Here are a few of the party highlights.
Most importantly, the birthday boy, complete in his pirate Halloween costume:
Dessert table:
The "grub" . . . we served hot dogs, beans and typical picnic fare.
The decorations:
The games:
February 17, 2014
Ben's 4th birthday party
Here are a few of the party highlights.
Most importantly, the birthday boy, complete in his pirate Halloween costume:
Dessert table:
The "grub" . . . we served hot dogs, beans and typical picnic fare.
The decorations:
The games:
February 5, 2014
Winter
I do not like winter.
I really have tried to like it. I've tried to appreciate the beauty of the snow and ice . . . the way it makes everything look so clean and sparkly. I understand why people love it. I'm just not one of those people.
The cold just feels suffocating. I like to send my kids outside to play. I like to leave the house without having to deal with boots and hats and coats and mittens. I would take a 100 degree day over a -10 degree day anytime.
This January, we set records for lowest temperatures and most snowfall. We've had 5 snow days, and I think our district has had fewer than any other so far this year. I was so excited for February, but so far it looks a lot like January.
We had lots of snow over the weekend and in my opinion, today should have been a snow day. Because we live south of our school district (and the school district we actually live in was closed today), I expected roads to get better as we went further north, but they just got worse. Cars were all over the sides of the road and I saw a school bus almost take out a minivan. It was one of the worst driving days we've had all year . . . though I'll admit that it seems less of an issue now that everyone has had so much practice driving in the snow.
Kyle and Ben both had a stomach bug over the weekend, but Jack, Claire and I managed to avoid it. Being cooped up in a house with two puking boys makes the winter feel even more suffocating.
While February often starts to make me feel a little more hopeful, I've decided to be more realistic this year and just count down to April. We might still get snow in April, but it won't be THIS bad. At least I hope it won't!
I really have tried to like it. I've tried to appreciate the beauty of the snow and ice . . . the way it makes everything look so clean and sparkly. I understand why people love it. I'm just not one of those people.
The cold just feels suffocating. I like to send my kids outside to play. I like to leave the house without having to deal with boots and hats and coats and mittens. I would take a 100 degree day over a -10 degree day anytime.
This January, we set records for lowest temperatures and most snowfall. We've had 5 snow days, and I think our district has had fewer than any other so far this year. I was so excited for February, but so far it looks a lot like January.
We had lots of snow over the weekend and in my opinion, today should have been a snow day. Because we live south of our school district (and the school district we actually live in was closed today), I expected roads to get better as we went further north, but they just got worse. Cars were all over the sides of the road and I saw a school bus almost take out a minivan. It was one of the worst driving days we've had all year . . . though I'll admit that it seems less of an issue now that everyone has had so much practice driving in the snow.
Kyle and Ben both had a stomach bug over the weekend, but Jack, Claire and I managed to avoid it. Being cooped up in a house with two puking boys makes the winter feel even more suffocating.
While February often starts to make me feel a little more hopeful, I've decided to be more realistic this year and just count down to April. We might still get snow in April, but it won't be THIS bad. At least I hope it won't!
January 27, 2014
Dear Bennett, Month whatever
Dear Ben,
When I picked you up from preschool last week, your teacher came out and said, "Bennett has the kind of personality that allows him to be friends with everyone. That will serve him very well in life."
I didn't get a chance to ask her more about what happened, because, well . . . your sister was in her car seat screaming (you know how that goes). But I wonder if it had something to do with the new kid in your classroom. I wonder if you were your usual friendly self, and included him like you'd known him all his life.
I knew this about you before she told me, of course. You are a friendly kid. You don't really care if someone is different than you . . . you'll always find a way to have fun with them, with few exceptions. If you judge people based on anything, it's usually on how they treat other people. You're sensitive to the kid who gets picked on, and you're helpful toward the kid who needs help. And while we've tried to instill that in you, it really does just come naturally for you.
On several occasions, I've seen you in situations with kids who are being excluded. You don't feel sorry for them, or include them to be nice. You invite them to play, simply because you think it would be more fun with them than it would be without them.
Something that I've told you and your brother is that you have to put up the "antennae" for the people who need you. When you feel lonely, use it as a reminder to look for the lonely people around you and befriend them. When you feel left out, look for the kid who also feels left out and go play with him. You don't struggle with this one bit.
