"Not right now, Mommy"

Mommy: "Jovey, would you please bring mommy a tissue?"
Jovey: "I can't. I'm still poopin' behind here, mommy!"
Mommy: "Oh, by all means, please finish!"

Don't wanna stop a work in process. Now, if we can just be so honest as to get to the potty! :-)

Not feelin' it now, Dad!

Conversation over breakfast this morning:

Daddy: "Jovey, would you like to taste some of daddy's cereal? It's called Cap'n Crunch and is good and sweet!" You'll like it!"
Jovey: "No thank you. I don't want to try it, Daddy! I just want my cheerios!"
Daddy: "OK, no biggie! Just thought you might like it!"

5 minutes later after other random conversation

Jovey: with great enthusiasm "I'm gonna try your cereal, Daddy!"
(He had left it on the table in front of her booster.)
Daddy: smirking at mommy "OK, you do that!"
Jovey: "Ooohhh, that's good! May I have some more!? Please?"

And thus begins our life with Jovey and doing things on her own time and in her own way!

Princess Dresses All Around!

There are many times in a mom's life that her heart just swells; full of pride, full of love and full of joy at the beauty, the sweetness and the characteristics that make up their small child! I had a couple such occasions over the weekend, but one in particular sticks out to me.

Joshua and I were busy running around for a youth Disciple-Now event, so my parents lovingly came up to watch Jovey for us, so that she could stay close to routine and I could be free to help my hubby out in an aspect of our ministry together. As usual, Nana and Granddad took Jovey out to get a happy meal at McDonald's and to let her play. The next stop, or course, would need to be a place to look at dresses for our little princess (whenever we see a dress, Jovey calls it a princess dress and would wear one everyday if I allowed her to!). Nana, found 3 to let her choose from and she chose the "pretty purple princess dress and pretty blue princess dress." Nana and Granddad were looking to leave the children's clothing area at Kohl's, when Jovey said, "Wait, Nana! We gotta get a pretty princess dress for my little sister!" As I have said before in previous posts, we are expecting our 2nd little girl in June, so not wanting her to be left out, Jovey quickly reminded them that she needed to have a new princess dress as well. Nana and Granddad looked at each other with surprise at the thoughtfulness of their not even 2 1/2 year old granddaughter and went back to pick out a pretty, yellow princess dress for her little sister!

There are many times I worry about having mulitiple children. How can I be a good mommy to more than one child? Won't Jovey feel left out when I have to share time with our new, helpless, little one? Will Jovey accept her? Will she stay sweet and kind, or be jealous and mean? God tells me again and again that things will all work out, and even in moments that I'm not there, He's preparing her to be a great big sister!

"It's OK, Addison!"

This is an excerpt from one of our youth blogs. It's fun to see that other people get a kick out of how caring and sweet Jovey can be!

The other day my friend Kaylee and I were watching the kiddos while my parents and thier friends were having a bible study. My little brother Addison (2) started getting cranky and he wanted his mamma. So when he started to scream this is what his best friend Jovey (also 2) said:

Addison: Mommy!!!Mommy!!!

Jovey: Its ok Addison I'm here!

Then she gave him a hug. I just thought it was so cute of what little kids can say to each other!

God's voice in a 2 year old body

So Jovey continues to perfect this talking. . . communicating. . . ummm. . . endless chattering that fills our house with so much fun and new things for my husband to lay in bed at night and laugh about! Today, as is our custom right now, Jovey got up and came to bed with us to snuggle right before Joshua got up to get ready to go over to the church office for the morning. She always gets under the covers and watches the PBS line-up, as we get like a total of 28 channels, and is very content to lay and rest a bit more in the darkness of the early morning and before breakfast and playtime.

This morning, as Joshua got up to move her over to his side and tuck her in again, she rolled over and looked at me and said the sweetest little phrase ever!

"Mommy, come here! You are the best mommy in the whole wide world! I lub you!" She gave me a huge hug and planted a big wet kiss on my mouth immediately after this proclamation, smiling all the while.

