When I was in third grade, I wrote a book called The Secret World. A hole in a fence led me into a room with a hidden door, which then opened up into a secret world where money actually did grown on trees, gum drops were plentiful from (what else?) gum-drop trees, and bubble gum rained on myself all day long. The secret world, however unfortunate, had a sinister side and small green munchkins were involved in the climax of the story. I, being the main character, did make it out of the secret world in one piece, but ever since I have had a love for writing that just won't quit! After being invited to the Young Author's Conference that year with my book in hand, I decided I wanted to write books for kids. I listened to David Greenberg's every word that day...hoping that one day I could be the featured author at The Young Author's conference. I got his book, Slugs, signed by him that day and, for a long time, I took it with me everywhere I went. That dream was a big one of mine that has never really gone away. Pushed aside, maybe. Forgotten, too. But still there.
I have written 3 books now, all for the girls. Each book idea has come divinely, through prayer as I sought to learn more and more about the girls and what story topics they could best benefit from. And each story was written before the girls' first birthday. Reese's book, though, was written even before we knew about her! It has been so fun for me, to write for these incredible little children that I have been gifted.
Though I finished Holland's book before she turned 1. I still had one or two more illustrations to complete. By the time I found the time to do that, I found a huge error in all her pictures. You see, Holland didn't have any hair until she was over 1 years old. Ok. I lied. She had wispy hair all over the surface of her hair. But that doesn't count. When she did finally have hair that amounted to any kind of handful, I found out that Holland was not fond of pigtails--AT ALL. So, everytime I looked at all the illustrations I had finished, I would sigh. I had created pigtails in every one of her pictures. When she saw the pictures, she would tell me that she liked them, only she didn't like her pigtails. So, I finally got around to fixing those pictures and also, finally, finished her book. So here it is, in all it's un-pigtailed glory.
Beautiful
Holland Elise
By Holland's Mom
It can be said that a gift, no matter how big or how small, comes straight down from Heaven, from God himself.
Holland Elise, a small girl from WieberTown, was such a gift.No other girl had a quiet sweetness that rang so loud, a giggle so joyous, or hug so heartfelt.She didn’t mind that other kids played with her toys, and she didn’t mind helping her friends with their chores.Holland Elise was the type of girl you really wouldn’t mind sharing a popsicle with.
Holland’s home was nestled deep in the woods of WieberTown.In these woods Holland loved to play and would gather and talk and sing with all the animals in the forest.
WieberTown was an upside down sort of place—quite different from other towns.Turkey and barley for breakfast, Waffles for dinner, and for dessert—all the vegetables you could want!Summers were cold, winters were warm, nights were hot, and days were cool.It was an interesting place alright and Holland felt quite at home.
One day as Holland was skipping along, enjoying the crisp morning air, she almost squashed a blind little frog along the way.
The frog was indignant, and said so. “Watch where you step!”She was not an ordinary frog and was annoyed that Holland did not realize this.
“I’m very sorry, little frog,” Holland gasped.“Please forgive my carelessness. I did not realize that you can’t see! Oh!My manners have been forgotten.My name is Miss Holland.Please, do tell me your name.”
“Fancy is my name”, the frog proclaimed proudly, her chin in line with the clouds.With my pink pearly shoes, and my bright white smile, I’m surely headed for fame! I’m on my way to Hollywood, so I don’t have any time to waste talking with you!
Holland, though a bit taken back, stepped closer to Fancy and said, “Well, if you please, funny green frog, I’m really fine company.It would be my pleasure to tag along and help you carry your load!I can tell that the road is a bit hazy for you and I‘d love to show you the way. I won’t bore you with chatter and I’ll keep up by running.I’ll even bring some stew.
Fancy squinted to get a good look at Holland.Not able to see Holland very clearly, Fancy shook her head, sighed and asked, “I hope you don’t mind my question, but I want to know if you are beautiful.You see, this may be my only shot at fame.If you are not beautiful, you could put me completely to shame!
Holland thought a minute.“Well, I don’t know—I have been told that I’m beautiful, but what does it actually mean?”
