Just a Random Family Update

Fall is here! It is currently 58 degrees at 8:45 PM here in middle Tennessee, and I am sitting in my backyard beside a mini-bonfire that Daniel just built for me. I couldn't be happier. As soon as I finish this blog post, I plan to do some reading, snuggling up to the fire to keep warm. Today I kept the windows open all day, and went for an extra long walk with the girls. Have I mentioned that I love this time of year?

Did you notice that I said I went for a walk with the GIRLS today? For the last month or so I have been caring for my cousin's nine-month-old little girl, Annie, two days each week. Madeline loves having a playmate. And the arrangement is also giving us a chance to practice being a two-child family - M learning to share my attention and me learning to divide my attention.

Here we are about to go for a walk today:



I found a killer deal on a double jogging stroller at a consignment sale a couple of weeks ago. Pushing it around helps to make reality sink in that we will be a family of four soon.

We spent much of the day outside today. Madeline loves to play with sidewalk chalk. However, she quickly discovered that it is a lot more fun to write on herself than on the sidewalk.



I have learned a lot about handling two kids already: How to manage getting in to a store from the car, what to do with both kids in a shopping cart, how to push two on swings at the same time... I am getting better at carrying one on each hip when I need to.



Two weeks ago we went to visit my sister and her three-week-old (at the time) baby in Georgia. Madeline calls Abigail, "Abby" despite Rachel's insistence that her name is ABIGAIL.



We did our best to get a picture of both girls wearing their "bling" from their great-grandmother.



It's difficult to get a decent photo of Madeline these days. She loves to see the pictures on the back of my digital camera. As soon as she sees me take it out she excitedly says "Pee-shurs! Pee-shurs!" Tears ensue when I tell her that she needs to wait until I actually take her picture. Oh well.

Madeline has discovered the joy of playing pretend. She LOVES her babies, and last week Daniel built her a crib for them to sleep in. Pictures of that in a future post... She and I have been building tents and setting up housekeeping inside. We feed her baby, put her to bed, rock her and sing to her. It is precious to me to see Madeline act out her eighteen-month-old understanding of what it means to be a mommy, giving lots of affection and songs and bottles.



Madeline is a good eater most of the time. She likes most fruits and vegetables, and we eat lots and lots of beans and cheese. She especially loves corn, and she thinks she is Big Stuff when mommy and daddy let her eat it right off the cob.



On a final, random note, check out my new friend:



When this HUGE spider built its web on the outside of my den window about a month ago, I was totally creeped out. I am not a fan of spiders. I did some research, though, and discovered that it is not poisonous and is actually considered a "friendly" spider (eats lots of bugs, etc.). I didn't really want to, but I decided that I ought to leave it alone. Now I actually enjoy watching it go about its spider-business every day. Madeline points at it and calls it a BEE. Some things are too cute to correct her on. She will learn soon enough.

Blessings!