August 31, 2011
You are getting big – with giant pudgy thighs and impossibly chubby cheeks and such wide blue eyes that everyone stops to comment on “such a beautiful baby” when we're in public. You are almost sitting up – still tipping too far forward though. I found a new baby seat called a “bumbo” at the thrift store. It allows you to sit upright but fully supported – kind of fun to have something new for you!
You are getting very grabby. It's hard to hold you on my lap while I read to the other kids because you are always trying to grab the book away. And when we eat you're grabbing at my food. (and WATCHING – I think you really want it. Must be time to start solids soon.) One time you got a fistful of tilapia off of my plate and into your mouth before I caught you! (I got it out of your mouth though.) You're also very interested in toys – working very hard to get whatever is within reach.
You are my best tummy-time baby yet. You don't mind being on your tummy a bit – it's amazing to me how you hold up your arms, legs and head at the same time. It looks like you're flying! You love it when Isaac, Abby or Matthew get down on the floor with you. They all call you Ellie almost exclusively. I alternate between Ellie and Elise. At the doctor's office they keep calling you Elsie.
A month ago we went on vacation: camping in the Tetons followed by a family reunion in Estes Park, CO. You slept in such a variety of “beds”: a drawer in a motel room, a portable crib, and even a suitcase in the tent. The amazing thing is that you slept so well everywhere! One night camping was especially cold so I had you wrapped up like a mummy (except for your face of course). You slept so soundly that I kept putting my hand on you in the night to make sure you were fine.
You were a great traveler. You were happy in the carseat, though you did get a bit fussy at the end of a full day of driving. Sometimes I held your hand and that would calm you almost immediately. If you were hungry and it wasn't a good stopping-time, I fed you a bottle while you stayed safely strapped in! You were so flexible – just napping in the Moby wrap wherever we went and letting all sorts of people hold you and coo at you.
Now we're starting school and I'm finding that while I love your flexibility, I'm ready to have you on a bit more of a schedule. All of this moving around and traveling this summer haven't been very conducive to that; as a result, you generally take four or five short naps every day instead of two longer ones. I'm very happy with your sleep at night though – you go down around eight, I “dream-feed” you at 10:30, then you usually nurse between 5:30 and 6:30 and go back to sleep until 7:30 or 8am! No complaints!
I love holding you. Sometimes I find you just looking up at me with those big blue eyes while you are in my arms and it just melts my heart.
October 23, 2011
You are loving solid foods – everything I've tried so far you just gobble down! I am still nursing you about four times a day. Surprisingly, you are not quite sitting up yet. Probably because I don't get a lot of opportunity to practice with you. Twice in October you went on adult trips and were good as gold – once to Denver with me, Grammie and your aunties and once on a “get-away” for me and your Daddy just over night at a hotel. You just fell asleep in your carseat at restaurants and chilled in the wrap the rest of the time. Amazing! (Everyone said so, not just me!) I thought that I'd do something different this time and describe your relationships with each person in our family.
Daddy. He loves you. Ever since we discovered (after he was gone so much this summer) that you weren't happy to go to him, he has been working hard to win your heart back. I think he's got it now – you smile and reach for him often, and he coos to you and kisses you just as much.
Me. You are so happy when you are with me. Often all I have to do is hold your hand and you go from crying hard to completely calm. It is so wonderful to know that I can meet your needs. I think it's going to be easy for you to wrap me around your finger.
Isaac. He can really make you laugh with his crazy antics – and he works hard to make you laugh. He also loves to carry you around and talk to you in a very loud and annoying baby babble!
Abby. She helps to take care of you – feeding you baby food, changing diapers, playing with you when I need to set you down for a few minutes. Just tonight she helped you feel comfortable in the bath by showing you how to splash gently.
Matthew. He is very gentle and affectionate with you. He calls you “E-Weese” and you watch his every move.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Matthew's Journal
August 31, 2011
Hallelujah you're napping again! Whatever that weird phase was seems to be over. Now you are sleeping 8pm-7am at night AND napping two hours in the afternoon. The result is a much happier Matthew AND a much happier mama. I am so thankful!
You are getting to be a big helper around the house. You can put your clothes in the hamper and throw your diapers away, of course, but you also do the wastebaskets every day and you've taken on putting away the clean silverware. It's a good “matching” exercise for you though I get the feeling it doesn't challenge you a bit.
