Thursday, January 26, 2006

A Map of the Kingdom

Today, Kyra found a map that we keep in the car, opened it up, and declared in a regal voice, "This is a map of the Kingdom of the Lord!"

Impatient Exaggeration

Kyra was trying to put in a videotape to watch this morning and was not having much luck. The TV was on the wrong setting to watch a tape as Steven and I had watched a DVD the night before. She ran out of ideas on how to get it to play and finally with much exasperation said "This tape is making 20 hours to work!"

Monday, January 23, 2006

Hmmm and Wide

Kyra has a DVD with the song "Deep and Wide" on it. She's sang it before, but I never noticed anything funny. Well, she's been on an extended remix rendition today during her rest time. She's apparently not fully captured the first word. She thinks it's "D" and Wide, and has proceeded to sing the song with every other letter in the alphabet in the last 10 minutes. She's now on "W" and Wide, which doesn't quite have the same ring to it. Makes for a much longer song....

What am I saying???

The other day, Kyra and I were talking in the car about the Bible story we'd read the night before. It had been about Samson, and Kyra asked if he had big muscles. I said yes he did because God made him strong and gave him his big muscles. She seemed to be recalling a picture of Samson she'd seen and asked if the big circles on his arms were his big muscles. I said that yes, they were. She then asked me, Mommy, what are muscles? Since she'd just asked me if they were the circles on his arms, I chuckled and said well, what did you just ask me, remember what you said they were? So she said, Yes, but Mommy, I don't know what I'm saying. Join the club, kiddo, join the club. =)

Saturday, January 21, 2006

My babies

I thought I would try something new and post a couple of pictures to my blog. I took these of the girls a few days ago and I think they're fun and sweet. Enjoy!







Working the System

Kyra is already learning how to "stick it to the man." We've been potty training officially for about 2 weeks now and once Kyra got it in her head that it was going to be beneficial to her, it's been a breeze. She's been ready for a long time, but with all the transition going on with us this last year, we had been holding off on pushing the issue. The method we used that finally convinced her was we put up progressively larger "potty charts" that as she filled each row, she earned a "potty prize" which got progressively cooler. The first chart required filling up a row of 3 to get a small prize, so the first few times, Kyra adamantly declared that she was going to go potty 3 times (in one sitting) so she could get her potty prize. We kept reiterating that her strategy would not work and that she would need to go potty 3 separate times to get her 3 stars to fill up the row and get her prize. She finally figured that out and for a few days that worked and she began filling up the rows and earning prizes. Then she got wise and figured out a way to work the system. She figured out that she could go potty, but hold a bit back so she could go again in about 10-15 minutes and get another sticker, and repeat until she filled up a row. Little stinker. She's putting something in the potty each time, so how could I argue? So the rest of the potty charts were filled fast and furious and she's gotten a barrage of prizes in a single week. However, even though she figured out a "shortcut," she's still going to the potty, which was the ultimate goal in the first place. So although I'm sure she thinks she's super smart for figuring out a faster path to the prizes and that she's the big winner in this, really, it's me! =)

What do babies dream?

One of my favorite things ever is when I'm holding Siana (and Kyra did this too) and she is totally asleep and just starts cracking up laughing in her sleep. I love that! It makes me wonder what in the world she is dreaming about that is so funny at just a few weeks old. Perhaps it's the funny face Daddy made at her this afternoon, or maybe even a funny face an angel made at her before she was born that she only remembers in her dreams. It's the coolest thing and it always makes me smile.

Thursday, January 19, 2006

Takin Me Back

It's odd the power music has in my life. This power becomes even more pronounced during times of transition for me, it seems. There is a song from the late 80's that, whenever I hear it, immediately takes me back to the school bus riding to Jr. High one morning and also immediately puts a huge knot in the pit of my stomach because we had just moved to Indiana and I was horribly miserable and anxious every morning heading to school. Fast forward almost 20 years (yikes has it really been that long since jr. high???) to the present. Steven, Kyra, and I are big Zoe Group fans and have just about worn out every CD of theirs that we have (thank goodness for iPods!). For whatever reason, I haven't really listened to any of our Zoe CDs since moving to Amarillo. Yesterday, Kyra, Siana, and I were out for an afternoon drive after running a quick errand to Walgreens. We were out of the house and I really didn't feel like going back home so soon because driving around in traffic just makes me feel more alive sometimes (especially when bouncing back after having a 2nd child). So we drove through Hud's to get a shake for me and a "Kid's Spwite" for Kyra and popped in a Zoe CD. It was odd how it immediately made me miss one particular friend from Indy that I haven't talked to much since we moved. We used to sing together on the praise team pretty often, and we frequently sang the Zoe songs that were on the CD that I had chosen. I also realized that since we've moved I haven't really been singing, and neither has Kyra (not as much as she used to at least). So yesterday, we had a great time driving around aimlessly in the car belting out Zoe songs together and clapping our hands. But since listening to those songs, that particular friend has just been on my mind and in my heart for 2 days now. Funny thing is, SHE called ME this evening. God works in mysterious ways, eh? It was awesome to reconnect with her and laugh together again. She's one of those people that I just pick back up with like no time has passed...I love that! Made me awfully homesick though.... I like Amarillo, but the one thing that's the hardest for me to deal with is it's difficult to leave here. To fly home is expensive, since Kyra requires the purchase of a plane ticket now, and driving is just too far by myself for 14 hours with a newborn and a 3 1/2 year old. So I guess I'll just have to start saving my pennies. =) All this from just listening to a CD.... =) I know this has been a bit of an odd, meandering post, but rather therapeutic. I'll post something funny next time. =)

