JESUS MUST HAVE A LOT OF MONEY

Sierra was inhaling some of her father's wisdom, and spouting off a bit of her own, while hiking up a beautiful woodland path. She was memorized by her surrounding. She kept exclaiming, "I am so happy to be in the beautiful day." Nate often sites that his girls hunger for nature as much as he does and that eventually I will have to surrender my desire to be a hermit or be left behind. This was my first attempt at an outdoor excursion for a full day with both girls.

I was in awe of the beauty of the woods. A peaceful slow moving river sauntered beside the path. Limestone rock and bright green trees ran up the hills on both sides of the journey. Tree leaves hung like canopies over the path keeping the heat from us.

Nate took Sierra down by the river and gave her an enotomology lecture. He would over turn rocks along the river bed and hunt out assorted life forms in various life stages. At one point he even pried a fly larvae from its home. I was slightly grossed out but Sierra loved ever minute of it and met each new bug with, "Oh,wow!"

Occationally during our trek, a low rumble would sound in the distance and grow louder and louder until the sound of rushing wind would pierce our ears and a large locomotive would come barreling down the canyon.

Madison was content to sit on the shore of the river and scavenger for empty snack wrapping. (She loves paper.)

Sierra was content to continue over turning rocks and discover more bugs. She found this earthworm under a rock in the river. She carried it around and said she was going to take it home with her and put it on her snuggly pillow and read it stories, but before long the worm was torn in half. She asked me what was going to happen to the worm. I explained the worm was an asexual organism and would just turn into two worms. She got really excited about that. Eventually she loved the poor worm to death, literally. She was worried when it stopped wiggling and decide to lay it on a rock, so it could sleep. She suggested that perhaps the poor thing was tired. Perhaps.

Sierra asked while we were hiking, "Mom, did Jesus create all the leaves, and all the trees, and all the bugs and all the rocks and all rivers?" I said, "Yes." She said, "Wow mom he must have a lot of money," which made me laugh.

On our way out of the gorge the cool breeze blew softly around us. I felt my spirit grow happier with every footstep and I sensed maybe my obstinance was a facade. Maybe a part of me also longs for nature.

If you want to visit this beautiful place, you can google Little Juanita River. I saw some boys tubing the river and it looked like a blast. The river is feed by a cold spring, so beware tubing is an August experience.

ZOO AGAIN

Can you ever get enough of the zoo when you only live a few blocks away? I think not. I love the zoo. We met a few friends on Wednesday and walked around the zoo. We had a great time. I loved every minute of it. We laughed and talked and enjoyed the beautiful day.

Madison got to enjoy the zoo queen of sheba style. Sierra is sometimes jealous her sister gets to ride in the chariot and she has to walk. I find it a little odd though. Sierra would never stay in the stroller when she was little. I spent a lot of the day pushing around an empty stroller. Now that her sister is riding around in the stroller she want to, go figure? She tries to find away to hang on and hitch a ride everytime I am not looking.

Sierra loves all the animals at the zoo. She was trying to decide what she wants to learn about next. We have been learning about rocks. We are making a list. First, flowers, and after that...bears. Inspired partly by bears at the zoo, which she sometimes thinks are going to escape from the zoo and climb up to our house. Don't think that is possible, but in her mind anything is possible.

Sierra petting a kangaroo. This is the first time she has been able to pet the kagaroos. Ever time you go to the zoo you get to discover something new.

MADISON-PO-RADISON-BO-BADISON-SO-SADISON-MY-MADISON

I love this little MJ but she has had a rough few days. She wants to be held or she cries. Need I say more?

THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HUMMMM!

CONVERSATION 1

Me: Madison, you thought if you laid quietly in your bedroom for an hour and then started talking cute, you would get out of your nap, didn't you? Well, I guess you were right.
CC: Madison chose the right! Oh, good now I can get a bean for my jar. If Madison choosed the right then I can have a bean. Good job Madison! Good job. (In a higher pitch voice meant for MJ's ears.) Madison, I will share my beans with you. Yes, I will.


