Lucy’s Birthday Interview

As I did with Ty, I decided to have Lucy answer a few questions about herself on her birthday.  Hopefully, we will continue this tradition over the coming years and one day have an interesting compilation of answers to look back on.  I think it will be fun to see how the kids’ interests, personalities, and dreams change as they mature.

In the interest of time, I’ve selected just a few of the more interesting questions/answers to share with y’all.  Enjoy!

1. One thing I learned to do this year was hula hoop on my arm.
2. If I could change one thing that happed this year it would be I would not be a bad sister.
3. My favorite subject in school is crafts.
4. The best thing that happened to me this year was I became a Christian.
5. I love my mom because she teaches me schoolwork.
6. I love my dad because he goes swimming with us.
   
   
7. My favorite Bible story is Noah and the Ark and about the golden calf.
8. Three of my best qualities are:
1. helping with Tacy
2. doing good schoolwork for Mama
3. helping Mama clean up
9. My favorite drink is Purple Crush, thanks to Papa.
10. My idea of the perfect day is baking a cake or cupcakes with Mama.
11. If I had $1,000 I would buy a whole Barbie house.
12. My favorite memory is Tacy being born.
13. When I grow up I want to be a mama.

My favorite answers have got to be numbers 12 and 13.  It’s true.  Lucy is destined to be a mom.  She talks about it constantly.

(If you missed Ty’s birthday interview you can check it out here.)

We finally had Lucy’s birthday party this weekend, even though all five of us have awful colds.  Ugh!  Who gets a cold in July??  Anyway, it was about a billion degrees at the party, but the kiddos had fun.  I took tons of pictures, so I hope to get around to editing and sharing them with y’all soon.  Although, I expect to be pressed for time this week, since I’m planning to start our school.

What?

Gasp!

Yes, I’ve been prepping like a dooms-dayer for over a month, and I think I’ve finally got everything ready to begin.  Supplies are stocked and organized, textbooks are in, and old materials are packed and put away.  I’m ready!

I’m super excited about the new year, mostly because Ty will be using some new curriculum for science, history, spelling… OK, he’ll be using new curriculum for everything except math.  I’ll save the details for another post, but we are looking forward to a more relaxed, involved, hands-on, activity-driven, Christ-centered school year.  I can’t wait!

Lindsey

Happy Birthday Lucy!

Last week was Lucy’s 5th birthday.  I don’t know if it’s because there is a new baby in our house, or what, but it seems like Lucy has matured tremendously over the last year.  She has really made the leap from toddler to “big girl.” (Which is a scary thought to the me and the Tool Man.)

As I did with Ty, I had Lucy complete a birthday interview this year.  I’ll share some of her responses with you later, but first I wanted to share some of my own thoughts about Lucy.

If I had to sum up Lucy’s personality in a few words, I’d put it like this:  she’s stubborn, dramatic, independent, fearless, spirited, and a little bit shy.

Lucy’s is one the most strong willed people I’ve ever seen.  I’ve mentioned before that sometimes she absolutely refuses to speak.  It beats all I’ve ever seen.  When she makes up her mind she doesn’t want to talk, there’s nothing you can do to make her say one word. She’s the same way about eating too.  I’ve actually had to hold her nose to get her to open her mouth to eat.

I remember one episode when Lucy was about 2, when she and I had a battle of the wills.  Lucy had spilled a bowl of dry Cheerios, and I asked her to pick them up.  She refused.  She looked me square in the eye and refused to pick up one Cheerio.  I coaxed, demonstrated, bribed, etc., but Lucy didn’t give in.  She had decided she wasn’t going to touch one Cheerio.  Little did she know, I had decided that she was. 

It wasn’t pretty, but I finally figured out a way to get her to pick up the cereal.  Her hand in mine, I had to move her fingers to each Cheerio and make her pick them up.  I never will forget that day!  It was the day I realized just how hard-headed that little girl could be.

Perhaps stemming from the fact that she’s so stubborn is Lucy’s fearless spirit.  She doesn’t let a little danger stop her from doing what she wants.  I knew the Tool Man and I had a daredevil on our hands when Lucy started climbing before she even learned to walk.  She climbed on the couch.  She climbed up stools.  She climbed on tables.  She climbed out of her crib.  And what did she do once she made it to the top?  Why, she jumped down, of course! 

