"Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
Our son Ethan "E" turned 11 today. He is child number 2. Ethan is a great child. I enjoy being with him. I let him sleep in a little this morning, but then we had to rush around a bit. There wasn't enough time to make a big breakfast for him, so we stuck a candle in his Cocoa Pebbles and sang Happy Birthday. It worked.
Later, I took Leah, Sarah, and Jacob to Ethan's school for lunch. He's 11, but still gave me a hug when he saw me there waiting for him. He sat with me and talked to me about the different kids in his class. When lunch was done he gave me a kiss and a hug and then kissed his sisters and baby brother. Ethan is very caring and loving towards his family (most of the time.) He is always looking out for his siblings.
I have a very close relationship with our oldest child Brandon. I'm trying to have the same kind of relationship with Ethan. Lately I feel like he's been trying to share more and is feeling more comfortable talking to me. Our children are so special to me. The other day when we were at the park and there was a lady yelling at a child (not her own) I told Tom I was glad she wasn't talking to one of our children like that because I'd have to approach her. Tom made a comment about how there was no way I'd confront the lady. Ethan quickly reminded Tom about two times he's seen me confront another adult in front of him. Once when we were in Wisconsin and there was a man at the swimming pool making comments about my children and my nieces and nephews. Then there was a neighbor who lost his "cool" while talking to me about an incident between his child and mine. I was surprised Ethan brought these times up - but glad that he realizes that I will "defend" my children - and also glad that both of these times (there have been others, but maybe E wasn't nearby) I stayed calm. I try not to yell or say "not so nice" words. I personally find cursing to be immature. I'm not big on confrontation, but there is just something about defending your children. I am protective.
I am also proud to say that Ethan has proven to me that I can trust him to make the right decisions (at this point in his life.) We had a talk about him following rules even when Dad and I aren't around. I know it can be hard to do, and at first he struggled with what we talked about, but now he seems to understand. Rules are rules. He's a good boy :o)
Ethan loves to write and wants to be an author of "creepy" stories someday. (He already has a great title - which I'll save until he has written his first book.) He is a creative story teller. He also loves to play baseball, four-square, and video games.
So there is my blog dedicated to our birthday boy E. We love him. He is a very special part of our family.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
1 month old
"To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there."
Baby Jacob Edward is 1 month old today. Amazing! He is starting to make more eye contact - really checks people out. Gives little smiles when you talk to him. I took Jacob shopping last night, bought him a few outfits. (Love the clearance racks at Kohls - plus I had a 30% off coupon.) I am trying to get used to buying little boy outfits again. I'm so used to buying dresses and pink clothing. It was fun. I am looking forward to raising another little boy. His brothers want him to dress really cool. I got him a little denim jacket, Tony Hawk pants, camouflage clothing,...I'm sure his sisters will have some input too.
I just saw a preview for New Moon - the second Twilight movie. Looks really good. I can't wait to see it. I enjoyed all 4 books in that series. Fun to read. And our son happens to have the two main characters' names, but that's by coincidence :o)
Noah had a baseball game today. He just isn't into baseball. Coach has to keep saying Noah's name to get him to pay attention to what's going on around him. Oh well. At least he "kind of" tried it. We'll find something he is passionate about. He loves to draw like our oldest son. Maybe Noah will be artistic like Brandon. Brandon loved karate when he was really young, then tried soccer and baseball and in Jr. High did wrestling. I'm hoping Ethan or Noah want to try wrestling since we now own all the gear :o) Brandon is an incredible artist. I hope he can find a career using his wonderful talent. Ethan has a great time playing baseball and basketball, but wants to spend more time writing stories. He enjoys Goosebumps and wants to write books that are a little creepy. It's so hard to know what to sign your children up for. I want them to have a chance to try many different things, but in reality, that's expensive and it's impossible for me to take everyone to everything.