CONVERSATION 2

Me: CC, if you don't go back to your room and read quietly I am not going to make you a bubble bath.
CC: What? You aren't going to make me laugh?


CONVERSATION 3

CC(Monologue): Mom, yesterday I picked one of my boogers and it was on my finger. Then I decided to put it in my mouth. Then I got it off my tongue with my arm. Then I wiped it with a piece of toilet paper. Then I put the paper in the toilet. Then I got it out of the toilet. Then I squished the toilet paper into a ball. Now it is right here. (Holding up a dried out piece of waded toilet paper in the shape of a ball.)
Me: Thanks for telling me.


CONVERSATION 4

CC(In her bubble bath.) Mom take some of these bubbles to your bedroom.
Me: No.
CC: Why?
Me: Bubbles stay in the bath.
CC: No they don't, (In a solemn reverent voice.) because they are of God.

GARBAGE CONTAINERS?

The versatility of an empty garbage container. Sierra turned them into bassinets for her babies. Meet Andrew and Anne. She has been playing with them by herself, as happy as can be, all morning.

FRIENDS AT LAST

I think Shandra would agree that this is the first visit Brooklynn and Sierra got a long. At one point they were navigating the back yard while holding hands. I love little Brookie Brookie Lynn Lynn and am glad they are finally friends. The hardest part is three is always a crowd and Jennifer was a little left out. It seems Sierra can play with Jennifer or Brooklynn but not both.

Brooklynn playing in the bubble mixture we made.

Sierra and Brooklynn in the playhouse playing mother and baby. At one point Sierra was pretending she was the baby and she had an ouchy. Brooklynn put her arms around her and said, "Oh, baby, it is okay. I will get a Bandaid for it."

Jennifer being friends with Madison-po-radison. She was being Madison-po-radison for the first time at Shandra's house. Shandra actually got her to laugh and she let Jennifer hold her several times. This picture was taken near the end of our visit, so her expression is not on par with the rest of our visit.

Sierra is currently under the computer desk torturing me by running an ice cube up and down my legs. Just this second she said, "Don't move your leg it is melting fast. When you move your leg it makes me break the ice. Hold still. It's not funny." I better go give her some attention.

GAS

This is embarrassing but my sister is getting tired of my story board posts and wants a real story. Here is a story. Those who are a little more sensitive can skip this post all together.

Tonight I was in reading to Sierra about rocks. She is obsessed. She was getting more and more hyper with every turn of the page. How a three year old gets hyper from reading a book about rocks is beyond me. "Mom," she would say, "Wow look at that beautiful rock it looks just like grapes." Every rock looked like something and she wanted me to read every word. She became more and more hyper. Her favorite of course was when we found the picture of a diamond. She loves diamonds. Imagine, not just a rock but a sparkling beautiful white rock. She likes diamonds not because they are expensive, but merely because they are beautiful rocks. Anyway, at the height of her hyperness, she dives under the covers and starts laughing, and this awful noise comes out from the covers. Then she immediately pops her head up laughing. She was followed by a green cloud of sulfuric gas (not really but you get my point). She says, "Mom, I dived under the covers so you wouldn't smell my poops." I said, "If you didn't want me to smell them, you needed to stay under the covers a little bit longer." Wow, she can pack some heat.

GO FOR A WALK

Park entrance.


One of many statues.


Madison is starting to get use to the swing. She is a little unsure though.

Sierra's favorite attraction at the park. She yells, "Higher! Higher! Faster! Faster!" until the centrifugal force of the tire swing becomes so great her tiny sweaty hands can barely hold on.

A nice neighborhood to stroll through.

Tiny hands reaching outside the stroller exploring nature through her finger tips

CATHEDRAL OF HOPE

Since the first time we drove to the East Liberty Library Sierra has begged to go into the castle and see the beautiful princesses. I have tried to convince her that it isn't a castle it is a church but she doesn't believe me. How could the architecture resemble a castle so closely and it not be a castle.

