My Girl Jules

Well, the cupcakes are a-bakin'. I'm taking the wise advice of my cousin, who suggested last year that I make cupcakes for Jules birthday instead of some over-the-top cake. Wise advice, I'd say, after last years flop (who was it that thought the cake was a lighthouse instead of a party hat? :). I plan on decorating these cupcakes up to wazoo and they will be amazing - I sense some overconfidence here, don't you? Anyway, I do have a great recipe for icing that my sister Lora lent me and I just might share it with the rest of you. Juliet is beside herself with excitement at the fact that tomorrow is her birthday party. Saturday morning, she'll go out with Dad to pick out a balloon for her birthday (it's a tradition). Long has she been eyeing the balloons in Shop-rite, and I think I've been telling her for two months now that, "you have to wait for your birthday before you get a balloon!" I'd be surprised if she comes home with anything but a Thomas balloon.
About five minutes ago, Jules was sitting in front of Bluebell's cage (Bluebell is our parakeet) and she had in her hand my bird book "Birds of New Jersey - Field Guide". (I'd highly recommend it if you are interested in birds; it's by Stan Tekiela). With book in hand, she showed Bluebell pictures of the various birds asking him whether he liked them, and so on. It was so cute! Bluebell seemed to actually enjoy the attention and twittered and chirped happily from his perch. Me thinks life is made up of such moments! Gone before you know it and that's why I like to post about them. I'd never remember stuff like this without writing about it.
P.S. Jules is now cheerfully singing a very interesting version of "Now Blessed be Jehovah God." She's gotta learn some doxologys so she can sing along in church!

Jules B-Day Thoughts - Not a Tribute

Today is Jules's birthday. She is officially 3! I feel I ouught to write a tribute of sorts in honor of her birthday (a current trend which I enjoy) but I oddly don't know what to write. What words could I use to describe her? Persistent, determined and strong-willed come to mind. Not exactly the most flattering, I suppose. But she's my darling and one of the main highlights in my life! This morning she was belting out "Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah" (Psalter 400) as she looked out the patio door. When she came to a line she wasn't too sure of, she substituted a few words with "God" "Jesus" "holy" and that sort of thing. I felt a sudden prick of tears. She's growing up! And she also was proving that she was learning the psalters that I so diligently try to teach her. I say "try" because Jules basically refuses to sing when I do. Insulting, isn't it? (I'm not sure if I should try to force her to sing with me. "Sing the psalter, will you, or you'll...you'll get it!!!). Yet, this proves that she does learn what I sing to her.

Fashion Sense

The other day Mike and I went out for dinner together. It has been a few months since we went out ALL BY OURSELVES and so I was eagerly anticipating it. I went into our bedroom to get dressed and an evil thought inserted itself into my brain. I looked down at my oh-so-comfortable grey sweatpants. They weren't exactly stylish, but they didn't have an elastic band at the ankle so they weren't completely outdated. The thought flickered: Could I wear these pants with a nice shirt and get away with it? I entertained the idea for about ten seconds; then I was filled with horror. Sweatpants??? Going out for dinner in... sweatpants??? I hadn't gone out in months and here I was ready to trot off in my slightly too tight sweatpants. It can only be another sign of impending fuddy-duddy hood. In the end I put on my black dress pants and was glad I did so...

There Was a Girl. Fifteen Years Old: An Adoption Story

I just read this absolutely beautiful story this morning (got it off of Tim Challies' blog). Take a minute to read it!
http://reformation21.org/blog/2011/04/there-was-a-girl-fifteen-years.php

Bird Tales

Well, Bluebell has been with us for a few weeks now. I have to confess that I like him for the most part. However, I have to continually fight against feeling guilty whenever I look at him; is he getting enough attention? Are we gone too long during the day? etc. But I have managed to get the little guy (or girl - haven't figured out the sex yet) on my finger. In fact, he loves to climb onto my hand and have me rub his neck. I was doing just the thing today and he was enjoying himself immensely. I decided that things were proceeding in a satisfactory way and thought it was time to introduce him (just briefly, of course), to the world outside his cage. I intended to hold him tightly in my hand and just give him a peep and then slip him back into his cage. He was comfortably tucked into my hand and I ever so carefully lifted him outside of his cage. I think he was outside of his cage for .5 seconds when FWOOOOOSH, out he slipped, and into the world. He flapped wildly around my kitchen, me ducking, then around and around in circles from the dining room into the kitchen. Then the great outdoors beckoned but the patio door wasn't open. BONK! He hit the window and fell to the ground a little dazed. Seeing my opportunity, I reached for him and was left with a hand full of every single one of his tail feathers. Now I have a rather ridiculous-bird flapping around my kitchen with nary a tail feather. Thankfully,I suddenly remembered a vital piece of information - something having to do with a sheet. That's it! I tossed the sheet over his head as he perched on my cabinets, and I finally caught my bird. I now have a rather disgraced little bird that glares at me from his cage. So far, he hasn't let me near him without pecking me. Perhaps I deserve it!

Little Girls and Their Birthdays....

Jules has been talking about her birthday lately. I haven't encouraged it, seeing that it's still a month away, but how in the world do you get little girls to NOT talk about their birthdays? Seeing birthdays occur to other people on a regular basis simple adds to the whole drama of the upcoming day. Juliet thinks something miraculous is going to happen to her when the magical day arrives. This morning she announced while clutching some books, that "when I have my birthday, I will be bigger, and I will be able to read big words and read this book." Hmmm, hate to break it to you kid, but it ain't happening. Of course, I don't have the heart to be so unkind as to tell her the truth but simply offer some vague comments. "Well, you never know, Jules." Juliet is convinced she'll also be a great deal taller. "Well, Juliet, maybe!" And so it goes. But all this birthday talk means.... birthday cake. Remember my dilemma last year? The so called "Party-Hat Cake" which everyone thought was a "Lighthouse"? I just don't think I'm cut out for this decorating cake business. Something to do with patience, I believe. Maybe I'll just decorate some cupcakes this year....and make my famous ice-cream cake.

"Birdgate"

What happens when you leave on a Saturday for three hours to attend a shower? You come home to find a "surprise" waiting for you on the dining room table. I've come to the conclusion that me and surprises aren't big fans of each other. Well, most of the time. I like to KNOW what is going to happen in advance. If Mike is getting me a present, I like to know what I'm getting. Terrible, isn't it? It takes the fun out of things but that's the way I am. So, I came home from this shower to see my husband and Jules beside themselves with excitement. "Come here, Mommy, we have a surprise for you!" I looked around the corner and I thought I saw something that looked like a birdcage. "Please," I thought, "not a bird. Please may it not be a bird. No bird, no bird." Turned the corner, and lo and behold, there stood a blue parakeet in all its glory in a birdcage sitting on my dining room table. My heart fell. How could my husband do this to me? Buy a bird WHILE I WAS AWAY WITHOUT CONSULTING ME AHEAD OF TIME???? It must run in the family for I remember when I was a kid, we got our puppy when my mom was away in Holland. Males, I tell you! I was pretty bummed out, but eventually my thoughts about the whole thing changed. I'm not a fan of birds in birdcages - there's something about being wild and free and all that good stuff - so it just doesn't seem right to this animal-rights activist. On the other hand, every kid wants a pet, and a bird is quite a low-key one. The benefits of the whole thing have become more and more evident. I actually like the bird (christened "Bluebell" by Jules) and my goal in life is to have the thing tamed. If you come over and hear some ridiculous chirping sounds, don't assume it's Bluebell; it could be me! So that's my exciting weekend. Mike and I have titled this chapter in our lives as "Birdgate."