The Mission Field of Motherhood

Jules at Everyday Mommy subtitles her blog "the mission field of motherhood", and everytime I read that I am struck by the utter appropriateness of that title. I truly believe that each of us has a mission field we are called to serve in for the Lord. As a child I thought the mission field was Japan, where so many of our church missionaries were, or Africa, where my parents' friends were or some other foreign place. I definitely DID not want to do that. I don't like bugs, I am a picky eater, and was worried about eating strange food in a different country, I would miss my family, and I like my own country, Thank You! In part I still feel that way, I don't want to go oversees as a missionary to a foreign country. I saw the children of family friends who were raised oversees and saw the struggles to feel as if they belong. They were American's but this was a strange place, they'd never lived here, so they were a little foreign, yet they weren't Japanese, or Asian, or African, either, they were caught between homes. Now it probably seemed worse to me as a child than it actually was. They seem to be adapted as adults. I just never wanted to do that to my children. As I grew up I realized that a mission field is where ever God puts you and has work for you. We are missionaries in our jobs, our schools, community activities, sports teams, at the grocery store, the courthouse, in our neighborhoods. If God asks us to do it, he gives us the ability to do it. I believe, He also gives us the interest to do it, the desire and the talents. If it feels wrong, that maybe a good indication it is wrong. If the doors don't open, the path isn't made availible, maybe it isn't the right path. Right now, I feel that the missionfield of motherhood is my calling. Perhaps, in the future, I will return to full time work, outside our home, but for right now, I don't feeled called to that mission field. Someday, God may even send me out of my comfort zone and ask me to take on vocationally missions, or other work in that line. I have to say, that I hope not, but again, by the time He sends me, I probably will want to do what He asks.

The Mission Field of Motherhood what a perfect way to describe how I view my role in life.

Hospital for Sick Preschoolers

My head is spinning from the machinations necessary to get my daughter to school and all the other kids where they need to be. Our carpool partner wanted to switch because of school parties at her older children's school, and that was no problem. I called my friend, whose child I was watching so she could go to her daughter's room party. T let me know that K had a fever and she was concerned. I told her I wouldn't mind watching a sick kid. She had done it for me a couple months ago, and I was glad to return the favor. Today, our carpool partner, M, called her daughter has diarrhea, she can't go to school and she doesn't want to expose my kids by driving them. I completely understand. I offered to watch KT so she can still go to the party. I said, "I'm running a hospital for sick preschoolers" so one more won't hurt. Her husband was rearranging his schedule so she can still go to the party. KT is unhappy about missing the last day of preschool before Christmas. We had also planned for KT to come here to play after school until M got done at school. I think that was the big disappointment. So now, Je is ready for jammie day at school, wearing her new Christmas pjs, slippers, pillow, bear, and sleep sack tucked into her backpack. T will drop her off after she drops off K for the afternoon. K's fever lasted one hour yesterday. So we are guessing it was a quick bug or an anomaly. Hopefully no one else will get sick. I told both of my friends that nothing can top the Christmas/Anniversary season two years ago, when both girls spent the day throwing up on me, cancelling our night out, then shared the virus with every member of our extended family and a few friends from church. We were not popular people that Christmas. Although by Christmas day everyone was healthy, before round two started for the rest of the family the next week.

He Did it!

We've lived in this house six years, and finally he did it. We've been married 10 years (on Thursday) and for only the second time he did it. I am talking, of course of Christmas lights. They are up outside my house, and not just in the bushes or the garland I wind around the railing. On the top of the house. He told me to take a picture for proof since he hates to do it and said this may be my only chance for them for a while. He put them up once in our old house and worried over them for a long time to get them straight. He is anal about getting them straight. So that year, after Christmas, I bought him some plastic track to use the next year. That was seven years ago. Finally this year he made use of them. They have been shoved in the basement storage room so long they have lost some of the key pieces. He improvised with hot glue. So they are pretty straight. The girls acutually begged repeatedly. Whenever they asked me for lights, I directed them to Daddy since I don't do roofs. I do garland and bushes and big blow up snowmen. This was the best of the pictures, it is a little blurry but I think you can see the lights on the house pretty well. Shan had an unexpected day off on Saturday. He went to the JV meet on Friday night and the head coach excused him from Saturday's varsity meet. What a great day! We took the kids to swimming lessons, then out to lunch. Daddy finished putting the lights on the track and attaching them to the house in the afternoon. After supper we took the kids for ice cream so they could see the live Nativity in front of the ice cream store. We drove home and saw the pretty lights on our house. The girls were so excited. Shan has grumbled a bit about them but maybe it'll be okay. Next year, I am going for the whole front of the house, more than just the peak. Of course, beggars can't be choosers.