Well, I was so proud of myself because after three years I finally walked over to the castle and asked if we could have a tour. I guess they don't offer tours but you are welcome to sign in and walk around, if you would like. The man at the front desk was so kind. He didn't laugh at Sierra when she said, "Where do the princesses live?" I tried to explain again that it wasn't a castle it was a church. Then she started singing 'I love to see the temple.' We really just went into the inner sanctuary and looked around and took pictures. The man at the front desk said to take as many as we would like but the only time the lights are turn on is Sunday because it is really expensive to run the electricity in the building. I am sure due to the fact that it was erected in 1932 and the electricity hasn't been updated since. Wish I could have taken better pictures but with no light, on an overcast day, with my camera, this was the best I could do.

Sierra checking the doors to find away into the castle. You have to enter from Highland Park Ave.

Stain Glass windows in the sanctuary.

The best picture I was able to take.

A cross floating by the front podium.

The front of the room.

Sierra dazing outside the Cathedral of Hope. She really loved it and wanted to explore the entire building. I shouldn't have brought a stroller because it would have been more easy to navigate. I really thought it was a beautiful church. I wonder what the acoustics sound like? Wish I could join the choir just to sing in the room one time. Here is their web address www.cathedralofhope.org. There is a cafe. You can have lunch on the lawn, listen to an outdoor band, and explore the building in the summer. I would say it is definitely a must do in Pittsburgh. I don't know why it took me so long to get the courage to ask.

EAST LIBERTY LIBRARY

Welcome to the East Liberty Library. I love this place. It is the first place I drove to after learning how to drive a manual. It isn't that far from home. We have made friends with the librarians. We have explored all sorts of interesting books. Sierra has discovered a love for reading from going here almost every other week. She can choose as many books as she wants and she usually wants at least twenty. We can check out up to five children/family DVD's. She loves this. There are no fines on children's materials through out the inner city carneigie library system. I love this. You can check the materials out for as long as your child loves it. If several months pass, they will send you a bill for the bbok or DVD, but all you have to do is return it and they remove the charge.

When you enter the parking be sure to avoid the pigeons. They are typically all over and have made the parking lot their home. They seem to have no fear of cars and just meander across right in front of you as you are driving.

You are going to laugh. I always look for the busted meters at the library, so we can stay as long as we want. Blessing sometimes come in mysterious ways. Occasionally we have had to pay to park but very rarely, sadly people keep busting the meters. :)

I really love this fountain out front of the library.

Can you tell this is one of Sierra's second homes?

Sierra is really into rocks. She wants to identify them and collect them. We checked out a number of books on rocks today. She was elated.

MJ even loves to play at the library.

Sierra got to learn a bit of simple orgami today at the library. They had a retired school teacher teaching children oragami. I was suprised at how good she was at it and how much she loved it.

Sierra suggested we stop at the golden arches for an ice cream cone on the way home. Good idea!

JUST FOR A LAUGH

Yesterday I got a random phone call:

Person on the other end of the line (P): Hello.
Me: Hello.
(P): Mrs. Lisa McKnight.
Me: Yes
(P): How are you today?
Me: Fine
(P) I am calling from the Allegheny Cemetary to let you know that you have won a burial plot worth the equivilant of $750.
Me: Really
(P): Yes, there is no obligation to you. You just need to come down to the Allegheny Cemetary and claim your prize.
Me: (I started to laugh.) I am not interested.
I hung up.

I thought of all ways in which this was one of the weirdest phone calls I have ever had. I think it was a scam but if it was true can you imagine calling up your family and friends and saying "Guess what I won? You can't imagine. It is so awesome. I won... (Wait for it. Wait for it.) a burial plot.

Then put yourself in the shoes of the person who was making the phone call, "Hello, congradulations! I am just calling to let you know that you, Mrs. McKnight, have been selected from hundreds of people, in a random drawing, to win your very own super-sized, just incase you are a fatty, burial plot.

TESSIE SUE, MADDIE LOU, AND KATIE TOO.

Welcome to the world Tessie Sue. We loved you from the moment we concieved you in our hearts. You are one of the most beautiful things I think I have ever seen.


