I love you - or not (Tot Talk Tuesday)

Turtle says "I love you". It sounds more like "ah wuwoo" and my brother says it reminds him of those youtube videos of talking dogs. But it's close enough to the real thing to completely melt my heart.

I've been desperately trying to get him to perform this for the camera, but he will not cooperate. I've taken 6 video clips today of me constantly saying I love you to him and pulling his thumb out of his mouth and trying to get him to say it back. This boy says I love you about 10 times a day. Especially when I'm putting the girls to bed. But he won't do it for the camera.

So here's the closest thing I got. On Christmas night, with his thumb in his mouth and he said it sooo half heartedly. Oh well, it's better than nothing.



And for your amusement, here's a talking dog from youtube






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Read what a Tot Talk Tuesday is and how you can join in here, remember to include the following code in your blog

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And please do join in! The more the merrier!

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Turtle's reflection on Christmas

Try to tell me he's not the cutest boy ever.



We had a fun day. The kids did very well with it all. A couple minor melt downs, but nothing unexpected. I'm blessed.

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Everybody loves a blooper reel

Uncle Doug put this funny and cute blooper reel of Ikaya together for a nice Christmas bonus. It's good timing since I don't have an episode this week.

I hope you enjoy and have a giggle.

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I don't have the heart to stop him

Zoe came to me excitedly telling me that a squirrel was eating our chair. What an imagination she must have.

Then I saw it for myself. He has been tearing our patio chair open, ripping out the stuffing and taking it with him, presumably to keep him warm for the winter. We're going to have to repair it, restuff it and stitch a patch on. And I should take the cushions all in the house to stop him from causing any more damage...but I don't have the heart to. Because he needs to stay warm in the winter. *sigh*

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Praise you in this storm

After viewing the movie I made for Stellan, a lady named Eva asked me if I would make one for another baby, named Kayleigh.

So I've spent the past couple of days reading the blog about Kayleigh while collecting images and text for the movie, and praying that God would show me the right song to use.

This is an incredible little girl. Due to placenta issues, her parents were told she wouldn't survive in utero. Her mother got severe pre eclampsia and Kayleigh was born weighing only 1lb. That was 10 months ago. She has since been through many ups and downs, and even open heart surgery.

Unfortunately a recent surgery has left her severely brain damaged and the Drs say her days are numbered. Please pray for this family.

I came across many gut wrenching, beautiful songs that I desired to use for their video, but as I prayed about it, I felt this, albeit mainstream, song was more suited to this couple and their story. They never give up hope, even at this stage they are praying for a miracle.



Please join with the others who are praying for this baby and her family.

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Signing milk

Turtle can do the milk sign. He signs milk when he's nursing, when he wants to nurse, and when he just wants a drink of water (hasn't quite figured out the difference yet). Here he is signing milk for a drink of water (remember he has half Rene's genes)



I don't know what the weird breath holding thing was all about. That was the only time he's done that. He was just being silly I guess.

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Baby Stellan

I've mentioned this baby before. His name is Stellan and his mommy has a very popular blog and a massive twitter following.

She is a crunchy Christian mother, who writes beautifully and shares many wonderful stories and thoughts through the blogosphere. During her pregnancy with Stellan (she also has 3 other kids, 4 and under), she was told her baby had a heart condition and wouldn't survive to be born. She continued with the pregnancy and people all over the world prayed hard. And her baby was born, apparently perfect, apparently healed. Read his story here

But a month ago, his heart flipped into SVT again, and he's been in hospital since then, has flown to Boston with his mom (while she leaves behind her young children and husband back in MN) to have a surgery which was unsuccessful; meanwhile the world is praying, taking photos of his name, making news reports, buying bracelets and constantly checking for twitter updates in hopes that this sweet baby will pull through.


I heard a song on the radio today (technically yesterday, since it's after midnight now) and thought of Stellan. So I did what I do, and I made a video.
Warning, get a kleenex before you watch it.




Please pray for Stellan.

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I'm home

I will regret this video later probably. I'm swollen and look really stupid.

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Indecision

It's so hard to make a decision when you're 2 years old.

I had just finished changing Zoe's diaper and she was fighting me when I tried to put her trousers (no I don't call them "pants" yet, that means underpants in Scotland and I can't bring myself to call them that) on. So eventually I gave up and said "ok, you can keep your trousers off".

