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All posts for the month September, 2008

Farewell, Old Friend

Published September 29, 2008 by amandamarkel

Well, after about six and a half years, Babycenter.com and I have parted ways.  Last spring, they announced a transition at a new community–more social-networking based than it was before–and while I did check it out, the new set-up is not for me.  I don’t need every mom on there to know my every movement, don’t need tags to describe myself, don’t want to “own” a group.

So, I was aware that the new was coming.  I was a beta-tester back in April (for both days I tried it out), and then they opened the community up to everybody over the summer.  At the beginning of this month, the announcement came that some of the old boards were going read-only, so it was only a matter of time. Actually, none of my boards did that, but when I went to check things out today, I had to login, and all my old boards were gone.  I was really only reading two at this point–so many people had either transitioned to the new, or left in a huff that it’s been slowing down considerably.  But I’ll miss reading about the people I had come to feel I knew.

Maybe I didn’t give the new format enough of a chance.  But if I wanted to participate in a Cafe Mom style community, I would just join Cafe Mom.  Maybe nobody ever told Babycenter “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” As for me, I have no interest in joining a group for “20-something moms with four children who homeschool, scrapbook, read a lot, and like watching reruns of Friends.”  OK, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but there are just too many specialized groups, which means that none of them really has anything interesting to say.

I’ll miss my old friend–I shared four pregnancies, infancy, babyhood, toddler and preschool stages with good ol’ BBC.  But all good things must come to an end.  As Ladybug is really no longer a baby, and really more of a toddler, I guess it’s fitting in a weird sort of a way.  Sure, Babycenter transitions to Parentcenter, and is helpful until your child turns at least eight, but mostly I guess that phase of my life is over.  I suppose I’ll find more productive things to do with my time, anyway!

It was nice knowing you, Babycenter.  Thanks for all of the information and support (while it lasted!).  Sorry I’m not hip enough to make the transition with you–guess you’re looking for younger, cooler moms than me!

Wow

Published September 27, 2008 by amandamarkel

This thought struck me last night–I have no idea why.

Can you imagine what it was like for Mary, the Mother of Jesus, when she died, and saw her son again? After seeing Him die on the cross, and then all the excitement over His resurrection (do we even know if she saw Him after He was raised?), and His leaving again on Ascension Day–to see her Son again, face to face in all His glory…

I can’t even imagine.  As Christians, we of course look forward to the day we will see Jesus face to face. And I’m sure at one time or another, we’ve all thought of loved ones we look forward to seeing again someday. But for Mary, those two events were one in the same, and there just must have been so much rejoicing in heaven that day when Son and mother, Savior and saint, were reunited.  It gives me chills!

Hard Things

Published September 27, 2008 by amandamarkel

We stepped into some uncomfortable territory in our Bible readings this week.  In the past, whether it’s been intentional or not, there have been some Bible stories I have avoided telling the children.  In part, probably because a lot of children’s Bibles leave out (or diminish) some of the harder stories.  Cain and Abel is one example of this that we tackled in the first days of homeschooling.  That’s a story that, if it even appears in a children’s Bible, is usually grossly understated–Cain wasn’t nice to Abel, etc.  Understandable–when you’re talking to impulsive children who are prone to push, hit, or bite (OK, only Moose does the biting!) when they’re upset, you may not want to mention a guy who killed his brother.  That tends to make the aforementioned pushing, hitting and biting seem less bad.  But we made it through that story without incident…

This week was harder, though.  We had to read about Abraham being instructed by God to sacrifice Isaac. Another story we hadn’t read before, and one I really didn’t want to have to try to explain to two small children.  How do you talk about a father preparing to kill his only son, and then add in that he was doing it because God told him to?  But we made our way through that one, too.  Turkey and Bunny didn’t say or ask much, but I could see the wheels turning in their heads as they pondered what the story meant.  I didn’t want to press them too hard–I certainely didn’t want to be the cause of any nightmares by talking about it too much.  