Santa Claus is Coming

I read a very interesting post over Everyday Mommy. Jules and the many comments posted got me to thinking about the debate over Santa. A lot of what Jules said resonated with me. I have fond memories of believing in Santa. My parents created those memories but never ever let us forget the true meaning of Christmas. So I have stuggled as a parent and as a Christian to know how to honor God with my celebration and keep some kind of sanity over the "santa issue" I don't think it is a hard and fast rule for everyone. My children are still too young to really understand Santa and the implausiblity of his trip. They enjoy the Christmas movies on TV: Rudolph, Frosty, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, etc. We have lots of Christmas traditions that reflect the true meaning of the season so they, I think, understand about the birth of Jesus. They put the pieces of the advent nativity on each day, participate in the program at Church, with the message about true reason for the season. I don't want my kids to equate Santa with God, he isn't, nor was he ever. I do want them to have lots of great memories of fun family holidays and all the trimmings. Right now, that includes Santa. I can't remember when I stopped believing in Santa. I used to say that Santa was the spirit of giving that we feel at the holiday. I don't know that I agree with that anymore. I also remember how very careful my parents were to not lie to us, about Santa and the presents. I remember noticing that gifts from Santa appeared under the stockings and were labeled in my mom's handwriting. I remember having to go to the car and wait for my parents who were inside filling the stockings before we left for Christmas eve. One memorable year, we asked for a specific thing for Christmas. Mom very firmly told us she did not buy it for us. Everytime we asked about it she repeated that phrase. Boy were we surprised to open it. Mom said she did not buy it, she didn't say that Daddy didn't buy it. They explained how they pulled it off. If I give my kids gifts and write Santa's name on them, aren't I just pretending to be Santa? I don't really see that as a lie but maybe it is a gray area. What an area for us all to wrestle with in our own homes. It was easier when I was little and my parents had these issues to deal with and I was blissfully ignorant!

I got out a toy for my 10 month old nephew that I had put away when my girls "out grew it". It is a Leap Pad Activity table that plays music if the book is flipped to music or tells colors or shapes if the other side of the book is open. B loved it. He would push a button and the music would start and he would dance. At least after I put new batteries in, and then put them in again the right way. He soon had to fight for a chance to play with the thing though. The other four kids thought it was a great toy for them, too. I might have to leave it out for a few days. This toy rotating is great stuff.

I Survived

After last week's shopping day, it was payment time. I hosted the co-op children at my home, along with another mom, while last week's watchers shopped. They ran circles through the dining room, into the kitchen, down the hall into the living room, into the dining room again. They got the wagons, doll strollers, and bikes out and brought them up to the wood floor. We let them play undirected until lunch time. They did really well. When the natives got restless we fed them. After lunch we gave each child a piece of colored cardstock, red or green. We gave them Christmas stickers and crayons and markers and let them decorate as they desired. When they finished we covered each side of the paper with contact paper and Voila! A Christmas placemat. They turned out pretty well and the kids are pleased. It turned out to be a great day for us moms as well. The families in our co-op are all Christian families so we were able to have some great spiritual conversations and it is always fun to be able to talk to another adult. She and I have a lot in common, so a lot of areas for great talk. I loved last year, when I got to know this mom better and this year, as our friendship has deepened, I had an even better time. It was just coincidence that we were together both years, shedules lined up. I would love to do it again with her. God has been so good to us to give us this great group of families to share our time with. All of the kids are great kids and fun for my kids to play with. Whe the idea was introduced, I almost let my reluctance to do something new keep me from it. It has been such a blessing to me. Not just the fabulous babysitting for my kids, but also the fellowship, friendship and love of these women. Most of whom, I probably wouldn't have met or had an opportunity to know very well. What a blessing. So I am exhausted by the long day, but exhilarated at the experience of a whole day with a friend and no guilt for not cleaning and no place to be.

What a Great Answer

Zodiac Sign: Who cares? I don't trust the stars. I trust the One who made them and set them in their courses

This is the last answer in a meme over at Everyday Mommy. I recently found her blog and enjoy her take on her role in life. She is working in her mission field, her family. Isn't that the best way to look at a life spent doing God's will. Our mission field is where God puts us.