As soon as I said that, she decided she wanted them on after all, but then when I agreed to put them on her, she changed her mind. And it went on like this for quite some time. As I was crouching down to help her (in front of a laundry basket of clean clothes and a pile of stinky ones - sorry about catching that on camera) I noticed my flip was right there in arms reach, so I figured I'd capture her temper tantrum. I know, it seems cruel, but she was doing it anyway, and it makes memories...




After I pressed stop she fought with me for a bit about whether she wanted a hug or not, but eventually agreed to one and we snuggled on the couch beside Turtle, and within 2 minutes she was laughing and bouncing away as normal. Ahhh 2s.

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Scottish word of the week - 12

TOATIE (toe - tee) adj. meaning small

i.e. "My Granny was a toatie wee woman"

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Little Sister

Just more than a week until my baby girl turns 2. I can't believe how fast it's passing. Zoe is so full of charisma and mischief and conversation. I can't imagine life without her.

Here's a song we sing affectionately to her, and I do feel a tad guilty when she sings along and doesn't quite realize what the song means. We do love her, really. The song mentions being 1 year old so I figured I'd better hurry and get it finished before she turns 2. I've used photos from the past year *sniff sniff* quite emotional looking through them all.

I had to split it in two to upload to smugmug.

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Concert

Saturday afternoon, I sat down to write a grocery list, we were planning to leave right after to do the shopping. It takes me about an hour to write the list (I am trying to plan a diverse, wholesome, tasty weekly menu using mostly whole foods, vegetarian and also on a tight budget. It takes some planning to make it work!) By the time I had finished the list I had muscle aches, chills, a sinus headache and felt dizzy. Not just because I hate grocery shopping, but because I was fast coming down with an infection.

I went straight to bed where I pretty much stayed until today. Rene took the day off yesterday, he wasn't feeling good either, plus he helped take care of us. I'm still feeling pretty rough, but was at least up and about today. Poor Lana though, she had it for a couple days before I got it and is still extremely ill.


Anyway, enough moaning. I went to a concert on Thursday night, back when I still felt great! I had an awesome time. It was one of my favourite bands, Vota (previously called casting pearls), who I loved when we lived in Scotland, they were one of the first bands I ever paid for music to put on my ipod. I love them. Then I discovered last year they were from Lincoln, NE. Woah. Then recently I learned they are from my church!! I often see the lead singer picking up his kids from the same Sunday school as me, and I'm standing right next to him, feeling star struck. It's soooooooo cool.
Anyway they were the support band. And they were awesome.




And then the main act was David Crowder Band. I've always thought they were okish, wrote good material but I wasn't blown away by the band itself. But I was very impressed with their live performance. Such an awesome atmosphere in that place, so worshipful. It really enjoyed it.

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She makes him happy

He wants to be just like her.

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The vision

This is the vision I am blessed to get to see every day. Is he not the sweetest darling ever in the whole world? Well, him and his sisters of course.
Here he is being naturally cute on camera

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Scottish word of the week - 10

The word is: DROOKIT

adj. meaning wet.
eg. "I was oot in the rain fer 2 hours and I'm drookit."

Watch the video

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Baby Talk

Listen to this chatterbox

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Zoe talking

She was talking about some scary butterfly she saw on the computer. It was actually a dragon.

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A Buddy Ha Ha

Zoe likes the Veggie Tales song, "Belly Button".

Sorry, let me rephrase that, without the mega understatement. Zoe is OBSESSED with the Belly Button song. She calls it "A Buddy Ha Ha" and it has to be on the computer on repeat all day or else she totally flips out and is not content until we put it back on again.

This is a typical scene of her requesting "A Buddy Ha Ha"




Thing is, she doesn't really sing along apart from this one word. There's a rap part in the song, and a line that goes, "We can offer a prosthetic but of course you'd have to know, it'd be covered by your shirt, but not your HMO"
The backing vocals come in to reinforce the word "shirt" and so does Zoe. It's the only word she joins in for and she shouts it loud.

Problem is, she doesn't pronounce the "r", which makes it sound like a completely different word. And she's taken to spontaneously shouting it out of context, I guess when she hears the song playing in her head. I'm thinking I might have some explaining to do at church!

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7 years

It's been 7 years since Heather died. I made a video to remind me of all I have to look forward to one day.

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Scottish Word Of The Week - 5

Not really doing these weekly...I'll try to keep up better this time...


Today's word is

WHEESHT

Essentially it means shut up. I thought you'd like to hear it explained in a Scottish accent though. I'll make this segment be a video blog from now on, featuring special guest Rene Docherty.

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