You know you're 8 months pregnant when...

... the first thing your two-year-old son says when you walk in the door after work is, "No mommy lay down!"

Mother's Day Craft

Our first grade team of teachers put their heads together and scrounged up donations and was able to send every single first grader home with this adorable poem, a picture of their child eating a muffin, AND.... (drum roll please) a pound of coffee from Starbucks! I thought it was such a cute idea and whipped up a few (littler) treats for some of my favorite local mothers. Check it out....

If You Give A Mom A Muffin

If you give a mom a muffin, 

she'll want a cup of coffee to go with it.

She'll pour herself some.

Her 3-year-old will spill the coffee.

She'll wipe it up.

Wiping the floor, she will find dirty socks.

She'll remember she has to do laundry.

When she puts the laundry in the washer,

she'll trip over boots and bump into the freezer.

Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan supper.

She will get out a pound of hamburger.

She'll look for her cookbook

(101 Things to Make With a Pound of Hamburger.)

The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail.

She will see the phone bill, which is due tomorrow.

She will look for her checkbook.

The checkbook is in her purse that is being dumped out by her 2-year-old.

She'll smell something funny.

She'll change the 2-year-old.

While she is changing the 2-year-old the phone will ring.

Her 5-year-old will answer it and hang up.

She'll remember that she wants to phone a friend to come for coffee.

Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup.

She will pour herself some.

And chances are, if she has a cup of coffee,

her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.

Mother Daughter Tea 2012

This year's tea had a distinctly Amish feel!

Mennonite women folding laundry

A view of the room

A view of our table

Kara sharing a story from her "memoir"

The entertainment!

The servers

The family

Week 33- Belly Shots

Jackson's Quote of the Day

Jack has a train picture in his room (made by the talented Shera Mortimore Schloesser) that has his name on it.  Looking at the sign this evening, he said "J A C K S O N spells Jackson". (The sign actually only says 'Jack'.)

 "Is that your name?" I asked him.

Jack pounded his chest and nodded up and down.

"What's my name?" I asked.

"Mommy," he responded promptly.

"What's Daddy's name?" I asked. 

"Boy," he said.

Jack's 2nd Birthday Party

The birthday boy!

Opening the tools that go with his new tool bench from Grandma and Grandpa

He likes the drill the best!

Sand toys?!  What could these possibly be used for...? 

Now Jack can help in the new garden!

Is that Curious George I see?

A new sandbox!

The new sandbox will look much better when there is a yard... but it's still fun!

The most important guest has arrived- brand new baby cousin, Austin Gage!

Mmm... cake.

Adam and Austin:  Birthday twins

Better get used to seeing one of those around the house, Jack....

Beautiful family!

Many of Life's Most Important Lessons are Learned on the Playground

A kindergartner, Simone, approaches me on the playground.  "Why are you always sitting down now when we're outside?"  she asks.

"Because I'm having a baby, and it can be hard to stand on the playground for a long time," I tell her.

"You're having a baby?!"  Simone is surprised.

"You didn't know that?"  I ask her.  "Well, that's why my belly is so big right now."

"I didn't know you had a husband and were having a baby!  What's your husband's name?" Simone asks.

"Nathan," I reply.

"Is he black or white?"

"He's white."  I chuckled.

"Is your baby going to be black or white?"

"White," I say, laughing a little harder.

So, is your baby a boy or a girl?"  Simone is full of questions.

"I'm having a girl," I tell her.

"What are you going to name her?"

"Well, we're not sure yet.  We haven't decided on a name for her."

Simone runs off to play.  Two minutes later, she returns with more questions.  At this time I am standing near the other playground monitor.

"Mrs. Gillis," Simone asks, "how do babies get into your tummy?"

"That's a question for your mom," I tell her.

Simone, frustrated, exclaims, "My mom doesn't know either!"

Unwilling to give up, she steps over to the other teacher on playground duty standing near me.  "Mrs. Jessica, how do babies get in your tummy?"

Mrs. Jessica, a mother of five, responds,  "Weeellll, at my house we pray really hard and then God sends an angel that is a baby to our family."

Simone is intrigued.  "Wow, so babies are angels?!"  She asks, fascinated.

Before Jessica can answer, the bell rings and Simone runs to line up with her classmates.