For the Birds

Have I told you how amazing Jade's teacher is? They have this great line of windows on the north wall of the classroom. Just out those windows sits a set of perches and bird feeders, each filled with a different variety of seed. The kids write observations of the birds in a bird journal. When a child has a birthday, the teacher sends home several recipes for treats for the birds they can make and bring in. The kids love it! Jade loved the birds a little too much in fact, and had to be moved so she was sitting facing away from the windows. For Christmas, Jade brought home one of those pine cones covered in peanut butter then rolled in bird seeds. We hung it up just before it snowed. As you can see in the photo, the birds love it. We were all so excited when our feathered friends noticed it and munched away.

Socializing With Kids

I love the social events of the Christmas season. We mark up our calendar with party plans all month long. Well you’ve heard the scripture (Eccl. 3:1) “To every thing there is a season, and a time...” I’ve decided this just may not be the time and season for me to enjoy all these get-togethers. If you notice my absence at an event, here’s the explanation.

Last night was our 3rd annual “Open Garage Party.” Some neighbors and I coordinated our efforts to start a tradition where instead of taking around neighbor gifts we bring a food bank donation, a treat to share and visit in someone’s garage. My kids have been talking about it for weeks. Of course, our first real snow storm of the winter decided to happen yesterday. Since the party was only 6 houses away, we walked. Aeris wasn’t at all happy being bundled up, but once the stroller started moving she was fine. Once we arrived, Jade and Logan immediately headed for the treat table (of course!). Aeris started to fuss. I took her out of her snow clothes, but she continued to fuss. I shooed Jade & Logan out the door to play in the snow rather than eat themselves sick. I tried to converse with the neighbors, but Aeris cried harder and harder. She’d had dinner, a good nap, and a diaper change before we left. Was she too cold, too hot? I had no idea. In the mean time, Jade and Logan kept coming back in saying they were cold. Logan didn’t have on snow pants since the pair he wore last year is too small and I haven’t dug out the bigger size from the basement yet. They both opted for knit gloves instead of waterproof mittens because they could put them on without help from me. Their hands were frozen. So after spending 30 minutes getting dressed and ready, and another 5 walking over, we left after 20 minutes. Logan screamed the whole way home because he was wet and freezing. They stripped in the garage and headed to the tub. I spent the next 20 minutes sorting/hanging their wet clothes and putting some into the washer. Once I had Aeris back at home she didn’t cry once. Unfortunately this isn’t an isolated event. She had acted the same way at our church Christmas party.

I have these visions of attending holiday parties where the kids play and enjoy treats in moderation and I chat with my friends. The reality is my kids are attracted like magnets to any food at a party, especially anything with sugar in it. I distract them with other activities, but they just can’t stay away, so minutes later they’re back. Because of this, I spend parties hovering at the food table so I can turn them around every time they head over. Since Aeris isn’t walking, I can’t put her down because she’ll be trampled by the crowds. Instead I hold her in my arms, squirming and fussing because she gets overwhelmed easily in large groups. I can’t manage much of a conversation because I’m constantly focused on how far Jade and Logan are from the food and because Aeris is crying in my ear.

Someday. Someday.

Opportunities to socialize with my friends will come again, but my children are growing older by the second. For now I cherish that they still feel the magic of Christmas, even if most of that magic comes in the form of cookies. I’m glad Aeris still prefers to be at home. Those times will be gone very soon and I’ll wish I had them back when they are.

Tricky

It's so exciting when your baby hits a milestone. I'm thrilled to share Aeris's latest tricks!

Hands and knees crawling!



Wow! Two handed walking. This one happened all of a sudden. The physical therapist has had me praticing the two hand hold. Aeris hasn't liked it at all. She definitely wouldn't take steps. Then on Sunday night, during family prayer of all things, Nate had a hold of her hands and she started taking steps. I was the one praying, so my eyes were closed. Thank goodness she was loving it and kept going so I didn't miss it! She is now totally comfortable stepping.

This is romantic?

Nate, being the wonderful husband that he is, put Made of Honor into our Netflix queue with the idea that it would nice little romantic comedy that I would enjoy. We watched it last night. I couldn't figure out who they were writing this movie for. Generally, romantic comedies appeal to women, so I figure this must have been their intended audience. I was turned off from the opening scene, where the main male character in the show, the one you're supposed to be rooting for in the end, roams around a college Halloween party, obviously drunk, looking for someone to sleep with. You find out in this same scene that he's known for sleeping with a lot of women. Fast forward ten years and nothing has changed. He loves to sleep with lots of women.

Then there are the two "geeks." The writers of this movie obviously introduced these characters thinking it would be funny for the main characters to hide from, ignore, and be rude to them.

Oh yes, and they always have to include their one allowed F word.

I actually felt sad for the girl at the end. She was a pretty likable girl. Too bad she had to end up with such a shmuck!

Two Wheels

Early in the summer I talked Logan into letting me remove the training wheels from his bike. We didn't have much luck with it though, and within a week we put the training wheels back on so his bike wouldn't sit untouched in the garage all summer long.

Yesterday I had just started reorganizing the garage when he announced that he was ready to ride his bike on two wheels. Remembering the episode in June, I told him no. I didn't have time to practice with him and I didn't want to take them off just to have to put them back on again.

He insisted he was ready and went to find his dad, who came out and took them off.

Nate ran along behind him for 10 steps or so and Logan was totally balanced and riding on his own. I was shocked to say the least. What an amazing kid!

What having kids has done to me

Yesterday I was having a conversation with a friend and after four words had absolutely no idea what I'd intended to say. There wasn't even an interruption. I just uttered the four words and then... blank. Nothing. I definitely think having kids has sucked out a ton of my brain cells.

Check-Up

I plan doctor appointments on Nate's day off with the idea that I can take the one child and leave the other noise/chaos makers at home with him. Since it's fall though and none of them had been given their flu shots, I decided to keep Jade home from school that morning so she could come to get hers. If I was bringing Jade, of course Logan needed to come for his shot also and if I was going to have three kids at the doctor's office, then Nate had better come too, for extra help and support. It was an interesting appointment to say the least. We arrived right on time, but waited for several minutes while the secretary entered our new insurance information. The whole while I'm not allowing the kids to sit down or touch anything for fear of what germs my "well" children will pick up from the waiting room. Jade had been whining and crying all morning about having to get a shot, so she's standing right up there next to me with her chin quivering over the desk at all the secretaries and occasional passerby nurse. The doctor had finished with her last appointment and was available, so all six of us piled into the little exam room and the doctor gave Aeris her check-up amid the sniffling from Jade, Logan turning on and off the lights, and Nate grumbling about how he wished they'd just give the kids their shots so we could leave. The doctor was thrilled with Aeris's progress. She hadn't been weighed yet, so we had no idea what weight progress she'd made, but she's finally comfortable pulling herself to stand! We're working on learning to cruise now. In hindsite, I wish I'd left Nate out with the other two kids playing with all the germ-infested toys, but oh well. So then the nurse came in and Jade started into the glass breaking scream. I'd warned the nurse that Jade freaks out and that if she'd just poke her as quickly as possible that would be best. Nate proved his need to be there by holding Jade down on his lap. Just to illustrate the personality difference, when it was Logan's turn, he just sat there wide-eyed and wimpered for a couple of seconds after the poke. Aeris definitely cried, but she had three shots, so I'd say she's allowed. We visited the scale last. Aeris weighs 16 lbs 15 oz. She's 29 inches tall.