One Down--Only 14 More to Go

We made it through the first daddy-less Saturday. Swimming lessons, errands, lunch with Nana, a sewing tutorial (for me) and no nap. They went to bed very early after Mama had a thermonuclear meltdown. Next week, Nana will be out of town so the girls and I will be without her company and buffer. If my head explodes, we will know why. Today I was making a Christmas stocking for my nephew. It was a more difficult project than I expected when I volunteered. Two years ago, I bought four stockings at Lowes after Christmas clearance. My sister had mentioned that she wanted to have coordinating stockings for their house. I congratulated myself on finding some I thought she would like and at such a good price. I put them away for her birthday. About two months after her birthday, she unexpectedly was expecting. She used the stockings last Christmas, and seemed to like them, they are made of burlap, decorated with yarn fir trees and bells, with red cord trim and rickrack. All things easily found at a craft store. When we knew new baby was to be here in Feb. I planned to have a stocking made to match the others well before now. I've had all year to do it, but...I procrastinated. Since my sewing instructor, (MOM) is leaving tomorrow for a week doing Katrina rebuilding in Mississippi, I had to get my help now, and do it today so if I had questions she was near the phone.

While stitching the tree trunks the girls got into at least the third tussle of the evening and knocked over the table with my diet coke. I blew a gasket and sent them to bed at 7:30. The were nap free so they were ready, but I felt guilty for losing my cool. The girls harbored no such feelings though. They seemed to know that they'd gone too far, and gladly went to bed. They were cheerful even. I got the usual hug and kiss requests, and Je played her favorite game, hold onto Mama when she tucks me in and don't let her get up. I have to tickle her to get free.

Four hours later, I folded the finished stocking and put it with the model one in a sack with other odds and ends to go to my sister.

Only 14 more wrestling events until the end of the season. That is 10 Saturdays, and four mid week duals.

Is it March yet?

Ahead of Schedule

Today was our babysitting co-op's annual shopping day. I dropped the girls off at 9 and met Mom for a day of shopping. I had most of the big shopping done. I think I finished the girls presents a few weeks ago. It's all the little filler stuff and a few cousins, teachers, etc. that I had left. I bought one big thing for Shan but that is all the big things I had to do today. I got a lot of odds and ends wrapped up today, and even some other errands. Last year we planned a big trip to KC, shopping mecca, but this year we decided to stay in town since we didn't have things we needed to get in the big city. We shopped together, then Mom left to do Meals on Wheels, I continued alone for a couple hours. We met up for a nice lunch at a restaurant the children don't really like to go. Then right back at the shopping. We went to all those places we don't typically take time to go to, especially with two small shadows. Got some good deals at Grocery supply, juice 10 for $1, bananas 5 cents a piece, and diet dr pepper, 6 for 99 cents. Shan was thrilled. I made it back to pick up the girls just about 3:30 and was pleased with my days accomplishments. Now I need to wrap presents and decorate the house. I'd like to get that done before it is my turn to host the children so the mothers who watched today can shop next week, kid-free. What a great idea!

Just About Right

I read this excerpt from Catherine Newman's column over at Wondertime:

"How much would it take?" Ben wants to know now. "If you were pouring lemonade into a pond? How much until the pond looked yellow?" "I don't know," I say. "I kind of think it would never look yellow." "Yes," Ben says agreeably. "But how much lemonade until it did?" I can't think of an answer to this, but Birdy walks right over to Ben and puts her face very close to his face, even though her chewing mouth is full of yogurt and oats. "I know Ben!" she says, spattering him a little bit with her enthusiasm and breakfast. "I know what you mean! A lot of lemonade, right? A lot, Ben." I hope that they feel about each other the way I felt about Michael last week in the supermarket when he said, "I just don't get tilapia. I mean everyone's so crazy about it, but to me it just tastes like fish and dirt." Michael and I — we're getting the same memo. "I know!" I said. "I know exactly what you mean.

And I was touched by this great picture of a great relationship. Michael is her husband, (at least I believe they are married, while she is careful not to call him such she did one time, and so I chose to think of them as married rather than just living together raising these two kids).

There are days when I want to have my husband just be quiet and do what I say, or just not be there because he is driving me crazy. Don't get me wrong, I love him, but the only person who can make me more angry is my mom, and I am stuck with her. I am stuck with him too, and usually I like that. Moments like the one descibed up there, for instance. We get the same memo.

