Happy Birthday Paul and Miriam!!

Check out my cake!!  I know my limitations and how to cheat to rise above them :)  And for the record, Rebekah frosted the muffins above the cake and that was REALLY a stroke of brilliance on my part.  She LOVED doing it AND they looked about as good as I could have done them.

Yep, you got that total right.  This day one year ago, Miriam was finally emerging, just in time for dinner.  And this day two years before Miriam's entrance, Paul was popping out, just in time for lunch!  Such considerate children to let mamma not be "late to the table" on their days of birth :)

Without further ado I bring you. . . random facts and trivia involving these two wonderful additions to our family.

This was from our immediate family celebration yesterday (on their actual birthday and the day I started this post).  I could not get him to smile for me today for some reason - too many people and too busy!!

Paul

*He is in the "Why?" phase, full swing.  Yesterday at the store he probably asked me AT LEAST 100 times if he could have some candy (as they seemed to have it in every aisle, at exactly his level) and each time I would say "no" (or something to that affect) and he would respond with an emphatic (sometimes a little moany, and often a bit surprised, which was surprising to me), "WHY?"  Unfortunately, answering the question was not the correct way to stop this line of thinking as he kept asking and I kept answering throughout the entirety of that shopping trip.

*Paul likes to talk about himself in third person: "It's Paul," or "that's Paul's toy," or "Paul's gonna play soccer!"

*He catches onto the ends of words or phrases.  For example, we go to the "seum," (museum) he jumps on the "lean" (trampoline), we watch the "teen bears" (Berenstain Bears), and Jacob's parent educator is "Mrs. Leen" (Eileen).

*Paul's favorite snack is the left-over cereal on Miriam's high chair tray.  Sometimes he does not even wait for her to finish.

*He can open his on van door now and buckle the five-point harness on his carseat, all by himself!

*Paul likes to put his own clothes on.  He has just recently started getting them on the way they should be (instead of backwards or inside out).

*Paul is really into trains right now, but racecars are ok, too.  And if you could hear him say "mokercycle" you would ask him to talk about them all day.

Miriam in her new car!!

Miriam

*She loves to climb on things.  A few days ago I found her kneeling on top of the table, shredding the paper napkins.  (Never a dull moment around here.)

*Some of her favorite foods are mashed potatoes, meatballs, and yogurt. . . not necessarily all at once :)

*Her babbling is really adorable.  (But all parents say that, right?)  I especially enjoy her "tssss" sound.

*Miriam still loves nursing and this makes mamma happy.

*She is the most petite child for her age thus far.  Note: I am not saying she is petite, I am saying she is the smallest for her age, in this family.

*Miriam LOVES to take baths with her brother, Paul.  He will splash her and she just laughs.  She REALLY likes him and loves when he plays with her.

*Paul refers to her as "Meeum."

*Gordie sometimes blows gentle in her face, making her close her eyes and her hair blow just a little.  This always makes her smile and sometimes she tries to blow back.

When the ways of people please the Lord, he causes even their enemies to be at peace with them.  (Proverbs 16:7)

Paul actually got this yesterday (at our family celebration- we figured it would be easier to "reveal it" that way, before all our fun company came for the day after celebrations of today!)

Miriam and Grandma

Dear Paul and Miriam, you are two of the sweetest children I have known.  I pray that your ways may please God always and your hearts be ever close to Him who is our peace.  Much love to you on your birthday and always!!