Do We See A Pattern Here?

I pretty much write this blog for myself, as a sort of online scrapbook, but if you are one of the few that checks in every few months in hopes of catching that rare post, today is your lucky day!

I popped in and updated my tickers today; you may have noticed that our youngest, Declan, recently turned 2, and our oldest, Aiden, turned 5 on Labor Day.  Did you also notice my pregnancy ticker?  No need to update that, because it is indeed current, and yes, I really am 40 weeks and 4 days preggo, but if you've been reading since my last pregnancy, then you know that's nothing new for me, right?  As in, our last baby was 16(!) days overdue when we finally used that old tried and true castor oil method of home induction.  Well, it worked then when I was 42+ weeks, but we've tried it twice this time in as many weeks, with the expected gastric results and some contractions...that fizzled out after a few hours and were never very strong to begin with.

So...

I find myself the watched pot that never boils.....again.  Hopefully that changes soon, because we are eager to meet our lovely little lady, and I dream of sitting/walking/sleeping/existing normally again.  I will keep you all posted should there be any updates in this area...


In other news, Aiden started kindergarten in August!  He is doing well, coming home with tales of new songs, friends, and the usual kindergarten activities.  If you've followed my blog for awhile, you'll know that we had taken a homeschooling approach up to this point.  Well, with the new baby coming and all, we decided to utilize our local public school for this school year, and....see how it goes.  We have also discussed (and agonized) in great length the many social implications of public schooling (both good and bad) and those feelings have certainly impacted our decision as much, if not more than the convenience of some one else teaching Aiden while I am caring for a newborn.  I am continuing to encourage learning in our everyday life together (maybe I'm just a geeky fact-lover, but I've always explained the why and how of the world and life in general to my children, in age-appropriate terms, of course.)  We still do crafts and school-type activities at home like we've always done, though I am gearing things to stay in line with his kindergarten curriculum when necessary.  For example, Aiden's school teaches Modern Manuscript Handwriting, which transitions more easily into cursive.  I wish I could've anticipated this little detail before I had taught Aiden to write in what his teacher refers to as "ball and stick" letters.  Oh well, the kid will be diversified, right?

Another development over this summer, is that I finally decided it was time that I learn to knit...so I did!  I've always wanted to knit and used to pretend to do so when I was a young girl.  I checked out multiple beginning knitting books from my local public library (for free of course! Sweet!) including the ever helpful "Knitting for Dummies."  It has been a process which I am sure will continue for a long time, since I am nowhere near ready to knit up a lovely lacy cardigan like I dream of doing someday, but I have knit a few pairs of mittens for the children from a booklet I picked up at JoAnn's.  I agree with other knitters that, once you have the basic rhythm down, knitting is very relaxing and satisfying as you create an entirely new and unique textile.  In short, I have found a new hobby that I love, and I would encourage anyone to pursue their dreams of learning a new skill, no matter your age, or the skill level required.  (Hey, they probably have "Rocket Science for Dummies", so why not give it a try?)

That is all for now, though I'm sure I've left alot out, so when they come to me, I will add more updates of our summer adventures.  And I promise to add some pictures of all of this fun eventually...where's my camera?....and certainly will write a prompt blog post when this baby comes out....someday.  : )

Our Extended Weekend

I feel as if I am coming to the end of a long, extended weekend.  A not-so-brief overview:  Some of my husband's family were in town over the weekend (actually in the foothills about 1 hour away) and we went up there to visit once on Saturday and once on Sunday.  It was nice to visit with everyone, but it made for late night drives home and not much sleep for everyone (mainly me). 

On Sunday afternoon, while shopping at Costco, I received a call from my dad that my great grandfather had passed away.  It was not entirely unexpected since his health has been poor for the last several years, but the news still came as a bit of a shock.  My great grandmother (a very special and sweet old lady) passed before him, about 5 1/2 years ago, and their home has been an epicenter for family gatherings for as long as I can remember.  Even though I wasn't very close to my great grandfather, his passing will surely bring about the sale of his memorable home.  I find that I am struggling with this the most.  Even when my great grandmother passed, I didn't feel like I lost all of her, because I was still able to come to the home where I had spent so much time with her.  Now, that home will not be a part of my life any longer, and it feels like I am losing more than just a great grandparent.  It feels like I am losing a part of my past; a place that holds many special memories for me.  I might post more about this in the coming days and weeks.