I told you that you were starting preschool today and you were quite excited. While the other kids did school you played with a Playmobil toy at the table nearby. You watched the Spanish video with us and “listened” to me read aloud while climbing and running around. I hope we can continue to work it out so that you can feel included and important while still allowing me to work with the other kids.
A month ago we went on a big family road trip: first camping in the Tetons with Papa's family followed by a family reunion in Estes Park, CO with Grandpa Daryl's family. You did great the whole time. You slept in – even in the tent. You rode nicely in the car (you had your own little movie screen to watch Curious George – your favorite). The only trouble was getting you to sit in the high chair for meals. Once you put your mind to resisting something, you don't give up easily.
One day we spent driving through Yellowstone. We stopped by the lake to skip rocks, then hiked down to the Lower Falls (almost gave your daddy a heart attack having you near such a drop-off). We stopped by the paint pots and saw Old Faithful. The funniest was when we asked you near one of the pots of boiling mud, “What is that, Matthew?” You replied, “That is for the buffaloes to cook their marshmallows.”
You are so imaginative! You are my first child to actually play with little people and trucks and such at such a young age. You'll put together a little playset with a couple “guys” and some cars then drive them around. They even talk to each other and have names like “Beckham” or “Papa”. You'll have a whole story line, “He is going to Wynoming and then he will have bananas for his breakfast.”
You are a very funny eater – ever since you were a baby, actually. But now you will utterly refuse certain foods on one day and inhale the same thing the next day. If you had your way you wouldn't eat meals at all – you would just nibble all day long. When you do eat meals your preference is to eat just the one thing you like best. For example, you'd eat all your eggs and beg for more before touching your toast or banana.
Anyway, your dimpled smile and funny little voice - “I not Maffew, I Matt-Matt” are just so darling. I can't ignore outright disobedience but I sure can overlook a lot because you're just so cute the rest of the time.
October 23, 2011
Wow – we've had an intense month together, Matthew. We moved you to a bunk bed so that Elise could have the crib. After a few weeks of doing very well, you decided not to stay in your bed at naptime anymore! You got a lot of spankings and cried a lot, I asked for a lot of advice and cried a lot. I am seeing less resistance (finally! After a month of consistent discipline and getting out of your bed up to a hundred times in a day) and am hopeful you are starting to understand that I really DO expect you to stay on the bed (if not to nap, at least for a quiet time!) Anyway, I thought that for something different this time I would describe your relationships with each member of our family.
Dad. You adore your Daddy. You run to greet him when he gets home from work and you are always on his lap when he's at the computer, at his side when he's playing piano and in his way (sort of) when he's trying to work on the house! Just today he was putting up some siding and you were insisting that it was “my air compressor” and “working”. You kept asking when it would be time to use the drill and whether Daddy was ready for the nail gun. Nothing makes you happier than a little one on one attention from him and nothing makes you sadder than a sharp word from him.
Me. The intense determination of your personality can be hard for me – especially with you not napping in the middle of the day – by the end of the day both of our fuses are short. But I adore snuggling you, reading you Curious George (over and over and over), having you in the kitchen “helping” me cook (the other day I found a candle and a teapot full of water in the fridge – you've also been known to stir boiling pots of water and man the toaster). Our favorite little game is when you're grumpy and I ask you, “Where's your smile?” and we point to all the different parts of your face until we've “found” it.
Isaac. You adore Isaac. You want to be “big like Isaac.” The whole time we were at his soccer games you would be kicking a ball on the sidelines, and you're always carrying a ball around asking him to play baseball with you. That said, you often clash too. You want things just so, Isaac refuses, you hit and scream, Isaac hits and tattles. . . it can degenerate quickly. But I think you will be just what the other needs as you grow older.
Abby. You adore Abby. You two play VERY well together. Often while Isaac does his additional “first grade” work you and Abby are left to your own devices. Sometimes you end up dressed in a tutu, playing Barbies, or being the “baby” to her “mommy” but you always have fun. You guys also often help each other with chores. She has more chores than you so I think she's got the better end of the deal.
Elise. You are very sweet to Elise. I was worried that you would not be gentle but you always are and you've never hurt her. I am grateful! She watches you closely and I pray that you two will be great friends one day. You call her “my baby E-WEESE.”