She's Growing Up

These pictures were taken just a couple days after Jo came home from the hospital, she was born 6 weeks early, 3lbs 8 oz and 13 days in the NICU. She was so perfectly proportioned and very tiny. She has always stayed tiny. The NICU tracks their development for the first year and she stayed well under the growth chart, growing steadily, following the curve appropriately, just way smaller than her peers, even adjusted for prematurity. No one has worried over this, (except maybe me), she has always been healthy, thriving, growing, eating and developing. She hit every major developmental milestone well within the normal age range, even if you didn't adjust for prematurity. Except for teeth. Usually kids get their first teeth by age one, and have them all by age two. She was at least 15 months before she got teeth but she did have them all by two, I think.

I have always noted her small size, when buying clothes, or just passing on Je's, she is way behind her sister. At one she was still wearing six month, at 2 she was getting into 12 months to 18 month. At three she could still wear 18 month to 24 month/2T. Some of those were even big. She is getting so big now, at least for Jo. She is NEEDING, 3T to fit. If I want it to fit for a while, I am buying or getting out the 4T. Anyone who has every dressed a child, (or even yourself) knows their is a big range in clothing sizes. Some of her 2T still fits, but her big sister still fits into her 4T stuff too.

I have been cleaning out the closets, drawers, and every other nook and crany that is full of stuff we don't need, and in doing this I have been hit with the realization: my baby isn't a baby anymore. I will write more about the massive clean out another day but the growth spurt Jo is on is amazing. I told my mom, Jo went from an 18 month to a 3T in about two weeks. It might have been more gradual, but I suddenly looked up and the teeny girl is now only tiny.

the Best Idea for a Blog

I just followed a link from Minnesota Mom and found Margaret's other blog, Come for Coffee. It is a collection of recipes as entries. Wouldn't that be a great way to share your favorites with your friends and family around the country? It would also be a neat way to have my favorite recipes accessable when I am away from home. Like when visiting my mother-in-law. I used to go online out there a try searching for recipes that were close but usually had bad luck since they have dial up and it takes forever. This way, I would know the exact address to go to and it would have the exact recipe I wanted. I may have to try this idea and add a new blog to my life. As if I didn't already have enough blogs in my day. Thanks for the great idea, Margaret.

Old Made New

Last year, Shan rescued an old toy box from a garage sale for $1. It was one the woman's father had made for her and her brother twenty plus years ago. Now, I don't think I would sell something like that. I would get rid of a lot of clutter before I got rid of something my father made me. That is me though. My dad died almost 10 years ago, so I might be a little attached.


We we brought it home, I wondered why. It was ugly. They had a plywood box that had been decorated with spray painted effects and very dated artwork. It was also filthy, and part of the wood had been split off.


Shan filled in the low spots and sanded it down. He gave it two coats of bright white paint. It is clean and pretty. I bought stencils and three sets of paint. This week I painted butterflies and flowers on the lid, in pastel colors. I painted bright butterflies on the front and jewel toned flowers and butterflies on the ends. Yesterday, I trimmed the edges in a deep purple color that I had left from the chair rail in the family room. Today, I finished my project by making name stencils using my ellison die press machine, and painted the girls names on the front back. So now, something dirty and looking ready for the trash, is pretty, functional. Shan wanted to make something the girls could use for a long time. Maybe it will become one of those things they want to keep even after their toys have long since passed from usefulness.

Introducing

I am always really excited when I learn how to do something new. I get equally excited when I just learn. I am a learner. My father always said if you aren't learning something you aren't living. I didn't always realize I was learning something but as I look back it is a thing to note. My grandfather would ask me what I learned at school that day every time I saw him. Ususally I was unaware that I had learned something. Now I am more aware. This leads me to my new skill, adding buttons to the sidebar. You can scroll down and take note of the Moms for Modesty button. It links back to a movement dedicated to getting helping our children dress appropriately. This is especially relevant for moms of little girls, since clothing makers design clothes to push the envelope. I do think it is important for moms of boys to support this movement as well, since how girls dress affects the boys surrounding them as well. Women are not responsible for the behavior or thoughts of men around them but we can show a respect for them by dressing appropriately and acknowledge that our choices can add to a problem. The button will stay in my sidebar, take a minute, click through and read the post. Then scroll down and sign the comments portion to show your support, and hopefully influence the clothing designers.

