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December 30, 2009
Spotlight on...LUCAN
Sunday was Lucan's 9-month birthday, so he has officially spent more time outside the womb than in. :-) He's finally settling into a fairly reliable routine after seemingly endless adjustments, but now that I write this, it will probably change again. Recently he's begun waking around 6 or even 6:30 a.m. (after going down for the night around 8:30 or 9), which is a vast improvement over his typical 5 a.m. wake-up calls. I would love it if he would bump his wake time to 6:30 or 7 a.m., allowing me to wake, exercise, do my quiet time, and even shower before having him awake, but for now, I'm trying to enjoy the extra moments with only the baby awake. He often joins Ted and me in bed for our quiet time; when he finishes nursing, he is usually content to sit there grinning at us and playing with our hands or his pacifier until we're ready to take him to the kitchen for the rest of his breakfast.
Speaking of nursing, thank God he is doing SO much better in this area, though (for those who are interested) he's still a one-sided eater, LOL. He's a great eater, too, and he is finally ready to feed himself. He resisted Cheerios awhile back but has recently mastered the art of grasping the little O and shoving it into his toothless mouth. He's added Rice Chex, bananas, mushy pears, roasted sweet potato chunks, and crackers to his do-it-himself menu. I suspect over the next week that list will grow exponentially. I love this stage--it's fun to see how babies react to new foods, and it also keeps them gainfully occupied for a considerable amount of time!
We are now officially in Lucan's Reign of Terror. While he hasn't quite started pulling himself up or trying to crawl up the stairs, it's only a matter of time. He is, however, reaching up, pulling cabinet doors open and banging them closed, and scooting around so fast it's difficult to figure out which room he's in. I may have to get an extra-wide gate and barricade him in the family room for safety's sake. We've done "playpen time" a few times with him, and though he's not a big fan yet, he usually does settle down and plays quietly for 30-40 minutes. Since this is a new development as of a couple of weeks ago, I'm looking forward to incorporating that into our school schedule so I can focus more completely on the older kids without worrying about where Lightning Lucan is.
Lucan's temperament still greatly resembles Arden's at this age. He is smiley, cuddly, affectionate, easygoing, and easy to please. He loves people and usually goes to anyone who wants to hold him, though if he's tired and Mom is around, he'll fuss for me. He is still a "binky" baby, taking his pacifier when he goes to bed as well as when we're out and about and he gets fussy. I'm trying to make sure he doesn't use it when he's awake and at home, but I make sure it DOES travel in the diaper bag to church for the nursery workers' sake!
Lucan has settled into our family just perfectly. We can't imagine life without him and look forward to seeing how he will grow and change over the next year.
Speaking of nursing, thank God he is doing SO much better in this area, though (for those who are interested) he's still a one-sided eater, LOL. He's a great eater, too, and he is finally ready to feed himself. He resisted Cheerios awhile back but has recently mastered the art of grasping the little O and shoving it into his toothless mouth. He's added Rice Chex, bananas, mushy pears, roasted sweet potato chunks, and crackers to his do-it-himself menu. I suspect over the next week that list will grow exponentially. I love this stage--it's fun to see how babies react to new foods, and it also keeps them gainfully occupied for a considerable amount of time!
We are now officially in Lucan's Reign of Terror. While he hasn't quite started pulling himself up or trying to crawl up the stairs, it's only a matter of time. He is, however, reaching up, pulling cabinet doors open and banging them closed, and scooting around so fast it's difficult to figure out which room he's in. I may have to get an extra-wide gate and barricade him in the family room for safety's sake. We've done "playpen time" a few times with him, and though he's not a big fan yet, he usually does settle down and plays quietly for 30-40 minutes. Since this is a new development as of a couple of weeks ago, I'm looking forward to incorporating that into our school schedule so I can focus more completely on the older kids without worrying about where Lightning Lucan is.
Lucan's temperament still greatly resembles Arden's at this age. He is smiley, cuddly, affectionate, easygoing, and easy to please. He loves people and usually goes to anyone who wants to hold him, though if he's tired and Mom is around, he'll fuss for me. He is still a "binky" baby, taking his pacifier when he goes to bed as well as when we're out and about and he gets fussy. I'm trying to make sure he doesn't use it when he's awake and at home, but I make sure it DOES travel in the diaper bag to church for the nursery workers' sake!
Lucan has settled into our family just perfectly. We can't imagine life without him and look forward to seeing how he will grow and change over the next year.
Addendum to Kenna's Spotlight
A couple of other things that probably belong on Kenna's Spotlight post...
* Kenna is doing quite well with her potty training, although it definitely seems to be something that she does when she WANTS to. We have indeed cleaned more than our fair share of "accidents," but she does not feel chagrined when this happens, so I suspect she just likes causing us to stop what we're doing and clean up after her!
* She is a huge fan of being a kitchen helper. Whenever she sees that I'm doing something in the kitchen, she runs to get her "tool" (stool), shouting, "I hep you!" I just have to be careful to keep her initiative in check or she's liable to add extra ingredients when I'm not looking!
* Kenna is doing quite well with her potty training, although it definitely seems to be something that she does when she WANTS to. We have indeed cleaned more than our fair share of "accidents," but she does not feel chagrined when this happens, so I suspect she just likes causing us to stop what we're doing and clean up after her!
* She is a huge fan of being a kitchen helper. Whenever she sees that I'm doing something in the kitchen, she runs to get her "tool" (stool), shouting, "I hep you!" I just have to be careful to keep her initiative in check or she's liable to add extra ingredients when I'm not looking!
December 27, 2009
Spotlight on...KENNA
I put myself on a 10-day Facebook hiatus so I could be sure to update my blog and generally organize life...so I'd better get updating, right?! It's time now to continue the spotlight on the kiddos. The older 3 were spotlighted last month, so now it's time for the "li'l 'uns."
Kenna is by far our most jubilant child. Her zest for life keeps us smiling and laughing, and her affectionate personality is a joy to all around her. She has not yet outgrown her "Kennis the Menace" phase, but the incidents seem to be fewer and farther between than they were, say, a year ago. Recent "Ken-cidents" include:
* trying to scrub the potty after she pooped in it...BEFORE flushing.
