"Good Ni-iiight!"

I wish there was some way to better convey to you what kind of child Miss Katie is since you cannot see or hear her. She is a minx, an imp, a pixie. Her eyes twinkle and she has this mischievous air about her. It is funny because she can be so fun and yet so naughty. Everything she does is done with force. A pistol, my mom calls her and she isn’t far off the mark there. Katie is just something else.  I love her so.

Here is her in fine form a few nights ago.

Everyone had been in their beds, teeth brushed and stories read for some time. They, Kiersten and Isaiah, get 15 minutes or so after alls said and done to look at books in their bed or play quietly in their rooms. While this goes on the hall light remains on. Our hall up there cannot be more than 6 feet long so the hall light shines adequately in all the rooms. So although Katie’s light is off she still has some luminescence with which to look at books or play a little herself.

After the said 15 minutes are up either I or my Beloved calls up the stairs, “Lights off! We shut the hall light off and wait for the other 2 lights to blink off as well. Once they do I say, “Good night.”

That night the littlest of voices calls back, “Good Night, Mommy!”

“Sweet Dreams!” she adds having had this said to her on more than one occasion.

“Sweet Dreams,” I mimic.

“See you in the morning!” she chimes in. Again something I’ve said as I tuck her in good night.

“See you in the morning,” I reply as my Beloved and I share a secret smile.

“Good Ni-iiiight!” she says again.

We repeat the whole conversation over and I add, “All Do-ooone.”

Well, she isn’t done because I hear once again, “Good Ni-iiiiight!”

Silence.

30 seconds later a little louder this time, because maybe I didn’t hear her correctly, “GOOD NI-IIIIIIIGHT, MOMMY!!”

I stay the course and say nothing although I am ever so glad she is upstairs and I am downstairs so that she cannot see me grinning to beat the band.

Katie is nothing if not persistent. Several more times she tries to get me to respond by calling out, “Good Ni-iiight, Mommy!”

My Beloved calls up to her, “Good Night, Katie-girl. We’re all done.”

“NO. Good Ni-iiiight, Mommy!”

After that we both held our tongues so as not to drag out this game all night. We held our tongues but nothing could hold back our smiles.

Oh that girl, she is something else alright. Something sweet and special and such a handful! : )

Retreat

After a rough start to school I was in no way disappointed to cut the week short and take a drive to see my Grandparents and Mom.

The cabin has long been a place of rest, fun, laughter, solitude and family for as far back in my memory as I can go. I wish I had before and after pictures to show you how much the place has changed (inside) over the years. It is truly a special place and as my grandparents get older the reality has set in that there will come a day when I can no longer retreat there. This post might be a little nostalgic and so you’ll just have to bear with me!

This time around our trip, as apposed to the one taken in the Spring, was not based around the lake. The weather was simply too cold to allow for water time. Instead there were many walks in the woods collecting things and having good conversations as well as games to be played.

Kiersten picked up a ton of acorns. The baby ones were the cutest. She also grabbed a few red leaves that had fallen here and there. The tops of the trees were just starting to change so we didn’t get to enjoy the fullness of God showing off his magnificent artist’s hand. We weren’t hugely disappointed as we have plenty of trees here that will soon grow most beautiful in color.

Back to the trip- taking walks in the woods. Here is Isaiah out on a gander. The older two took several walks with Grandma (my mom), Kiersten more so than Isaiah.

I tried to get a picture of Mom with the kids’ on one of their walks. Katie was throwing a fit and had sat down on the hillside (mostly in protest) so I had the others join her there. No one really looked at the camera save my mom and usually she avoids it! That alone made the picture a keeper. What is memorable about it is that when Katie stood up we found she had sat on an ants nest. And not just any ants, red ants! Her pants were covered with them and she grabbed a few bites on her ankles. She needed a distraction (or was it me who needed the distraction?) to allow me an excuse to send the others on ahead and have her and I turn back. No nap = no mood for a decent walk to be had by others.

She did enjoy the boat ride though, all the kids did. Isaiah and Kiersten both got a chance to be captain and drive us around. Does it scare you that Isaiah is driving here and is looking down and not out? It certainly did explain a few things on our trip, I’ll say that much! : ) Kiersten isn’t really all that much better. They’re young yet. (My Beloved says that a crazy driver is synonymous with a woman driver. And yet I am the one with no tickets to her name. Hmmm…whose the crazy driver? : ) )

Kiersten and Isaiah both got a taste of some different games while we were there. When I was younger we always seemed to play cribbage. Both are still a bit young to play…the rules a bit more than they can handle. So instead of cribbage what did they play? Isaiah played “Whacky Blaster” (a game that has been there since I was a kid) and “Battleship”. I have to say I was most impressed by him. We have played this game, or rather attempted to, a time or two at a local coffee shop. He just couldn’t get the gist of the upper and lower boards and how each recorded different things and what to do with the different colored pegs. Things were too complicated for him. This time around however he just got it. I have to give a little help the first 5 minutes or so and then it was all him. He did fabulous and even sunk all my ships! (Ok, he peaked around my board for the last ship’s location. The game was getting long and Zeke needing nursing soon. Excuses, excuses.)

