Expecting!

We are hatching monarch eggs!

Sweet Friend Chrys risked life and limb to bring two tiny white eggs and a whole bushel of milkweed to The House of Halpin. Thus, our very first science experiment. Can we, who have managed to bring two wonderful Boys into the world, sustain two tiny eggs until they metamorphosize into butterflies?

Only time will tell, but we are pumped!

The eggs are the two tiny white dots, no larger than a pinhead.

This is our high tech setup so far. Before bed tonight, I need to fashion a more permanent happy home for our critters.

Owie and I are so excited to watch this miracle happen before our eyes!
You would be appalled to know just how much time we have spent just gazing at our tiny eggs.

Love Affair

Noah is completely smitten. The object of his affection can be found grasped to his heart or nestled beside him at all times. He whispers sweet baby nothings to it, kisses it, hugs it while he sleeps. What ever could have so thoroughly captured Nosy's heart?

His soccer ball.

The "ball of the day" game has come to an end. Maybe he was just playing the field, dating around. Now he has entered a long-term, committed relationship. Welcome to the family, Soccer Ball.

Personality

Dear, precious Boys. You are my two most favorite kids in the whole world. God chose you for us and us for you on purpose, and we are so blessed beyond measure that He did. You are the lights of my life. I delight in your extreme differences. Here's a bit about each of you:

Owie, you are heart of my heart. You are my kindred spirit. We are so much the same that it scares me sometimes. Inside my gut, I feel what you are feeling. I know how you will react before it even happens. When you are giddy with joy over a new discovery, I can be found dancing beside you, basking in the wonder of it all. But when something new or scary comes along, we both want to run and hide. When I was dropping you off at the new nursery this spring, I had the same trembly, nervous twiterpations in my tummy, sweaty palms, please don't make me go feelings that you did. I wanted to go back home too. But we both trusted God and plowed through the fear. How proud of you I am, especially since I know exactly how hard it was for you to be brave. We are so much the same that I recognize when you are feeling too big for your britches or are attempting a new manipulative strategy. I remember trying out those same exact tones and facial expressions on my parents back in the day. Your heart is most sensitive, especially to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. May that sensitivity never be dulled by distraction, as mine has been at different times in my life. I so see myself in you, just as Gramps saw himself in me. How many times did I hear him say to me, "Rae, let your light shine. Let people know you. I wish I had done that more when I was growing up." And now I have the exact same sentiments as my Dad did. O, you are awesome, fearfully and wonderfully made. You are my treasure. I am so blessed to get the chance to love you. Let your light shine, O, your huge, sensitive, beautiful light.

Nosy-Posy. Just your name makes me grin and shake my head. You, my Son, are exactly nothing like your quiet, reserved Mommy and Daddy. You are huger than life, bubbling over with joy and personality. I am sure you are the cause of many a grey hair (hidden strategically under my highlights), but you are also the source of more belly laughs than I have ever had. Each day is an adventure with you. New quirks to uncover, new fits to decipher, new foods to dodge as they are tossed at me from the highchair. Your complete zest for life is something to strive for in my own life. You do everything 100%, whether it is throwing your self to the ground in protest or laughing uproariously at O's antics. You are the most loving Guy I have encountered, hugging us to within an inch of our lives, planting juicy baby kisses all over our faces, running at us from across the room just to slam into our legs with one last hug. You are fiercely loyal, whether that be to your "ball of the day" or to your favorite Mommy. You will not be separated from your loves at any cost. You are my sunshine, No-nos. Loving you has taken me to higher highs than I knew existed. You have already been an example to me in the way you live your sweet baby life. May I love you well, sweet Noah.

Holy Father, give Jeremy and me the wisdom to parent these two precious lives, so different, so wonderful. Give us the grace to raise them well. Thank You for entrusting them to us.

Mommy & Me Monday

What a picture perfect morning we had today! A few girlfriends and our offspring gathered at the Arbo for Mommy & Me. It was strangely uncrowded this morning. We had almost the whole wonderful place to ourselves!

Noah mastered the rodeo pony.

It was such fun watching sweet friends enjoy the creative movement class. After a couple of shots, I abandoned my trusty camera and joined the gang. We got quite a workout!

Turner blew us all away with his funky moves! That boy can dance!