What we did talk about, though, was how good it was that Abraham loved God so much, was obedient and able to trust Him.  And how good it was that God provided a ram so that Isaac wouldn’t have to be the offering.  And most of all, how, because Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice for all of us, we don’t have to offer sacrifices to God anymore, and He would never ask us to what He asked of Abraham.  I hope I reassured them sufficiently.  Reading that part of the Bible is a totally different experience when you’re doing it with your own, rather sensitive, children.  I think I need some reassurance, too!

The Thrill of Flight

Published September 22, 2008 by amandamarkel

This past weekend was very busy for us.  Prairie Day was great enough on Saturday, but on Sunday, we also got to go to an air show at the local Air Force base.  We went to the same show last year, and we’ve also been to a few other air shows in the past, but I think this was the best one yet.  Why?  One word–Thunderbirds!

I’m fairly certain I’ve never seem a Thunderbirds show before.  I think that’s the kind of thing you remember.  I had a general idea of what to expect, but there’s just nothing like seeming them going screaming past each other (and hearing the roar of the engines–I jumped more than once!), so close, and so fast, in person, to really impress upon you how amazing it, and how much skill it takes.  The noise level was a little to much for some in our crowd (Moose), but seeing the planes go roaring by was an interesting event to be pointed at (Ladybug), and an amazing show to be enjoyed (Turkey).  Bunny just wanted to sleep through the whole thing, and attempted to take a nap on the ground in the middle of the airfield.  Weird.

The Thunderbirds were by far the most impressive and amazing thing we saw, but certainly not the only cool thing.  Turkey was amazed to see an actual jet car (he’s always pretending his toy cars are “rocket cars” so this really blew his mind!), and he even got the autograph of the driver.  There was a stunt plane flying when we first got there, which was also very interesting to the children, and the static displays are always cool–Turkey and Bunny even got to sit in a helicopter!

My favorite thing, aside from the Thunderbirds, however, was a display in honor of the 60th anniversary of the Berlin airlifts.  It was a beautiful and touching piece of our history–even some of the boxes that were dropped, and the contents thereof.  The pictures of the people who received those rations, the maps of a Germany divided, even the words to a jingle written by Irving Berlin, really made that part of history come alive.  I wasn’t expecting to find such a display so moving, but I have to admit, I teared up a bit looking at the past.  It was a really cool thing to experience, and I’m so glad we had a chance to go.

Our First Field Trip

Published September 22, 2008 by amandamarkel

On Saturday, we took our first homeschooling “field trip.”  I found out about a “Prairie Day” taking place not too terribly far from us.  In addition to our Sonlight curriculum, we’re also reading the Little House series, so this was a perfect opportunity for us to get some hands on experience with things we’ve been reading about.

I really had no idea what to expect.  Even though this is apparently a regular event, I’d never heard of it before, and I’d also never heard of the location at which it was being held.  But our family of six (plus Uncle Ken, who was brave enough to join us for the day), decided to head out and see what it was all about.  

I was not disappointed (and neither were the children!)  First of all, when we got there, we had to park and take a shuttle, which turned out to be a full-size yellow school bus.  OK, not very pioneer-y, but Turkey and Bunny were so excited for their first ride on a bus, and Moose and Ladybug were equally thrilled with the ride.  

When we got there, the children were given workbooks, into which they could place five stickers that they were to collect from the different demonstrators (and we did get all five!).  They also got to collect wooden nickels along the way to spend at the Trading Post, which was really cute, and a great way for them to get a little souvenir without spending any actual money.

There were so many different displays there, I couldn’t remember them all if I tried.  Candle-making, soap carving, quilting, churning, and archery to name a few.  Plus the tents featuring different kinds of wildlife and native plants and seeds (both Turkey and Bunny are as tall as a purple coneflower, in case you were wondering).  There were pioneer games, a hayride (which we didn’t go on), pony rides (which Turkey and Bunny loved–Daddy, not so much, as a pony decided to kick him!), a sod house and covered wagon, a teepee, sheep to pet (I think Turkey and Bunny were very surprised as to what they felt like!), and bison burgers, which, for the record, were delicious!