Fancy sighed impatiently.“You know…shiny shoes, dresses with ruffly lace, sparkly earrings, sun-kissed hair and rosy cheeks.”Fancy sighed again.“Time is important, my dear”, she said, taking Holland by the arm.I can’t stand around all day.We are sure to bump into other travelers along the way.They can help answer our questions.
The two waltzed down the path towards Hollywood, in search of fame.Though they didn’t know it yet, the pair would soon learn a valuable lesson about beauty.
After a time, they spotted a little door in a large oak tree and ran up to it. On the door was a name plate.It read: STINK E. SKUNK. Before they could knock, the door swung open.Even though Fancy couldn’t see, she could definitely smell, and she didn’t like what she smelled.But Holland, seeing the skunk’s kind eyes, held out her hand and offered her name.“Holland,” she said. The skunk embraced her hand warmly and answered,“Stink”.He offered his home to the weary travelers and a sweet cup of chocolate milk. Holland took a sip.Mmmmmm. As they sipped the milk, Holland asked Stink if he knew what beautiful meant.“Beautiful?Hmmmm.I imagine a nice scent would make someone beautiful.”He thought about it some more.“Yes, a nice smell and a spiky new haircut.”At that, he admired himself in the mirror.Holland pondered Stink’s words all night, but just wasn’t satisfied.The next morning, after a big bowl of barley and words of gratitude to Stink for a fine place to stay, Fancy and Holland began their trek to Hollywood once again.
Not long after they had set out, they came across a donut tree.Underneath they spotted an ostrich reading a book.
“My name is Olive, she said, after Fancy and Holland introduced themselves.
As Holland munched on donuts, freshly fallen from the tree, she watched the ostrich gently lead Fancy to a comfortable place in the grass. Holland noticed Olive’s red tennis shoes sparkling in the sunlight.
“Your shoes are just lovely!”
“Thank you”, said Olive with a smile.“Don’t they make me beautiful?”
“I don’t know, Holland replied.“Do shoes make a person beautiful?
“Of course they do!”Olive exclaimed.
As they all drifted off to a delightful sleep, Holland thought about Olive’s words, still not convinced that anyone she had met yet truly knew what beautiful meant.
After several hours, Holland and Fancy awoke and bid Olive Ostrich farewell. As they continued on their journey,Fancy turned towards Holland and said, “You don’t smell unpleasant.After another pause, she asked, “What about your haircut?Is it spiky?Do you have red, sparkly tennis shoes?”
Holland had to say no to all of her questions.“I find it hard to believe that I need a nice odor, a spiky haircut, and sparkly tennis shoes to be beautiful!There has got to be someone around here who knows the real meaning of beautiful!” Holland sighed.Just then, the sound of a voice stopped them in their tracks.It was Mr. Wise Owl!He was the Mayor of Wieber Town and was out making sure the residents were taking care of their land.“I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation.I can answer your question!
With that, he pulled from his pocket a book that said,God’s Word. Opening to the book of Peter, he read out loud, “1 Peter 3:3-6:Don't depend on things like fancy hairdos or gold jewelry or expensive clothes to make you look beautiful. Be beautiful in your heart by being gentle and quiet. This kind of beauty will last, and God considers it very special.”(CEV)
“It is not what is on your outside that matters.It is your inner being—your heart—that determines your true beauty.”Mr. Wise said.“If you have Jesus in your heart, the beauty He brings just can’t be contained.It will seep out like a fragrance, and because of it, others will want to know Jesus, too.”
Holland was suddenly filled with gratitude towards Mr. Wise and her heart felt at peace with the words that came from the big book. “Now that sounds right!”Holland exclaimed.
For the first time since they set out on their journey, Fancy was quiet.Kicking at a pinecone that rested at her feet, Fancy pondered the owl’s words.What he said changed her idea of beauty as well, and she suddenly didn’t desire for Hollywood fame anymore.She now knew that there was much more to beauty than one could see with the eye.
As the pair turned around to head home, Holland raised her eyes to the sky and thanked God for loving and creating her--Holland Elise.A girl whose beauty shines even brighter than red shiny shoes.
The End
Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. 1 Peter 3:4
Holland and Fancy share a Summer evening together. The pair have been friends nearly 4 years.
