Good Books

I have one evening class a week. This is what I came home to last night. Makes my heart happy. Really happy. I watched for a while then grabbed my camera to capture the happy moment.

We have a beginner reader in our home again... one of my most favourite times... and so we're back to checking out Mo Willems' amazing Elephant and Piggie books. I'd forgotten just how funny they are - obviously for the WHOLE family! If I HAD to pick a favourite, it would be We Are in a Book (reminds me of THIS book from my childhood). Mr. Man read that one last night as well as Today I will Fly, Watch Me Throw the Ball, and My Friend is Sad. If you haven't read any of Mo's books, you should!!! I guarantee you'll at least smile... most likely giggle.
I was selling back some books to the university bookstore today, and I had two adorable old ladies helping me. As they looked through my books to analyze the resale value, they found several paint chips, which I use for my bookmarks. Several were bright green, and they questioned me on it. I explained that my four year old's favourite colour is green and that since he's my youngest and I'm starting to figure out how short childhood is, we let him pick the colour to paint a stripe in his room. One of the older ladies was in awe and said she thought that was such a nice idea to let a child choose the colour for their room. She turned to her co-worker to see what she thought, and this sweet old lady sneered and said, "I think it's nice they get to have their own bedroom - spoiled kids!" I had to smile. Because, yes I recognize that my kids are spoiled, but also because of her immediate honesty. I didn't try to defend that fact that there are usually several empty beds in our home each night because most of the kids all sleep together, and I didn't feel the need to defend that fact that we lived in 900 square feet for years before having three bedrooms for four kids... I just pictured last night, and the feeling of knowing my kids are spoiled changed to a feeling of gratitude for recognizing how blessed we are: a bed for everyone, a room with a green stripe, books to read together, and a family to love.

Finite Parenthood

Every morning, as I wake my kiddos up, I ask them if they dreamed. If so, I want to hear all about it. This morning, two of my kids had very detailed dreams to tell, and they required my undivided attention to do so. Of course, another child playing piano needed me, lunches had to be made, and even as I tried to use the bathroom briefly - one child followed me in desperate to show me an idea for a brother's birthday that he just had to show me right now (even though the birthday is MONTHS away!) Any parent knows the constant commotion of need that occurs when you have children. Feigning interest is easily apparent, yet always being "completely there" takes a toll as well. I find myself saying, much too often, "I can only help one person at a time... just a minute and I can help you too." And really, it's good for us all to learn patience, but it's also exhausting; exhausting having to wait, and exhausting having to wait on. I know I am not alone in wishing for multiple me's.

Recently I re-read a book that delves deeply into spiritual theory and our relationships with God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and all those around us. "The Shack" is a fabulous read that opens your eyes and minds to the potential of relationships as well as our understanding and personal acceptance of God in our lives. I've returned the book to the library, so I can't quote it precisely, but there was an instance where the protagonist, who is spending the weekend with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, asks God how it is that she (God is initially portrayed as a large, booming and hilarious African American woman with attitude) can take this time to be JUST with him. He wonders if there aren't more pressing needs for God to attend to. The answer given to him basically explains the parenting secret I can only hope and dream of. God is an infinite God. God can be with all people all the time... and not only that, but God can give ALL of himself to each person ALL of the time. The thought blows me away. And yet it also makes me re-think my entire relationship with God and how available he is to me, and how I can't possibly bother or burden him because he is ALL there for me ALL the time.

I often wonder what lessons I should be learning from some of the mundane and monotonous tasks and trials in life (like cleaning bathrooms). I find answers or thoughts that make sense to me and help me press forward instead of just enduring.

Discovering this difference, and being able to experience finite parenthood, makes me oh so grateful for an infinite father. While God may make me wait, and definitely helps me to learn patience, knowing that he is always there in his immeasurable greatness with unlimited time and endless love is a gesture nothing short of a miracle.

Tonsils

Little J had a little surgery last week. He had his tonsils and adenoids removed. It's always sobering to have a family member "under the knife" and I have to admit that throughout the holidays, the thought of this possibly being our last Christmas with him did pass my mind. I know, horrible morbid thoughts, but also honest and mothering. At any rate, we woke up early - before the sun was up, to Little J's amusement - to head to the hospital.
He was "not happy Bob" about having to wear a "princess gown" as he called it.

The nurse scrounged up some lego stickers to help cover the peach color of the "princess gown."
We spent a lot of time waiting. And sweet friends had given Little J a small lego set to keep us entertained during the wait. He also enjoyed an airplane book from Grandma, and taking pictures with his camera that Santa had brought.
The remote control was another fun feature.

Little J was very calm and hugged and kissed us goodbye quite easily as they took him off to the operating room. I was less calm while waiting, and after I finished my book I was reading, Mr. Man talked to me constantly about who knows what just to keep my mind busy and full so I couldn't worry.

The surgeon soon came and told us that everything had gone smoothly and as expected, and we waited to be told we could go see Little J in the recovery room as soon as he was starting to wake up.

Well, the boy would NOT wake up.

Remember he was tired from waking up before the sun, plus it was after the holidays and New Years (the little guy ALMOST made it to midnight)... add a little (or a lot) of anesthesia and you've got a a VERY sleepy boy. The nurse called us after about an hour to inform us that he was "still" sleeping ... I listened carefully to hear if there was any crying or whimpering in the background... but still it felt like FOREVER before we could go see our little guy.

