Please Keep Singing

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You woke to the sound of your little brother humming and your daddy’s feet on the creaky floor. And while daddy got ready for work, you climbed up on my bed and into my lap as I sat there trying to wake up. With snowfall and darkness still outside our doors, we tiptoed downstairs to the kitchen where we shared homemade bread and bananas and laughed as your brother ate them faster than we could put them on his tray. Your little voice beamed in anticipation as I pulled the little tupperware from the top shelf of the fridge at your request. You had leftover macaroni and cheese for breakfast, and you couldn’t have been happier.

As I stood at the sink washing last night’s dishes, I watched as you carefully poured rainbow sprinkles into your little brother’s hands. He placed his palm to his mouth, then squealed in delight. He looked at you with his eyes wide and his eyebrows raised and the two of you exchanged baby noises and giggles as you repeated the things he tried to say to you. I’m sure he would tell you how much he loves playing with you and eating sprinkles with you, if he could.

You are four today, sweet Ava. You’ve been counting down each day this week until you could decorate your hello kitty cake and officially be big and brave enough to do everything you couldn’t do last year. Because being four means you can swim and so many good things. And I agree with you, because every year with you means so many good things.

Today as I watched you dance and twirl in your bright blue nightgown, waiting so patiently for your cake to cool, I smiled and thought how lucky we are to have you. That happens a lot when I watch you be you. With your sweetness and your bright spirit, you inspire joy and fun in all of us.

And you inspire goodness. Today you went skipping around the family room singing “I am a child of God,” and if there’s one thing I hope you really come to know, it’s that. Please keep singing. Know how precious you are and how much we love you!

Happy Birthday my dear Ava!

#mamanotes

our thoughts, our joys, our everyday | thatwemighthavejoy.com

Last year we let Ava pick out sprinkles and marshmallows and other little goodies to decorate her cake, and I honestly think that decorating her own cake was the highlight of her birthday. We decided to do that this year too (using all the leftover sprinkles from last year ) and clearly she had so much fun with it.

I had all the thoughts of “that’s too many sprinkles over there,” and “just stop there, that looks good” and “ok that’s enough artificial coloring and sugar and…,” but then I stepped back and let her do her thing because that’s what she’ll remember when it’s all over–that she decorated her cake all by herself and did it just the way she wanted it.

When she finished she exclaimed, “Oh I love my cake so much!”

So I think we’ll continue with this tradition. It’s good for all of us. 😉

You Are My Sunshine from Tamara Schellenberg on Vimeo.

I made this video for her when she was two and a half and we always love watching it. Can you see the joy this girl brings!?

Saturday Haze

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A lot of the snow melted yesterday, so with all the brown and haze and old patchy snow, it was probably the ugliest day of winter, at least in the morning it was. Jake worked all day too, making this Saturday like another weekday. We needed some kind of pick-me-up.

So today while Hyrum chewed his apple slices and spit them back out, Ava and I took a break from our quesadillas and shimmied across the kitchen floor to “California Dreamin” and other golden oldies, walking back and forth toward each other with our funky dance moves and our silly faces. We ended up on our backs with our heads together, laughing at ourselves and what fun we were having and honestly I wasn’t dreamin of being anywhere but there. #mamanotes

kitchen dancing | thatwemighthavejoy.com

Cake for Breakfast

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I’m having one of those weeks where I stay up much too late and then ask myself in the morning, “Why did I do that?” So all day I’m super tired, but once the kids go to bed all of a sudden I have this burst of energy and there is so much I want to do! So the cycle of going to bed late continues… Anybody with me on this?

Usually we are pretty good about going to bed early (and I’m a major proponent of this), but with the kids waking up around 8am lately I have been pushing bedtime for myself. Well, then Hyrum pulled a major switch and started waking up a few times at night and now gets up for good at 6:30am. So needless to say, I was pretty tired the first morning that he did that.

Ava could see how tired I was (probably because I wan’t getting out of bed,) so she got Hyrum out of his crib, grabbed a box of crackers and some bananas from the kitchen, and before closing my door said, “We’ve got to close mom’s door so she can sleep.” (Angel!) For the next hour, she put on a movie and played with Hyrum in the playroom. It was amazing! I was so happy and so grateful! I made sure she knew that.

So, when Ava requested chocolate cake for breakfast, we had chocolate cake for breakfast.

And we gave her two “good attitude rocks.”

Ava has had more than her fair share of sass and complaining lately, so we started this thing where we put “bad attitude marbles” in her glass jar for poor attitude choices and if those are all gone, we put “good attitude rocks” in. Once she reaches ten good attitude rocks, we give her something special. So far, it has worked so well! It’s a great reminder for her to think before she reacts, and it’s also a great reminder to us to recognize her for all her good choices! She received her first “special thing” the other night, and it has only made her more motivated to make good attitude choices, and it seems the good attitude choices are becoming more prevalent (that’s our hope at least!) If you know of someone (kids I mean) who may be struggling with this same thing, maybe this could work for them too! Sometimes we just need ideas.

Leftover Spaghetti

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I planned leftover spaghetti tonight for dinner (such a good idea), so when Jake came home from work and played pillow fights with the kids, I practiced songs on the piano. Their laughter was more music to my ears than my piano playing, but the two sounds were happiness to me nonetheless. When I walked into the kitchen to get the spaghetti out, I saw pink hues out the window. Quickly we opened the back door, wrapped up in a blanket, and admired the painted sky. We finished the night with spaghetti faces, donuts, and a handful of meltdowns, and I’m just feeling really blessed. #mamanotes

And can I just mention how much I love our piano? We bought it from our friends when they sold us their home a few years ago and it’s totally out of tune, but it is one of my favorite pastimes when I have just a few minutes of free time here and there. Making music (even as a total novice) is uniquely joyful for me.

Another side note: While Ava was eating a donut that Jake brought home after work today, she shared it with Hyrum as he followed her around the room. When she bent over to give him a bite she said, “I won’t forget about you little chub.” hahah

These are for when she goes camping

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I was sitting on the couch when Ava came over and asked, “Can my baby sleep by you?”

“Sure,” I said.

She set her baby’s crib next to me and for the next five minutes she walked in and out of the room bringing me things and giving me specific instructions. “Ok, so these are the rules,” she said.

“If she cries, just give her her bottle.
And these are her toys and her diapers. She’ll need a change when she wakes up.
And this is for her in case she gets sick.
And these are for when she needs to wash her hair.
And this is for her in case she needs to throw up.
And I have these over here for when she goes camping.
And here are raisins. The kitchen is right there for when you need to get food.”

“Sounds good,” I said.

With that she peaked under the baby’s blanket and whispered, “I’m going to be right back, ok?” Then she pulled two photobooks from on top of the piano and headed downstairs.

I really adore her.

#mamanotes