Kiersten on the other hand played some dominos with my Grandma. Here they are with my mom. My sweet Grandpa is in the background on the left. I didn’t manage to get any good pictures of him. He is so near and dear to me. Quite the teaser. It is funny to watch him pull Kiersten’s leg and hear her giggle at his antics. She tells her Dad he is a teaser just like Grandpa is all with a big grin on her face. I just love that my kids love my Grandparents too.
I haven’t said much about Zeke because he was loved on and held by his Grandma, Great Grandma and two Great Aunts. Grandpa gave him plenty of lovin’ too. I really only saw/held him when it came time to nurse him. Would you believe that little bugger let out TWO laughs there? And that neither of them was in my presence? Honestly, where is the love? : ) Ah well, I won’t begrudge my other family members when I know I bound to hear it too and more often then they will.

And Katie? She didn’t play any of the games the other two did (with an adult) nor did she get held by all my relatives. She rode on the chicken swing, walked up and down to the dock naming all the bird statues my Grandma has placed along the steps, took laps up the big hill and attempted a walk or two. It definitely took her a day or so to get used to everybody. She hung out a lot with Daddy there at the start and would have no one else. Then she gave a little sugar to my uncle and took a big shine to my Grandpa. Once she gets going she is a ham and a half!

A good summation of our trip is that everyone had a wondeful time despite the fact that it was cooler this time around and as result no one got to play in the water. : )

Day 2

Who would have thought? Surely not I.

I would never have imagined Isaiah would take to school like a duck to water. Never.

I thought I would be telling him constantly to sit, stay focused, stop playing- something along those lines. He is so focused and surprisingly just cannot seem to get enough. We do some math…just a little to get us going and he is ready to do more pages. We did handwriting, trying out a few letters, and he is ready to do more. (This is going to be his weak area as even holding the pencil correctly poses a problem for him. We have some grips to help him place his hand properly on the pencil so hopefully that will help.) We also did a little reading. He is flying through and ready to do more.

Funny. It just isn’t how I thought it would be with him.

But then it isn’t how I thought it would be with Kiersten either. I didn’t imagine that I would be struggling with her on day 2 of school. Day 2!!!! *Sigh.*

Let me just tell you that math is our stumbling block. Has been from the get go. I am confident my lack of patience and her lack of listening skills are BIG contributing factors. We even switched math programs this year to see if that would help. And here I am on day 2 (oh, the irony) of school telling you it isn’t the program that is the issue.

It is us.

We just don’t seem to mesh well. Our chemistry is bumpy and we butt heads, often.

Knowing this I set out today to make sure I spent more time with her on her math. (More importantly I committed it to the Lord before my feet hit the floor.) I think I expect too much of her and how she learns. She is a quick learner and a smart girl. This tends to make me think she should just get it from reading the book and seeing the examples contained within. Not unlike a college student sometimes has to do. Did I mention she is only 8? My bad.

Long story short even after spending close to 30 minutes doing some examples and trying to make things more concrete for her she still wasn’t wanting to meet me half-way. She even went so far as to say, “I hate school.”

And that my friends was the last straw.

I did mention this was only the second day of school, didn’t I?

I looked over at her and said something to the effect of, “This isn’t going to work. It just isn’t. We are only on the second day of school and this is your attitude? Do you want me to send you away for school? That is my only option if you won’t work with me and at least try.”

I didn’t say it as a means to manipulate or scare her into doing what I wanted her to do. I said it because it was and is the truth. I don’t have it in me to fight her. This isn’t a season I am willing to or can take on a fight simply to fight. There are others to consider and at the end of the day I don’t want school to be why we don’t like one another. It isn’t worth it.

After our candid little talk she did come around to at least trying. I’ll give her that. And would you believe I think I even saw her smile a time or two while she finished up her math?!

We’ll have to wait and see what tomorrow brings because surely it has to be better than today.

How many days are left in the school year? *Sigh.*

"He's so Fweet!"

That is a direct quote from Katie. It is something she has been saying since the day Zeke arrived in our lives. And I have to say I agree with her whole heartedly!

Ezekiel is a joy and truly a sweet baby. He isn’t much of a crier except when hungry, getting beyond himself with tiredness or when his drawers are in need of refreshing. Those few things only amount to a very few short bouts of crying each day. I couldn’t be more thankful that he is such a good baby.