I hope that as you get older, your kindness toward others will continue. Eventually, you'll start to see the differences between people, but I hope that it doesn't ever change how you treat them. I'm so proud of you.
Love,
Mama
When I picked you up from preschool last week, your teacher came out and said, "Bennett has the kind of personality that allows him to be friends with everyone. That will serve him very well in life."
I didn't get a chance to ask her more about what happened, because, well . . . your sister was in her car seat screaming (you know how that goes). But I wonder if it had something to do with the new kid in your classroom. I wonder if you were your usual friendly self, and included him like you'd known him all his life.
I knew this about you before she told me, of course. You are a friendly kid. You don't really care if someone is different than you . . . you'll always find a way to have fun with them, with few exceptions. If you judge people based on anything, it's usually on how they treat other people. You're sensitive to the kid who gets picked on, and you're helpful toward the kid who needs help. And while we've tried to instill that in you, it really does just come naturally for you.
On several occasions, I've seen you in situations with kids who are being excluded. You don't feel sorry for them, or include them to be nice. You invite them to play, simply because you think it would be more fun with them than it would be without them.
Something that I've told you and your brother is that you have to put up the "antennae" for the people who need you. When you feel lonely, use it as a reminder to look for the lonely people around you and befriend them. When you feel left out, look for the kid who also feels left out and go play with him. You don't struggle with this one bit.
I hope that as you get older, your kindness toward others will continue. Eventually, you'll start to see the differences between people, but I hope that it doesn't ever change how you treat them. I'm so proud of you.
Love,
Mama
January 15, 2014
At 2 years old, Claire . . .
- is in the 85th percetile for weight and 98th for height. In case you're wondering, those two percentiles have switched places since her last check up. Her rolls are starting to disappear.
- loves Smarties. They're the treat for which
she'll do anything you ask. She pronounces them "Farties" which, of
course, is a dream come true for the boys. They'll do anything to get
her to say it. I'll admit that I have a hard time keeping a straight face when asking them to please stop.
- still has very little hair. It's definitely starting to come in, but she kind of looks like a very tall one-year-old. It's still very important for us to dress her in pink.
- loves tacos. And taco bowls. If you ask her what she wants for dinner, she will usually reply, "tacos."
- doesn't have the desire to watch television that the boys did. I realize that this should be a good thing, but sometimes, Mama just needs 20 minutes to get things done. If I say, "Do you want to watch Mickey Mouse?" she'll get really excited, but if I'm not sitting right next to her, she will not sit and watch it. She will be asking to do whatever I'm doing.
- loves her Mama. I cannot go anywhere without her following me. Kyle does his best to distract her if I have to go down to my office, but I can hear her crying at the top of the stairs for a while after I go down. When I go to the bathroom . . . she's right out side asking me what I'm doing. If I have to run out to the car or the mailbox, she stands by the window to make sure she doesn't lose track of me. I know this is only a stage and that someday I'll miss it, so I try to take advantage of it.
- takes a good 30 minutes to warm up to new
people. Until then, she kind of scowls at them and seems kind of
cranky. So when we're out shopping, she is constantly scowling at
people who smile at her and saying, "NO, NO" to people who try to talk
to her. The only exception is the people who don't pay attention to
her. If someone is waiting in line behind us and hasn't looked at her,
or if the cashier doesn't acknowledge her, she'll ham it up to get their
attention. 2 year old girls have weird social skills.
- also loves her dad. He can make her laugh and squeal like no one else. When he comes in the door, she'll run to give him a hug and then run away real fast, hoping that he'll chase her.
- really loves her brothers. She has different relationships with both of them, but they're both special. Ben is her playmate and partner in crime. Jack is the one she goes to if she needs help or wants to cuddle. If the boys are watching tv, or playing on their kindles, she likes to cozy up right next to them.
- is a cuddler. If I want to see her get excited or distract her from something, all I have to say is, "Do you want to cuddle in Mama's bed?" She always wants blankets and has to be right up next to you. If we're in bed and I ask, "What do you want to talk about?" she always responds, "Jesus."
- repeats questions and facts over and over. I remember this with the boys, but it definitely seems like she does it more. For instance, she'll says, "Daddy at work?" I'll respond, "Yes." "Working in his office?" "Yes." "Be back soon?" "Yes." And we will repeat that conversation until she finds a new line of questioning. It's even worse in the car.
