Monkeys

The park down the street from us has three playground areas that have been dubbed by my kids, "The Uphill Park", "The Merry-Go-Round Park", and "The Climbing Park". This week we've been really into the uphill park, where the main attraction is a good old-fashioned jungle gym. We're talking the kind with the bars that are just (gasp!) metal and not even safety-coated with that rubbery stuff. (Can you believe we let our kids play here?) I'm sure this jungle gym has been standing since well before my time, and it's still solid. I love to go with the kids and watch, so I can cheer (again!) each time they make it to the top or bottom. There's also nothing quite like that little adrenalin rush I get each time I watch one of them almost fall. To add to the excitement, this week must have been "Acorn Week" in our part of Ohio. The huge oak trees above the jungle gym were literally raining acorns. How none of us got hit, I chalk up to divine intervention. And speaking of divine, what mom wouldn't love this shot?

Pajama Time

One of my favorite parts of being an at-home Mom is our morning time. I love it that, on most mornings, my kids can have lots of time to hang out in their pajamas. We rock and snuggle, read books, pet the dog, and, of course, play. What precious years these are when they don't have to rush into their days filled with responsibilities. As we've already seen with Joe, this pajama time will all too soon become a luxury rather than just a part of the daily routine. Something interesting that I've observed is that the kids seem to get along better during this morning play time. It reminds me of one of those quotes in Life's Little Instruction Book...I've learned that...everyone gets along better when they're wearing their pajamas!

The Official Birthday Photo

Just had to post this picture of our birthday celebration. The hat is a tradition we started a couple years ago. My kids love it and won't let any birthday person get cheated out of his or her chance to wear it. They were completely puzzled as to why Baboo wouldn't wear the hat out to the restaurant.

You may also notice that the candles are stuck in a pie. Much to my kids' dismay, Baboo doesn't like cake, so for her birthday we always have apple pie. This year I made the pie, which is a story in and of itself. I'm just not a person who's ever been into eating pie, and, therefore, have never been into making pies. (Fortunately for him, Matt isn't really into pies either. We're more the Break'n Bake cookie type.) Well, I recently had this Betty-Crockerish inspiration and decided that it was time to learn to make pies. I've now made four, and they've tasted fine, but I really struggle with the aesthetics. I am in awe of people who make pies that look like the pictures in the cookbook with the perfectly crimped edges. My crusts compared to those are like comparing Monet's Waterlilies to Erin's most recent Crayola creation. But just as I love Erin's art, my mom didn't seem to mind her patched together pie. She actually went out of her way to say how great it was which, I know, was just her way of being nice because she knew I was sort of sensitive about it. So very Mom-ish.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Today is the BIG 6-0 for M-O-M! Happy Birthday to one of the most generous people I know! My mom is the type that when I ask her for help or a favor, her usual response is, "You should've asked sooner!", so glad is she to give of herself. This generosity extends to her whole life, especially in her job as a middle school guidance counselor. At an age when most are just putting in the time until they get out, Mom is always thinking of new ways to pour herself into the lives of her students. I know that when she retires they're going to have to get about five people to replace her!

Of course, to three of the people in our house, Mom is known as Baboo (a name Joe gave her when he was one year old). To these three, time with Baboo is a precious and wonderful thing. One of the highlights of Joe's week is when he gets to sit next to Baboo during church. Our kids also find her VERY silly (even when she's trying not to be). Their new name for her is "Silly Old Don't-Step-On-The-Box". She once had to tell Ellie not to step on a puzzle box and something about the way Mom told Ellie, "Don't step on the box," was hillarious to them. So they get a lot of laughs from her.

Actually, though, we all do. For some reason she's always saying things that people end up turning into the latest family joke. One example is her recent comment on my sister's blog where she mistook an elephant for a hyena. Our family can have years of fun with that one! My favorite, though, is the time when she was helping me get back home after having my wisdom teeth removed. On the way up some steps, I started to faint but, fortunately, Mom was there. On my way down she spoke her famous words of encouragement, "Don't you dare faint!" Where would I be today without that?!

What a blessing and a joy it is to have a Mom like her! May her next decade be glorious in His grace!

Some Catching Up

So, the problem with starting to think like a blogger is that I get all these things that I want to write about and then when I skip a few days, I have all these stories backed up in my mind. Here are some of the headlines of the past week...hard to believe I'd have so many things to write about. I guess it's been a big week for us.

Littlefin, III

The fish that looks like it's inspecting Joe's ear in this picture is our latest Littlefin. He's the third and we're hoping he'll be "the charm". Joe picked him out last Thursday and chose him based on how "active" he was. I've gotten used to the bright red color, although I really prefer blue. So far, he's proven himself a voracious eater! This is a big contrast to our last two, so maybe we've got a keeper this time. I guess Joe knows how to pick 'em. Let's hope that trait continues on into the dating years.

Spectacular!


