Chocolate

This is a 3-minute video that you are welcome to skip over. I promise it won't hurt my feelings. I certainly could have edited to make it much more concise, but then you would never understand how "unscripted" this event really was. You might even wonder if it really even happened the way it did.

But there are some moments in life that really are priceless. Some of them we are lucky enough to capture on film so that we can keep forever (as, ahem, blackmail).

Tonight I was lucky, and I really needed to prove to anyone who watches that this is just - plain and simple - real life with my little kiddo. :)

Bathtime Sonatas

This post is dedicated to Nana. She is hard at work this week with her job, and feeling a little under the weather today. E misses her, and decided to sing her a few songs tonight during bathtime.

We love you, Nana! Enjoy!

Brain-Power: Exhausted

My husband is in Egypt, my child with her Nana and PopPop. And I? Apart from spending too many hours at work, I am also getting to all those things that have been on "backorder" on my to-do list for...well, TOO long to admit out-right.

Since my brain isn't really running on all four cylinders tonight, I'll leave you with some humor. Enjoy!

Tale Of Two Brains - The best free videos are right here

The Star of the Show

As E creeps closer and closer to the big "2," her little personality is shining through more each day. It's amazing to see the ways in which she's like me, the ways in which she's like her daddy, and (the best part) the ways in which she's just E.

She's definitely an attention-seeker - of that I am certain. She has no problem breaking out a little white-girl dance in the middle of a highly public place; in fact, she did just that during a little playdate we had with a friend this morning. She's also becoming more and more aware of the camera, and on the way home last night began asking me to snap her picture while she made goofy poses in the back seat.

At the top of the list with white-girl-break-dancing is also karaoke; "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" is (appropriately) one of her favorites right now. My favorite line is, "Up above the world so high, Rocket diamond in the sky..."

The pictures and the video are from last night's movie-maker episode in the car seat. They're a little fuzzy, as all I had on me was my phone camera; but she was in rare form...a perfect time for capturing some candid memories, regardless of the quality.

Time Flies By

I was thinking the other day that it just seems impossible how fast time has flown by this past year. Every time that E and I meet someone new, they always leave me with the same parting words: "Don't blink, because before you know it, she'll be headed off to college."

If the warp speed continues, I can easily see why they all say it.

I pull my video camera out every chance I get. I shoot pictures at every turn. I've even started blogging every little detail that I can manage to remember. And then I stumble across something like this, and I think...WAIT!!! That can't possibly be almost two years ago, can it?

Fall Festival at the Farm

Trying to stand up on the Giant Pillow

Sliding with Daddy

Riding on the "Cow Train"

Playing in the "Corn House"

(A playhouse filled with dried corn kernels)

Bouncing all the leftover corn out of my pants

Sitting on a hay bale decorated as a pig

Petting the donkey

Feeding the goats

Riding the pony

Riding the train

Playing in the pumpkin patch

Sacked out!!!

I think we've got a Bost Family tradition on our hands, folks!

A Love For Reading

It's soooo easy to let the TV be a free babysitter. This fact alone is one of the top three reasons we don't have cable TV in our house. It's just too tempting. Still though, we have movies galore, and E is a huge fan of anything Disney. So the temptation is still great to let the film roll while I do laundry, wash dishes, read a book - everything is easier uninterrupted.

Truth is, though, I want to establish a love for reading in E. Not only is it educational, but it's also one of the primary ways that we are able to get to know our God - so it's a rather important skill to have.

Her favorite book so far is Dr. Seuss' "Hop on Pop." She's now asking for it by name, and is starting to "read" a few of the memorized pages. I've been trying to catch this on video for a few weeks now!

The Best Things in Life AREN'T Free

After spending some time with some other really fun couples tonight (ALL without babies of their own...except for a few dogs that think they are babies), I've realized that maybe the best things in life aren't really free after all. I guess it all depends on what your currency is.

There are times I think about how life might be easier if I were single or even just married without kids. My husband and I, because we're still on the younger side of married life, have many friends that haven't yet started down the road of raising babies, and life sometimes seems rather uncomplicated for them. Date nights, sports, even last-minute plans with other friends are easy to arrange, without much thought. Whereas, a night out with E always requires at least a full day of pre-planning, if it's to go off without a hitch (and even then, it rarely does).

But as I sit here tonight and think about our evening, I can't imagine my life any other way. I can't imagine life without the laughter and squeals, and the unbelievably sweet smiles. I can't imagine going a day without those little arms wrapping tightly around my neck for protection from her daddy who is coming to "get her." I can't imagine not knowing what it feels like to have fake tears cause me to burst into laughter or real tears break my heart into. There's just absolutely no way on earth I can imagine not being a "mommy."

Parenthood comes at a steep, steep price. You sacrifice time, money, friends, opportunities, money, dates, sleep, money, events, self, and then a little bit more money. In God's timing, though, when He opens that door for you to walk through, He makes each sacrifice more than worth it. For each time you feel jaded by the fact that others have a little more freedom and flexibility than you, he pours blessing after blessing over your head within those four walls of your life. And the memories we are making...absolutely priceless!!