- has taken interest in her baby dolls. She likes to rock them and put them to sleep. She also likes to put them in time out. Her favorite thing to do is to pull down the back of their diapers and say, "Oh no . . . stinky" and then pretend to change them.
- will sing the Doxology, ABCs, O Come all Ye Faithful, Jesus Loves me, Away in A Manger, and more. She loves to sing and dance, but gets shy if she realizes she has an audience. There's nothing better than hearing her sing, "O Come all you faiful."
December 31, 2013
On 2013
I know that a cardinal rule of blogging is to never acknowledge an absence. However, my blogging absence says more about 2013 than any blog post could. In general, 2013 has not been good. It's been uncomfortable, frustrating, and at times, downright heartbreaking. It's stretched and challenged us and has brought more tears than laughter. Those are just the facts.
I know what you're thinking: "You have a home, jobs, three beautiful, healthy children, etc. Why are you complaining?" The good things in life aren't lost on me. I know that it could be worse and that I'm relatively fortunate. That doesn't change the fact that this year has just been a bad one. All last January, February and March, I kept commenting on how I couldn't wait for winter to be over because I was sure winter was bringing our misfortune. But it continued through the spring, summer and right on into the fall. December has kind of been the grand finale.
I regret not writing as much this year, because I haven't documented much of the kids' lives during this year and they've all changed so much. Jack is 6, going on 12 and really is amazing. Bennett is one of the most creative, compassionate 4-year-olds I know. And Claire? She's incredibly fiesty and so, so, smart. We've had so many good moments with them this year and I wish I'd written about those.
The fact is that every time I sit down to write, my mind draws a blank and tears fill my eyes. That's just how it's been.
I wish that I could write about how much we've grown and learned through the challenges of this year . . . and I think we have. But it's hard to see that clearly when you're still in the middle of it.
I do know, that despite all of the stress and misfortune of this year, that God is good and that he loves us. I know that even if every year for the rest of our lives is like this one, we can still consider ourselves incredibly blessed.
I'm just hoping that 2014 is our year.
I know what you're thinking: "You have a home, jobs, three beautiful, healthy children, etc. Why are you complaining?" The good things in life aren't lost on me. I know that it could be worse and that I'm relatively fortunate. That doesn't change the fact that this year has just been a bad one. All last January, February and March, I kept commenting on how I couldn't wait for winter to be over because I was sure winter was bringing our misfortune. But it continued through the spring, summer and right on into the fall. December has kind of been the grand finale.
I regret not writing as much this year, because I haven't documented much of the kids' lives during this year and they've all changed so much. Jack is 6, going on 12 and really is amazing. Bennett is one of the most creative, compassionate 4-year-olds I know. And Claire? She's incredibly fiesty and so, so, smart. We've had so many good moments with them this year and I wish I'd written about those.
The fact is that every time I sit down to write, my mind draws a blank and tears fill my eyes. That's just how it's been.
I wish that I could write about how much we've grown and learned through the challenges of this year . . . and I think we have. But it's hard to see that clearly when you're still in the middle of it.
I do know, that despite all of the stress and misfortune of this year, that God is good and that he loves us. I know that even if every year for the rest of our lives is like this one, we can still consider ourselves incredibly blessed.
I'm just hoping that 2014 is our year.
September 29, 2013
Claire's first birthday
Sadly, Claire is closer to 2 years old than she is to her first birthday, and I'm just now posting photos from her party.
I didn't post much about Christmas last year, but, well . . . it wasn't great thanks to a nasty little stomach bug. Claire's original party was postponed, and by the time we celebrated, most of the treats I had ready were stale or too old to serve. It was still cute on the 30th when we made up for it, and let's face it . . . she didn't really know the difference.
Here are the two photos from her REAL birthday that we celebrated at home. She was the only one who didn't get sick, so I think she's probably the only one that really enjoyed her birthday cake.
And here are a few from her belated birthday party:
I didn't post much about Christmas last year, but, well . . . it wasn't great thanks to a nasty little stomach bug. Claire's original party was postponed, and by the time we celebrated, most of the treats I had ready were stale or too old to serve. It was still cute on the 30th when we made up for it, and let's face it . . . she didn't really know the difference.