We went to the Marching Band Spectactular (Why does that name make me laugh?) here in town last weekend. The main draw for me was that "my" Dancin' Band from Falconland was going to be performing. It was difficult to get a good picture. In this one they're doing some of their signature dance moves, but there's just no way to photograph the sound. When I was in high school we were all called "Band Rats" which, obviousy, was meant as an insult. Our director, however, turned it into a compliment by telling us, "Hey, that's OK. It's good to be animalistic about your marching! Be a rat!!" It's funny because now I see it as such a line but, at the time, we all bought it. Kids started to get T-shirts that said, "Band Rats Rock", and the insult lost its power. They really are a fun band to watch perform, and I'm proud to be an alum. Once a band rat, always a band rat!

Ellie's Big Day

For about a year now Ellie has been wanting to take ballet classes, and after much counting down, the big day of her first class finally arrived on Monday. She had an absolutely wonderful time. (I was so relieved she wasn't disappointed after having it all built up in her mind.) It sounds like her teacher, who's been doing this for quite awhile, really knows how to talk to kids and get them to enjoy the discipline of ballet. I hope that her talent is greater than her mother's, but even if it's not, I think she's having more fun than I ever had. (And she didn't even have to change into her leotard while riding in the car, Mom!)



Something With Erin

I guess Erin's the kid without any big headlines this week, so I'll just add this cute picture I got of her blowing bubbles. Or should I say, spitting through the bubble wand? She's still working on this skill. Isn't it amazing how many things we've had to learn that we've forgotten had to be learned?

Luke's Blog Debut

We met up with my younger brother, Luke, and his wife, Niki, for pizza tonight when we were down in their neck of the woods. I told him I wanted a picture for the blog, and he said he was excited to be making his "blog debut". Here we are at the C&J Pizza Shed, after am hour or so of attempting adult conversation while trying to make sure the kids were behaving like humans, rather than monkeys.

The reason we were out is that we needed to pick up our van from a transmission specialist who had been doing some very expensive tinkering on it over the past few days. The van actually broke down two weeks ago today, and it was a beautiful break-down, as those things go. We were bringing the van home from our regular mechanic, so we already had the extra car there and weren't stranded. Plus, Matt managed to get the van to coast safely into our church's parking lot where it sat over the long Labor Day weekend. Over the past two weeks we've been down to just our Corolla station wagon, which looks like this with two booster seats and a baby seat in the back of it. Needless to say, we've kept our driving short and to the point. (Our kids don't do well being crammed in like this.) The van's running great now and we're appreciating it like we never have before.

Happy Birthday, Aunt Beth!

Today is a very special day for a very special lady, my Aunt Beth (also known as AB, to those of you who read the comments on this blog). She is my mom's older sister and, as she chose to never had kids of her own, has been a closer-than-average aunt to all of us. She and my Uncle Del currently reside in Minnesota (in one of the coolest houses I've ever seen). Aunt Beth became a scientist by profession back when women didn't really do that sort of thing, and she continues to be a scientist by nature - constantly experimenting and learning. I often think that having her in the family is like having our own personal reference librarian. She is a great "go-to girl" for any information. By being such a constant learner she's always trying new things, which is great for ol' stuck-in-a-rut me. Many of my best recipes are ones she got me to go out on a limb and try. And what's more, she still sends random care packages that show up in our mailbox for no reason other than, "Got a great deal on these pajamas. Enjoy!" And what else says pampering like a new pair of pj's?! May she enjoy some pampering of her own today. Our best wishes, Aunt Beth!

Eating His Words

Yesterday at school Matt noticed that someone had drawn a long, squiggly line on the wall of his classroom. He asked his students who did it and got no response. His comment to them was that that was something his two-year-old would have done (and she has!). He said, "Even my six-year-old would know better than to do that!" (Yep, he shoulda' never said that!) To my recollection Joe has never written on places where he shouldn't (is that weird?), but after school when Matt asked him about the marks, he confessed. He said that he had just sharpened his pencil and he wanted to test it. I guess the wall seemed the logical place... Joe cleaned the wall today, and Matt came clean with his students. They got a kick out of it.

What Is It About Fish?

We awoke on Sunday morning to find that Joe's fish, Littlefin, had "passed on" sometime during the night. A very sad event for him, to be sure...although he's already counting down the days until he can go pick out a new one. As for me, I'm just left puzzling at the great mystery of fish mortality. We had this one for three months, which is considerably longer than our previous "five-day-fish", but we were hoping to get at least a year out of him. Joe's cousin had a Betta that he kept alive for at least a year while virtually neglecting it and even spilling his bowl once. I don't know...maybe we didn't neglect Littlefin enough and ended up worrying him to death. Then there's the teacher at Matt's school who has this huge fish that started out tiny, but, as she says, "He's been in the third grade for several years." Several years?! I can't even fathom it. I must have the non-green fish thumb...one minute swimming and doing all the fishy things, the next morning belly-up. Pastor Justin has said that we are all immortal until the Lord decides otherwise. I'm sure the Lord sees each fish, too. Maybe He just makes them that way to remind us that it can all be over "like that". Well, I'm sure we have another fish on the way, but the girls and I played stuffed animal pet store this morning...and we didn't even put any fish in it!

Beautiful Day!