It made my heart melt, especially after a rough night of trying to become acquainted with some much needed sleep and feeling less than "the best" many moments. It continues to amaze me just how life just makes more sense when you hear God's voice pushing you forward in everything, especially through the pure and innocent sentiment of your beautiful 2 year old child!

Excuses, Excuses!

"I will play that later, mommy. I have to go do my homework!"

Can you tell we have a full time student in the house? :-) Thanx for the homework excuse, daddy! :-)

Where is Wing Man?

Jovey and I have been singing a lot more lately, as she has a great memory and actually, wonderful pitch matching skills for a 2 year old (OK, of course our kids are always good at everything they do, and especially, with me as a music teacher by trade, she's a prodigy if anyone asks!) :-)

Anyway, one of her favorite songs lately is the finger play song, "Where is Thumbkin?" She is so super cute as she gets her hands out bouncing in front of her, but she tends to sing the song in her own, special, Jovey way. I'll spare you the repeated parts, but the jest of each name of the fingers are below:

Where is Punkin? Where is punkin, Here I am!. . .
Where is Pointin? Where is Pointin, Here I am!. . .
Where is Thomas (instead of Tall man). . .
Where is (and this is my husband's all time fav) Wing man? . . .
Where is Pinky?. . .

She keeps us in stitches constantly and as she sings what she understands to be the words so proudly and loudly, we just smile, let her go and enjoy these days, since she'll be trying to correct our every word or phrase soon enough!

Girls! Girls! Girls!

So we got the wonderful news from a very positive and healthy ultrasound 2 weeks ago! We will be welcoming another little GIRL into our family in June! My husband admitted every guys' desire to have a little boy to call his own, but also was more than elated to find out that he would get to dote on yet another sweet, loving, and at times dramatic female in our household! Needless to say, Jovey is definitely a daddy's girl! I mean, who wouldn't be? He's a wonderful man!

So as we look toward the future, we look toward lots of high heel shoes, lots of play makeup, lots of tea parties, lots of dollies, and further into the future. . .lots of makeup, lots of drama, lots of hair products, lots of clothes, lots of drama, lots of prom prep, lots of boys, lots of giggling, lots of drama, lots of fun, lots of wedding prep and did I mention drama? :-) Girls are notorious for all the above and much more.

We always joke and say Jovey will be our little softball player (She can be a little brute with a mean pitching arm!), who has her make-up flawless, her ponytail pulled perfectly through her ball cap, whom all the girls from the other teams look at and say, "You gotta be kidding," but will slide with the best of them and knock the ball out of the park at least every other game! We just wonder what the next one's little personality will suggest! We can't wait to see!

Thanks, God, for providing the fun and the future that the McFarland family has to look forward to as we strive to raise wonderful, young ladies that love you, respect themselves and others, and are kind and thoughtful as they seek only you for their self worth, not boys, magazines, or the world for their approval. Help us to know what to say and do to instill YOUR love and the importance of faith in you as they grow into young adults.

Self Assured

Jovey has now adopted a new motto around here. . .well, one of many. The newest is: "I'll do it myself" or some phrase dealing with doing things herself (i.e. I'll get down by myself, I'll get it out all by myself). I knew the day was coming, but didn't expect it quite so soon. I can't wait until the "Why" question starts echoing around the house. I'm sure it won't be long!

"Please pray for my bottom"

Yesterday, my mom and dad came up for a short visit, which Jovey always loves. The more people in the house to show attention to her and play with her, the better. In fact, she tries to go to everyone else's home after they have played with her. Maybe that should offend me. . . anyway, Joshua, mom, dad, Jovey and I had just gotten finished with a late lunch when Jovey disappeared for a while to her playroom. After a few minutes, she came running into the living room where we were chatting, and said, "Daddy, excuse me, would you please pray for my bottom?" He asked her to repeat the phrase, clarifying each word, and sure enough, she repeated the same sentence again. Of course, we were all ready to burst out laughing, as we soon got a whiff of what needed to be prayed for (and it certainly needed lots of prayers!), but held it back, as she came to us with such a serious and sincere dimeanor. Daddy obliged and he held her hands as we all bowed our heads. His prayer went something like this:

"Dear God, please help Jovey's bottom and help her learn to go poo in the potty so she can feel better. Thank you for potties. I love you God, Amen!"

