The Kiddos

It's hard to believe my little guy is 19 months.
He is, I think, the happiest kid I know. He rarely throws a tantrum and is so much fun I can hardly stand it. He doesn't talk (other than mama and hi) but points, grunts, and jumps to draw attention to whatever it is he wants. While I'm not really worried about the fact that he doesn't talk, it sure would be nice if he'd start.
Sophie translates most of his grunts for us, which I'm sure is partly why he's behind, but my mother in law tells me that Roy started talking late and we all know that he's not the quiet type. Our pediatrician said that one day Miller will wake up and say, "Mommy, will you please make me some pancakes?" Sounds about right.
We enjoyed an always-too-brief but wonderful visit to SD for Christmas where these two got to spend some time together.
Miller eats pretty much everything you put in front of him and goes back for seconds. His favorite food is green beans, but he'll put away nearly every vegetable. Roy seems somewhat concerned by this, but I assure him he'll grow up just fine eating fresh green things. Miller is gentle, has a tremendous love of animals and music, loves his sister, his big brother, and going for walks outside. We are so blessed to have such a lovable little guy.

This one... this one is trouble.
Okay, not really. But where to start? Sophie is still the kind and gentle soul that she always has been, but is a worrier - just like I was as a kid. She sings in the choir at church, but hardly opens her mouth at performance time. She's shy and clingy one minute and then next is leading a group of kids around the playground.

Sometimes she just seems so old.
She and Ella had a fantastic time together at Christmas. They have been writing letters to each other since the holiday and my brother and I agree that watching this relationship develop will continue to be such a joy.
Sophie also bonded with Grandma and Grandpa - in a variety of ways!Sophie is such a sweet girl. She's definitely testing limits and seeing how much she can get away with, but in the end she wants to be good. We have lots of conversations about God and about why bad people exist (she worries about kidnappers). Every picture she draws includes a rainbow and someone smiling. I love watching her grow up.

This one is illusive.
He is almost 14 (!!) and is in the final year of middle school. Riley has a great interest in film making (in the above picture he's playing with his Flip Video Camera) and loves movies, music, and girls. He is the apple of Sophie and Miller's eye and as far as 13 year olds go, pretty amazing.

It's not all roses, of course. Roy is working nights which makes for exhausting evenings and the kids miss him. I have the schedule of most working moms (job, dinner, baths, books, bed) that leaves me tired and daydreaming about a weekend away with my husband and I have no idea how my house gets so messy so quickly! But this right here... this makes it all worth it.

Construction

My blogs have been sparse for two reasons.

1. I have the incorrect impression that if I don't post pictures, I shouldn't post a blog. I need to get over that.

2. In the midst of the holiday season and chasing an active 1 year old (Miller is CRAZY), and planning for my new role as Girl Scout Troop Leader, I've been helping with the finishing stages of our second floor addition. Last summer - and by last summer I mean last LAST summer - Roy cut a hole in our roof and added a little more than 300 sf to our house, including a bathroom. We still have to put down carpet, which we currently can't afford, fix an issue with the closet door, and install the vanity, toilet and surround in the bathroom, but after 18 months we are ALMOST DONE.

I'll take pictures and post them when I get a chance. Thank the freaking lord!

Happiness Runs

Note to the Reader: I recommend listening to Donovan's Happiness Runs while you read this. "You can have everything if you let yourself be."


I have unexpectedly found myself in a quiet house. This morning at church there was a call for help moving pews around 2:00, and at 3 the youth are holding a Fall Festival Sophie's excited about. Miller (per his usual) is napping his Sunday afternoon away.

In the midst of photo uploads I have multi-tasked my way through lunch dishes and have the kettle on for tea. After I'm finished here I'll catch up on Project Runway and fold ALL the laundry from yesterday. This is so good.

But on to other things.

In the midst of the Sophie school move drama, the daily routine of breakfast-school/work-dinner-homework-games-books-baths, Girl Scouts, Angel Choir, Board Meetings, and Football games, we've had some sweet, sweet moments.

Like frisbee in the front yard.and fans watching from the sidelines.
Miller crawled up here by himself, btw.This morning I walked in to find Sophie feeding Miller some of her scrambled eggs. They are such good friends and my heart leaps with joy.
During a recent trip to Bluffton, Katie and I lamented that we didn't get enough pictures. When I got home, I found that when this girl gets the camera, she captures some sweet moments.
And I happened to catch a few myself.
I love everything about this picture, including Miller crawling on floor and his cousin looking down at him. These three boys are going to be fun.

