Our only family photo to date
The distaster that was Elaine's room one day. Notice the curtains....
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
I am quite overdue for another update, but life has been beautifully busy lately!
First of all, Jackson had his 8th birthday party on June 6! His actual birthday isn't until July, but we like to host his friend party shortly after school lets out so he can pass out invitations in class. Mike came up with a Lego theme and ran the whole show. He made a cake that looked just like a blue Lego brick, acted as game master, referee, and bouncer when needed. :) Years past we have had trouble getting a turnout for Jackson's parties, so this year we invited many more than was realistic for our home. As a shocking result, many came! I think we had 12 boys and 1 girl (not counting Elaine). After the party Mike said, "At one point the noise-level of the boys hit a certain decibel that I could feel the sound waves beating off my chest." The party was a definite success, and I loved watching Mike serve as ringmaster as much as I enjoyed watching Jackson with his buddies. (I am kicking myself that we forgot to photograph the cake! I have it on video. Better than nothing.)
Jackson also began swim lessons this week and is doing fantastic! He has always had a more cautious personality, and swim lessons have always been like pulling teeth. But this year he has really pushed through his fears and discovered how rewarding that can be! He is swimming very well and looks forward to the lessons. In addition to swimming, he will attend Vacation Bible School at a friend's church next week, an awesome-sounding week long science camp at he AZ Science Center in July, and he has moved up to Level 1 gymnastics from his Boys Intro class. He seems to have a natural talent for this sport, and last month actually won a "cartwheel-athon" against all the other boys and girls classes, level 1 and lower. He did the most cartwheels in 2 minutes: 68!!
Speaking of gymnastics, Elaine's little dreams have come true: she's finally in a class of her own. Now Mike and I alternate taking her to the parent-tot class on Saturdays. She has been twice and it has proved much scarier to her than she anticipated. But both weeks Mike and I have had success in gently prodding her along and praising all her efforts. She is so cute to watch as she attempts maneuvers that are new to her: forward rolls, hops on the trampoline, lunges on a beam, etc. It is also a good exercise for her in listening and following directions in a group.
Jackson is the most amazing big brother to Elaine. I (Denise) am an only child, so this has been as heart-warming as it is fascinating for me to witness. Right now in fact, Jackson is in Elaine's room leading her in imaginative play. Her bed is the "bed-mobile," in which they have traveled to Disneyland, the zoo, Jackson's school, the store, and to Dora the Explorer's house. Each time they reach their pretend destination, they "get out" and take care of all the tasks they would do at each place. Jackson helps her think of any necessary gear (her purse, for example, or a map), and I think these are the highlights of her every day. Even Jackson said after playing with her the other morning, "That was the best game I've ever played!"
I have so many Elaine stories that have been stockpiling in my brain to be set free on this blog. Let's see what I can recall:
-When serving bananas to the kids, we always give the option to eat it "cut up or like a monkey." Now Elaine says that about all fruit: "Elaine eat apple like a monkey, please!"
-The other day Jackson was watching a Star Wars cartoon and Elaine came out of her room wearing a hat over her eyes. She came and sat on the couch by the tv with the hat over her eyes and said, "Too scary, Eggie." The hat saved her from seeing the "too scary" show. (Reminder: "Eggie" is her name for Jackson.)
-Tonight while in the bath she used the washcloth to "wash the dishes"--the giant Jack in the Box cup we use to rinse hair. She loudly sang a song during this, too: "WAAAAASH WAAAASH the DEEshiz..." After a moment she noticed "Jack" on the fast food cup she was washing and asked seriously, "Mommy, what that?" When I said, "Jack," she paused and said, "Jack a snowman?"
-Lately Elaine often says, "Mommy, look dat!" (Look at that.) I'll say, "What is it?," and she says, "Don't know." This seems to be her new way of asking what something is. This morning, for example, it was the white streak a jet leaves across the sky.
-Two days ago Elaine broke some sort of record for mischief in a single day: took the lid off her sippy cup twice and emptied the contents, poured Jackson's cup of juice into a different cup she got out of the cupboard for herself, "made chocolate milk" by getting the syrup out of the fridge and pouring it into a cup with a straw as well as all over herself and the tile (it must have been a parent who decided that carpet was not meant for kitchens--thank goodness for that!), gave me further motivation to crack down on potty training and to possibly invest in a steam cleaner (I'll spare you the details), and tried to "make toast" by getting the butter out of the fridge and the bread off the counter (Mom to the rescue before she achieved any success with this idea). All of this plus the usual mischief: hitting Eggie, jumping on the couch, touching the computer, etc. Meanwhile, as discipline repeats itself (based off this entry you probably have your doubts that we discipline our children--we really do!), Elaine would look at me with the most serious, furrowed-brow expression and cock her head and say, "I sorry, Mommy," and then lean forward to give me a hug and a kiss. I think this child has been sent to us not only for our utter enjoyment of her cuteness, but to humble us to our core. (Despite the challenge, I adore her "do-it-yourself" way of learning.)
