Hoppy Reformation Day!

What is Reformation Day? It is the day that we celebrate the beginning of Protestantism. This day is marked by Martin Luther posting the "95 Theses" on the door of the Catholic Church. How does one celebrate such a holiday? Oddly enough, we celebrate in a very similar fashion to Halloween, except that no scary costumes are involved, and we attend some sort of church function rather than Trick-or-Treating. (It is possible that we just call it Reformation Day instead of Halloween, but it is pretty much the same thing... maybe.)

There are a couple of lucky people who are fortunate enough to share a birthday with the Protestant Movement. Happy Birthday Uncle Shawn and Charlotte (my sister-in-law)!!!

Whatever you celebrate today, and however you do, or don't, celebrate it, I hope that you have a good, safe time.

My little Kangaroo.

Mommy's bunny, and she is thrilled.

In order to get both of them in the same frame, we tried taking a picture while they were swinging. Not a good picture, but they're both in it.

Again, my bunny is soooo happy. Ella is eating a leaf. She was content to sit there and eat her leaf all day.

Anyone Else Ready for the Holidays?

I am. Shopping (even if you buy nothing) will do that to you. Especially when everyone is putting out decorations and playing music. I think that they are trying to create some Christmas spirit with the hopes that it will translate into something green and merry... money. No one has money for shopping if they are logical, but with all the pretty silver snowflakes and white reindeer, even I was almost tempted to pull out the credit card, almost.

If all of this IMB stuff works out, we'll be in Tallassee for the whole Christmas season. Instead of packing and traveling the entire trip, we'll be able to relax some and enjoy the holiday and the looks on the kids faces and such. DeLaynie's first holiday, we went to Alabama for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. I don't know what I was thinking. Poor DeLaynie didn't care much for the experience at all. Last year we stayed for Thanksgiving, but did a very intricate tour of Bama country for Christmas. She was sick, on antibiotics, and unhappy. I was pregnant and carsick most of the trip. Well, I was pregnant the whole time and carsick most of the time. We did really enjoy the time with our families though. It was worth it. I'm glad that we won't be repeating that experience, hopefully, this year.

I'm excited about our second "grown-up" Thanksgiving with B. Wal and her family. They're good peeps. Homies. Fo shizel my nizel (I hope that I spelled that right. Oh well, I bet that no one who reads this will know the difference). Peace out!

Night on the Town!

I had my semi-weekly "Hannah's getting grumpy, so it's time for her to get out of the house by herself" outing tonight. Edwin is very, very supportive in helping me get that kind of time. I know how to pick 'em. I meandered through various stores, buying nothing. I was searching for an outrageously adorable outfit for Ella that was $2 or so. Oddly enough, there weren't any.

I tend to have fantasies in the "A Christmas Story" fashion. (Think about the scene where the teacher is reading all of the terrible papers and is overjoyed by Ralphie's work of brilliance.) I dream about things like finding aforementioned outfit and returning home with a parade and fireworks. I'm quite the realist.

I spent a large amount of the time that I wasn't shuffling through racks of baby clothes, as well as some of the time that I was, thinking about the coming months. We'll probably be leaving our church family and some very, very good friends in the coming weeks. We'll have our last Christmas with our families for a few years. I'll put the girls in daycare for the first time ever. I have a tremendously difficult time thinking about dropping them off in the mornings. I'm not sure what I'll do if they're cryers.

There are a plethera (that's right; a plethera) of changes coming down the pike. Some are good, and some are difficult. None are outside of God's control. I don't say this for your benefit as much as mine. I tend to preach to myself most of the time.

After some meditation in the clearance section, I went to the grocery store and bought some cake. Yet again, my naive daydreaming got the best of me. I had this pretty, little picture of me and Edwin sitting down together and talking about our days over cake. He ripped into his before I was able to sit down. The World Series was ending at that point, so he wasn't in much of a talking mood. He was cheering on the Rays, which didn't work out well for him, but he's more disappointed by the end of this year's baseball season and the idea that we (okay, he) may not be able to watch baseball for two or three years.

We're all going to have to make some sacrifices, and baseball probably isn't going to top the list. I'm pretty sure that Alabama football crushes baseball, unless the Braves beat all odds and have a great season next year. Edwin might have to get an online subscription for that one!

