My 6 year old woke up wailing this morning about not having any pants to wear. I have not done laundry in a few days...just have not thought about it much, to be honest. Alexandra had already put on her pants from yesterday. David, on the other hand, was furious. He brought me all of the pants that were still in his drawer, threw them at my feet and YELLED at me for not doing the laundry, that he hated all of these pants, etc.
My children will get a laundry lesson today after school. You would have thought that I was making them eat elephant dung. David proceeded to wail about that too. They will have to do one load of their own laundry. I think that, eventually, this will be harder on me than it will be on them. I suppose some lessons are always like that. I explained that it is my job, as his mother, to prepare him to be able to take care of himself someday. I told him that, while still living under my roof, there would come a day that he would do all of his own laundry. I told him that right now, I was taking it in baby steps. I do all of their laundry, fold it and they have to put it away. They are responsible for bringing it to me and I give it back to them, clean and folded. I also explained that I cannot read his mind and that, in the future, if he realizes he is running low on certain favorites, it would be in his best interest to calmly let me know.
I cannot wait for uniforms for him next year....and yes, I did make Alexandra wear a jumper instead of her dirty pants from yesterday.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Kotex pad with wings...
It is amazing what a commercial can do for conversation with your children! I am thankful that David was not too interested. Alexandra, on the other hand, wanted to know what those "pads with wings" were for. I told her the brief answer. Those are for when a woman has her menstral cycle. What is that? was the reply. I explained that we could talk about it later. So, later, talk we did.
It was pretty easy. I told her about the egg, the uterus, the lining of the uterus, how the egg implants in the lining if it is fertilized, and how, if the egg is not fertilized, the lining sheds. She asked appropriate questions and concluded that the whole thing was "really wweeiirrdd!" She made some jokes about laying eggs and that was about it.
So incredibly glad that we did not have to get in to the whole thing about fertilization and how that actually occurs! Whew. Bullet dodged!
I have also been reading Cure for the Common Life by Max Lucado. My honey listened to the book on tape while traveling and I told him I would read it while he was gone so we could compare notes. Anyway, it talks about how many eggs each woman has 10 ^3000 (10 to the 3000th power) and how many sperm each man makes. Instead of talking about fertilization, we talked about how wonderfully and beautifully made she is. That God needed just that specific egg and sperm to make her and He knew just which one to pick. It was fantastic! The conversation closed with her smiling and us praying. God is so good. He knew I would need that...
It was pretty easy. I told her about the egg, the uterus, the lining of the uterus, how the egg implants in the lining if it is fertilized, and how, if the egg is not fertilized, the lining sheds. She asked appropriate questions and concluded that the whole thing was "really wweeiirrdd!" She made some jokes about laying eggs and that was about it.
So incredibly glad that we did not have to get in to the whole thing about fertilization and how that actually occurs! Whew. Bullet dodged!
I have also been reading Cure for the Common Life by Max Lucado. My honey listened to the book on tape while traveling and I told him I would read it while he was gone so we could compare notes. Anyway, it talks about how many eggs each woman has 10 ^3000 (10 to the 3000th power) and how many sperm each man makes. Instead of talking about fertilization, we talked about how wonderfully and beautifully made she is. That God needed just that specific egg and sperm to make her and He knew just which one to pick. It was fantastic! The conversation closed with her smiling and us praying. God is so good. He knew I would need that...
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Just when you thought it was safe to go outside....
I was watering my plants in the front of the house this afternoon and came across two lizards in my ficus tree. I saw the female first, then the male appeared on the pot after jumping up from the steps below. I watched and this is what transpired. Mind you, I have about 12 pictures...my husband thinks I am twisted. I had to show my kids too. We had a nice little talk about it! Happy spring!
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Chocolate Milk...
I kept David home today from school because he has his first ear infection. He is 6 years old. So, I took him to see his daddy, got a perscription for Amoxil and proceeded with my day. We had so much fun! We ordered him a castle from Amazon that he had finally saved enough money for. We were thrilled when we realized the price had come down $10 and he actually had enough for some accessories. 6 years old and he saved $138 for the Schleig (or something like that) castle. I am so proud of him.
