7 Quick Takes - Advent

Advent Sweetness

This morning I was reflecting on Advent and feeling a little guilty that I have not taken the time to really prepare my heart.  But then I realized, Advent is not over yet!  There is still time!  Time to refill my lamp and/or get some more oil because the Bridegroom is not here yet.  So this morning, amidst the regular insanity of life here at "The Green Turtle Dojo" (our homeschool name) I sought out the "sweetness factors" of my life.

1. Miriam and Rebekah showering together in the morning.  Rebekah has started showering more, partly because she is getting older and mostly because she has long hair.  In any case, Miriam likes to be in the shower with her older siblings.  It makes my heart happy to see how joyfully Rebekah lets Miriam shower with her.  And it reaffirms my desire to homeschool as we would probably not have time for this if Rebekah had to be at school by 8am!  

2.  Paul's enthusiasm is really amazing.  He LOVES to talk. . . ALL - THE - TIME!!  But his enthusiasm really makes it adorable (except when I am grumpy or in a hurry, then I do not find it adorable because I am too busy being upset, but I digress. . . ) and I am often in awe of how he seems to have an endless river of excitement and enthusiasm.  It makes me think of how Jesus says we cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven unless we become like little children.  Perhaps we can take a lesson or two from Paul.

3.  I love that my children are growing to love Scripture.  This morning Rebekah was reading Sacred Scripture for our Jesse Tree.  At one point, she says, "That is all I'm supposed to read, but I'm going to read more because this is such a good story."  (It was David and Goliath.) 

4.  Zipporah is growing in her ability to interact with us.  We are now affectionately calling her "the little dinosaur," as she has started doing this little grunt/growl thing.  I will try to catch it on video, but trust me - it is really cute!

5.  This morning as the children, noticing that Baby Jesus' manger was still rather sparse, were tripping over each other looking for good deeds to do in order to put some more padding down for the little king.

6. Amidst the good deed search from the previous point, the children asked what Zipporah might do to participate.  I told them every time she smiles they could put in a piece of yarn for her.  And that brought on the smile-fest of the morning for sure as each child would kneel before her and cheerfully command, "Smile Zipporah!!" with their biggest smiles to show her how.  She complied, of course, and  I am sure Baby Jesus will find this "hay" to be the most soft and cozy!

7. Samuel received the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time yesterday and we as a family (those of us old enough) also were able to receive this Sacrament.  No matter how often I receive the Sacrament or Reconciliation, it NEVER GETS OLD to me.  Such a blessing we have for the Sacrament of Healing and Forgiveness.

Samuel and Zipporah

Journal #18

Out My Window:

The snow is melting and after a few days of single digit temperatures, the 30s and low 40s today seem quite warm. Although I prefer the "warmer" weather, I know the kids LOVE the snow, so hopefully we will have more soon for them to enjoy.

Clothing Myself In:

Let's just not go there today. . . well, rather, let's say I was in jeans and boots and a nice shirt this morning for Mass and the coffee shop with the ladies.  After working-out this afternoon I am in . . . less appealing attire.

Around the House:

I finally got it fairly clean for Samuel's birthday party last week and have been having the kids help keep it that way (which they are handling fairly well - perhaps it is time for more responsibility for the older ones).  Unfortunately I can just barely keep up with the kitchen.  The dishwasher is great, but we are now to the point where it needs to be run once a day and at least one good-sized load of non-dishwasher-items SHOULD be washed at least once a day (often more) and THAT is a task I never want to do (mostly because there is no where to PUT said items once clean! - the drying rack fills way too quickly and then the dishes fill the counters and so I end up having to clean everything in the kitchen and waah wah wahh!! :)  As I type this, I think I"m sensing what I might need to focus on for the rest of Advent and this is good as I have been seeking an "Advent resolution" and just could not find one that really seemed to fit. . . until now.

The Baby:

She is starting to show a little defiance now and again.  She has a bit of  a temper.  But she is still cute as all get-out. Her jabbering is adorable and she loves it when I or one of the kids will talk nonsense with her.  She loves to toddle around and explore the world, but books are definitely her favorite.

I should also add here, in case there is anyone in the world who reads my blog that is not my facebook friend (doubtful but possible) that "the baby" will be losing her title, hopefully by mid-June of next year.