Some Changes

As regular readers should have noticed, this blog has been getting some updates. I have noticed that most blogs are far more fashionable than mine has been. In an attempt to keep up with the Cyber Jones's, I have re-vamped. I hope that it hasn't caused any issues as you have tried to log on. If it has, I apologize. My plan is to leave it be for a while. I've been surprised at just how difficult all of this is. Seeing everyone else's blogs made me think that it had to be relatively simple, but it isn't. Maybe I'm just that inept. Either way, I hope that the pretty polkdots make your reading experience more enjoyable.

Hannah

Where in the World?

As the IMB conference comes barreling closer and closer, Edwin and I are confronted by a very interesting question: "Where in the world do we want to go?" Most people never have the opportunity to contemplate such a question.

I want to go to Latin America, but not really because I have a specific calling. I like the language. I think that it would be fun to learn it. I also feel guilty about the idea of making a child with a language issue, minor as it is, learn another language, like Hungarian, when she has a far better than average grasp of Spanish, thanks to Dora. There is one job that Edwin is really interested in that is in a Hispanic country.

He, however, is more interested in Asia. Those languages are harder, and lots of the Asian countries have several languages. I get a little nervous about the idea of a country where women are supposed to be silent. It's not that I'm completely incapable of keeping my mouth shut, but I'm afraid that I'll forget myself and end up in prison. I'm not totally sure I want to raise two little girls in that kind of society, either. I am willing to look into it, and there are some good-looking jobs in Asia. It all depends on the country.

I guess that it all comes down to what God wants from us. I'm not dead-set against anything, and I'm just praying that God will give us wisdom and a will to follow wherever it is that He wants us to go. I'm jazzed about going and hearing more about what is out there. I get more excited about the path in front of us with each day. Pray that we will have a clear leading to a particular job and area, and that God will prepare our hearts for the work ahead.

Not Quite Betty

I'm working on improving my kitchen abilities. I'm getting better, but I'm far (far!) from being someone that people would refer to as a great cook.

Edwin isn't feeling well, and he didn't get much time off this weekend (Fall Festival and Sunday services do that to a pastor), so he's home today, except for a meeting or two. I decided to be all Proverbs 31 and cook cinnamon rolls. I've been trying to make them gooey, like a certain fast food chain's. I added shortening, too much. I think I'm going to be sick, actually. They were gooey, or maybe doughey is a better term. Blah!

In other, related, news, I thought that I'd had a stroke of brilliance when I came up with the innovative idea that pumpkin seeds could be roasted in the Crock Pot. I wrote one of my personal heroes, The CrockPot Lady, and made the suggestion. She emailed me back! I was quite excited. Unfortunately, the idea didn't work. I'm seriously hoping that I was one of thousands of people who wrote her with the suggestion. I'd hate to lead The CrockPot Lady astray.

Oh well; I'm making progress. I'm pretty satisfied with where I am, for now. I'm going to keep working at it. But you may want to wait a while before coming to a dinner party at my place.

You Know You've Changed When...

Last night was our Fall Festival, as I mentioned in last night's mini-post. We had a ride... a full-out hayride. By that I mean that the length was not intended for 7 month-olds or their older sisters. It was in the midst of this very, very chilly excursion that I got to thinking how much I've changed since becoming a mommy. DeLaynie was well-behaved. She was also quiet, scary quiet. She sat on the floor, under the blanket, between Edwin's feet. He poked his head under and asked, "Are you okay?"

To which she'd respond, "I okay." Doesn't sound bad, right? But the tone was pitiful. She kept leaning over to check and make sure that Ella was okay. She even pulled back the head of her costume to make sure that it was still her. She was really still and sad. Edwin and I were worried.

Ella wasn't much better. She had to eat once. Yes. I nursed her. Right there on the hayride. When we realized that we were at least 30 minutes (though it turned into about an hour) from the church, and Ella was hungry, and she could freeze to death without the proper nourishment (exaggeration), I covered up with our blanket and fed. Most people just thought that I was trying to keep her warm. Yet another way that I'm different. Who would have thought that I'd do that at a church function? After that she went to sleep. It was a deep sleep. Again, scary.

I can't imagine that five years ago I would be concerned about a two year-old being too well-behaved or a seven month-old sleeping too soundly. With the other tots being none-too-happy to be there, I probably would have seen this little family, with the sleeping baby and quietly not-fully-conscious toddler, and thought that those kids were great. But I was sitting there, praying that we wouldn't need to go to the hospital upon our return. (We didn't; they were fine. Elmo is a powerful healer. I gave Dee some hot cocoa in her cuppy. She was really happy.)

