Wrapping Up

 

I have been contemplating for some time about whether to continue this blog. It was begun as a means to communicate with family that does not live in town, and that has been the only reason I have kept up with it for so long. In order to be more available to my family and on the computer less, I have decided to discontinue blogging. GASP! For now, anyway.

Instead I hope to send out emails with pictures a few times a year (maybe quarterly?) to keep some of our loved ones updated on our lives. If you would like to be included in that email list, please send me an email or leave me a comment with your email address. Thanks for following on our journey the last five years (wow, I can’t believe it has been that long!).

An Update

We’ve crossed a milestone around here lately. Toby is potty training! He started initiating it several months ago (I think because Elinore always lets him go in to the bathroom with her. Sort of a social thing…). Last week I decided to give it a go. It went okay for the first few days, but I discovered that he has a bladder of steel. He could hold it so long that I wasn’t really able to get him to go on the potty even though he wasn’t having accidents. On Tuesday morning I threw in the towel. I decided to give it a couple more months and put him back in a diaper. Something must have clicked because for the rest of that day he totally took control. Asked to go and went on the potty and stayed dry all day. I guess he just has to be the one calling the shots!!

He heard me use the term “potty training” and now he keeps talking about how he wants to “ride the potty train, choo choo!” So it is going great and he’s wearing undies everyday! Yeah, I get a break from diapers before the next one comes – which will be right around December 14! Just to catch any rumors that might be circulating. I’m almost 9 weeks along and seem to have just entered the yuckiness of the first trimester (which doesn’t leave me much time left, so I’m feeling very grateful). We’re all very excited to be growing our family by one more. We’d appreciate your prayers through the pregnancy and also as I am really hoping to do a VBAC this time in order to avoid another c-section.

On our way to the park the other day Elinore asked me if I knew how to tear down a house really fast. I said, “Wow, Elinore, I don’t think I could do it very fast. Tearing down a house is a lot of work.”
She says, “Well, Mom, first you get a digger. Then the arm of the digger just plunges into the house and tears it apart.” A pause. “Daddy told me that.” I wish you could have heard the emphasis in her voice on the word plunges. She is so funny. A few times lately I’ve looked at her and noticed how quickly she is growing up. She is getting so tall and smart, and she is such a great friend to her brother.

The big 2.

Toby turned 2 over the weekend and we had a really nice party with both sides of the family here. The kids played really well, I wasn't stressed out, our families all seemed to enjoy themselves, and Toby was absolutely delighted. He and Elinore have not stopped playing with his new things all week. These pictures all seem to have caught him with a serious expression - not representative at all to the enthusiasm he was displaying! He really was having fun. The train cakes were not as easy as they looked in the picture, but they came out okay (thanks, laura!), and Toby was very happy to have a train cake. Can't believe he's 2 already.

 

 

 

Another Good Oone

Florida

A few weeks ago we made a trip to Florida to visit my grandparents. It was good to have a change of pace for a little while and to feel the sunshine on our faces. We had a couple very nice days while we were visiting, so we played on the beach (it was too cold to swim). We collected shells, dug, played with little sand crabs, and just let the warm sunshine soak into us. My grandma kept us well fed! Yum! We played lots of games, and we went to a warm spring to see the manatees. The day we went the manatee count was 52, so we were able to see a lot of them up close. Neither Kevin nor I had ever seen manatees, so we were delighted at the experience. We were surprised at how lumbering and ungraceful they would be without the grace that the water provides. They seem so gentle and unassuming. We also saw a wide variety of unique birds rather up close, as you can see by the picture of the pelican.

I think my kids exhaust my grandparents with their seemingly endless energy, but Elinore did slow down long enough to work on some challenging puzzles with my grandma. I am so honored to think that my children get a chance to really know their great-grandparents a little bit. It was so good to be there and spend time with them. I wish it didn't have to be so infrequent.

 
 
 
 

Helping my grandparents do some yardwork inspired me to get my own yard cleaned up. Come on, spring!

Februrary

In February we spent a weekend with our friends in northern Michigan. The snow was lovely. We spent lots of time playing in it and skiing. I finally got a picture of Elinore on skiis. She has gotten really quick and agile on them this season. That makes it more fun for all of us. The kids all got on very well and had a blast playing together all weekend.

 
 

My sister spent a weekend with us soon after that. We took her sledding and to see the butterflies at Meijer Gardens. The kids always enjoy all the attention they get from their aunts!

 

A Poem a Day

We are trying to start a habit of reading a poem a day at lunchtime. This was today's. Elinore thought it was funny. I thought it was worth sharing.