* smearing "Butt Cream" on her face. (Lucan's diaper cream--that's the brand name!)
* sucking a candy cane down to a lethal point, then jumping with it and stabbing herself up the nostril. (Blood flowed freely...she was pierced for this transgression...)
* turning the tall laundry basket upside down and placing it on a chair so she could climb up and reach the M&Ms on top of the refrigerator.
Kenna has never been one to quietly play with toys, opting instead to get herself into trouble with other objects. However, our little troublemaker is growing up! She has recently become very interested in puzzles, which thrills all of us as she keeps herself busy with the little puzzles we haven't seen in years. (I remember that Arden at this age was doing 100-piece puzzles by himself...that obviously isn't Kenna's area of giftedness, but at the rate she's going, she may be there sooner than we think!) She also enjoys anything with little pieces, i.e. our Bananagrams game tiles, Mancala game pieces, dice from the Yahtzee games...see a pattern here?! We find small objects in strange places...
Another favorite pastime of Kenna's is singing and dancing. She loves attention (no surprise there to anyone who has spent any time at all with her), and she'll turn anything into a stage: an upside-down laundry basket, a toy bucket, the trunk, a chair, a spread-out blanket. She makes up songs and sings LOUDLY, often twirling in circles until she falls over and dissolves into shrieks of laughter. She is quite a little ham and will do anything for a laugh. She jabbers away to anyone who will listen, and listening to her sometimes takes some effort, as her pronunciation isn't all that exemplary!
Kenna is a stellar big sister, cooing over Lucan and making him laugh, keeping small objects out of his reach (while yelling "NOOOOO!"), and bringing him acceptable toys. She loves to crawl around on the floor with him and still seems to think he's the greatest thing since Papa John's pizza. She can often be heard admonishing him, "No, Yu-can!" when she thinks he's doing something he shouldn't be, and it's amusing to see her scramble when he heads in the direction of her toys.
We're just two months away from Kenna's 3rd birthday--hard to believe! She's already as big as Charis was at about age 4! I'll have to measure and weigh her again soon. Kenna is in bed right now, but I think I can fill out some answers for her for this portion of the Spotlight:
Favorite color: Purple (closely followed by pink).
Favorite food: Anything with sugar.
Favorite toy: Currently the ponies she got for Christmas; also anything she can pretend is a phone.
Favorite object: Her "nee-nee," which has been her word for her blanket since before she was really talking. It's a fuzzy Pooh blanket that was given to Charis as a baby and has really become a huge source of security for Kenna.
Favorite activities: Running wild, singing and dancing, giving hugs, watching movies, generally doing whatever the big kids are doing.
Kenna is by far our most jubilant child. Her zest for life keeps us smiling and laughing, and her affectionate personality is a joy to all around her. She has not yet outgrown her "Kennis the Menace" phase, but the incidents seem to be fewer and farther between than they were, say, a year ago. Recent "Ken-cidents" include:
* trying to scrub the potty after she pooped in it...BEFORE flushing.
* smearing "Butt Cream" on her face. (Lucan's diaper cream--that's the brand name!)
* sucking a candy cane down to a lethal point, then jumping with it and stabbing herself up the nostril. (Blood flowed freely...she was pierced for this transgression...)
* turning the tall laundry basket upside down and placing it on a chair so she could climb up and reach the M&Ms on top of the refrigerator.
Kenna has never been one to quietly play with toys, opting instead to get herself into trouble with other objects. However, our little troublemaker is growing up! She has recently become very interested in puzzles, which thrills all of us as she keeps herself busy with the little puzzles we haven't seen in years. (I remember that Arden at this age was doing 100-piece puzzles by himself...that obviously isn't Kenna's area of giftedness, but at the rate she's going, she may be there sooner than we think!) She also enjoys anything with little pieces, i.e. our Bananagrams game tiles, Mancala game pieces, dice from the Yahtzee games...see a pattern here?! We find small objects in strange places...
Another favorite pastime of Kenna's is singing and dancing. She loves attention (no surprise there to anyone who has spent any time at all with her), and she'll turn anything into a stage: an upside-down laundry basket, a toy bucket, the trunk, a chair, a spread-out blanket. She makes up songs and sings LOUDLY, often twirling in circles until she falls over and dissolves into shrieks of laughter. She is quite a little ham and will do anything for a laugh. She jabbers away to anyone who will listen, and listening to her sometimes takes some effort, as her pronunciation isn't all that exemplary!
Kenna is a stellar big sister, cooing over Lucan and making him laugh, keeping small objects out of his reach (while yelling "NOOOOO!"), and bringing him acceptable toys. She loves to crawl around on the floor with him and still seems to think he's the greatest thing since Papa John's pizza. She can often be heard admonishing him, "No, Yu-can!" when she thinks he's doing something he shouldn't be, and it's amusing to see her scramble when he heads in the direction of her toys.
We're just two months away from Kenna's 3rd birthday--hard to believe! She's already as big as Charis was at about age 4! I'll have to measure and weigh her again soon. Kenna is in bed right now, but I think I can fill out some answers for her for this portion of the Spotlight:
Favorite color: Purple (closely followed by pink).
Favorite food: Anything with sugar.
Favorite toy: Currently the ponies she got for Christmas; also anything she can pretend is a phone.
Favorite object: Her "nee-nee," which has been her word for her blanket since before she was really talking. It's a fuzzy Pooh blanket that was given to Charis as a baby and has really become a huge source of security for Kenna.
Favorite activities: Running wild, singing and dancing, giving hugs, watching movies, generally doing whatever the big kids are doing.
December 26, 2009
Christmas Tidbits
1. The song for our neck of the woods was "I'm Dreaming of a Wet Christmas." I woke at 5 a.m. to a howling wind that was knocking our winter welcome sign on the front door so loudly I thought a neighbor had come calling. The little snow that had accumulated was gone, but there was plenty of rain to take its place.
2. Joel and Sarah have given the big kids their own little Christmas trees in past years, so after breakfast they each brought the trees and blankets to the family room. The passing out of the presents included placing their gifts under their own trees. It was cute.