Saturday, January 14, 2006

Stranger than Strange

Kyra and Daddy went on a "Daddy Date" for lunch today. This typically consists of lunch at McDonald's and then a trip to either Lifeway or Barnes & Noble. They did the traditional lunch at McDonald's and Kyra was telling me about the toys she and Daddy got in their happy meals. She said they got a Power Stranger and a Mr. Tumnus. A Power Stranger? I couldn't have said it better myself. =) And I fully intend to keep them Power "Strangers" in our house....

Spencer's Soap

Another item that appeared in Kyra's bathroom when family came to visit was a silver soap dispenser pump. She noticed it today and asked what it was. I told her it was a soap dispenser. She looked at me funny and said What? I told her again it was a soap dispenser. She again looked at me with a concerned glance and said, but Spencer needs it! (Spencer is one of her friends from church.) I laughed and told her it wasn't Spencer's soap, it was a soap "dispenser" which means it dispenses soap and gives it to you to wash your hands. I asked her if she understood and she said, "nope." So maybe we'll try again another day to unravel the mystery of the "soap de Spencer."

Well-versed

We found a book at Lifeway the other day that is a kids devotional book in which you read a bible story, then have space where you ask a couple of questions and write down the response you get. We thought this would be a great thing to incorporate into our bedtime routine with Kyra and something that we will cherish (and sometimes chuckle at) reading her responses in the future. The other night, we decided to try something else...we chose one of the verses we'd read that week for our "family memory verse." We'd not done this before, but Kyra has really taken to it. We were shocked and thrilled that after only two nights of reciting our memory verse, this evening, before we even asked her, she suddenly stated..."Deuteronomy 31:6...The Lord your God will go with you!" We're excited to see the difference our daily devotions and memory verses will make in her life, and in our own, as we re-learn old stories in a new way right along with her and rediscover the joy of reading God's word.

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

What's in a name?

Kyra likes to know everyone's name and who they all go with. She knows all her grandparents' full names and is figuring out their relationship both to her and to us. My parents and sister visited a couple weeks ago to see us and meet our new addition to the family. After they left, Kyra found a few things in places that hadn't been there before. For example, in her bathtub, she found a bar of soap. When we put her in the bath, she said, "Hey, whose soap is that?" We told her that Nana and Papa used it while they were here. She later found something else that was there for Nana and Papa that wasn't usually there. She made this statement, "Hey, look at that...did the Qualls leave that too?" It cracked me up that she called them "the Qualls" instead of Nana and Papa. This week, Steven's mom, Kyra's Grammy B, is here to visit. This morning, Kyra was up before anyone else. I got up and went into the living room with her. After a while, she turned to me and said "When is Steven's mom going to get up?" I just started laughing, so she corrected it to "When is Dad's mom going to get up?" What a kid.

Sunday, January 08, 2006

The Story of Her Life

Kyra has always been a huge bookworm, so I guess it should come as no surprise that she now narrates everything in story form. She'll be playing with her Veggie Tales playset and instead of acting out the characters and simply providing the voices, she will say, "Hi Duke...says Petunia." Then she'll follow up with something like, "Hi Petunia...says Duke." She also does this with stuff she "narrates" for Steven and I. She'll say, "Kyra would you like a drink....says Mommy. Yes, thank you...says Kyra." It's quite comical.

Saturday, January 07, 2006

Return to Sender?

Now that we're settling into our new home and a routine with the baby, we've resumed potty training with Kyra. Well. tonight, as she was sitting on the potty, I was reading to her and Siana was sitting on the counter in her bouncy seat. Siana had been snoozing and suddenly woke with a start and started crying. As I paused the story to attend to the baby, Kyra got a mildly annoyed look on her face and said, "I think we should put Siana down the potty and I will just miss her." I chuckled internally and told her that one, people don't fit down the potty, and two, she would miss out on a whole lot of fun once Siana gets older. By this time, Siana had stopped crying and had gone back to sleep, so Kyra seemed satisfied for the time being. I understand the emergence of some annoyance and jealousy, but I sure am glad that she's at least attached enough to her to miss her! =) I'll just have to remember and be sure to check the potty each time before we flush....

Monday, January 02, 2006

Everyone's a Critic

Steven and i were getting ready to go to a New Year's Day party at our minister's house this evening. I had worn my hair up in a ponytail all day, but had taken it down briefly to redo it after I touched up my makeup. Kyra came into the bathroom, took one look at me and said, Why is your hair out of the ponytail? I replied that I had taken it down but was going to put it back up in a few minutes. She surveyed my mussed hair and stated, You're not looking cute yet. Thanks, kiddo. =)