Required for a 2 Year Old

The talk of our house right now revolves around Sunday. Not church, not celebrating the Gator's win the previous night (I hope!), but a very big day.. Eliaya turns 2! Last year at this time, I was in a pinterest-induced-craze. You know what I'm talking about. It was nuts. And E1 had no idea what was going on. This year, there's a much more subdued craze and I'm not sure who's more excited: me or Eliaya. Any lull in conversation is quickly filled with "yiya party day now?". Word to the wise... when a two year old asks a questions, answer quickly. Silence is their cue to ask again... louder. I asked E1 what she wants to do for her birthday and she told me "balloons... CAKE". Her eyes glossed over, I'm pretty sure her earliest memory if from her 1st bday when we gave her the smash cake, she knew exactly what to do.... she's been in love ever since.


We're (semi)full-force potty training and are thereby keeping M&Ms in business. Ever a Reed, Eliaya absolutely refuses to be in the bathroom without a book. Have no fear... I've already written than one down in her baby book!

One of the best gifts Eliaya has been given is her sister. I can already see the Lord using Elora to grow E1's

ability to sympathize and be compassionate, as well as to begin the lifelong battle vs selfishness. E1 gets frustrated and I can see it on her face... the anger builds up and eventually feels she has to hit something. We have started sitting her down with us to open the Bible and talk about anger, kindness and considering others as more important than ourselves (Phil 2:3). I pray that moments, even now, will serve to soften her heart towards the Lord.

*side note, and a bit of a soapbox*
 We work with Eliaya, and ourselves, to memorize Scripture. I realize this is not a "cool" thing to do right now, but friends it is SO IMPORTANT. Jesus said if we love Him we will obey Him. How can we obey

Elora 3 months

what we don't know? And it's one thing to read the Word and say, "oh yeah, I should do _____ to obey God". But when temptation comes and you're in a situation where it's not easy to obey, how will you know what to do? Memorizing the Word is not a way to upgrade your mansion in heaven, by saying God's truth over and over and over and over it grinds a new pathway in your mind so that when faced with a situation in which you used to not obey the Lord, the roadwork is now set for you to follow the Holy Spirit and do what He says and not follow old patterns. With Easter coming up I've heard a lot of people mention the passage in Romans 10:14-15 in regards to missionaries sharing Jesus with foreign lands. Mommas... this is especially for us: this passage means us to! We have been sent to teach the Word to our children. How will they believe and trust the Lord if we don't show and tell them how? and how can we tell them what we don't know?

whew... okay, back to what a 2 year old needs. I get these "your baby is __ old now" emails that tell me what the girls should be doing / playing with /etc. Those companies must make some serious money off advertising. If you're not careful you'll be convinced you need 5 different toys for each day, no repeats, a foreign language tutor (or educator of some type) by the time they're 2, have organized educational play dates and a prophylactic cycle of antibiotics to ward off the play-group-snuffles. Crazy!! Don't buy the lie (or the product they're selling). Buy minimally, if you discover a need borrow something and see if it truly fills the need. Eliaya is happier playing in the spice drawer, with a playground ball, or chasing the dogs than anything else. My resolution, or at least goal for this week, is to not make things more complicated. Life with 2 under 2 is crazy, but it doesn't have to be overwhelming.

Okay, glancing back over this, I realize my thoughts aren't all that cohesive.... can you tell the Gator's are playing? But stay tuned... pictures from the big party will be coming soon!

Turning 2!

turning 1

Photo Montage

Here is a photo montage.. what we do when it rains all day long! I have a lot I want to talk about, some of which I'm still praying through, trying to understand what the Lord is teaching us.... but there's no time to write! So suffice to say I am thankful for busy toddlers, smiling babies, simple dinners, our stroller and a godly husband who helps me make sense of it all.

so proud of putting on our own headband

perhaps if I make her wear them now... she'll leave them on when she's 2!

playing in daddy's hammock on the porch, not sure who was having more fun!

ah! When did my baby become a young girl??!! Love her

Some kids get scholarships for brains, others for brawn, maybe I can get one for sheet determination. "I will fit this thing in my mouth!"

Be still my heart

ps... check out those baby blues and RED eyebrows! Maybe Jarrod had something to do with this one :)

Other updates, all is going well in our house, praise the Lord! E2 had her 2 month check up, little piglet is just shy of 10 pounds! I'm starting a pool for when E2 will usurp E1 in height/weight. My guess is by 18 months. E1 is so fun to talk to now... she has her own ideas and for sure her own will. The next post will most likely be on all that we're learning about discipline..... 

Thanks for reading and caring about our family! We'll write again soon

-the Reeds

5 o'clock Phenomenon

Kids are creatures of habit, and schedule. At least, mine are.

I can near set my watch by the time that Eliaya wakes up, when Elora wants to eat (E1 is less predictable in this due to the fact that she eats all day long), and when 5 pm strikes. It's weird really. We can all be happy, playing on the floor or out for a walk, chasing the dog... venue doesn't seem to matter in the least. Promptly when the clock strikes 5pm, the meltdowns start. Eliaya suddenly drops toys, the tears flow and her loud cry comes out... and whoa... is it loud! Elora, feeling left out of the festivities, decides to join in - declaring she's hungry, famished even, despite the fact she ate less than an hour and a half ago. While feeding E2, E1 tells me repeatedly she has to potty... NOW. It may just be me but I think even the walls of our apartment start creeping closer adding to the resounding cacophony a wonderful echo. The only real variety in this mix is whether the dinner I've started is just beginning or near-burning.

While I sometimes get overwhelmed by the chaos of 5 o'clock and beg the time until 630 when Jarrod gets home to spontaneously disappear, in reality I am thankful for it. I think it's my daily reminder to focus on what's really important and to let my to-do list / desire to be completely  in control  go. My kids need me. They aren't quietly devising a plan while eating lunch of how to wreck my evening. They aren't out to get me. Hey, I don't even think they're trying to destroy everything the touch. They just need me.

I've been going through two books recently, Crazy Busy and Discipleship Essentials. Though they aren't shelved next to each other, they've been working together to help me see that I often associate busyness with importance. I'm also guilty of always looking towards the "next season" of life: easily finding fault with the current one and idolizing the supposed next one. I'm praying God would teach me to be joyful in THIS season. To enjoy THESE moments. To be content now. I hear it all the time, that kids grow up so fast. I know it's true. I want to look back and have memories of playing hide and seek in the living room, running in the parking lot, playing make-up. Not only that, I want these girl's God has entrusted to me to remember Scripture and praying as a family... to not be able to think of a time when we weren't happy and content serving the Lord. Where ever that might be.