diary of a young mom

One of the best things I've done as a mother was to start journaling when the kids were little (which perhaps suggests that I haven't done a lot of great things as a mother). This simple notebook sits next to our photo albums, and is now used to reference who said what funny thing, or to entertain unsuspecting company.

Elia asked me the other day why I don't write in "the book" anymore, and I simply said, "It's because you don't say anything cute anymore." But that's not entirely true. I mean, the other day, after staring at my face from a few inches away, Elia said, "It's funny how if you look at someone long enough you can see all of their flaws!" So yeah, they're still doing and saying humorous things, but in a more biting nature. And who wants to remember that? (Just kidding, I thought her comment was brilliant in that I didn't know if she was referring to my personality flaws or my physical flaws...or both?) Anyhow, here are some snippets from my eight-year diary:

Inaugural Entry, August 19, 2007 (Kate was 2.5, Elia, 3.5 months)

Well, it's taken me a while to start writing in this book, but I've been meaning to do this for a while. Kate and Elia, I want to jot down my thoughts and things you do and say as you grow up--before I forget them. So here goes...

Today Elia rolled over for the first time. Her head is strong and she likes to stand, just like Kate did at that age. She's quite happy a lot (when not tired), not huge on naps, except when I nap with her. Kate makes her laugh and she has the cutest laugh. A couple weeks ago we started letting her cry herself to sleep at night. Have I mentioned that the first time we let Kate cry herself to sleep she cried 2 1/2 hours?

Speaking of, Kate is at a fun age, though frustrating for us both. She has started spending more time in time-out. Her legs go limp when I pick her up to put her in the time-out chair. Good thing she's so cute, cause there have been days I have had it with her two-year-old attitude.

Yesterday she fell and hurt her knee so she was walking the rest of the night without bending her right leg (it was just a scratch). She went to school with Greg and was falling way behind and kept saying, "I comming Daddy, I comming!"

Well, Elia is crying again.... At least now with this journal people will be able to pinpoint exactly when I lose my mind.

Oh Elia, stop crying!

November 17, 2007 (Kate was 2.5, Elia, 7 months)

Today Greg took Kate out to eat at 8th Street Grill and then to the Peanut Factory for lunch. She packed her teddy-bear backpack with everything she needed and wore her red stripped overalls. Greg said she kept looking up while they were eating so he finally looked up too and saw a deer head on the wall. He asked her if she was scared and she said, "Yes, I want to hold you." So she ate on his lap. Her new thing is being scared of things, but she does pretty well with it still.

Elia is trying to climb on Kate right now--She likes to grab her face, ears and hair which Kate obviously doesn't like too well. Gotta go.

March 18, 2008 (Kate was 3, Elia 1)

Elia is walking well, she's short enough to walk under the table without bending over. She's a hugger and very sweet.

Kate has imaginary friends now--Larry, Junior. and Bob. This morning she kept watching for Bob out the window but it took him a long time to come. So long, that I told her he wasn't welcome this morning anymore--she kept opening and closing the door and asking me where he was, it was getting old!

May 3, 2008 (Kate was 3, Elia, 1)

Elia is playing with the cell phone--she screams when I take it away, but she just called our home phone and it makes me wonder who else she's been calling. I know I say it a lot, and it's going to give her a complex, but she's the biggest stinker ever! She's talking a lot now, says "hi!" into phones, or "all done" or just her own language. She can crawl up an entire flight of stairs or on a small chair. I think her new favorite word to say is "Da-Dee."

Kate is my watchdog (ever since Elia fell down two steps). Wednesday Silas was here and he was napping in the basement, and Elia in her room, so I left the basement door open. Kate came in the kitchen, saw the door and closed it saying, "Are you kidding me, Mom?!"

November 24, 2008 (Kate was 3.5, Elia, 1.5)

I put a bandaid on my finger and Elia is terrified of it. She kept crying and looking at it and won't let me touch her with that finger--I tried showing her what it was and she just cried and touched her finger. Kate said, "It's ok, God is always with you!"

It's snowing again--I'll have to shovel at nap time--crazy, it's November!

November 17, 2008 (Kate was 3.5, Elia, 1.5)

Kate's new word is "nervous" but she uses it in the wrong way. Like, today I gave her construction paper and she was excited and said, "Oh, it's so nervous!"

The other day Greg was so tired that he fell asleep while reading to the girls. He said he woke up saying "Government spending!" (Too much election news?)

