Another weird week and other thoughts
(A really long time ago now) Karis had her first sick day . . . the perfect amount of not feeling well, enough to cuddle and yet be active. Savored that time with her (and an afternoon viewing of Aristocats). We also made it (miraculously) to Best Buy for a dishwasher. I'm scared to think of what the guy thought of us - maybe "whoa, here's an easy sell, a highly distracted mom . . . ". The kids were hilarious and lost parts of their innocence watching James Bond and listening to Tom Petty while I finalized the decision.
The real stuff that I know I'll look back on and think "whoa, that was SIMPLE" . . .Trevor's been working long and hard and under frustrating circumstances. I've realized part of the trickle down is that I'm a thermostat (up and down according to the temp of those around me). Harder still is that I love to help, and I feel so helpless. So much growth, and I so pray to grow well. My attitude is not always stellar (huh, Trev?). He's a man of character and loyalty, I'm thankful for him and also for the work he's been given.
And not so long ago, we had a week of croup that timed so perfectly (right before Thanksgiving). Steroids, I am a believer. And mercy, the timing was so perfect and I feel so grateful (and yes, often undeserving) of the health we usually enjoy. This same week, a dear friend has a friend who lost their 8 month old daughter . . . started with croup and ended as a sad story - and yet filled with triumph as the family testified to the hope of Heaven and One who loves Ivy in a way we can't comprehend.
Which reminds me of the lesson here lately that I've been pondering: solid ground. Learning to find it no matter what is going on around me . . . these are the days, I know that, and I don't want to miss them by standing on sinking sand. See quotes from the Happiness Project below - enjoying today and building good habits in the good times that will help us be unshakable when circumstances swirl.
Aside from all this, I often wonder what my kids will remember about their growing up years. That mental/heart filter helps me to set the atmosphere in the home. Not going for perfection here, but there's nothing like these littles to expose and refine. Loving it, really.
Reveal/60/40
Whoa, a whirlwind and wonderful weekend of celebration for my parents' 40th anniversary, mom's 60th birthday and D & M's "reveal" that they are having a boy and a girl. Hot Plate, Arboretum, YUM, together. What a sweet season.
Halloween
Cousin & aunt and uncle & framily time with the dear Dierkers made this holiday hilarious and refreshing. Lots of elk for dinner , lots of candy, lots of kids running around. Karis was Mary Poppins (spent the day making her own hat), Judah was in Mickey Mouse halloween jammies and a minion hat, I mimicked him and put on my pajama pants, Trev rocked being Trev. A little trick or treating, lots of catching up, moms "cleaning up" while dads took kids around the 'hood', some watching Over the Hedge. Just right.
Baptism Birthday
Verses, pictures, books, candle lighting, burgers. What a reminder to us all, being welcomed to the family with joy.
Sneaking Candy
Pic right below, Karis and I snuck up to my room while the boys were occupied downstairs - picked out a piece to have right before her baptism birthday dinner. Selfish motives (hello, Reeses) help me remember to have more fun. Why not?
Writing Books
Laura books. Barbie books. Books about school. Books about family. Karis loves to write. Her first sounded out/spelled sentence: "We wint to dsny wrld" (or something like that, I tragically can't find the paper).
Girls' Weekend/Boys' Weekend
Judah and Trev enjoyed some quality time while I played with the girls . . . here for a baby shower and some November birthday bliss. Refreshing, for all I think. And hey, the "other boys" got their elk - hooray!
Shenanigans
Judah's. At naptime. Hilarious. Picture below. The picture I can't post is of when I went in a different time and he was completely naked - with all his clothes/diaper put back in their proper places . . . and saying, "I want a new bed!". This happened a couple times and then the antic disappeared. Oh that boy.
Karis and I found the perfect book for her - to articulate her wish to stay young: I Like to Be Little (Charlotte Zolatow). It's articulates us here entirely, you need to go read it. The little girl explains why she wants to stay little while the mom keeps asking her why and affirming her thoughts. At the end, the mom explains how when you're older and have your own little daughter you get to be little again. YES. Love.
