Season of Change

Lately I can't get this song out of my head called, "Seasons of Change". True to my nature, I don't know any of the words except for "Yeah, it's just another season of change, just some time for our hearts to rearrange..." but it plays over and over again in my head. Because it feels like that's precisely the sort of season we're in. Here's a little update on all things changing, big or little:
1. Probably the biggest change in our lives has to do with our church. This coming Sunday after much prayer and God's leading, we're "multiplying" into two congregations. We pretty much fill up our church building every Sunday, and by separating into two smaller congregations we'll be making room for more people. So now there'll be a congregation that meets at 9, and one that meets at 11. (This isn't two services...this is actually two different groups of people meeting.) This might not seem like a huge deal to some, but it really is. Rob and I are full of anticipation of what the Lord is going to do ... especially because it feels as though we'll be picking up more responsibilities . We're really excited...and a little sad because there'll be people we love that we'll see less often. I'm particularly pumped that Rob will be preaching more often (about once a month) because I get to see the most amazing side of my husband when he's up there doing what God has gifted him in and called him to do. It fills me to the brim!2. I'm going back to work on October 6! When my former boss asked if I'd like to come back, I was unsure. Last year before my mat leave I had been working every Wednesday and Friday evening as well as every Saturday (all day) which left us with a very very short weekend. Now, with two kids, family time is more important than ever! Well, it turns out that they switched my shifts to Mondays and Wednesdays and every OTHER Saturday, and they'll up my wage to make up for the fewer hours!! So now I am very excited to go back, because mom-hood is even richer when you get the chance to miss your kids for a few hours here and there.3. My sister's due with her second baby on October 7...my second niece or nephew. I am super pumped about this, particularly because I was living in BC when my first niece, Regan, was born. I get to be here this time! I am EXCITED!4. This one was going to be about Ellie officially dropping her naps (again)...but as I type this post she's....sleeping. The first nap in at least three weeks. So maybe I'll save that for a later date. :) Go figure!5. We finally SNIPPED Ellie's bedtime soother last week which went WAY smoother than I expected, considering we waited so long to do it. And in the next couple weeks we'll be switching her to a big girl bed...unlike the soother, waiting this long to switch to a bed was very intentional! I think she'll love it (she climbs in all her friends beds and pretends to sleep when we go visit) so I'm looking forward to this transition.
6. Josh is working on his 8th tooth! He is also practicing his waving, though currently he just lifts his hand in the air and smiles at it. He also likes to take cars and airplanes and hold them up in the air until we notice him and make car/plane sounds at him. Not the hugest deal, but it's fun and exciting seeing our little baby turn into a more interactive little boy.
7. We've just started a new study on Galatians/Ephesians at our women's bible study Monday mornings and it's really really hard for me, because it's really in-depth. I'm a skimmer, don't-read-the-titles, skip-to-the-end-of-the-book-if-you-can't-handle-the-suspense kinda girl. But as I sit down and plug away at my 'homework', I'm learning so so much straight from God's word and it's incredibly life-giving.

8. Ellie's starting dance classes at our church on Monday! Her first classes of her life. She is so excited, and I am too. I guess excitement is the theme of this post.9. Ellie just learned to use scissors. Perhaps that's not the hugest deal, except for the fact that if I ever EVER leave a pair lying around, you can bet your bottom dollar that if no one's looking, Ellie WILL cut her hair. She wants to be a hairdresser one day.

1o. Pictures! I've been getting blessed with many opportunities to take family and baby photos for different friends, and although the results are definitely amateur, it makes my cup overflow...I heart cameras!!!

11. It's fall. The leaves are changing colours. I absolutely love spring and fall because if you hadn't guessed by now...

I really love seasons of change.

p.s. I ended my last post by asking all 'lurkers' to respond to a question. I guess I have no lurkers!! And if I do, they ought to feel guilty for making me believe that no one reads my blog. :)
p.p.s. A "lurker" is someone who often reads a blog but never/rarely leaves a comment. Rob thought I should explain that.