Okay, I admit it. I am a pop culture watcher. I have E online entertainment news on my yahoo page, I read Whitney's Pop Candy, and I like celebrity gossip. I have two websites bookmarked to look up facts about my favorite celebrities and tv shows and movies. I am sick. I have read most of the articles about Tom Cruise and the melodrama surrounding his life for the last couple years. Now, I didn't go buy any of the magazines with articles about him or his girlfriend Katie Holmes or the baby. I didn't waste any money on TomKat. Isn't is sad that I know that is their handle. I also keep up on Bragelina. Sick Sick Sick. I have had a thing for Cruise since , and I am dating myself here, Top Gun. Isn't he gorgeous! I wasn't allowed to see it in the theater, it was rated R. I did see it when NBC cleaned it up and put it on TV. We taped it on the brand new VCR purchased so that when we had to be gone we could tape cool stuff, like movies on Sunday nights when we at church. I remember in college this guy I dated a couple times taking me to see A Few Good Men. He'd already seen it, but since that was the only movie I really wanted to see he went along. It was a first date. Other than the movie, the night wasn't a rousing success. For our first valentine's day, Shan bought me the tape of A Few Good Men. He really over did it that year on the present scale. I was thinking of breaking up with him, and he was overcompensating. He even called my mom. Somehow we made it through that, I don't really remember what happened, its been so long ago. He convinced me to stay, I guess. We'd only been dating about 6 months so not really invested yet, of course, after that rocky month, we were committed. We've now been married almost 10 years.
On our honeymoon, we went to see yet another Tom Cruise movie, Jerry Maguire. Now I am dismayed at my interest. Tom has criticized so much important things, his religion is screwy and he seems nuts. Today, reading about his wedding to come was the last straw. Now I know this isn't his fault, they reported that he spent $315 on fancy boxer shorts, and Katie spent 3000 on lingerie presumably for the wedding night according to the article. How low can the media go. This was a mid line outlet, not one of the biggies but not a fringe outlet. Do they think I, a very typical not obsessed but close, fan, want to know about his underwear!? To be clear, I do not!!!!

Drum Roll Please!

A momentous occasion for the girls in our house...NEW BEDS! Finally Jo is out of the toddler bed and into a bed befitting her three-year old sense of dignity. She told me that her bed was too little and she couldn't sleep in it. We had always planned to get a full size bed for Je when Jo was ready for the twin since Je bedroom set has a full size headboard and footboard. I had hoped to do it around birthday time but procrastinated. My big plan was to go over to Sam's and buy one of their bargain deluxe mattress sets. They had them for a long time nice quality thick mattresses for great prices. We bought a queen set for the spare room for 300 dollars. Alas, they have raised prices. It would have been nearly double. I delayed, debated, dithered. I began researching other stores. Then I looked in the paper and lo and behold an almost new set was available. We snapped it up, brought it home and voila! NEW BEDS. Both girls are thrilled with their better accommodations. Je is looking forward to having a slumber party with her cousin Jo in her new big bed and our Jo is way excited that she can climb up on the very tall big bed. Coincidental maybe, but she hasn't mentioned sleep problems since. That was a very handy excuse for not napping or at bed time, she just didn't know how to sleep or her bed was too small. Now she will have to come up with something else! As for me, I now have a redecorating project to get going on, notice Jo has already begun to help strip the Noah's Ark border. I repaired in when Je started doing it. (This is the nursery and Je moved to a new room when we brought Jo home from the hospital)I don't have enough leftover border to replace the several places she destroyed. Oh well, it lasted six years, we put it up as soon as we moved in this house, almost a year before Je was born.

Making Bread

Most Mondays growing up I would come home from school to a clean house, clean bed, a stack of clean clothes to put away and fresh hot rolls. Mom would make rolls to have with dinner for the week. My dad would always sneak a hot one and put butter on it. Mom always said what an easy recipe it is and it is about the only one I ever use.

Quick Butter Fluff Rolls

1/4 cup water
1tbls yeast
1 cup warm buttermilk
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter/margerine
4-5 cups flour

soak yeast in water
combine buttermilk, sugar, soda, eggs and shortening
add water yeast
mix
add 2 cups flour and beat for 2 minutes
stir in remaining flour and knead till smooth and not sticky

Let rise in warm place till double (best spots: diswasher just after its done running and still steamy warm, oven with light on or microwave, on top of stove if you have a micowave or hood vent with a light)

Roll dough out and spread with melted margerine or butter
Cut into 2" x 4" rectangles then cut diagonally to make two triangles from each rectangle. roll up crescents and place on baking sheet to let rise.
Let them rise again until they look puffy, sharp edges softened
Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes or golden brown.