The Blind Men and the Elephant
(A Hindoo Fable)

It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
(Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind

The First approached the Elephant,
And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
"God bless me! but the Elephant
Is very like a wall!"

The Second, feeling of the tusk,
Cried, "Ho! what have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me 'tis mighty clear
This wonder of an Elephant
Is very like a spear!"

The Third approached the animal,
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Thus boldly up and spake:
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a snake!"

The Fourth reached out an eager hand,
And felt about the knee.
"What most this wondrous beast is like
Is mighty plain," quoth he;
" 'Tis clear enough the Elephant
Is very like a tree!"

The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,
Said: "E'en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
Deny the fact who can
This marvel of an Elephant
Is very like a fan!"

The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Than, seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope,
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a rope!"

And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!

Moral:
So oft in theologic wars,
The disputants, I ween,
Rail on in utter ignorance
Of what each other mean,
And prate about an Elephant
Not one of them has actually seen!

John Godfrey Saxe

Guy

Toby has a little construction guy that goes with one of his tractors. Today we were playing with it and I said, "Toby, do you want to name your guy? You could call him Charlie...or Bill...or Ned..."
Toby says, "Cinderella?"

Can you tell he has a big sister?
Poor kid, someday he'll be embarrassed about that!

Those of you who do not know all of my secrets

may not know that I am a big science fiction/fantasy fan. I am always a little embarrassed to admit this. I think it is because most people either love it or hate it. There isn't much middle ground (except for amazing classics like The Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia). It is the rare book that can bridge the gap.

Anyway, I convinced Kevin to read C.S. Lewis's Space Trilogy out loud with me. We are in the middle of the second book, and we read something that stuck with me. My mind keeps coming back to it, so I wanted to share. The premise may sound hokey with me explaining it, but remember: this is C.S. Lewis, so its got to be good!

Dr. Ransom has been taken to Venus (we don't know why yet), which is a world mostly covered by water. He's managed to climb onto a floating island but is hungry and tired. Here is the excerpt:

Now he had come to a part of the wood where great globes of yellow fruit hung from the trees—clustered as toy-balloons are clustered on the back of the balloon-man and about the same size. He picked one of them and turned it over and over. The rind was smooth and firm and seemed impossible to tear open. Then by accident one of his fingers punctured it and went through into coldness. After a moment’s hesitation he put the little aperture to his lips. He had meant to extract the smallest, experimental sip, but the first taste put his caution all to flight. It was, of course, a taste, just as his thirst and hunger had been thirst and hunger. But then it was so different from every other taste that it seemed mere pedantry to call it a taste at all. It was like the discovery of a totally new genus of pleasures, something unheard of among men, out of all reckoning, beyond all covenant. For one draught of this on earth wars would be fought and nations betrayed. It could not be classified. He could never tell us, when he came back to the world of men, whether it was sharp or sweet, savoury or voluptuous, creamy or piercing. “Not like that” was all he could ever say to such inquiries. As he let the empty gourd fall from his hand and was about to pluck a second one, it came into his head that he was now neither hungry nor thirsty. And yet to repeat a pleasure so intense and almost so spiritual seemed an obvious thing to do. His reason, or what we commonly take to be reason in our own world, was all in favour of tasting this miracle again; the childlike innocence of fruit, the labours he had undergone, the uncertainty of the future all seemed to commend the action. Yet something seemed opposed to this “reason.” It is difficult to suppose that this opposition came from desire, for what desire would turn from so much deliciousness? But for whatever cause, it appeared to him better not to taste again. Perhaps the experience had been so complete that repetition would be a vulgarity—like asking to hear the same symphony twice in a day.

It speaks for itself. Ever since I read it it pops into my mind when I try to get more of something just because I liked it. I am realizing how much entitlement I feel in things that should be sweet treats or simple pleasures. I satiate myself when I should have a taste or meet a need. (Yes, mostly I'm talking about food, but it applies in other areas as well). I want to start enjoying and contenting myself in little bits. If that makes any sense at all.

Little Fish

We've been spending some time in the pool over the last month. My sister gave both of my kids swim classes for Christmas, so they've been little fish this winter. What a relief from the cold to get into the warm pool area and swim around as though it is summer outside!

 
Elinore started out the classes terrified to be in the water without clutching a grown-up despite wearing flotation. She made so much progress by the end of the class that I can't even believe it is the same girl! She still is too afraid to try putting her face in the water, so we'll have to make that a summer goal. Hopefully lots of time at the beach can rememdy that! Here she is showing me her muscles!