After Noah's game we played at the park again. Love our park! Our children played on the big hillside slide for a long time. We decided it was time to leave when the "grumpy" parents showed up. Goodness. I kept telling my children not to stare, but they found it hard not to. One mother started yelling at all the children on the slide trying to find the "bully" that took her child's wax paper (it helps you go down faster when you sit on it.) Then another father ran up the hill to yell at all the children to find who pushed his daughter and made her cry. Well, I believe they were both looking for and yelling at the same little boy. He was probably about 3 years old. As a parent, I would have been more upset at these adults yelling at my child, but I think this little boy's poor father was embarrassed or just to the edge of his patience. The whole park could hear this little boy cry as his father took him away from the slide to put him in "time out." Soon the father could also be heard across the whole park yelling at his son while holding him down. It was sad. One moment they're having a great day at the park and next it's just a complete meltdown for both of them. Tom and I told our children it was time to go. Just a bit uncomfortable at the park - they didn't argue, I think they were feeling uncomfortable too.
We ran to the store to buy Brandon some new shoes - the boy is growing! And then to another store to get Ethan's birthday gift. Went home and made everyone get in the shower or bath - Rachel, Leah, and Sarah were covered from head to toe in dirt from the park :o) Then we had pizza and watched a movie together. I love when we are all together. Every week I receive emails with prayer requests - makes me realize how much I have to be thankful for.
Baby Jacob Edward is 1 month old today. Amazing! He is starting to make more eye contact - really checks people out. Gives little smiles when you talk to him. I took Jacob shopping last night, bought him a few outfits. (Love the clearance racks at Kohls - plus I had a 30% off coupon.) I am trying to get used to buying little boy outfits again. I'm so used to buying dresses and pink clothing. It was fun. I am looking forward to raising another little boy. His brothers want him to dress really cool. I got him a little denim jacket, Tony Hawk pants, camouflage clothing,...I'm sure his sisters will have some input too.
I just saw a preview for New Moon - the second Twilight movie. Looks really good. I can't wait to see it. I enjoyed all 4 books in that series. Fun to read. And our son happens to have the two main characters' names, but that's by coincidence :o)
Noah had a baseball game today. He just isn't into baseball. Coach has to keep saying Noah's name to get him to pay attention to what's going on around him. Oh well. At least he "kind of" tried it. We'll find something he is passionate about. He loves to draw like our oldest son. Maybe Noah will be artistic like Brandon. Brandon loved karate when he was really young, then tried soccer and baseball and in Jr. High did wrestling. I'm hoping Ethan or Noah want to try wrestling since we now own all the gear :o) Brandon is an incredible artist. I hope he can find a career using his wonderful talent. Ethan has a great time playing baseball and basketball, but wants to spend more time writing stories. He enjoys Goosebumps and wants to write books that are a little creepy. It's so hard to know what to sign your children up for. I want them to have a chance to try many different things, but in reality, that's expensive and it's impossible for me to take everyone to everything.
After Noah's game we played at the park again. Love our park! Our children played on the big hillside slide for a long time. We decided it was time to leave when the "grumpy" parents showed up. Goodness. I kept telling my children not to stare, but they found it hard not to. One mother started yelling at all the children on the slide trying to find the "bully" that took her child's wax paper (it helps you go down faster when you sit on it.) Then another father ran up the hill to yell at all the children to find who pushed his daughter and made her cry. Well, I believe they were both looking for and yelling at the same little boy. He was probably about 3 years old. As a parent, I would have been more upset at these adults yelling at my child, but I think this little boy's poor father was embarrassed or just to the edge of his patience. The whole park could hear this little boy cry as his father took him away from the slide to put him in "time out." Soon the father could also be heard across the whole park yelling at his son while holding him down. It was sad. One moment they're having a great day at the park and next it's just a complete meltdown for both of them. Tom and I told our children it was time to go. Just a bit uncomfortable at the park - they didn't argue, I think they were feeling uncomfortable too.
We ran to the store to buy Brandon some new shoes - the boy is growing! And then to another store to get Ethan's birthday gift. Went home and made everyone get in the shower or bath - Rachel, Leah, and Sarah were covered from head to toe in dirt from the park :o) Then we had pizza and watched a movie together. I love when we are all together. Every week I receive emails with prayer requests - makes me realize how much I have to be thankful for.
Friday, September 11, 2009
God Bless the USA
"A Baby's smile is as loving as an Angel's touch."