This is your sweet dear cousin MJ. I hope you grow up to be the dearest friends in all the world. (I picked a picture of her when she was in the hospital. She has grown a little since. She may look a little bigger than you now but in a year or two you will hardly be able to tell you are 6 1/2 months apart.)


Here is your amazingly beautiful cousin Kate. Isn't she gorgeous?

You are our dearest three little angels. Hopefully you will soon meet, and become the dearest friends.

15 THINGS ABOUT MJ.

I thought I would tell my family that has never met MJ a little about her.

1. She learned to sit up on her own this week. Watching a baby sit up for me is a new thing, Sierra was always moving so much she never could figure out how to sit.

2. Her favorite toy in the world is her red phone. The other day she had it while we were walking through the store and she was holding it tightly in her fist and shaking it and laughing. We always have it close. The saddest is the toy isn't really church appropriate.

3. She is best little napper. She naps twice a day for two hours each time. I kiss her on the cheek and leave. Occasionally she fusses a little bit, but lately she has just closed her eyes and gone to sleep.

4. She loves fabric all types and textures. If you give her a rag or a blanket she will run her little fingers all over it, lay on it, put it in her mouth and just explore it anyway she can.

5. She won't go to sleep without music. She won't stay asleep without music. She typically wakes up once a night and sleeps for two hours each nap. She will wake up every hour if you forget to set the radio on repeat.




6. Her favorite things is to sit on my lap watch the news and don't tell anyone, eat chocolate chips. Yes, she loves them. I only let her have a couple at a time and have only broken them out on a few occasions but she goes nuts.

7. She can get anywhere she wants to go lately. She wants to be down on the ground moving around. Last week she scooted under the pew until she hit Melanie's feet. She picked her up and held her for a few minutes, which leads to number eight.

8. She only lasted a few minutes because she is obsessed with her mother. She screams when I leave the room at home (I am sure in part because she is afraid her sister will try to pick her up and help her walk again.). She screams when anyone tries to hold her. My friends Joy and Bethany have cared for her and watched her more than any of my other friends and she still screams when they take her.

9. Her favorite game is to rest her head on my chest until I say, "Ahhhh." Then she will pop her head up and smile and then do it again.

10. She loves paper. You could give her the world just by putting her on the floor in front of some paper. She goes nuts. The only problem is a lot of it ends up in her mouth. It gets all soggy and she starts to choke. You have to be careful when you want her to indulge in the luxury of her favorite thing.

12. Everyone who sees her has the first comment of, "Wow, she looks a lot like her father." I am not a hundred percent convinced but I do see a lot of Nate in her face.

13. Madison has been give a lot of nick names. We call her Miss Matters, MJ, Matters, Maddie Moo, Mattertons, Madison-po-radison (When she is being awesome.), Madison-po-badison (When she being ornery.), Mads and of course Madison. I have the next title for my next children's book. Tessie Su, Maddie Lou, and Katie too.

14. This year we had three Craven girl grandbabies born in the same year. This is the first time more than one grandbaby was born in a year and we have three, all girls. MJ has two girl cousins her same age and grade in school. Names are Madison, Tessie and Kate.

15. NUMBER ONE REALLY. MJ loves her sister. She watches her like a hawk. She can't even focus on nursing when her sister is in the room. Sometimes I have to send CC to her her room while I feed MJ. She can get her to laugh those hard belly laughs like no one else can. Right now MJ is in her play gym and Sierra is walking forward a few feet and turning her head sharply toward MJ and laughing, and MJ is laughing. They won't go to sleep when I put them in their room together, at the same time. Sierra will read to MJ or jump on her bed, so MJ can see her. Sometimes I will let it go on for hours, because I think it is so cute, but I always regret it later. MJ will get so overtired because CC will entertain her until she breaks and her laughter turns into ballistic screams.

