Babies

We met our new nephew today. I forgot my camera. We never forget the ipad. So here are some really grainy, horribly lit pictures of our visit.

 My Husband got to him first.

 The Oldest and his littlest cousin.

 Little One 'holding' the baby.

I finally got my turn.

Pictures compliments of First Grader
(which is why she is not in any of the pictures)- Sunday, May 27.

Here's Little One on the way to the hospital. Click on the picture to check out the trail of drool on her cheek- Sunday, May 27.

I've been busy watching another pair of babies for a few days now. I'm not sure they would technically still be called babies, I think they are actually 'juveniles', but babies sounds so much cuter. They are two mourning doves who have been spending much of their days on our back deck. I've been trying for a couple of days to get some pictures of them, but they are still sort of skittish.

 The usual response to my attempt at a photo.

Getting better. I actually got a couple of decent shots through the glass door.

 Later in the day I was able to settle down on the deck and take these pictures without inciting total panic in my new favorite birds. They didn't stop and pose like some of the older doves who call our back yard home, but they finally didn't turn tail and run. One walked slowly and steadily as deep into the farthest corner as possible, all while keeping a keen eye focused in my direction. The other quickly hopped up onto the railing, pondering a viable escape route. But I count it a victory- they didn't fly away. We are making progress- Saturday, May 27.

Early Risers

I've never been much of a night owl, but I'm not sure I could say I am a natural morning person either. I don't fit the stereotype I have assigned to either of those categories. I have neither magical doses of nocturnal energy that give me super-human ability to complete projects and tasks while most of the time zone is sleeping, nor do I have caffeine-like energy that is already coursing through my veins propelling me out of bed and straight past the coffee maker all with a smile on my face and a song in my heart.  Before kids, I did sometimes stay up late. I pulled a few all-nighters in college, but I could usually fall into my bed after stumbling to class to take a test or hand in the paper I had just finished. At that point in life, I had no other human beings I needed to care for and only myself to think about, so it worked for me. I also experienced nights of very little sleep being a mom to three wonderful little babes. With the first one, I was convinced I was not going to survive. I was so tired and he cried so much. One evening, not long after The Oldest was born, I had gone upstairs to get a little sleep in between feedings. My Husband came upstairs and woke me up. I rolled over and said out of the corner of my drool covered mouth, "If I can just sleep until 8:00, I'll be okay."  He gently patted me on the back, trying to stall in his delivery of the news he knew would send me over the edge. When he finally got up the nerve to tell me it was already 8:00, I started crying and dug myself under the covers. I was truly convinced I wasn't going to make it. But I did, and survived two more rounds of baby induced sleep-deprivation. It is amazing what love can strengthen you to do.

But now, for the most part, I get to sleep through the night. And with the blessing of full nights of sleep, I am beginning to realize that I do in fact like getting up in the mornings. I actually set my alarm on purpose most days with the goal of being the first one out of bed. There are several mornings one or another (more often one over the others) of my children stands in for the music of my alarm clock. I'm blessed with one morning person, for sure. I have had to triple layer the window coverings in her room in order to keep her asleep for any amount of time past the first inkling of sunrise. She would have been a great farmer's daughter, but instead of collecting eggs and milking cows she fills the table with early morning drawings or she pages through books or plays on her new DS. The Oldest wakes up early, too, but usually dives right into whatever world is waiting in the pages of his current book before venturing out of his room. Little One is too little to really be able to tell, but she is starting to sleep through the early risings of her sister, so I am holding out that she will decide sleeping in is the way to go.

There are some mornings when I manage to sneak downstairs while the house is still filled with silence. I must say, I think this is the most amazing way to start the day. By nature I am a person who gets recharged by alone time. I'm not exaggerating to say that I don't think I would run out of fingers counting the number of times I have been totally alone in my own house. It just isn't something that is a common occurrence during this season of life. But on mornings when I find I have beaten even the early riser out of bed, I take great pleasure in enjoying the slice of quiet to just be- to be alone, to be reflective, to be quiet, to be calm, to be...

I used to dread the sound of the first pair of footsteps coming down the stairs, anxiously listening, anticipating the too soon shattering of my sacred space. But somehow over the years, I've learned to be still and enjoy the moments I do have, how ever many (or few) they may be. And over the years, my kids have somehow learned how to soften their arrival and to settle down into the space of early morning quiet.

I was up especially early today, awakened by one of my children, but kept awake anticipating the arrival of another. Our nephew is on his way into the world as I type. I had hoped we'd have a text letting us know he had taken his first look at the world while we were all sleeping, but that wasn't the case. So, after starting some laundry, I settled down into the chair by the window. I was reading and praying and thinking about being blessed with the gift of new life, when one of my own gifts came groggily down the stairs. With blanket already in hand, she settled down onto the couch. She asked about her new baby cousin and then rolled over to enjoy the peace and quiet.  I'm thankful for early mornings all to myself, they truly are a precious gift to me, but I have also learned to be thankful for early risers who join me in the start of my days.