3. In an effort to encourage Kenna to stop backsliding in her potty training efforts, we bought her two packs of big girl underwear. She was so excited she immediately went to the bathroom and put some on. Since I had wrapped each package separately, she later went to the bathroom to change to a new pair...or so we thought. Turns out she put ALL SIX pairs of underwear on at the same time, as we found out later!
4. Charis was so excited to give the boys the gifts she had bought them--light sabers! She spent $11 of her own money in addition to the amount we had budgeted for the kids to shop for one another. I was glad to see the boys were so appreciative...not so excited to see what objects in the house they will break with their new weapons of mass destruction.
5. My gift from Ted: tickets to see Wicked when it comes to our area next spring. To help pass the time, I plan to read the book first. Can't wait!
6. Lucan was a bit nonplussed by all the extra stuff in the family room. He sat on my lap during most of the unwrapping phase, either playing with my Santa troll earrings or sucking on the ear of his new rabbit from Grandma J.
7. One of Charis's favorite gifts was a "new" pair of rollerblades! She has outgrown her roller skates and has wanted blades ever since trying them at homeschool skate day. I found these for $10. They are adjustable for sizes 2-4, so they should last Charis awhile, since she is barely a size 2 now. No, I am not ashamed to purchase used items for Christmas presents! As I told Charis, it allowed us to get additional gifts for her rather than paying $100 for a new pair of rollerblades. She heartily agreed it was a good deal. I love having a thrifty daughter!
8. Once the boys opened their Mega Blocks King Arthur ship set, we pretty much lost them for the rest of the day. Ted, too.
9. One of my favorite gifts--the picture Charis drew and watercolored for Ted and me. It's the two of us, as you can clearly see by Ted's hair!
10. I also had an "awww" moment when I read the poems Charis wrote for each of us on the back of our picture--click on the image to see a larger version of it, and you should be able to read the words.
2. Joel and Sarah have given the big kids their own little Christmas trees in past years, so after breakfast they each brought the trees and blankets to the family room. The passing out of the presents included placing their gifts under their own trees. It was cute.
3. In an effort to encourage Kenna to stop backsliding in her potty training efforts, we bought her two packs of big girl underwear. She was so excited she immediately went to the bathroom and put some on. Since I had wrapped each package separately, she later went to the bathroom to change to a new pair...or so we thought. Turns out she put ALL SIX pairs of underwear on at the same time, as we found out later!
4. Charis was so excited to give the boys the gifts she had bought them--light sabers! She spent $11 of her own money in addition to the amount we had budgeted for the kids to shop for one another. I was glad to see the boys were so appreciative...not so excited to see what objects in the house they will break with their new weapons of mass destruction.
5. My gift from Ted: tickets to see Wicked when it comes to our area next spring. To help pass the time, I plan to read the book first. Can't wait!
6. Lucan was a bit nonplussed by all the extra stuff in the family room. He sat on my lap during most of the unwrapping phase, either playing with my Santa troll earrings or sucking on the ear of his new rabbit from Grandma J.
7. One of Charis's favorite gifts was a "new" pair of rollerblades! She has outgrown her roller skates and has wanted blades ever since trying them at homeschool skate day. I found these for $10. They are adjustable for sizes 2-4, so they should last Charis awhile, since she is barely a size 2 now. No, I am not ashamed to purchase used items for Christmas presents! As I told Charis, it allowed us to get additional gifts for her rather than paying $100 for a new pair of rollerblades. She heartily agreed it was a good deal. I love having a thrifty daughter!
8. Once the boys opened their Mega Blocks King Arthur ship set, we pretty much lost them for the rest of the day. Ted, too.
9. One of my favorite gifts--the picture Charis drew and watercolored for Ted and me. It's the two of us, as you can clearly see by Ted's hair!
10. I also had an "awww" moment when I read the poems Charis wrote for each of us on the back of our picture--click on the image to see a larger version of it, and you should be able to read the words.
December 25, 2009
Merry Christmas!
Getting ready to open stockings! (Kenna is using my stocking...Mom doesn't get stocking stuffers anymore, LOL, and I'm behind in purchasing stockings for our latest additions...thankfully Lucan slept through this portion of Christmas morning, so didn't know he was missing out!)
Breakfast--yummy casserole from Debi's family recipe files.
Kenna got some ponies from her brothers (aka Dad--who gave up on having Tobin and Arden actually shop for their sisters and picked out the gifts himself--see post below!)
Tobin holds up the ship kit we got for the boys.
Arden shows off his new Star Wars figures.
More to come...it's time to watch the new Veggie Tales Christmas DVD with the family. :-)
Breakfast--yummy casserole from Debi's family recipe files.
Kenna got some ponies from her brothers (aka Dad--who gave up on having Tobin and Arden actually shop for their sisters and picked out the gifts himself--see post below!)
Tobin holds up the ship kit we got for the boys.
Arden shows off his new Star Wars figures.
More to come...it's time to watch the new Veggie Tales Christmas DVD with the family. :-)
Preparing for Christmas: The Ideal vs. Reality
Making Christmas goodies.
THE IDEAL: Mom and all kids old enough to stand gather around the kitchen island, taking turns adding ingredients and mixing with the gentle sounds of Christmas music floating in the background. Kids take turns licking the beaters and/or spatulas without dipping into the actual mix, waiting patiently for treats that are baked, hardened, cooled, or otherwise ready for actual consumption.
THE REALITY: Mom referees fights between the 9-year-old and 2-year-old girls over who pours in which ingredient. Seven-year-old boy begs to play computer games. Six-year-old boy asks 97 times to sample cookie dough. All four children bicker about who gets to lick more batter. Pouting, whining, and stomping drown out the Christmas songs buzzing merrily in the background. Mom has had it and sends all people under 4.5 feet tall OUT of her kitchen.
Enjoying a break from school.
THE IDEAL: With no schoolwork to take up precious moments together, the house is clean and organized. Kids and parents enjoy sitting around the table working on puzzles and playing games together.