It was a picture perfect day here, so I took several and thought I'd share a couple. For the past month I've been in my "transition mode" (not a favorite of mine) and today was the first day that things started to feel routine and normal. I know my transitions aren't usually as dramatic as those of the Israelites, but I always feel like I have a better understanding of Isaiah 43:2 after I come through them. "When you pass through the waters I will be with you: and through the rivers, they will not overflow you..." I'm so thankful to be drawing a breath on the other side of this river of change.

The girls and I took a picnic down the street to the park for lunch and had a delightful time nibbling our PB&J and apple slices. As we were eating, we could hear some nearby church bells playing "Christ the Lord is Risen Today". We learned this song as a family at Easter, and Ellie recognized it. She perked up and sat very quietly, listening to every note. It was just one of those "I'm so thankful" moments. Then that song was going through my head all day, which is a nice thing.

Tonight after supper we had some family time in the backyard. "The big, red ball" is always a favorite, especially when Matt is in the game!

Pink Eye

Joe woke up with a matted, red eye yesterday, so for the first time he had to miss school. He was none too happy about that, but I think the day shaped up alright for him. After a trip to the doctor and some antibiotic drops, he and Ellie had the day to play hard together. Pink eye is a pretty nice illness in that regard. He was too contagious to be at school, but he didn't feel bad. Ellie and Joe have really missed their playtime (weekends and evenings haven't been enough compared what they were used to), so they had a grand day. They made up a play about lizards and played one of their favorite games "Soldier Girl". This game just cracks them up, although most adults don't seem to get it. Joe and Ellie are 20 months apart in age, but they often talk about how they're like twins, and I see it in many ways. I hope they will always be this close.

I also want to share this story for those of you who enjoy this kind of thing...In a great moment of clutziness, I went "Bowling for Children" yesterday. I was coming down the steps behind Joe, while carrying Erin. I slipped on the third from the bottom step and sat down hard, catching myself on my left hip and elbow, then bounced the rest of the way down. Matt was downstairs, and to hear him tell it, he heard a big thud, then saw Joe and Erin come skidding across the wood floor. Neither of them were hurt enough to cry, but I'm sitting pretty gingerly today. This is the third time I've pulled this little stunt and it is always when I'm carrying a kid. I think it's time to move to a single-story house!

A Farewell to Summer (Laundry)

My mom recorded in my baby book that when I was a child I measured time by how long it took to use up a roll of toilet paper. I now measure the passing of seasons by the amount of activity in my laundry room. Now, I know that three of the bodies in our home are fairly small and wear fairly small clothes, but still, I feel like laundry is the one constant chore around here. I've got a pretty good system going and can average about 1.5 loads a day without getting overwhelmed...except in the summertime. In the summer, I can go for days without setting foot in the laundry room! Instead of two loads a day, I can get by with just a couple loads a week! For one thing, Matt's on vacation, so I don't have any of his school clothes to wash, not to mention that there are some days when the kids wear their swimming suits all day long. It's just a grand thing! Please understand that I truly love looking after the ways of my household and am not complaining at all about doing the laundry. My home is full of precious ones who are well-clothed, and I wash their clothes with just the touch of the button. What's to complain about there? It's just that I discovered this new pattern in my life and am amused by it. The air around here feels cooler and all of nature is showing that the season is changing, but I could have told you this without even stepping out of my basement laundry room.

Deep Thoughts on Pacifiers

In repentance and rest you will be saved,
In quietness and trust is your strength...
Isaiah 31:15

Well, this was the week for Erin to be "depappy-ed". "Pappy" is, of course, the affectionate term for pacifier at our house. Erin has had her pappy for sleeping purposes only for the past two years, but now that she's 2-1/2, we decided it was time to go cold turkey. (We knew she was ready when she told us, "That's not a pappy, that's a pac-i-fi-er.") Basically, this means teaching her how to lie still enough to fall asleep and involves lots of my time (and patience) at bedtime and naptime. (This is why I haven't blogged for more than a week.) We're one week into it, and we are making progress.

All week as I've been watching Erin struggle through this, it's brought to mind Psalm 131:2, "Surely I have composed and quieted my soul. Like a weaned child rests against his mother, my soul is like a weaned child within me." What a great word picture! How Erin has fussed and fretted for what she wants and thinks she needs...and what a great thing it will be when she can lie down and fall asleep peacefully with no assistance. This is what God wants for my soul, too; to have no affection or desire for anything more than for Himself and to be able to trust Him enough that in every circumstance I can say, "You are good and what you do is good..." (Psalm 119:68). In Life As A Vapor John Piper writes, "Our trials reveal the measure of our affection for this earth-both its good things and bad things. Our troubles expose our latent idolatry." This is a sobering thought to me, as it is so easy for me to feel "troubled" over my incomplete kitchen...or what others think of me...or any other little circumstance in my day that doesn't go as I had hoped. Boy, do those idols ever reveal how much I need a Savior! No wonder the verse from Isaiah puts repentance before rest! And the really wonderful thing is that the more I know of God and how much greater He is than any of those idols, the more I trust.

It's true that our children are some of our greatest teachers...yet another reason to thank the Lord for them!