"This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says:

'In repentance and rest is your salvation,

in quietness and trust is your strength'"

Isaiah 30:15

Joyous thoughts and abundant prayers to my brother-in-law and his wife as they begin their journey with their own early riser. I pray you find strength in quiet moments, joy in all that goes right and in all that doesn't go quiet as you had planned, and abundant reasons for thanksgiving.

Sharing my sacred space- Friday, May 25.

Why not a Third?

I'm hoping to break the habit of days of silence followed by a burst of multiple posts, but since I'm here and not quite tired enough to head up to bed, I figure I'll just keep going. I'd like to say this one will be heavy on pictures and light on words, but I don't have too many pictures to choose from, so I think I'll go light on pictures, light on words, and leave it at that.

 Acrobats- Tuesday, May 15.

 Sack Races at Little One's end of the year preschool picnic. Check out the look of ultimate intimidation she is shooting at her competition on the starting line- Wednesday, May 16.

The Oldest's yard sale. He made $13 and learned a valuable lesson in perseverance and how to tactfully describe the flaws in things you are trying to sell- Friday, May 18.

Dance recital. When First Grader was done, My Husband leaned over and asked me, "Does she make up all those extra moves or do the other girls just not do everything in the dance?" I think it is a bit of both, but probably a little more of the making up extra moves part- Saturday, May 19.

Rainy Days and Mondays

I had the most wonderful waking up this morning. It was early, but not too early and I laid in bed, hearing a beautiful sound. With eyes still not open to the day before me, I began to realize that a soothing, steady rain was falling just outside my open windows. And as it fell, drenching the ground with its gentle force, I began to feel a sweet soaking in my spirit. I had no words at the time, but now I know it was a nourishing of thankfulness, an attitude and perspective that is too often so very parched and dry in my life. I complain instead of give thanks. I groan instead of sing.

I have never understood how to give thanks in everything. I've heard lots of opinions on what that means. I've tried some ideas of my own- making lists of things I am thankful for, sending cards or emails to say thank you, repeating the mantra, 'I am thankful' through gritted teeth and a fake smile. But no advice or effort  on my part has helped me to do any better at living a life of thanksgiving. And then something happened today, before I could pull myself together enough to have even a chance of trying to contribute, God woke me with the sound of the rain.

First Thessalonians 5 says, "¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit."

You see, all this time I had been stopping short, not folowing all of the directions. I read the command to perpetually rejoice and pray and give thanks, and added those to the mental list of things I could never really do. And the ironic part is, I was right in assigning them to that list. On my own I can't do any of those things. I can not rejoice always. To be honest, I can't even rejoice the majority of the day on my own. I certainly have not mastered leaving the 'amen' off of my prayers, and I've already told you about my sad lack of thanksgiving. But because of my inability, I had decided I was okay with placing an asterisk next to those directions, and writing the footnote that says something like, "God would like you to try your best to do these things, but He didn't really mean that He expects to see them all the time."

But like only God can do on a rainy, Monday morning, He shattered my self-focused thinking and washed me with the Word. I can not do anything good on my own, but as long as I am not quenching the Spirit who is alive in me, I can not stop doing good. What I had looked at as impossible, I realize now lies not in my effort, but in my openness to the work of the Spirit in me.

My perspective was different today. It is different. How do I give thanks in everything? I can't, but the Spirit of God inside of me never stops. When I chose to let His life live through me, thanksgiving becomes a way of life and a beautiful lens through which to view the world.

After the rain.

Taken Tuesday, May 15.

Three Things that Made me Chuckle

(I started this post two weeks ago, figuring I'd get back to it 'real soon'. Well, half of May has passed me by, but I am back.)

One.

So, I didn't actually look at the name of this cereal when I picked it up at the store. One of the kids had asked for Crunch Berries and the generic was cheaper than the name brand, so this is what I brought home. The picture told me it was what I was looking for. The name (when later pointed out in a thick mocking tone by My Husband) made me wonder if the people charged with the task of naming this cereal had spent all day giving their generic cereals clever names, so that when they got to this one they were clean out of good ideas, prompting them to turn their very important job of branding into a giant game of Madlibs. Take a minute and insert your own plural noun. I guarantee it will be better than the one they chose (*Reveal of the actual name at the end of the blog*).

Two.

This is a paper that Little One brought home from Sunday School. I am usually thankful for the papers that come home from church because they can sometimes help to clarify the details of the story that was actually taught in class. For example, one Sunday Little One came home telling us all about Jonah and the ark and the rainbow coat God sent for him to wear. The story was really about Noah. In all fairness, the picture on her paper from that day did have a big fish and a rainbow on it.  The paper pictured above, however, did very little to clear up what may have been taught in Sunday School. It contained no words other than the two seen in the picture. So we were left to assume that Little One learned the very important lesson that God loves doctors, moms, Michael Vick, and clowns. A little deep for preschoolers, but a valuable lesson at any age.

Three.