All that climbing culminated in the ultimate climbing challenge earlier this summer.  Our entire family went to church camp with our children’s group this year.  At the camp was a 55 feet tall zip line.  55 feet!  The only way to the top was by way of a light pole.  My 4 year old sweetie shimmied all the way to the top of that pole, while 8, 9, and 10 year olds clung to the pole, weeping in fear, just 10 feet off the ground!  I’m telling you, that girl is a monkey.  (I do have tons of photos documenting this feat, but they are all on another computer.  Hopefully I’ll get a copy of them one day to share with y’all.)

Lucy is one of the most animated people you’ll ever be around.  That is, if she’s not in a shy mood.  Sometimes she hides behind the Tool Man and me, with her head tucked down, not making eye contact with anyone.  (Like yesterday when I took her for a hearing test, and she wouldn’t look up or say a word.  I was afraid the doctor was going to dub her deaf and mute.)

But other times….

Other times she comes alive!

Her facial expressions are priceless.  She has hilarious faces for every emotion:  anger, shock, surprise, dejection, excitement, worry…even sadness.  Couple those faces with over exaggerated body language (eg. hands on hips, head tilts, finger pointing, eye rolling) and Lucy can put on quite a show.

Throw pain into the mix and Lucy becomes the biggest drama queen on the planet.  She feels two levels of pain.  None and Nearly Dead.  She’s either completely pain free or she’s about to lose a limb, and she wants everyone to know it.  Even so, in Lucy’s eyes there’s no injury so severe that a Disney princess Band-Aid can’t fix it.

Lucy also loves dramatic play, and she’s not one to play alone either.  She’ll worry you to death with complicated, make-believe games about babies, sisters & princesses, cooking & baking, or grocery store.  The conversations she has with herself while playing are a hoot, but funnier still are the songs that she makes up.  She sings incessantly!

Take a look at this video I shot of her last week.  I believe the lyrics for this song include, “We work, we work, we work.  I’m trying, I’m trying, I’m trying!”

Lucy especially likes to make up songs while riding in the car, which drives her big brother (and parents) stir crazy.

She’s good at that – driving her big brother crazy.  Lucy and Ty fight like cats and dogs.  Not physical fighting, but arguing and fussing.  Lucy certainly receives her fair share of grief and torment from her brother, but she knows how to dish it out too.  Don’t let her sweet, angelic appearance fool you.  Lucy is an expert in aggravating.  She’s a master skilled in the arts of blame throwing, injury feigning, whining, and all around pestering.  I guess that’s just the way siblings are, though.  Especially those who spend every waking minute of every day together.

Being a little sister is a tough job, but being a big sister?  Now that’s something Lucy can sink her teeth into.  She was born to be a mama.  Lucy loves all aspects of caring for Tacy.  She loves feeding her, burping her, bathing her, and yes, even changing her diapers and powdering that cute little behind.  Lucy enjoys picking out Tacy’s clothes and coordinating her hair bows and shoes to match.  Lucy even likes folding and putting away Tacy’s laundry. (A task she can do just as well as I can.)

I could go on all day talking about Miss Lucy.  How she loves to wear makeup, choose her own outfits, bake cupcakes, do school work, and hug frogs. (Yes, Lucy likes to cuddle real, live toad frogs.)  But, alas, motherly duties await.  I’ll be sure to share excerpts from Lucy’s birthday interview soon.

Happy birthday, Lucy!  You are truly one of the most interesting people I know.

Lindsey

Giddyup!

Way back at Christmas, Santa brought Miss Tacy a fun little rocking horse.  Six months later, she’s finally grown big enough to ride it. 

Tacy sometimes rocks in the conventional way…

But sometimes she does trick riding like this…

Of course, if it were Lucy, she’d be standing in the saddle.  Lucy was, and still is, such a little dare devil.

And to let everyone know, the results from Tacy’s hip ultrasound came back normal.  I’m still a little skeptical, though, because I can actually feel her hip popping in and out sometimes.  I guess it’s just something we’ll have to keep our eyes on.  Hopefully, it won’t turn into anything serious.