The Kids:

I think I will do a pro and con for each.

Rebekah: Amazingly helpful lately and so interested in the world, asking me many in-depth questions about all kinds of stuff.  However, I am still fighting her to stay focused until a said task is COMPLETED. (She tends to get a little "distracted". . . a lot!)

Samuel: I am amazed at how he is growing up and can suddenly do so much!  He puts the toys away -where they go!! (who knew?!?!)  And today he was just writing up a storm in his Simple Sentences work-book, with such eagerness and joy!  We are still working on him being kind to his younger brother, though.  Poor Paul gets picked on a lot, which I find interesting as the older kids go out of their way to be kind to Miriam, but then pick on Paul (usually at Samuel's lead) - really kids?!?!  sheesh

Jacob: I am starting to see the tip of the ice-berg in his intellectual head and oh my he is smart!  The things he states, matter-of-factly simply amaze me, as do the questions he asks.  His brain is definitely buzzing with excitement these days!  Unfortunately he is a bit obstinate as well (must be a family trait) and often tells me he "doesn't want to" do things I ask of him (such as chores) and then proceeds to ignore me.  When I finally convince him to comply, he often has tears by that point (need to work on my motivation I guess) and does so in a desperate grumpy manner.

Paul: As much as I despise sharing toileting habits as comparisons can be deadly and people without kids generally are grossed out, I must say that him FINALLY pooping in the potty is such a relief.  He still expects to be rewarded (by playing the kindle fire kid aps we have) but I have been side-stepping that some and hopefully his request for playtime will diminish soon.  My biggest challenge with Paul is simply the typical three-year-old stuff, such as having to repeat the answer to a question 15 times and having to constantly answer him.  Paul does NOT do well with the silent treatment!

Schooling:

My schooling philosophy is still changing day by day as is my assessment of the kids.  One day I veer wildly toward unschooling letting the kids play and be creative and the next day I am a task master, books, worksheets, sentences, stuff!  Then I think, "We are ahead! We are behind! We don't socialize enough!  We run around to too many activities! (It does not help that I'm a little hormonal - haha.)  In any case, my current understanding is that we are doing "ok" but I definitely want to spend some extra time looking into curriculum for next year.  Now that I'm getting a sense of what works for us I hope I can find curriculum to match my style and the kiddos.  The biggest challenge I face with curriculum is them being faith-based.  Sometimes the Christian ones are anti-Catholic and that is tough to stomach (and it is often hard to tell this up front).  Other ones are what I consider "Catholic over-achievers" and drive me a little nuts, too. I'm just too picky I guess.

Crafting:

I miss knitting but I do not have the patience or time for it right now.  I'm getting ready to send out our Christmas letter (way late for me - hah) and that is my little "craft" right now.  How, you ask?  Well, I got a new printer (a laser printer because my old ink one was just not keeping up with all the copies and printing our little homeschooling family needed).  In any case, since I am cheap, I got a monochrome laser printer (aka no color printing).  So no big deal, I usually print our Christmas letter on colored paper, in black and white.  But this year. . . I included that I painted the house this summer and my pride wanted to show how good it looks now (from the front anyhow).  Well, in order to appreciate A NEW PAINT JOB one is required to have a COLORED picture.  Thus. . . I printed just that picture on the old ink-guzzling printer and have cut it out and taped it to the otherwise black and white letter (in the appropriate place).  You can say it.  I AM A NERD and I don't care.

Reading:

When the stomach flu hit our house about a week ago I decided I needed a good fiction book to read while I waiting for the laundry or sat up with sick kids, waiting for the next puke.  So I found a series I have read before called The Black Magician Trilogy and began rereading it.  It had been quite a while since the initial reading (several years I think) so although I knew the gist of the story, there was much I did not remember.  Thus I enjoyed it the second time around, although I have not finished the last book in the series yet and am dragging my feet as we are no longer sick so I have trouble finding time for leisure reading and I know how it ends (with a main character sadly dying) and I'm not eager for that to happen in the story (if that makes sense).  Silly, I know.  I need to just finish it before I forget about it.  Next chance I get, I promise I will :)

Bringing Me Joy:

- Miriam's giggles.  She has been so joyful lately!

- Christmas music.  (We have a cd of children singing Christmas carols.  It makes me happy.)