Anyway, we went on to get the medicine and to Target to check out the accessories...On the way, we decided we would eat at Little Caesar's pizza, David's favorite pizza place. I asked him if he wanted to go to the park to eat. "No, let's just eat it in Target." I explained that would not be allowed and he decided we should just eat in the car. We picked out our drink and, thinking he would be "healthy" David got chocolate milk. Can I just say that we should have eaten at the park? All over the front seat as I said, "Let's be real careful with the M I L K...!" Needless to say, we spent the rest of the afternoon, actually I spent the rest of the afternoon, cleaning out the car. Of course, AFTER we went in to check out castle accessories! : )
I thought he was all right and feeling better than last night. I was telling his daddy about the great day we had, just the two of us hanging out, running errands, eating pizza in the car, spilling chocolate milk and spraying each other with water, etc. Then the ugly fever reared up and the crying, whining, sniffling started all over again. Darn that Advil...makes a mother think her child is fine and then it wears off and they are worse than before. Dosed up with more Advil, Amoxil, Zyrtec and off to bed after his shower. Poor baby! Guess we will have another mommy/son day tomorrow.
Anyway, we went on to get the medicine and to Target to check out the accessories...On the way, we decided we would eat at Little Caesar's pizza, David's favorite pizza place. I asked him if he wanted to go to the park to eat. "No, let's just eat it in Target." I explained that would not be allowed and he decided we should just eat in the car. We picked out our drink and, thinking he would be "healthy" David got chocolate milk. Can I just say that we should have eaten at the park? All over the front seat as I said, "Let's be real careful with the M I L K...!" Needless to say, we spent the rest of the afternoon, actually I spent the rest of the afternoon, cleaning out the car. Of course, AFTER we went in to check out castle accessories! : )
I thought he was all right and feeling better than last night. I was telling his daddy about the great day we had, just the two of us hanging out, running errands, eating pizza in the car, spilling chocolate milk and spraying each other with water, etc. Then the ugly fever reared up and the crying, whining, sniffling started all over again. Darn that Advil...makes a mother think her child is fine and then it wears off and they are worse than before. Dosed up with more Advil, Amoxil, Zyrtec and off to bed after his shower. Poor baby! Guess we will have another mommy/son day tomorrow.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Home...
What a week! I had an amazing time in Columbia, MO with my wonderful family. So nice that I can claim them as family. They are the neatest individuals and, as a whole, some of the neatest people I have ever known. Memories of the week include:
Lukas: "Bob, you are going the wrong way, Bob!" My first day in Columbia I took Lukas, Gedesa and my kids to Wal-mart. When I exclaimed that I had gone the wrong way, he said, "Mom, you're going the wrong way." I quickly commented that "I am not the momma!" My kids and present company thought that was funny and we decided that I would be called by Bob...the rest of the family adopted the name by the end of the week.
McKayley: Smiles and hugs when she realized I was there to help her, laughter and playfulness with my daughter, Alexandra, and wonderful willingness to help and complete her chores. I think I saw the greatest change in McKayley over the week. She and Alexandra had so much fun together. She and Lukas also celebrated their birthdays while we were there and I am so thankful that we got to share in their celebration. Favorite quote: "What was your name again?"
Jace: What a little man! I just want to hug him and give him lots of high fives! He is an amazing young man! He was incredibly encouraging with my son, David. Dave has some issues with food and Jace was wonderfully patient and encouraging. Jace was also willing to try new things without complaint and seemed so happy with each day. Favorite quote: "David, you just have to decide that you are not afraid, just tell yourself that it is going to be all right." It is always wonderful to have another child back you up. Our family has been telling David this for years but to hear it from Jace was huge in his little world. He is still telling himself that when he eats his dinner and has to eat something he doesn't like.
Faith: Little angel. "No, Jace, she is right, your school is right around the corner." and "I know where McKayley's book is, let me show you." She is so observant and helpful. On Tuesday I used my trusty GPS to get us to Jace's school. Not realizing it was just a couple of blocks away from the girl's school, I panicked when I saw the street to their place. I was baffled and thought that I had punched in the wrong address. I asked Jace if he knew where we were and he answered, " No, I have no idea!" As I was apologizing that I was going to make him late, Faith piped up in the back seat. Whoo!
Daizey and Deizel: I cannot express to you the joy I felt when Steff honked the horn to alert us of their arrival. I am so thankful that we were able to see them come home, so thankful that my kids got to meet them and love on them just a bit before we had to leave. I am looking forward to knowing them better and better. I see a great deal of spunk and determination in both of them. I am incredibly hopeful that they will continue to gain weight and be able to eat all of the calories that they have to every day.