DeAnn's boys are truly the most cooperative photography subjects I have ever encountered. I got so many great photos of the two of them! Not so many of my Guys, but I threw in a few faves.

Still loving the sepia!

Grief

So much sadness in our circle this past week. Two dear friends lost precious babies to miscarriage: one was still so tee tiny; the other far too close to being in his mother's arms. The loss of sweet lives that were yet to even be known by their eagerly expecting families. Such grief. My heart is so heavy. And then another friend, a missionary, received the devastating news that her 9 month old son has cancer. Such sweet innocence with cancer?! Oh, Father! How can this be?

And yet I trust my God is sovereign, and He is perfect love. I do not need answers. I just need to trust who He is.

Psalm 18:30

"As for God, his way is perfect;

the word of the LORD is flawless.

He is a shield for all who take refuge in him."

And so today, like every other day, I sang one of my favorite songs wholeheartedly, even more aware of its truth.

"Blessed be the name of the Lord...

You give and take away...

My heart will choose to say

Lord, blessed be your Name."

Father, comfort your children. Assure them of Your love and presence in this valley of the shadow. Shower your peace upon their hurting hearts.

Pancake Breakfast

When asked what he wanted for breakfast on Saturday morning, O quickly answered without hesitation, "Pink pancakes!" as if we have them all the time. "Pink pancakes? Did I hear you right?"

Pink pancakes for everyone! I made them with freshly ground whole wheat flour (yum!), whose nutritional value I am sure was completely negated by the drops of red food coloring required to turn them the perfect shade of rosy.

Youngest Son: not a fan! Maybe he knows food is really not supposed to be pink.

Owie however declared them to be delicious!

You Got Mail!

Owie and I had a great idea! Let's make a special mailbox just for O!

We gathered our supplies, and with No-nos tucked safely in bed, set to work.

O thought of many creative uses for our mailbox!

What a thorough painter! It took hours for the multiple layers of paint to dry completely.

Did the mailman come while O was napping? YES! He did, and he brought fruit snacks! O is a huge fan of mail.

Survivor

How does the slogan go?

"Outwit, outplay, outlast."

That's what has been going on in the House of Halpin lately: a struggle to see who will be the last standing survivor, Owen or Mommy.

I have dominated so far, but not without struggles, temptations and quite a few tears on both our parts. Here's how the story goes:

I never have thought of my O as strong willed or particularly stubborn. He is usually a very compliant child. However, on occasion he has been known to to test me, just to check to see who is actually the boss.

For example, recently sweet O stood on his step stool at the bathroom sink for no less than 45 minutes, refusing to wash his hands. He DID NOT want to wash, and so he stood there. Thankfully, the Lord provides me with a calm that is unnatural to my personality when these situations arise. I clearly explained my expectations to O: He must wash and dry his hands before hopping off of his stool. If he stepped down, he would be disciplined. Once he washed we would play a super-fun game together. But, alas, O chose to stand his ground, screaming all the while. I went in and prayed with him a few times ("Owie knows it is right to obey. Please, Lord, give him the strength to make the choice to obey."), spanked him twice for climbing off of his stool, but mostly I went about my business. Eventually he gave in, washed up and skipped out to the living room ready to play the game as if nothing had happened.

A bit longer ago, we had an even tougher stand-off. Picture this:

Speech Therapy was scheduled to visit our house to work with Owie on annunciation. It was right around lunch time, so I let O have a special treat. We ate lunch together at his playroom table, while watching out the window for his therapist. The rule has always been that O must ask to be excused from the table when he is through eating. He knows this and has complied consistently at every table and in every circumstance. Not so this day. Our therapist arrived and chatted with me while O took his last few bites of lunch. When it was time for him to get down and play, after his lunch was gone, he openly refused to ask his question. It was blatant, open defiance. This was a little bit of a tricky situation since we had company, but I could tell O was testing me. I stood my ground. He proceeded to sit at his table silently while the therapist and I played all of O's favorite games without him. I thought surely seeing us play would convince him to ask to be excused. Oh, but no. The therapist eventually left. O continued to sit there. I put Noah down for a nap. O still sat. By now, the rebellious screaming had started... out of control, hiccupy, red faced screaming. Again, I calmly explained my expectations: All O had to do was politely ask to be excused from the table while his bottom was in his chair. If his bottom left his chair before he asked his question, he would be disciplined. And so the minutes, and then the hours passed by. I prayed with him multiple times, spanked him a few times, and cried silent tears where he could not see me. Please, Owie, just ask your question! Oh how I wanted to give in and let him up. All that horrible screaming was breaking my heart! He was so distraught, and I knew he had to be exhausted from continuous top-of-the-lungs screaming. Plus, it was nap time by now. The Boy screamed for 3 hours. No, that is not a typo: THREE HOURS! After that did he ask his question? No. After the screaming subsided, he stared out the window, splashed in the puddles of tears on the table, even sang himself a song or two. Every little bit, I would go back into the playroom, pray with him, remind him of his choice to be made, and then leave again. Finally I heard some small words from the playroom: "Mommy, I am so thirsty. May I please have a drink of water?" "Oh, I would love to give you a drink, O, but first I need you to obey and ask your question." "Okay! May I please be excused, Mommy!" said with complete ease and politeness. Oh my word! I actually outlasted him! It took 5 1/2 hours total for O to ask that tiny question, but he finally did....and we have never had that problem since! Poor Guy got a drink of water and then was whisked off to bed to snooze a bit after that huge ordeal. Mommy collapsed, exhausted, on the couch with a bowl of ice cream. (What I really wanted was a margarita!)

Oh, my sweet, sweet O. I pray you learn this lesson quickly. Mommy will always be the survivor. It is for your good that I stand so strongly. One day soon it will be the Lord's voice that you will be expected to obey, promptly, thoroughly, cheerfully. I want you to be ready. Oh how I love you, Son.

Here are a few pics of the Boy who is so worth it:

Fountain of Youth

Nothing makes you feel young like splashing in a fountain on a hot, muggy day! It was library day, and it just so happens that our library is landscaped beautifully with grassy walkways, brick paths and a lovely, refreshing fountain. After a picnic lunch and quite a bit of romping around (Oh, the butterflies we chased!), we were a hot, sticky bunch. That cool fountain looked awfully welcoming!

Owen darted straight for it with the intention of walking around the edge. He loves to practice his balancing. Of course, Nosy is not one to be left behind!

In no time at all, an idea was born! The beautiful water was so tempting!

It did not take any persuading at all. Shoes came off and sweet, sweaty toes happily splashed in the fountain. (I could barely take pictures because as soon as I let go of Scooter, he would start wiggling around on his hiney, trying to get his whole body in the fountain. He will be fun at the pool this year!)

This charming grin was directed at a tiny blond girl with beautiful curls who came to splash beside us. My No-nos is such a FLIRT!

We left the library with some great reads, precious memories and very damp backsides!

Keep Away Amidst the Bluebonnets

It all started out so friendly and peaceful. Two sweet Boys nestled amidst beautiful flowers.

But then O snatched Nosy's beloved ball of the day.

Reluctant make-up kisses all around.

We're Having a Ball: 16 Months

Noah is now 16 months old...going on 16 years! He is far too grown up! Being a second child, he is exposed to things (from sugary sweets to adventurous outings) so much earlier than O was. His level of comprehension concerning whatever we are doing at the moment amazes me! For example, we were on a walk yesterday when I pointed out a fuzzy caterpillar to O. Noah casually glanced over to see what we were examining and then spent the next few minutes hunting for caterpillars of his own, coming across quite a few, bringing them to our attention as we walked.

Scooter easily follows two-step commands (when he is in the mood!) and communicates well through signs and grunting. He did learn two words this month: "goggie" (doggie, which is rather odd since we at The House of Halpin usually refer to our four-footed friends as "puppies") and "tee" ("tree"). He says both with great volume and enthusiasm, which I am learning is how No-nos lives life: loudly and enthusiastically.

This past month has been a month of terrible teething for poor Nosy. He has only managed to pop through one more tooth (grand total is now 7), but a few more are on the verge. He has had such a miserable time with his tiny pearly whites. The whole process results in great angst, many tears, and sleepless nights for everyone. Poor Guy!