It doesn’t hurt that he is adorable in all his little self!

Would you just get a look at the adorable grin? How is one to resist someone so bright eyed with a rock star smile and dimples? It just isn’t possible.

Zeke has turned out to be quite the cooer. He does it in the softest of voices with a little half grin on his face. Oh, he holds conversations with me here and there but he has these marathon discussions with his Father. Must be some man talk that I just wouldn’t understand and therefore he feels he must confide such things to Dad. : ) Here he is just a talking away.

And he is on the brink of letting out the belly laughter. There have been a few teasers in there. It is like when you turn the key in the ignition of your car and you can tell it wants to turn over but it isn’t fully starting up. That is exactly how his little giggle thing is. You can tell he is working up to the laugh but he isn’t quite ready to let it out.

So how do the others feel about him?

Well, it is no lie that Katie is smitten with him. He is her, “Baby Brudder.” She seeks the two of us out and when she sees him it is, “Hi Zeke-ie!” She gives him kisses and lovin’ and if his binks (pacifier) is sitting somewhere she brings it to you and tries to put it in his mouth (even if he is nursing just then). She is a riot where Zeke is concerned and will be his great defender and friend as time passes by. It is refreshing to have her be this way as Kiersten was less than thrilled with Isaiah as a baby and Isaiah is just passive about babies and new family members in general.

I guess that answers how Isaiah is taking to him. He isn’t. Just like with Katie he isn’t mean or nice to Zeke. He kind of acts like he isn’t really there and just goes about his business same as before he came. I don’t know if you would exactly call it ignoring the baby or just indifferent. Time will tell how the two will end up interacting with one another. I hope they’ll be buddies and that he’ll take Zeke under his wing as they older.

And Kiersten, well, she definitely loves him. She likes holding him and talking to him. Now that he smiles she is out to win every smile for herself that she can. Zeke seems only too happy to oblige her need for lovin’ with smiling at her. She also wants to have him ‘talk’ to her as he does to Mom and Dad and tries for that just as hard as she does for the smiles. When Zeke first came home Kiersten described him as a “cup of cuteness”. Suffice it to say she still feels that way.

Beloved? He adores the little guy. As I mentioned they have their ‘man talks’ and then he knows full well I don’t get near the smiles and such that he does. That puffs him up a bit…and warms his heart in all the right places. I think there is something there for him too, knowing that this is to be our last baby, that makes him different this time around. Things we had rushed through before or simply taken for granted are being seen and time is marked. This stage will pass all too quickly so both he and I are enjoying and soaking it in as best we can.

My little clan of 4 complete now with this ‘fweet’ little boy!

Eight

Do you believe she is eight already? Where in the world has the time gone?

My Beloved and I have been walking down memory lane a bit with the recent birth of Ezekiel. For each child we have recalled their grand entrance into our lives. And even though Kiersten’s is the farthest back in our memories it is no less fresh.

How do you ever forget the birth of your first child? It is nigh impossible.

To be honest I was hoping this last little one would favor Kiersten in coloring. I was hoping for another fair skinned, red headed beauty – be it boy or girl. Alas it was not to be and so I will just have to cherish all the more the beauty that Kiersten is.

Eight years. So many memories.

Such a little lady she has become. So grown up and yet still so little, know what I mean?

As a side note I think she has gotten her first crush on a boy! It is really quite cute. This boy is from church as well as from the same dance studio. He is a one to two years older than her and they aren’t even in the same dance class or small group at church and yet he has caught her attention. How do I know, you ask. Well, when your little girl mentions this boy by name and then says ever so casually (as casually as an eight year old can) that we should have his family over for dinner. She has come to recognize that when we want to get to know a couple or family we have them over for a meal – or two. That is when you know it is serious. Oh to be eight again! : ) (Also noteworthy is the fact that her Dad is no where near ready for her to be taking a shine to any boy!)

Anyhow, back on topic.

We had our own little family party on the day of her actual birthday. She chose to grill out for dinner and then have a strawberry cake with strawberry frosting and rainbow sherbet for dessert. The girl knows what she likes/wants and isn’t afraid to say so. : ) (She gets that from her Dad!)

We gave her a few little gifts as well as the promise of a date with Daddy to go see Nannie McPhee 2 once the weekend came- just her and Daddy, no one else. I am told they shared popcorn and had a lovely time. How can you not when you are on a date with your Dad? : ) Kiersten also got to spend the night with her cousin at their house and enjoyed herself immensely.

All in all it sounds as though she had a good birthday. It was more big girl this year…I fear little girl things are rapidly becoming a thing of the past for her.

She is growing up, too fast. Where does the time go? Eight years….and counting.