In this busy time (which will only get busier) during uncertainty and transition, I listen to Donovan's words:

Happiness runs in a circular motion
Thought is like a little boat upon the sea.
Everybody is a part of everything anyway,
You can have everything if you let yourself be.
Happiness runs, happiness runs.

Yup.

School

Last week, after about 10 weeks at her elementary school, Sophie transferred. Without going into all the details, we had the opportunity to move her from one of the lowest performing schools in the city to one of the best. And while we struggled with the guilt of abandoning our struggling neighborhood school, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to move her. In the transfer we gave up walking to and from school each day, which saddened all of us. Still, it was the right decision.

At her old school, Sophie was at the top of her class. Now? She probably falls in the bottom quarter. Frankly, this is a sign to us that we made the right decision.

We are so happy Sophie is now getting such an amazing education. Every week she has an hour of drama, music and art! Her teacher is committed to her school in ways that have simply knocked my socks off, and the school is so well organized I know exactly when everything is happening for the coming year - and boy is there a lot! That wasn't the case at her old school.

And yet we feel a great deal of frustration over the fact that the kids who are struggling at her old school will continue to struggle. The best principal and the best teachers should be there, not in the rich neighborhoods! Of course every child (parent) had the opportunity to transfer, but few made that choice. And by making the choice to pull out Sophie, we took from that school a good student, active parents, and people with a desire to make a change.

Every day our decision to transfer Sophie is affirmed. The community garden in association with the Temple next door. The not too hard, not too easy level of homework that comes home each night. The professionalism of the staff. The fact that Sophie says she "didn't have a good day" and yet is happy and excited and talking about what she does.

But there's a pang of sadness every time I drive by that school, where the teachers are doing the best they can and the families are poor and I, with my privilege, drive my daughter to a better school across town.

Sisterly Advice for Baby Care

"When you hold Miller, you have to be very gentle. And when you put him down, you have to set him down gently, just like a baby turtle."

Happy Days

"I'm excited about the life we're giving our children" I told Roy after church. We were going to Five Guys for a post-Baptism celebration as our two youngest were baptized and became members of St. Michael's. Not very Mennonite of me, I know, but it's an important part of their (our) lives at this church. And this became more and more apparent as the growingly familiar faces of the congregation greeted us with true, heartfelt joy.
Also this weekend, Sophie enrolled in Girl Scouts. I put it that way because while I filled out the paperwork, she said she absolutely wanted to join. We had a great time at the little Get To Know You function and there was plenty of this:
but much to my joy, there was also this:
We are so lucky to have the friends and family, the jobs, the means, and the opportunity to enjoy our life and the world around us. I am not naive enough to recognize that we, by the nature of our skin color, the families who raised us, and the luck of our jobs, that we are able to enjoy our bounty. The very least I can do is stop to enjoy it every once in a while.

kiddos

I had intended to have many, many more photos in this post but Blogger's not cooperating and I have like 10 free minutes, so hey! Look at me! I'm blogging!!

A lot has happened in the last 6 weeks, including our brand new kindergartener.
Sophie's adjusting. She doesn't handle change very well and she is pretty timid around people she doesn't know, so that's pretty much everyone at schoo. She hasn't found friends yet and she misses her group from the daycare, but she'll get there. She's definitely enjoying the structured learning environment and while she doesn't really like to talk about her day, she'll say random things that tells me she's learning a whole lot - and enjoying it.

This little girl, who just turned 5, is an amazingly silly and loving little girl who needs a lot of affirmation and love from her parents. Good thing she is sooooo darn loveable. And then there's this guy.
Our little 1 year old Caterpillar is a trip. I know this boy could walk, but I don't think he sees the point. He will walk along, holding (barely) onto any surface, let go, and slowly lower himself into a crawl. He loves food - LOVES food - and like his sister, is a big fan of music. If I'm playing the guitar or piano, I hear the flap flap of arms and legs and he races into the room to crawl into my lap and help. And he will clap and bounce to pretty much any song. Oh he has so much joy in him.
As busy and crazy as life is right now (because there's also work, Roy's schooling, Festival stuff, Riley's football, Sophie's Angel Choir, and the shopping and planning and cooking and cleaning that comes with running a household) I couldn't be luckier if I tried.