3's a Charm

We have been out of our flat for a bit now due to renovations and that seems to have thrown me for a loop more than the kids. But, I've found the camera, once again, and am back taking pictures. Let's see how long that lasts! I received an email from a LINKS church asking if we had any pictures of the family. Oops. I had to admit that we haven't, in the 10 weeks we've been a family of 5, taken a single group shot. So, we gathered the troops and set about to get a picture. There are times when I miss those free 8x10 offers from Sears or Penny's, and today was one of them. But, in our defense, we wouldn't have the time to go to one of those places even if we had one available! So we stuck the kids next to a wall (look familiar for every school/Sunday School photo ever taken??) and then had a neighbor get all of us together.

Ignore the scratches on Cooper... and the growing bump. He tried to be a brick-layer this week, but realized he couldn't lay bricks with his head. The scratch I can only imagine came from a friend or sister. The bump, alas, was his own fault when he tried to more closely examine my church shoes and bashed his head with the heal. Sometimes, we wonder about that child, but mostly, we remember that he's 100% boy. :)

At some point this week, I took pictures of Harper in one of my favorite hand-me-down onesies. She decided to have big sister's 'tud during the photo session, which cracked me up.

The ever classic passport picture shot.

Growing Up and Out

There has recently been an overall growth-spurt in the Leslie household. Harper, in the last two months, has grown an inch and a half in length, and packed on almost 5 pounds. Cooper, while not inclined to grow in length like his sister, has been stowing his food away like a bear just before winter. He now weighs the same as Em, who seems to be the only one not outgrowing clothing by the day. I was sad to find that my favorite outfit for Harper was, alas, totally useless as her toes were having to be shoved into the feet and her sleeves had magically transformed to 3/4 length overnight.

Cooper has just gotten thick. It's like he watched a rugby game and decided he wanted to be like those boys. Good grief! Everything is thick about him, including his trunk. Aunt Hilary was great and sent a good deal of clothes with my folks when they came this time last year. His pajamas, however, haven't faired as well the rest of his wardrobe. I've been trying to keep up with some fleece pants for him, but we've been out of our flat and the kids are determined to not have all three nap at the same time. Thus, the other night I was obliged to go to the cupboard and get out Em's old pajamas.

Todd and I were rolling on the floor laughing because both girls, if put in boy's clothing, are just as cute as a boy as a girl. This one, however, is all boy... no matter how poofy the sleeves or how pink and purple the hearts might be, there is no mistaking him for anything other than a boy in girl's clothing. I still say, if it keeps him warm, I really don't care, but I'm sure these pictures will surface, say at a wedding or graduation perhaps, and Cooper will feel very differently than I!

Big Brother

There is a major difference between Em becoming the older sibling and Cooper. Whoever says boys and girls are the same has obviously never been to my house! But, we're getting there. My brute-of-a-toddler is learning that he can hurt his sister with all his lovin' and he tries really hard to be sweet. It's rather heartbreaking to have to correct him for trying to play catch with her (balls being hurled at my 7-week-old's head, yikes!!) or give her big bear hugs.

Yesterday, Harper spent most of the morning either in someone's arms or her car seat. So, when we got home, I put her on the floor and we Babygarden-ed it until Cooper woke up. That was when the real fun began as he was getting smiles and bubbles from his little sister like he was the only person in the whole, wide world she wanted to see.

I shamelessly used Cooper to get said smiles so I could get pictures.

The girl is trying so hard to giggle, but, alas, she's just not old enough. Soon, all too soon...

Coop going in for the kill... er... kiss!

Commercials... and Other Life Altering Events

There's a commercial playing here in South Africa that asks the question, "Where have your dreams gone?" It shows all the typical fire fighter/doctor/ballerina-type dreams of young children and then details that when those dreams die, so does a part of yourself. I've always been so thankful that I grew up where I did and was allowed the freedom to compete in soccer, volleyball, swimming, gymnastics and distanced running. I was given the chance to love whatever I was learning about, which meant that I wanted to be everything from a missionary doctor to a marine biologist to a program director for the save-the-whales campaign. I'm glad no one ever told me those dreams were stupid, or that being a doctor wasn't in my cards since I'm terrible at math... and science... and studying. No coach ever squashed my dreams of becoming Nadia Comaneci, even though I was 5'6" (1.67m) at age 11 and my mother dutifully carted me from one practice to the next.

