*Almost* Wordless Wednesday

This is what happens at dinner when you enjoy playing outside all day and don't take time for your afternoon nap...you can every sleep through your dad's laughter and table pounding.

X at 3.5

The last six months for X has changed in one major way...He was introduced to Star Wars!  His life will never be the same.  Everything has a Star Wars slant now.  He shoots (bazoom-bazoom) everything.  He either has a light saber in his hand or a gun (however, to the casual observer, it probably appears to be a stick).  He loves Luke and Chewie.  My favorite quote from him this winter was, "Chewie thinks Pedialite is nonsense".  The "no wookie noises at the table rule" had to be instituted this winter.  Life has irrevocable changed...a whole new world of boyhood has entered. C has taken over the world of trains as X has whole-heartedly jumped into the Star Wars world.  All pretend play has elements of Star Wars in it.  Now, he hasn't seen the movies in their entirity, but he has seen pieces of Episodes 1, 4, 5 and 6.  They are currently watching 2.

X was hilarious when Jut told him that Darth Vadar was Luke's father.  "What?!  Darth Vadar is Luke's father?  I can't believe it!!!"  We all almost fell off our chairs laughing.  His voice inflections and utter surprise were hilarious.  I wish we would have caught it on video.

X has really matured throughout the school year.  He loves sitting at the table with E and I during school.  He picks up so many random facts about things during our lessons.  He loves to read with us and explore the world map.  He can identify the Eiffel Tower and find Michigan on the map.  I love to see his mind absorb so much from our schooling.  He loves to sit and paint with us or color or complete puzzles when we are working on lessons.  He had a 'workbook' that he enjoyed doing with us this winter.  It was on mazes and practicing his fine motor skills.  He did great at it.  Now, he is fairly good at the mazes within coloring books, too.  Just today, he started at 5 and subtracted 1 until he got down to zero using the language, "I take one away and now I have..."  I was impressed.  He is a quick learner right now.

Reading is a favorite pastime.  He loves to sit and cuddle and read books.  I think he'd spend all rest time each day reading with me if I'd allow it.  Every once in a while, I'll even read him to sleep in the evenings.  He is just so sweet.

He still is my little cuddle bug.  He'll still climb into bed in the middle of the night.  When I ask him about it in the morning, he'll tell me, "Mom, I thought you needed a cuddle so I came to give you one!".  Melts my heart every time.  If he gets tired or frustrated, all he wants to do is sit on my lap for a bit.  Cuddling is one of his major love languages.

C at 18-months

  18 months...a year and a half old...wow!  My little guy just keeps growing and progressing.  He's as fun as he is exasperating.  He is ALL boy and keeps me on my toes throughout the day.

He loves cars, trains, trucks...especially Thomas right now.  He loves wearing Thomas shirts and loves X's undies with Thomas.  He loves to have an engine in his hand at all times.  He loves reading Thomas books.  He is completely Thomas obsessed...however, he does still find the time to play with cars, trucks and tractors.

He's had a huge growth spurt in the last month.  He went from 18-month tops and 12-month bottoms to 2T shirts and 18-month bottoms in the blink of an eye.  I am just taking the shirts from X's drawers and putting them into C's.  (Thankfully X grew just enough to move into 3Ts...although it is strange to see C wearing shirts that X wore late last fall.)  He just keeps growing.  He is a bit over 32 pounds, I believe.  He's a solid guy.

He really isn't talking much.  He says, "mama" all the time.  It means, "Give me that!"  I think I preferred E's non-naming me to C's demanding using my 'name'.  He says "Da-da" for Jut.  I think he intentionally says, "puppy" and "yah" for 'yes'.  Mostly his vocal cues are unintelligible or screeches (especially for the cat...she has her own special C screech).  But, he didn't walk until after Christmas just after he turned 14-months because he could do what he wanted by crawling.  I think that he gets what he wants by pointing and screeching and so he doesn't find the reason to talk.  I've tried signing with him on and off and he just smiles and continues to screech and point.  My little stinker.

Fortunately, he has outgrown his love for emptying the refrigerator.  He will still raid it if he's hungry but we don't have to keep it constantly barricaded anymore.  That's a nice change.  We don't have to keep the kitchen chairs flipped over either.  He'll still climb on the table and do the 'table dance' if we are out there but he doesn't do it all the time and unsupervised.