And then he was STILL sleepy. They wouldn't let us leave until he could both eat and drink... and the poor guy was so upset over his IV that I used that incentive to encourage him to take small sips and spoonfuls. We FINALLY got to the point where we could leave; his vitals were good, and we had a chatty nurse who FINALLY focused on our wants... and OFF we went... 7 hours after checking in!

Here he is post-surgery:

He's pretty dramatic and has a very low tolerance for pain, so it' s been a rough week for him. Yesterday morning he woke up without screaming, and merely asked for "the disgusting medicine that takes my pain away." Of course, he's also used his tears to enjoy getting whatever he wants. The other kids are getting sick and tired of me serving soups for dinner each night, and tomorrow he's back to preschool so we're hopeful that our "recovery" is over and that this solves a lot of his silly little medical issues.

Slowing Down For Christmas

Christmas was quiet and peaceful at our house - well, as quiet and peaceful as it can be with four kiddos! We emailed Santa and he accepted our invitation to show up a night early... moving our Christmas Adam celebration back one night so that Christmas Eve became the day of stockings and presents, and Christmas day could be more about Christ, since Christmas perfectly fell on a Sunday. I love how the days seemed to really slow down because of this... and how it felt more like a Christmas "season" than just a celebratory "day". Because we focused on slowing down, I didn't take many pictures... and really, it seems silly to try to capture Christmas in a picture - it's more like a feeling, or an immense sense of gratitude, love, joy and peace...

However, I am glad that amidst staying in pjs for days, I still made everybody get dressed up for our traditional "fancy" Christmas dinner, where we celebrate the birth of a King.

Here are the few pictures I did take and they demonstrate that, like most Americans, we (and other family members) spoiled our children rotten! Each child received their three gifts: gold (what they want the most), frankincense (something for their body and mind) and myrrh (something religious). Frankincense this year was a great encyclopedia that our children take turns checking out of the library so that it can be a constant in our home... and now, we OWN it! They also each got their own hockey sticks and so we have spent hours in our driveway playing street hockey and can't wait for it to be cold enough for the outdoor ice rinks to open (yes, you read that right). I think we may have found our family sport... we are all VERY competitive and the adults actually have to TRY in order to keep up with the kiddos - I was even sore the day after we first played! Fun times, that frankincense.

Of course, Mr. Man wouldn't know what to do if there weren't a bazillion legos to put together... good thing both Little E and Mr. T "wanted" lego for their gold gifts!

And Little J couldn't be happier with his Batman cave full of trap doors and switches of all sorts - especially since his brothers are pretty amused by it too - he now has his own toy to bribe them to play with him!

Miss J has spent a lot of time facetiming and emailing with cousins and grandparents, as well as setting up all her music, alarms for her different activities...

Mr. Man has enjoyed his gold gift as well... a long sought-after pasta maker! Little J was a great helper, as he has logged hours and hours of playdoh experience, preparing him for the task.

Yum! Of course we missed extended family, and enjoyed calling and skyping with several of them. Slowly the music, books and decor have been packed away... and I'm grateful to have shared another Christmas with my sweet little family.

My Baby Girl - Originally Drafted 12/22/11

This is what happens to chubby screaming babies after 11 years:

I know you want one.

This girl is AMAZING!

Love the gracious receiver that she is, and the excitement that emanates from her as she presumes to have "all her dreams come true!"

We treated her out to a surprise dinner at a restaurant (a rarity for us), and everyone was still dressed up from school Christmas concerts, so it seemed extra special. Putting up with these three brothers has, I'm sure, added to my little girl's character, personality, and spunk too!
Happy Birthday baby girl!

Gift-mas - Originally Drafted 12/15/11

Finals are done (hurray) and now I'm back in the real world and focusing on different lists. The other day I spent over an hour on the phone trying to sort out a gift that never came - oh the joys of living in a small town and having to order most things online. This has been going on for a while, but my sweet Mr. Man has been the one making the dreaded phone calls. With finals out of the way, and me still in my bathrobe after just showering at 1pm, I figured I should make the call. They are issuing us a refund, HOWEVER, what I really want is the item to arrive because it's my daughter's main Christmas present (her GOLD gift, people)! I was getting rather riled up and frustrated and basically yelled at this man that he was ruining Christmas for my daughter.

Right.

This is my daughter's talk she prepared and presented in her primary at church last Sunday:

Mary and Joseph were on their way to Bethlehem to pay their taxes. Mary, who would soon give birth to Jesus, was weak and tired after a long journey. Joseph was tired too and he knew his wife needed to rest. Joseph searched for a place to rest in an inn, but because everyone came to pay taxes there was no room. He tried many inns till a kind man who owned the inn said, "I do not have any room, but my stable is clean and you may stay there." Joseph and Mary took the shot.

That night Jesus was born. Lying in a manger full of hay, wrapped in swaddling clothes, he laid there quietly and peacefully. When Jesus was born, Heavenly Father wanted everyone to know so in that case he put a star way up in the sky above the stable to mark where he is. Then an angel was sent to deliver a message to some shepherds. St. Luke 2:10-16

Far off, three wise men were camping. Seeing the star, they put their best robes on and raced to Bethlehem to see him, bring three gifts to worship him.

I know that during the Christmas season we get busy and look forward to the gifts on Christmas day, but we need to remember the true meaning of Christmas. One way I remember the meaning is when I'm busy is I write Christmas in two words "Christ" and "mas". It's not called "giftmas" but it shows what Christmas is truly about.

Finally - Originally Drafted 12/11/11

It's finals week.

I've been so happy lately, and I can't wait to share more. I also can't wait for finals to be over!

But for now, I will share a piano performance by Miss J as she played at a retirement home last week: