Thankfulness Thursday

. . . with a heart of gratitude . . .

This week I am especially thankful for:

1)  Choosing to homeschool.  This sounds silly as we have barely started, but as the school year is starting to rev up, I feel so much more at peace with life.  I never realized how school - the meetings, the supplies and uniforms, the schedules, the CRAZINESS - really stresses me out!  I am so grateful to have an opportunity to avoid that.

(On a side note, I cannot predict the future and if our homeschooling endeavors fail horribly, I will of course, give "the system" another try, but at this time, for the next year, at least, I hope to enjoy a bit more peace and relaxation as we live and learn as a family.)

2)  My camera.  (Or more specifically, having a camera - that works - in general.)  The kids LOVE to have their picture taken.  We rarely come up with AMAZING pictures, but the joy of taking them and being in them is really something we celebrate around here.

3)  A nearby Adoration chapel.  I do not get there near enough, but it is such a nice little chapel and VERY close.  Definitely a blessing!

"O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures for ever." - Psalm 107:1

Thankfulness Thursday

. . . with a heart of gratitude . . .

This week I am especially thankful for:

1)  Exercise!!  I'm thankful that I'm able to exercise.  I'm thankful for a place to exercise (even if it is a bit cramped and I occasionally hit my head or kick a wall).  I'm thankful for AWESOME DVDs to work-out with from my favorite fitness guru Cathe Friedrich.  I'm thankful for work-out equipment to assist me in challenging my body.  I'm thankful for my hubby rigging up a mini-theater so I can watch work-out DVDs AND other "entertainment" DVDs at the same time (if I want) so I don't get bored.  And mostly I'm thankful for how exercise makes me feel GOOD all day long.  Thank you God for exercise!!

2)  Air Conditioning.  This does not really even need any explaining.  And ours is not working all that well, but I'm still thankful!!!  I like to challenge myself and try to "offer things up" but being too hot turns me into the meanest, crab ever.

3)  My amazing hubby putting the boys to bed.  We often try to tag-team or tackle them together, but lately Miriam has been fussy or I have been just worn-out from the day and Gordie has been stepping up and wrangling the three boys to bed.  (Which takes a lot these  days as Paul is in the "testing his limits" phase.)  I am soooo grateful for this!

 

"O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures for ever." - Psalm 107:1

Random Children Update

Normal OCD people give regular updates of their children (or possibly take a picture of them every week on the day of the week they were born. . . sorry, Monica, I hope we are good enough friends for me to make fun of you -even though I secretly admire your ambition) but although I might have some OCD in me, I am anything but regular.  However, I have never let this stop me before.  So, I feel like sharing some of the cute things my kids have been doing/are up to and even though it is not necessarily a "milestone" or a "half-birthday" or some such, I know that if I don't share now when I have an inkling do do so, I will most likely forget by the time it is "proper" to do such an update.  So, there you have it - my great explanation for a reason to brag about how great my kids are.  Read on if you care to find out.

MIRIAM

Miriam is only eight-weeks-old (aka two months) tomorrow, but she is growing SO FAST!!  I am already asking where my baby went as I cuddle my little "chunk" :)
*She has the most adorable snort.  Only babies can get away with making this noise in a non-rude capacity and she does it very well.  I find it one of her most endearing qualities.  (Of course, there is not much about her that I do not find endearing -as only a mother can, of course :)

*She also does this little breath in quickly, breath in quickly, breath out slowly thing.  I'm not sure what causes it.  In an adult it would be a calming thing - I often take a deep breath and let it out slowly just because I think it feels good.  I learned this habit from my dad, but EVERY time he would do when I was younger, I would cringe and he would clarify, "I'm just breathing" so I did not think he was upset with me for something or other.  In any case, back to adorable Miriam and her "instinctive" calming breathing thing.  Again, very adorable here.

*On practical matters, she has been sleeping a good six hour chunk at night for a couple nights in a row here and that is exciting.

