Baby Sign Language

With both Addie and Elias we have worked on teaching them sign language.  Most people say, "Wow, that is really cool," or tend to have an attitude that we are doing it to display our amazingly smart children.  However, my motives are really quite more practical. I have to debunk that silly myth. I am much, much to lazy to spend meal time after meal time teaching my child to be cute or to look smart.  We teach them sign really because I hope to bypass that phase in early toddlerhood where a baby screams their head off because they can't communicate their needs.  It is really my least favorite part of mothering...hearing a screaming, shrieking toddler!  So, that said here is what I teach, no more, no less and how I do it.

Eat - bring hand up to mouth, like putting food in mouth.

More - put fingers and thumb together and bring hands together, like adding two things together.

All done, finished - shake hands palm out.

Milk - squeeze hand like milking a cow.

When to start... I start when I start giving solid foods. If baby is sitting up and looking at you, why not let them learn too?

When do you teach the signs... During meal time, some times during play if it applies (like the child wants more toys or is all done playing.

How to teach the signs... I usually start by doing the signs myself, the baby sees and hears me say the words.  Then once meal time and eating are well established I usually say, "Do you want to EAT?" and do the sign. Then I answer for the baby, "Eat!" and take the baby's hand and help them do the sign.  I don't worry about correct shape of hand, just pat their little hand on their mouth (for the EAT sign).  

When do they learn to communicate through sign... Addie learned very early, probably about 7 or 8 months, she was really into communicating and she knew more signs than the above. It really helped her not cry and scream, as she had a tendency to cry a lot anyway. Elias has just learned "eat" "more" and "all done," he is 11 months.  Honestly he woke up from his nap today and sat down to eat and said, "more" and "eat" out of the blue (he already knew "all done").  It amazes me how their little minds work.  It just clicked, or he decided to give it a try.

Tips for avoiding the terrible toddler scream... When I see them getting frustrated or start to wail I always remind them that they will get what they want through communication.  This may mean helping them calm down and then do the sign, then giving them what they want.  Don't give in too easy. They know that wailing will get them what they want easiest, don't make it easy. 

 I also try to remember that the hard work you put in now will make it a million times easier when they are toddlers.  They learn that their is appropriate and inappropriate communication.  It also is good training that helps during tantrums and fits. We use the same thing with Addie now that she thinks whining will get her what she wants. We say, "You aren't talking the right way, I won't listen to you until you can talk in a happy way."  Like with sign language we often have to model the right way, but she gets it. At the very least sign language will give your parents something to brag about, that they have the smartest grandchild ever! 

Addieisms

At nearly 3 years old Addie is keeping us in stitches. Here is the joy we are finding in what she says and does...

- "Mommy, I want a girl brother."

- What should we name the baby? "Twinkle Star" or "Sammo"

- Tim comes down stairs in work overalls. Addie says, "Wow Daddy! Can I see your outfit! You look cute!"

- After going poop in the potty she looked in at her accomplishment and said, "That is a MAN poop!"

- My heart melts every time she calls me, "Sweetie Mommy"

- When ever she meets someone new the first thing she says is, "We're having a NEW baby!"

- One day Addie commented on my pretty wedding ring. She said, "I don't have a wing!" I said, "When you get big and get married you will get one." She thought for a moment and said, "No, Daddy will just give me one!"

- When Addie sings the alphabet song she says, "T-U-V-Double My-X-Y and Z." It cracks us up every time. We never knew "W" was really Double My!
- One time when we were visiting my parents and we went over to pick up my elderly grandma Addie saw her walking to the car and said with enthusiasm, "I like that old lady!"

Words she says funny:

Pepple = Purple

Toot = Cute

Aggiedager = Aligator

Elisus = Elias

Der Doo Go = There you go

Yebby Abby Doscious = Supercalifragilisticexpialidoscious (She loves Mary Poppins)

Toady = Cody (her baby cousin)
Moonie = Movie

I'll probably add more later...

When "Laughing" Doesn't Come Easy

You know, my verse up there is really more of a hope and dream for my life than a reality. Such a silly confession to make, but it is so true.  I am a generally happy person... content is a better word.  Recently I have felt so "unhappy," not unhappy like dissatisfied, but just not joyful.  I don't have that "strength and dignity... and can laugh at the days to come."  The days to come scare me, overwhelm me and I know I am not prepared for even this coming new baby.  I fear this baby will be a difficult one, the fear of colic makes my knees buckle, what ifs are plaguing me. What if Elias gets hurt because I am to preoccupied to watch him with this new baby, what if I can't keep up with it all, what if I fail them in some way?  

I am just in a mode of worrying right now and it is stealing my joy, making me irritable and I am not enjoying life. I am afraid of the days to come instead of laughing with strength at them... knowing that my strength is not my own, and relying on my Father. I realize that the only thing I need to have strength in is my reliance on the Lord. Deut. 6:5 says, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and with all your strength."  It goes on to talk about relying on our own strength in Deut. 8:17-18, "You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produce this wealth for me." But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today." 