There've been more of those moments recently, like when I became deliriously excited about the fact that I was able to get a smaller Crock Pot, with a basin that fits into our dishwasher (!!!), for $18. Or when I bought a nice, glass mixing bowl set for $9.99. It has lids and everything. From the counter to the fridge to the table to the potluck, those babies go anywhere.

Yep, I'm a changed woman. I'm not done changing, either. Christ-like is the goal, folks, even if the examples don't point to that as the transformation. I bet Jesus got pretty jazzed about good deals on things that helped Him care for His family, though. While you dwell on that, allow me to wish you an awesome beginning to your week. I hope that it is a total blast of grace!

Palin-esque

I thought I'd be Sarah Palin for our Fall Festival. Everyone just thought I'd gotten new glasses, so I'm not sure that I captured her... but here's a picture of my attempt.

My Husband Rocks!

He really does. I thought about titling this post, "My Husband's Better Than Your Husband," but I thought that might set some people on edge.

In the name of specificity, allow me to brag a little bit. I'm not feeling too well. Sore throat, cough, yada, yada. Edwin had a breakfast meeting yesterday. Then he came home and stayed until after lunch. I slept. He took care of our two girls while I rested. It was really, really nice. Then he picked up the house after they went to bed last night. Dishes and everything.

In general, he's a great dad. He isn't too good to change diapers or give the girls a bath. He genuinely enjoys running around with De, and he reads stories and goes over flash cards most nights.

He's good to me. You may say that he spoils me. I try to spoil him back. It's our system. It's great to have a teammate like Edwin. I hope that he feels as blessed to have me as I feel to have him.

This Is An Election Year... Really?

Maybe you haven't heard. The candidates have been so meek about the whole thing. And respectful.

We live in an area of the state where our affiliates serve two states. The unfortunate affect is that we get to see two sets of election commercials. Two. I'm losing the will to vote. I don't like any of them anymore, with one exception. But I can't even vote in that election.

I'm not totally sure how a newspaper can endorse a candidate. Aren't they supposed to be un-biased? I think it's one thing when you're a special interest publication, like a Christian news service or union paper, but a mainstream newspaper? How can you be free from bias while endorsing a particular candidate? I admit it; I'm naive.

You Can Judge Me...

I deserve it. I actually handed her the cookie. It was just one, but in her hands, one cookie is more than enough to do plenty of damage. I'll just consider it an investment into the rehearsal dinner for her wedding. This should make for some serious ooo-ing and ahhhh-ing.

A Very Pleasant Day (so far)

The whole family went up to L-ville today. Edwin had a "staff meeting" with Travis, and the girls and I had the wonderful opportunity to hang out with Megan and their precious, little girl for lunch. Megan is a real cook. She can open up a cook book made by people who write cook books for a living, and cook the meal like it's written on the page. I usually stand there, arguing with the page about the list of ingredients. ("Do I really need kosher salt? I'm not Jewish." "Who owns that many spices?" "How am I supposed to cook this? I can't even pronounce half of the ingredients!") If it doesn't include cream of something soup or a packet of soup mix, the chances that I'll make it plummet. Unless it's a bakery item. As I've mentioned before, I love baking. I love it so much that I gained two pounds this weekend. I'll try to love it a little less.

Anyway, back to lunch... So we had this really fun Thai pasta with peanut sauce. A very yummy dish. Then we packed up the three girls and walked over to the park, where DeLaynie ran around like the little monkey she is, slid down every slide, and labeled everything she could pronounce, which took a while. Ella swung in one of the baby swings, giggling like Elmo. We had to leave sooner than I had hoped, but Edwin had a meeting to get to.

He and I had the joy of talking in the car, so the price of gas was well worth it. A very good day, indeed. DeLaynie even went back to sleep after Edwin got her in from the car, where she was having a delightful nap. Ella slept some, so she's in a good mood.

God is so kind to give us fun times with good people. MOPs yesterday and today's lunch have been huge blessings to me this week. I hope that all mommies get similar opportunities to be with people who are going through the same stuff. It's a great thing to be able to be encouraged and share with other mommies, and I am grateful for the chance.

Dinner (Yea...)