He does love to color...and rip pages out of his coloring books.  He sits at the table and does 'school' with us.  It is fun to have all the kids sitting together at the table working on their different projects.
He has also learned that he loves watching the television...for awhile.  He really enjoys Thomas but he'll watch most things for several minutes.  Unfortunately when he's 'done', he thinks everyone else should be done also and he turns off the DVD player, which results in much screaming and gnashing of teeth by the other two.

He's adorable, dimpled smile gets me every time.  He's too adorable for his own good.  I love that little grin...or his bashful look when he buries his head into my shoulder.  He cuddles in at nap and bedtime.  Putting him to bed has turned into one of my favorite times of the day now that he will sit and cuddle and not fight it.  I'm so glad we are done teething until those next pesky molars erupt closer to age 2.

Chasing the big kids around the house is great fun.  We have 'poisonous' time most night before bed.  The kids run laps and chase each other...sounds very calming, does it not?!  C loves the chase and the screaming.  It is funny.

A year and a half...hardly seems possible.  He's a sweet guy...loves screaming when he doesn't get his way...but we'd all do that if it were socially acceptable, wouldn't we??

Living life...

Saturday marked a huge accomplishment for Jut.  He graduated with his Master's Degree in Religious Education with an emphasis in Missional leadership.  I am so proud of him.  Until three years ago, he never desired a higher degree...and based on his undergraduate work, never thought he'd really ever be able to do it.  His parents did not have 4-year college degrees and his sister does not either.  A B.A. was fine for him.

But, God has a way of making us change our opinions about things.  Jut felt called to leave youth ministry and take the lead minister role of our church.  The elders felt that he needed more education. He didn't want to take the traditional M.Div. route...he was thinking more of leadership training.  I thought he needed some biblical studies and we found Rochester had a bit of both.  So, he decided to give it a shot.

It has been a long 20+ months for us.  We have experienced more 'life' in the past two years than we have in all our previous 8 years of marriage.  It started with the death of my grandmother less than two months prior to the beginning of classes.  Then, C was born two months into the semester.  Jut assumed the role of 'lead minister' that January right before we received word that the doctors were ready to discontinue chemo for Mike.  We lost an influential friend to heart issues that month and an elder of the church shortly following.  Then his dad died...then my grandpa died.  I think auto-pilot took over that spring and we just functioned as well as we could.

Summer began.  We took a relaxing vacation and then kept busy for the rest of the summer.  Jut started school back up in the fall.  I took over the Sunday night children's ministry program.  We started homeschooling E.  We watched my extended family's relationship disintegrate.  We made a decision to buy and remodel my grandparents' home.  Jut's grandfather passed away.  There have been church issues to handle throughout the year.  The kids seemed to have an inordinate amount of sickness this winter. The list of things doesn't seem as huge for things that happened in this year of grad school but I don't think we could have handled much more on our plates.  The events seemed very mentally/emotionally taxing...and I think the first year of grad school used up our 'bank' of mental/emotional reserves.  It has been a long semester.

However, it is finished.  Jut graduated.  He even got a great compliment from his hardest professor on his last paper.  He did great!  Life is good.  Now, it is time to sit back and relax a bit.  Maybe build up some of those reserves again. Jut is even playing video games as I write this...taking time to relax.  It is good.  It is hard to remember what 'normal' was prior to graduate school.  Before grad school began, we were a preschool family a four. So, now we get the fun task of finding out what 'normal' is for a homeschooling family of five...

We know new challenges will face us.  Other things will try to make us busy again, but we have our priorities.  We know there are things that will fill the hole that school left in his life.  However, we will be careful to guard that hole that 'things' do not take too much of that space.  We need time.  The kids need time.  He needs time. These are all things we must remember.

Well done, Jut!  You did awesome.  You did your best to balance school, church and family.  I couldn't have asked for anymore.  Thank you for all your hard work!  Congratulations on your accomplishment!!

Easter weekend rambling...

I tend to find our house seeped in drudgery right now. Food needs prepared and dishes washed three times per day.  Laundry is in a constant state of needing attention...if it doesn't need washed, it needs folded and taken care of.  Diapers must be washed every other night.  Meals need planned.  Lessons need to be studied and prepped.  Children need corralled so that lessons can occur.  Diapers need changed.  Bills need paid.  Budgets need analyzed.  Each day is a bit like groundhogs day with the same tasks facing me every morning.  The end is in sight.  Jut will be done with school in 28 days...but for now, it is 4 more weeks without a break for this weary mom.