One of my favorite strawberry recipes can be found here on the Martha Stewart Website. It's easy and so very scrumptious! I also look forward to making homemade jam, and don't even get me started on strawberry shortcake. Brian and I do disagree, however, on the perfect shortcake. But because I love him, I make "his" version most often--with angel food cake.
I remember picking strawberries with my mom as a little gal. So it's extra sweet for me to see my gals picking strawberries with me. Holland was very proud of herself as she decided she would try eating the strawberry without having to have mom cut the "green thing" off. This is a big thing for her. So are these first strawberries. Oh how I love this Season!
Brian was a sweetheart and watched Liv, Holland, and Mary for Chelsea and I the other night so that we could gather with some of our friends to learn more about raising children. We watched a great teaching DVD. The whole first part of the presentation, by Michael Pearl, was to encourage moms and dads to have joy in raising up their children. While we spent a relaxing learning time on the couch, Brian had a pizza-eating-movie-watching-fish-feeding-ice-cream-indulging-crazy-kind of time and the girls had the kind of fun that can only be had without the moms around.
A few days later he showed me this list. It's definitely blog-worthy:
Things I learned watching 3 girls
Holland : Mary do they have watermelons in China?
Mary : Uhuh!
Mary : There’s Chester. He’s a good boy. Henry is a good boy……………… Sometimes Henry is a good boy. Belle is a bad girl.
Girls need to go to the bathroom in groups at a surprisingly young age.
Holland : Mary, I like your sparkly shoes. What happened to your red shoes?
Mary : They died!
Holland: Oh!
Holland : (commenting on the plastic roller-skate keychain with a bell on it.) It’s a Bell Skaper shoe????
Mary : No, it’s a flat????
Holland : No, it’s something!
Mary : yes it is.
If the girls are spunky enough, pink boxing gloves are complimentary to ballerina shoes.
Feeding baby cichlids is a combat sport between little girls.
Mickey Mouse driving the steamboat in Steamboat Willieis extremely provocative to kids under 5. (He’s driving the boat, tapping his feet and, in the words of Holland, he’s “shaking his buns”)the clip must be watched to get a full understanding of what Holland is talking about. :o)
But the big "take away" from the night and the thing I’m the most sure of: Ice cream and Oreo cookies could have prevented any of the World’s major conflicts if presented at the right time.
Liv is a very thoughtful little gal. I often go to put my shoes on, only to find that they have been stuffed with some sort of surprise...usually a home made necklace, a handwritten note, or duct-taped-plastic utensils tied to my shoes by a mondo wad of twine and a handy barrette sealing it all together. I sometimes find similar things on the floor outside my bedroom door. Every day she gathers Holland and I together to make a surprise for daddy when he comes home. Yesterday, it was cheesy bread. Last February she made a game for her Gramma Jan's birthday. It came complete with a self-designed fishing pole with a clip at the end of the line, a bucket of prizes, and directions. (below you will see that Gramma won a "sword").
She has also made countless "toys" for Reese....of which I have had to put away for later times. These sweet toys, unfortunately, would not pass safety inspections and laws for children under 3. The toy she made for Reese yesterday actually even lights up when hit with a hand. It was hung from a handy hanging apparatus. That's the thing with Liv. She thinks of the practical things, too. It's fun to see her help Brian with projects. She often will help him think through the details and Brian has said she has actually pointed out useful things for him to consider. She just "gets" how things should work together.
Yesterday, after a fun evening with the family lounging in our backyard and playing in the garden (ie: weeding and planting), I came in to find this sitting on my kitchen counter.
Yes, it's written by Liv. In the third person. Yes, it is adorable, isn't it? I would never have guessed that being a mom would be this amazing and fun. And yet, it is. Thank you God for such amazing blessings! Thank you God for our girls. Thank you God for the miracle of another girl coming soon!
We get to see our friends Drew and Sydnie every Wednesday. On this particular Wednesday, we had extra fun with our friends, Stellan, Isaac, Loren, Claire and Mae. Mae unfortunately did not get to join us for this picture as she was catching some zzzz's. What a bunch of happy, goofy kids!
