Just another day in the house, muffins, rests, and Graceisms.

Today is another interesting day in the C household. I am trying something new, I bought Strawberry muffin mix at the grocery store. I mixed 4 large fresh cut strawberries, 1 cup milk, 1 cup old fashioned oats, and 1/4 cup flax seeds, with the muffin mix. Mixed it well and filled 12 muffin/cupcake cups in the muffin pan. I then baked it at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until the stick comes clean. They smell delicious as I write this, they are cooling. I have before and after pictures to come soon. Grace and I are going to share one and see how they taste. I hope they are as delicious as they smell. Before going into the oven:

Done and Cooling off:

G eating one, and the taste test results are: They are delicious, G asked for another one.

Today's Graceism, or phrase of the day: Giraffes can clean their noses with their tongues,I want to be able to do that too. Thought about today's Graceism. Where did that come from? How to I talk about this with her? What do u say as an answer to this one? The things my 4 year old thinks about and talks about just make my day everyday.

Christmas time and what this time of the year means to me.

Its the time of year I think most people love, CHRISTMAS time. Christmas has a huge place in my heart. It means so much to me. I have so many great memories of Christmas from the past 26 years.

My fondest memory, or maybe I should say my most vivid memory, I am either combining two or it happened the same Christmas I cannot remember, we lived in Pennsylvania. I remember we got home from Church and were getting our pajamas on, when the phone rang it was SANTA! WOW a phone call from SANTA that was amazing and awesome. He was telling me how he was having trouble putting my brothers Piano in his sleigh and my doll house. It was amazing and wonderful and kept the magic alive in me about that time of year. I remember I could hardly sleep that night I was so excited. I cannot remember if the next part is the same Christmas or a different one. We were all sleeping in my parents room when all of the sudden, we heard footsteps on the roof, and santa laugh, it was great and wonderful and amazing. The joys and innocence of childhood were awesome.

Traditions I Love:
We always can open our stockings when we first awake in the morning. Those are always fun, my mom packs them with fun and silly things.

We ALWAYS have overnight Brunch for Christmas Breakfast

We always separate and open presents in a circle, goes slow but we get to see what everyone got and the joy on their face.

We play board games and just hang out together

I love doing this kind of stuff with my family.

This year I am excited I have done a few crafts with G for Christmas and we are going to do more today. I know its a little late to do some now since Christmas is only 11 days away. But I want her to have memories of doing Christmas crafts with her mommy like I have of doing them with my mommy. Always fun times.

That's not the only thing this time of year means to me. This time of year is important to me as a Christian Woman. It is a time to celebrate the birth of a baby, who saved me from my sins, because his father wanted me to live a life where I could dwell with him and love him and cherish him. I thank God everyday for sending us Jesus to die for me. Little old me what I have ever done that was significant? Nothing really, but God loves me enough that he sent his son for me. That is so hard to fathom. How could anyone have a child whom they love and know that in the end their child would die to save all of humanity? That to me is an amazing parent who could allow that to happen to their child. I love Jesus and this time of year in our household is all about him with little emphasis on Santa, because the real reason for Christmas in our house is CHRIST! Thank you God for sending your son for me.

Well thats my update for today. Hope you all have a joyous and wonderful Christmas and Holiday Season.

Life with a 4 year old.

So living with a 4 year old there is never a dull moment. Grace makes life so amazingly awesome and interesting. Just the other day she said "Daddy, I don't want to kiss you. Your face is like a castick" Daddy asked "Grace what is a castick?" She responded "You know daddy they are prickly and in the desert". Well after that we were definatley able to figure out she was talking about a cactus. It was just hilarious that Grace knew the context and not the word.

With her there is never a dull moment. She always is singing, watching a movie, playing, doing crafts, but the things she says is hilarious. Listening to her play her babies or barbies is hilarious. She makes up stories and she is just an all around funny girl. She sometimes just wants to help so much she is under my feet.

Well thats all for now.

quick update.

Well you all its been more than 2 months since I have had a post. I am just way of, sorts with doing this. Busy working on Grad school projects, subbing, being a mommy and wife. Has taken its toll on my availible free time. But hey I am working on my time management skills.

Just a quick update. 19wks pregnant. 5 year anniversay in 2 days. Wonderful marriage and enjoying motherhood.

Ariel, Singing, and reading.

So I have been extremely horrible at posting lately about the latest in my life or that latest "Gracism" as I like to call them. The latest Gracism is that she is Ariel. She does not always want to be called Grace. She will say "But mommy, I am Ariel" so then I ask her if "Ariel wants lunch?" I think she enjoys me referring to her as Ariel, her favorite princess currently. She has a favorite princess for about 2 or 3 months then it switches, usually based on which movie we watch and how often. For a long time she was stuck on the Tangled movie now its Ariel 1,2,& 3 as she calls them, instead of using their real names.
Grace's other new/ongoing thing is she is loving to sing everything. When I say everything I mean everything. Just today she was singing "I am playing with my bar-bi-es in my play-ay-ay-room. Bar-bi-es, I Lo-ve You" and repeat like 10 times. I think it is cute and tell her, they are beautiful songs. One thing she got from me though....she is tone deaf, and well cannot carry a tune if she had too. Oh well like mother like daughter right? We will just sing very loudly and off key together, if that's what makes us happy.
The last new thing I am going to write about tonight simply for the fact that it is 9:30PM and I am tired is that she is trying/wanting to read everything. She doesn't even know all her letter names yet but she wants to read. She is following along her fingers on everything from pictures with letters to books we read together, she is using her fingers when she says a word and sounds it like she is reading it. She also wants to know what sound every word begins with. She has trouble with words that have blends at the begining like chair, but we are working on that. She is ready to learn.

Love, Peace, and Happiness.
Samantha

Sorry such a long break...

Sorry everyone I had you wait a week and a half for a new update. Totally not like me. A lot has happened. I have found out I am going to be having Baby#2 due in the spring. Totally awesome, wonderful, and scary all at the same time.

My daughter today we were working on the L sound, she is having slight trouble and still making the W sound for words that begin with L. She is however now overexaggerating the L sound but I would rather her do that for now than later.

She is super excited for the baby and demands we have a brother. I don't know if that is going to happen or be the case. I have been sick off and on the whole time.

I am off now more tomorrow.

My hilarious Preschooler

I have to let you all know, how hilarious my preschooler is. She is amazingly smart, which in turn usually turns into something funny being said. I was doing my hair and she said. Mommy, why do you do your hair, you are pretty already. I said, sometimes mommy likes to do her hair and she said "When I grow up I am not going to do my hair ever." I was thinking just wait until Middle School and she will want her hair done all the time.

Sorry so short today.