It was an awesome day, and I’m really glad we could go and learn more about Pioneer times.  There was also some wonderfully beautiful scenery (which will be even more so in a few weeks when the leaves change!), and it was a fantastic way to spend a Saturday afternoon, and learn a little something in the process.  Hopefully, this was just the first of many fun, family field trips!

My Little Drama Queen

Published September 19, 2008 by amandamarkel

Ladybug has a lot of personality for someone who is only 16 months old.  Sometimes, if I’m crazy enough to let my mind go there, I really wonder what she’s going to be like as a teenager.  I better start stocking up on antacids and ibuprofen!

Today we were playing in the boys room.  Ladybug was standing next to Turkey’s bed, just kind of hanging out, and marveling over this wonder that is walking (still a relatively new skill for her).  All of the sudden, she falls down.  I’m not really even sure you can call it falling–she basically just sat down on her behind, and not even hard.  She, of course, being who she is, starts wailing.  ”Oh, the world is about to end. Whatever will become of me?”  (I’m guessing that’s what she was going for, anyway!)

Well, apparently, this was not a satisfactory way to express herself, or she felt she wasn’t getting enough attention, so she did a slow fall from a sitting position, until she was laying on her back.  The wailing continues, she’s rolling back and forth and kicking her legs (none of our other children ever tantrumed in this all-out fashion!)–”oh, the injustice of it all!  Sitting down on one’s behind is so cruel; the world is such a terrible place.”

And then it becomes clear.  She starts rubbing her eyes.  All of these dramatics are for a little bit of sleepiness. All she had to do was say “ni-ni,” and off to bed she would have gone.  But that’s not good enough for Ladybug.  Why do something simply and with practicality when you can do it with style?

Like Father, Like Son

Published September 16, 2008 by amandamarkel

Today at lunch we were talking about pumpkins.  Bunny, partly being silly, asked me what pumpkins eat.  I, of course, told her that pumpkins don’t “eat” anything.  But then she wanted to know what they drink.  Well, water, just like any other plant, silly (which, by the way, would have been an answer that could have satisfied her curiosity, were it not for her big brother).

It’s at this point that Turkey felt the need to throw in his two cents…”pumpkins aren’t plants.”  Fine, he got me on a technicality…backtrack a bit…”you’re right, but they grow on plants, so they drink water like other plants.”

Then he really sticks it to me…”actually, pumpkins grow on vines.”

He gets this from his father.  Let’s keep in mind that when he was in grade school, my husband skipped a grade, partly because he was that smart, but also partly because, after having him for the first year of a two grade combined classroom situation, his mother (who is also a Lutheran schoolteacher) decided that she could not deal with him for a second year.

Man, do I know how she felt…and we’re only on the third week of Kindergarten!  I’m in big trouble!

My Favorite Things–Fall

Published September 14, 2008 by amandamarkel

Fall or Autumn?  I can never decide what to call it!  Either way, it’s my very favorite season, and I can’t wait!

 

Leaves Changing–Two years ago, when he was three and a half, Turkey told me that the leaves change during Fall because “God likes beautiful things.”  I agree with him 100%, and I’m so thankful that we have a God who loves little details.  I love the beautiful reds and yellows and oranges that decorate the trees.  Only God could make leaves that are really dying so pretty!

First Frost–There’s nothing like that first morning there’s frost on the grass, and it crunches underfoot.

Color–The leaves changing are not the only colors I admire in Fall.  The colors that show up on clothes, decorations and displays are so rich and beautiful, and such a pleasing contrast to the eye after looking at the light and bright colors of spring and summer.  All the beautiful eggplants, wines, rusts, and oranges–I can’t wear a lot of these colors (would hate to clash with my skin tone!), but I love seeing them everywhere!