*She is "typical" (for being one of my children) in her eating.  She nurses well and often, which could be annoying for others, but I really don't mind - or even think about it unless my companions make comments such as, "She needs to nurse AGAIN?" Which makes me stop and ponder when she last nursed - often not long ago.  She would probably nurse every hour if she did not fall asleep.  But this is the one point in her life when she can eat AS MUCH and AS OFTEN as she would like AND IT IS TOTALLY FINE, so why not let her enjoy it?!?!  Soon enough she will be an adult and have to make "responsible" eating choices and such, but now she can be carefree, why not baby her, 'eh? :)

*She gives out some smiles now, but I imagine she will be giving many more soon.  The first one she gave me ABSOLUTELY melted my heart. I am never prepared for just how much I can love my children.  I remember thinking about Rebekah sleeping in her crib (when she was our only child) and thinking of how I might BURST because I just loved her SO MUCH!  If anything happened to her, I would be ABSOLUTELY crushed.  Any parent reading this knows what I'm talking about here and maybe even some who are not parents.  But in any case, it caught me totally off-guard with Rebekah and then with each child, my love grows more than I think it possibly can!  Miriam is no exception.  Oh I LOVE this little lady! :)

PAUL

*Paul is the most inquisitive child for his age (2 years) that I have come across.  He asks about EVERYTHING.  He wants to touch it.  Turn it off and on.  Take it apart.  See how it works.  Because of this, he is "highly destructive," but I have come to realize (or at least HOPE) that it is not with malicious intent that he destroys EVERYTHING he can get his hands on.  He is really just curious.

*He is a TALKER!  He is constantly asking what things are and then repeating back the new words.  And you can almost see his little brain classifying and storing the new information.  He comments on EVERYTHING.  He talks about toys, trains, doors, people, fences, cars, food, etc.  And he is ALWAYS commenting.  If he is not talking, something is wrong, or he happens to have a mouth full of food (which does not last long).

*Paul likes to climb and is very agile for his age.  Every time I hear, "I jump!?!?" I frantically search around for where he might be and usually respond with an emphatic, "NO!"  "How about you jump on the ground?  See, down here!"  He easily climbs into his older brother's top bunk and pretty-much anywhere else in the house.  I've thought of asking him to fetch items from the top kitchen cabinets, but I hate to encourage him.  Maybe once he is older - like say, four years :)

*He is very STRONG-WILLED.  Recently Paul transferred from a playpen (the tallest "bed" we had) to a "bed" (mattress on the floor) because of the previous comment about him (he started climbing out).  Bedtime right now is a bit on the challenging side as he does not wish to stay in his room and go to sleep and no amount of anything - love or punishment - seems to get him there gracefully.  I am PRAYING PRAYING PRAYING this stage will pass already.  Just this evening I finally took the light bulb out of the lamp in the boys' room as well (the overhead bulb has been removed for a couple weeks now) since Paul INSISTED on turning the light on the minute the door was shut.

*I should also note, that despite his challenging habits at the moment, Paul has THE MOST ADORABLE blond curls and blue eyes. (I know I am his mother, but others comment on this as well - it really deserves to be noted :).  He reminds me of a doll - honestly.

JACOB

*Jacob is a gentle giant.  He came out at a tenth of a pound shy of being considered eleven pounds (10 lbs, 15.4 oz).  Now at almost four-years-old he has larger feet than his twenty-two-months older brother and weighs a tenth of a pound more than him.  (And I should note, his older brother is not small for his size.)  Fortunately, Jacob generally has a sweet temperament.  But if you make him mad enough, he will fight back and you will be very sorry as when he does kick and bite - well, lets just say it is not easily forgotten.  (Little brother Paul had a bruise for a week where Jacob bit him back - NOT ON PARENTAL SUGGESTION I must add.)

*Jacob enjoys his siblings.  We sent him to preschool this last year because he could be in the same class as his older brother.  He HATED school and by the end would generally do what he was told, but always played by himself.  However, he has ALWAYS played with his siblings here at home and when they are gone he will ask me (in a sad voice) where they are and tell me he misses them.

*He is intensely creative.  He takes random toys, or parts of toys (often those odd ones from the McDonalds' Happy Meals that Nana brings) and turns them into everything and anything from a ship to a robot or a giant.  He definitely sees things a bit differently.