- My children enjoying some of the meals I make.  They can be tough critics, so once in a while when they tell me they actually like their meal, I get pretty happy!  (Even if it is just waffles - hey, they are HOMEMADE waffles, thank you! :)

Bible Verse:

But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, "You are my God."  (Psalm 31:14)

Pictures to Share:

Journal #15

Out my window: 

It is raining and cool, but not too cold.  Hello, Fall!! :)

Clothing myself:

Black stretch capris and a Larks baseball t-shirt (a local team? I got this shirt from my brother, I have no idea.)  In my defense, it is a "home" day today and laundry day to boot, so you get what you get.

Around the house:

I purchased a dresser off the local want-ads to replace Rebekah's (one of the drawers had totally hit the bust and the top was warped and it was not very big, etc).  Anyhow, I was less than impressed with my purchase but due to the nature of the exchange (they left it on our porch while I was gone - agreed upon by myself, of course) I was unable to haggle any or say no (as if I would, after they took all the time to haul it over).  Anyhow, the dresser smelled and looked "yucky" so rather than dwell on that I took the opportunity to dash off to the hardware store with Rebekah and pick out a color so we could paint her new dresser.  Stay tuned as we hope to put the final coat on today or tomorrow and then there will surely be a post about her new (spoiler alert) PINK (as if you could not guess) dresser!!

A "before" picture of Rebekah's dresser.  Note: It was complete when I received it.  I had already removed one of the handles before I remembered I might want to take a "before" picture.

The Baby:

She is just the cutest little thing, ever.  For real.  I do not think I could come up with a cuter baby if I tried.  

Notice the shorts over her clothes?  Those would be Paul's pj shorts.  She found them this morning and insisted I help her put them on.  She is such a shorts fiend.

Finally she is fairly solidly sleeping through the night. (Many thanks to the hubby answering her cries to return her lost blanket - which really happens quite rarely these days. If I go in, I have to nurse her, but most times he can get her to resettle with just a quick tuck in and a kiss.)  Lately she has been nursing during the day LIKE CRAZY though.  She must be getting more teeth or maybe she just feels a little under the weather.  Whatever the case, I do not mind her nursing so much, but I definitely notice!

The Kids:

Rebekah and Samuel are getting into the school groove pretty well.  They are so smart, seriously, and even people who are not biased like me would tell you so!  I really love having them home all day and helping them with their school work.  But lately, what has been just tickling my heart is coming into a room to find them playing - together or alone - I just enjoy that they enjoy themselves and are able to just be kids.  I worry we rush our children to grow up so fast.  I want to give them a chance to be kids!

Jacob and Paul are also into the playing.  They often ask for "schoolwork" now and again, which I try to supply, but Paul looses interest quickly and any project I have in mind, is often not what he has in mind.  So I've given up trying to prep stuff for him.  When he asks, I offer a few choices (this or that workbook, a puzzle, a game you do not always have access to, etc) and we go from there.  I tried a little "formal" schooling with Jacob and while he was interested in some things (namely cutting and pasting and Math) he did not have the patience to answer my questions about the letters (although I really think he knows them all and their sounds).  So I humor him, as well, offering educational toys and a few workbooks now and again.  

(Tangent: I really like Kumon workbooks.  They are not very intimidating to the kids and do a very thorough job of covering the topics.)

In the Kitchen:

Gordie has unfortunately confirmed some bad news about his cholesterol, so we are considering reworking some of our meal choices (although I already do include quite a bit of fiber and such).  We are looking at using less beef, maybe heading to some vegetarian dishes or maybe just trying for more chicken.  I'm not sure how all this is going to look, but that is our "new adventure" for now.

Also, I should note that our dishwasher broke last night.  I toyed with the idea of trying to go without. . . for all of thirty minutes (hehe, first world right here) and am thinking we will gamble some and get it fixed rather than trying to replace right now.  But the final decision is still up in the air.

Crafting:

I'm working on my Mom's scarf again.  Yep, the one I wanted to have done for LAST Christmas.  I'm hoping to finish it up soon and get it to her so she can wear it when it turns cold.

Reading:

I'm really enjoying Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt right now.  I have read it before, but it is such an enjoyable read and it really gets my brain thinking about Jesus as a real person (if that makes any sense).