Noah has two great passions in life: "goggies" or any other kind of animal and balls. The Boy loves animals and will squeal, bounce up and down, yelp, point with such vigor that I am worried his arm will become dislocated, and sometimes be moved to actual tears at the sight of any furry friend. Even mice and a hairy tarantula at the museum evoke such strong ardor. As for balls, his habit of late has been to attach himself to his ball of choice first thing in the morning and love, love that ball all day long, to the point of requiring its presence with him at all times: in his crib, in the car, etc. Oddly, the most favored ball is different nearly every day. If, at any time, a family member is found to be sitting on the floor, Noah takes that as an open invitation to play roll the ball, throw the ball or kick the ball. His ball skills are quickly becoming sharpened! He can throw a mean fast ball, kick a rolling ball, make a soccer goal requiring multiple kicks, and play hockey with a golf club. Interestingly, he appears to be a lefty like his Daddy!

How are the fits progressing, you may be wondering. Well, let me tell you: Noah is definitely perseverant. Most fits involve clothes/diaper changing or being strapped into the car seat, at which points there is much screaming, flailing, and stiffening. Thankfully, Noah responds quickly to discipline. He may still cry, but he reluctantly cooperates.

Something most entertaining that has evolved this month: Noah mimics O in sound and deed. It is hilarious to watch them play, Owie going about his important business, No-nos tagging along, copying motions and sounds. If Owie notices, he will stop what he is doing to play a little game of follow the leader with Nosy. A favorite is always the high pitched squealing that increases in volume as the game progresses, usually accompanied by a crazy, gyrating dance. It really is quite lovely and calming to Mommy's nerves.

Nosy-Posy, we are having a ball with you! You are growing up so super-fast, and I miss Baby Noah already. But Toddler Noah is even more fun, crazier, brighter and more delightful than I ever would have thought possible. You bless me immeasurably, Son.

Worship

Today I was getting ready in my bathroom, singing a slightly off-key worship song, as I am prone to do. (When I get to heaven, I hope I am blessed with a beautiful voice. I love to sing, loudly and fervently. Unfortunately those around me do not love it quite so much. That's one great thing about kids. They don't know the difference...yet!) Anyhow, I was singing the really old school song called "I Love You, Lord." You know the one...
"I love you, Lord,
and I lift my voice
to worship You.
Oh my soul rejoice."

In comes The O, full of questions about my song.
"What's 'lift my voice mean'? How do I do that?"
"Rejoice? What's that mean?"
"What's a soul?" (Yeah. We're getting to the hard questions now.)

Then came one I could actually answer with scripture:
"What's worship, Mommy?"

Okay! Hold on just a sec. Let me grab my Bible.

Romans 12:1
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship."

And so we chatted about worship, how it is more than just singing God's praises, but that we can worship Him in how we behave. We worship God by obeying Him and following Him. We worship Him by choosing to live a life that pleases Him.

I wondered, "Is O understanding any of this or is it completely over his head?"
I questioned, "Owie, how have you worshipped God today?"
I was amazed by his answer: "I was kind to Noah. Being kind obeys God." (Can you tell we have been drilling kindness into the kid's head for a week now?)

I think he does get it, to a certain extent. But then again, I only get it to a certain extent too, and I've had a relationship with the Lord for 20 years now. May I always have a ready answer to the question, "How have I worshipped God today?"

At the Car Wash (Car Wash)

My car was completely covered in filth, inside and out. I don't think I washed it once all winter. It was daunting to me to even think about trying to wash it. But...I was convinced that I could easily maintain the cleanliness if someone else got me started. So the Boys and I hopped in the dirt-mobile, armed with a coupon, and set off for the car wash. You should have seen the giddy lot of us. We were so excited! We pulled up and unloaded and headed inside to get a good seat.

We got the best seats in the house! All the other patrons were comfortably seated far away from the window with no view at all. Were they crazy to miss all the fun?! We settled in for the show.

After a few minutes, I passed out the snacks. It's better than going to the movies! We got to see so many cars being swiped clean by the furry, blue scrubby brushes. Fascinating! After our car passed through, we hurried outside to sympathize with the poor guy who had to scrape the grime off my tires and wipe down the inside of my car. This was surely money well spent!

Unfortunately, Nosy slimed up the nice, clean window of the car wash place. I hope they have a window washer among them!

After the thrill of the car wash, we headed to Tom Thumb to pick up a couple of things. My Boys love Tom Thumb because of "the cart with two steering wheels," the only cart of its kind we have ever found. Rarely do we frequent Tom Thumb because it is so pricey, making it a very special treat! They thoroughly enjoyed it!