Tonight is leftover bean soup night. Exciting, eh? We eat bean soup every week because it's cheap, $3 for us to eat twice. It tastes about as good as you would think a giant vat of beans would. We dread the experience, but it's edible, fairly nutritious, and, as mentioned previously, cheap. We're adding leftover roast to it tonight, as suggested by my mom.

I am going to make cornbread tonight. I like making corn bread. I like to bake. I also like the way that corn bread tastes. I make them in the muffin form because they get really crispy, in spite of the fact that I no longer own a cast iron skillet. I had two, but they died in the aging process. Or I thought that they were ruined... but thinking back, I'm just not sure.

We ate a lot of pretty good food, including pizza, this weekend, so I don't feel as guilty about kicking off the week with the unfortunate beginning of bean soup. It can only get better from here, barring I get too experimental.

A Few Attempts at a Family Picture

Attempt number 1.

Attempt number2.

Attempt number 3.

Attempt number 4.

We never did get one picture with all of us looking at the camera, or looking pleasant, or looking period. Oh well! There's always PhotoShop.

Family In town

Our church is having a revival. It began last night and concludes tomorrow morning. My dad is preaching, so my entire family, (Mom, Dad, Micah, and Nicholas) is in town. We're all going to watch the Bama game this afternoon. Fun!

We may hit Hinton's for a pumpkin. I would like to get a big one and name her Sally, call her Sal. I love the Dick Van Dyke Show, even if he has the world's most unfortunate name. It is rythmic, so maybe not quite the most unfortunate. I've always felt a little sad for Sally's character. She never did get herself a husband, if I recall. Well, I'll dedicate a pumpkin to her. I'll get a nice bow for the side.

Anyway... Six people eat a lot more than two, especially when two teenage boys are involved. I don't think Nicholas eats all that much, but I'm absolutely positive that Micah takes down anything you put in front of him. It's not a problem, but I do have an issue with planning dinners with that many people. I'm deeply afraid of running out of food and leaving everyone hungry. I don't know if I could ever recover. Fortunately, my Crock-Pot is always with me. I can make large amounts of food with very little effort. I'm trying out a new recipe tonight. It makes me nervous, but I live life on the edge.

Hope you have a great weekend. Roll Tide!

Funny Faces

This isn't a great picture, necessarily, but it makes me giggle, so I thought I'd share.

Here's Ella, who is apparently very happy about... something.

Doing Something Worthwhile

I thought about ranting about how advertisers use the word, "fall" way too much in their ads at this time of year ("Fall Into Savings" "Fall Into Fashion" "You'll Fall for our Low Prices"), but I decided that it may not help my persona of being a little obsessed with language and grammar.

Instead, I have decided to mention how happy writing the devotional blog makes me. There is a good chance that there aren't tons and tons of people who read it, but it still seems like a worthwhile venture to me. I have learned a ton by writing them. Most of the time, I gain much more than anyone who reads it is going to. I love writing, and delving into the Word just makes me want to sit at the keyboard and start typing. It's nice to have an outlet for what I'm learning. The accountability is great, too.

If you would like to read the studies, the link is on the right (The Dwelling Place), or you can click here. I try to update it about three times a week.

The IMB Conference

We got our travel information for the ISC/ Journeyman Conference on Saturday! Going overseas to do missions is becoming more and more real to me. As I've been thinking about this, something that a friend of mine said after getting back from J-man training has been coming to mind. "There were some couples there with kids. Everything they did was about the kids." I realize that this statement represents a very big difference between me and a lot of the other women who will be at the conference and the training that follows. I have children. They do not.

This fact became even more clear when I saw the sheet in the information packet that said, "Feel free to bring group games if there's room in your luggage," when discussing our free time at night. All I could think was, "I'm going to need to pump a lot to make sure that I keep my milk supply up. Then I'm going to want a really long shower to make up for all the five-minute mini-showers that I've taken in the last year. I'll have to call B. Wal to check in on the kids before it gets too late. Oooooo, and I'll be able to get some good, quality sleep. When am I supposed to play games, I wonder?"

This wouldn't be such a big issue except that I'm pretty sure that my references would point to the fact that I have a bit of a problem with being slow to socialize in new situations. That might cause the powers-that-be to grow a bit concerned if I run to the room immediately following all of the planned activities for the day. I'm going to have to try to compensate, but not over-compensate.