Jovey looked relieved and I went to take care of the prayer concern! And to think that we hesitate to ask God for the small things!

"Is that the Pizza Man?"

Today, the cable guy came to work on our cable. Joshua hung around here to meet him at 8:30 this morning, so I took the opportunity to get a quiet shower while he got Jovey's breakfast ready. As I was getting out of the shower, I heard the doorbell ring. As Joshua went to open it, a tiny voice came from the kitchen and said, "Daddy, is that the pizza man?" Now we dont' get pizza delivered but maybe once or twice a month, but she has picked up on the whole ring the doorbell and get the pizza thing. Joshua and I had huge laughs as we let the cable guy in to do his job.

Jovey quote of the day. . .

"Daddy, may I go to my house and drink my milk, please?"

We definitely have the most polite kiddo ever. Some people say it's outrageous that I am teaching her to talk like that so early, by constantly reminding her "may I, please, thank you, yes m'am, etc.), but I say, she just comes across like a polite, well mannered little girl who has some upbringin'! ha!

Random Jovey phrases

From now on, with all the funny and amazing things Jovey says each and every day, I will have random postings of just those phrases, just so I can look back and see just how fun it is to live with an overly verbal, very active 2 year old.

"Mommy, I'm so poud [proud] of you!"

"Get the timer!"

Here's a little dialogue that took place between Jovey and her daddy recently:

Daddy: Jovey, please listen, or you will have to go to time out!
Jovey: I don't wanna listen, Daddaaayy!
Daddy: OK, to time out you go. Sit right there until I tell you to get up.
Jovey: Sighhhh. . .Get the timer, Daddy!

I'm thinking she knows all about the timeout thing, huh?

Just the right words

There are certain days when your children, no matter how wonderful or how cute, just tend
to. . .wear on every last nerve you possess. I had a day like that the other day, mostly due to lack of sleep, where everything was exaggerated and just not tolerated well by Jovey or myself.

So, to redeem herself, or so it seemed, Jovey decided to come up with 2 of the sweetest phrases, besides, "I love you, mommy." As we were sitting together, me still getting my emotions and thoughts together from the day before, Jovey says ever so sweetly, "Mommy, you're my friend" as she patted my leg. Of course, I melted and wanted to take back any inpatience or bad thoughts I had had of my beautiful, innocent little girl! Then, later, as I was begging her for a nap, and singing all the songs I could think of to calm her, even in her refusal to nap, she says, "Mommy, you're a great singer!" She grinned so large, knowing that was a good thing to say, and of course, I hugged her with all my might, needing to hear a compliment right then more than ever.

How can you deny such sweet sentiment from such big, wide eyes? I just know that someday, those phrases will come fewer and far between, so I cherish them now. . .even if she is learning to use them to make up for her earlier indescretions! :-)

Growing Pains

I have always dealt with my little girl's growing up with such grace and very little emotion. She walked early, ate by herself early, talks constantly, and through it all, I have thought it was just normal for her, so no big deal. However, last night, I had my first major mommy moment, tears and all, as my baby girl fast made a decision to let go of yet another baby need.

A couple of nights ago, Jovey had a horrible bout with a night terror. She had experienced nightmares here and there, but could usually calm herself. This particular incident, there was no calming down, and we did what we said we would never do after an hour of her all but making her self sick from crying. . .put her into bed with us, where she finally calmed down, laying there motionless and wide awake for 30 minutes. Poor baby!

