Daybook

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Outside my window…the sun has finally set.  These summer days stretch on so long.

I am remembering…our family trips to the beach when I was a kid.  It was always an all day affair.  My favorite part?  Curling up on the blanket after lunch, under the big umbrella and falling asleep, completely worn out from the sun and water.

I am thankful for…delightful childhood memories.

From the learning rooms…We’re reading and loving Sonlight’s 3/4 year old program.  Such beautiful stories and wonderful ideas!

From the kitchen…tuna pasta salad.  Nothing like a cold salad on a hot summer day.

I am wearing…pajamas…after this, I’m off to bed.

I am creating…nothing but ideas and dreams in my head.

I am reading…For the Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay…now I know why this is on everyone’s recommended reading list. 

I am hoping…for sweet dreams for William and Joseph.

One of my favorite things…hearing someone say “thank you.”

A few plans for the rest of the week:  A morning at the playground, a trip to the beach, a visit from a favorite person. 

Here are some pictures I thought worth sharing…

On the 4th of July, we got out the sprinkler…it certainly gave Joseph a surprise!  William calls it “rain.”

Flags

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Every year on the 3rd of July, Daxson takes 575 flags and puts them out in a nearby neighborhood.  His purpose is two-fold.  First, it’s a method of advertising…we tie a business card to each and every flag.  The second purpose is pure and simple: it’s patriotic. 

This year I took Joseph with me to deliver my share of the flags.  I wanted him to see patriotism in action.  It’s so easy to take for granted our freedom and liberties; so easy to forget how hard our forefathers worked to build this nation into the great country it is; so hard to find a tangible way to show the love we have for our country.  I may not be able to stand alongside our brave and noble soliders; I may not even be able to make it to any 4th of July parade; sometimes I barely know what’s going on in politics, but still, I have a duty as an American.  A duty to teach my children about our country…our freedoms…our rights…our history.  And it starts now.

A Moment of Clarity

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Sometimes it’s hard to really see our kids.  Sure we look at them each and every day, but that’s what makes it so hard to really see them.  We never notice the subtle changes.  We just keep trudging along, knowing in our heart that they’re growing and getting older, but not really seeing those little changes.  And then every so often, we’re offered a moment of clarity.  A moment when we suddenly look at them and notice, I mean really notice, how much they’ve grown, be it physically or mentally.

I had one of those moments the other day.  I looked at Joseph and suddenly realized how much he’s grown.  What happened to the pudgy little legs that he toddled around on for so long or the bald little head that I swore was never going to grow hair.  He’s growing so fast.  I’ve known that.  It just took me awhile to really see it.

A Thought to Share

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Taken from Meg Meeker’s Boys Should Be Boys…

“She knows from the moment her son belts out his first wail that she exists to love him.  She is needed because he needs her.  He needs the nourishment, the security, and the love that she provides, which will not only keep him alive but also keep her knowing that she is needed.  So she will protect, adore, and nurture this tiny boy until he becomes a man, and then the ache will feel overwhelming.  As a man he will leave, and life as a mother will never be the same for her.  She will continue to love her son, but the connection will be reworked.  Not because she has changed but because one day, he will belong to another.

This knowledge did not exist before his birth.  But it presents itself the moment his mother sees him and as her maternal instinct draws her very close to her son.  That is the way mother-son relationships are meant to be.  From the moment she clings, she prepares herself ever so slowly for the eventual release.

This tension doesn’t exist with the birth of a daughter.  A daughter can stay connected with her mother forever; mothers and daughters have genetic, hormonal, and psychological bonds that cannot be broken.  She can become another’s, but her mother can still keep her.  They are female together in that bond, and they can stay connected even when life changes the circumstances around them.  But the tie a mother feels with her son is more fragile, more tenuous; he is different because he’s a man.  But for as long as he is a child, he is ours and we feel we must protect him.” 

