Growth Spurt?

Am I just not feeding a kid enough when, after a full dinner (including a second helping) and a large dessert, he comes into the kitchen while I'm washing the dishes and reaches into the sink. "Mmm, I like this" and starts scraping a piece of old muffin off a tupperware lid. Eww, gross!

Names

I'm thinking (just thinking!) about using "fake names" for our family on my blogs. I know a lot of others in blogland do this, and the options are more or less:

-use the initial of the first name instead of the whole name
-use the age of the person (i.e. 3 year old)
-or make up a goofy nickname

Any suggestions here? An initial would be the easiest, but nicknames would be fun. I can think of a few here that would be appropriate (see if you can guess who they're for):

Red
Sportsfan
Curly

Ok, but I can't think of any for Lucy. Well, I mean I thought of some but I don't really want to call her "Blondie" or "Pigtails". Gene and Janie could really use the above nicknames, but what about Lucy?

Lectio Divina

I want to recommend the book Praying Scripture for a Change: An Introduction to Lectio Divina by Dr. Tim Gray. I am just starting it, but am already getting inspired to once again begin a structured prayer time (by that, I mean actually sitting down somewhere with a Bible and a few minutes of quiet time). I haven't been great at this in the past...usually once I sit down, I am either joined by a child who needs something, or if I am in fact alone, I start to think that I had better get up soon and get some things done around the house before a child does need me! It's terrible!

I am determined to do better, but I also know my own weaknesses...I need to have an actual structured time during the day to pray, in order for it to happen. What do other people do who have small children and want to pray? I am thinking my best time may be in the middle of the night! I usually wake up once to use the bathroom, and don't go back to sleep for at least 30 minutes or so...why not just head downstairs for that 30 minutes when it is guaranteed to be quiet. Then I can go back to bed probably feeling a lot more peaceful:) It's crazy, I know, but I'm going to give it a shot. I think it may be my only hope!

Ok, so back to the book. So far, I must recommend reading it. It's easy to read, not too long (just over 100 pages) and gives a lot of practical tips and interesting reasons to pray...inspired by monks who lived hundreds of years ago! I don't have time to say more, other than it's a book I'd like to own and read through once a year or so. And it really has called me to pick up The Book and read it once a day or so!

"Mom"

Janie is my only child this morning, and she and I are bonding! We are actually bonded pretty tight, but still...the other kids are camping with Brendan and haven't come home yet. I hope they're still sleeping, but my guesses are they've been up for hours already and are probably trying to kill time before they come home. Anyway, Jane's eating pancakes and talking to me. She held out her pancake and said, "Look, Mom...I call you 'Mom'!" (She really calls me Mama, so this was hilarious to her). Then, as my back was turned, I heard her say, "This is a hat. No, it's a pancake. No, it's a hat." I did quickly turn around, and it was not on her head, as I was fearing. Just kidding, Mom!

Doctor, Doctor

I took the kids to the doctor's on Tuesday for Jane's two year old check-up. She did fine, and made Doctor A (for those of you who know who that is) laugh when he did his whistling trick, looked in her ear, and asked her if there was a birdie in there. She nodded and said matter of factly, "Uh, huh".

But it went downhill from there when I decided all the kids would get flu shots. The big kids were NOT expecting this, but probably better this way than knowing about it too far in advance. There were tears, there was flailing and screaming, but it happened, and then they got band-aids and stickers and were fine. Thank goodness that's over with for the year!

I brought out the doctor's kit that afternoon, and it was a big hit. They relived everything they had just been through, but I didn't hear any crying when the huge shot that's in those kits was stuck in someone (Jane likes to put it in her ear, along with the thermometer...they both are about the same shape...but, ouch!)

My favorite part was when Gene improvised and also added to his doctor's tools the binoculars (for checking eyes) and a microphone he got at Chucky Cheese's (for checking the voice?...he just asked Lucy to say her name).

They all were so quiet and serious when playing together. They don't do that very often. And here's Janie getting her eyes tested.


Too bad she doesn't know her letters yet. But she was a very good patient. Oh, another thing. I guess we never talk about people who visit the doctor being "patients", but Gene and Lucy kept calling Jane the "visitor".

New Toys

I replaced some of the toys that have been in the family room for awhile this afternoon, and was pleased to see that the kids loved their "new" toys. I brought out some things that were stored away for 6 months to a year...like a Fisher Price house that NO ONE was playing with when I put it away. Now, suddenly, the house is the most popular toy on the shelf! And the funny thing is, Lucy doesn't even remember playing with it before. She asked where it came from!

