Nora - almost two!

This little cutie is 21 months old! I can't believe that she is almost two, but I guess I have to accept it, all the signs are there. Her legs are stretching, her hair needs regular attention, and she is starting to put two words together into mini sentences. Big girlie!

Here are some of her cute little ways:

When it is time to clean up, she helps willingly and even sings along to the clean up song. Her version goes, "bean up, bean up!"

She has learned that though she is the smallest, she has a mighty voice. She knows how to shriek! She often screams "MINE!" And then when you give the longed for item to her she'll say, "tank oo!" sweet as pie. Or sometimes instead of thank you she says you're welcome (melcom). So we coach her, "Nora, say thank you." "Melcom!" she replies. 

She loves Elisa (Ee-uh), and Jonathan (Don-than), and her special pink blankie (bobby). 

She loves her daddy. Once when Greg wasn't home in time for dinner, she asked, "Daddy?" I told her, "No Daddy tonight. He'll be home later." She burst out crying. 

Another time, we came back after being gone for the weekend and she saw us at the door. Her little hands went up to her mouth, and then back down to her sides, and then back up to her mouth and she started shrieking, "Daddy! Daddy!" as she ran to the door. 

She copies whatever she hears big brother and sister saying. Sometimes when we tell her she can't do something she'll say, "Aw man!" which is hilarious coming out of her little one-year-old mouth. Other times when she's set on a certain course of action and we explain that she can't do it, she'll sigh deeply and say, "Oh tay." Like, "I understand why I can't do it, and I'll go along with it, but I don't have to like it."

She loves messing in my purse. One day, since I hadn't heard her for awhile, I went to check on her. I found her starting in on her sixth piece of gum (not just chewing, but swallowing of course). "Bi-mens, bi-mens!" (vitamins) she kept saying as I took what was left of the gum out of her hand.

She has amazing fine motor skills. One of her favorite things to do is play with my keys. She has now gotten to the point that when I hand her my keys she can find the right one to use in the door, get it into the keyhole, and turn it. I still have to turn the knob, but she can do everything else on her own.

Love you to pieces, Nor Bor! 

A grieving prayer, and an answer...

One early morning last week I woke up feeling the sadness again. The sadness that has almost been forgotten: the sadness of leaving Portland. Leaving friends, leaving church, leaving city that we love. I got up and wrote and cried for awhile. 

I think that it came up again because there is yet another transition creeping up on us. Leesi is almost done with school. Come next year we won't be sending her to the same school anymore. Right now we are driving twenty minutes each way twice a day so that she wouldn't have to change schools halfway through the school year. But next year she will be attending the school that is just a short walk away. 

Here is part of what I wrote that early morning:

I think about the fact that Leesi will change schools next year. She has a little friend at her school now. Her name is Juliana. She is a little shy and quiet just like Leesi. One time when we were walking into school, Leesi and Juli saw each other and fell into step with each other. Then they slipped their little hands together and walked into school holding hands. Leesi loves Juli. They sit at the same table in the classroom; they play together every recess. When I think about Leesi starting over again at a new school next year, I feel as though all the air has been pushed out of me. ...

I know you have nothing but good plans for us. I know we can rest in Your goodness and love. Thank you ahead of time for helping Leesi through this transition to a new school. I pray that you will prepare a new friend for her at her new school. I pray that somehow we will be able to keep in touch with Juli over the summer.

A few days later this is what happened:

We had never met Juli's parents, since Juli doesn't get picked up after school but stays for after-school care. The day I wrote this, I mentioned to Leesi that we should send a note to Juli's mom about having play dates over the summer. We forgot to do it, but the very next day Leesi came home with this note from Juli's mom: "Would you be interested in getting the girls together for a play date either Friday or Saturday afternoon?"

Yet again, God's goodness to me (and Leesi).