 This is a list that Little One wrote. I will interpret if you are not fluent in reading four year old pre-literate writing. It says, "1. POTTY  2. WASH HANDS  3. BRUSH TEETH  4. DRINK  5. PJS  6. BED."  Little One was having some pretty major issues with her bedtime routine. Heavy doses of stalling and sudden attacks of being unable to accomplish routine tasks were appearing quite frequently around 8:00pm. We decided we needed a plan to help her manage the few things she was supposed to be doing between walking up the steps and climbing into bed. So, we came up with a little list and I suggested making a chart. I envisioned pictures and maybe stickers or stars. She insisted on  "whiting a list."  So we  "wote a list."  Well, I dictated letters and she  "wote."  We hung it on the bathroom door. Seeing as Little One can not read, it hasn't been as effective as we had hoped, but it has provided some very amusing bathroom reading.

******************************

Really!!??- May 7, 2012.

From the Kid Camera

The computer gained a couple hundred more pictures the other day when we emptied the card from the kid camera. I weeded out the ones that were entirely too blurry to be recognizable and filed the rest in the 'pictures by kids' folder. These are some of my favorites. Most of them are by Little One, she's my fairly constant fellow photographer, but there are some that were taken by the other two. I haven't looked up the date taken for all of these, but it is safe to say they were taken between March 21, 2012 and yesterday. Enjoy.

The Moon and a Star

We were outside until right before bedtime last night, and the moon looked amazing. So I got my camera. Not only was the moon really big and bright, but wispy clouds were passing in front of it, making for some interesting pictures. The best part of the whole thing was that all of this was happening in just the right spot so that I could take it in from the comfort of one of my deck chairs.

 

The Moon- Friday, May 4.

First Grader had her first grade concert this week. Their theme for the year was Flat Stanley and the concert featured songs from around the world. First Grader had a speaking part. She said, "Jamaica is in the Caribbean Sea and has lotsa beautiful beaches." It was pretty great. So was my zoom. We got stuck in the back section of the auditorium (I had no idea people showed up hours early to reserve seats at such events), but with my zoom, I got to enjoy all of the concert from close up with none of the wait. I heart my zoom.

 A Star- Wednesday, May 2.

Best Punishment Ever

Little One was serving time today. Her daddy and siblings went on a semi-impromptu visit to Nana's house, but because of two previous convictions, she was unable to go along. This left me home alone with a pretty unhappy Little One. I had things I had hoped to accomplish that would be much more easily done without the assistance of one grumpy four year old. So we talked. I shot straight and let her know that a day spent with me getting lots of stuff done could be just as fun and wonderful as a day spent at Nana's if she had a good attitude. I could see her looking right through me. She knew I was trying to trick her for my own benefit, and was sure that cleaning the house and running errands with mom would never be anywhere near as great as spending the day at one of the best places on earth (Nana's house). But I must have looked pretty pathetic, because she threw me a bone, stopped sulking, and asked if she could play computer. I waffled, but then a friend stopped in for a visit, and I told Little One she could. The visit ended up lasting the whole morning. It was a good visit, setting me up with a positive outlook for the rest of my day. I was feeling so happy that I decided to forgo the planned housecleaning, knowing full well the dirt will still be here tomorrow, and take Little One out to lunch before we ran our errands. Yes, this is the same Little One who was on lock down. But she had played so nicely on the computer all morning that I had totally forgotten the whole mad, grumpy, crying incident from earlier. So we headed out and had what ended up being a very delightful day, just the two of us. We ate lunch at Sonic, bought seeds and plants at the Garden Center, and spent the rest of the day planting this year's veggie garden. It's not often I get to spend a whole day with just one of my kids. What a treat it is, especially when they are not whining.

 Sizing up the fruit of our labor- Saturday, May 5.

 Patting down the soil in the pepper patch- Saturday, May 5.

Garden planted. Great day spent with Little One. By far, the best punishment ever- Saturday, May 5.

You Have to Watch a One Year Old Like a Hawk

I've been spoiled this spring by the fact that I have children who are old enough to go outside by themselves and require only the sporadic visual check through the window and the occasional shout out the back door to break up a tiff or review the back yard rules. But with additional little ones here this past week, I got to spend a lot of time outside making sure nobody ran into the road, fell off the trampoline, or got hit by the baseball bat swords. I was glad for bright sunshine and a camera to make use of the time spent in the great outdoors.

The bubble maker was a great source of entertainment and a very effective babysitter- Tuesday, May 1.

While bubbles flew, my crew was busy working together to create a giant Angry Birds mural in our driveway. I'm glad I had camera in hand because it was all washed away overnight- Tuesday, May 1.

When the bubble fun wore off, we moved on to roller skates. Thankfully the littlest one, who kept trying to  tackle his brother to get the roller skates off his feet, was finally tricked appeased by putting on Little One's muck boots. He spent many joyous minutes tromping up and down the sidewalk- Tuesday, May 1.

And in the midst of all of this, I was actually able to take some pictures of  the current inhabitants of my front flower bed. Thank you, Nanny Bubble Maker. You are the best- Tuesday, May 1.