The Millers: For Memory's Sake...

Goodness, it has been another two plus months since my last blog. I'm struggling when it comes to blogging. I have two full time jobs and one that involves a lot of time in front of this here computer, so it's hard to drag myself back to it once the little ones are in bed at night. All I really want to do is crash on the couch, next to Matt, with a pint of Ben and Jerry's and let some mindless TV wash over me.

However, the girls are growing up before our very eyes and I know I'm going to forget the hilarious things they do and say. My only hope is really this blog because I'm not keeping any other kind of scrapbook. So here goes.....bullet style today!

Hannah Cate is just over 4 and 1/4 years old. We are really starting to see her personality develop and I feel like I'm really just now learning just exactly who she is and what makes her tick. She is quiet and reserved in new settings and around new people. It takes her awhile to warm up. I feel like this is a fairly new thing and she's just going to be the tentative type at first.

But as soon as she warms up, she's tons of fun and will cut up with the best of them!

I think HC is really going to like school. She's has loved learning how to write the alphabet, how to spell her name and she counts just about everything in site. She comes home and teaches Maddie about the rules she's learning at school - Treat others as you want to be treated + You get what you get and you don't fuss a bit are the two that we hear the most. HC's teacher is wonderful and she loves on her and is teaching her so well, we are so thankful for Mrs. Eastman!

We were driving home from school the other day and the girls and I were just talking about their day. HC saw something and asked me a question about it - something to the effect of "Why is the sky blue". When nothing else would suffice her inquisitive mind, I finally responded with, "That's just the way God made it". Little did I know that would open up one of the sweetest conversations I've had with HC to date. After thinking on my answer for a second, she came back with - "Mama, how did God make Himself?". Wow, good question my little theologian! I explained that God just has always been - He was, He is and He is to come. I also called Daddy to see how he might answer and he reminded Hannah Cate that there are some things that we just won't be able to really wrap our minds around this side of heaven and until we can ask God face to face and even then we might not be able to understand. I explained that to Hannah Cate and she pondered some more. Then came out with - "But Mommy, I don't know how to get to heaven". Oh sweet girl, I do! I explained to her how we can ask Jesus to forgive our sins and come live in our hearts and how he is our Savior and that's how we get to heaven. She didn't say anything else, but I watched her in the rearview mirror and could see processing. Later that night, she and I were walking hand in hand to dinner. As we were walking, she looked up at me with her big blue eyes and said, "Mommy, I love Jesus!". Melt my heart and sweet music to my ears. That's really all I ever could ask for or want for my girls. That they know and feel the love of Jesus and love Him in return!

As for Maddie's contribution to that conversation - upon hearing that Jesus lives in your heart, she chimes in with "And babies live in your belly". Glad to know her little mind is processing too!

My sweet and hilarious Maddie. She's 2 and 3/4 years old and just a bundle of energy. I mean look at her.....

Maddie and Hannah Cate are at the same school this year (cue the chorus!) and she has the same teacher HC did her first year at CDS. We do love Mrs. Corte! We managed to bite the bullet and get Maddie fully potty trained (cue the cash register, Cha-Ching!) right before she started back to school. When I picked up Maddie from school one day, Mrs Corte said, I just have to tell you what Maddie said today. She proceeded to tell me.....Many times in our class we have "group potty time" - when one has to go, they all want to go watch. I always tell the boys when they are tee-teeing to "point it" down to make sure it goes in the potty. Maddie has certainly heard me say this quite a few times by now, so today when she climbs up on the potty to go, she looks up at me (her teacher, Mrs. Corte) and says, "Mrs. Corte, I don't have a pointer!!". Mrs. Corte said she about fell out laughing. This girl keeps us on our toes. She processes everything and is super observant.

Super observant Maddie can count to twenty. Hannah Cate just started to count to twenty this year. Anything you can do, I can do too!

Now as for the littlest one among us, she is 15-almost 16 months old. Her hair continues to be a definite shade of red. See.....

And those lovies.....oh goodness is she ever attached. One of them (she has about four) is never far. She's my first that has been this attached at such an early age. She chews on them and loves on them and rubs her face all over them. They really are a comfort to her and I'm happy to oblige. I really love that there is something that can soothe her when she's sad, sleepy, whiny - insert emotion, they just about do the trick! Still loves the paci too! That makes three for three Miller girls that have had pacifier addictions.

EA has developed quite the streak of feisty-ness lately. She's not afraid to let her sisters know what she wants, when she wants it. Maybe it's the red? We are working on breaking her of it, but I think she's going to give us a run for our money! Here's a pretty good example of I can't get to what I want and you are not moving fast enough!

Emma Ann really only wants to be doing what the big girls are doing - so she just inserts herself and generally speaking they are super sweet and are glad to have her play alongside them. It's really super sweet and I love I happen upon them sitting in a little circle just playing together!