Saber Sauce

Well, we did it. We officially lied to our child and told her that a big, jolly man comes down our chimney (which doesn't exist), out of our fake gas fireplace, and into our home...to eat cookies, drink milk, and leave her a present. I'm feeling a little guilty about this lie. It's not like when I tell her that she will turn into a ball of Play Dough if she eats it or that Eisley's head will stay the same size forever if Stella keeps hitting it. Ok. So, those things are lies too...but figuratively, you know? They could be true "figuratively". Anyway...

...We made cookies for Santa. We talked about it all day. We've been singing "Santa Claus is coming to town" all week long. Actually, Stella calls him Saber Sauce so sometimes we sing that instead. On car rides she says, "Sing not pout, not cry!!" So we sing. Over and over and over. That evening we put out chocolate chip cookies and milk. These just so happen to be mommy's favorite. Check out how excited she was about cookies and milk out for Santa.




Ok, and this video is AWESOME! Check out the look on her face when she realizes that "Saber Sauce" ate all the cookies and drank all the milk. I love this little girl.

A few random and fun videos from Christmas break...


ok, so I always forget and hold the camera the wrong way.

Play-Dough stella...

Christmas Eve

This holiday, we didn't travel too much and we were able to celebrate with just our family. Stella is getting quite into the Christmas spirit...especially the part about presents. Trying to focus on the "reason" for the season, we asked her earlier in the week to tell us her favorite thing about Jesus. She said, "No room. Sleep with animals." Her little answer was more profound than she can know. My brother-in-law, Matt, reminded us how precious it is that God still sent Jesus, even knowing what Christmas would become. We make room for presents, family, food, shopping...but all too often we forget to make room for Jesus.

We really enjoyed having a quiet day...just the four of us. We went to a Christmas Eve service at church, then we went out with friends for supper. We came home and Stella opened a few presents before she went to bed. (We didn't forget Eisley...she just doesn't "open" presents yet.)

Stella was pretty pumped about getting socks.

not really.

Pea was especially excited about her blocks...



but perhaps not as excited as she was about Mr. Potato Head...



Eisley participating in the festivities...




The recorder was a hit too...




The whole family got in on the recorder playing experience.

We love our friends! Here's a few pics from our "lunch club"...

A few Ludden girls...











Kaelin (how do you spell, Erin?) rocking out...













The Reeds...eager to meet sweet Isabella (who at that date was still inside Jill's cute little belly!)










We heart the Bethells!










Cooper was pushing Stella around in this baby doll stroller. So funny!













awwww...the Coop. he's too cute for just one pic on here.

Stella turns 2!

We had such fun celebrating Stella's 2nd birthday! It's so fun now because she understands even more of what's going on. We copied an idea from our friends, thanks Mani, and had decided to fill her crib with balloons when she woke up. She actually woke up before we got in there, so we just ran in there with as many balloons as we could hold, we threw them all at her in her crib, and we sang "happy birthday" to her. A bit overwhelming for the average kid, perhaps, but nothing out of the ordinary for her. Probably why she's always in everyone else's face. I guess you all have us to thank for that.




Here's our big two year old!



After the ballon extravaganza and the photo shoot, we opened a gift from Grammy Lin. Stella was quite excited about the Aquadoodle...as was Mommy. I colored every page of that thing later that afternoon. So cool! and after it dries and you can do it all over again! Stella then went to B.U.M. kids. Afterword, we met Daddy and went out to eat at Stella's favorite restaurant (a tradition Jeremy grew up with)...Pizza Hut...also happens to be one of our favorites! After Stella woke up from her nap, we were excitedly awaiting Daddy's arrival. Stella for some reason got Eisley's coat and put it on...upside down. This was completely HILARIOUS!




* note the duct tape on Stella's diaper. She's been taking her diaper off during nap time. Now that she's pretty much potty trained, she really hates being in a dirty diaper so she is quick to take it off when- you guessed it- she's "stinky". We call it her "big boy belt" because cousin Wil went through this same stage. Thanks for the tip, Wilby.

** I love how she carried that balloon with her everywhere she went. Our waitress at Pizza Hut gave it to her.

Then we had supper. Stella had a massive, and I do mean HUGE chocolate chip birthday cookie. Toward the end of the cookie we decided that she had eaten entirely too much cookie in one sitting so Jeremy distracted her while I stole peices of cookie off her tray.



That was some yummy cookie. I seriously ate probably half of the batch that day. I made them huge, so when I ate 4 cookies in one day, it was a bigger deal because I only made 9 total. wow.

Then we opened presents. It was a home made birthday. I made her a pillow and a hat. Now she has a hat just like her Momma. and she doesn't have to sleep on her basketball anymore.






We had a fun day celebrating our little goose. We love our family! Look at these two...they're cute either way you look!




(Thanks, Grammy Lin, for the jammies! They're our new favs!)

We took a birthday party.

Today was Stella's birthday party. We wanted those of you who were busy baking cookies and being deathly ill to be a part also! She's been so excited about "Birthday Party Day". She's been talking about it for weeks. Whenever I'd ask her what she wanted to do at her birthday party, she always said "Birthday cake!!". We had decorated the night before and when she came out of her room she was so excited to see everything all done up.

