet and bow her belly forward till we gave up and let her drop to her knees, but now she really seems to catch the thrill of being vertical. I'm not expecting her to make any great strides (he he) before Friday, but it's a step in the right direction (he he).

Purim Sameach!

I know this would've been a little more timely last night, but I didn't think of it until this afternoon.

Nonetheless, this evening begins Purim, the Jewish holiday that celebrates the story of Esther. Jews often dress up for it (in costumes, not ball gowns), and one of the things they do to celebrate is read (or act out) the story of Esther and cheer and boo raucously at the mention of Mordechai and Hamon. They make noisemakers (we shook a tupperware filled with popcorn kernels), and write Hamon's name on the bottom of their shoes with chalk and stomp to blot out his name.

I found a kid-friendly version of the story that leaves out the bits about genocide and the questionable beauty pageant, though we still managed to make Rolland cry with our first unexpected outburst against Hamon. Oops.

Another fun tradition is Hamentashen, cookies filled with your choice of delicious centers. (I haven't made this exact recipe, but with 2 sticks of butter, what can go wrong?)

Purim goes till tomorrow night (plus one extra day in walled cities--I'm not sure how many of you that applies to), so you can still celebrate God's saving His people (yet again) so that Jesus could be born through them to save the world!

Purim Sameach!

Teeth

Rolland had his first dental experience on Monday! It went very well. Justine was great, and Dr. Lubbers was kind. Rolland kept his mouth wide open the whole time and probably remembers nothing except how to spell S-H-A-R-K. Why?



Ah yes, the secret weapon of a family dentist: The Great Distracter of Children. I kind of wish he'd been a little more conscious of the experience, but maybe this will give him a foundation of positive associations with the dentist.

Teeth-wise, he's great. No cavities--not even a "cavity bud," which was a new term for me. And for those who wonder, he chose strawberry.

On a related note, Dave thinks Opal has a tooth coming in. I say maybe...