Helen is the easiest baby we've had, so far. She just eats, sleeps, and smiles. It is not hard to make this sweetheart smile, either! I think Mike gets the most frequent grins out of her. I will post pictures, of course, so you can see for yourself. As I write this she is 7 weeks old already. Both kids love her, and Elaine is especially enamored with her lately. She wants to hold her often (with Mommy's help, of course), and when she cries she yells, "IT OKAY, BABY!! NO CRY, BABY!!" (Elaine only has 3 volumes: screaming, "normal," and whispering.)
Mike and I keep talking about how we're happier now than we can remember ever being, despite the exhaustion at the end of each day. The layout of the home we're in has reduced our stress-level more than we imagined it could, and that has freed up our energy to relax and enjoy ourselves more. Mike is learning to play his guitar and it is so peaceful in the evenings when the kids are asleep and Mike is practicing and I am reading or sewing. Oh yeah! I also learned to use my sewing machine recently which has been like getting a new toy. I've made a tablecloth, curtains for Elaine, I'm currently making myself an apron-style shirt, and I have two more projects in the pipe. I consider myself well blessed to know a retired home ec teacher who has taken the time to teach me!
On a sad note, though, some of our very best friends are moving to New York this summer. To add difficulty to the grief, he is also our pastor! But despite the difficult times ahead for our church and the noticeable loss of the proximity of their friendship, it has been amazing to see God drawing all of us closer together as we weather the same storm as a collective group. Our pastor made this announcement around the time of Helen's birth 7 weeks ago, and in that short amount of time I have gotten to know so many people in our church on such a deeper level. We feel excited to be a part of whatever it is God is doing in our little church, because it is evident He is moving.
This took me days to write--hopefully it didn't take you days to read! But we record this for our own history, too. If you read it, we loved having you in the "living room" of our life!
First of all, Jackson had his 8th birthday party on June 6! His actual birthday isn't until July, but we like to host his friend party shortly after school lets out so he can pass out invitations in class. Mike came up with a Lego theme and ran the whole show. He made a cake that looked just like a blue Lego brick, acted as game master, referee, and bouncer when needed. :) Years past we have had trouble getting a turnout for Jackson's parties, so this year we invited many more than was realistic for our home. As a shocking result, many came! I think we had 12 boys and 1 girl (not counting Elaine). After the party Mike said, "At one point the noise-level of the boys hit a certain decibel that I could feel the sound waves beating off my chest." The party was a definite success, and I loved watching Mike serve as ringmaster as much as I enjoyed watching Jackson with his buddies. (I am kicking myself that we forgot to photograph the cake! I have it on video. Better than nothing.)
Jackson also began swim lessons this week and is doing fantastic! He has always had a more cautious personality, and swim lessons have always been like pulling teeth. But this year he has really pushed through his fears and discovered how rewarding that can be! He is swimming very well and looks forward to the lessons. In addition to swimming, he will attend Vacation Bible School at a friend's church next week, an awesome-sounding week long science camp at he AZ Science Center in July, and he has moved up to Level 1 gymnastics from his Boys Intro class. He seems to have a natural talent for this sport, and last month actually won a "cartwheel-athon" against all the other boys and girls classes, level 1 and lower. He did the most cartwheels in 2 minutes: 68!!
Speaking of gymnastics, Elaine's little dreams have come true: she's finally in a class of her own. Now Mike and I alternate taking her to the parent-tot class on Saturdays. She has been twice and it has proved much scarier to her than she anticipated. But both weeks Mike and I have had success in gently prodding her along and praising all her efforts. She is so cute to watch as she attempts maneuvers that are new to her: forward rolls, hops on the trampoline, lunges on a beam, etc. It is also a good exercise for her in listening and following directions in a group.