Here are the two photos from her REAL birthday that we celebrated at home. She was the only one who didn't get sick, so I think she's probably the only one that really enjoyed her birthday cake.
And here are a few from her belated birthday party:
September 11, 2013
Claire, at 20 months
At 20 months, Claire . . .
. . . likes to wear shoes. Not HER shoes. Other people's shoes. If you take off your shoes at my house, she will likely be wearing them in 10 - 15 minutes.
. . . will stand still for photos, only when her mouth is full of animal crackers (see above).
. . . has an ATTITUDE. She's learned to defend herself from her brothers and has mastered saying "STOP THAT", "I DON'T WANT TO", "I DON'T WANT THAT", "LEAVE ME ALONE" and many other things with enough edge to hold her own. It's 1 part cute and 2 parts frustrating.
. . . is smart as a whip. Honestly. I can't even believe what she can understand.
. . . still loves her Mama. If I'm in the room, her arms are stretched out, asking "hold, please." Sometimes it's inconvenient, but knowing this is the last one I'll have doing that, I usually give in. I still use my sling to carry her in.
. . . if she wants my attention, and I'm talking to someone else, she takes it upon herself to grab me by the jaw and direct my head toward her. This will only be cute for another year or so. After that, it gets obnoxious.
. . . will stand at the top of the stairs or at the door and kyle, "KYYYLE!" I don't know where she got that from.
. . . will yell, "BOOOYS! STOP THAT!" when she hears her brothers getting rough or making lots of noise.
. . . has constipation problems. TMI? Perhaps. But it's a pretty big issue for her right now.
. . . Is in 2T/3T clothing, depending on the brand. I recently retired all of her 18 - 24 month clothing. She grew A LOT in August.
. . . loves to put necklaces or bracelets on and proclaim herself, "PRETTY!" Something with which we all can agree.
. . . still has very little hair. It's coming in, slowly, but surely. I just look forward to the day that I don't have to say, "No, she's a girl" every time she isn't wearing all pink. And sometimes even when she is.
. . . has been a little grumpy for about a month. Which is how long she's had 2 teeth trying to push their way through. My fingers are crossed that when they finally emerge fully, her temperament will become more pleasant.
September 3, 2013
Top 10 of this summer
In no particular order . . .
10. I had a visit from my friend, Heather, at the beginning of June. I hadn't seen her in a couple of years. I knew that I missed her, but I really remembered why in that 24 hours that I got to spend with her. We laughed and talked and just had a great time. I'm grateful for her friendship.
9. Both boys learned to ride two-wheel bikes without training wheels. In the spring, we could tell that Ben was ready. We had started him on a balance bike, and we still kick ourselves for not doing that with Jack. We thought there might be problems if Ben started riding before his big brother, so we worked with Jack for over a month before he finally got it. How? Kyle put him at the top of the hill, and just let him go down it until he learned to balance. After that, the pedaling came easily. About a week after Jack learned, we put Ben on one and he took off with very little assistance.
Both boys have some bumps, scrapes and bruises, but for the most part, they've done really well. We became very thankful and aware of how important their helmets are after jack took a scary fall back in June. I can't even talk about it any more than that. But if your kids don't wear bike helmets, this is me pleading with you to have them do so.
8. Aunt Karina got Jack a set of OgoSport OgoDisks for his birthday and we almost immediately became addicted. We bought a couple more sets so that we could all play together. While Ben's still learning, and Claire just runs around with hers, it's become one of the first family things that we can all do together. I know it seems silly that this is one of our top 10 of the summer, but that little glimpse into the future of all of us enjoying time together, rather than Kyle and I just wrangling kids and trying to keep them entertained was awesome.
7. We went strawberry picking for the first time! The kids loved it. Well, Jack and Ben did. Claire just ran around trying to step on them. I made 24 jars of strawberry jam. Well, if I'm being honest . . . strawberry syrup. It didn't set well. Still, it tastes great on toast.
6. I grew a tomato. The plant is huge, but produced nothing but one small tomato. And then picked it when it was about an inch in diameter. That was the end of that. But still . . . I GREW A TOMATO!
