Wait

For an introduction to Five Minute Friday, click here.

This week's one-word prompt is: Wait

Ready?

GO.

Caroline is almost a year old.  Someone asked me this week "Did it go by quickly?"  I think most parents say "Yes, I can't believe it's been a year, seems like yesterday we brought her home from the hospital."  But I laughed when I answered my friend.  "It's been a LONG year."  It really has.  It feels like it's been three years.  We moved back to the U.S., bought a house, started new jobs, and Caroline had colic for most of that time.  We had many additional trials that probably only God knows and understands.  

But just now, I looked at a framed picture of our baby girl on the day she came home from the hospital, and I said to myself, "Wait a minute.....is she really a year old?  Wait.....has she really grown so much?"  Yes, that part is hard to believe.  

STOP.

Send

For an introduction to Five Minute Friday, click here.

This week's one-word prompt is: Send

Ready?

GO.

"I'm gonna wrap myself in paper

I'm gonna dot myself with glue,

Stick some stamps on top of my head

I'm gonna mail myself to you."

I am trying to teach Caroline some good old fashioned kid songs, but for so many of them I wonder "Will she even know what this is about?"  Or will the song about mailing yourself with stamps on your head make about as much sense as Do Your Ears Hang Low?  Oh well, the non-sensical songs are fun too :)

Below I have posted a video of Caroline sort-of walking.  My mom keeps reminding me we need to get a video of her actually walking (she can go more than 5 steps sometimes), but anytime she starts "walking," she decides she would rather run, and we immediately have to put down anything in our hands and try to save her from herself.  She has the animo but not the balance.

STOP.

Welcome

For an introduction to Five Minute Friday, click here.

This week's one-word prompt is: Welcome

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We recently WELCOMED a new year.  Something I'd like to do this year is get in touch with my inner handy-man.  There are a few projects I hope to work on to make our home more WELCOMING.

If I write them outloud, maybe I won't forget to do them.

I'd like to reupholster Mike's favorite chair (see below), touch up the chipped paint on our banister, perhaps replace the head of the banister where the wood is splitting, and....that's probably enough.

Happy 2015!

Quick Update

Caroline was sick (just a bad cold) over Christmas break, and I keep telling people that "we" were sick, as in the three of us.  Then I remember it was just one of us.  So, those of you with more than one kid - if you have 3 sick kids, does it feel like there are 9 sick people in your house?

Here is Caroline on Christmas morning.  Not feeling her best, but still on the move, as always.

We went to my parents' house to open presents and have a delicious breakfast casserole.  Then back to our place for Christmas dinner and a long walk afterwards (well, I was waddling, that's why I'm behind everyone in this picture.  SO MUCH GOOD FOOD!!!).

For New Year's Eve, Michael babysat for us (what a good brother!) and we went to Old Town Alexandria to check out the festivities.  We checked out two venues and had dinner, Then we braved the waterfront to wait for the fireworks to start at midnight.  We waited.  And waited.  And then we went home.  It was too cold!!!  So we went home and celebrated with Michael.  For the record, we made it until 11pm!  WAY past our bedtime :)


Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!

Adore

For an introduction to Five Minute Friday, click here.

This week's one-word prompt is: Adore

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The things that came to mind when I read this prompt were:

"Oh Come Let Us Adore Him"

How much I adore my little girl

How the word adore has come to have a bit of a trite meaning, as in "Adorable!" but I prefer the connotation found in "adoration" that is a bit more reverent.  Adoration, to me, implies respect as well.  Like, I might look up to someone with adoration and admiration.

Also, I had someone ask me today if we had taken Christmas pictures of our baby.  Well, not really.  I guess that must be a thing, but it was so difficult to get any non-blurry pictures at her 6 month photo shoot, and we really like those pictures, so we'll just keep trying to get some mileage out of those.  You can look forward to her 1 year mark in February when I guess we're supposed to feed her copious amounts of cake and get stunningly cute photos at the same time.  

Caroline can now wave, recognizes "hi" and "bye," and mumbles "all done" after I say it (it's happened at least 3 times, so I think it's legit).  She is VERY close to walking - maybe after Christmas we'll finally have one of those baby-taking-first-steps videos.  I kind of think I'll be too excited to hold still to videotape anything, but we'll see if I can't find a third party in the room to capture the moment.

Prepare

For an introduction to Five Minute Friday, click here.

This week's one-word prompt is: Prepare

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GO.

This week I studied Luke 1.  In verses 46-55, Mary praises God.  This section of scripture is generally known as the Magnificat, or Song of Mary.  Obviously, this song of praise comes before Christ is born in Luke 2.

I like the idea of songs of praise preparing us for something.  I like the Primary song "I Wonder When He Comes Again," will heaven's angels sing?  I like singing Christmas songs to prepare us to celebrate Christ's birth.

So with that, I am off to play my clarinet as part of a community band - it's our annual Christmas concert at a local rest home!  I have to admit, the absolutely best piece we are playing this year is "The Grinch."  Next time you hear "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" on the radio, listen for the clarinet part.  Awesome.

Dear

Ooops, sorry, this was last Friday's.  Never made it from "draft" to "publish."  

For an introduction to Five Minute Friday, click here.

This week's one-word prompt is: Dear

Ready?

GO.

I needed some help getting started today, so I searched for "dear" in my e-mail inbox.  Which of course is an incredible fount of knowledge.  

The search results made me laugh - they were almost entirely from my bank, the airlines, our health insurance company etc etc.  Customer service representatives.  "Dear Ms. Ritchie."

Because "Dear" is the polite, albeit formal, way to start off an e-mail.  Which  most of us don't do anymore.

Politeness and manners are really important to me.  My parents were great in that they gave us the option to respond "Yes" or "Yes Sir/Ma'am," but "Yeah" was off the table.  I thought it was a pain growing up but now I appreciate the fact that saying "Please," "Thank you," "Excuse me," "I'm sorry," come out of my mouth often before I realize.

I want being polite to become second nature to Caroline as well.  We're (as in Mike and I) are working on saying please and thank you to her if she hands us something, or puts something back in the dishwasher instead of throwing it on the floor.  You'd be amazed, but at 9 months, I'm pretty sure she already gets it.  Can't say it, and I'm sure she often thinks "Yeah, I know what you're trying to get me to but I'd rather not."  Still, the few times she's handed something to me and clapped make me clap too :)