One of my goals with the girls is to introduce them to the world of cooking. I want them to experience the satisfaction of completing a task, to feel the joy of making something special for loved ones, and to understand the scientific intricacies of baking and cooking. By the time they have their own kitchens, I hope they have had many adventures....flops and triumphs...and no fear in tackling a recipe.
I love these pictures of Holland. She helped me bake bread one day and enjoyed herself immensely. Check it out:
My charming little chef--
And here I am trying to teach Holland that kneading is not necessarily slapping the bread. But the little doll was having so much fun kneading/slapping the bread anyway.
She liked the kneading part--A LOT.
And this picture was taken because...well, I just love little hands. And especially 3-year old little hands.
Our sweet friend Elicia used to work at Young Chef's Academy. She gave us passes to attend one of their cooking classes. Since Brian and I like to cook, we wanted to try the preschool class where parents are welcome to join in the fun. The theme for May was Fairy Tales and we tried the Red Riding Hood class. We started out by making zucchini muffins. The kids got to help level and measure and mix and crack eggs, etc. Then, while the muffins were cooking, they listened to the story Red Riding Hood and then played a fun game called "What Time is it Mr. Wolf?". Afterwards, the kids helped prepare Granny's Get Well Chicken Soup. Finally, we got to sample it all. It was all very well organized and fun! The girls had a blast. They offer classes for all ages, including adults, and even offer birthday party services. We definitely hope to try it again soon!
Here we are at Young Chef's Academy:
Holland picks a piece of thyme to put in the soup:
The girls have always been my helpers in the kitchen, but now that they are older, I want to make cooking a more personal thing for them. My intentions are not entirely pure, however. Selfishly, I look forward to a night or two off of dinner duty in the future. :o)
I wanted to teach them in a way that encouraged, rather than discouraged or overwhelmed them. I decided to start simple by teaching Liv just one recipe she wanted to make from her own cookbook. She got this amazing Paula Dean kids cookbook from her "Aunt" Stumpy and goes right to it when she wants to try something new. After she becomes fluent in the recipe, she gets to move on to another. So I have coined these mastered recipes as her "Signature Dishes".
Her Signature Dishes include:
Monkey Bread Pigs in a Blanket Bull's Eye (which is a scrumptious slice of toast with a circle cut from the middle, grilled in a frying pan with an over-medium egg cooked in the middle) Magic Rice Waffles
Magic Rice is her favorite and is the sole reason for her recent love of mushrooms. I'll post that recipe later next week.
Currently, she is being versed in creating sushi rolls with Daddy.
Because of this experience, Liv has also gained an appreciation for foods she normally wouldn't try and now she is our healthy eater, willing to give any meal a go.
Holland, on the other hand, is our pickiest eater ever. She would live on the solace of comfort foods every day if she could, and would be happiest if veggies never showed their faces on her plate. To try to combat her dislike for corn, I introduced Holland to a new recipe, which was to become her first signature dish. It's called Corn Pudding. Okay, so it's not the healthiest thing out there, but it IS amazingly delicious, and because of her love of comfort foods, I figured it was worth trying. Holland loved it, and even though she tried to eat around the corn, she finally gave up and also ate the corn. She still claims that she and corn are at odds with each other, but I am suspecting that the pudding might change her mind yet!
Here is Holland, preparing her recipe.
Corn pudding is an excellent first dish to teach your toddler to make. It involves very little ingredients, no chopping, and the main activity is stirring.
The idea of giving the girls ownership over their own unique recipes has been so much fun, and has given the girls such confidence in the kitchen. They each want to make their signature dishes for company or gatherings we attend. Holland tells everyone that she is the only one who knows how to make corn pudding. Eventually, I hope she gets excited to eat corn without all that pudding. :o)
Holland's Signature Dish:
Jiffy Corn Pudding Recipe
1 can creamed corn 1 can kernel corn (drained) 1 stick butter (melted)
Mix both cans corn, 1 package corn mix, sour cream, and melted butter. Add beaten eggs. Mix thoroughly using wooden spoon. Grease bottom of 8 x 8 pan. Pour in pan or glass dish (Pyrex). Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when placed in center of pudding.