Hallelujah you're napping again! Whatever that weird phase was seems to be over. Now you are sleeping 8pm-7am at night AND napping two hours in the afternoon. The result is a much happier Matthew AND a much happier mama. I am so thankful!
You are getting to be a big helper around the house. You can put your clothes in the hamper and throw your diapers away, of course, but you also do the wastebaskets every day and you've taken on putting away the clean silverware. It's a good “matching” exercise for you though I get the feeling it doesn't challenge you a bit.
I told you that you were starting preschool today and you were quite excited. While the other kids did school you played with a Playmobil toy at the table nearby. You watched the Spanish video with us and “listened” to me read aloud while climbing and running around. I hope we can continue to work it out so that you can feel included and important while still allowing me to work with the other kids.
A month ago we went on a big family road trip: first camping in the Tetons with Papa's family followed by a family reunion in Estes Park, CO with Grandpa Daryl's family. You did great the whole time. You slept in – even in the tent. You rode nicely in the car (you had your own little movie screen to watch Curious George – your favorite). The only trouble was getting you to sit in the high chair for meals. Once you put your mind to resisting something, you don't give up easily.
One day we spent driving through Yellowstone. We stopped by the lake to skip rocks, then hiked down to the Lower Falls (almost gave your daddy a heart attack having you near such a drop-off). We stopped by the paint pots and saw Old Faithful. The funniest was when we asked you near one of the pots of boiling mud, “What is that, Matthew?” You replied, “That is for the buffaloes to cook their marshmallows.”
You are so imaginative! You are my first child to actually play with little people and trucks and such at such a young age. You'll put together a little playset with a couple “guys” and some cars then drive them around. They even talk to each other and have names like “Beckham” or “Papa”. You'll have a whole story line, “He is going to Wynoming and then he will have bananas for his breakfast.”
You are a very funny eater – ever since you were a baby, actually. But now you will utterly refuse certain foods on one day and inhale the same thing the next day. If you had your way you wouldn't eat meals at all – you would just nibble all day long. When you do eat meals your preference is to eat just the one thing you like best. For example, you'd eat all your eggs and beg for more before touching your toast or banana.
Anyway, your dimpled smile and funny little voice - “I not Maffew, I Matt-Matt” are just so darling. I can't ignore outright disobedience but I sure can overlook a lot because you're just so cute the rest of the time.
October 23, 2011
Wow – we've had an intense month together, Matthew. We moved you to a bunk bed so that Elise could have the crib. After a few weeks of doing very well, you decided not to stay in your bed at naptime anymore! You got a lot of spankings and cried a lot, I asked for a lot of advice and cried a lot. I am seeing less resistance (finally! After a month of consistent discipline and getting out of your bed up to a hundred times in a day) and am hopeful you are starting to understand that I really DO expect you to stay on the bed (if not to nap, at least for a quiet time!) Anyway, I thought that for something different this time I would describe your relationships with each member of our family.
Dad. You adore your Daddy. You run to greet him when he gets home from work and you are always on his lap when he's at the computer, at his side when he's playing piano and in his way (sort of) when he's trying to work on the house! Just today he was putting up some siding and you were insisting that it was “my air compressor” and “working”. You kept asking when it would be time to use the drill and whether Daddy was ready for the nail gun. Nothing makes you happier than a little one on one attention from him and nothing makes you sadder than a sharp word from him.
Me. The intense determination of your personality can be hard for me – especially with you not napping in the middle of the day – by the end of the day both of our fuses are short. But I adore snuggling you, reading you Curious George (over and over and over), having you in the kitchen “helping” me cook (the other day I found a candle and a teapot full of water in the fridge – you've also been known to stir boiling pots of water and man the toaster). Our favorite little game is when you're grumpy and I ask you, “Where's your smile?” and we point to all the different parts of your face until we've “found” it.
Isaac. You adore Isaac. You want to be “big like Isaac.” The whole time we were at his soccer games you would be kicking a ball on the sidelines, and you're always carrying a ball around asking him to play baseball with you. That said, you often clash too. You want things just so, Isaac refuses, you hit and scream, Isaac hits and tattles. . . it can degenerate quickly. But I think you will be just what the other needs as you grow older.