BUBBLES

Sierra's grandma taught her how to make these massive bubbles at her home in California. Here is a picture of her making bubbles with a plastic hanger almost a year ago. She loved it.
Yesterday we made bubbles at a picnic with some of our friends. I bought glycerin to make the bubbles. The glycerin was a little expensive. I looked on the Internet for other bubble recipes. Someone suggested using corn syrup. I thought it would be a cheaper alternative. I tried it. I thought it worked better than the glycerin.

Here is the recipe:
1/2c Dawn dish detergent
1/2c corn syrup
1 gallon water.

She was so happy making bubbles all morning!

I took a picture of Sierra and MJ this morning. Don't they look alike?

A CHILD's PRAYER

Today Sierra said the family prayer before we left the house. She said, "Heavenly Father, thank you for my mom and dad. Thank you for the beautiful day. Thank you for our coffee. In the name of Jesus Christ Amen." Hilarious. We don't drink coffee and never have. Not sure where she got that one from.

SWEETEST ACT OF KINDNESS

Tonight Sierra and I were looking at a picture of baby Jesus. She was asking all sorts of questions about the animals and the stable and then she asked, "Why is baby Jesus sleeping there?" I said, "Baby Jesus didn't have a beautiful crib, with blankets like MJ. He slept in a manger, which is a few pieces of wood nailed together. On a bed of hay, which is basically grass." She looked at me with them most sincere eyes and said, "We got to get baby Jesus a bed. Do you think I could use my moneys to buy baby Jesus a bed?" I said, "What a kind idea?" She wants to give up her little pennies she was going to buy a ticket with and buy baby Jesus a bed instead.

Sometimes she is an angel.

HOW MANY PENNIES WILL IT TAKE?

Sierra has been searching the house for pennies, quarters and dimes. She keeps bringing her little hand fulls to me and asking is this enough for a ticket? She wants to fly back west to see her family. It breaks my heart sometimes. I just want to take her to go see her family everytime she wants to, but it may be a little while yet. Hopefully, in a year we will move a little closer to both of her beloved families.

She will find another coin and beam, "Mom, now I have enough for a ticket, right?" I shake my head no and say, "You are going to need 23,000 of those and that is only if we can find a really cheap fare. Keep looking." She has no concept of money or numbers so she will find another and come up to me again with a hopeful expression, "Now?" I will reply, "Nope."

Don't feel too sorry for her though she has unlimited long distance and skype and spends more time on both than any three year old should. She keeps waking her Grandma Craven up at 4:00am. She will come to wake me up and if I won't get up immediately, she will call her Grandma Craven. I told my mother we will have to switch the speed dial to Nate's mother every so often just to give every one a chance; however, it would be 3:00am for Grandma McKnight.

Still working on getting pictures uploaded from the camera.

OUR INSIDE JOKE WHICH, DUE TO THIS ENTRY, IS NOW AN OUTSIDE JOKE

Yesterday, in the car, Sierra said to me, "Mom, do you think that when fairy's touch flies bums they turn to a light bulb?"
I said, "Hmmm. No."
She started laughing and said exaggeratedly, "You have to think it!"
This made me laugh really hard. I replied with, "Well, Sierra, do you think that gabble-de-babble-de-labble-de-bo?"
(Little known secret about me. I have this crazy side. I make up stupid rhymes, songs, word runs, and gibberish, all the time.)
She started laughing hysterically and said, "No!"
I said, "Sierra, you have to think it!"
This is now our inside joke. Our first ever mother-daughter inside joke. We laugh about it all the time. When things get boring, one of us will say, "Do you think... followed by a bit of gibberish, or a legitimate question where the answer would be no. For example, "Do you think the sky is green?" When the person replies no, you have to yell at the top of your lungs, "You have to think it! Promise it is very funny.

Side note: I have a bit of an aspiring computer guru in my home. He swears he increased the speed and over all peppiness of the computer but in the processes erased all family pictures back to Sierra's birth. I was a little upset. He called a dear friend who helped him find and restore the pictures. Whew. My hero. However, the computer won't read my camera card anymore, which is not connected at all to this person's prior antics... he promises. I haven't blogged in a while. He is working on the problem and I have been promised it will be fixed shortly.