Bringing Me Joy:

*New work-out clothes!!!  Seriously, I have NEVER purchased clothes to work-out in before (unless you count a uniform for an organized sport.)  I have always just used old gym shorts and t-shirts.  Well, as a splurge (and because all my current old clothes are rather baggy and falling off while I work-out) I picked up a cheap pair of shorts and a sporty shirt (on sale for $5).  Just putting the new clothes on is like a burst of energy and makes me want to move!  

Aren't these new duds AWESOME?!?!  (And please pardon the sweat stains on the mirrors!  This was a post-work-out picture.  Gotta clean them up again!)

*The kids - even the three-year-old - they are so great and I love them BUNCHES!! 

*Seeing the house MOSTLY painted.  For real!  Just need to touch up a few things so it will "look" better (because I am a sloppy painter).  But if I do not get to these "touch ups" I am content in knowing it is all painted and secure from the weather - and most of it looks pretty stinking good!!

Thinking About:

*The trouble in Syria.

*NFP and contraception.  (Planning to talk on this in a few days on the radio.  Praying about what to say on this delicate topic.)

Bible Verse:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  - Galatians 5:22-23

Catechism of the Catholic Church:

Do not be troubled if you do not immediately receive from God what you ask him; for he desires to do something even greater for you, while you cling to him in prayer.  (CCC # 2737)

Pictures to share:

Our neighbors were thoughtful enough to have the fire truck come park RIGHT IN FRONT OF OUR HOUSE!!  The kids were ecstatic.  (Side note: No one was hurt.  It was a case of Carbon Monoxide and they were able to vent it so all was well again shortly.)

Family Hike.  I love that our family does this.  I hope we continue this tradition for many years to come.

9 Quick Takes - Homeschool Focus

I really want to post about homeschooling, but I want to journal, but I have other stuff to share, so the "7 Quick Takes" form won this afternoon.  Unfortunately, as I finally got all my "thoughts" out there it turned into 9 takes.  Deal with it - oh and consider yourself warned! :)

1) Homeschooling this year is AMAZING so far!!  For real!  Partially because my children are geniuses!!

*Rebekah is so motivated and can do A LOT on her own.  Seriously, this girl can practically homeschool herself.  And she LIKES me and WANTS to do what I think is important.  Can life get any better?!?!  :)

*Samuel is SO SMART!!  I have to sit and "help him" or he will run off and play with his brother, but he catches on really fast and is doing amazing.  He is reading chapter books to me (very slowly, mind you) and flying through his site words cards.  He is a wiz at Math and now picking up geography like nothing.  He cuts well and his writing is legible!  (What more can you ask from a first grader?!?!)

*But perhaps the most surprising is Jacob.  He has not been interested in anything very academic AT ALL up to this point.  He has his blocks and he is happy.  But suddenly, it is as if a switch has been flicked in his brain.  He is getting "serious" over his "schoolwork."  He is a cutting fool and has got quite a bit figured out in the letters and sounds department.  He REALLY likes rhyming and is getting better at writing.  His Math is not too shabby either.  Who knew?

*Paul is. . . well, he is enthusiastic, but let's be real, he is ONLY THREE.  So he keeps trying to do what his big brother Jacob is doing, but although he has the desire, he does not really get it all that much yet.  He is a wiz on puzzles, though (real, connecting puzzles - not those wimpy one piece in one slot jobbies), and loves to cut and color.  So I think he is on track for pre-school.

2) Homeschooling this year is AMAZING so far!!  And I think a lot of it has to do with better scheduling on my part.  Last year I never really came up with a real workable schedule.  I think it was because I was still of the mindset that I needed to run our "homeschool" like "real school" and that really was not working for us.  So I fought with that all year and we ended ok, but it was really frustrating for a long time.  This year I am more realistic about things.  We are not going to cover EVERY subject EVERY day.  Some subjects are really important to me and we will cover those (such as Catholicism, Scripture, Reading, Writing).  Most other subjects are at least twice a week with some special exceptions.  So far it is working well for us, but I foresee more tweaking in the future as I feel out if we need to add curriculum or take some things out.  Anyhow, if you are curious to step into the "heart of our homeschool" feel free to click here for our "schedule."  (Side note: We have a different schedule for each week day.  That is just how we roll around here.)