Abby. You adore Abby. You two play VERY well together. Often while Isaac does his additional “first grade” work you and Abby are left to your own devices. Sometimes you end up dressed in a tutu, playing Barbies, or being the “baby” to her “mommy” but you always have fun. You guys also often help each other with chores. She has more chores than you so I think she's got the better end of the deal.
Elise. You are very sweet to Elise. I was worried that you would not be gentle but you always are and you've never hurt her. I am grateful! She watches you closely and I pray that you two will be great friends one day. You call her “my baby E-WEESE.”
Abby's Journal
September 1, 2011
It was a long summer for Mama, but I don't think it was long enough for you! Daddy was working a lot of 85 hour weeks and we were doing a lot of transitioning from one house to the other. I was pleased with how well you handled it, but we have had some attitude problems cropping up. You were born with a bit of my bossy tendencies and it's important that you realize that you can't boss around Dad and Mom! It's so interesting how you can go from sweet as sugar, “I just can't wait to have Abby/Mommy time soon!” to complete obstinance, “No I WON'T make my bed!”
A month ago we went on a big family road trip: first camping in the Tetons with Papa's family followed by a family reunion in Estes Park, CO with Grandpa Daryl's family. You did great the whole time, especially charming Grandpa Paul while camping. You also had a lot of fun with your cousins Emily and Alyssa. We went swimming several times, hiking, mini-golfing, bowling, and to the Denver Zoo. I think my favorite day was when we played for hours in Jackson Lake near our campsite. You and Isaac (and second cousin Ethan) had nets and spent hours catching minnows. It was so beautiful and relaxing and delightful for me to see you so fully engaged with nature.
One day we spent driving through Yellowstone. We stopped by the lake to skip rocks, then hiked down to the Lower Falls (almost gave your daddy a heart attack having you near such a drop-off). We stopped by the paint pots and saw Old Faithful. You really did not like the stinky sulfur smells! But you told everyone about looking down at a rainbow (near the waterfall).
Yesterday we started school – kindergarten for you! Though you are only four and a half, Daddy and I feel that you are more than ready. However, we won't officially register you with the state yet. Your school consists of listening to Bible, poetry and Little House books together with Isaac and Matthew. Then you do phonics with me and handwriting independently. Finally, we all watch a Spanish video together. So far you are so excited and loving it – wishing it took longer than an hour I think.
You are a stuff lover – every little item you encounter is your most “special thing I ever had.” It's hard for your clutter-buster mother! I am trying to find the balance between forcing you to throw away trash (broken toys, holey socks, or even things like packaging materials) and allowing you to keep some things. I don't want it to become a control issue, but I do need you to realize that practically speaking we can't keep everything in a 1600 square foot house with six people living in it! I am glad you treasure things (every bug you find in the house is lovingly transported outdoors – never squashed) but we need to work on defining what is worth treasuring!
October 23, 2011
You are doing wonderfully well. Kindergarten is lovely and we have had a gorgeous fall with lots of wonderful outside time. Homeschool coop is in full swing and you have begin ballet lessons again (dancing through the house “Tondu, passe, tondu, passe”). I thought that this time I would do something a little different and describe your relationships with the others in our family.
Dad. You love your daddy dearly. He calls you Babycakes and you enjoy it very much. Often you'll snuggle on his lap and say “My daddy.” And you always insist on multiple kisses and hugs before he leaves for work in the morning. When Daddy says it's time to wrestle, you get right in on the fun. He's quick to tell you how pretty you are and quick to tease you too. Then you respond with a classic, “Daaaadddyyyyy!”
Me. I love spending time with you and you very obviously crave my attention (I wish I had more time to give you!). You are always begging me to go on a date with you or play dolls or Barbies or house or restaurant. We have begun going on regular dates – once a month or so to get tea at Bully Blends or breakfast at the donut shop. I try to give you lots of hugs and stories and my full attention when you tell me things. However, playing dolls together only happens for a half hour or so maybe once a week. I do feel bad about that.
Isaac. You guys have a lot of fun together, especially when no other friends are around – even if Veronnika is over you and Isaac will battle for her attention and affection. But when it's just our family, you and Isaac can play together for hours. You love to color and paint and you have a surprisingly commanding way of getting Isaac to play princesses or Barbies with you. You also laugh at each other's silly jokes and potty talk.