*I especially like the way she breaks out into a nice rendition of "hoppy birf-day to Jew, Stella" at the end...




She was seriously so excited she just played around the living room with all the balloons. I'm pretty sure she thought that was her birthday party. She kept saying "I take a birthday party!". I guess like you take a bath or take a drink. She also asked Jeremy to "come play birthday party" with her.




So he did...she loves basket rides!



After we "took a birthday party" we finished making our sugar cookies. You know...for the turkeys.



Here's Eisley getting ready for the party. Jeremy calls this one "balloon-on-head".



So, we partied. I didn't video much of it, but believe me. We partied. Here we are....





















*a few notes
Zach, sorry I cut off your head.
Craig, at least I didn't cut off your head.
Avery, nice purse.
Richie, Jeremy has a special name for you now. It's kind of like your mom's nickname, but it ends with "mouth" instead of "brain". This pic is so hilarious.
All my pregos...Na Na, sorry I didn't get you in this pic! That's right everyone, Chandra is pregnant...again!

Anyway, back to the party. Stella was way excited about everyone singing to her. She's been singing "hoppy birf-day to Jew, Stella" for the past two weeks.



We had a blast! We love our friends and we love our little 2 year old goose!

naked day

This morning I walked into Stella's room only to find that she had stripped down COMPLETELY naked...diaper and all. Thank goodness she had just pee in her diaper. It was so funny, I took pics, planning to let you all share in the experience, but somehow it felt a little weird posting naked pics of my daughter on the web.

So...we're following in the footsteps of the Bethells and instead, posting shots of her in her prancing around in her undies. I mean, Coop most certainly wasn't "prancing", but that's what little girls do.



Ok, so maybe she's not so much prancing...more like she's a woman on a mission...



...cuttin' a rug...literally...



...and riding Watson...a regular occurance at our house.

Yay for naked day!!

No, no, Watson.

The situation often comes up where Stella is carrying yummy snacks around the house. Watson loves this. He follows her around and waits for just the right moment when she is unexpecting and he quickly snags the treat from her little hands. The following is the defense mechanism she has developed in order to keep Watson from stealing her treats.



She walks around the house, taunting poor Watson with her treat. She repeats, "No, No, Watson. This is Stella's.". Poor little dog.

I like how in the beginning, she says "close your eyes" and shuts them real tight.

"I make a mess!"

A seemingly quiet morning in the Scowden household quickly turned unto...



Rest assured that if you have to pee while you're at our house over the next week, your TP roll will look like this:

Immanuel

Tonight we attended a special Christmas service at our church. Our pastor talked of how familiar and precious this season is because it's the same, sweet story year after year. He reminded us that there is one thing, however, that does change. Each year we come into this season a different person than the last.

So, what is it about your life that makes you a different person today than you were on this day last year?

Whatever that thing, we can rest in the fact that God is Immanuel. God is with us. In all the ways that I have become a different person this year, God has walked with me. In all of our struggles, in all of our victories, in everything He is with us. Even when I haven't realized it, He's been there.

Therefore, since He is with us, we have the great privilege of sharing him with others. May we be love incarnate to all those we meet. May we start by showing love through simple acts of kindness. That's all it takes. Immanuel. God is with us.

Proverbs 3:5

This morning we decided to surprise Jeremy with blueberry muffins for breakfast. Stella's had this terrible cough all week. As we were cooking, I told her to cover her mouth with her arm when she coughed to ensure our muffins were free from Stella-snot.

We finished breakfast and I was clearing the table before I got her out of her chair. I walked into the dining room just as I heard her coughing and saw her covering her mouth with her arm. I was quite excited to see her implementing the strategies we had earlier discussed. The look on her face was so sweet as I told her "Good job!!" for covering her mouth when she coughed.

I guess she was feeling proud of her accomplishments. Out of nowhere she started reciting this verse she learned at B.U.M. kids a few weeks ago. I had never heard her say it all by herself without any promptings from me. It's amazing what kids are capable of...especially so young! I got her down from breakfast and asked her to say it again on camera. So...here you go!



Oh yeah, for those of you who don't speak "Stella-ese", here's the translation:

"Trust (in the) Lord (with) all (your) heart (and) lean not (on your) own understanding. I look at pictures!"

"I did it!"

"I love ("you" understood)."


*Note the motions...I LOVE the motions!

we got Elfed!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

the bean

We are a family full of nick names. Stella, for a short while, was Sweet Pea, which then turned to just Pea, now has morphed into Pea Mae. So, the bean. Eisley Jean...Eisley Jean-Steen...Eisley Bean...the Bean-Steen. Well, today's blog features the Bean. (Though she's sure not skinny like a string bean. More chubby like a kidney bean or something like that.) Anyway, I present to you, The Bean.

The Pea and the Bean... Little Old Man Bean. She looks like an old man in these pics...I love it!










Here are some good smiles from The Bean. She always gives her daddy the best smiles!

and The Bean's attempt to stand.

Note the Crunchberry's in our sink...nice. (We were potty training that weekend. one crunchberry for going with a good attitude, two crunchberries for going with a good attitude and for actually going in the potty, and a whopping three crunchberries for going poo poo in the potty. ahhh...gotta love some crunchberries.)

We sure love our little Bean!