3) Homeschooling this year is AMAZING so far!!  And it is partially due to one of my oldie but goodie ideas that I call the "visual track."  I make it up in a spreadsheet document.  I actually do this in lieu of lesson plans.  Each "lesson" (however I want to break it down - a page, a few pages, a chapter, etc) is put in its own box.  The columns are the subjects (or book titles).  As they complete each "lesson" they color in the correct box.  This way we know EXACTLY where we are and where we are going. We all love it very much.

4) Homeschooling this year is AMAZING so far!!  And part of it it is because of these cool desks we picked up off the local want-ads.  They were from an old high school that shut down.  They work great because. . . there is no need to shift the chair, they can be easily hauled all over the living room (as I put pads under the feet and we have hardwood), they really do not take up much room, and THE KIDS ALL LOVE THEM!!

5) Homeschooling this year is AMAZING so far!!  And perhaps a  little of it is due to the fact that I was able to get quite a bit of cleaning/organizing done in "the study" before the year started.  Thanks so much to Nana and Papa (my parents) and Grandpa and Grandma (Gordie's folks) for each taking the kids for a couple days so I could paint more on my house and do organizing/cleaning/school prep.

"The Study" (aka where we store a bunch of stuff and sometimes do schoolwork - we really like to do our school work all over the house and outside some too - we are just cool like that :)

"The Study" from the inside looking out.

6) I am still working on getting the house painted.  It is taking forever and I knew it would.  It does not help that I am NOT a neat painter AT ALL.  So I often have to go back and touch up several times for it to look "presentable" but I am definitely getting closer.  I'm hoping to have it all done before it snows.  We shall see how that goes. . .

I KNOW I have a picture of our house in all it's original green and off-white glory, but I CANNOT find it.  (It does not help that I have changed computers at least six times since taking it.  I know it exists. . . somewhere. . . I'm just not sure where right now.)  Anyhow, this is an OLD picture (that is Rebekah and Samuel on the stairs) but it shows some of the original color and paint scheme.

Again, this is to show you the original colors of the house (not a great picture for it, but you can kinda make it out).  And I should note, the door is the same color green (even though it is open in this picture and you cannot really tell).

Hello Cherry Cobbler Red!!  Yum yum! :)

And new color scheme, complete with new door color.  It practically looks brand new!!

7) Rebekah is REALLY into reading and I LOVE THAT!!  Gordie really likes reading.  Seriously, that man reads books like most people watch TV.  He reads a book every night!  (ok, not a whole book, but he is reading a book - and I mean, for several hours)  Anyhow, I like reading, too and I think it is very important.  I am so glad that Rebekah has lots of time to enjoy reading at her leisure.

8) I mentioned in my last journal post that Miriam likes to wear pants (or shorts).  Well, here are some shots of her in her "pjs of choice" (the onsesie is what I WOULD put her to bed in, the shorts are her addition that she INSISTS upon).

Rebekah is "helping" her smile here.  She often gives me a good smile initially when I pull out the camera, but my camera is ALWAYS too slow to catch it .  (Usually it has to charge the flash - dumb regular battery-powered camera - such a pain!!)

Miriam likes Paul's bed a lot.

9) I tried to take a picture of the kids after Mass this morning. . . Miriam was not really in favor of this endeavor.

Oh brothers :)

Homeschool Reflections, part 2

We have been at it "officially" for about a week total now and here is the scoop on our little homeschool.

1) Samuel is on Lesson 5.6 of a six chapter kindergarten math book.  Good thing I went ahead and got the first grade book as well.  Maybe I need to consider a more challenging math program and/or double-check we covered EVERYTHING and that he has MASTERED all the skills (rather than just done a page or two correctly).

2) Miriam is making this more challenging than it will be when she is just a little older.  But I imagine by the time she grows up a little (assuming we do not have more on the way by then) I will be an ABSOLUTE pro at this.

3) I fluctuate daily from one extreme to another.  Either "Eeek!! My kids are going to be SO FAR behind by the end of the year and social mis-fits to boot!" Or "Wow!  This is AMAZING.  We are covering so much so quickly and having so much fun! This is easy!"  On a given day I go from panic to chill several times.  I hope this phase passes soon.  Fortunately, despite my emotions I generally am able to put them aside and look at things reasonably and rationally.  And considering all the reasoning behind my decisions, I am on-track with what would reasonably work best for our family at this time.  (I think :)

4) Rebekah is surprisingly a little difficult to motivate at times.  I guess I knew she had this "mildly ADD" side, but butting my head against it is new. In any case, she is like me in that I can generally sit down and "talk" with her and get her to see what she needs to do.  Often we "compromise" or add something fun to the activity, or to do afterward.