So often I just struggle with knowing how to do this, how to put all my needs in the Lord, loving him fully, relying on him with my whole being.  I am so like the people that say, "My strength, wisdom, goodness has accomplished this...how great am I!" All the while I am ignoring the source of my accomplishments which is always and with out a doubt the grace and goodness of the Lord.  I am thankful and still fearful of the days to come.  Thankful for the opportunity to be further sanctified through this child.  To know him or her and to see what the Lord has to teach us through this child.  I am fearful that I will fall short, miss the opportunities that the Lord has for me.  I fear being so busy and overwhelmed that I won't even see the wonder and goodness of those days.  

Praying...

Frugal Tortellini Soup

A great recipe for a crowd as it is easily stretched and can be frozen to save to giving to the sick or new moms. I always serve it with a nice italian salad and bread of some sort.

8 cups water

1 large can diced tomatoes with italian herbs

4 cubes chicken or veggie bullion (more if needed or depending on the size)

1-2 tablespoon sugar

3 cups cubed cooked chicken (or cook raw chicken in water to make the broth even better)

1 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced celery

1 clove garlic through a press

1 cup chopped spinach, fresh or frozen

Tortellini (frozen)

Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

- Boil chicken in water if not precooked. Add onions, canned tomatoes, bullion, sugar and garlic. Simmer for 2 hours or until onions are tender.  Add other seasonings to taste.

- About an hour before serving add spinach and continue cooking.  

- Just before serving add tortellini.  Follow the directions on the tortellini to cook.  Don't over cook it.  If you are saving this meal to give to others don't add the tortellini, give it to them separate with directions to add that when they heat it.  I often make the soup base and freeze it for later and just have the tortellini on hand.  

- Top soup with fresh parmesan cheese and crusty bread on the side!

Serves 8-10 people

First Hike of the Year

The weather is getting managable around here, especially with the time change and keeping things a bit lighter into the day. After dinner a few days ago we went on the first hike of the season. We love to hike around the camp's grounds, but little legs and deep snow don't work too well together. While walking over several drifts Addie fell through and her lady bug rubber boots got stuck in the snow when we pulled her free. It was very funny for us, but not so humorous to her. We ended our trip to see two of our horses (well one is a mule, Clyde) who we have put up in a corral because they have gotten thin this winter and needed some tender loving care and extra feed and grain.

Fun Day Friday - St. Patrick's Day

A few months ago I thought it would be fun to have Fun Day Fridays or a day we drop everything and do something intentionally fun...as I am not so good at getting the unintentional type done. So, today was really the first opportunity to do it.  Since Monday is St. Patrick's Day we took a few hours this morning and watched the Veggie Tale version about St. Patrick (on Sumo of the Opera). Then we made Irish Brown Bread. It is a great recipe for children. 

Irish Brown Bread

2 1/4 cups Whole wheat flour

2 1/4 cups All purpose flour

1 1/2 cups Rolled oats (oatmeal)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

2 1/2 cups buttermilk or add 1 tablespoon lemon juice to curdle regular milk

- Pre heat oven to 400*. Combine all dry ingredients and let child mix with hands. Make a well in mixture and pour in 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk.

- Continue mixing with hands or with a spoon, adding remaining milk.  As all is mixed you will have a sticky dough.  

- Dust hands with flour and shape dough into a ball and place it onto a floured cookie sheet or parchment paper. With a knife, score a deep cross into the ball, use the blade of the knife to widen the cross apart. 

- Bake the bread until it is golden brown or for 45-50 minutes. Transfer it to a rack and let cool for 10 minute before cutting.  Enjoy with butter, we like honey on it too!

Adding that we ate that little sliver and then our dumb dog Sadie ate the rest!!! Ugh!!!

Re-Training

We are finally home after traveling for close to two weeks! Ugh...I am exhausted! Despite my fatigue it is painfully obvious that we dropped the ball in our consistency with Addie during our travels. Yep, we messed up. We pacified her to get through difficult situations instead of just disciplining her whining and fits. We didn't take the time to discipline her fully, finding out the root of the sin in her heart and pointing that out to her and correcting her. We let others indulge her and give her undue sympathy when she was tired, hungry or "hurt." We did everything we seek to not do at home and it shows!
The last two days of our trip was one big whiny, crying, fitful journey of misery. So, now, mommy, I have to sleep in the bed I have made and re-train myself to re-train my child with gracious truth and love. Much easier said than done...
My plan of action consists of the following:
- Do not give repeated warnings or unneeded warnings.
- Give clear simple commands.
- Expect obedience the first time with the right attitude.
- Model correct behavior (in regards to whining).
- Work on one thing at at time.
- Don't worry about organizing, cleaning, that can wait, my child's heart can't.
- Commit to spending the needed time near or around the home to accomplish the needed change.
- Seek to do the Lord's will in my child's life, to keep his greater plan in mind.
- Pray with out ceasing!

Kind of Recent Photos

In addition...

We are very pleased to announce that we will be having another little baby in the coming year!  Yes, we are happy about it. No, we didn't PLAN it. But know that God did, and are seeing every day that this is perfect timing.  Yes, we can can handle three, three and under, with the help of the Lord!  (Can you tell we have already gotten the 5th degree from some people?!?)

We are looking at an estamated due date of October 5th.  That will make Elias and this new baby almost exactly 18 months apart. I am overwhelmed some days and really looking forward to having two little ones so close in age. I think as they get out of the baby stage it will probably even be easier.  God is good and worthy to be praised! Thanks for sharing in our joy and wild ride!!!