THE REALITY: Somehow the house is dirtier and less organized than ever. Game and puzzle pieces are lost. Kids wrestle on the furniture, chase each other with pointed objects, and wake the baby from every single nap. No two kids ever agree on which game to play, so Mom grits her teeth, breathes a deep sigh, and heads to the kitchen to clean and cook...again. Boys are banished to the backyard multiple times. Toddler is put in bed for an extra-long nap. Sulky 9-year-old disappears somewhere to bury her nose in a book.
Christmas shopping.
THE IDEAL: With spending money from parents, kids enjoy shopping for each other, learning about the joy of giving.
THE REALITY: Dad takes Tobin and Arden to the store. "Boys, we're shopping for Charis and Kenna. I don't think they would like Star Wars action figures. Boys? Boys! No, we are NOT buying Transformers for your sisters. Stop--no, come back here! BOYS! Put that back right now and come HERE! Oh, fine. I'll pick out 'your' gifts to the girls."
Bringing gifts to neighbors.
THE IDEAL: The whole family goes around the neighborhood, singing carols in 4-part harmony on front porches as we deliver perfectly packaged goody bags filled with delectable treats.
THE REALITY: No one is home when we make our rounds, so over a 4-day time period, we send kids out the door one at a time (rather than bundling up the whole crew again), hoping to get rid of 7 dozen cookies before they end up in our own bellies. Better yet, we ask people when they'll be home and they show up at our doorstep--do-it-yourself Christmas cheer!
Kids learning to give to parents.
THE IDEAL: Kids decide they want to make Christmas presents for Mom and Dad, feeling excited about giving back to those who do the most for them.
THE REALITY: After being disciplined by Mom a few days before Christmas, the 7-year-old goes to Mom's stocking, where earlier he had joyfully placed several drawings that he had painstakingly created, retrieves said drawings, rips them to shreds, and loudly stuffs them in the trashcan, making certain that Mom notices her empty stocking compared to Dad's stuffed one. (Sigh.)
Enjoying Christmas Eve.
THE IDEAL: The family enjoys a traditional meal together before heading to church for the Christmas Eve service.
THE REALITY: Only 3 out of 6 people like potato chowder, so Mom scrounges up some leftovers that the younger ones will actually eat. The baby is fussing, so Mom changes a massive poopy diaper while the carrots scorch on the stove. The boys wrestle and spin out of control next to Mom and baby, and the 7-year-old swings his sweatshirt around over his head, whipping Mom in the face in the process. Mom feels like the Grinch as she bangs around the kitchen, calling for people to come and help because we're running late for church. Bah, humbug.
Going to church for the Christmas Eve service.
THE IDEAL: The family arrives on time and enjoys a special time of singing and celebrating Christ's birth.
THE REALITY: The family slides into the few remaining seats (which happen to be on the front row) right as the service begins. Earlier disagreements melt away as we hold hands, wink, and smile at one another while singing Christmas carols and listening to special music. Dramatic Scripture readings juxtapose Christ's birth, death, and resurrection. Our hearts are full as we remember the reason we celebrate Christmas--because Jesus came to overcome all the ways we fail to reach His (and our) ideal standards. His ideal--holiness. Our reality--sinfulness. His ideal--salvation offered through His sacrifice on the cross. Our reality--hope and life eternal with our acceptance of His sacrifice. Thank you, Jesus!
An ideal Christmas Eve continues as we read "The Night Before Christmas" on our way back from church. A dozen Krispy Kreme donuts ride along with us as we head to our local fire station to wish firemen a merry Christmas and say "Thanks" from FairCreek Church for serving the community. We find a quiet station and get a quick tour of the garage before heading home. New jammies are waiting for the kids, their first Christmas treat, met with great excitement and much petting as they stroke their fuzzy sleeves.
Kids are tucked in and prayed with by 9:30 p.m. Parents are asleep by 10:00, dreaming of an Ideal Christmas Morning.
THE IDEAL: Mom and all kids old enough to stand gather around the kitchen island, taking turns adding ingredients and mixing with the gentle sounds of Christmas music floating in the background. Kids take turns licking the beaters and/or spatulas without dipping into the actual mix, waiting patiently for treats that are baked, hardened, cooled, or otherwise ready for actual consumption.
THE REALITY: Mom referees fights between the 9-year-old and 2-year-old girls over who pours in which ingredient. Seven-year-old boy begs to play computer games. Six-year-old boy asks 97 times to sample cookie dough. All four children bicker about who gets to lick more batter. Pouting, whining, and stomping drown out the Christmas songs buzzing merrily in the background. Mom has had it and sends all people under 4.5 feet tall OUT of her kitchen.
Enjoying a break from school.
THE IDEAL: With no schoolwork to take up precious moments together, the house is clean and organized. Kids and parents enjoy sitting around the table working on puzzles and playing games together.
THE REALITY: Somehow the house is dirtier and less organized than ever. Game and puzzle pieces are lost. Kids wrestle on the furniture, chase each other with pointed objects, and wake the baby from every single nap. No two kids ever agree on which game to play, so Mom grits her teeth, breathes a deep sigh, and heads to the kitchen to clean and cook...again. Boys are banished to the backyard multiple times. Toddler is put in bed for an extra-long nap. Sulky 9-year-old disappears somewhere to bury her nose in a book.
Christmas shopping.
THE IDEAL: With spending money from parents, kids enjoy shopping for each other, learning about the joy of giving.
THE REALITY: Dad takes Tobin and Arden to the store. "Boys, we're shopping for Charis and Kenna. I don't think they would like Star Wars action figures. Boys? Boys! No, we are NOT buying Transformers for your sisters. Stop--no, come back here! BOYS! Put that back right now and come HERE! Oh, fine. I'll pick out 'your' gifts to the girls."
Bringing gifts to neighbors.
THE IDEAL: The whole family goes around the neighborhood, singing carols in 4-part harmony on front porches as we deliver perfectly packaged goody bags filled with delectable treats.
THE REALITY: No one is home when we make our rounds, so over a 4-day time period, we send kids out the door one at a time (rather than bundling up the whole crew again), hoping to get rid of 7 dozen cookies before they end up in our own bellies. Better yet, we ask people when they'll be home and they show up at our doorstep--do-it-yourself Christmas cheer!
