All is Merry and Bright

Before I begin, I feel like I need a disclaimer - my camera is NOT awesome. And I am not an awesome photographer. There. Now, enjoy the not-so-great photos of our Christmas decorations! 

Our Entryway decor and Santa beard countdown; the kids love adding a cotton ball to Santa's beard each day!

Our living room, with some holiday coffee filter wreaths hung above the windows. I had planned on putting large poinsettias on each wreath, but I was tired of running out for more craft supplies, so it didn't happen. There's a very good chance these wreaths might stay forever - love them, and I can easily take out the red/green flowers from the center wreath. Maybe I'll add blue flowers instead...(to go with current decor)? Also, I printed the subway art from eighteen25 this year. The colors printed a little funky (red, blue, and khaki, rather than green) - BUT, it matches our decor and I decided to keep it the way it is!

The stockings, hung with care. I still need to add the ornaments to the kid's stockings; they represent  each year that they've celebrated Christmas.

Our "Dining Room", which normally serves as a playroom. I moved our kitchen table into the dining room for a special  dinner the other night. We loved eating in there...makes me wish we were ready for a real dining set, but where, oh where would all the toys go?

The Christmas pennant and cardstock trees I made from last year.  Our Little People nativity is the only one we own and we love it. I can't wait to get a more "grown up" set.

We made these yarn trees on Monday; I love how they turned out. Russ on the other hand, thought they were upside-down ice cream cones....silly! Also, you can see our mini-activity advent book - I've made one of these for the past 3 years. I re-use old Christmas cards from the previous year, plus whatever else I need to make an album. Each day, I write down a new activity for us to do. It's a fun way to countdown to the holidays, and we know there's always something (even if it's very small!) to look forward to. 

Our Christmas book collection. These sit in a basket near the couch - we've been reading them the entire month of December. Books make me so happy! 




Hoping you and your loved ones will have a Merry Christmas! 

A Special Gift

A few weeks ago, our church took an "extra" offering, which goes to supporting many missionaries and organizations that need our help. There was a lot of build-up to this special day, and several missionary leaders came to visit our church in the weeks beforehand. On one particular Sunday, Avery's class got to meet some of the men and women who live their lives working for these organizations. They learned about the hungry children in Nicaragua and the schools being built there, and the needs of so many others around the world. Those leaders asked us to think about what we might be able to give to help. Over the next couple of weeks, Avery and I would talk about these families in need, and Avery has included them in her nightly prayers.

The morning came to give our special offering. I reminded the kids, and they both ran to their rooms to get money out of their piggy banks. Avery came back with $2, and then realized that she meant to get more, so back to her room she went. She gave $7 of her own money that day!! Nate also gave some, too, although I don't know how much because he wanted to be in charge of his money.

During the service, as we were singing, the Sunday school teachers led the children down the aisles and allowed them to drop their money in a bucket at the front of the church. What a wonderful opportunity for these kids to feel important and special, as they gave gifts to these organizations!! I felt so incredibly proud of my little ones as they walked to the front of the church; I'm so thankful that they know and love the Lord, and that they understand (in their own way) that we have so much, and they were willing to share with others that have so little. God has given me two beautiful, thoughtful children, and it's my prayer that I can be a model and guide to them, so that they will grow up, always seeking God and doing their best to follow his will.

Thank you, Lord, for giving me the gift of these children, and for giving me the privilege to see them give to you. Lord, that moment holds a special place in my heart, and I'm so grateful that I was able to witness it! Thank you for the abundant ways in which you bless our family!

Faith

Recently, I found myself in a situation where I had very little faith in a positive outcome.

Nate had seen a stuffed penguin in one of those grocery store "claw" games where you have to try and reach it and pull it up in order to win it. Well, he went on and on about how he wanted that penguin and I agreed that he could take his own money the following day and try to win it for himself. The next morning, he asked me continuously, "When are we going to the store so I can win my penguin?" and I told him over and OVER again that we would go in a little bit, but not to get too excited because he was not going to get that penguin. I told him how HARD that game is to win, and what a WASTE of time and money it would be for us to make this trip. I just knew he'd leave there, angry and disappointed. I was already worried about how upset he would be.

Finally, we left for the store. This was all against my better judgement, but he was so PERSISTENT and so sure that I had to let him try. He put his coin in and got close, but didn't win. So, I tried, and still didn't win. I let him put in the $5 bill he brought, and he tried again. This time, he WON! He actually got it! I could not believe he won that silly penguin; I was so happy for him. And with several games left to play, he even managed to win a Christmas elf for Aves!! He won twice!!

WOW! I felt so poorly about my earlier attitude. I had only been trying to protect him and prepare him for what I thought was sure to happen, but I was wrong.

