Pictastory: Happy Birthday Munchkin!

I have the pleasure of living close enough to my sister and her family to see them fairly often. The result is that I have lots of pictures and videos of the kiddos. Since today is my niece's birthday, I thought I would post some of my favorite pics and movies beginning with the earliest. Enjoy!


Three Months: Baths are great!



Six Months: Roll over, Baby!




Six Months: Yep, you'll get lots of nutrients from that!


Six Months: Chug that rice cereal!


Six Months: Mom, is this what I'll look like when I grow up?


Eleven Months: Yeah, I can walk, sort of.





One Year: My First Cake


One Year: Grandpa, I love this slide thing.



One Year and Three Weeks: I love to accessorize!



Twenty-Two Months: Gotta get this cleaned up for Daddy's birthday!



Twenty-Two Months: Now lets see, yesterday I watered the tomatoes . . .


Twenty-Three Months: I love to help!



Twenty-Three Months: Leaf anyone?




Twenty-Three Months: Oma, that thing's kinda big.



Two years and Eight Months: Got Sand? I'll take it!


Two Years and Eight Months: Look Dad--the rock splashed!


Two Years and Eight Months: If I do it just right, maybe it will go in.



Two Years and Nine Months: Just chillin'


Two Years and Nine Months: Posing with Great-Grandma



Two Years and Nine Months: Daddy's lap is the best!


Two Years and Nine Months: Impromptu Swim in Zion



Two Years and Nine Months: Clue to what's happening here-- "I don't think we should keep daisies in the garden. They really are drab little flowers."


Two Years, Eleven Months: Pure Happiness!

I love you sweetie!

It's a Wonderful Life

If you are a regular reader of this random blog, you will know that a couple of weeks ago my sister came down to visit and spent one afternoon and night at my place. (She stayed longer than that, but we all went to her in-laws place.) It's always wonderful to share my own space with someone, but especially with my sister and her kids.

After the initial hugs and kisses and moving things in, we all hopped in the car and went to visit the farm I farm-sat for. My niece had gotten to see all the pictures and videos when I posted them--if she drank all her milk for the day at least--and enjoyed them. It was even better in real life. We saw the baby goat who drank all her milk, the cows who make funny noises, the chickens and where they lay their eggs, the garden, the cats and dogs, and the pigs. (I never really talked about the pigs before because I didn't have to do anything for them since their food and water is automated.) We even picked black berries and beans--which were eaten on the spot--and tomatoes.

We headed home to dinner. My niece and nephew made short work of the living room and soon there were dominoes everywhere. They loved it. They got to take baths in Aunt Elizabeth's bath tub and climb/crawl up and down the stairs (it was my 10-month-old walking nephew's first experience with stairs he could use himself with supervision).

At some point in the evening, while my sister was doing something with the baby, my niece and I headed over to the small park in my development. The weather was perfect and had been all afternoon. As we were walking over, my niece said with complete awe in her voice, "This is a wonderful place." She said it a couple of times, actually.

I've thought a lot about that over the last few weeks. And it's true. I do live in a wonderful place. From her almost three-year-old perspective, it had been an amazing afternoon. I guess I had enjoyed it just as much as she did, but in my own way. It's just that in her innocent wisdom, she recognized what she had in all it's goodness and glory and said so. What an example!

So here I am, stating for the world that I live in a wonderful place. I have a wonderful life. I have more blessings than I can count and certainly more opportunities to serve than I take. The title probably doesn't count as an allusion since it's a title itself, but it is one of my favorite movies and illustrates the need to actively see and communicate the positive things in life.

Thanks to Jimmy Stewart and my niece for reminding me to see life in all it's wonderful glory.

Oh where oh where have my dominoes gone?

No, I haven't lost my marbles, just the dominoes. My sister recently came to visit with my niece and nephew. They spent one night with me before we all headed down to her in-laws for the week. I don't have many kid toys--my collection includes one toy truck--so my sister pulled out the dominoes since they play with those at home, too. It was all good. My niece shared them with the cats hiding underneath the couch and made lines of them on the window seal. After the kids went down, my sister gathered them all up and put them away.

Later in the week, we ended up stopping by my house for dinner to break up the drive home from the beach. They pulled out the dominoes and had fun scattering them about. We ate quickly so we could be back for bed time.

The visit ended and I came back home where there were a few, but only a few, dominoes scattered around the house. I picked up a couple and went to put them in box, but the box was empty. Where were the dominoes? I looked under the couch where the cats had been hiding. I looked behind the chair where my niece had hidden once. I couldn't find them anywhere.

I continued on with my chores which included remaking the bed in the sewing room. There I saw this:
My niece had put the majority of the dominoes into the wooded basket (a gift from my brother and sister-in-law) and put it under the sewing desk.
The irony is that they were in the same place I found my missing box. From now on, I think I'm going to look under the sewing desk when I can't find something.