On Sunday evening we attended a Baccalaureate service for one of my brothers-in-law, who will be graduating from high school tomorrow.  It was a nice service, but with such a shook up schedule, the kids had a hard time sitting the entire time.  I walked Caitlin around for a while and towards the end, Tim and Aiden joined us and we sat on the grass behind everyone. 

On Monday, Tim went into work for a few hours, then came home and played Legos with Aiden.  The kids and I took a nap after that, but my husband took a long phone call with a friend who has recently returned home from his military training.  When the kids and I got up, it was time to leave for my dad's house, where we were taking the kids to play in their little swimming pool and to enjoy a family barbeque.  Tim was so tired from our very long and busy weekend and since he hadn't napped, he said he didn't think he could make it through the barbeque.  He stayed home to sleep and I took the kids to the barbeque.  It was nice and relaxing at my dad's and I even got some cute pictures Aiden in the pool!  Caitlin was entirely too wiggly to capture on film, but she wore an adorable pink ballerina tutu swimsuit which I got at Target and will snap a picture of sometime this summer, I promise!

Tim worked Tuesday morning, but then had some business to take care of downtown, so he had the rest of the day off.  After finishing his downtown errand, Tim surprised us all and took us to Toys R Us where he bought Aiden some Lego "otocycles" : )

Aiden insists on sleeping, eating, and riding in the car with these little guys and we have had to set some ground rules, so they don't get lost in the car, or dunked in his morning cheerios.  Another very real scenario:  Caitlin could eat a little Lego man arm or helmet and I think it would probably cause Aiden more distress than it would her.  We already have a general rule of no toys at the table when we are eating, but we have now added no toys in bed at naptime (Aiden started staying awake to play with his new toys until the very end of naptime, when he would fall asleep and very crankily protest being woken up a half hour later and continue being a grouch until bedtime- this made everyone miserable!)  The other new rule has left our little Lego buddies housebound because they are so small that I am afraid I could never find tiny Lego motorcycle goggles in our car, which is where they would surely fall off and get lost, if given a chance.

That was the majority of our weekend excitement and I almost forgot an appointment that I had this morning, because it simply did not seem like I would be starting off my "regular" weekday activities on a Wednesday.  Well, this is sure to feel like a short week and I will try to post after my brother-in-law's graduation tomorrow to let everyone know how it went!

The Secret to Contentedness

Last Sunday, the pastor said something that stuck with my husband and I. He said that people who aren't content aren't thankful. (Something along those lines- I forget his exact wording.) The point is that contentedness and thankfulness go hand in hand.  I have been dealing with some discontent in my heart and attitude lately, so when I reflected on this statement by the pastor, I felt rather surprised. I thought I was a thankful person. In general, I am not a person to complain or dwell on the things that I don't have; rather, when I think of something I wish I had (like a washer and dryer in my home) I try to think of how much more privileged my situation is than so many others (i.e. at least I have access to a washer and a dryer unlike many impoverished people in other countries).I thought about it some more. I may feel thankful, or talk myself into being thankful after I catch myself grumbling, but do I take any deliberate actions to act thankful towards the Lord? If He couldn't read my heart, and only heard my words and saw my actions, would He know that I am thankful? What do I do everyday that says clearly: "I am thankful to the Lord."?

I felt a bit ashamed when I couldn't think of anything I do except pray with my husband and children at mealtimes and before bed. A few thank-yous at routine prayer times just didn't seem like they were properly conveying my thankfulness in a way that was impacting my heart and attitude. So, I am trying to take some steps everday to work a little more thankfulness into my life, and hopefully my attitude. The first thing I've started doing may seem a bit simple and some might think it would not be enough to make a difference, but I think babysteps are the way to work in a new habit, or mindset in this case.

Here is a picture of the little dry erase board that hangs in our kitchen. I've used it to display reminders, quotes, scriptures, even a daily menu.  It's new purpose is as a "Thankfulness Board". Each morning, while finishing breakfast with the children, I write down things that our family is thankful for. Aiden adds things he is thankful for which, today, are: bananas, cereal, cars, flowers, tissue, monkeys, hats, and "smile faces". 

Aiden decided to finish his Cheerios this morning by making each bite into a "smile face" as he calls it.  He is so cute and smart, sometimes its hard for me to believe that he's only two : )

When Aiden told me that he is thankful for smile faces, I realized that I am, too.  Not just the Cheerio kind : )  I have a hunch that our new Thankfulness Board is going to help bring about a few more smile faces in our home.  Try it out, and you might see some in yours, too.