However, I got a surprising break this weekend.  I wasn't anticipating the break...it almost felt like a vacation.  It was so nice...so relaxing.  My soul was able to relax and recharge a bit.  I can push ahead and manage these last four weeks.

Our weekend started with breakfast out with my family.  We had fun relaxing and chatting.  Some friends and relatives dropped by to say 'hello'.  It was a great start to the morning.  Then, a friend of E's invited us over for an egg hunt.  It ended up being just us and the host family.  It was fun.  We don't get to socialize with non-church friends very often.  It was really fun to get to know this family. We had a great time.  We shared lunch with them and watched the kids play outside.  It was just a nice, relaxing time.

We took the kiddos home for rest/nap time.  I ran out and did some last-minute Easter shopping without any tag-a-longs.  Shopping without kids is sheer bliss. Restores the soul.

Afterwards, we headed out to Mom and Dad's for supper and egg painting.  Pizza is always good.  Egg decorating is always a crazy event...but goes better when Mom and Aunt Stacey help.  The kids played outside with the dogs.  They worked on their 'nature center' making it even better than last year by adding shelves.  Exciting times.

This morning started with an Easter basket search.  Then, we headed to church.  Afterwards, it was lunch at Mom's and an egg hunt.  E was an expert egg finder...X did pretty well.  C didn't understand what all the fuss was about with those silly plastic eggs.  He just wanted to run outside.  However, he was envious of the jelly beans when the eggs were opened and then kept trying to open the eggs.

After the excitement died down, C crawled up in Mom's arms and promptly cuddled in and went to sleep.  Jut, my parents, and my grandpa decided to take C's example and snooze.  The older two got some coveted IPad time and everyone recharged.

We had a bit of supper and headed home.  The kids went to bed and here I sit with my feet up...very relaxed...no dishes...no laundry...no menial household tasks (minus the diapers in the wash) for two days.  Lots of fellowship and fun.  This weary mom is feeling relaxed, recharged and ready to face the next hectic week.  God is good.

The First Visit(s) from the Tooth Fairy

On January 29th, E informed me that she had 2 loose teeth.  She had been waiting for that day for at  least a year...and it was finally here.  Well, Jut and I, as super parents, said, "Don't touch it or wiggle it.  Let nature do its thing.  Your adult teeth will push it out."  Our very first-born traitish daughter followed our words to a T.  She didn't touch them...waiting for 'nature to do its thing'.  Well, fast forward to two weeks ago (March 7th).  We went to the dentist.  The hygienist and dentist looked at the teeth and claimed it was time she started wiggling those babies and get them out of there.  Her adult tooth was in on the bottom left but it came through completely behind the baby tooth.  They thought that she'd have them out by night if she started wiggling and playing with them.

On March 12th, the kids were getting ready for bed.  I asked E if she'd like me to pull out her tooth.  I had been playing with it for her a couple times in the previous days and had been getting it to bleed a bit but it was still hanging in there strong.  She said, "yes".  So I gave it a twist and a tug and out it popped.  She said that it didn't even hurt.

So, we cleaned it off a bit.  Put it in her 'kiss-kiss' box and put it by her bed on a little shelf.  In the morning, the tooth fairy had left her a piece of gum, a golden dollar coin, a quarter, dime, nickel and penny.  The tooth fairy also sprinkled 'fairy dust' all over her shelf and pillow.

She had more fun carrying her box with all her 'goodies'.  It was her first piece of gum and she thought that was pretty cool.

Then, she decided to see if the 'fairy dust' could make her fly.  She put on some fairy wings, and she kept sprinkling her 'fairy dust' on herself and jumping off the furniture.  She claimed it made her jump higher and farther and that she was really flying.  It was hilarious.  She was adorable.  I'm glad that there weren't any ladders leading up to the roof of the house!  She was so excited about it all.

So, now that she knew what to expect from the whole losing a tooth thing, she started really working on that second tooth.  We were at Mom and Dad's on Saturday night (the 16th) and she sat the whole time working on that tooth.  By the time we left, she had it just hanging on.  She told me that she didn't want me to touch it because she was going to pull that tooth out.  Well, when Jut was brushing her teeth, he asked her if she wanted him to pull it.  She said 'yes'.  He grabbed her tooth.  She jumped and the tooth came right out.  Bye-bye tooth number two!  It was easier than the first.