September 11th. Today our family wore red, white, and blue to show that we will never forget. I still remember getting our oldest child, Brandon ready for Kindergarten, taking care of Ethan, and being pregnant with Noah when I turned the tv on. I saw the twin towers, the planes and yelled to Tom that there was something terrible happening. We sat in our family room not believing what we were seeing. We will always remember that day in 2001.
On a day that holds so much sadness, I do have one little bit of personal joy. My littlest boy gave me a gift. Jacob has given me small "smirks" here and there before, but tonight I lightly touched his cheek while nursing him and he gave me a beautiful smile.
September 11th. Today our family wore red, white, and blue to show that we will never forget. I still remember getting our oldest child, Brandon ready for Kindergarten, taking care of Ethan, and being pregnant with Noah when I turned the tv on. I saw the twin towers, the planes and yelled to Tom that there was something terrible happening. We sat in our family room not believing what we were seeing. We will always remember that day in 2001.
On a day that holds so much sadness, I do have one little bit of personal joy. My littlest boy gave me a gift. Jacob has given me small "smirks" here and there before, but tonight I lightly touched his cheek while nursing him and he gave me a beautiful smile.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
3 Weeks Old
"Babies are such a great way to start people."
Baby Jacob Edward is 3 weeks old today. Time goes by so fast. He is a beautiful little boy. Such a wonderful baby. He just fits right into our family. All of his siblings adore him. Noah and Rachel tell me I had a very cute baby in my tummy. Ethan likes to tell him stories and Brandon calls Jacob his buddy. He already talks about visiting home when he's in college and taking Jacob out for lunch and spending some one on one with him to make sure he gets to know his brother. Leah loves to hold Jacob and just smiles at him. Sarah loves to hold Jacob too. She still gets a little jealous. She wants to sleep in our room just like Jacob gets to. She wants me to put her in a stroller when we go out just like Jacob gets to. We're going to put a "bed" together for Sarah on our floor so she can sleep there when she wants to - and I guess I might have to get a double stroller. We did buy Sarah her own baby doll stroller and a little baby boy doll for her 2nd birthday. Now she can take care of her own "baby" while I'm taking care of mine.
Today I went to my Bible Study at church. I have missed going. We were on break for the summer. Wonderful group of ladies and friends. Sarah gets to play with a group of children too. She usually cries for a couple of minutes when I first drop her off, but then she starts to play. We are blessed with a wonderful group of volunteers that take care of our children and teach our children about God. I enjoyed introducing Jacob to everyone. Last time I saw most of them, I was still pregnant. There is just a special feeling I get when I'm at church and holding my new baby. I guess it's because I am in God's house and know that He gave me this precious gift.
I don't get to stay and chit chat after Bible Study anymore. I have to hurry and get out as soon as it is over. Leah's bus comes about 20 minutes after Bible Study is scheduled to be done. The one good thing is that Sarah spends all morning playing and comes home ready for a nap. Today, she fell asleep on the floor in our front room while I was writing an email. I got her in a more comfortable position then walked into the kitchen where I found Leah asleep on the floor. Really not sure why she picked that spot. I picked her up and put her on the couch. I nursed Jacob and he napped in his pop-up crib in our Family Room.
All 5 of our oldest are in school. We're off to a pretty good start. A few forgotten assignments here and there, but we'll get on track. Brandon's bus comes first in the morning - an hour before our other children's. Leah's preschool bus now comes next. She looks like such a big girl getting on the bus. She has her purple Tinkerbell messenger bag swung over her shoulder and she just walks proudly to her bus. Today she walked through the boys playing 4-square at the end of our driveway, got hit by the ball, stood still for a moment, then walked to the bus. She stopped for a quick moment to turn back towards all the mommies and daddies and smile with a little bye-bye wave. You can picture her as a professional businesswoman getting onto a bus downtown.