5) Jacob and Paul are making life interesting.  I want to include them and do "lessons" with them as well, but sometimes they are just not interested in their own lessons - only in trying to distract everyone else.   I think they are just unsure of where they fit in to the big picture.  Hopefully time and routine will calm them down some.  Right now I let them come sit with us if they are interested, or I let them do free-play.

6) I have already adapted our schedule some and am liking it so far.  We don't really HAVE to start our day at any particular time (other than on Thursdays when I hope to go to daily Mass - starting next week).  However, just letting the kids wander upstairs whenever was making our mornings chaotic, so I now wake all the kids (except the baby) at 7:30am (if they are not up before) and we have breakfast together and do our "morning prayer."  This naturally leads into (and/or includes - depending on how you look at it and how the morning goes) Scripture and then if they are receptive, we move right into religion.  However, sometimes the "Littles" (Jacob and Paul) have trouble sitting still so we let them loose to play and move on to Reading (coming back to Religion and Scripture later).  I'm really enjoying starting our day together. (I actually eat breakfast with them at the table since Miriam is usually still sleeping - and this is BIG as normally I sit on "the comfy chairs" to nurse Miriam during meals, rather than eat at the table with the kids.)

7) Like a typical day at school or anywhere, we ebb and flow with ups and downs, stress, less stress, frustration, and then fun.  I'm trying to be sensitive to the rhythm of things and hopefully that will carry us through.

8) We went to the park yesterday morning for P.E. (and to be social!) and had a blast.

And now, for your viewing pleasure. . . We made crowns to celebrate the Queenship of Mary.  And then prayed the 5th Glorious Mystery (from My Scriptural Rosary), The Coronation of Mary.

Paul



Jacob



I could not get a decent group shot and could not "wait" for it as the baby was WAILING (seriously, someone must have pinched her) and Jacob was crying in this picture (something about his blocks he was playing with) and I could not get Paul to look up.  So this is a "keeping it real" shot here.  Sometimes the group shot just does not fly and that's how it goes.

Miriam needed a crown, too.

 

Hail Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with you.  Blessed are you among women blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.  Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. 

- Amen.

Wisdom of Rebekah

Rebekah found this card of the Blessed Virgin, Mary.  It was most likely sent to me from some charity or other (as once you get on a list, EVERY charity in the world sends you "stuff" and begs for money).  In any case, I'm not exactly sure where it came from, but I had put it in with "Rebekah's mail."  Oddly enough, however (as we get "stuff" like this quite often) she got pretty excited over this particular picture and set it up on the table.  Then she proclaimed,
 "I should give this to Daddy so he can put it in his office and look at it during the day.  Then when he gets stressed he can look at it and remember to breathe and pray."

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 :)

Sibling Love

Samuel holding Miriam

A few days ago, Samuel says, "Mom, I like having a baby sister." That pretty-much sums it up.  I love these kids!

Miriam update, not quite a week old

So Miriam is a perfectly proportioned baby (according to the doctor anyhow) being in the 75th percentile for height, weight, and head size.  She also has a WONDERFUL temperament.  She is calm, sleeps well, eats well, and is all-around cute!  (As are most babies -even the fussy ones that often, make me laugh by their grumpy faces - cue Samuel here, the grumpiest baby for the first few months.)  She is truly a blessing as fitting her into our "routine" is really no trouble.  I'm struggling to make myself rest (as I know I need it) but once I get somewhat recovered I see us having an amazing summer.  The other kids have nothing but love for her and have been quite helpful!  It's like living a very good dream.  (On a side note, with lots of changes happening right now: Daddy's work schedule shifting with his new job (same company) and the beginnings of our garage building adventure, I cannot be thankful enough for an "uneventful" addition of our newest.  God can be  merciful after all :)


Baby Feet :)



Rebekah, Samuel, and Jacob meeting their new sister.

It's a baby!  :)

Playing computer games with Daddy.  All the kids loved this as babies.

Thumb sucker? She would be our first, but this is probably a fluke.