Last night, as we attempted to try her crib again, she broke down and started majorly crying saying, "I can't sleep in my bed. It hurt me." We don't know what that was all about, but we knew we didn't want to do the family bed thing again, and we needed to figure out how to get her comfortable in her own space again. We offered her the big girl toddler bed that we had planned to introduce after the new year, as our new baby would need our crib. Excitedly, she said yes, and her whole dimeanor changed from panic-stricken to elated! We laid her down with a pillow and a clean blanket, and she slept beautifully through the night, with not even one attempt to get out and run around, my biggest fear.

My baby is becoming a big girl, which we have been encouraging lately, as we prepare our house and all it's occupants for a new baby, but when it happens with little warning, it sure can be awfully real! We thank God for our healthy, independent big girl, but mommy will always somewhat miss that baby, helpless, "I can only do it with your help" attitude.

'Til we meet again. . .

Jovey, as I have written before, has quite the vocabulary. In fact, she carries on a conversation better than some of my little kindergarteners back when I was receiving monetary compensation for my work as a teacher. :-) Lately, she has learned to use yet another word in context. While riding in the car the other day with Joshua and I, she says from the back seat, (words quoted directly), "Mommy, will you hold my water 'til I can get my shoe on, please?" Joshua looked at me as if to say, "what did she say?" We asked her to repeat it and of course, she repeated the same exact sentence. Laughing the whole time, I held her water. How could I deny such a well thought out and spoken request? Tonight, she used the word again. This time, she said, "Will you hold my colors (crayons in Jovey language) 'til I get my coloring book?" I am always amazed with how even young kiddos pick up those little words in our language and truly use them as their own with such ease and understanding. Just one question, "Can someone slow my daughter's learning down 'til I can catch up with her?" :-)

Baby Names

When asking Jovey if she would like for mommy to have a boy baby or a girl baby, she always replies, "a boy baby, mommy!" Then, the next question, "What should we name, or call the baby boy?" Usually, it's just baby, but tonight, while in the bathtub, Jovey replied, "ummm. . .Daddy's Boy!" Now that is something we hadn't considered!

I think. . .

Another Thanksgiving has passed and I can't help but just sit and meditate on people that have been such gifts and blessings from God in my life:

-I think of my daughter, Jovey, and her birthday on Tuesday, on which she will turn 2 years old! Where did the years go? The moments, the experiences, the learning, it passes by so quickly, and I praise God I am here to bear witness to each new event unfolds before her.

-I think of my husband, and how far we have come in almost 5 years of marriage. He's been in ministry, been in bank work, and is now back in full time ministry. He goes to school full time and manages to steal time for all of his work, plus set aside special time for us, his family! What a great guy God has given us to call husband and daddy!

-I think of my wonderful family and friends, who without, I would be lost and floundering around for sanity and sound advice. I have bent friends' ears so many times, especially about this "mommy" stuff, and my family, both blood and in-laws, have come through countless times on this journey of becoming and settling into adulthood.

What wonderful people God has placed in my life to walk alongside and help guide me through the wonderful as well as not-so-wonderful times. And, yes, God has blessed our family once again with a little one that we expect to see at the first of June. We pray for health now, and then, as we welcome this new addition and look forward to the future of our fun family of 4, sibling squabbles and all! I could feel no more complete than when I think of all the many wonderful things I have for which to be thankful. I could write a novel on how God has provided over the years, but trust me when I say that He has never let us down and has always come through when we need him most, whether it is a smile from our baby, a hug from my spouse, a call from a friend, or the presence of my parents.

Thanks, God, for being so good, even when I am not!

". . .Next time won't you sing with me?"

So Jovey's newest feat is to sing her ABC's. . .constantly! If we even mention those three letters together, she sings them without fail, loud and proud. She has been singing a lot lately, including "God is so Good," "Jesus Loves Me" and of course, "ABC's." She is also a big fan of any and every theme song to every children's show she watches, especially, "It's a Big, Big World!" We don't mind hearing these songs over and over again. It just serves as little reminders of how the house feels so much more like home with the sounds of Jovey's constant chattering and singing!