Noah is still trying his best at baseball. He was getting bored at his last game - playing in the dirt while playing outfield, playing with his hat, spinning around,...so the next inning Coach had Noah be catcher. You can't get bored when there's a ball being thrown at you every minute. Noah did well and I think he's found a good position. Rachel is loving her new Power Tumbling and Trampoline class. She wants to go every day. She is so flexible (and loud!) Yesterday she had to bend backwards, put her hands on the wall, and "walk" her hands down the wall to the floor so she's in a bridge position. My back hurt watching her. She did it several times - really enjoyed it. She likes to yell for her coach to watch her and likes to yell out that I'm her mom when she sees me through the window. Rachel is very loving and sweet - hopefully she'll always be that way :o) Thankfully those are the only sports going on in our family right now. I can only do so much running around.
On Wednesdays we will soon have Religious Education too - Brandon will have it on Sundays. He also does activities with Jr. Youth at our church. (This year, his design was chosen for the front of their shirts.) This weekend is Cardboard City. They will build shelters out of cardboard and stay the night in them. They'll have just the clothing they are wearing and they will eat pb&j sandwiches.
Tom and I will start going to our Couple's Bible Study again soon. We also took a summer break. Not only is it nice to meet with other couples, but all of our children get to be together too. There is childcare (If Brandon isn't doing something Jr. Youth that night, he helps do childcare.) and our children enjoy getting to hang-out and getting to know each other. I love that they're making friends with children whose parents I know and who have similar family values.
The first bus of the afternoon is due in a few minutes. I still have 3 little sleepers, so I have to put doggy outside so he doesn't bark indoors at the bus and I have to unlock the front door so the doorbell doesn't get used.
Oh,...2 days ago was my Daddy's birthday. Happy Birthday Dad! Yesterday was my Parents' Anniversary. Happy Anniversary! And today is my mom's birthday. Happy Birthday Mom!
Now it is time to make some tea, put on some music, and take a few deep breaths before I am thrown into the world of homework.
Baby Jacob Edward is 3 weeks old today. Time goes by so fast. He is a beautiful little boy. Such a wonderful baby. He just fits right into our family. All of his siblings adore him. Noah and Rachel tell me I had a very cute baby in my tummy. Ethan likes to tell him stories and Brandon calls Jacob his buddy. He already talks about visiting home when he's in college and taking Jacob out for lunch and spending some one on one with him to make sure he gets to know his brother. Leah loves to hold Jacob and just smiles at him. Sarah loves to hold Jacob too. She still gets a little jealous. She wants to sleep in our room just like Jacob gets to. She wants me to put her in a stroller when we go out just like Jacob gets to. We're going to put a "bed" together for Sarah on our floor so she can sleep there when she wants to - and I guess I might have to get a double stroller. We did buy Sarah her own baby doll stroller and a little baby boy doll for her 2nd birthday. Now she can take care of her own "baby" while I'm taking care of mine.
Today I went to my Bible Study at church. I have missed going. We were on break for the summer. Wonderful group of ladies and friends. Sarah gets to play with a group of children too. She usually cries for a couple of minutes when I first drop her off, but then she starts to play. We are blessed with a wonderful group of volunteers that take care of our children and teach our children about God. I enjoyed introducing Jacob to everyone. Last time I saw most of them, I was still pregnant. There is just a special feeling I get when I'm at church and holding my new baby. I guess it's because I am in God's house and know that He gave me this precious gift.
I don't get to stay and chit chat after Bible Study anymore. I have to hurry and get out as soon as it is over. Leah's bus comes about 20 minutes after Bible Study is scheduled to be done. The one good thing is that Sarah spends all morning playing and comes home ready for a nap. Today, she fell asleep on the floor in our front room while I was writing an email. I got her in a more comfortable position then walked into the kitchen where I found Leah asleep on the floor. Really not sure why she picked that spot. I picked her up and put her on the couch. I nursed Jacob and he napped in his pop-up crib in our Family Room.
All 5 of our oldest are in school. We're off to a pretty good start. A few forgotten assignments here and there, but we'll get on track. Brandon's bus comes first in the morning - an hour before our other children's. Leah's preschool bus now comes next. She looks like such a big girl getting on the bus. She has her purple Tinkerbell messenger bag swung over her shoulder and she just walks proudly to her bus. Today she walked through the boys playing 4-square at the end of our driveway, got hit by the ball, stood still for a moment, then walked to the bus. She stopped for a quick moment to turn back towards all the mommies and daddies and smile with a little bye-bye wave. You can picture her as a professional businesswoman getting onto a bus downtown.