5. We went camping at the end of August. It was a rough trip. Camping with three kids is WORK. We had difficulty finding a good camp site (the first three didn't work) and had to get set up in the dark. I was so thankful for my inlaw's trailer, because if we had been in a tent, our trip would have been half as long. Kyle's cousin also left his boat up there, so we got to take that out on Lake Charlevoix . . . it was one of the highlights of our trip. All 3 kids sleeping in the same trailer, within feet of each other meant rough bedtimes, difficult naptimes and early mornings for everyone, but we survived. The trip home was twice as long as it should have been. Even so, I realized on that trip how important family time is. We need to have more time away with just the five of us. We've planned another (non-camping) trip in October.
4. Jack turned 6. I still have trouble wrapping my head around this. We didn't do a big party. I decided to end those at 5 and allow them to do a "friends" birthday party. However, Jack chose to forgo the friends party for a Tigers' game with his dad. We were all very happy with that decision.
3. I hit 20,000 etsy sales in August.
2. My parents and sister took ALL THREE kids for a few nights in July. Kyle and I ended up having to stay home to do some home repairs required by our home owners insurance, so that was a bummer. But it was nice to just stay home, relax and not have to worry about bedtimes or feeding little mouths. It was just the break that we needed, and the kids had a great time with grandma, grandpa and auntie.
1. Jack gave his heart to Jesus this summer. Again. I usually resist that phrase because it's become so trite, but it's the only way to describe it. In late July, we were talking about what it meant to have "Jesus in your heart."
Jack said,"Oh yeah, I did that during Family Camp. I mean, I know I prayed for Jesus to come into my heart when I was four, but I understood what it meant more this time."
My prayer for all three of my kids is, as they grow in intellect and discernment, they'll have countless moments of "I understand more" so that they can surrender their lives to Jesus continually and deepen their understanding of His grace.
10. I had a visit from my friend, Heather, at the beginning of June. I hadn't seen her in a couple of years. I knew that I missed her, but I really remembered why in that 24 hours that I got to spend with her. We laughed and talked and just had a great time. I'm grateful for her friendship.
9. Both boys learned to ride two-wheel bikes without training wheels. In the spring, we could tell that Ben was ready. We had started him on a balance bike, and we still kick ourselves for not doing that with Jack. We thought there might be problems if Ben started riding before his big brother, so we worked with Jack for over a month before he finally got it. How? Kyle put him at the top of the hill, and just let him go down it until he learned to balance. After that, the pedaling came easily. About a week after Jack learned, we put Ben on one and he took off with very little assistance.
Both boys have some bumps, scrapes and bruises, but for the most part, they've done really well. We became very thankful and aware of how important their helmets are after jack took a scary fall back in June. I can't even talk about it any more than that. But if your kids don't wear bike helmets, this is me pleading with you to have them do so.
5. We went camping at the end of August. It was a rough trip. Camping with three kids is WORK. We had difficulty finding a good camp site (the first three didn't work) and had to get set up in the dark. I was so thankful for my inlaw's trailer, because if we had been in a tent, our trip would have been half as long. Kyle's cousin also left his boat up there, so we got to take that out on Lake Charlevoix . . . it was one of the highlights of our trip. All 3 kids sleeping in the same trailer, within feet of each other meant rough bedtimes, difficult naptimes and early mornings for everyone, but we survived. The trip home was twice as long as it should have been. Even so, I realized on that trip how important family time is. We need to have more time away with just the five of us. We've planned another (non-camping) trip in October.
4. Jack turned 6. I still have trouble wrapping my head around this. We didn't do a big party. I decided to end those at 5 and allow them to do a "friends" birthday party. However, Jack chose to forgo the friends party for a Tigers' game with his dad. We were all very happy with that decision.
3. I hit 20,000 etsy sales in August.
2. My parents and sister took ALL THREE kids for a few nights in July. Kyle and I ended up having to stay home to do some home repairs required by our home owners insurance, so that was a bummer. But it was nice to just stay home, relax and not have to worry about bedtimes or feeding little mouths. It was just the break that we needed, and the kids had a great time with grandma, grandpa and auntie.
Jack said,"Oh yeah, I did that during Family Camp. I mean, I know I prayed for Jesus to come into my heart when I was four, but I understood what it meant more this time."
My prayer for all three of my kids is, as they grow in intellect and discernment, they'll have countless moments of "I understand more" so that they can surrender their lives to Jesus continually and deepen their understanding of His grace.