Basement reno (a start)
Oh bless my friend Becky, who I think maybe was tired of me complaining about our basement and offered to help stain the floor. So simple, so satisfying - a Saturday morning with gal pals, donuts and paint gave us a toy room. Hooray!
Car Rides
Essential now to every night when Trevor comes home. CAR RIDE DADDY! They sit in his lap and he does a little lap around the cul de sac. I love watching these memories in the making.
Star Gazing
First with neighbor babysitter Chelsea and forever more whenever she can - love this. Children remind us to take time for magical things (in our yard now we end up watching a lot of airplanes along with the stars).
Watching the lamp post turn on (Christmas lights too)
Karis hilarious loves to watch the lamp post in our cul de sac turn on. I love watching what she loves.
Mustache man
Trev had a good run with his fall mustache this year. After a Sunday morning of stares at church and the anticipation of meeting a new boss-man, well, he decided to let it go. Well done, Trev.
Thanksgiving
We're always glad to go to Bis - I mean really, we take over the grandparents' houses, makes tons of memories, eat lots of good food, run zero errands, connect with lots of family and enjoy our home land. Fulfilling and filling gatherings, a date night, finding out J & C are having a little girl, meeting a dear friend's baby girl. Thankful. And writing this the day after returning: holiday hangover - like, crabby and tired and back to full responsibility. I think it's a real thing - SO wonderful in the moment with zero regrets . . . and then, the next day . . .
And now, Advent
Simple. Trying to be simple and quiet and anticipating. Searching inward and reaching out. Memories, meaning, waiting, hoping. Started it off today with snowman making (named Crystal), nativity setting, hot chocolate consuming, candle lighting. Ahhhhhh.
Recent reading quotables . . .
From In This House of Brede (quote reminds me of motherhood as a calling):
"The silence Dame Catherine had found so fruitful must be continually broken in upon; worst of all, she, to whom it was still an ordeal to take a solo part in choir, or to act as the reader in the refectory, meet strangers in the parlor - though she had successfully hidden all this, too successfully she could have said - must now always be solo, leader in everything, unmercifully prominent. An abbess cannot lift a little finger but it is seen and marked by her nuns, she must lead, inspire, and every hour of the twenty four hours of each day until she died, bear that awesome responsibility of souls and, in her own monastery, be the representative of Christ"
From The Long Winter (Little House)
"'We eat when we get hungry', said Royal. 'That's the advantage of baching it. Where there's no women-folks, there's no regular mealtimes'". (as Pa ate their bacon and pancakes with glee)
From The Count of Monte Cristo (the last page of the book, which became like a dear friend to me after at least 5 months of reading it!)
"There is neither happiness nor wisdom in the world, there is only the comparison of one state with another - nothing more. He who has felt the deepest grief is best able to experience supreme happiness."
"Live, then, and be happy, beloved children of my heart, and never forget htat until the day when God shall deign to reveal the future to man, all human wisdom is summed up in these to words: 'Wait and hope.'"
From The Happiness Project
"'I am happy, but I'm not as happy as I should be. I have such a good life, I want to appreciate it more - and live up to it better . . . I complain too much, get annoyed more than I should. I think if I felt happier, I'd behave better'" . . . "I wanted to prepare. I was a very fortunate person, but the wheel would turn. One dark night, my phone was going to ring . . .one of my goals was to prepare for adversity - to develop the self discipline and the mental habits to deal with a bad thing when it happened . . . I didn't want to wait for a crisis to remake my life."
From The Exact Place
". . . it was here, in the midst of glory and brokenness, where I found a miracle - or at least, pretty near to one: it was the thread of redemption even through the dark hours after midnight. If I had been fat with well being and contentment I believe I would have missed the love of God that still tracks through the wilderness heading me toward Home. I am, I was, in the exact place I needed to be."
Also recently loved reading Longing for Paris, Heidi and For the Love. Adored all.
