so.many.boxes

 No, we have not begun consuming ridiculous amounts of alchol.  (We have, however, been going through ridiculous amounts of baby wipes.)

The Reynolds clan is packing up and heading out - out of this sweet little home that we love and into another home that we love.  We're moving in with my grandparents - Mimi and Granddaddy - to be with them and help them and learn from them, to give our girls wide open spaces to play in and to be a 3-minute walk from our church, the place we go for healing and rest and peace on this journey.

So, while I would love to blog about our family vacation in FL last week (lovely) and our 7th anniversary (I sure do love this guy) and all of the silly and funny things these 3 girls are doing (love love love) I can't.  Because I'm packing.  And going crazy.

I wish I could hide under a box.

Pray for us!  We'll be back in blogland soon.

pool hair

I love summer, when we fill a bag with towels and a cooler with homemade popsicles, slather peachy-pink skin with sunscreen and pile into a hot car.  We drive to the pool, little sandaled feet kicking the back of my seat while we listen to classical music and the blast of the AC and Lucy's yelps and shouts.  We park in the shade (hooray!) and begin the process of unfolding bodies and floaties and the giant bag of towels and the cooler from our little car, then flip-flop through the gate, depositing our load on the nearest lounge chair.  We ease into the cool water, cringing a little at first, then relaxing into the relief of it all.  We paddle, we splash, we laugh, Lucy yelps, until I am pushing, rushing, out of the pool NOW so we can get home and have some dinner before we all fall apart.

And I love my girls' hair after they've been in the pool.

 (I also love it when their faces are covered with ketchup.)

happy birthday Lucy

My little Lu,
You turned 1 a week ago.  It was a fast year - I remember so clearly the morning you were born and it doesn't feel like 366 (well, 373) days have passed.  We are so grateful for the gift of You, little Lucy Rose.

You are an emotional little bit, riding high and crazy and then crashing hard and loud.  Your scrunched-up-nose faces and silly closed-eyed smiles make us laugh.  You squeal and you shriek and then, when something goes differently than you had hoped it would, you throw a giant tantrum that would put any 2-year-old to shame.  You keep life interesting, and joyful, and loud.

You love love love your big sisters and they adore you back, although they have started rushing to close the door of their bedroom more often since you became mobile.  You crawl around all day and say, "Hi!" to the people you love - and if you're feeling generous (which you usually are) to people you don't know, too.

Your current obsessions are doggies ("ruh-ruh" all day long) and hummus (you could eat a tubful at each meal) and working on pulling up (you clap for yourself once you sit back down).  You put your fingers together to "cut the pickle" when someone tells you to give them a high-5, and you wave and you love to be carried around by Mommy and you bob up and down when you want me to turn on music.  Your favorite birthday gift was a toothbrush.  You barely touched your cupcake.  You melt my heart when that little blond head lies on my shoulder.

I love you, little girl.  Happy birthday - may our God grant you many more!

if you ever need to cross a hot lava lake...

...be sure you are wearing the proper attire.  Disregard the amount of sunlight and heat in the environment.  Cover yourselves from head to toe.  (Footie pjs, mittens, and hats are perfect for this.)  Make a mighty run for it across said hot lava lake and jump onto the counter next to a bowl of waffle batter.

Brave the fierce Hot Lava Tickle Monster.

After you've shown him who's boss, ask him to make you some waffles.  Slather them in Nutella.  Forget all about hot lava.  Onto the next adventure...

oh Lord, it's hard to be humble

Little Lu has had an ear infection.  Her first.  Sweet thing was clearly in pain and was not afraid to let us know.  Communication seems to be one of her strong points.

I've noticed something about myself over the past few days as I've devoted most of my time to holding her and/or keeping her from exercising her all-out banshee scream.  A strange mixture of discontent and inadequacy seeps into my bloodstream when an entire day's moments are not particularly enjoyable.  All of a sudden it drives me absolutely CRAZY that I'm unable to pull weeds in front of the house.  Funny, I didn't feel compelled to pull any weeds in the previous 2 weeks when I had 3 relatively happy girls on my hands.  I glance around my home and only see mess.  I decide I should be more serious about finding time to exercise/bake healthy snacks/blog/organize the master bathroom closet.

It happens every time.  I wish it wouldn't.  But here's what I'm thinking - the more I am compelled to put the needs of someone else (or multiple someone elses) before my own, the more my will tries to assert itself in any way it can, to the point that it tries to convince me that if only I was baking multigrain banana muffins instead of caring for my precious (albeit screaming) child I would feel fulfilled.

I was home in Santa Barbara for a whirlwind trip a few weeks ago and got to enjoy a rollicking meal with most of my family.  I can't remember what led up to it, but in the middle of dinner several of them broke out into a song I've heard sung many times before: "Oh Lord, it's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in ev-er-y way..."

It made us all laugh, just like it always does.  And we sing that song tongue-in-cheek.  But the truth is, it IS hard to be humble, not because I'm perfect in ev-er-y way but because it is hard work to try to quiet my pride and my need to please myself.  It's not something my heart always wants to do.  Motherhood, however, requires it of me, whether I'm ready for humility or not.  It can be a hard way to continually learn this lesson.  But it is such a sweet way.

snaggletooth

I had to post these pictures of my Lu for posterity.  Her teeth have just been cracking us up for the past 2 months.  The funniest thing was the way she would use those 3 (off-center) teeth to take bites out of her Cheerios.  Bites.  Out of Cheerios.  With 3 off-center teeth.  I love how everything about this little Lucy is so Lucy.  

 Now all of a sudden she is in the throes of major teething and 3 more top teeth are erupting through her gums.  Her look is changing quickly.  But she's still Lucy.  Thank God.

Daddy's Sping Bake

*or "Spring Break" for those of you who like to articulate your r-blends*

Last week was Elijah's Spring Break.  Ooh, it was glorious.  No trips to the beach or fancy plans here - just playing in the backyard and riding bikes in circles on the deck and learning about Tetrus on Daddy's phone.

The girls learning about Tetrus.

Apparently, Lu would rather flash her cheesy smile than play video games.

And walking.  Lots and lots of walking.

The weather couldn't have been better.  We took full advantage and walked through the neighborhood, at the greenway, through Cheekwood and Percy Warner Park.  We walked in the rain.  We walked in the gorgeous sunshine.  Lu got a free ride strapped to me or nestled in her stroller.  Sometimes the big girls took their own babies in their strollers and mothered them about.  It was sweet, and blessed, and we are Definite-yee (as my girls say- what, you articulate your l-sounds, too?) missing Daddy as he is back at work this week.  Can anyone say, "Summer Vacation"?  I know my girls can.