Kids learning to give to parents.
THE IDEAL: Kids decide they want to make Christmas presents for Mom and Dad, feeling excited about giving back to those who do the most for them.
THE REALITY: After being disciplined by Mom a few days before Christmas, the 7-year-old goes to Mom's stocking, where earlier he had joyfully placed several drawings that he had painstakingly created, retrieves said drawings, rips them to shreds, and loudly stuffs them in the trashcan, making certain that Mom notices her empty stocking compared to Dad's stuffed one. (Sigh.)
Enjoying Christmas Eve.
THE IDEAL: The family enjoys a traditional meal together before heading to church for the Christmas Eve service.
THE REALITY: Only 3 out of 6 people like potato chowder, so Mom scrounges up some leftovers that the younger ones will actually eat. The baby is fussing, so Mom changes a massive poopy diaper while the carrots scorch on the stove. The boys wrestle and spin out of control next to Mom and baby, and the 7-year-old swings his sweatshirt around over his head, whipping Mom in the face in the process. Mom feels like the Grinch as she bangs around the kitchen, calling for people to come and help because we're running late for church. Bah, humbug.
Going to church for the Christmas Eve service.
THE IDEAL: The family arrives on time and enjoys a special time of singing and celebrating Christ's birth.
THE REALITY: The family slides into the few remaining seats (which happen to be on the front row) right as the service begins. Earlier disagreements melt away as we hold hands, wink, and smile at one another while singing Christmas carols and listening to special music. Dramatic Scripture readings juxtapose Christ's birth, death, and resurrection. Our hearts are full as we remember the reason we celebrate Christmas--because Jesus came to overcome all the ways we fail to reach His (and our) ideal standards. His ideal--holiness. Our reality--sinfulness. His ideal--salvation offered through His sacrifice on the cross. Our reality--hope and life eternal with our acceptance of His sacrifice. Thank you, Jesus!
An ideal Christmas Eve continues as we read "The Night Before Christmas" on our way back from church. A dozen Krispy Kreme donuts ride along with us as we head to our local fire station to wish firemen a merry Christmas and say "Thanks" from FairCreek Church for serving the community. We find a quiet station and get a quick tour of the garage before heading home. New jammies are waiting for the kids, their first Christmas treat, met with great excitement and much petting as they stroke their fuzzy sleeves.
Kids are tucked in and prayed with by 9:30 p.m. Parents are asleep by 10:00, dreaming of an Ideal Christmas Morning.
December 21, 2009
More Christmas Pictures
My sweet girls in their Christmas dresses! (Charis's was on sale, and Kenna's came from Goodwill for two bucks. Woohoo!)
Arden stares with glee at our 201 Dipped Gingersnap Cookies...and this doesn't include the 6 dozen we made for deployed troops!
Let it snow! Charis and Kenna bundle up for a morning of cold fun!
Santa Ted!
Arden stares with glee at our 201 Dipped Gingersnap Cookies...and this doesn't include the 6 dozen we made for deployed troops!
Let it snow! Charis and Kenna bundle up for a morning of cold fun!
Santa Ted!
December 19, 2009
Operation Gingerbread House
The homeschool skate day this month included a "Make and Skate" activity: making gingerbread houses! Each family was supposed to bring graham crackers for building their structures (or, for those who wanted to go the easy route, pre-made houses), plus candy to share. Several moms made icing, which we scooped up as needed. We "cheated" and used a pre-assembled house. Charis, Arden, and Kenna were the main decorators, since Tobin was too busy spending his quarters on video games to care much about the creative venture. Actually, Kenna was more interested in eating the house embellishments than decorating!
Apparently I do not have a photo of our completed house, but it won a "Most Beautiful" ribbon. :-) Every structure won a ribbon of some sort.
Anyway, the next day we pulled out our leftover frosting and candies, and I turned the kids loose with some graham crackers. They had a lot of fun building their houses (and eating pieces of them along the way!). I think next year we'll just skip the pre-made house and make our own out of crackers! Lots more fun, and definitely more edible, in my opinion.
Here are a few photos from our adventure...to view more, see the Facebook album here.
Apparently I do not have a photo of our completed house, but it won a "Most Beautiful" ribbon. :-) Every structure won a ribbon of some sort.
Anyway, the next day we pulled out our leftover frosting and candies, and I turned the kids loose with some graham crackers. They had a lot of fun building their houses (and eating pieces of them along the way!). I think next year we'll just skip the pre-made house and make our own out of crackers! Lots more fun, and definitely more edible, in my opinion.
Here are a few photos from our adventure...to view more, see the Facebook album here.
December 12, 2009
Christmas at Home
This year we'll be staying put for the holidays, and I'm so glad! There has been no rush to get decorations up, though everything is pretty much in place now. It's always fun seeing our years-old decorations in a new and different house. I try to add some handmade things to the mix each year, depending on what Stampin' Up! is offering in the holiday mini-catalogs. But mostly I try to enjoy moments with my ever-changing kids. I love the traditions we've begun and new ones we pick up along the way. Here's a smattering of snapshots from our house as we entered the season of celebrating Jesus' birth.
November 30: This night we simply dragged out the Christmas boxes in preparation for decorating. Arden got silly with the stockings. :-)
December 1: Hot cocoa and Christmas cookies! (OK, these were frozen blobs that I bought from a kid doing a band fundraiser...I just baked 'em, but they were yummy!)
December 7: First snow we've seen accumulate here in Ohio since we moved here. The boys thought it would be great fun to slip and slide on the trampoline--great fun, that is, until cold feet drove them inside! Silly boys!
Kenna braved the cold for a few minutes, but we spent longer bundling her up than she actually spent outside!
This group of decorations is by our front door. Debi made the beautiful picture at the top. I got it last year during our ladies handmade gift exchange/holiday tea, which was lots of fun!
Christmas countdown, one of my projects this year. Charis put the ribbon on all the numbers. :-)
The mantle in the formal dining room...you can see the Christmas countdown along with some of my Decor Elements blocks. The numbers for the countdown are in the small snowman box on the left.