Karis-isms:
- "This chicken noodle soup doesn't really have any chicken?" (hello, Campbell's)
- "How much did the dishwasher cost? Do you have enough money?"
- "I have a fever - like Frozen Fever!"
- "Think we should get right to the good stuff?" (said when wanting to skip previews before a movie)
- "Momma, how do you spell 'twins'?"
- "Mom, do flowers have funerals?"
- "You're the best best best best _________"
- "Did the time change yet?"
- "Momma, it doesn't LOOK like the time changed?!"
- "Can you believe there are GAMES with the catalog?!" (Toys R Us trip where an employee was instructing my kids on i phone apps for their catalog. What?!)
- "Here dad, you can look at this and find things that YOU want to buy!"
- "Oh mom, sorry our plan didn't work out, but can we go to Target and eat popcorn soon?" (said while whizzing to French Park with daddy)
- "Can I help you?" (after I explained it was going to be one of those days where there's a lot to do)
- "Daddy, we can clear out part of the basement and when you retire from all your jobs you could have a nice little office!"
- "We got to see the lamp post come on!" (she LOVES this)
- "It gets dark so early, I just feel so invisible"
- "Maybe Judah should go to home school?" (when we were talking about him not going to preschool anymore. Oh wise Karis)
- "Yeah I have an elephant memory" (she's heard me say this one a lot, and it's so true)
- "Well, we could just go to Caribou for a bit to chat and connect?" (while driving to airport to pick up the grandmas)
- "Well, we'll have to hang Judah's bike up occasionally" (I adore her vocab)
- "Daddy, can we please talk about stars instead of serious things?"
- "It's like a tv on way more bigger" (said while stargazing)
- "Mom, do crocodiles have meat on them?"
- "This might be the worst croup yet"
- "Do you know what I wish for Judah? I wish he'd grow up and be a farmer"
- "Judah! Grandpa Kirk shot an elk with a gun and now we get to eat meat!"
- "Mommy, do you have a star? Do you know where it is?" (found out later that the John Henry fairy tale at school talks about this)
- She constructed her first words (alone) this week: "We wint to dsny wrld" (needs some vowels but I was super shocked). And in writing a thank you note, "Fank yu". Love it!
- "I need to go check on Crystal!"
- "I'm going to the parlor"
Judah Jibes:
- "Man in car eating sucker!" (said when he can see people smoking in their cars)
- "I'm funny!"
- "Go to school! Play play-dough"
- "That go in the garbage"
- "I watch James Bond movie!"
- "Timmy go to bed. Read God Book!" (recently loving the Eloise Wilkin stories I got for Karis when he was born)
- "I'm farmer boy!" (he IS. Farming is in this little boy's blood . . . planting, plants, flowers, tractors)
- "I'm awake!"
- "I wanna take a break!"
- "Little man fix dishwasher! TWO little men fix dishwasher!"
- "Mommy gave me pinecones!" (translate: waffle cones)
- "Look at that!"
- "Look, it's a house! Ahhhhh, no, actually it's a library!" (on the way to preschool, seeing a huge Honeywell building)
- "I went to zoo! I saw bear dig sand!"
- "Grandma Carole tongue fell out!"
- "Congratulations!"
- "Drangonfly in here! Get out!" (there was a stick in the bath he thought was a drangonfly - and he was scared. That dang bee sting continues to play out in a fear of bugs here)
- "I go houses! I get bag. I get candy!"
- "Mmmmmm, coconut"
- "Ahhhh, I think read rhymes!"
- "Go uppa mommy"
- "I'm gonna do forks" (helping Karis unload dishwasher)
- "I can have it . . . " (while taking something of Karis's while she's not looking)
- "I love your outfit!" (repeating me, but still adorable)
- "I go get new dress" (after taking off his pants, came down in star wars jammie pants and vikings jersey)
- "Ahhhh, I think read Yak and Gnu!"
- "Look, it's a triangle!" (said in a store, and correctly - I credit the book Mouse Shapes)
- "I'm not screaming mommy!" (when he's screaming I tell him he's screaming. He notes when he stops)
- "Read Hickory Dickory Dock!"