Coming home has been a blessing. I saw my children subtly change over the last week. I felt myself change and have seen so many mundane tasks today with pleasure and a desire to fulfill even small needs has become joyful. My husband is the absolute best. I am so in love with him and so thankful for him. He is such a hard worker and loving man. He questioned my sanity when I told him what I thought needed to be done. But, all through the week, I could hear the love, compassion and joy in his heart as the news got better.
Thanks Bosters for allowing us to peek into your lives for a short time. I believe it has helped our family more than we ever thought possible. You guys rock!
Lukas: "Bob, you are going the wrong way, Bob!" My first day in Columbia I took Lukas, Gedesa and my kids to Wal-mart. When I exclaimed that I had gone the wrong way, he said, "Mom, you're going the wrong way." I quickly commented that "I am not the momma!" My kids and present company thought that was funny and we decided that I would be called by Bob...the rest of the family adopted the name by the end of the week.
McKayley: Smiles and hugs when she realized I was there to help her, laughter and playfulness with my daughter, Alexandra, and wonderful willingness to help and complete her chores. I think I saw the greatest change in McKayley over the week. She and Alexandra had so much fun together. She and Lukas also celebrated their birthdays while we were there and I am so thankful that we got to share in their celebration. Favorite quote: "What was your name again?"
Jace: What a little man! I just want to hug him and give him lots of high fives! He is an amazing young man! He was incredibly encouraging with my son, David. Dave has some issues with food and Jace was wonderfully patient and encouraging. Jace was also willing to try new things without complaint and seemed so happy with each day. Favorite quote: "David, you just have to decide that you are not afraid, just tell yourself that it is going to be all right." It is always wonderful to have another child back you up. Our family has been telling David this for years but to hear it from Jace was huge in his little world. He is still telling himself that when he eats his dinner and has to eat something he doesn't like.
Faith: Little angel. "No, Jace, she is right, your school is right around the corner." and "I know where McKayley's book is, let me show you." She is so observant and helpful. On Tuesday I used my trusty GPS to get us to Jace's school. Not realizing it was just a couple of blocks away from the girl's school, I panicked when I saw the street to their place. I was baffled and thought that I had punched in the wrong address. I asked Jace if he knew where we were and he answered, " No, I have no idea!" As I was apologizing that I was going to make him late, Faith piped up in the back seat. Whoo!
Daizey and Deizel: I cannot express to you the joy I felt when Steff honked the horn to alert us of their arrival. I am so thankful that we were able to see them come home, so thankful that my kids got to meet them and love on them just a bit before we had to leave. I am looking forward to knowing them better and better. I see a great deal of spunk and determination in both of them. I am incredibly hopeful that they will continue to gain weight and be able to eat all of the calories that they have to every day.
Coming home has been a blessing. I saw my children subtly change over the last week. I felt myself change and have seen so many mundane tasks today with pleasure and a desire to fulfill even small needs has become joyful. My husband is the absolute best. I am so in love with him and so thankful for him. He is such a hard worker and loving man. He questioned my sanity when I told him what I thought needed to be done. But, all through the week, I could hear the love, compassion and joy in his heart as the news got better.
Thanks Bosters for allowing us to peek into your lives for a short time. I believe it has helped our family more than we ever thought possible. You guys rock!
Friday, April 11, 2008
They'll be home for dinner...
Yippeeeeeeeee!!!! Steff and the little ones will be home in about 2 hours! Praise the Lord, oh my soul. I am so happy. Please, keep them in your prayers. Pray for acclimation, nourishment, weight gain, lack of nausea and vomiting, and for everyone to be able to get in to their new and improved life with JOY and GRACE. What a lovely gift for this day. Stop by toliveloveandlaugh.blogspot.com and Praise the Lord for His wonderful gifts and presence in our lives! Doin' the happy dance!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Babies and Adventures...
I cannot express how blessed I feel to have been able to take care of such fabulous children and watch relationships flourish! We have had some incredible times this week. I am incredibly bummed that I don't have my camera. I would have loved to depict this week through pictures.
I feel as if my children are getting a glimpse of my childhood adventures with my cousins. We used to have the best times. We played Super Heroes with towels pinned to our backs or wrapped around our necks with ribbons all the time. This week the kids have been playing Indiana Jones. I have the perfect picture in my mind of all of the kids on the hammock in the front yard pretending they were on their way to a new "dig." Jace then used the garage to pretend he was punching in a secret code to get into some cave. Then they ran and around and around, escaping from the bad guys, dodging bullets and diving in and out of the trampoline and tree house. I love watching them be adventurous and creative. Jace has the perfect Indi hat and they all had small pieces of rope to use as their whips. It was fantastic!