Daybook

/ Stacie / 1 Comment

Outside my window…the wind is howling and the rain just keeps coming.

I am thankful for…Ann Voskamp’s beautiful reflections.  Some people truly are meant to write.  I am in awe of the way a few words can completely change my perception.  Tomorrow, thanks to Ann, I will not rush. 

I am creating…a scrapbook for Joseph and William.  I started it a week before Christmas and overwhelmed with the holiday season, I set it aside.  I think it’s time to finish it. 

I am remembering…how Joseph recently told me, very emphatically, “I am NOT a demanding little boy.” 

I am praying…for those affected by Hurricane Alex.

I am hoping…the sun comes out for the 4th of July.

One of my favorite things…mail…good, old-fashioned snail mail (and I am wondering…will my kids get to experience the thrill of opening the mailbox and finding a handwritten letter…email and text messages just aren’t the same).

A few plans for the rest of the week:  After all this rain, I think we’ll have to spend a morning making mudpies.  Here’s some inspiration for us.

Here is picture I thought worth sharing…

William likes to climb on EVERYTHING.  Today he set the bottom of the blender up on top of the Lego table and then decided that he, too, would like to be on top of that little table, so up he climbed.  When I discovered him there, I told him to sit down…so he did…right on top of the blender.

The World of Pretend

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I just love this age…Joseph’s age, that is.  Everything is fuel for his imagination.  He lives here in our world, but his mind is often times somewhere else…off in a world of pretend. 

Yesterday, mid-morning, he came to me and said, “Mommy, I’m going to be Alex.  You’ll be Auntie Leslie and Daddy can be Uncle Dustin.”  And then off he went.  I didn’t think much about it until it was time for lunch.  I called to Joseph and told him to come and wash his hands.  Nothing happened.  No pitter patter of feet in the hallway.  No response.  I tried again.  Nothing.  Then I remembered.  So I called to “Alex” and told him to come and wash his hands and suddenly little feet came running down the hall and there he was by my side.  Joseph, aka “Alex”, was ready for lunch.  And so our day went.  If I asked Joseph to do something, I received a blank stare.  If I asked “Alex” to do something, he kindly responded.  For an entire day, I was referred to as Auntie Leslie…”Auntie Leslie, can you hold Alex?  Auntie Leslie, I love you.  Auntie Leslie, Alex needs help.” and Daxson was Uncle Dustin…”Uncle Dustin, it’s time to eat.  Uncle Dustin, let’s play!”

Today I am once again Mommy, Daxson is Daddy, and our oldest little boy is Joseph.  Things are back to normal…for now at least. 

(By the way, I asked Joseph at one point yesterday, “If I’m Auntie Leslie, Daddy’s Uncle Dustin, and you’re Alex, who is William?”  He thought about it and finally look at me as if I’d asked a very silly question and replied, “He’s just William.”)

Daybook

/ Stacie / 1 Comment

I am beyond understanding…why I can’t get the formatting right on this Daybook, so be patient with my inconsistencies.

Outside my window…it’s sunny and beautiful (but extremely hot, hot, hot).

I am pondering…this thought from Pearl S. Buck…

“The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this:  A human creature born abnormally, inhumanely sensitive.

To them… a touch is a blow, a sound is a noise, a misfortune is a tragedy, a joy is an ecstasy, a friend is a lover, a lover is a god, and failure is death.
Add to this cruelly delicate organism the overpowering necessity to create, create, create — so that without the creating of music or poetry or books or buildings or something of meaning, their very breath is cut off…They must create, must pour out creation. By some strange, unknown, inward urgency they are not really alive unless they are creating.” 

I am wearing…khaki shorts and a light pink tank top.

I am creating…a happy home.

I am thankful for…naptime.  I know I say that often, but as a mommy of two little ones, I really am thankful.
 