*He is showing some stubborn tendencies, but we are hoping those will fade as he gets older.  With so many to keep track of, and his size, I often expect him to act more mature than is typical for his age.  Overall, though, with enough encouragement he can be helpful and follow directions most of the time.

SAMUEL

*Samuel (5-years-old) has a soft spot in his heart for his sisters.  He has often commented on how much he loves his baby sister Miriam and told me, with a smile, that we need nine more girls in our family.  Rebekah is his favorite playmate right now, definitely not by coincidence!

*Getting a straight answer out of Samuel can be difficult sometimes.  Either he does not really know what he wants or for whatever reason, just gets his words confused. We only have two cereal choices, but finally I held up both boxes and had him point to the one he wanted as he kept throwing out phrases such as, "you can just give me this one next time."  What next time?  Which one do you want NOW??  Silly boy.

*Samuel LOVES to play video games.  His great uncle got him an Atari for Christmas this past year (a new one - yes, they still make them).  The joystick handles both broke within a few weeks, but Samuel figured out how to stick his thumbs in the hole and touch the relays (totally safe, by the way) to still play the games - and play them well!!  We recently dug out the original X-box (Halo edition) that Gordie's brother gave us for our wedding.  Samuel has been beside himself with glee.  He almost took the Halo disc to bed tonight, but was afraid he might hurt it.  This boy takes his two-hours of screen time seriously every day!

*Samuel is fast!  He can run and run and run and even with his arms flailing every which way (in a manner that would slow most people down considerably) he will win the race.  Maybe we should start training him for the Olympics!  Or we could let him grow up first, I guess :)

REBEKAH

*Rebekah is really growing her own personality and I love to watch it blossom.  I know all the kids have their own personalities, but Rebekah is at the point were she can really express things and offer the reason behind her thinking.  She is truly caring and often wants to know what she "should" do (morally speaking), or what would be kind, helpful, etc.  Although she is not always eager to run around at my every whim, she is INCREDIBLY helpful when I ask her to do something.  Today alone I think she wiped Paul's nose at least eight times for me!  (I must put in, that she is not perfect ALL THE TIME - just most of it, so far :)

*She has a fun goofy side (that I would say she gets from her father) and will do some pretty crazy things, such as wear her hair a funny way, wrap a ribbon around her elbow, or tie her blanket up a like a toga. And don't even get me started on the pretend games she plays with her brothers.

*Rebekah is a lot like me in that she seems to really enjoy school book-work.  She will sit down with her math book and work through an entire chapter or two (which SHOULD take about a month).  (Of course, math is her favorite subject, but she will do the same for spelling or grammar.)

*Rebekah LOVES to read.  This she gets from both Gordie and myself.  She will carry books around.  She will read while walking or while holding Miriam's binky in.  She will read in the bathroom.  She will read over my shoulder - on the computer or in whatever book I have open.  She will read aloud to her brothers.  And one of my new favorites, she will read the messages the X-box games put up so Samuel knows what to do in his games.  I hope she never loses this love of reading.

So there's the scoop on my kiddos.  I have really enjoyed reflecting on them.  I hope some day I am able to find this list and share it with them once they are grown.  I imagine they will get quite a kick out of it :)

Sleeping Kids

We made a quick trip to Grandma and Grandpa's house this weekend.  We left for their house (2.5 hours away) at about three in the afternoon on Saturday.  We left to return to our house at about three in the afternoon on Sunday.  The amount of fun we packed into those twenty-four hours. . . well, you can tell from their exhaustion (they slept the whole way home) it was a good time.

Jacob, Rebekah, and Samuel

Paul

Miriam (sleeping with a smile on her face)

Sibling love

The other day, I laid Miriam on the floor for a bit and her siblings decided they needed to join her.  They were falling all over each other (literally) to be the one next to her on the floor.  Too cute I think :)

Jacob, Samuel, & Miriam

Jacob, Samuel, Miriam, and Paul

Paul

Jacob & Samuel

Thankfulness Thursday

. . . with a heart of gratitude

This week I am especially thankful for:

1)  A day off with the family.  The fourth of July this year was really a great day here.  For the first time in about 7 years, Gordie had the day off (yay for salary this time).  We were able to take it easy in the morning.  We cleaned up the garage (what is done so far) so the van would fit and got rid of an annoying "shrub" that had grown itself too close the air conditioner.  Then I went to Wal-mart WITHOUT ANY CHILDREN and stopped at Dillons (as there are things I needed from each) and went to two other stores to find a cable for our "original x-box.  We hooked up said x-box (which we just had sitting around) and the kids were (and continue to be) ecstatic.  Good family fun there.  (Now if only we could find Star Wars Legos, we would be set :)  Then the hubby grilled for dinner (LOTS of yummy stuff there) and then we finished the day enjoying the city fireworks from the top of the garage (with the youngest three in bed).

 

2) My washer and dryer.  I do A LOT of laundry (2 regular "house loads" every other day or so and diapers ever other day as well, plus sheets or blankets fairly regularly).  We have front-loaders that are high efficiency (using much less water) and they are nice and make me happy.   A friend of mine is constantly needing to fix her washer or dryer which I'm grateful has not been much of a problem for us (yet at least - I think we have had these about 3 years now) and I was also thinking how nice it is to be able to throw in a load whenever I need to. (Since kids make LOTS of messes!)

 

3) A fiction book I am enjoying.  I have read lots of fiction but then took a break from it for a while as I was trying to read lots of other books I though were "important." But in an attempt to "de-stress" (not distress :) I picked up a fiction book and I have been enjoying it (sometimes it is difficult to find something that holds my interest or does not feel like a waste of time).

 

"O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures for ever." - Psalm 107:1

Happy Birthday, Rebekah!!

Rebekah is 7-years-old today!

*Rebekah has AMAZING "sneak skills."  We think she might be a natural ninja -seriously!  The girl can be so quiet and patient.  (Side note: Her akido teacher thinks she has great potential as well.)

*Rebekah is an avid reader. She regularly reads chapter books, joke books, really any book she can get her hands on. And now I have to watch out on the computer as she will read over my shoulder - so no more typing things I am not wanting to tell her!

*Rebekah is the most HELPFUL 7-year-old I have ever known.  Seriously, since the birth of her sister, Miriam, Rebekah has turned into a "little mamma" and I am so grateful.
--Duties include: (but not limited to)
     1) Holding in her binky
     2) Singing to her
     3) Helping snap her clothes (especially pjs with a million snaps)
     4) Giving her lots of hugs and kisses
     5) Rocking her to calm her down
    6) Putting her up on the changing table and undoing her diaper (putting a fresh one on is still a bit of a challenge as a wiggly baby makes getting the snappy right a little above her as yet)

Hopefully this will foster a great relationship between the two of them.  (If nothing else, it keeps me sane and Miriam happy while teaching Rebekah responsiblity :)

*Rebekah is good with her brothers.  She will get drinks for Paul (or keep him out of the bathroom or kitchen).  She will also help "solve disputes" between Samuel and  Jacob.  She will play with any of them, although she prefers to play with Samuel best (as she can have the most entertaining imaginary play with him).

*Rebekah's favorite meal is meatballs and she has requested brownies for dessert today, but she really likes all sweets (cookies, cake, ice cream, etc).

*Even though Mom has tried to hinder this, Rebekah still REALLY likes princesses of all shapes and sizes.  Her favorite is Cinderella, but she would not turn down anything to do with really any of them.  Despite this, she is able to understand that just because something is "princess themed" it does not mean that is the best one of whatever it happens to be and that often a non-themed (or simply colored) item is often more cost effective and long lasting.

*Despite her reading ability, Math is Rebekah's favorite subject.  She gets it easitly and she enjoys it a lot.  She is also a good teacher to her brothers - very patient!

*Rebekah always scored highest in listening on those standard tests they take in school.  When she wants to, she can be VERY perceptive. (good and bad - as she is a natural evesdropper!)

*And last and perhaps least, but what I find most entertaining:  She is completely loyal. She always sides with Mom or defends Mom in arguments - even ones she is not invited into!  Why she likes me so much is beyond me, but it does come in handy sometimes!

Ahh, my sweet little girl.  You are truly one of my greatest blessings.  May God continue to form you into a gentle, kind, and cheerful young lady!