Jackson is the most amazing big brother to Elaine. I (Denise) am an only child, so this has been as heart-warming as it is fascinating for me to witness. Right now in fact, Jackson is in Elaine's room leading her in imaginative play. Her bed is the "bed-mobile," in which they have traveled to Disneyland, the zoo, Jackson's school, the store, and to Dora the Explorer's house. Each time they reach their pretend destination, they "get out" and take care of all the tasks they would do at each place. Jackson helps her think of any necessary gear (her purse, for example, or a map), and I think these are the highlights of her every day. Even Jackson said after playing with her the other morning, "That was the best game I've ever played!"
I have so many Elaine stories that have been stockpiling in my brain to be set free on this blog. Let's see what I can recall:
-When serving bananas to the kids, we always give the option to eat it "cut up or like a monkey." Now Elaine says that about all fruit: "Elaine eat apple like a monkey, please!"
-The other day Jackson was watching a Star Wars cartoon and Elaine came out of her room wearing a hat over her eyes. She came and sat on the couch by the tv with the hat over her eyes and said, "Too scary, Eggie." The hat saved her from seeing the "too scary" show. (Reminder: "Eggie" is her name for Jackson.)
-Tonight while in the bath she used the washcloth to "wash the dishes"--the giant Jack in the Box cup we use to rinse hair. She loudly sang a song during this, too: "WAAAAASH WAAAASH the DEEshiz..." After a moment she noticed "Jack" on the fast food cup she was washing and asked seriously, "Mommy, what that?" When I said, "Jack," she paused and said, "Jack a snowman?"
-Lately Elaine often says, "Mommy, look dat!" (Look at that.) I'll say, "What is it?," and she says, "Don't know." This seems to be her new way of asking what something is. This morning, for example, it was the white streak a jet leaves across the sky.
-Two days ago Elaine broke some sort of record for mischief in a single day: took the lid off her sippy cup twice and emptied the contents, poured Jackson's cup of juice into a different cup she got out of the cupboard for herself, "made chocolate milk" by getting the syrup out of the fridge and pouring it into a cup with a straw as well as all over herself and the tile (it must have been a parent who decided that carpet was not meant for kitchens--thank goodness for that!), gave me further motivation to crack down on potty training and to possibly invest in a steam cleaner (I'll spare you the details), and tried to "make toast" by getting the butter out of the fridge and the bread off the counter (Mom to the rescue before she achieved any success with this idea). All of this plus the usual mischief: hitting Eggie, jumping on the couch, touching the computer, etc. Meanwhile, as discipline repeats itself (based off this entry you probably have your doubts that we discipline our children--we really do!), Elaine would look at me with the most serious, furrowed-brow expression and cock her head and say, "I sorry, Mommy," and then lean forward to give me a hug and a kiss. I think this child has been sent to us not only for our utter enjoyment of her cuteness, but to humble us to our core. (Despite the challenge, I adore her "do-it-yourself" way of learning.)
Helen is the easiest baby we've had, so far. She just eats, sleeps, and smiles. It is not hard to make this sweetheart smile, either! I think Mike gets the most frequent grins out of her. I will post pictures, of course, so you can see for yourself. As I write this she is 7 weeks old already. Both kids love her, and Elaine is especially enamored with her lately. She wants to hold her often (with Mommy's help, of course), and when she cries she yells, "IT OKAY, BABY!! NO CRY, BABY!!" (Elaine only has 3 volumes: screaming, "normal," and whispering.)
Mike and I keep talking about how we're happier now than we can remember ever being, despite the exhaustion at the end of each day. The layout of the home we're in has reduced our stress-level more than we imagined it could, and that has freed up our energy to relax and enjoy ourselves more. Mike is learning to play his guitar and it is so peaceful in the evenings when the kids are asleep and Mike is practicing and I am reading or sewing. Oh yeah! I also learned to use my sewing machine recently which has been like getting a new toy. I've made a tablecloth, curtains for Elaine, I'm currently making myself an apron-style shirt, and I have two more projects in the pipe. I consider myself well blessed to know a retired home ec teacher who has taken the time to teach me!
On a sad note, though, some of our very best friends are moving to New York this summer. To add difficulty to the grief, he is also our pastor! But despite the difficult times ahead for our church and the noticeable loss of the proximity of their friendship, it has been amazing to see God drawing all of us closer together as we weather the same storm as a collective group. Our pastor made this announcement around the time of Helen's birth 7 weeks ago, and in that short amount of time I have gotten to know so many people in our church on such a deeper level. We feel excited to be a part of whatever it is God is doing in our little church, because it is evident He is moving.
This took me days to write--hopefully it didn't take you days to read! But we record this for our own history, too. If you read it, we loved having you in the "living room" of our life!
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