I've already considered coming up with some topics for conversation that do not include my children's bodily fluids or the differences between C-sections and regular births. My plan is to write them on my arm and sneak a peek when the conversation seems to lull and it's my turn to say something fascinating.

Edwin and I were lame to begin with. Post-kids, we're just plain dull. The other night we were playing cards with B. Whit and her hubby. My nerdiness became abundantly clear when B. Whit said something about Edwin mocking her. I started making jokes about how I shouldn't even be standing with him, since he is a mocker, a play on Psalm 1. They didn't find it very funny the first time, so I made a similar joke a few minutes later. And I'm pretty sure that I did one more variation later on in the evening. Apparently jokes with a biblical reference aren't the best choice for a Friday night card game.

I need to talk to my brother, a popular guy at a Christian college. He can tell me what those crazy kids are up to these days. I'm only 24, so I wonder when I got so old. If all else fails, I'll find the one other mommy and discuss the differences between Pamper's and Huggie's.

Another Little Victory

De did something pretty amazing last night. She went into the kitchen, grabbed an apple off of the table, and tried to eat it. Today, she pulled me into the kitchen, and when I asked her what she wanted, replied with, "I want an apple." I gave it to her after cutting off a piece so she could bite into it more easily. Okay, very little got into her, but I'm proud... very proud. Not only did she try a new food, but she patiently and clearly asked me for what she wanted. She even tried a carrot stick last night! She wasn't sure what to do when it was in her mouth, and it just fell out, but she kept trying. She never understood how to chew it, but I think she'll get there. If it makes no sense to you why this is such a big deal for a 2 1/2 year-old, read this.

El is army crawling with amazing speed and accuracy. She's working on adding her legs into the mix, but it still takes too much effort for her to use them with each "step". She's doing really well, and loving her new-found "freedom".

I haven't felt well at all this weekend, so I'm sorry that I haven't updated either of my blogs this weekend. I hope to get back on-task tomorrow. My parents are coming this weekend because my dad is preaching a revival for our church (!!!!), so I better get going on the cleaning :).

Hinton's Orchard: Part 2

DeLaynie playing with hay, and looking at the crowd of women trying to corral the kids together for a group photo.

Ella loves her pumpkin.

I think that Ella was watching a pumpkin being thrown by one of the older kids.

Ella again looking at all of the women trying to coerce them into smiling and looking in one direction. DeLaynie proving that it cannot be done.

That's Yummy!

What happens when a six-month old finds her sister's leftover chocolate chip muffin? She may be a little dirty, but she's deliriously happy!

A Little Off This Week

I'm just now finishing the devotional for today. I'm excited about what God has taught me today. And it's taken all day. I must have sat at the kitchen table twenty times, trying to study, when Ella would cry out to be held or because she was stuck under a table or because she couldn't see anyone else.

It's been yucky for the past couple of days. DeLaynie doesn't understand this concept. She doesn't get that we just can't go outside when it's raining. I can't figure out how to explain it. It's not like she would mind getting soaked, so letting her go outside and get wet wouldn't prevent future attempts to break out. Ella wouldn't enjoy it, and I would hate it. I hate rain. I'm pretty sure that she'd still run right into a sand box. I'm not woman enough to clean her up after that.

Maybe tomorrow will be pretty. Maybe we will be able to get out and walk and play and frolic. Yes... frolic. Toward the end of our walks, I give DeLaynie a play break. I thought about calling it a "DeLaynie runs around like a wild banchi without a family while her mom embarasses herself by stretching in public" break, but I didn't think DeLaynie could learn to pronounce that one for a while. I went with play break. She understands the concept pretty well. She also gets that she will receive juice at the end of the break as a bribe to get back into the stroller. If she's especially thirsty, she won't even let me get finished doing my crunches before crawling back into the stroller seat, but she isn't normally that thirsty.

Since it's technically tomorrow, I am now going to end today's post. I hope to get tomorrow's post in a little later today, or something like that... Shalom!

To Cut or Not to Cut

I'm debating whether or not I should get a hair cut. I'm not going to chop. At this phase in life, a pony-tail is a necessary evil. I rarely straighten my hair these days, but I would like to add some shape for those rare days when I want to.