June 10, 2013
Dear Bennett, Months 37 - 45
Dear Ben,
Last month, you came into our room a little before 6:00. We said it was too early and told you to go back to bed.
About 10 minutes later, Jack came in and said, "Where's Ben?" We told him you were probably in the living room or kitchen. We started to get up and Jack came in and said, "The back door is open and Ben's boots are gone."
That got us out of bed real fast. I ran out to the back yard (in my pajamas) and started yelling your name. I didn't see you anywhere. My eyes were filling with tears as I started walking through the neighbor's back yards and trying to see through the woods to see if I could spot you. Suddenly, through the trees, I heard you say, "Hey! Mom!" as your little silhouette emerged from the brush.
I grabbed you and scooped you up and hugged you as I told you how worried we were and how you were to NEVER leave the house without telling us again.
You just looked at me and said, "What? I just really wanted to catch that cat. Wouldn't it be fun to have a cat?" I shudder to think about what might have happened if that cat had run into the street or down to the lake. And once I had regained composure, we had a very serious talk about why that was NOT okay.
That moment last month wasn't the last time you wandered off. It's happened a few more times, and every time it scares me. We're working on that. I honestly believe that 95% of the time it's not disobedience . . . it's just curiosity. Nonethless, I'm looking into door alarms.
You, my sweet boy, are our little free spirit. You just follow your heart wherever it might take you. While this makes parenting a lot more challenging, I also love this about you. Sometimes, I'm even a little envious. I love it that you have few inhibitions.
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I told someone recently that you're my "complicated" child. Not in a bad way . . . just in a, well, complicated way. Managing your brother at this age was always very straightforward . . . A + B = C. With you, A + B = C, but only on in the morning. Sometimes, after naptime, A+B/2 = C. And Sometimes, A and B aren't even available. I don't know if that makes sense, but it's the best way to describe you. It takes more work for us to figure you out . . . but when we do? It's so, so worth it.
When you do something that you know you shouldn't have, you say something like, "I still love you when you get mad at me. Do you still love me if I spilled juice on your bed?" It's hard to be upset when you start with that. You're the best 3-year-old I know and I love you no matter what!
Love,
Mama
Last month, you came into our room a little before 6:00. We said it was too early and told you to go back to bed.
About 10 minutes later, Jack came in and said, "Where's Ben?" We told him you were probably in the living room or kitchen. We started to get up and Jack came in and said, "The back door is open and Ben's boots are gone."
That got us out of bed real fast. I ran out to the back yard (in my pajamas) and started yelling your name. I didn't see you anywhere. My eyes were filling with tears as I started walking through the neighbor's back yards and trying to see through the woods to see if I could spot you. Suddenly, through the trees, I heard you say, "Hey! Mom!" as your little silhouette emerged from the brush.
I grabbed you and scooped you up and hugged you as I told you how worried we were and how you were to NEVER leave the house without telling us again.
You just looked at me and said, "What? I just really wanted to catch that cat. Wouldn't it be fun to have a cat?" I shudder to think about what might have happened if that cat had run into the street or down to the lake. And once I had regained composure, we had a very serious talk about why that was NOT okay.
That moment last month wasn't the last time you wandered off. It's happened a few more times, and every time it scares me. We're working on that. I honestly believe that 95% of the time it's not disobedience . . . it's just curiosity. Nonethless, I'm looking into door alarms.
You, my sweet boy, are our little free spirit. You just follow your heart wherever it might take you. While this makes parenting a lot more challenging, I also love this about you. Sometimes, I'm even a little envious. I love it that you have few inhibitions.
I told someone recently that you're my "complicated" child. Not in a bad way . . . just in a, well, complicated way. Managing your brother at this age was always very straightforward . . . A + B = C. With you, A + B = C, but only on in the morning. Sometimes, after naptime, A+B/2 = C. And Sometimes, A and B aren't even available. I don't know if that makes sense, but it's the best way to describe you. It takes more work for us to figure you out . . . but when we do? It's so, so worth it.
When you do something that you know you shouldn't have, you say something like, "I still love you when you get mad at me. Do you still love me if I spilled juice on your bed?" It's hard to be upset when you start with that. You're the best 3-year-old I know and I love you no matter what!
Love,
Mama
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