I use the same recipe for cinamon rolls too, After I butter the dough I sprinkle it with cinamon and roll it up then slice it into 1 " rolls and place them in the to raise then bake. I put 1/2 cup brown sugar mixed with 2tbsp butter and 2 tbsp corn syrup in the bottom of the pan with the rolls on top of the carmel mixture. When I flip the pan over onto foil after baking then the rolls have a nice carmely topping and it is easy.

I was catching up on blog reading and on one I read occasionally I found this great map. It is the history of the middle east in 90 sec. An unbelievable number of kingdoms have risen and fallen and held power over God's chosen people and the promised land. Right now I am studying Daniel in my Bible Study and we have come to the prophecy portion of the book. That will take a while for me to share so for now know that this map is very interesting in light of what Daniel reveals. One thing I found so interesting this week is the statement that Beth made, "For Daniel it was prophecy, for us it is mostly history." Much of the prophecy in the book of Daniel has come to pass, and it came just as God promised. Oh What a God we serve!



Maps of War site

Surprise!

A month ago, my niece got her hair cut. She had really long dark blond hair and it is straight as a stick. It was a tangle nightmare every morning, and really anytime it needed brushed. We had all been talking about Locks of Love for a while and so my sister took J to go get it done one day and presented it as a fait accompli. J colored a picture to include with her ponytail when they sent it off. Je and I have been talking about this for a few months. Sometimes she thinks she wants her hair cut and then she doesn't. Her daddy likes it long. Of course he said the same thing about my hair for YEARS until last May when I chopped it off and he says he likes it better shorter. BTW his opinion was one of the reason's I kept the same hair for the last oh 13 years.

Before that, I just wasn't ready to change it, and he wasn't around before that so I didn't care if he had an opinion, I didn't know him. Je decided last week that she would like to cut her hair for a little girl who needs it. I needed a trim so after our field trip to the pumpkin patch, with Jo still safely at a friend's house, Je and I went to the salon.Behold, NEW HAIR!!!!!
We printed off the donation form, emailed the pictures to the group and packed up the beautiful red 10 inch ponytail. It is as we speak on its way to Locks of Love. I keep telling myself it will grow back. Not that I begrudge her having short hair, its just she had such gorgeous hair and lots of styling options. I know how to do long hair, short hair is new. I HAD LONG HAIR. MY HAIR IS STILL LONGER THAN HERS! I am still learning how to style my new hair 5 months later, I can put in barretts, I can braid, I can even do that pretty halo thing pictured above, I don't know if I can do short hair. I am going to have to practice and five year olds are not known for their patience when it comes to letting their moms do their hair. AT least mine isn't. ARGHHHH!!!!

Ode to Lovies

Yesterday, Jo got some of her donut on Hippo, and she asked me to wash it. It got me thinking about lovies. Each of my children have their comfort items, Je has a bear and Jo has a hippo. They are the head and arms of the stuffed animal with a blanket body. Each child has her name embroidered on the tail of the blanket. The love the satin feel of the ribbon at the neck and along the edge of the blanket. Je uses bear as a pillow, she wipes her tears on him and I think I saw her use it to wipe her nose. You probably can't even make out bear in the picture. I can but I know where to look and what he looks like. He is the barely visible pale cream thing abouve the red hair. Needless to say, Bear is a little bedraggled. Hippo isn't quite as rough but he isn't as old either. My nephew has a dog in the same style and Dog is much much much worse. He almost never lets my sister wash him. My mother usually steals Dog when Si visits and washes him. I try to give the lovies a bath every week or two and the girls look at it as if their Lovies are getting a bath. They are pretty okay with the concept, so their lovies smell good most of the time and while I have had to resew the ribbon on Bear's neck about five times; he looks pretty good for 5. Lovies are crucial, I give them as baby shower gifts. My mother saw how expensive it was to buy the lovies that all of her grandchildren prefer and started making some. I firmly believe that every little one should have some kind of comfort thing. The other day we had several errands to run in the morning before meeting my mom for a shopping trip to KC and I picked up Bear and Hippo for the trip since if the girls are in the car for an hour in the afternoon a nap is a possibility. Jo knew what Hippo meant, and said that we didn't need to bring him because she didn't want to take a nap. Hippo and Bear are big signals for the girls that they need to settle down and rest. I never had any trouble getting them to sleep away from their beds if I had Bear and Hippo. Give them a binkie and their lovey and they settled in for a nap anywhere. Now that they have given away their binkies (remind me to share the very successful method we used), they rely on their lovies even more. Now it does require me to be vigilant in keeping track of these things but we also have a back up item or two that would do in a pinch. Every little needs a lovey, it makes for easier toddlerhood. We love our lovies!