Our beautiful Christmas tree, delivered to our front porch December 7!
Cheap-o red ornament from Walmart made prettier with the Flurry Decor Elements. :-)
Ornament made with 3 scallop circle punches and elements from the Pretties Kit.
November 30: This night we simply dragged out the Christmas boxes in preparation for decorating. Arden got silly with the stockings. :-)
December 1: Hot cocoa and Christmas cookies! (OK, these were frozen blobs that I bought from a kid doing a band fundraiser...I just baked 'em, but they were yummy!)
December 7: First snow we've seen accumulate here in Ohio since we moved here. The boys thought it would be great fun to slip and slide on the trampoline--great fun, that is, until cold feet drove them inside! Silly boys!
Kenna braved the cold for a few minutes, but we spent longer bundling her up than she actually spent outside!
This group of decorations is by our front door. Debi made the beautiful picture at the top. I got it last year during our ladies handmade gift exchange/holiday tea, which was lots of fun!
Christmas countdown, one of my projects this year. Charis put the ribbon on all the numbers. :-)
The mantle in the formal dining room...you can see the Christmas countdown along with some of my Decor Elements blocks. The numbers for the countdown are in the small snowman box on the left.
Our beautiful Christmas tree, delivered to our front porch December 7!
Cheap-o red ornament from Walmart made prettier with the Flurry Decor Elements. :-)
Ornament made with 3 scallop circle punches and elements from the Pretties Kit.
December 11, 2009
The Back Story
So I've had problems off and on with my back over the years, nothing huge, just seemingly normal stuff--pinched nerve, sore shoulders, etc. As a mother of 5, I kind of figure it goes with the territory. But it seems that the last few months it's been really bad; about every other week I've dealt with pain severe enough to take over my life for a few days at a time. The locations are the same: right shoulder blade, with nerve pain that reaches up to my neck and head, and across my lower back.
The Saturday before Thanksgiving I did a vendor event. I had pretty much no success with reaching new contacts for my Stampin' Up! business, but on the plus side, I met a chiropractor and his assistant/office manager. A brief evaluation showed that my shoulders and hips are not aligned. Since he was offering a special on initial exams and x-rays (normally $170, free with a $20 donation for a needy family at Christmastime), I went ahead and signed up for the evaluation. I went in the Monday after Thanksgiving; Ted got off work early to come home so I could be kid-free.
This past Wednesday I went back to go over the results with the doctor. Unsurprisingly, I have problems, LOL! Everything is out of alignment. I really appreciate the approach Dr. P has; he truly wants to help people function at their best level, and he is very understanding of the limitations of schedule and income. (Tri-Care does not cover chiropractic care, unfortunately.) I got my first adjustment then and there, which was good, because I felt some lower back pain coming on as well as the now-familiar tightening of the muscles between my shoulder blades.
The next day I was in extreme pain--and I mean PAIN! Dr. P said that people have different reactions to treatments; some feel just the same, some feel worse, some feel better. I'm not entirely sure that the adjustment is responsible for all the pain, since I was feeling it "coming on" the day before. I have a feeling I would have been in pain regardless. But yesterday was a very difficult day, and I confess I was in tears a lot because I hurt so badly. It didn't help that Tobin had awakened us at 2 a.m. after having a nightmare, and I hurt so badly that I wasn't able to get back to sleep after that.
Today the pain is somewhat lessened, but I'm sure it will be at least a few days before I can move without being conscious of every nerve in my lower back and legs. In the meantime, Ted and I are trying to decide our best course of action--we know that chiropractic care is worth it for overall health, but we also want to be good stewards of our time and money. The office is a half-hour drive away from our house. (Leave it to me to find a doctor on the other side of town!!) And each treatment is $40, with a slight discount for coming in monthly. The recommended plan of course would have me coming in very frequently, but we just can't justify that expense right now.
At the same time, something must change, because I simply can't live like this anymore! I hope to get back to "normal" soon and begin exercising regularly again. I noticed a correlation between not exercising and having frequent pain, and I know I need to get back into my strength training and stretching.
The Saturday before Thanksgiving I did a vendor event. I had pretty much no success with reaching new contacts for my Stampin' Up! business, but on the plus side, I met a chiropractor and his assistant/office manager. A brief evaluation showed that my shoulders and hips are not aligned. Since he was offering a special on initial exams and x-rays (normally $170, free with a $20 donation for a needy family at Christmastime), I went ahead and signed up for the evaluation. I went in the Monday after Thanksgiving; Ted got off work early to come home so I could be kid-free.
This past Wednesday I went back to go over the results with the doctor. Unsurprisingly, I have problems, LOL! Everything is out of alignment. I really appreciate the approach Dr. P has; he truly wants to help people function at their best level, and he is very understanding of the limitations of schedule and income. (Tri-Care does not cover chiropractic care, unfortunately.) I got my first adjustment then and there, which was good, because I felt some lower back pain coming on as well as the now-familiar tightening of the muscles between my shoulder blades.
The next day I was in extreme pain--and I mean PAIN! Dr. P said that people have different reactions to treatments; some feel just the same, some feel worse, some feel better. I'm not entirely sure that the adjustment is responsible for all the pain, since I was feeling it "coming on" the day before. I have a feeling I would have been in pain regardless. But yesterday was a very difficult day, and I confess I was in tears a lot because I hurt so badly. It didn't help that Tobin had awakened us at 2 a.m. after having a nightmare, and I hurt so badly that I wasn't able to get back to sleep after that.
Today the pain is somewhat lessened, but I'm sure it will be at least a few days before I can move without being conscious of every nerve in my lower back and legs. In the meantime, Ted and I are trying to decide our best course of action--we know that chiropractic care is worth it for overall health, but we also want to be good stewards of our time and money. The office is a half-hour drive away from our house. (Leave it to me to find a doctor on the other side of town!!) And each treatment is $40, with a slight discount for coming in monthly. The recommended plan of course would have me coming in very frequently, but we just can't justify that expense right now.
At the same time, something must change, because I simply can't live like this anymore! I hope to get back to "normal" soon and begin exercising regularly again. I noticed a correlation between not exercising and having frequent pain, and I know I need to get back into my strength training and stretching.
