Toddler Sibling Love ...and family

Afternoon napping with big brother Everett (2.5)

Oh, toddler and newborn baby joy. Things I've said to Everett (2.5) already this morning:

• You are trying to nurse her? Humm. Cute. Well I think only mommies nurse babies.
• No you can't nurse me, I'll get you a snack.
• Please stop touching her... stop, STOP touching my baby!
• She cries when you do that.
• Don't touch her eye.
• Sure you can pet her on her head. (He says he wants to pet her all the time lol!)
  
• No, don't touch her face.
• Ummm thanks, now stop touching her for a little while.
• You just held her. She's sleeping now.
• Careful that's her little foot.
• Rub her head not her face.

The kids got home yesterday from a trip to see family. They were gone three days and I enjoyed the peace and quiet but also missed them. When they got home last night they engulfed me with smiles, stories and everyone wanted to hold the new baby. They missed her so! They excitedly told me about all the family they saw, how they swim so well (Penelope uses just arm floaties now!) and how they had dessert every night. I adore the happy blessed life they live. I hope I teach them to appreciate it always. May I raise them to always love family, dessert, and the simple pleasures of life. 

A Beautiful Family Day

My Grandma laughing at and enjoying her Great-Grandkids

I have such a good life and loving family. Aunt Sharon and Grandma Wanda came to visit yesterday. They brought us many surprise gifts: 1 chicken casserole, 1 pan of lasagna, 1 frozen blackberry cobbler and 1 lemon meringue pie. They brought me 5 clear bins to add to my organization efforts of the basement and closets and one bag of special peanut butter cups for my ‘mom sanity chocolate stash’ (which was empty). I watched them play with the kids and enjoy them for hours. My grandma and I drank coffee and bought 200 day lily bulbs online. (We will be planting bulbs until our arms fall off!) I swept the house and folded clothes as my babies and kids were cared for lovingly. We all sat on the floor and folded our socks together and talked. We ate lemon meringue pie for lunch and it was the best meringue pie I’d ever tasted (I don’t tend to like it –but come to find out meringue made with marshmallow cream IS THE BOMB). We stuffed ourselves silly.


We laughed at the kids and talked and talked. I love my family and I just can’t explain how lucky we are to have them in my life.

When my Grandma does the dishes it’s in lightning speed. When she’s over she always shoos me away from the dishes to do them for us. I love how she never uses the dishwasher either; always she does them by hand. (Our dishwasher is broke right now, however.) When everyone had left I was putting away some dishes and I saw a pan on the stove that I had cooked something in it earlier. I went to wash the pan and as I lifted the lid I saw it was so clean it sparkled. Why can grandmas wash dishes better than anyone in the world? It’s like someone making your sandwich better than you can. Sage has a sandwich making theory… Why do sandwiches taste better when made by someone else? He says, “Because you can’t taste the mistakes.”

If someone would have told me… Shauna in your twenties and thirties you’ll move away to the midwest and love it. You'll also spend the best years of your life with your Aunt, Grandma, Husband and seven kids I never would have believed it. What a great way to spend my adult life. Thanks for another beautiful day Aunt Sherry and Grandma!