Boots–After a long summer of wearing sandals, which are admittedly more conveinent, I can’t wait to wear a pair of tall boots with a knee length skirt!

Sweaters–Soft and cuddly, it’s as close to wearing a cozy blanket out as you can get.

Leaves Crunching–Like the first frost, there’s something magical about hearing dried leaves crunching under your feet when you go for a leisurely fall stroll.  And don’t even get me started on leaf piles…

Candles–Specifically, my very favorite candle, “Autumn Wreath” by Yankee Candle.  I only allow myself to buy one a year (too darn expensive–I remember when the big candle used to be $19.99, which I thought was a lot, and now they’re $24.99!), and won’t start burning it until October 1st.  And even then, I ration it, so it lasts as close to Christmas as possible.  But it smells heavenly–just like fall, full of spices, and a hint of leaves–and there’s something so homey and comforting about the flicker of candlelight.

Fashion–I love new fall fashions.  Granted, they come out in July or August, when you don’t even want to think about sweaters and long pants, but at least you can comfort yourself with the reminder that cool weather will appear eventually!  Maybe it goes back to my childhood fondness for back to school shopping. I just love seeing the new styles, criticizing the ridiculous ones, dreaming about what I’d like to have, drooling over the popular colors and cuts.  And the crowning glory of it all is the Glamour fall fashion issue.

Pumpkins–So round and cheerful (just like Ladybug!), such a quick and easy way to decorate, and a fun field trip if you are lucky enough to live near a pumpkin patch.  What’s not to love?

The Great Pumpkin–we don’t “do” Halloween.  Not our thing, and we don’t see the need for it.  But I love the tradition of watching The Great Pumpkin every year.  I love Charlie Brown and his friends, I love the music, and I really love the obvious poking of fun at the whole “Santa” thing (which we also don’t “do”) that is present in the story.  It’s cute and fun, and it’s a show I don’t have to worry about my children watching, which is something you can’t say about a lot of the current stuff out there!

Baking–I do my best baking during Fall (well, Fall, and of course, Christmas!).  There are several recipes that I will only make during this season–butterscotch haystacks, pumpkin and apple bread, caramel apple pie–and one thing that *I* don’t make, but will only allow myself to buy during Fall–the very delicious pumpkin butter!  I love all the spices–cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg–and the smells associated with them.  I also love the cozy feeling in the house when something delicious is baking.  Oh yeah–I love eating it all, too!

The Air–I love the air in fall.  A crisp fall breeze coming in the window and billowing the curtains.  The refreshing coolness after a hot summer.  The small of dry leaves.  The smell of burning leaves.  The smell of a chill in the air.  And, if you’re really lucky, the smell of the first snow.

Heavy Blankets–It’s so fun to put the good comforter back on the bed, after a summer of only a light blanket.  It makes me so happy to need the comforter to keep warm (because that means that I am finally, actually, cold!), and I love the weight of a heavy blanket.

Long Sleeves–particularly seeing my children in long sleeves.  After seeing them in shorts and t-shirts for so many months, the long pants and long sleeve shirts somehow emphasize how they’re grown, and make them seem smaller, at the same time.  I have no idea how that’s possible, but it is.  I’m always struck by how much older they look in long sleeves, but they seem littler, too.  Maybe because the bigger sizes and new styles make them look more grown-up, but they’re dwarfed by the length?  I don’t know.  Weird.

Being Cold–After the aforementioned long, hot summer, I love being a little cold.  Like when you forget to close the window before you go to bed, and you’re a little reluctant to get out from under the covers in the morning.  When your nose is just a little too cold.  When you think you may actually want to put on gloves and/or a scarf.  Or needing to wear a sweater or a great jacket for the first time.  What can I say?  My ancestors are from northern-ish Europe–being cold is in my blood, and I’m far more comfortable in chilly weather than I am in hot!