Some Summertime Fun

"Finding Nemo"

Today E and her daddy went on a little "date" at the aquarium. Determined to play my part in the adventures, I packed him full of diapers, extra clothes, food/snacks, and both cameras. I think they had a great time, and I reveled in the fact that they were off doing the "daddy/daughter" thing.

Apparently, she saw the real-deal "Mee-mo" & friends, played with stingrays, and thoroughly enjoyed the butterfly exhibit. I'm a little sad that I missed out on all the fun, but we got a one-year pass and will surely go back for more good times soon!

Myrtle Beach 2009

Life has been a little crazy around here with vacations and kiddos and the usual summer randomness, so I just now finished a book of E's time at the beach with Grandpa and Grandma and Uncle Connor ("Unca"). I had the option of exporting it to a video, but couldn't pick the music, so apologies if you are not a fan of the Classical era. I thought it turned out pretty cute, though, in spite - and it really does capture our memories of our time there.

Thanks again Grandpa and Grandma - we can't wait for next year!!

Created

"In the beginning, God created..."

After watching Rob Bell's video, Everything is Spiritual, this morning, and then diving into the first chapter of Francis Chan's Crazy Love tonight, my thoughts are filled with what an incredible Creator our God is.

Also, in perfect timing of course, Elle has started to pick up on a few of the off-hand words and phrases my husband and I use. One of my favorites from today is, "Awesome." She says it so randomly, and I laugh out loud every time she does.

Our God really is awesome. What He is able to speak into being is unfathomable. The real humbling part is to look around and realize that out of everything that exists, He chose man to bear His image. What an incredible honor. What an awesome God.

Toddlerhood

One of my heroes in life is a little girl, age 5, who has taught me, among other things, not to take anything in life for granted. She has, by far, one of the most joyful spirits in the midst of trials, and a smile that is so contagious you would do anything to see it on her face. She is truly an inspiration to me. She defines "running the race," and I am privileged to know her.

Because of her, God has given me a pretty radical perspective on toddlerhood, and I try very hard to never take one single milestone that E reaches for granted. I know I still forget some things, but in light of a really special event last night, I think I'll stop this morning to reflect on a few toddlerhood milestones that E is hitting these days.

#1 - Toddler bed. Last night was E's first night in her crib-converted-to-toddler bed. Though she didn't get up even once when we put her down, she fell out this morning around 6:45am...oops!

#2 - Potty training. Though we haven't officially started anything yet, a friend of mine gave us a potty chair a couple of months ago, and it's become something we play around with.


#3 - Talking. It's unbelieveable how many words she's learning right now. Most of them I still can't understand, but she's combining gestures with her words to help her poor mama figure it out. The video below was taken yesterday.

#4 - Misbehavior. It's extremely annoying, but it's also a great sign of intelligence. That she's learned that she has her own will and can actually exert it over my authority is evidence of her growth and of her need for Christ.

#5 - Playing. Stacking blocks, kissing teddy bears, reading picture books - it's incredible how fast her play is developing. I've also seen a surge in whininess because she desires a "playmate," which is both fun and extremely counterproductive to housework. It's a great problem to have, though, when you put it all in perspective.


Lord, thank You for the blessing of E's life, and for the ways she's growing! Help me to never take for granted anything that you are doing through her, and yet, help me keep an eternal perspective on her growth so that nothing physical and of this world outmeasures the importance of what You are doing in her heart. Never let her forget how much she needs You, and fight for her heart every day of her life!

And That's What (Some) Little Girls Are Made Of...

I remember, as a young girl, receiving an invitation in the mail one day to "Junior Cotillion." After asking my mom what it was, I promptly ripped it to shreds and threw it in the trash, claiming that I would not be learning how to sip tea, set a dinner table and ballroom dance. It was a value statement then, for sure (apologies to all those Cotillioners out there!), but as a pretty literal 11-yr-old, I just couldn't foresee in my future a need to be educated in the social graces of this world (to this day, I still don't have a clue what went on in those classes, but I could use a little help in the social graces arena!).

I often wonder about E, what kind of a girl she is becoming, not only in a spiritual sense, but also if she'll like Barbies and play house, if she will scale rocks or climb mountains like her daddy. If I'll have to hide my amusement in the same way my mom probably did when she rips up an invitation to learn ballroom dancing.

Not that I have a real preference for one skill set over another...I'm really just quite curious to see what specific gifts and traits God gives my cheerful, light-hearted, easy-going little baby. One thing's for sure: if this video is any indication, we're going to need a whole lot more lessons in social graces!

Homecoming

E came home today, after spending 9 days with Nana and PopPop in the mountains! She's bigger, taller, smarter, sassier, sillier, and cuter. And apparently, she thinks the new bedtime routine must include a few minutes of "Mee-mo" (hint: he's a clown fish). Thanks...Nana.
Obviously, she thought we had a lot of catching up to do. One day this footage is going to be priceless!

Weekend Fun

We had a blast camping with Nana and PopPop this weekend. The final tally comes to:

54 deer
37 wild turkeys
18 miles of biking
14 ice cream cones

12 rounds of "Nemo"


9 black bears

7 outfits per day

6 bags of chips

5 s'mores

4 trips around Cades Cove


3 Moores/Bosts

2 hours of tubing down the river

...and 1 tired baby!!

It's unbelievable how much I love this little girl!!!