Lindsey

Tacy Mae–9 Months

Can you believe it?  Tacy Mae is officially three-quarters of the way through her first year.  I’m still amazed (and a little bit sad) about how fast the time passes.  She’s definitely no longer the little baby who does nothing but eat and sleep.  Nope.  She’s a little mover and shaker, who is full of curiosity and is getting into everything.

Let’s start with the basics, shall we?

I took Tacy for her 9 month checkup yesterday where she weighed in at 19 lbs. 12 oz.  She measured 28 inches in length, and her head circumference was 18 inches.  That put her in the 75 percentile on the growth charts for all three measurements.

So, what does a girl have to eat to keep up such a healthy figure?

On average, Tacy is nursing three times a day, morning, noon-ish, and night.  In between those feedings, Tacy is chowing down on all kinds of delicious foods.  I’m still on mission to get her accustomed to eating healthy foods before letting her have sweet junk.  (My plan is to hold out at least until her first birthday. Can you think of a better birthday gift??)  So far, Tacy hasn’t met a vegetable she doesn’t like.  Some new foods she tried this month were eggplant, mushrooms, quinoa, ribs, sweet corn, cabbage, Cheerios and black beans. 

I guess the biggest change in Tacy this month is the improvement in her mobility.  Tacy’s method of crawling has to be one of the funniest I’ve ever seen.  She’s an army crawler.  Her belly never leaves the floor.  She uses her hands to pull and her big toes to push.  Let me tell you, this method certainly works for her.  She is fast.  Super fast!

Tacy has also mastered the ability to pull up, which means we no longer have the luxury of leaving anything on the coffee table.  ‘Cause if something’s up there, she’s pulling it off and eating it, for sure.

Even better than what’s happening on top of the coffee table, though, is what’s going on under it.  Under the table is one of Tacy’s favorite places to hang out.  I try to keep her toys stashed under the table, out from under foot, but she loves to crawl under there and push them all out and under foot again.

Now that the weather is nice and hot, Tacy has been swimming in our new pool several times.  What can I say?  This girl loves the water!  Tacy likes for me to hold her on her tummy and let her kick and splash with all her might.  I’ve never seen a little baby who loved splashing herself in the face, but Tacy certainly does.  A little water in the eyes and up the nose doesn’t bother her one bit.  She’s the same way in the bathtub, too.  By the time I’m finished bathing her, the walls, the floor and I are just as wet as she is.

I thought I’d throw in this next picture just for fun.  It’s not the most flattering picture, I know, but I couldn’t help myself.  I think Tacy looks so much like baby Ty in this picture…baby Ty with a wig, that is.  Lol.

I had a bit of trouble getting a good picture of Tacy this month.  Her new found mobility means she’s not at all content to lie flat on her back and make pretty faces at the camera. 

As soon as I lay Tacy down, she wants to roll over on her tummy and make a getaway (or eat the photo props), which explains the look of torture on her face in that picture.  (Coincidentally, this is the same look I’ve been getting when I change her diapers or try to dress her every day.  She’s recently decided she doesn’t like that anymore.)

It was just as much, OK more, trouble to get a picture of Tacy with Lucy this month.  In fact, this was the best I could do…

Oh, well.  They can’t all be perfect pictures, right?

One more thing worth mentioning is that during her last checkup, Tacy’s doctor noticed that her left hip slips out of place.  Eek!  Sounds painful.  So today we are headed to get an ultrasound to see just how severe her problem is and what, if any, action has to be taken to help correct her hip.  I’ll let you know what we find out.

Lindsey

Lucy’s Re-Birthday

As a parent, there are certain developmental milestones that you look forward to in the life of your child.  There’s that first sweet smile and those wobbly, first steps.  The first night in the “big kid” bed and the first day of Kindergarten.  But as a Christian parent, the most anticipated milestone in the life of your child is the day that your son or daughter prays to receive Christ.

Unlike other events in your children’s lives, there’s no specific or guaranteed age at which this event should occur.  But my prayer for my children has always been that the very first time they feel the call of God on their hearts they will respond in obedience.  Not only that, but that God would call them at an early age, so that they could begin living and working for Him as young as possible and live a full life of service to Him.

God has been faithful in answering this prayer.  Ty became a Christian at 6 years of age, and just a few weeks ago, at the age of 4 years and 10 months, Lucy prayed a simple prayer and asked Jesus to come live in her heart.

