JT update: 18 months

This little man is 18 months old. And, I forgot how much I love this part of development.  He's learning to express himself more, ahem, lively.  And surprises us with what he knows.  Here's a mini update of what's going on with JT Smith.

He's still a charmer.  Look at that face!

He is saying cheese, Elmo, Bella, and something like "I love mommy".

He likes to do everything he sees his sister does.  When she's gone, he goes straight to her territory of the house.

He is 28 pounds, tall and in 2T-3T clothing.

He picked me my first flower.  And, I didn't care it was from my own garden.

He likes to be put upside down by his daddy.

He does something like this every single day.  I guess he is all boy because he is a MESSY eater!

He loves to play peek-a-boo and will say "cheese" when he surprises you.

He can climb up on the tables, couches, countertop, anything else you let him.  If he can't climb on something, he'll pick up a chair to move it and use that to climb on.  Y'all he's strong!

Oops, he got caught climbing again.  I wish you could hear what he said in this picture.  He started rambling 90-miles-a-minute to try to explain himself.

He got mad at me because I took something away from him.  So, he'll crawl underneath the stools to sulk.  Notice his shirt?

Here we are playing peek-a-boo again.

He wears himself out in the mornings by playing.  We've taken away his two naps a day to just do one mid-day nap.  Sometimes we don't make it through our lunch before he passes out.

He loves to get on his sister's horse.  He can climb right up there himself too.

He likes to help unload the dishwasher.  Little smartie knows where things go too.

He likes to steal things from his sister.  Some mornings, both of the kids will smoosh themselves in this chair.

Little JT Smith, you are a joy to us!  We are loving your little personality come through...even when it means throwing cheerios across the room.

Musings of a PhD mommy: Part 2-What I come home to

I am the type that would study all.the.time if given the opportunity. I want to achieve. I want the A+.  I was valedictorian, got really great scholarships, won awards, all the while working really hard.  I like to work hard.  I like to have a goal and work at it with efficiency.

Fast forward to 2012 and that "type" got interrupted by two little children running around with my DNA, which may include the disposition towards being an overachiever.  With that tendency running through their genetic makeup, it makes me stop and think about what they see me doing right now. 

They definitely see me working on homework alot, they hear me talk about my assignments with their daddy, they know that sometimes I have to go away for an entire Saturday to write a paper.  They know i'm in school. They know that sometimes mommy can't play (although this is rare but it does happen).  Sometimes, I can't give my all because I am worried about an assignment or how everything is going to work.  My natural inclination is to simply jump into the books again and write my paper.  But, when I come home i'm met with my two DNA-laden children.  And i'm forced to stop.

Regardless if I want to or not, I'm forced to stop.

I'm forced to stop and simply play, which is not what I want to do all the time.

I'm forced to stop and "waste" time by being non-productive for a couple of hours to play or tickle.  And, honestly, with my "type" this sometimes does not come easy for me.  I don't want to "waste" time.

Then, in the midst of drawing flowers with chalk on a beautiful Thursday afternoon with two carefree children, my "type" turns begins to soften and I find myself simply breathing.  I find myself enjoying doing something that will not result in any recognition or grade or effort. It's simply play time. 

And, that "waste" of time?  Maybe our definition of "waste" needs to change.  The waste of time should be changed to an investing of time. Investing in love and time and life for my DNA-laden-overachiever-genetic-makeup children.

Perhaps, I teach them the true definition of what matters. 

It's a balance too, y'all. 

I want my children to know hard work, to see dreams of education being made possible through their parents, to see their mom doing what's she's doing in school and her career, to dream themselves. 

I want them to see their parents living out their callings and being faithful to what they have been given in their careers and education.

I want them to see their parents  work diligently for the oppressed, the voiceless, our neighbors in the globe.

So, although this does entail missed Saturdays and my brain being consumed by assignments at times, it's the path that we are on.

Again, it's a balancing act.

It's a collision of two worlds.

That collide to refine us to who God has called us to be.

That comes from a delicate balance of my "type" and flower chalk drawings.

This is what I come home to.

Faces of Bella

In leiu, of Bella's upcoming birthday (which I am still in denial about) I dedicate this to her enduring personality!

Bella, as you all know if you read this blog, is full of life and personality. She is tenacious, spirited, funny, empathetic, compassionate, and very expressive.  Thus, I wanted to show you these pictures of your spirited self.  These were taken in about 30 seconds in rapid succession.  She said "cheese" with every picture. Enjoy!

Bella update

It is so cliche to say "they grow up so fast". But, y'all it's true! This little gal will be 4 years old in a few days, gulp, and I'm in denial. So, i'm doing an update before that happens because I have a feeling I will be sad. I am loving watching her grow up to a beautiful little gal - but, it does fly by!  Here's a random update of our sweet Miss B.

She was super excited before we went to the zoo.  She went ahead and dressed herself and showed us all the animals she wanted to see.  This was also right before bedtime.

She had a mini-cold and stayed home with me one day last week.  We cuddled and watched Cinderella three times and stayed in our PJs all day.

She has always been able to concentrate on things for a long time and focus on solving problems, etc.  But, she sat at her art desk in the middle of the hallway for a very long time drawing and coloring and painting. 

Neena and Granddad sent her a school book and she went right to work on writing her letters, numbers, her name, and connecting dots.  She likes to say "hypothesis" and "investigate"...wonder where she got those words. 

She is getting long and lean!

She went on another date with her daddy to watch Nemo and get chicken nuggets.

She started her ballet class and is stinkin' adorable!

She likes to cook with me...hence, the oven mits.

This little miss is a giggler and still a singer and a dancer.

Look at how tall she is!  Her daddy saw this picture and we both knew what to do...lock her up or invest in lots of weaponry for the teenage years. We got a beauty on our hands.