I know that this matters greatly to you. I can't imagine that the economy, election, theological questions, or my children could possibly matter more to you than my hair style. (For the record, I have nothing to say on those subjects that hasn't been said already, probably a dozen times.) I'm running out of things to say until my children do something overwhelmingly adorable or there is an issue in the world that simply demands my brilliance (sarcasm, I assure you).

Until then, let me know what you think. Edwin doesn't really care, though he actually likes shorter hair. Ella enjoys pulling on my hair, but I don't particularly care for it for whatever reason.

My Apologies...

I've missed a couple of days. I would like to apologize specifically to my Granny, the most avid supporter this blog has.

I spent a lot of time baking yesterday. I love to bake, so I was pretty happy about it. There's something about kneading dough that make me happy. This probably comes as a shock to a lot of people, seeing as I'm the total opposite of everything Martha Stewart. The things that I'm happiest with are the blueberry muffins. They were my first from-scratch muffins that I've ever made. They looked pretty, and they were totally edible. Some might go so far to say that they were good.

All of this baking was in the name of MOPs. It was really an excuse. I just wanted to bake. I admit it!

DeLaynie is developing so well now days. She's been using Play-Doh with cookie cutters and the other typical utensils. She is speaking more and more, and using real sentences consistently. I'm incredibly proud of her. I know that a lot of typical milestones require real effort for her, but she has worked very hard to grow and expand her abilities. She is hugging people that are fairly familiar, and holding hands of people when she's pretty sure that she can get something out of them, like juice or a trip to the playground.

Ella's almost crawling. She is kind of squirming forward, with some help from her knees. She can take one "step" with her hips turned in like they should be for crawling. Any day now she will be taking over, and I'll need to go back and re-childproof. I'm not sure where we'll put things since DeLaynie can climb up to anything, except for the top of the fridge. Our refrigerator is already pretty cluttered on top, but it's our only "safe spot". I'll have to get a little more creative.

Well, that's all I have in updates. I hope that brings all of your inquiring minds up to date.

Lucky Charms

I bought DeLaynie some cereal last night. She really likes them. It took about three servings before she realized that there were some pieces that are better than the others. Since then she's started dumping out the cup of cereal on the floor and picking out the marshmallows. I remember doing the same thing. I have a feeling she'll follow in her mother's footsteps and lick all of the cream out of her Oreos, leaving the cookies, creamless and slobbery.

All of that to say, we had Lucky Charms in the house. For less than twenty-four hours. I'd love to say that DeLaynie ate the whole box, but I can't. I helped... a little. Maybe more than a little. Maybe a lot. It was a team effort. I ate the cereal, not just the marshmallows. At least I've improved at a few things over the years. Those things really are magical, and I am Irish, so I have a few mediocre excuses. Okay, so I'm not exactly full-blooded Irish, but I am short with red hair, freckles, and green eyes, so there has to be at least one Irish person in my heritage. I'll leave you with that thought with which to judge me.

Have a great weekend!

I Like Winning Things

In an attempt to win something, and because I have nothing else to say, I am posting this link to a website with lots of really cute handbags that launches on October 15th. On that day, they're giving away a handbag every hour. Click on over to enter!

Handbag Planet

A Great Date

I told Edwin a couple of weeks ago that the ideal date would be to take our kids to someone else's house and us stay in for a few hours without any kids. He wasn't totally sure that this was as brilliant as I thought. He went with it, despite his lack of faith. We sent the kids to B. Whit's house where she and her husband did a fabulous job caring for them. It's some good people who are willing to allow two children into their home. Especially Fount Ella and Destructo De, although they claimed that they were pretty good. I'm grateful for their kindness.

Back to the date... We had an indoor picnic on the living room floor. Our dining area is in the kitchen, and I really didn't want to spend our evening in the room where I spend so much time working. Edwin brought home a platter of Tuscani Chicken Alfredo from Pizza Hut. It was really, really good. And cheap. Much cheaper than two equally good meals out. I lit a bunch of candles. I didn't want the smell of spit-up to permeate the house during our date for some reason. I moved the giant slide out of our den too. I thought about moving the other toys and stuff, but that would have taken hours, and I just would have had to move it all back. Not worth it. I chose to try to ignore it.

We sat down on the floor, ate our food, and played Monopoly. We were able to hear each other talk and everything! So exciting! I know, we're pretty boring, old people for our age. I'm okay with it. We had a ball. It was a lot of fun eating a meal and talking without holding an infant in one arm or trying to fend off a toddler with the other.