So today, I want to write about Lucy’s Re-birthday.  Just as the children of Israel collected rocks from the bottom of the Jordan River as a reminder of their miraculous crossing (Joshua 4:1-9), I hope this story will serve as sort of a spiritual marker for Lucy, to remind her of the day she crossed over from spiritual wilderness to the Promised Land.

It was May 19, 2014.  I’ll never forget the date, because it was our 13th wedding anniversary. This particular evening was like any other. No special anniversary plans for me and the Tool Man.  Just a night of playing with kids, eating supper around the coffee table (because that’s what we do here), washing dishes, and picking up toys.  The only thing different was Lucy’s demeanor. She had been scolded once for not eating her supper (which is nothing out of the ordinary since the child never eats – at least not without some persuasion). But for some reason this night, Lucy got really upset when her daddy got onto her for not eating.  What started as a pouty lip and little whining, gradually escalated into uncontrollable sobbing.  I soon realized that this was something more than just hurt feelings.  Something was really bothering Lucy.

But the thing about Lucy is that when she gets upset she refuses to talk.  I mean it.  She won’t say one word.  I was determined to get her to open up, though.  I took her to my bedroom where I could talk to her in quiet.  I began asking her questions, and through a series of head shakes and thumbs up and down, I started to understand what was going on.  Lucy was feeling the conviction of sin, and I knew that this was the result of the Holy Spirit speaking to her (John 16:8).  How else could you explain a four-year-old feeling such guilt and shame over all the wrong she had done in her lifetime?  She was crushed under the weight of her sin.

I tried to be very careful as I talked to Lucy.  I did not want to lead her into doing or committing to something she was not ready to do.  We talked about sin (Romans 3:23), its consequences (Romans 6:23), and the only Cure for its curse (John 1:29).  I asked a lot of questions, and she slowly opened up and gave answers, even though it was hard for her to talk through the sobs.  Finally, I asked if she wanted to pray and ask Jesus into her heart.  She did.  She wanted Jesus to come in and make her clean.  I prayed, and she repeated.  In a soft, but clear and sure voice, Lucy confessed her sin and committed her heart to Jesus.  That simple.  It was a done deal.

The Tool Man, who had been listening from the other room, came in to give Lucy a hug.  He told Lucy how proud he was of her decision.  But Lucy still seemed pretty upset.  After talking a while with Lucy, the Tool Man could tell she was still bothered by her sin.  So he took Lucy through the Scriptures, explaining that when Jesus cleanses us the sins are gone…forever!  He also talked to Lucy about the enemy – how Satan would like nothing more than to tell us a bunch of lies and try to keep us from experiencing joy.  Together, the Tool Man and Lucy agreed that Satan is a “nerd.”

It’s been several weeks since Lucy made her decision, but the Tool Man and I wanted to take some time to be sure she really meant and understood what she did.  After all, she is only four years old.  We talk to her frequently about her decision and ask her questions often.   She knows she’s a sinner, she’s sorry for that, and she believes that Jesus is the one and only Way to forgiveness (John 14:6).  As far as we can tell, Lucy has a very good understanding of her salvation.  In fact, at four years old, she’s actually got a better understanding of the Scriptures than some 40-year-olds I know!

Thank You, God, for saving my sweet little girl.  Thank You for giving her eternal life (John 3:16).  Guide her thoughts and actions as she seeks to live for You (Proverbs 4:11). Help me to be a good example and teacher to her, and give me wisdom as I aim to train her up in the way she should go (Proverbs 22:6).

Lindsey

Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday, Ty!

It’s birthday party season here at the Allen household.  As I mentioned earlier, Ty chose Duck Dynasty for his party theme.  Y’all know me.  I loooove to plan my monkeys’ birthday parties, but it seems the more monkeys I have, the harder it is to get everything done.  So this year I tried really hard to scale back…somewhat. 

The fun started at the back door with a rustic sign to welcome party guests.

Although I completely forgot about them once the party started, I prepared some photo props for goofy pictures.  Oh, well, at least I got one picture of Lucy.  Can she rock a beard or what?