 

 
Toby was so excited to have a special swim class with Daddy each week. I was glad Kevin was able to do it with him. He shows much more boldness in the water than his sister. This is the face he always makes if he gets splashed in the face. I think it is hilarious!

 

Fairies

We are still on a Peter Pan kick around here. We finished reading the original classic not too long ago, and Elinore has been obsessively listening to the book on CD during her alone time for the past several weeks. I finally pried it from her fingers to return it to the library.

Yesterday, she and Toby were playing "Wendy and Michael". She had Toby running around the house carrying a stuffed bear saying, "Michael, Michael, Michael,..." After a little while she came into the kitchen where I was working on dinner with a rather melancholy expression.

"I'm just sad because I want to fly," she said.
"I know, honey, me too. But in a few weeks we'll get to fly on a plane to Nana and Papa Perry's house!" I replied.
"No, mom. I want to just fly. Why can't we just fly?" she asked.
"I know, babe. I want to fly, too. I guess you'll just have to find a fairy and ask her for some fairy dust." I explained.
"But there aren't any fairies around here," she moaned.
"I thought we had one in the front room..." I reminded her. Our ceiling fan light inexplicably goes on and off sometimes (we think it is a loose wire or frequency or something), and we usually blame it on the fairies.
"But I never see them."
"Maybe they're hiding," I suggested.
The next thing I knew she and Toby were running around the front room calling, "Fairies! Fairies! Come out, fairies!"

Eyes

 

My sister was here this weekend and took this awesome photo of my kids. Their eyes are so striking! I noticed how much Elinore's eyes have changed. They used to be so blue like Toby's, but now they are much more greenish. Both my little thumb-suckers.

 

We went sledding on Saturday, which was a blast! We all were attempting going down the hill like we were surfing. I even got gutsy and gave it a go. Elinore even tried and made it almost all the way down the hill before wiping out. She totally beat all of us!! "Elinore, that was AWESOME!!" we yelled to her. A few minutes later I heard Toby coming up the hill saying, "Nee-nore, awesome. Nee-nore, awesome." Too bad we couldn't get her to do it on video.

Caitlyn wiped out and went home sporting a big purple bruise on her hip! At least she had fun!

Our new things

 

This post is quite belated, but this is a collage of some of the Christmas gifts we gave each other this year (all homemade. Starting at the top left, going clockwise: 1. Toby's new storage system. We got the idea from Ikea and used their tubs, but Kevin made one that would fit Toby's room better. Since we had nothing before, it is GREAT to have all his toys/books neatly put away. 2. Elinore's hand-sewn felt doll that I made for her. She has been name "Arise", and has a few other outfits, but his pink dress seems to be the favorite. I got the free pattern here. 3. My new coat rack. I've been desperate for more hooks and having them low enough that Elinore, at least, can get and hang up her own coat. It looks lovely and really opens up our front hall better. 4. The awesome shirt that Elinore made for Kevin. She chose the iron-on design (a chinese dragon) and the bright yellow shirt and helped with the ironing. Can you see how proud she is to give it to him? This was her absolute highlight of Christmas! 5. Kevin begged and begged so much for a cover for his air compressor (in the garage) long after I decided to make him one, that I appliqued a pink heart on it as a joke! That way he can always remember how much I love him. 6. This was a pick-up truck kit from Menards that Elinore made for Toby. We thought the painting of it would last about 20 minutes, but she meticulously painted every inch of the truck for something like 4 hours. Unfortunately we were confused by the directions and switched the windsheild with another piece, so we just let it be an open-air truck. It is also only held together by glue, so we are nervous that a wayward foot could accidentally obliterate it. Tobin thinks its cool, so that's all that matters.

I'll try and put some updated photos on soon. This month has been a good break after the rush of the holidays. Be warm, wherever you are!

2009

Here are some pictures from 2009. Summing up a year.

 

The Passing of the Year

by: ee cummings

The world outside is dark; my fire burns low;
All’s quiet, save the ticking of the clock
And rustling of the ruddy coals, that flock
Together, hot and red, to gleam and glow.
The sad old year is near his overthrow,
And all the world is waiting for the shock
That frees the new year from his dungeon lock.-
So the tense earth lies waiting in her snow.

Old year, I grieve that we should part so soon,-
The coals burn dully in the wavering light;
All sounds of joy to me seem out of tune,-
The tying embers creep from red to white,
They die.  Clocks strike.  Up leaps the great, glad moon!
Out peal the bells!  Old year,-dear year,-goodnight!