If you hang out at the Balfours (which you are welcome to do)...

...you will witness some or all of the following things on any given day:Princess panties on the head. She was pretty excited when I came home from my shopping trip with this treasure. So excited, I suppose,that she had to wear two pairs.

Ellie saying, "You hab a smile?" and giving you this look right before she knows she's going to get into trouble.

Riding the "donkey".

Hanging with good friends like Kiley.

Fake sleeping during any slow song on the "Bullfrogs and Butterflies" cassette tape we borrowed from my mom and listen to every morning. And dancing crazy dances during all the fast ones.

Enjoying Arrowroot cookies in the park.

Going double on the swings. It's pretty sweet actually...I only have to push one swing this way. :)

Drool...lots and lots of drool.

Ellie combing her hair...and giving all her farm animals a bath.
Give the child a comb, a tap, and a few bowls and contentment reigns.

You will most definitely witness us enjoying the awesome fall weather! I love this season!

For any lurkers out there (if there are any!) what is one unique thing that happens every day in YOUR house?

Joshua is 8 months

Joshua turned 8 months yesterday, and is more fun and lovable than ever!

I haven't been much into keeping track if Joshua's doing the proper milestones at the proper times, but I did happen to look the other day and read that age 8 months is when babies really start to explore their world more than ever before. This is so true of Joshua. Him and his little index finger. He'll sit and examine a screw in the coffee table, or a crumb on the kitchen table, or a tiny string with that little index finger, for minutes on end, always looking a bit startled if you interrupt his concentration.

Other favorite new activities include:

1.Rolling around like a maniac on my bed, making it officially impossible for me to go and warm his bottle while him and Ellie watch a video before bed.

2. Turning off the light switch while Ellie's in the bathtub and listening to her scream every time he does it. He gets so excited he almost jumps out of my arms.

3. Playing peekaboo with Ellie

4. Playing pass the soother...putting it in his own mouth, then ours, then his...etc.

5. Shrieking at the top of his lungs like some sort of dinosaur and waving his hands like a gymnastics instructor for long periods of time.

6. Eating whatever we're eating.
This is followed by number five.

So far there's no news in the mobility department - no real signs of crawling. Perhaps his brain is too busy popping out teeth: 4 teeth in one week! Grand total is 7 teeth so far. I'm happy they're coming out all at once, since he doesn't seem to enjoy the process.

Anyhow, Joshua, I love you to bits and pieces. You are my little man forever!

An hour at the park...but a whole lotta pictures!

On Monday all the men in my family (my dad, Rob and my two brother-in-laws) went hiking for the day, so my mom, sister and I decided to have a girls day. It began with a picnic at the park. Aside from the wasps and looming clouds overhead, it was a great time. And as we all know, looming clouds make pictures turn out better, so I went to town. :) Here's only a few:

Ring-around-the-rosy.

Ellie pouting because Regan won't play ring-around-the-rosy with her anymore.

What you get when you ask two toddlers eating cookies to smile.

Regan's had two incidents with her front teeth in the last little while. The most recent one actually pushed her one little tooth up into her gums. If you think of her, please pray for healing as it's she obviously still experiences quite a bit of pain in her mouth. She's awfully cute though, don't you think?

After, we actually managed to watch a whole movie while all the kids napped! Add in mom's most awesome pizza buns for supper, and all in all it was a wonderful day.

Ellie-isms Part III

Ellie woke up this morning and told me she had something in her nose (mucus, namely :) and has had watery eyes and a runny nose all day. It's been so long since she's been sick, I forgot how awful it makes me feel when there's nothing I can really do to make it better. I'm so thankful for healthy kids. Anyhow, some recent Ellie-isms for y'all:Ellie was pretty proud of her new pencil crayon storage spot. "Look mommy. The giraffe has really long boogers!"