So, the tooth fairy came again with the same trade for the little baby tooth...and now E has quite the gap in her little mouth.  So cute...getting so grown up.  .

An interesting tidbit:  Her first bottom tooth came in 11-12-07 and her second was on 11-14-07.  I guess since they came in within 2 days...it makes sense that they both came out within 4 days.  :)

Ramblings...

The last time I took a month break I could blame it on impending motherhood, but that's not the case this time.  Life is just busy and exhausting and Jut needs the computer for school stuff when I have in the inclination to post.  .

However, he should be finished with his degree in eight weeks, I think...maybe seven since it is Friday.  That will be nice...however, life won't slow down at that point in time.  It will probably just get crazier...as we are going to buy a house, remodel (fairly extensively, if the bank agrees) the house, and move.  I get hives just thinking about it all.  It would be so much easier just to stay here and rent forever.  But, I know the pros will definitely outweigh all the cons once we are living there, if only we could just skip to that part.  

Some fun news...E is about ready to lose her first two teeth.  We visited the dentist yesterday and they told us the teeth should come out any day.  She just has to start wiggling them more.  (We told her to leave them alone and not rush them...but it is time for them to be out...so now she needs to be wiggling!)  Her first adult tooth has broken through.  We can see it on the bottom left side.  Exciting times...but sad too.  Her smile will never be the same again with her cute little baby teeth.  I want her to grow up but it is bittersweet as it happens so fast.

To go to the dentist yesterday, E dressed up all in white.  When I questioned her about her outfit choice, she replied, "I'm going to the dentist, so I'm going to dress up like a tooth!"  When I told her hygentist and the dentist, they exclaimed that they'd never had anyone do that before.  E grinned like the Cheshire cat.  She thought that she was so cool.  Sometimes, she still is my adorable little girl.

We've joined a homeschooling/play group in the past month.  It is an insane group of children.  The oldest is seven.  The youngest is about seven months...and there are about 10 kids between those two ages.  It is wild and crazy but the kids LOVE it.  It is fun to see other moms and chat.  So, that has been quite the adventure.

Homeschooling is going well.  We compared some work samples from Sept to now today.  It was fun to see how much she's progressed.  She'll be finished with her reading curriculum by the end of April.  Her math will be finished by the end of March.  I'm going to have to get creative and find some fun extension activities for her this spring.  She reads all the time.  I'm still getting use to her mentioning what different signs around town say.  It is fun to watch the world of words for her.

C has been ill.  He ended up at the dr last Friday and was diagnosed with a double ear infection, an eye infection and respiratory junk.  Today, X ended up at the dr and was diagnosed with a bit of bronchitis, a double ear infection and dehydration.  So, there are 2 bottles of antibiotics hanging out in the fridge.  Fun times.  We've had a miserable winter as far as sickness goes.  There was a month in Dec/Jan where someone was throwing up every week (or more) and February brought all this respiratory junk.  I'm ready for spring.

The fun news of the house is that my children are officially obsessed with Star*Wars.  They started playing Angry*Birds Star*Wars.  They drove Jut crazy with their inaccurate knowledge of Star*Wars based soley on the game.  Finally, he couldn't take it anymore.  So, they have now watched bits and pieces of Episodes 4-6 and a bit of 1.  X loves Chewy.  We had to make the "No wookie noises at the table" rule this week.  E loves Princess Leia.  They refer to C as R2D2.  I get to be Queen Amadalla.  Jut is Vadar.  Fun times.  E's creative writing for school is themed 'Star*Wars', the story was 'Frozen Yoda', actually.  I hear that everyone wants Star*Wars b'day parties and Star*Wars Halloween costumes...everything revolves around it right now.  They have even started playing the Wii because Jut has a Star*Wars video game.  However, that is hilarious to watch.  Jut tries really hard to not get frustrated as the kids do their crazy things with their characters, as he is actually trying to do something in the game.  Makes me laugh every time.

So, that's a snippet of life around here...Star*Wars, snot and school...that pretty much sums life up.

On our Walk Through the Woods on a Snowy Evening