Matthew. He adores you. Recently you invented a game where you were the Mommy Hawk, Matthew was the Baby Hawk and Isaac was a Lemur. So now Matthew goes around calling you Mommy Hawk and calling me Grandma. You are also very good at getting him to help you with your chores! I often find him “helping” you dust or sort laundry.
Elise. You adore her. Hopefully she will grow up to be the doll-playing companion that I am not. You constantly ask to hold her, play with her, hug and kiss her. You feed her baby food and change her diapers. Her face lights up when she sees you!
It was a long summer for Mama, but I don't think it was long enough for you! Daddy was working a lot of 85 hour weeks and we were doing a lot of transitioning from one house to the other. I was pleased with how well you handled it, but we have had some attitude problems cropping up. You were born with a bit of my bossy tendencies and it's important that you realize that you can't boss around Dad and Mom! It's so interesting how you can go from sweet as sugar, “I just can't wait to have Abby/Mommy time soon!” to complete obstinance, “No I WON'T make my bed!”
A month ago we went on a big family road trip: first camping in the Tetons with Papa's family followed by a family reunion in Estes Park, CO with Grandpa Daryl's family. You did great the whole time, especially charming Grandpa Paul while camping. You also had a lot of fun with your cousins Emily and Alyssa. We went swimming several times, hiking, mini-golfing, bowling, and to the Denver Zoo. I think my favorite day was when we played for hours in Jackson Lake near our campsite. You and Isaac (and second cousin Ethan) had nets and spent hours catching minnows. It was so beautiful and relaxing and delightful for me to see you so fully engaged with nature.
One day we spent driving through Yellowstone. We stopped by the lake to skip rocks, then hiked down to the Lower Falls (almost gave your daddy a heart attack having you near such a drop-off). We stopped by the paint pots and saw Old Faithful. You really did not like the stinky sulfur smells! But you told everyone about looking down at a rainbow (near the waterfall).
Yesterday we started school – kindergarten for you! Though you are only four and a half, Daddy and I feel that you are more than ready. However, we won't officially register you with the state yet. Your school consists of listening to Bible, poetry and Little House books together with Isaac and Matthew. Then you do phonics with me and handwriting independently. Finally, we all watch a Spanish video together. So far you are so excited and loving it – wishing it took longer than an hour I think.
You are a stuff lover – every little item you encounter is your most “special thing I ever had.” It's hard for your clutter-buster mother! I am trying to find the balance between forcing you to throw away trash (broken toys, holey socks, or even things like packaging materials) and allowing you to keep some things. I don't want it to become a control issue, but I do need you to realize that practically speaking we can't keep everything in a 1600 square foot house with six people living in it! I am glad you treasure things (every bug you find in the house is lovingly transported outdoors – never squashed) but we need to work on defining what is worth treasuring!
October 23, 2011
You are doing wonderfully well. Kindergarten is lovely and we have had a gorgeous fall with lots of wonderful outside time. Homeschool coop is in full swing and you have begin ballet lessons again (dancing through the house “Tondu, passe, tondu, passe”). I thought that this time I would do something a little different and describe your relationships with the others in our family.
Dad. You love your daddy dearly. He calls you Babycakes and you enjoy it very much. Often you'll snuggle on his lap and say “My daddy.” And you always insist on multiple kisses and hugs before he leaves for work in the morning. When Daddy says it's time to wrestle, you get right in on the fun. He's quick to tell you how pretty you are and quick to tease you too. Then you respond with a classic, “Daaaadddyyyyy!”
Me. I love spending time with you and you very obviously crave my attention (I wish I had more time to give you!). You are always begging me to go on a date with you or play dolls or Barbies or house or restaurant. We have begun going on regular dates – once a month or so to get tea at Bully Blends or breakfast at the donut shop. I try to give you lots of hugs and stories and my full attention when you tell me things. However, playing dolls together only happens for a half hour or so maybe once a week. I do feel bad about that.
Isaac. You guys have a lot of fun together, especially when no other friends are around – even if Veronnika is over you and Isaac will battle for her attention and affection. But when it's just our family, you and Isaac can play together for hours. You love to color and paint and you have a surprisingly commanding way of getting Isaac to play princesses or Barbies with you. You also laugh at each other's silly jokes and potty talk.
