PRAYER NEEDED

Urgent request: Please pray for Nathaniel, as he was taken to the hospital this morning. His dad left an audio update of his condition here.

Love, Ants, and Windex

I'm in love. I fall in love all over again every year. But, you may think, that is understandable, since she's married. Well, yes, but I'm always in love with my husband. I'm talking about SPRING here. I fall in love with each spring, and each one is different.

Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous! I happened to go outside for a minute, and I knew I had to take a walk outdoors or I would die. Trouble is, I don't enjoy walking alone, even with Irene, and I was leaving the house of my exercise partner when I got that feeling. Even worse, Mark was not scheduled to come home until late because on Mondays he goes straight from work to school. We did some finagling and he ended up being able to come home for a little more than an hour; just enough time to take a lovely walk in the gorgeous weather.

Have I ever mentioned that I like ants just fine when they are outside, but I HATE THEM WHEN THEY COME INTO MY HOUSE! Did you know that occasionally, countless winged ants will emerge from a nest looking to start new colonies? I know, because it happened yesterday IN MY HOUSE. My family room was swarming with the insects. EWWWWWW. Did you know that Windex® kills ants? I found out yesterday, and Mark graciously offered to go around spraying them. I've been spraying them whenever I see them today, and the ammonia smell got kind of overpowering. Did I mention that it's pretty nice outside today? All I had to do was open a window, and now it smells like SPRING in my house. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Psalms and Farms

At bedtime, Irene likes me to sing to her. Tonight, she wanted to sing "The Lord Builds up Jerusalem" (Psalm 147A in the RPCNA Psalter), and she did all the motions herself! She was watching me do them, of course, be she mimicked everything I did. Soon after we finished, we were having a conversation, and she suddenly started saying "Yi-yi. Yi-yi. Yi-yi-yi." No matter what I said to her, the response was "Yi-yi." Did I finally figure out what she was saying, you wonder? "E-I-E-I-O" is the translation I finally deduced. So we sang "Old McDonald had a Farm".

More Stories

"Thamma" or "Damma-yo" (Grandma or Grammalo) has asked for more Irene stories. These are especially for her, though anyone is allowed to enjoy or not enjoy them.

Friday night, we had ice cream for dessert. This is the conversation after we finished.
Irene: "Mommy! Mo soogar? Peas?" (More sugar? Please?)
Me: "Mark, HOW did she know that was sugar?!?!?!?!?!?!?"

Saturday night, I was fixing her a sandwich for dinner.
Irene: "Ay cyume?" (Ice cream?)
Me: "No, peanut butter and jelly."
Irene: "Ay cyume?"
Me: "No, honey, peanut butter and jelly."
Irene: "OK."

This morning, we were playing a little game. I would hide my hand somewhere, and she would look for it.
Me: "Where did it go?"
Irene: "Whey it do? Han? Wha happen?" Searches a little, sees my arm and gets excited. Follows my arm to where my hand is and pulls it out: "Dey it is!" Laughs uproariously.

Pink & Purple PJs

It's been a whole week! We had a wonderful visit with Mark's parents. While Mark was at work Tuesday, we went shopping! Sam's Club was intriguing, because I am not a member. Costco was also intriguing; although I am a member, I usually know exactly what I need to buy there, and I'm in and out. Irene had a great time hanging out with "Bapa" and "Thamma". Mom brought Irene a very cute pair of PJs. They are too big for her now, but she still wanted to wear them--all the time. It really warmed her Grandma's heart to know that she had found something that her granddaughter loved so much!

Counting In-Laws

Mark's parents are coming today for a short visit! I they haven't been here since 2004 (I think it was August; I don't remember them coming after that, but my memory has never been faultless ).

"One, two! One, two!!! One, two. One, twooooo!" That is Irene playing and talking to herself. She has just discovered a love for seeming to count. Sometimes a "free" gets in there, sometimes a "nine". Life is interesting.