Mass with a Two Year Old

Janie really enjoyed Mass this week. We usually go to a Monday noon Mass, right after a quick lunch. Jane usually sits and stands and kneels and moves all around...wants to be held, wants to get down, wants to go visit someone, etc. I try to keep her in check since we usually sit in the very front row (only place left when we get there). I also have been teaching her to stand and sit when other people do, and to watch what the priest does, especially when he prepares the altar for the consecration, and cleans up afterwards. Kind of interesting from a kids' perspective, I think. Anyway, this past Monday was the feast of the Triumph of the Cross, and the priest was talking about it, when Janie looks up at the lifesize crucifix behind the altar and comments that "that cross has belly button". Probably half the church heard her (luckily she has a pretty quiet voice). Then, she went on to tell me that "he not wearing any shirt". I hushed her, asked her to tell me after Mass, but she couldn't help but tell me that "he not wearing any pants".

Then, at the Sign of Peace, when people were just starting to shake hands, she marched right up to Father Tom and held out her hand. However, he hadn't planned to shake hands with anyone and was still behind the altar. He looked surprised but accomodated her:)

Then, I noticed that Lucy and Gene were playing with their sandals, and failed to notice that they walked up to Communion barefoot. Oops! They were quickly reprimanded when we got to our seat, and Janie in her eagerness to help them grabbed Gene's sandals and held them up with a cheesy smile, "Here!" Mind you, we're in the front row in a very small chapel.

I can't say I remember anything about the Sermon, but I will surely remember that Mass.

Much Needed Update

I am trying to turn over a new leaf...trying to blog a bit more! I will try:) We are doing well here, beginning a new year of homeschooling (see my school blog oldcreekmontessori.blogspot.com) and the craziness that comes with schooling three kids, taking classes myself, and realizing all the tomatoes in the garden are waiting for me!

Here are some things we did this summer:

We went blueberry picking twice, and the kids probably each ate their whole bucket's worth. But I never saw them even somewhat full, so I'm just guessing. We went once by ourselves, and once with friends.




Brendan and Uncle Emmet dug up one of our clothesline poles, transported it to a different spot in our yard, and started building something. We actually used the clothesline up to a couple years ago, but now it's just become a space-monger in our yard...however pretty it is, the kids need a little more space to run around without tripping over the rocks! Stay tuned for pictures whenever whatever-it-will-be gets done..

Janie is still potty training. She sports this fashion often around the house, but actually enjoys putting on her own underwear and pants, so if you come over and see this sight, she has probably just had an accident and hasn't found new clothes yet!



We got the sprinkler out a few times, and the girls were always the first ones playing in it. This year they convinced Gene that it was fun, and they all tried to drink the water.






My dad sang the National Anthem with his choir at a Toledo Mudhen's game in August, and we all came to watch. It was Lucy's first baseball game (I think) and she was very excited. She loved her assigned seat, and kept climbing around and then coming back to it. Brendan bought her a baseball hat (which Gene has since tried really hard to sweet-talk her out of!) and we stayed for the kids to run the bases at the end.




And on Saturdays, the kids climb up in our bed until we're forced to leave...and then they go get doughnuts at Benny's Bakery with Brendan. I have always thought Janie reminds me of my sister Bekah, but now I think it's Lucy's turn...(see below picture). Anyone else think so?


I do have more to write, and pictures to share, primarily about Janie's 2nd birthday, but that will get it's own post. Later.

And here are some funny stories we've been saving up for a while:

Lucy, given a choice of oatmeal or cornmeal mush at breakfast, said, "I want oatmeal. It's not so...mushy."

Gene, saying Mass...saying something like the Creed (and looking in his picture Bible)..."Do you believe in Noah and the Flood?...Do you believe in Abraham and Isaac?...Do you believe in Joseph and his brothers?" Just talking to himself, in his own world, and I happened to overhear.

Gene, taking his shoe off at breakfast because he had an itchy foot, "There are bugs in there. They know that I'm eating, and they want to eat, too."

Janie learned how to unscrew lids from containers and put them back on. She did this repeatedly over and over and over...and then opened one and pretended to drink out of it. She unscrewed one for me to drink out of. Then I saw the flash of an idea cross through her mind...she went and got a (dirty) cloth hanging on the oven to dry, wiped the container, and held it up to me again, "Blood Christ".

Janie poured the small amount of water I gave her to drink into another cup while my back was turned. She gave a delighted laugh, and when I did turn to look at her she said, "Now, wunt (wasn't) that fun!"

Jane came with us to a school playground in our neighborhood, one meant primarily for older children. She was doing great, a little daredevil, climbing up everything. I was a little nervous, though, because she is so little and the things she was climbing on were so big, steep, and sometimes unsteady (like a rope ladder). Then on one thing she slipped a little, caught herself and looked right at me with a smile, "I scared ya!"

Lucy and Gene went to the Michigan marching band practice with my mom, and Lucy recognized when they played Cracklin' Rose by Neil Diamond. It happens to be one of their favorites (Brendan's influence) but my mom was really surprised when Lucy knew it!

I took the kids, along with cousins Ben and Ellie, into the woods today after eating a picnic lunch. Gene kept talking about the woods being "spooky" and "dark", and Ben echoed, but they weren't too scared to keep going. Janie wanted to go find some "wormies" and kept telling everyone to be quiet and not wake up the wolves and bears!