From the learning rooms…well, school’s not exactly “in” right now seeing that it’s the middle of summer, but Joseph has a sudden interest in copying and dictation, so I’m obliging.  He’s eagerly been copying what the giants all say in A First Book of Fairy Tales.  His favorites?  The Selfish Giant’s quote, “What are you doing?” and “Fee Fi Fo Fum!  I smell the blood of an Englishman!” from Jack and the Beanstalk. 

From the kitchen…fresh spaghetti sauce with delicious home grown tomatoes from Grandpa Larry’s garden.

I am anxious…to hear all about Mom and Dad’s recent trip to Ohio.

I am reading…Boys Should Be Boys by Meg Meeker.

I am wondering…why William feels a compulsive urge to climb into every bucket, laundry basket, or box.

One of my favorite things…listening to William as he begins to explore the world of talking…some of his new favorite words…”ta” for coffee (he likes to help Daxson make coffee each morning), “doe” for door, “pour” for four…and one we hear quite often…”pall” for fall, as in “William, be careful…you’re going to fall!”. 

Here is picture I thought worth sharing…

Joseph’s cousins have outgrown their Power Wheels so they passed it on, only it doesn’t work!  Not even with a new battery!  But Joseph and William have found that they don’t need it to actually run…their imagination takes care of that!  Now the two of them climb right in and off they go…amazing how many places those little imaginations can take them!

Dear Joseph

/ Stacie / 1 Comment

Dear Joseph,

On June 11th you turned three.  Three, already.  I just don’t understand how time went so quickly.  It seems like one day you were sleeping in my arms, nursing away, weighing just a little under 7 lbs and then suddenly before I knew it you were toddling around, bursting with life and love and curiosity…and now…well, now you’re three.  Where did the time go?

I want to capture you as vividly as I can in words because you are such an amazing little person.  You are so full of life and curiosity.  Every day it’s something new.  You’re always asking questions…  “How do you spell…”  “Why, Mommy?”  “What then?”  Your mind never stops working.  Ever. 

You are an excellent listener, evident by the fact that you remember things I’ve said in passing, months after I’ve said them. 

You are an avid reader, always wanting to explore a new story, a new book…making connections, relating to characters.  You are held captive when a book is open, lost between the pages, thirsty for as much knowledge as you can possibly soak up.

You are an eager learner, always ready for something new, forcing me to expand my knowledge, too (before you asked, I could not have told you more than 3 countries in Latin America nor could I have told you the names of more than a few birds). 

You are cautious and very careful.  Meticulous.  You like things just so.  You have such attention to detail.  Just a few weeks ago, we were reading Head to Toe by Eric Carle and I read the page about the crocodile.  I read, “I wiggle my hips.”  You stopped me and said, “No, Mom, that word is not wiggle…it has an r in it.  It says wriggle.”  Yep, sure enough, you were right.  Then when I went on and read about the parrot and wiggling, you asked me what the difference was between wriggle and wiggle…I had no idea.  We got out the dictionary and learned together. 

You are loving and so very considerate.  You are patient with William, teaching him, guiding him, coaching him along.  You are empathetic, always sensing when someone could use an extra hug or a kind thought. 

I have never met another child like you.  Ever.  You are certainly one of a kind.  A true gift from God.  I thank Him every day for you.  From the moment you were conceived, God has had His hand on you.  I pray that you always, always know God and feel His presence each and every day…that you trust in Him and allow Him to be a guide for your soul.  I pray for you, Joseph, that in your heart, you’re always the way you are today…eager, curious, spellbound by life and all it has to offer.  I love you, my little one.  Happy 3rd Birthday.

Love, Mom

Jamberry

/ Stacie / 1 Comment

We love Jamberry by Bruce Degan.  We love the pictures and the rhythm; we love the rhymes, the adventures, the mountains and fountains of berries; we love the idea of a jam jamboree! 