April 28, 2009 (Kate was 4, Elia, 2)

We went to MOPS this morning. Elia convinced the nursery people that she had to go potty, so they took her (she's done this at church before too). She didn't go on the potty of course (as she's not even two yet), but she of course went in her diaper as soon as they put it back on.

Kate is hell-bent on putting up our Christmas tree because Barney did on the DVD she's been watching. She's spent all week wrapping "presents" too. I'm getting sick of Barney.

May 4, 2009 (Kate was 4, Elia, 2)

On the way to Grand Rapids on Friday, Kate and I were playing the "What goes with__?" game.

I said, "What goes with happy?"

Kate said, "People!"

"What goes with tears?"

"People!"

"What goes with banks?"

"People!"

I said, "You can't say people all the time!" Kate said, "Then stop saying things that go with people! Say something like 'Doctor's office' and I'll say 'Doctor!'"

Yesterday Elia was coloring on the marker board, getting a bit careless, and Greg told her to only color the board and nothing outside it. So she stared right at him, turned the marker around, and colored her shirt. Naughty!

Anyhow, Kate's super excited about the birthday party Saturday! Hoping for no rain, as we have over 40 people coming!

July 16, 2009 (Kate was 4, Elia, 2)

Elia still cries every time she's told "no" or warned about something. She looks at you like you just slapped her, then cries. She's also taken to belly-flopping off the couch, chair or bed. She has no fear, which is a little scary.

Kate keeps saying funny things today.

1. "It's hard having kids, isn't it Mommy?" (In the car to Aldi while Elia was screaming.)

2. "Are you still sick of me?" I said, "What do you mean? I never get sick of you!" She said, "You get sick of picking up after me."

3. She was looking through her piggy bank and only has one dollar left, though she remembers having more. So she came up to me, showed me a piece of paper she'd written on and said, "Which one of these numbers was on my money?" I pointed to the 1 (not the 10) then she's said, "No! Did you take my money to the super market?" I laughed so hard, but the sad thing is I may have--I totally don't remember where her $10 went. Poor kid.

January 25, 2010 (Kate was 4.5, Elia, 2.5)

I need to get Kate new pants, she's outgrown them all! She's wearing her jogging pants right now and just found a kleenex and said, "Oh, this must be from when I was jogging. I'll keep it in there for when I jog!"

Kate and Elia freaked out when we picked them up from Scott and Sue's house the other night. Elia screamed "I want Sue!" then switched to "Scott!!" the whole way home. Kate said, "I want Scott too, but I'm not going to cry about it!"

Elia keeps saying she's Lisa...or Nesa...or T-Bone.

Elia is scared of God. It's because we went to see a play of Daniel and the Lion's Den at church a month or so ago, and Pastor Boer was dressed as King Darius. Elia was convinced that he was in fact God and was terrified. Ever since then, when we take her out of church to put her in the nursery, she looks around nervously and says, "Is God here?"

October 17 2010 (Kate was 5.5, Elia, 3.5)

Kate complained that Elia wouldn't let her sing her rock song. I said, "A rock song? Cool, go for it!" and Kate proceeded to sing a soft, gentle song about two rocks.

August 2011 (Kate was 6, Elia, 4)

Today Kate and Elia were out with Greg while he was weeding. Kate said, "What's the name of the guy you marry?" Greg said, "Do you mean husband?" Kate said, "Yes. I'm not going to weed when I grow up. I'll have my husband do it."

Another time recently, during another weeding session (we have a lot of weeds), Kate asked Greg, "Where do we get cheese?"

"Cows," Greg replied.

"Wait," Kate said, her little mind whirring. "We get milk from cows, meat from cows, cheese from cows?––Daddy, we've got to start investing in cows!"

Kate has big ideas on how to discipline kids (just threaten to take away their favorite toys), and plans on me babysitting her five kids. (Say what?) The other day she said when she's in college every weekend she'll go to a restaurant and say, "Who wants to date me?" This way she'll find a guy who can provide her with a really nice house.

Elia is now into "Sleeping Bleauty parties" [sic]. And older men. And getting married. Along Kate's line of thinking, Elia says she's gonna go to a restaurant and say, "Who wants to marry me?!"

And...the very last time my kids said anything cute was on March 2, 2014 (Kate was 9, Elia, 7)

A few weeks ago Elia said this out of the blue, "Sometimes I'm like, 'What's my body going to do next?' and then I'm like,'I'm in charge of it--why don't I just do this?!'" and she started dancing.

Pure gold, eh? Stop on by sometime and I'll read you the rest, because believe it or not, this isn't the entire diary.