Crock-pot Meals and Soup–I do make these kind of meals all year long.  But I make them a lot more when it gets cooler out.  For one thing, the weather is more conducive to it–when it’s chilly, you want to eat something warm and comforting, something that will stick to your ribs and keep you warm, especially if you’re going to be outside.  I love the wonderful smell in the house when something is cooking in the crock-pot all day.  Or the smell of soup simmering for several hours.  And the delicious flavors in those dishes…yum!  Which brings me to…

Spices–Not just the baking kind, although I do love baking spices.  The smell and taste of delicious flavors like cloves and cinnamon–and they seem more prevalent in recipes I make at this time of year.  But savory flavors, too, like curry and cumin, mean Fall to me.  Probably because there are a lot of big flavors in crock-pot dishes and soups.  Maybe because you’re more likely to eat heavier flavors and richer foods in Fall and Winter than other times of the year.  But Fall mean using lots of different spices to me, and since I like both cooking and baking, this is good news!  

Apple Cider–I hate apple juice.  Just can’t stand it, and I have to be pretty desperate to drink it.  But apple cider is another story altogether.  It’s a good thing it’s so expensive (I guess), or I would drink entirely too much of it.  It’s just so good and full of flavor.  And if you’re feeling really ambitious, and want to heat it with mulling spices, Oh. My. Goodness!  It’s just the perfect fall beverage!  

Running the Heat for the First Time–There’s a special smell in the house when you run the heat for the first time.  I have very strong memories of this from my childhood, and I was afraid when I moved to my own home that maybe it was something particular about my parents’ house.  Nope–it seems to be universal, and I look forward to it every year.

The First Snow–Usually, at least in the places I’ve lived, the first snowfall of the year technically occurs in Fall (even if it’s usually the very tail end).  The world is just magical when it snows, and even though I’ll be sick of it by mid-January, there’s something so special about that first dusting…

Christmas–I know, Christmas is in Winter (but only by a few days!), but I love the anticipation of the Advent/Christmas season.  Starting about mid-October, I start getting really excited, and by the time we put the tree up after Thanksgiving, I’m ready to go.  Fall is my specials pre-Christmas time, which I know sounds silly, but is really important to me.  I’ve never met anybody who likes Christmas as much as I do, and I like having that time to myself where I’m excited about the upcoming Holiday, when other people aren’t really thinking about it yet.  It’s my favorite!

 

I love Fall–can you tell?

Baby Steps

Published September 14, 2008 by amandamarkel

An update on Moose, for those who are interested…

He’s receiving speech therapy twice a week, and occupational therapy once a week, all in our home.  That’s the best thing about Early Intervention as far as I’m concerned.  We don’t have to worry about going anywhere, and I don’t have to figure out what to do with the other three children–they just play in the playroom, and we do the therapy thing in the den.  I’m still having a tough time finding the correct balance for my time with the three hours of therapy a week, plus homeschooling and my usual mommy stuff, cooking, cleaning, laundry and taking care of the finances (I know three hours doesn’t sound like much, but it can throw a wrench in the day, especially when the appointments take place at weird times!), but we’re working on it, and the main thing is, Moose loves it.

Both therapists have told me that they are impressed, and frankly shocked, with how quickly he is progressing.  According to them, most children do not move at the rate he is, and since I’m assuming they have no reason to lie to me to make me feel better, I guess he’s doing fantastic.  It can be hard for me to see the improvements, probably because I’m with him all the time (kind of like how you can’t notice your own children growing, until you see that their pants are too short), but when I think back to how he did with the evaluations in our home back in late July, I do notice a big difference.  His attention span, particularly for adult-directed activities, is phenomenally longer.  He is still not talking much on his own, but he’s making many more attempts at repeating what we say.  His eye contact seems to be improving, and he’s interacting more.  Oh, and he’s doing a great job with following directions, and not just when he wants to!  All great things, and all what a mommy wants to hear!  Yeah, he still has his moments, but what almost-three-year-old doesn’t?