- "Ohh la la!" (a little saying he and Nancy have with each other)
- "Mommy go in car too!" (when we're driving separately and I'm not with him)
- "I go on pootsie hunt" (when we're looking for his beloved lovey)
- "Noooo, I no poopie, I'm dry"
- "Grandpa in Colorado! Grandpa go elk hunting!"
- "I have to eat my green beans!"
- "Uppa Karis!" (loves being held by Karis, ADORABLE)
- "Where are you mommy?" (love this)
- "No mommy glasses!" (can't stand the sight of me wearing glasses)
- "Hop to mommy!" (he does this all the time)
- "Engine turtle jammies!" (ninja translated)
- "How about RACE!" (he and Karis go back and forth with ideas of what to play)
- "I want tomato apple sauce!" (the costco squeeze applesauce - he thinks the apple on the front is a tomato)
From In This House of Brede (quote reminds me of motherhood as a calling):
"The silence Dame Catherine had found so fruitful must be continually broken in upon; worst of all, she, to whom it was still an ordeal to take a solo part in choir, or to act as the reader in the refectory, meet strangers in the parlor - though she had successfully hidden all this, too successfully she could have said - must now always be solo, leader in everything, unmercifully prominent. An abbess cannot lift a little finger but it is seen and marked by her nuns, she must lead, inspire, and every hour of the twenty four hours of each day until she died, bear that awesome responsibility of souls and, in her own monastery, be the representative of Christ"
From The Long Winter (Little House)
"'We eat when we get hungry', said Royal. 'That's the advantage of baching it. Where there's no women-folks, there's no regular mealtimes'". (as Pa ate their bacon and pancakes with glee)
From The Count of Monte Cristo (the last page of the book, which became like a dear friend to me after at least 5 months of reading it!)
"There is neither happiness nor wisdom in the world, there is only the comparison of one state with another - nothing more. He who has felt the deepest grief is best able to experience supreme happiness."
"Live, then, and be happy, beloved children of my heart, and never forget htat until the day when God shall deign to reveal the future to man, all human wisdom is summed up in these to words: 'Wait and hope.'"
From The Happiness Project
"'I am happy, but I'm not as happy as I should be. I have such a good life, I want to appreciate it more - and live up to it better . . . I complain too much, get annoyed more than I should. I think if I felt happier, I'd behave better'" . . . "I wanted to prepare. I was a very fortunate person, but the wheel would turn. One dark night, my phone was going to ring . . .one of my goals was to prepare for adversity - to develop the self discipline and the mental habits to deal with a bad thing when it happened . . . I didn't want to wait for a crisis to remake my life."
From The Exact Place
". . . it was here, in the midst of glory and brokenness, where I found a miracle - or at least, pretty near to one: it was the thread of redemption even through the dark hours after midnight. If I had been fat with well being and contentment I believe I would have missed the love of God that still tracks through the wilderness heading me toward Home. I am, I was, in the exact place I needed to be."
Also recently loved reading Longing for Paris, Heidi and For the Love. Adored all.
Karis-isms:
- "This chicken noodle soup doesn't really have any chicken?" (hello, Campbell's)
- "How much did the dishwasher cost? Do you have enough money?"
- "I have a fever - like Frozen Fever!"
- "Think we should get right to the good stuff?" (said when wanting to skip previews before a movie)
- "Momma, how do you spell 'twins'?"
- "Mom, do flowers have funerals?"
- "You're the best best best best _________"
- "Did the time change yet?"
- "Momma, it doesn't LOOK like the time changed?!"
- "Can you believe there are GAMES with the catalog?!" (Toys R Us trip where an employee was instructing my kids on i phone apps for their catalog. What?!)
- "Here dad, you can look at this and find things that YOU want to buy!"
- "Oh mom, sorry our plan didn't work out, but can we go to Target and eat popcorn soon?" (said while whizzing to French Park with daddy)
- "Can I help you?" (after I explained it was going to be one of those days where there's a lot to do)
- "Daddy, we can clear out part of the basement and when you retire from all your jobs you could have a nice little office!"
