Quotes from Elizabeth

I know I haven't blogged much lately. It's been a combination of 2 things - 1) nothing much has really been going on and 2) Facebook (the ultimate timewaster).

So, since I still have the problem of #1, I thought I'd try to fulfill my blog quota by posting random quotes from Elizabeth.

Earlier today, I caught Elizabeth blowing kisses at the ceiling. When I asked her what she was doing, she said she was "sending kisses up to God". How precious. I think I need to do more of that myself.

Elizabeth caught David off-guard earlier this week by running up and giving him a big hug and telling him, "Daddy, when I grow up, I want to marry a man who treats me just like you do." (Yes, Mommy has been telling her she should do that for a while now, but it was her idea to share it with Daddy!) It was extra sweet, because we had friends over who got to hear it (and see David about to cry).

Elizabeth has been very adamant lately that she wants to have a baby girl when she grows up (must run in the family, huh, Aunt Amy?). When I told her that God gets to choose what kind of baby she had, she said that was alright, "as long as God chooses a girl!"

Speaking of babies, a few weeks ago, Gran was here and was telling Elizabeth about another little girl who was about to become a big sister. Elizabeth's eyes got really wide, then she tiptoed over, put her hand on my belly and told me that she wanted to be a big sister too. Since that's not in the plans for our family, I had to think fast. So, I appealed to her darker side - I told her that if we had a baby, she would have to share all of her toys. Plus, I would be busy taking care of the baby and wouldn't be able to play with her as much. So, she quickly decided we didn't need a baby after all. (Thank goodness!)

We have a winner!

After lots of discussions and poring over the color catalog, we have agreed on a paint color. Actually, David hated the color at first, but I think I harassed him enough that he has finally given in. He should know by now that he is no match for my stubbornness. :) Whatever it takes, you know!

David affectionately calls it "orange", but the actual color is "ginger bite." It's hard to describe - kind of a peachy brown. It's a few shades lighter than the glaze on the cabinets and the floor color. I think it will look very nice. I was especially excited to see that Erin (the color expert) picked it out as a good choice before she even knew that was what I was considering.

Here's the color swatch, although it looks a little different on the walls:



And, here are a few patches of it on the walls (it's the lighter of the two colors - I actually really liked the brown also, but was afraid it would be too dark when it was on all the walls):







Now, on to the tile selection...

I wish we could skip this part

This afternoon, I took Elizabeth to a birthday party for a girl in her preschool class. She was so excited about the party that she literally asked about it at least once every 5 minutes from 7am until 1:30pm - the time we had to leave the house for the party. (It was a loooooong morning!)

The party was held in a gymnastics center, with tons of things to play with and do. It was quite an experience! Elizabeth had a fantastic time, and managed to wear herself out so much that she even took a nap this afternoon.

But, I noticed that Elizabeth was just playing by herself most of the time. Now, of course, most of that is because she's still not very adventurous and a lot of the other kids were rough and tumble, so she seemed to feel safer playing away from them. But, when I asked her if she wanted to go play with a little girl that was in her preschool class, she got a sad look on her face and told me, "She doesn't like me very much. I like her, but she doesn't like me."

With those words, all of a sudden, the horrible, painful memories of my own childhood social situations came rushing back to me, and it just broke my heart. I guess I always assumed Elizabeth would be the most popular, sought-after girl around. I mean, how on earth could anyone not like my sweet little girl? Don't they see how absolutely precious she is? Or maybe I just hoped that she would not be shy and ill at ease around other children like I was. I guess I was forgetting that she really is my mini-me - in more than just looks. Ugh! How is it that this awful social stuff can start when she's only 3 years old? They're too young for this!

Now that I'm grown, I realize that those popular little twits aren't important. Inside, they're just as insecure as everyone else. There are lots of other nice little girls that will love to have my nice little girl as a friend. She shouldn't even think twice about it - it's their loss, not hers. But, I wonder if I'll be able to convince her of that. After all, I remember my own mother saying those very same things to me...and I never quite believed her. At least, not until I was over the age of 20 or so... I pray that Elizabeth will be a quicker social learner than I was.

Another kitchen update

It's been a busy week at our house. In the course of a week, we had our kitchen cabinets, appliances, and granite countertop installed. And, most importantly, we even had the new kitchen sink installed and hooked up. Yeah for running water!

Plus, the contractor finished the kitchen floor and stairs. Only a few more hours of work, and we should be able to say goodbye to that contractor altogether (YEAH!). Now, we just have to wait for our new kitchen furniture to arrive, pick out the tile backsplash and have it installed, and choose a paint color. Pretty exciting!

Here are the latest pictures:







Tonight, David made us a wonderful homemade dinner, and even bought me flowers to celebrate. Isn't he sweet?



Now, we need some help. Any suggestions for paint colors? Here are some pictures of the granite, cabinets, and floor:









All suggestions welcome!