So when strawberries went on sale last week for under $1 a pound, we couldn’t help but make strawberry jam and since we were already making a little, we figured we might as well make a lot and can it to enjoy in the months to come.  Nothing beats fresh strawberry jam…especially during the winter when berries are expensive and lack the sweetness of summer ripened goodness.  Unfortunately, there wasn’t much that Joseph could do yet…so he watched…and he waited…and he kept me company while I cut and stirred and poured…and then finally when it was done, he was right there to try a nibble! 

After the dishes were cleaned and the jars were lined up along the counter, cooling, Joseph said to me, “Hey Mom, I think we should have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch today.”  I couldn’t have agreed more with him.  Joseph, William and I have never devoured a few sandwiches quite so quickly!     

It's getting thicker...slowly, but surely.

Filling the jars

The jar we just had to open and make sandwiches with!

Birthday Party

/ Stacie / 1 Comment

 Once upon a time there was a little boy named Joseph.  He was almost 3 years old.  He asked his mommy, “Can we have a birthday party for my 3rd birthday?”  “Sure we can,” his mommy replied. 

Joseph and his mommy began to make plans.  First they thought about where they should have the party.  Mommy said, “I have a great idea…why don’t we have it at our church?  They have such a big playground and a huge sandbox…I bet everyone would have a good time there.”  Joseph thought that sounded fun.  He also thought it would be fun if they made everything soccer-themed since it was going to be outdoors. 

So Mommy and Joseph (and William, too!) went to Hobby Lobby and bought some paper to make the invitations.  Mommy asked, “Joseph who would you like to invite to your party?”  Joseph thought and thought and then he told Mommy that he would like to invite all of his friends and family.  They made a list together and then addressed the party invitations.  Everyone was included.  It was going to be such a fun party!

Next, Mommy and Daddy took Joseph (and William, too!) to Party City and they picked out decorations and party favors.  It was a lot of fun visiting Party City.  There were many, many party decorations there.  It took a very long time to walk up and down each aisle, but finally Joseph decided which decorations he wanted.  He chose some sport-themed decorations and some party hats.  

Everyday Joseph would ask Mommy, “How many more days until my birthday party?”  He was so excited!  His guests were all calling to RSVP, Mommy was busy baking muffins, and soon his family would arrive from out of town.  Joseph could hardly contain his excitement. 

Finally the day of his party arrived!  Mommy and Grandpa Gary went early to decorate.

Then Daddy, Joseph, and William got in the car to drive to the party.  When they got there, Mommy came and helped them out.  Joseph was so excited to see everything all decorated.  But no one had arrived yet!  Where were all the guests?  It was just Joseph and William…

Joseph looked around again.  Where was everyone? 

“Oh, here they come!”  Joseph exclaimed.

First Auntie Jessica and Walker arrived with Grandpa Larry.  Then Grandma Nury came.  Soon Auntie Leslie, Uncle Dustin, Alex, and Grandma Cindy came.  Then Ms. Marjorie and Mr. John, Ms. Virginia, Ben and Gabe, Aunt Romy, Noah, Ethan and Alijah.  A little later Don and Ingrid came.  Auntie Jane and Neva arrived from Ft. Worth and finally Ms. Gail and Mr. Carlos showed up.  Joseph couldn’t believe how many people came to his party!

Everyone was playing, having a great time.  Some of the kids played on the playground.  Some played in the sandbox.  Some just ran around. 

Soon it was time to hit the pinata.  Joseph was very excited because he had never hit a pinata before.  Daddy held the pinata up by a rope and the fun began! 

Everyone was so exhausted from all the playing and the pinata, so Mommy said, “Everyone come and sit down and Joseph can blow out his candle and we can all do some coloring.”  Boy it felt good to sit down and drink some juice!  Everyone sang “Happy Birthday” to Joseph and then Joseph blew out his candle (although his candle was on a frosted muffin instead of cake!)  Then the kids all sat and colored until it was time to go.  Whew!  What a fun and very exciting birthday party Joseph had!