Noah is still trying his best at baseball. He was getting bored at his last game - playing in the dirt while playing outfield, playing with his hat, spinning around,...so the next inning Coach had Noah be catcher. You can't get bored when there's a ball being thrown at you every minute. Noah did well and I think he's found a good position. Rachel is loving her new Power Tumbling and Trampoline class. She wants to go every day. She is so flexible (and loud!) Yesterday she had to bend backwards, put her hands on the wall, and "walk" her hands down the wall to the floor so she's in a bridge position. My back hurt watching her. She did it several times - really enjoyed it. She likes to yell for her coach to watch her and likes to yell out that I'm her mom when she sees me through the window. Rachel is very loving and sweet - hopefully she'll always be that way :o) Thankfully those are the only sports going on in our family right now. I can only do so much running around.
On Wednesdays we will soon have Religious Education too - Brandon will have it on Sundays. He also does activities with Jr. Youth at our church. (This year, his design was chosen for the front of their shirts.) This weekend is Cardboard City. They will build shelters out of cardboard and stay the night in them. They'll have just the clothing they are wearing and they will eat pb&j sandwiches.
Tom and I will start going to our Couple's Bible Study again soon. We also took a summer break. Not only is it nice to meet with other couples, but all of our children get to be together too. There is childcare (If Brandon isn't doing something Jr. Youth that night, he helps do childcare.) and our children enjoy getting to hang-out and getting to know each other. I love that they're making friends with children whose parents I know and who have similar family values.
The first bus of the afternoon is due in a few minutes. I still have 3 little sleepers, so I have to put doggy outside so he doesn't bark indoors at the bus and I have to unlock the front door so the doorbell doesn't get used.
Oh,...2 days ago was my Daddy's birthday. Happy Birthday Dad! Yesterday was my Parents' Anniversary. Happy Anniversary! And today is my mom's birthday. Happy Birthday Mom!
Now it is time to make some tea, put on some music, and take a few deep breaths before I am thrown into the world of homework.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Doing Ok
"And thank you for a house full of people I love. Amen."
Yesterday our littlest girl, Sarah, turned 2. We had a little party for her on Sunday. It was fun to have family and friends over to celebrate. We kept it small since Jacob is so young. Little Sarah stayed awake through lunch, gifts, and singing happy birthday to her. After her siblings helped her blow out her 2 candles, she fell asleep at the table. She couldn't even wait for a piece of cake. So cute. I made sure she got some of her cake and ice cream when she woke up.
Jacob will be 2 weeks old tomorrow. He is such a good baby. He fits very nicely into our family. Everyone loves him and he is such a laid back little boy. Even in the middle of the night, he doesn't cry. He'll stir a little and I'll pick him up and feed him. (Jakey sleeps in a cradle next to me.) Last night we were up for awhile. Jacob didn't cry, he just laid there looking around, staring at me, cuddling with me. It was nice to just focus on each other. We hung out and cuddled and I fed him a few times until he fell back to sleep.
Today Leah, Sarah, Jacob, and I sat outside and had a picnic for lunch. We're not going to have many more warm, beautiful days before Winter gets here. We played with our neighbors and now I have 1 little boy napping and 2 little girls playing Barbies. I'm hoping they decide to take a little nap soon.
Rachel starts her new Tumbling Class today after school. She is very excited. Noah has Baseball practice. Last Saturday he had his first game - and his first experience wearing a baseball uniform and cup. Poor kid kept picking at his pants. His coach came up to me and told me that he was practicing with Noah before the game, and Noah said "What is up with these costumes?!" We're going to try something new at today's practice. Looks a little more comfy.
Day 2 of being on my own. I'm doing ok. I think it helps that everyone in our home is in bed by 9:00 at night. I make their lunches before I go to bed. (Even Tom's now.) Makes the mornings a little less hectic. Just have to focus on breakfast and getting everyone dressed. The afternoons are a little crazy. Everyone wants my attention at the same time. Either they want to tell me about something that happened at school and/or they need me to help them with their homework or sign something. Jacob is kind and patient for mommy. If he isn't happy, there are siblings that love to hold him. Ethan held him for me last night and was teaching him all the parts of his body. Brandon is at the age where he can be a huge help. He loves to cook so he helps me with dinner and also loves to hold his baby brother.