Matthew. He adores you. Recently you invented a game where you were the Mommy Hawk, Matthew was the Baby Hawk and Isaac was a Lemur. So now Matthew goes around calling you Mommy Hawk and calling me Grandma. You are also very good at getting him to help you with your chores! I often find him “helping” you dust or sort laundry.
Elise. You adore her. Hopefully she will grow up to be the doll-playing companion that I am not. You constantly ask to hold her, play with her, hug and kiss her. You feed her baby food and change her diapers. Her face lights up when she sees you!
Isaac's Journal
September 1, 2011
Well, we started school yesterday and you are so proud to be in first grade. I can tell you feel so BIG about it, and you love it that you have to do some school with me that “Abby's not big enough for”. Our school day so far consists of reading all together: Bible, poetry, Little House. Then you do phonics with me and handwriting independently. Next we all watch a Spanish video together. Finally I do your history, literature or geography reading (from Ambleside Online) with you and set you up with math. Next week we will add in nature study, art and music. You seem to enjoy it and wish that it took longer than an hour and a half!
You're also playing soccer now. You haven't wanted to for the last several seasons, but this year you wanted to. I think you really like it – playing hard even in the heat and scoring several goals each game. You seem to have a sense of where the ball is headed so that you can anticipate it. You are just so strong and athletic.
A month ago we went on a big family road trip: first camping in the Tetons with Papa's family followed by a family reunion in Estes Park, CO with Grandpa Daryl's family. You did great the whole time, especially having fun with my second cousin Ethan (9). Papa helped you guys make bows and arrows out of sticks, so you spent a lot of time “hunting”. We went swimming several times, hiking, mini-golfing, bowling, and to the Denver Zoo.
I think my favorite day was when we played for hours in Jackson Lake near our campsite. You and Abby and Ethan had nets and spent hours catching minnows. It was so beautiful and relaxing and delightful for me to see you so fully engaged with nature. Another day we spent driving through Yellowstone. We stopped by the lake to skip rocks, then hiked down to the Lower Falls (almost gave your daddy a heart attack having you near such a drop-off). We stopped by the paint pots and saw Old Faithful.
You have been very responsible – quickly and cheerfully doing your chores each morning and being quick to listen. You've spent a lot of time playing with Everett – and Matthew too. He follows you around like a devoted puppy. We've been playing Skip-bo a lot too, gearing up for a trip to Minnesota for Labor Day.
October 23, 2011
You're still a shining star first grader – so enthusiastically and attentively completing all your lessons – sometimes doing more than I require! Homeschool coop is in full swing and you have begun gymnastics again. I thought that this time I would do something a little different and describe your relationships with the others in our family.
Dad. You love to be with him, want to be like him. Sometimes you say you think you'll be a chemical engineer. You like to play the djembe drum while he plays piano and you're never happier than when you'retagging along with him to the dump or hardware store. Sometimes you act babyish (just can't hide those emotions!) and it frustrates Dad, then you withdraw from his “being mean to you” (speaking sharply). Then he feels bad about it and takes you along to Menards and all is well again. You guys also love to laugh together – telling jokes and playing word games.
Me. I love being with you, Isaac. My favorite part of relating to you is your vivid perception of your own need for Jesus and the chances I get to point you to Christ. A wonderful recent example: you were frustrated by the way you'd been dawdling over your chores and exclaimed, “I am just the worst person in the world!” I said, “Do you know who else said that? The Apostle Paul. And God used him to tell people all over the world about Jesus!” Sometimes you are sweet and vulnerable, sometimes mature and mischievous. I enjoy you more than I thought possible.
Abby. When there are other friends around, Abby is on the back burner. But when she's your only option, you two get along well. We just worked together to create an “art center” in the playroom and you two have already spent hours there painting and crafting. She can also pretty easily talk you to into playing Barbies or princesses with her. I've also caught you two making up songs together recently. But sometimes in the back seat of the van, while I'm driving and you two are next to each other . . . grr – you really pick at each other!
Matthew. He adores you and longs to be “big like Isaac”. You read books to him for nearly twenty minutes the other morning. He follows you around with balls begging you to play with him. Your reaction ranges from “Mom, Matthew's being annoying, please make him go away,” to “Sure, Matt-Matt, let's play,” to “Mom, Matthew ALWAYS plays with Abby and he NEVER wants to play with me.”