His therapists tell me that there’s a very good chance he’ll “outgrow” his diagnosis in a few years, which would be fantastic.  For now, I’m not going to think ahead to then–obviously, that’s what we want, but I don’t want to get my hopes up for something that might not happen.  He will be going to “preschool” four days a week once he turn three–I wish it was a three day program, but I’m feeling much better about it after talking to an actual representative from the school district (probably the best source of information, huh?  That doctor had no clue what she was talking about in regards to our schools!), and he’ll continue to receive therapies there, which I know will be good for him.  If I can swing it with insurance, we may even be able to keep seeing our speech therapist once or twice a week, and she even said she’d keep coming to the house, so that’s something I’ll have to work on before his birthday.

Overall, things are looking good, I’m feeling a little better (although, I still have moments where I break down sobbing, thinking about my sweet little boy having to deal with being autistic for the rest of his life!), and most important of all, Moose is happy (as always!) and improving in ways I’m sure he doesn’t even realize, but which make the rest of us feel really good!

A Fun Day

Published September 14, 2008 by amandamarkel

Today our church had a church picnic.  Now, I have to admit, I’m not really one for having church outdoors–not my thing.  I do my worshipping best in a church.  Also, trying to get four small children to behave for church outside, especially when we would not have had actual chairs to use for containment, is no small task. So I was not too excited about this event.

Thanks to what was apparently still Tropical Depression Ike when it got to us (never before have I experienced wind like that!  I know for certain that I never want to experience an actual hurricane, and I’m certainly never going to live by the Gulf Coast!), we did end up having church indoors, which was far more comfortable for me, although I do feel bad for all of the people at our church who were looking forward to the annual outdoor service.  The drive to church was certainly interesting, what with some hydroplaning and seeing a car stranded in a ditch submerged in quite a bit of water, and had the winds not calmed some before we left, we might not have braved it, but I’m glad we did!

The “picnic” (if you can still call it that when it was inside) afterwards was so much fun!  I’m so glad we stayed for it.  We really shouldn’t have–because we weren’t sure if we were going to go at all and/or stay after the service, I had no side dish to pass.  I’m still feeling bad about that, especially since our family of six can eat a lot (and especially since Ladybug’s teeth have finally arrived, and she has discovered the joy of eating real food!).  But, here’s the thing–also thanks to Tropical Depression Ike, we had no power when we left for church, and as best as we can figure, it didn’t come back on until after lunch time, so we really didn’t have a way to eat at home.  So, we threw guilt aside, and stayed for lunch. 

The children got to play fun games, and won entirely too many prizes.  Seriously, it’s like Christmas around here with all the stuff they got.  Even Moose got to participate in the sucker pull, and between that and some trading with Turkey and Bunny, he got a small soccer ball, and echo microphone and some M&Ms, all of which he is ecstatic about, and does not want to part with (except for the M&Ms, which he of course promptly ate!).  Turkey and Bunny have no end to new stuff–both a football and a soccer ball, beach balls, pens, bubbles, puzzles, candy, other stuff I’m sure I’m missing.  And Turkey won a prize at the cake walk (actually, Bunny won once, too, but it was one treat per family, and she won second), and much to my delight, picked a beautiful tray of cupcakes, which I’m not too proud to admit I was hoping he’d choose (yum!).  

Oh, and did I mention the food?  There’s nothing like a bunch of Lutheran ladies for providing you with a great meal!  Not to mention their faithful husbands, manning the grills, even in questionable weather.  We discovered that Turkey likes brats, which he had never been interested in before, Bunny likes grilled chicken, deviled eggs are enough like egg salad that children find them delicious, and, of course, desserts are awesome.  It was such a fun afternoon (I only wish we could have stayed for the Bible bingo, but the younger two were very tired and really ready to go), and I can’t think of any group of people I’d rather spend time with than our church family.  Every one of us, from my Mister, right on down to little Ladybug, has people to talk to and spend time with–does it get any better than that?

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