December 09, 2009
Snippets
Lately it seems I've only jumped on the computer to check email (waiting for stamp club orders or messages from my hubby), do a super-quick Facebook check, or search for something specific online. I haven't read friends' blogs in ages, and I obviously am not keeping up with mine, LOL. I haven't even read Charis's latest blog entry!
*****************
Charis and I had a busy day yesterday. We spent most of it preparing projects for her craft fair--she had decorated some golden ornaments on her own beforehand, and she had also put together some paper ornaments. But everything else was done ON Tuesday, and the sale was that night! (The sale was supposed to be items made by kids, and it was through our homeschool group.) If you'd like to see her projects, you can go here. She sold $33.75 and chose to donate $26 of her earnings to the Sonlight OneVerse project. Friday is the deadline to donate so that Sonlight will match the funds, so if you're reading this before then, please consider buying a verse for the Meetto people!
*****************
Aside from frantically putting together crafts, we've just been plain busy enjoying the season. I did have a stamp club last weekend and a party Monday night for the club hostess, who wanted to invite some other friends over, so that kept me busier than I wanted to be this time of year...but hey, I need the sales. :-)
*****************
We got our Christmas tree delivered this year. The farm that sends us our weekly Happy Box delivered a ginormous tree for $40! It's bigger than any tree we've ever had! It arrived on Monday, and we just decorated it this evening. I'll have to take some pictures tomorrow. (I'll also have to arrange some ornaments tomorrow when the kids aren't looking, heh...some are clumped rather oddly around the very lowest branches! Thanks, Kenna!) The tree is beautiful and smells just like Christmas. I love the ornaments that Charis made (or embellished), as well as the ones I've made this year. I'll have to take close-up pictures of those, too!
*****************
Lucan is getting better...for now. He seems to make progress and then regress. For those who don't know, I took him to the doc on Friday, and he was diagnosed with RSV bronchialitis. (If that's how you spell it.) On Thursday he was refusing to nurse, but he has been doing much better, praise the Lord. His appetite is nearly normal, or at least, was pretty healthy today.
*****************
Speaking of nursing, Lucan is following Kenna's MO and officially stopped nursing on my right side. This has been a struggle since he was about 6 months old, just the same age as Kenna when she started heavily favoring my left side! She also quit my right side altogether around 8 months old. We were at my parents' house in WI for Thanksgiving when I tried for the last time and decided it was just not worth the stress. He has been a left-side-only eater ever since, and I am fine with that!
*****************
Arden lost his second tooth last night, and we think he swallowed it, because it is nowhere to be found. The tooth fairy has given up the element of surprise and simply forks over a dollar whenever a tooth is lost around here anymore. Both of the lost teeth came from the bottom, and both of them fell out AFTER the permanent teeth were already growing in behind. I'm hoping this doesn't cause difficulties later on...?!
*****************
Tobin's latest obsession is drawing his own Star Wars comic "books." He has spent an extraordinary amount of time doing this. I love that I can tell (mostly) which character is which, even though they are all very similar-looking stick figures. He colors them in, so Yoda is pretty easy to spot, LOL.
*****************
Hmmm...it's been so long since I blogged, I nearly forgot to write about Charis's experience with Oz: The Musical. It was a GREAT performance! Very cute script. We ordered a DVD and will look forward to watching it with Charis, who didn't get to see anything at all other than the part she was on stage for. She was an adorable Munchkin and really enjoyed her experience.
*****************
This coming weekend I have a stamp camp that I'm doing with my downline, and after that, I have not scheduled a THING!! I hope to take and post more pictures, as we're taking school slowly and enjoying other activities, like games and holiday baking. Hope everyone else is enjoying the season and finding some special, quiet moments with the Savior.
*****************
Charis and I had a busy day yesterday. We spent most of it preparing projects for her craft fair--she had decorated some golden ornaments on her own beforehand, and she had also put together some paper ornaments. But everything else was done ON Tuesday, and the sale was that night! (The sale was supposed to be items made by kids, and it was through our homeschool group.) If you'd like to see her projects, you can go here. She sold $33.75 and chose to donate $26 of her earnings to the Sonlight OneVerse project. Friday is the deadline to donate so that Sonlight will match the funds, so if you're reading this before then, please consider buying a verse for the Meetto people!
*****************
Aside from frantically putting together crafts, we've just been plain busy enjoying the season. I did have a stamp club last weekend and a party Monday night for the club hostess, who wanted to invite some other friends over, so that kept me busier than I wanted to be this time of year...but hey, I need the sales. :-)
*****************
We got our Christmas tree delivered this year. The farm that sends us our weekly Happy Box delivered a ginormous tree for $40! It's bigger than any tree we've ever had! It arrived on Monday, and we just decorated it this evening. I'll have to take some pictures tomorrow. (I'll also have to arrange some ornaments tomorrow when the kids aren't looking, heh...some are clumped rather oddly around the very lowest branches! Thanks, Kenna!) The tree is beautiful and smells just like Christmas. I love the ornaments that Charis made (or embellished), as well as the ones I've made this year. I'll have to take close-up pictures of those, too!
*****************
Lucan is getting better...for now. He seems to make progress and then regress. For those who don't know, I took him to the doc on Friday, and he was diagnosed with RSV bronchialitis. (If that's how you spell it.) On Thursday he was refusing to nurse, but he has been doing much better, praise the Lord. His appetite is nearly normal, or at least, was pretty healthy today.
*****************
Speaking of nursing, Lucan is following Kenna's MO and officially stopped nursing on my right side. This has been a struggle since he was about 6 months old, just the same age as Kenna when she started heavily favoring my left side! She also quit my right side altogether around 8 months old. We were at my parents' house in WI for Thanksgiving when I tried for the last time and decided it was just not worth the stress. He has been a left-side-only eater ever since, and I am fine with that!
*****************
Arden lost his second tooth last night, and we think he swallowed it, because it is nowhere to be found. The tooth fairy has given up the element of surprise and simply forks over a dollar whenever a tooth is lost around here anymore. Both of the lost teeth came from the bottom, and both of them fell out AFTER the permanent teeth were already growing in behind. I'm hoping this doesn't cause difficulties later on...?!