The Corn Game

I spent the last few days in Seattle making myself useful. I figured that was a good way to start off my summer--being useful and being in Seattle. Amidst everything, my niece and I invented a new game. The Corn Game, as we call it, is quite simple.

How to Play:

Step One: Take a bowl of mixed white and yellow popcorn kernels.

Step Two: Put a handful of popcorn in a bowl or on a plate and pick out all the yellow ones.

Step Three: Dispose of the now separated corn in any appropriate manner. We threw out the white ones (too old for anything) and kept the yellow ones.

History:

My sister's grinder had recently broken and she thought it might have been because of the old white popcorn she had been grinding for cornbread. And, as we are Brodericks, we couldn't let all the newer yellow corn go to waste just because we wanted to throw out the old white stuff.

My niece had strapped herself into her booster seat because . . . well why do two-year-olds do half the things they do? Who knows. I thought it would be great to get her to help sort the popcorn; it would keep her occupied while my sister worked on dinner and would get the job done. We just weren't sure if she could do it. Well she could and we called it The Corn Game.

Accessorizing The Corn Game:

1. Shout for joy every time you pick out a yellow kernel.

2. Put the yellow kernels in another container before dumping them in with the rest. The more often you dump, the better. You can even dump after one kernel.

3. Allow everyone a chance to get one handful at a time from the mixed kernels to pick through.

4. Occasionally drop a kernel and the person not strapped into a booster seat gets to pick it up.

5. Shout to Mommy that you are playing "The Corn Game," or that you are helping.

Warnings:

1. Let the two-year-old get the last of the mixed kernels from the container.

2. Discourage the swallowing of kernels.


So, does anyone else have "games" you've made up to keep kids occupied?


Co-author of "The Corn Game"

Mad Libs

My sister-in-law sent me a delightful birthday card in the form of a mad lib. However, if I am going to enjoy it to it's fullest, I need some help coming up with the words. So, if anyone would like to help out please give one of each of the following. Use your judgment please.

adjective
time of day
noun
number
number
noun
verb (past tense)
article of clothing
body part
famous person
noun
body part-plural
adverb

Later I'll post the text of the card with your suggestions.

No Dude

Last time I was with my sister and her family, I attempted to teach my niece to say "dude." My sister was not happy about it at all. (Why not? It was so cute.) My niece picked up on the fact that mommy didn't like the word and my dad captured it on video. Enjoy!

Blessings Behind the Iron Curtain

Okay, so maybe the allusion to the dividing line between communism and the free world is a little dramatic, but the general idea is still accurate. I've been snowed in. And not just the "oh dear there's a 1/2 inch of snow in Oregon. We'd better shut everything down and call in the National Guard" snowed in. We got more than 8 inches of snow yesterday. On top of that (literally) we got freezing rain last night and there was an almost 1/2 inch crust of ice on the snow. I know; I walked in it. It's been alternating between snowing and raining all day. And all day I watched the Southwest web site to see what would happen to my flight.

Of course I didn't get the official word that my flight was canceled until I was standing at the Max (light rail) station (Thanks Jen! You're a life saver!). Fortunately, I had just missed a train because the ticket station on the East bound side of the tracks wasn't working. I called the people who had just dropped me off since I knew they would still be out and I made it home only a little wet and cold.

I called the airline to find out what my options were, and well, provided we don't get another freak storm, I arrive in California at 8:00 pm Christmas day. I could hang out at the airport for the next three days trying to get on a flight as a stand-by passenger, but that just didn't feel right.

So here I am, back in my little house with my two little cats. Oddly enough I feel very peaceful. I called a sister I visit teacher earlier because I knew she had an extra set of chains. (I was hoping to not have to be cooped up for the next few days, but her daughter is using them.) When I told her my flight was canceled, she very practically said, "well it will be for the best, you'll see." And you know, I knew she was right. I don't know why, but I know she's right. It could be that I just need to be here so that the right things will happen. It could be that the Lord is sending comfort knowing that without it, the next few days would be very difficult. Whatever the reason, I am very very grateful.

My ward has been very helpful. As I've called around to making various arrangements (chains--already mentioned--, a sewing machine so I can work on Anna's present, etc.) I've already had two people offer to take me where ever I needed to go tomorrow. They've even asked if I have enough to eat (of course I do, can you imagine me with nothing in the cupboards, fridge, or freezer? Hello food storage!). I called my sister's mother-in-law and I will spend Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with them. They will take me to the airport when they go to pick up their daughter and son-in-law. It works out perfectly. There's a lot to be said for trusting in the Lord. Come what may, and if I don't love what's happening, I'll at least love and trust the Lord and that's what makes the difference.