Spinning, Facebook, and Envelopes October 17, 2008

Noah has started to spin. Especially if there is music playing. He turns his little body around in circles, holds his arms up in the air, and spins. Very cute! He also does cute side steps to the beat. He is very moved by music. It’s like his response bubbles up out of him and he has to dance. BTW, he is also saying “Yight” for light and “hot-hot” for hot. He always points to a light when he says yight, and he whispers hot-hot. Every time. So fun!

Facebook has recently captured my attention. It is fun to reconnect with friends old and new. It is much easier than blogging….it requires less effort to write one sentence than a couple paragraphs of connected thought. I am going to continue to explore Facebook, but keep putting my efforts into this blog. I think it is of more lasting value as it is a little bit of a family history.

Envelopes have become our budgeting system. At the beginning of the month we switched to a cash only system. We had heard that there is a tendency to spend less if one has cash, so we thought we would try it out. So far I would say it is true. It’s very easy to go $5 or $10 over budget if using a card, but difficult to do with cash. We are continuing on with our experiment, but so far I think it is very successful. We will see how our little plan holds up with Christmas shopping.

ps… WordPress has added a new poll feature, and I really wanted to try it out…so here it is! Thanks for voting.

When You Wish Upon A Star… May 12, 2008

We are back from our excursion to Disneyland. We had lovely weather…it was cool and cloudy every day except one. The kids (except Noah) were tall enough to ride on every ride in the park, as well as all the rides at Disneyland’s California Adventure, so we spent lots of time spinning and racing and turning upside-down. This is the third time we have taken the kids to Disneyland, and each time we get a little better at planning and prepping so we can maximize our enjoyment and minimize our expense.

One of the coolest things we did was purchase a computer program called RideMax before we went. This nifty program allows you to choose the attractions you want to ride, and then plans an itinerary for you to minimize your waiting time in line. Anyone who has been to Disneyland knows that the lines can get very long, even if the park isn’t super busy. We used this program and never waited in line more than 20 minutes, and often waited less than 10. We were able to ride every ride we wanted to multiple times. The schedule always plans the majority of the rides for the morning and evening, so we were able to head back to the hotel for swimming or naps each afternoon. This was a worthwhile addition to our trip.

I will blog some more about our trip later, but for now…how about a cute picture of our littlest traveler….

A Little Morning Surprise April 23, 2008

I have been having a terrible time getting my buns out of bed in the morning. Prior to being pregnant, and even through a good part of my pregnancy, I loved creeping out of bed 45 minutes to an hour before the kids. Sometimes, Phil got up with me, sometimes not. Either way, I loved that time. The house was still, the coffee was hot, and I could take my time waking up. I read my Bible, sucked down a couple of cups of coffee (decaf while pregnant-I was good!), and thought through the day before the kids were downstairs. This worked beautifully for me….I am a slow waker and am useless for conversation or decision for the first 30 minutes I am awake.

Since Noah’s birth, it has been incredibly difficult for me to get up before the kids. I am sure this is largely due to the fact I have a baby that loves to cuddle during the night (as well as have a snack or two). However, I am determined to reclaim that morning quiet. Today was the big day. Phil is also trying to “reset his body clock.” As in the past, Phil and I have made it a contest to see who can get out of bed first. There is no prize other than the satisfaction of being the winner. I love this game, and it helps both of us get up.

We both managed to get up by 7:10, and I was sucking down my coffee from my preloaded coffee pot by 7:11. I settled in to read my Bible and study book. Caitey crept downstairs and snuggled up to Phil, who read the story of Gideon to her. They were having a lovely conversation about the Angel of the Lord. I was happily reading my book. Noah was quietly crawling around on the floor. Have I painted the picture for you of how peaceful, cozy and delightful this moment is?

Then, it happened. Caleb came down the stairs and said, “I had a tick in my hair-and here it is.” Ewww! Ick! I can handle a lot of things, but ticks are the creepiest, most disgusting insects around. Especially before 8 in the morning! Fortunately, Caleb was totally non-plussed by the little critter, pulled it out, brought it downstairs, and went on his way to the cereal bowl. I, on the other hand, have spent the rest of my day wondering if every little tickle I have felt was a tick!

ps-yes, we cleaned his head, but the tick had barely attached and hadn’t really done more than nick the skin. Yuck!

Dancing April 20, 2008

Right now I’m sitting in my van in the parking lot of the girls’ dance studio, on a borrowed internet signal. I’ve been spending a lot of time here lately. My littlest girl has been invited to be a “guest dancer” in a production of Cinderella. She is an inconsequential part, she has only a few moments on the stage. The amount of time on stage is not in proportion with her level of excitement. Caitey is thrilled just to be a part of the show.

Yesterday and today she has been participating in dress rehearsal run throughs. What this means for my girl with the bit part is that she gets to hang out in the dressing room with all the girls in the cast and see them in their pretty tutus and toe shoes. She gets to enjoy chatting with the other guest dancers. She gets to wear makeup and have hair that is “like a helmet.” With every fiber of her being, she is enjoying this experience. She is not sad that she doesn’t have a bigger part, she just enjoys what she has.

What a good example she is for me. So often I get caught up in what should be, or what might have been, that I miss out on enjoying what is. I miss seeing the sweet little dancers spinning around in the living room because I am so fixed on getting the laundry done. Or I miss out on the delightful laughs of kids playing water park in the back yard because I have some work to be done. Please, Lord, let me this week fix my heart and mind on enjoying the sweet blessings you have given me. They are treasures and gifts from you to me. Please let me enjoy them the way you intended. Help me to enjoy the dance.

Some Days April 15, 2008

Some days there is just not enough coffee in the pot to contend with a sleepy mom, crabby adolescents and a congested, teething baby!

That’s all.

About the Bigs April 4, 2008

Admittedly, I have spent much of my blogging talking about Noah’s growth and development. So many “firsts” happen the first year, and the blog is my main record of our little family’s history, so he gets much of the coverage at this time. However, my big kids are equally wonderful, so I am going to spend a little time noting some of their “wonderfulness.” Please note, this is a blog entry focusing on their “wonderfulness,” not their areas of growth. I am well aware of their growing edges.

Hannah

My oldest girl has recently joined the worship team at church. I am so proud that she wants to use her gifts to serve.  She is especially motivated to improve her piano skills so she can not only sing on worship team, but help by playing piano.

Caleb

My boy has fully embraced the fun of Star Wars. He is rarely seen without a play light saber in his hand. He can quote a multitude of facts about the different characters and wars. Please keep in mind he has only ever seen episodes 4, 5, and 6 once, and that was only two weeks ago. Part of what is fun to me is that this whole thing has engaged his entire imagination and captivated him. I know that as he grows his embracing of fantasy will fade, so I am enjoying his fun.

Caitey

My Gracie girl is delightful. She flits from one delight to another. Her thoughtfulness is evident daily. She offers gifts to our guests (a dandelion picked from the yard, or a piece of candy she has saved), and is such a welcoming little sweetheart. Her joyful living adds such fun to our home.

Self-Starting Homeschoolers-1/4/06 March 17, 2008

Self-starting homeschoolers brightened my day today. I slept a little late today (the dog kept me up last night). I woke up to discover my two oldest were sitting in front of the fire working on their handwriting and grammar! Normally it is tough to get them started. It was such a treat. In fact, they did a far better job than their mama at getting moving this morning. Thank you, Lord!