*****************
Tobin's latest obsession is drawing his own Star Wars comic "books." He has spent an extraordinary amount of time doing this. I love that I can tell (mostly) which character is which, even though they are all very similar-looking stick figures. He colors them in, so Yoda is pretty easy to spot, LOL.
*****************
Hmmm...it's been so long since I blogged, I nearly forgot to write about Charis's experience with Oz: The Musical. It was a GREAT performance! Very cute script. We ordered a DVD and will look forward to watching it with Charis, who didn't get to see anything at all other than the part she was on stage for. She was an adorable Munchkin and really enjoyed her experience.
*****************
This coming weekend I have a stamp camp that I'm doing with my downline, and after that, I have not scheduled a THING!! I hope to take and post more pictures, as we're taking school slowly and enjoying other activities, like games and holiday baking. Hope everyone else is enjoying the season and finding some special, quiet moments with the Savior.
December 02, 2009
Back Home
Whew, so much for catching up on my blog while we were in WI, LOL. We had a wonderful visit with my family, and I'm uploading pictures to Facebook right now. I'll post the links for my non-FB friends and family.
After a yummy dinner in New Glarus on Friday, our family headed back to Mom & Dad's house to put tired, cranky kids to bed and try to get some rest before our road trip the next day. The cold Kenna got was starting to make its rounds to the rest of us--poor Lucan got it then and is still dealing with crusty eyes and an equally crusty/runny nose. (OK, the rest of us are still dealing with headaches, plugged noses, coughs, etc., but it's just infinitely more pathetic when a baby is ill and doesn't understand why he feels so rotten.)
Our return trip passed pretty quickly--we made it here in about 8 hours, including stops. We got back early enough that I was able to hit the grocery store down the street while Ted and the kids unloaded all the stuff from the truck. We had frozen pizza (well, we cooked it first, ha) while watching Disney's version of Robin Hood, since we just finished the book on the road, part of our Sonlight reading.
Ted went to church Sunday to play guitar while I stayed home and tended sick kiddos and did laundry. It was a gorgeous day, so I did get out and go for a nice long walk, a nice change since it had been quite cold in Wisconsin. (Tobin even made a snowman on Thanksgiving Day!)
WI family pictures: Click here.
Thanksgiving celebration pictures: Click here.
Monday we started our school routine again, and it went more smoothly than I would have expected after being "off" for over a week. Tuesday evening started a run of 9 evenings in a row where some or all of us need to be out of the house. A quick rundown of our schedule so you can understand why I won't be blogging or Facebooking as much, ha!
Tuesday: Charis begins rehearsal for Oz: The Musical.
Wednesday: Leave the house at 4:30 to get Charis to rehearsal at 5; drive back across town to meet Ted for dinner; swap vehicles and take the boys to AWANA, then drive back across town to get Charis and return to church to pick up the boys, then home.
Thursday: PE in Kettering in the afternoon; Oz dress rehearsal in the evening.
Friday: Stamp club in the afternoon; Oz performance in the evening.
Saturday: Stamp club in the morning; Oz performance in the evening--with a sitter at home for Kenna and Lucan while the rest of us actually WATCH the show.
Sunday: Church in the morning; progressive dinner with growth group in the afternoon/evening with babysitters at home for the kids.
Monday: Stampin' Up! workshop in the evening.
Tuesday: Charis and I do a homeschool craft fair in the evening.
Wednesday: AWANA and growth group.
Thursday: First night at home in over a week!
Friday: Stamp camp prep at Charity's house.
Saturday: Stamp camp.
Sunday: Let the rest begin...
After a yummy dinner in New Glarus on Friday, our family headed back to Mom & Dad's house to put tired, cranky kids to bed and try to get some rest before our road trip the next day. The cold Kenna got was starting to make its rounds to the rest of us--poor Lucan got it then and is still dealing with crusty eyes and an equally crusty/runny nose. (OK, the rest of us are still dealing with headaches, plugged noses, coughs, etc., but it's just infinitely more pathetic when a baby is ill and doesn't understand why he feels so rotten.)
Our return trip passed pretty quickly--we made it here in about 8 hours, including stops. We got back early enough that I was able to hit the grocery store down the street while Ted and the kids unloaded all the stuff from the truck. We had frozen pizza (well, we cooked it first, ha) while watching Disney's version of Robin Hood, since we just finished the book on the road, part of our Sonlight reading.
Ted went to church Sunday to play guitar while I stayed home and tended sick kiddos and did laundry. It was a gorgeous day, so I did get out and go for a nice long walk, a nice change since it had been quite cold in Wisconsin. (Tobin even made a snowman on Thanksgiving Day!)
WI family pictures: Click here.
Thanksgiving celebration pictures: Click here.
Monday we started our school routine again, and it went more smoothly than I would have expected after being "off" for over a week. Tuesday evening started a run of 9 evenings in a row where some or all of us need to be out of the house. A quick rundown of our schedule so you can understand why I won't be blogging or Facebooking as much, ha!
Tuesday: Charis begins rehearsal for Oz: The Musical.
Wednesday: Leave the house at 4:30 to get Charis to rehearsal at 5; drive back across town to meet Ted for dinner; swap vehicles and take the boys to AWANA, then drive back across town to get Charis and return to church to pick up the boys, then home.
Thursday: PE in Kettering in the afternoon; Oz dress rehearsal in the evening.
Friday: Stamp club in the afternoon; Oz performance in the evening.
Saturday: Stamp club in the morning; Oz performance in the evening--with a sitter at home for Kenna and Lucan while the rest of us actually WATCH the show.
Sunday: Church in the morning; progressive dinner with growth group in the afternoon/evening with babysitters at home for the kids.
Monday: Stampin' Up! workshop in the evening.
Tuesday: Charis and I do a homeschool craft fair in the evening.
Wednesday: AWANA and growth group.
Thursday: First night at home in over a week!
Friday: Stamp camp prep at Charity's house.
Saturday: Stamp camp.
Sunday: Let the rest begin...
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