If you had told my 10 year-old self that I would one day be the mother of three very small children, living in South Africa and editing the regional news for all of Africa (at least for the church), all before 30, I would have laughed at you. No really, in-your-face laughed! I couldn't read properly at 10, let alone write and who wants three kids before 30?!? And when we received the call to move to South Africa, Todd had a clear job with clear passions for said job. My responsibilities were more ambiguous and nondescript. I was rather grateful at the time, because I was the mother of one and that was a huge and often overwhelming task. I wondered, though, if I would ever find something that truly spoke to my soul... you know what I mean? Something that makes you WANT to do whatever it is that you're doing. So I find myself now, living a dream I never knew I had, because I serve a God who knows me better than anyone. He knew, long before I did, that I have a passion for writing and missions and kids AND adult conversation. So, if you want to check out the monthly newsletter for the Africa Region - Church of the Nazarene, great! Email me (blesliesa@gmail.com) and you'll get it when it comes out. If not, please keep reading my random musings... I like company over coffee :)

Story in Pictures

There are days when you feel like being a mom who is with her kids 24/7 is the best job in the world, but unfortunately for me, today wasn't one of them. I was rather excited by the kind lady who timidly approached me in the grocery store parking lot to commend me for taking both my babies shopping with me, but when that's the highlight of the day, things aren't looking too hot! So I grabbed a cup of decaf instant coffee in Todd's "Top Dad" mug and took it outside to watch the kids and catch my breath. It was there, in our backyard, that the following story unfolded and in true Brittany fashion, I grabbed the camera before helping my distressed (but not critically endangered) offspring.

I LOVE playing with these new "boy toys!" Cars are the BEST!!

See, now, the trick is to get the swing moving and then send the cars plummeting to their doom.

Crashing them, one right after the other is also optimal.

But I think I went wrong here, when I decided to take a 'shortcut' to the crashed cars by going the same way they did...

Mommy! Tuck!! T U C K ! ! ! ! ! !

One more try to get out without help, but these exasperating diapers just won't let me get out!

Okay Mommy, time to put the camera down and help a boy out!

Flannel Board

When Marilyn (Todd's mom) was here, she brought with her a flannel board and characters for our kiddie's program at church. Em and Cooper, however, discovered the 'toys' and haven't stopped playing with them. Not sure they'll ever make it to church, but we still hold out hope! Once Em went back to school, Cooper was over the moon that he finally was able to play with everything on his own. Even though he out-weighs Em now, he still hasn't figured out how to throw his weight around, and thus, when I looked up from working at the computer just after Em left for school, I saw an array of flannel pieces blanketing the better half of my living-room floor.

Today's story of choice? Boaz and Ruth with a bit of David and Goliath thrown in for good measure.

As soon as I stopped with my work and pulled out the camera, my ham of a son decided to put on a show...

And then wanted to show me the story. Too bad he didn't have any words. I'll tell you what, though, the story of Ruth and Boaz as told through grunts and gestures is hilarious.

Busy Week

Every week seems full of activities, but this week saw one little girl turning 3 years old, one turning 1 month, a swing/teeth busting through Cooper's lip and a Bible study potluck. So, we were rather busy keeping up with all the fun! Em loved sharing cookies (thanks Auntie Em for the recipe!) with each of her school friends. Todd and I just stood in awe that our baby was offering cookies that she helped make from a plate she was carrying, AND she was offering them POLITELY! Wahoo!!! It's rather deja vu to have Harper, the spitting image of Em at that age, around to remind us of how things change so quickly.

These two are going to be good friends someday.

Harper is now officially a month old, and all wrapped up and ready for her close up!