When putting Ellie to sleep at night she'll often request a song that we've never heard of. If we're not feeling particularly creative that evening, the conversation will go a little like this:
Ellie: "Sing the lamp song, Mommy."
Mommy: "I don't know that song. Pick another one."
Ellie: "Paweeeeeeeeease sing the lamp song! Paweeeeeease!"
Mommy: "I really don't know that song! You'll have to sing it, Ellie."
Ellie: "No YOU sing it!"
Mommy (starting to giggle): "I just don't know it, Ellie! Pick another one."
Ellie: "Paweeeeeeeease the lamp one??!!!"
Mommy: "Twinkle twinkle little star...."

Conversation at breakfast last week:
Rob: "Ellie, you have a cornflake stuck to your cheek like a big mole."
Ellie: "I'm not a mole, I'm Ellie!"
Rob: "I didn't say you ARE a mole. I said you HAVE a mole. There's a difference."
Ellie: "I'm not a difference, I'm Ellie!"

If she says _____ she really means_______:
"paper map" -- paper towel
"ferris wheel" -- wheel barrow
"band aid" -- a head band
"sunscreen" -- the screen door

"put me in a suitcase" -- tuck her in real tight for night

Corn on the cob

I think the following photos are self-explanatory:

Except for maybe this one. :) Rob has discovered that his one crooked tooth up top (which he affectionately calls his 'fang') is actually good for something! He's developed this (very sophisticated) technique of rubbing his 'fang' along the cob of corn to maximize the amount of corn morsels that make it into his mouth. As you can see, it makes him quite happy and proud. And messy.

A Day (and a heartstopping moment) at the Beach

Last week Tuesday I took the kids to the beach. Ninety-five percent of the day was a total blast. The other 5% was pure horror for a mom! Before I go on, let me say that Ellie is fine. She didn't drown or even come close, but here's the story:

So there were lots of us at the beach. My mom, the four young cousins of mine that she had camping with her, my brother-in-law Nathan and my niece Regan, Regan's 2 cousins, plus our friends Andrew and Ruth and their three kids. Needless to say, it was busy. Lunch time rolled around and I decided to feed Josh his lunch first while Ellie played by the side of the water with the other kids. I asked my mom to keep an eye on her which was no problem...she didn't appear to be going anywhere. About five minutes into Joshua's lunch I hear my mom call up to me (where I'm sitting in the shade) "Do you know where Ellie is?" Of course, I'm not worried at first. There are so many kids around that she's probably just blended into the crowd somehow. Well, we start scanning the beach, and can't see her anywhere. So I call to Nathan and Andrew and ask them to look, too. My cousins are also looking. Ellie is nowhere. By this time my heart is beginning to pound and three things keep circulating through my brain: "Did someone take her? Is she under the water? Is this the worst day of my life?" After what was probably only a minute of looking (which felt like an eternity) I suddenly see this little brown-haired head floating face-down in the water. I completely lost it. "MOM!" I said, instantly crying. "She's floating! She's floating!" (I guess you don't really think about whether what you're saying actually makes sense when you think your child is dead.) My mom took three big steps towards the water before realizing that it wasn't Ellie (it was some little kid floating that way for fun). "That's not her!" she said, and I instantly felt foolish, but totally relieved. But now I'm thinking she's kidnapped. I can't even explain how nauseous I felt, though I'm sure some of you who've gone through this would understand completely. Suddenly one of my cousins calls from the other side of the beach, "She's on the playground!!" I make a beeline for the playground, and there she is, happy as a lark in her too-big pink shades and white sun hat, having a great old time...all by herself. Maybe I should have, but at the time I didn't make much of an effort to explain to her what she'd done wrong. There were too many people around who were 'sort of' taking care of her for her to feel obligated to tell any of them where she was going. Plus I was so INSANELY relieved and grateful that she was alive that all I could do was hug her and try to stop my limbs from shaking. And watch her like a hawk for the rest of the day. :)
I didn't post about this last week, because even now (over a week later) I get all worked up just thinking about it. Incidents like this one sure make you do a reality check...and put little things in perspective. All I can say is thank you Lord for our two healthy, wonderful, crazy little kids.