Elise. She brings out a very special, tender side of you. You often beg to hold her, carrying her around and plopping her gently down. You help feed her baby food and your silly antics can make her laugh like no one else can. You talk to her almost exclusively in some very strange dialect of loud baby babble.
Well, we started school yesterday and you are so proud to be in first grade. I can tell you feel so BIG about it, and you love it that you have to do some school with me that “Abby's not big enough for”. Our school day so far consists of reading all together: Bible, poetry, Little House. Then you do phonics with me and handwriting independently. Next we all watch a Spanish video together. Finally I do your history, literature or geography reading (from Ambleside Online) with you and set you up with math. Next week we will add in nature study, art and music. You seem to enjoy it and wish that it took longer than an hour and a half!
You're also playing soccer now. You haven't wanted to for the last several seasons, but this year you wanted to. I think you really like it – playing hard even in the heat and scoring several goals each game. You seem to have a sense of where the ball is headed so that you can anticipate it. You are just so strong and athletic.
A month ago we went on a big family road trip: first camping in the Tetons with Papa's family followed by a family reunion in Estes Park, CO with Grandpa Daryl's family. You did great the whole time, especially having fun with my second cousin Ethan (9). Papa helped you guys make bows and arrows out of sticks, so you spent a lot of time “hunting”. We went swimming several times, hiking, mini-golfing, bowling, and to the Denver Zoo.
I think my favorite day was when we played for hours in Jackson Lake near our campsite. You and Abby and Ethan had nets and spent hours catching minnows. It was so beautiful and relaxing and delightful for me to see you so fully engaged with nature. Another day we spent driving through Yellowstone. We stopped by the lake to skip rocks, then hiked down to the Lower Falls (almost gave your daddy a heart attack having you near such a drop-off). We stopped by the paint pots and saw Old Faithful.
You have been very responsible – quickly and cheerfully doing your chores each morning and being quick to listen. You've spent a lot of time playing with Everett – and Matthew too. He follows you around like a devoted puppy. We've been playing Skip-bo a lot too, gearing up for a trip to Minnesota for Labor Day.
October 23, 2011
You're still a shining star first grader – so enthusiastically and attentively completing all your lessons – sometimes doing more than I require! Homeschool coop is in full swing and you have begun gymnastics again. I thought that this time I would do something a little different and describe your relationships with the others in our family.
Dad. You love to be with him, want to be like him. Sometimes you say you think you'll be a chemical engineer. You like to play the djembe drum while he plays piano and you're never happier than when you'retagging along with him to the dump or hardware store. Sometimes you act babyish (just can't hide those emotions!) and it frustrates Dad, then you withdraw from his “being mean to you” (speaking sharply). Then he feels bad about it and takes you along to Menards and all is well again. You guys also love to laugh together – telling jokes and playing word games.
Me. I love being with you, Isaac. My favorite part of relating to you is your vivid perception of your own need for Jesus and the chances I get to point you to Christ. A wonderful recent example: you were frustrated by the way you'd been dawdling over your chores and exclaimed, “I am just the worst person in the world!” I said, “Do you know who else said that? The Apostle Paul. And God used him to tell people all over the world about Jesus!” Sometimes you are sweet and vulnerable, sometimes mature and mischievous. I enjoy you more than I thought possible.
Abby. When there are other friends around, Abby is on the back burner. But when she's your only option, you two get along well. We just worked together to create an “art center” in the playroom and you two have already spent hours there painting and crafting. She can also pretty easily talk you to into playing Barbies or princesses with her. I've also caught you two making up songs together recently. But sometimes in the back seat of the van, while I'm driving and you two are next to each other . . . grr – you really pick at each other!
Matthew. He adores you and longs to be “big like Isaac”. You read books to him for nearly twenty minutes the other morning. He follows you around with balls begging you to play with him. Your reaction ranges from “Mom, Matthew's being annoying, please make him go away,” to “Sure, Matt-Matt, let's play,” to “Mom, Matthew ALWAYS plays with Abby and he NEVER wants to play with me.”
Elise. She brings out a very special, tender side of you. You often beg to hold her, carrying her around and plopping her gently down. You help feed her baby food and your silly antics can make her laugh like no one else can. You talk to her almost exclusively in some very strange dialect of loud baby babble.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)