I always tell my kiddos they can have a killer cake or a killer party, but they can’t have both.  I’m not super mom.  Personally, I’d rather spend my time on party planning rather than cake decorating.  Luckily, they agree.  Initially, I baked this small cake for Ty and colored the batter so that it would look camouflage when cut open.  After the cake was all baked, Ty decided he’d rather have a cookie cake.  OK by me.

Let them eat two (simply decorated) cakes!

Would you like to take a stroll around the food table?  Here we go…

Duck Bills:  Pringles and dip

Sausage and Quackers:  Homemade summer sausage and Ritz

Duck Calls:  Pirouette Cookies

Yuppie Food:  Fresh fruit and veggies

I set the cakes on the buffet and made a garland to string across the mirror.  I included images of the Duck Commanders and some funny quotes from their show.

Ty had a talking Jase doll figure that was perfect for the occasion, and I found the gator head at Dollar Tree.  Of course, I had to include a picture of our family with Phil and family from the time they shot the commercial at our restaurant.  (More about that here.)

For party favors, I bagged up some fishing bait, or gummy worms, and I packaged marshmallow ammo for the marshmallow guns we made. 

I also bought the kiddos flag bandanas like Willie wears.

The Tool Man worked really hard and finished our swimming pool and deck in time for the big party.  The kids had a blast swimming!  They spent most of their time practicing their cannonballs and belly busters.

When we finally dragged the kids out of the pool, we all had cake and ice cream while Ty opened his gifts.  Then the Tool Man led the kids in building marshmallow guns using PVC pipe.  Once the guns were assembled the kids really got into decorating them with assorted colored duct tape.  Redneck craftiness at its finest! 

Happy, happy, happy birthday, Ty!  You’re the sweetest kid a mom could ask for.  I love you!

Now it’s time to start planning the next party.  It’s less than a month until Lucy’s big day.  She has requested a cupcake decorating/ swimming party.  I don’t know how we’ll be able to squeeze so much fun into just a couple of hours, but I’m sure we’ll manage.  I’m also sure that whatever we do will involve a TON of sprinkles!

Lindsey

A Clean Sweep

At the time of year when most little boys and girls are spending hours upon hours at the ballpark practicing and playing baseball, my kiddos are outside, ripping and romping in our yard, riding bikes and scooters, climbing trees, playing in the dirt, chasing chickens and puppies, and swimming in the pool.  I admit, I’m more than a little thankful that Ty expresses absolutely zero interest in playing summer baseball.  The Tool Man and I enjoy the freedom we have by not being tied to practice and game schedules.  We enjoy not being involved in the ballpark drama.  And most of all, we enjoy getting to spend precious, one-on-one family time with our very own children.

That being said, I do feel that it is good for Ty to have some sort of goal to work towards.  Something to look forward to.  To practice and prepare for.  A skill to improve.

Enter water sports.

Last year, the Tool Man introduced Ty to the wonderful world of water skiing, and Ty loved it.

This year it’s kayak racing.

A couple of months ago a friend of ours informed us of an upcoming kid’s kayak race near Jackson, Mississippi.  Ty expressed interest in it, so we signed him up, and he started practicing.

Last weekend we loaded up the kayak and headed over to Jackson for the big race.

Actually, Ty got to participate in three separate races.  One for kids using rental kayaks, one for kids using their own kayaks, and one for kids using either their own or rental kayaks.

The weather couldn’t have been better.  It was an overcast day.  It never rained, but all the clouds helped keep the temperatures cool.

Of course the girls came along too to support their big brother.

Lucy enjoyed cheering on her brother from the bank.  She also got a kick out of throwing rocks and sticks into the water.

Here’s Ty in the kayak we brought.  Thanks, “Coach” David, for letting us use your boat!  Ty was moving through the water like a torpedo.  Lol.

Ty did great.  He ended up winning all three of his races – a clean sweep.  Woo hoo!  (You didn’t hear it from me, but Ty was the only competitor in his second race, since he was the only kid in his age division who brought his own kayak.  The other two races had about 10 kids each, though.)

Daddy, Tacy, and Mr. David watched as the medals were awarded.

Lucy couldn’t help but congratulate Ty with a great big hug.

After the races the Tool Man interviewed the big winner.

Congratulations, Buddy!  We are proud of you.

Lindsey