I belong to a Bible Study group. Best group of ladies. Many of them are bringing my family dinner 3 nights a week. Last night we had a very yummy dinner brought over. It was so nice to not have to make dinner. I am very touched that my Bible Girls are bringing us dinners. Very kind of them. I have a little difficulty asking for and accepting help, but I really do appreciate it. I'm getting better. I realize that it is God who has surrounded me with wonderful friends, family, and support.
I really miss having Tommy home, but we're thankful. Thankful for what we have. Thankful that Tom has a job and that I am able to stay home with our children. Thankful we have clothes to keep us covered and warm as I do huge piles of laundry. Thankful we have a home, cars, all the necessities as I pay our bills. Thankful for our home as I vacuum and clean each room. Thankful for our family as I take care of each child - even when they're whining or giving me a hard time. We are truly blessed and I am truly thankful.
Yesterday our littlest girl, Sarah, turned 2. We had a little party for her on Sunday. It was fun to have family and friends over to celebrate. We kept it small since Jacob is so young. Little Sarah stayed awake through lunch, gifts, and singing happy birthday to her. After her siblings helped her blow out her 2 candles, she fell asleep at the table. She couldn't even wait for a piece of cake. So cute. I made sure she got some of her cake and ice cream when she woke up.
Jacob will be 2 weeks old tomorrow. He is such a good baby. He fits very nicely into our family. Everyone loves him and he is such a laid back little boy. Even in the middle of the night, he doesn't cry. He'll stir a little and I'll pick him up and feed him. (Jakey sleeps in a cradle next to me.) Last night we were up for awhile. Jacob didn't cry, he just laid there looking around, staring at me, cuddling with me. It was nice to just focus on each other. We hung out and cuddled and I fed him a few times until he fell back to sleep.
Today Leah, Sarah, Jacob, and I sat outside and had a picnic for lunch. We're not going to have many more warm, beautiful days before Winter gets here. We played with our neighbors and now I have 1 little boy napping and 2 little girls playing Barbies. I'm hoping they decide to take a little nap soon.
Rachel starts her new Tumbling Class today after school. She is very excited. Noah has Baseball practice. Last Saturday he had his first game - and his first experience wearing a baseball uniform and cup. Poor kid kept picking at his pants. His coach came up to me and told me that he was practicing with Noah before the game, and Noah said "What is up with these costumes?!" We're going to try something new at today's practice. Looks a little more comfy.
Day 2 of being on my own. I'm doing ok. I think it helps that everyone in our home is in bed by 9:00 at night. I make their lunches before I go to bed. (Even Tom's now.) Makes the mornings a little less hectic. Just have to focus on breakfast and getting everyone dressed. The afternoons are a little crazy. Everyone wants my attention at the same time. Either they want to tell me about something that happened at school and/or they need me to help them with their homework or sign something. Jacob is kind and patient for mommy. If he isn't happy, there are siblings that love to hold him. Ethan held him for me last night and was teaching him all the parts of his body. Brandon is at the age where he can be a huge help. He loves to cook so he helps me with dinner and also loves to hold his baby brother.
I belong to a Bible Study group. Best group of ladies. Many of them are bringing my family dinner 3 nights a week. Last night we had a very yummy dinner brought over. It was so nice to not have to make dinner. I am very touched that my Bible Girls are bringing us dinners. Very kind of them. I have a little difficulty asking for and accepting help, but I really do appreciate it. I'm getting better. I realize that it is God who has surrounded me with wonderful friends, family, and support.
I really miss having Tommy home, but we're thankful. Thankful for what we have. Thankful that Tom has a job and that I am able to stay home with our children. Thankful we have clothes to keep us covered and warm as I do huge piles of laundry. Thankful we have a home, cars, all the necessities as I pay our bills. Thankful for our home as I vacuum and clean each room. Thankful for our family as I take care of each child - even when they're whining or giving me a hard time. We are truly blessed and I am truly thankful.
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