I also was able to spend some time at the hospital today with the twins. For those of you who don't know me, I used to be a pediatric nurse before becoming a full time mommy. Another glimpse into my life: I don't like leaving my kids with anyone, let alone strangers. So here we are today, I am dropping my children off at gymnastics to hang with Lukas for 3 1/2 hours for a play group with a total stranger. Then off to the hospital to give Steff and Adam some time alone. Let me just say that pictures in no way give the smallest indication of how adorable Daizey and Diezel are. I walked into the pediatric ward and see this little, I mean little, girl walking out of a room with Steff and Diezel right ahead of them. Talk about melting ones heart. They are too cute for words. They are such fighters. They have such a long way to go but they seem to be gaining strength and their determination in inspiring. Daizey moved around that room like there was no boundaries. She crawled into the area under the bed and down right giggled when asked what she was doing. She says hello to most who enter the room and I heard a bye-bye once or twice. The best part...I got to hold them and put them to sleep for their morning naps. Wonderful! Overwhelming love for children I don't know and just met. I am so incredibly thankful that I was able to be here and have that experience! Thank you Lord Jesus, for safe travel, for time off, for time to be here, for adventures and for living out our faith. Thanks be to God!
So, hopefully the twins will continue to gain weight. They had a rough 36 hours with tummy distention and no food because of more tests. I don't know where they expect them to put all of the food they are given to begin with. Steff said that the tests were long and laborious but, they were able to eat lunch. I have not heard from them since about 3pm so, I don't know how lunch went or how the rest of the day transpired. Please continue to pray for healing, for patience with the process of re-learning how to be nourished, for Steff and Adam to be loving and kind to one another in the midst of all of this tension (they have not had any trouble, just covering my bases). Steff just walked in so, I'm off.
I feel as if my children are getting a glimpse of my childhood adventures with my cousins. We used to have the best times. We played Super Heroes with towels pinned to our backs or wrapped around our necks with ribbons all the time. This week the kids have been playing Indiana Jones. I have the perfect picture in my mind of all of the kids on the hammock in the front yard pretending they were on their way to a new "dig." Jace then used the garage to pretend he was punching in a secret code to get into some cave. Then they ran and around and around, escaping from the bad guys, dodging bullets and diving in and out of the trampoline and tree house. I love watching them be adventurous and creative. Jace has the perfect Indi hat and they all had small pieces of rope to use as their whips. It was fantastic!
I also was able to spend some time at the hospital today with the twins. For those of you who don't know me, I used to be a pediatric nurse before becoming a full time mommy. Another glimpse into my life: I don't like leaving my kids with anyone, let alone strangers. So here we are today, I am dropping my children off at gymnastics to hang with Lukas for 3 1/2 hours for a play group with a total stranger. Then off to the hospital to give Steff and Adam some time alone. Let me just say that pictures in no way give the smallest indication of how adorable Daizey and Diezel are. I walked into the pediatric ward and see this little, I mean little, girl walking out of a room with Steff and Diezel right ahead of them. Talk about melting ones heart. They are too cute for words. They are such fighters. They have such a long way to go but they seem to be gaining strength and their determination in inspiring. Daizey moved around that room like there was no boundaries. She crawled into the area under the bed and down right giggled when asked what she was doing. She says hello to most who enter the room and I heard a bye-bye once or twice. The best part...I got to hold them and put them to sleep for their morning naps. Wonderful! Overwhelming love for children I don't know and just met. I am so incredibly thankful that I was able to be here and have that experience! Thank you Lord Jesus, for safe travel, for time off, for time to be here, for adventures and for living out our faith. Thanks be to God!
So, hopefully the twins will continue to gain weight. They had a rough 36 hours with tummy distention and no food because of more tests. I don't know where they expect them to put all of the food they are given to begin with. Steff said that the tests were long and laborious but, they were able to eat lunch. I have not heard from them since about 3pm so, I don't know how lunch went or how the rest of the day transpired. Please continue to pray for healing, for patience with the process of re-learning how to be nourished, for Steff and Adam to be loving and kind to one another in the midst of all of this tension (they have not had any trouble, just covering my bases). Steff just walked in so, I'm off.
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