- "We got to see the lamp post come on!" (she LOVES this)
- "It gets dark so early, I just feel so invisible"
- "Maybe Judah should go to home school?" (when we were talking about him not going to preschool anymore. Oh wise Karis)
- "Yeah I have an elephant memory" (she's heard me say this one a lot, and it's so true)
- "Well, we could just go to Caribou for a bit to chat and connect?" (while driving to airport to pick up the grandmas)
- "Well, we'll have to hang Judah's bike up occasionally" (I adore her vocab)
- "Daddy, can we please talk about stars instead of serious things?"
- "It's like a tv on way more bigger" (said while stargazing)
- "Mom, do crocodiles have meat on them?"
- "This might be the worst croup yet"
- "Do you know what I wish for Judah? I wish he'd grow up and be a farmer"
- "Judah! Grandpa Kirk shot an elk with a gun and now we get to eat meat!"
- "Mommy, do you have a star? Do you know where it is?" (found out later that the John Henry fairy tale at school talks about this)
- She constructed her first words (alone) this week: "We wint to dsny wrld" (needs some vowels but I was super shocked). And in writing a thank you note, "Fank yu". Love it!
- "I need to go check on Crystal!"
- "I'm going to the parlor"
Judah Jibes:
- "Man in car eating sucker!" (said when he can see people smoking in their cars)
- "I'm funny!"
- "Go to school! Play play-dough"
- "That go in the garbage"
- "I watch James Bond movie!"
- "Timmy go to bed. Read God Book!" (recently loving the Eloise Wilkin stories I got for Karis when he was born)
- "I'm farmer boy!" (he IS. Farming is in this little boy's blood . . . planting, plants, flowers, tractors)
- "I'm awake!"
- "I wanna take a break!"
- "Little man fix dishwasher! TWO little men fix dishwasher!"
- "Mommy gave me pinecones!" (translate: waffle cones)
- "Look at that!"
- "Look, it's a house! Ahhhhh, no, actually it's a library!" (on the way to preschool, seeing a huge Honeywell building)
- "I went to zoo! I saw bear dig sand!"
- "Grandma Carole tongue fell out!"
- "Congratulations!"
- "Drangonfly in here! Get out!" (there was a stick in the bath he thought was a drangonfly - and he was scared. That dang bee sting continues to play out in a fear of bugs here)
- "I go houses! I get bag. I get candy!"
- "Mmmmmm, coconut"
- "Ahhhh, I think read rhymes!"
- "Go uppa mommy"
- "I'm gonna do forks" (helping Karis unload dishwasher)
- "I can have it . . . " (while taking something of Karis's while she's not looking)
- "I love your outfit!" (repeating me, but still adorable)
- "I go get new dress" (after taking off his pants, came down in star wars jammie pants and vikings jersey)
- "Ahhhh, I think read Yak and Gnu!"
- "Look, it's a triangle!" (said in a store, and correctly - I credit the book Mouse Shapes)
- "I'm not screaming mommy!" (when he's screaming I tell him he's screaming. He notes when he stops)
- "Read Hickory Dickory Dock!"
- "Ohh la la!" (a little saying he and Nancy have with each other)
- "Mommy go in car too!" (when we're driving separately and I'm not with him)
- "I go on pootsie hunt" (when we're looking for his beloved lovey)
- "Noooo, I no poopie, I'm dry"
- "Grandpa in Colorado! Grandpa go elk hunting!"
- "I have to eat my green beans!"
- "Uppa Karis!" (loves being held by Karis, ADORABLE)
- "Where are you mommy?" (love this)
- "No mommy glasses!" (can't stand the sight of me wearing glasses)
- "Hop to mommy!" (he does this all the time)
- "Engine turtle jammies!" (ninja translated)
- "How about RACE!" (he and Karis go back and forth with ideas of what to play)
- "I want tomato apple sauce!" (the costco squeeze applesauce - he thinks the apple on the front is a tomato)
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