His First

Just last week the Biggest Man lost his very first lose tooth. Wow, his first tooth gone. Where has the time flown?

It was the most anticlimactic event compared to the fake cry/whine thing he does whenever someone (a sister) touches his toys when he’s not in the mood to share. Whenever one doesn’t do his bidding (like pushing him on the swing when he asks/whines for help even though he is more than able to pump his legs and push himself). Or whenever he sits down to dinner and decides he doesn’t want to eat it so he cries (even though last week it was his favorite dinner and he was finished in 5 minutes flat).

All these ordinary day to day things require much drama on his part and yet when the child is sick and throws up nary a sound or tear escapes him. Or like the case of losing his tooth and he says so matter of factly, “Dad! I think I just lost my tooth eating breakfast.” It just ‘came out’ and there were no tears or drama. (Can you tell he has been whining a lot of lot and that it is a trait that is severely working my patience bone?)

He is a quandary that one, a complete mystery. A true ‘big’ man is some ways and yet still such a ‘little’ man in others. I almost wish things were reversed and that the day to day was something he could brave with the shrug of a shoulder and those random, occurring only even so often events were the ones he fussed over. Ah well, there is a lesson in patience for me there!

Nevertheless Isaiah looks so sweet with his tooth missing and he talks in the funniest of ways. It is just like when you put a bandage on their hand when they are real little and they hold their whole hand funny because they are ‘hurt’. He does the same with how he is talking since his tooth came out. The brush of his tongue against that gap must feel weird for he compensates for it with this little lisp things he does now. To put it simply he doesn’t talk the same and thus doesn’t sound the same- all to avoid the feel of that space in his mouth. Cute, sweet and funny sounding my Biggest Man is now.

Oh, and unlike his sister he was willing to let the Tooth Fairy come and relinquish his beloved, or not so beloved, tooth. When asked what the Tooth Fairy should bring him he replied, “A musical toothbrush.” I had no idea where this idea came from since I have yet to see a musical toothbrush and then Kiersten piped up and said, “He wants the same thing Wyatt on Super Why (PBS program) got when he lost his tooth.”

Oooohhh- so that is where that idea came from. Not really feeling bad about it we told him that there would be no musical toothbrush showing up under his pillow the next morning (Walmart doesn’t carry musical toothbrushes. Anyone ever seen such a thing?) and pray tell what else might the Tooth Fairy leave you under your pillow? This time he replied, “A gold piece and a sucker.” The child doesn’t want much. : )

Lucky for him we have some of those one dollar coins. You know, those very 'gold' looking one dollar coins? So the next morning my child awoke to find a ‘gold’ piece and a Dum Dum sucker under his pillow. (The sucker was consumed before he came down to breakfast.) He was very easy to please in this regard, for which we were/are thankful. Since Kiersten has never been willing to part with a tooth this whole Tooth Fairy gig was a bit new to us. But alas all's well that ends well. : ) At least until next time!

Zeke

Well, the littlest man is coming along. I was a little worried Zeke was going to be a repeat of his brother...the first year, that is. And I confess I was a bit scared/worried. I love my Isaiah boy but his first year of life was the roughest ever for me and for my marriage. Oh, he wasn’t the cause of the marriage issues but I have to say I don’t ever want to relive a year like that one again. So when it looked like Ezekiel was thinking of following just a little too closely in his brother’s footsteps I got awful worried. (Here is the family of four.)

How was he following in Isaiah’s footsteps? You ask. Well, just like his brother he lost 1 pound by the 48 hour doctor visit. Then for his 2 week appointment he had gained no weight (Isaiah had at least gained some- although not back up to his birth weight of 9 pounds 9 ounces). It took Zeke about a month to get back up and past his birth weight.

Oh, but the scare of nursing issues and the possibility of a year of pumping like I did with Isaiah- I wish I could tell you what the last month of mind games has been like.

Thankfully Zeke is nursing fine…slowly and every 3 hours (which translates to 2 hour increments of time between feedings for me) even through the night. At his appointment earlier this week my strapping boy weighed in at 9 pounds 14 ounces making his mother ever so happy! : )

Other than nursing, trying to keep up with laundry, giving the other kids outside time and making sure we all eat I have not much time to spare. You could say I am in pure survival mode, the mode where it is a bit hard to think much beyond today or the end of this week. Do you think 2 hour intervals of sleep factor in there? Hmmm….

Anyhow, this is the littlest man not too long ago. He definitely favors Isaiah and Katie with his dark hair and darker skin. All in all his is a sweet and fairly calm baby which is a true blessing. He smiles in his sleep and is quite the little noisemaker when doing his business- all boy in that department!

More on all the family later…I am cutting into my 2 hours of sack time so I’ll bid you adieu for now!