Most of the time, I consider myself to be a "glass half-full" kind-of girl. But, in some areas of my life, I tend to think, "This is too hard. It's not worth my time. It's not worth my effort anymore. I can't imagine how things are going to change for the better. I can't see how God is going to make this for good." But more than anything, in those times, I need to remember that it's all in HIS timing, and that he has a plan for my life. I need to remember the promises he has made to me. I need to live with BIG faith.

Thank you, Nate for showing me your faith in the little things. Lesson learned.

Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your covenant is trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant. 2 Samuel 7:28.

Kitchen Table Re-Do

The final (big) piece to updating our kitchen was painting and staining the kitchen table. We've had this table for about 10 years - Russ's parents bought it for us way back when it was just the two of us. While I'd love to have a bigger table, this one does the job for the 4 of us, and I can't imagine a different table in the small, angular space that we have. So, it works. But it needed to be a different color. The natural stain just wasn't cutting it anymore, and so I vacillated between painting the chairs and table legs white or black, and staining the top a dark walnut. For the longest time I imagined the table with white legs and chairs, and I think that could have been gorgeous. I was afraid with that, though, that it would blend in with the light blue walls and get "lost" in the kitchen. So, after taking a poll from friends and family via facebook (it was all very official, you know), I decided to go with black + dark walnut for the top.

Now you should know that I'm a lazy painter, so I spray painted the chairs and table legs, after gently sanding them. I just couldn't imagine painting each of the spindles on my chairs by hand, so spraying was the easiest, quickest way to go. In a matter of days, I had the chairs painted and covered with a layer of water-based poly.

The table top was another matter! I had never stained anything in my life, but I was excited to try, and under the impression that it was going to be easy. Ha! My FIL taught me how to take off the previous stain with a de-glosser. That was awesome and saved me so much time over sanding! Once the top was ready, I brought the table into the garage and stained it. About 6 times. I could not figure out why it was taking so many coats to get it to the darkness I desired. I finally realized that I was wiping off too much after each coat had set for the recommended 5-10 minutes. Lesson learned. Also, I had a lot of trouble with the rounded edge around the table top - how do people do that part? I still don't know, but I was tired of trying, and so I just left good enough alone. I am constantly quoting the Nester's phrase, "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful." This gets me through a lot of projects. :) Because this was a kitchen table that will see LOTS of use, I wanted to cover it with the water-based poly I had used on the chairs. I had the worst time figuring this out. With the chairs, I had applied it very generously and it all worked out fine. However, on the table top, I could see bubbles and streaks everywhere! I was so frustrated! After about 6 coats of poly (no kidding!), I finally caved and called my FIL to ask him for some help. (He's a wood-working genius!) He showed me how to do a wet sanding technique, which helped me to hide some of the bubbles and streaks that were showing up. After that, he then applied the poly in a VERY thin coat, and that really seemed to make the difference. We did a couple of very thin coats, and then I decided it looked good enough to me to call it done. As I mentioned, I'm lazy and impatient, and I was SO ready for this table project to be finished. At this point, it had been 2 weeks since we'd eaten at our table. Our picnics in the living room were getting old!

So, I'm sure you're on pins and needles waiting to see the finished table, right? ;) Here are a few pictures. I do not have a great camera and my photography skills aren't so hot, either....so, bear with me (and my pictures).

The Before

The After

I love it, and while I wouldn't want to do it again, I'm so happy with the way that it looks and the fact that it's done! So...what do you think? (I only want to hear the nice things!) :)

Noise

Last night, Avery, Nate and I were watching "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer". Nate had fallen asleep in the bed, after a LONG day of playing and "helping" me decorate the house. It was just Aves and I, and the movie was almost over. During the final scene of the movie, when Santa is flying over the rooftops, Rudolph's nose begins to shine and make that squeaky noise that it does in the movie. I guess because Avery wasn't expecting it, when she heard the squeaking, beeping noise, she didn't realize it was from the show, and she thought it was an alarm of some kind in the house. She LOST it....hands to her ears, eyes wide, screaming and crying all at once. I was terrified, because I had no.idea.what.was.happening. My heart was beating out of my chest. I calmed her down pretty quickly, but had to force her hands down she could hear me tell her that it was not an alarm and just the show. It was upsetting to see her with so much fear. I wish I could take that all away from her.

“I am in great distress. Let me fall into the hand of the LORD, for his mercy is very great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man.” 1 Chronicles 21:13.

Grateful Attitude...?

So much for my 15 minutes each day on the blog! Ooops! I wish I were better at keeping things updated here....

I've been talking a lot about gratitude this month, not just on facebook, but also at YCW, and also during Sunday School with the kids. I want to have a grateful heart, and I do feel that for many, many aspects of my life, I see the blessings, and I am thankful. But there is one area where I am specifically lacking, and I don't know how to get away from the negative whirlpool that crashes my thoughts each time this topic of gratitude comes up.

Here are some thoughts that enter my mind, when I'm trying to focus on the blessings:

I am grateful, but I wish things were different....

I am thankful for my blessings, but I don't understand why this has to be so hard....

I am grateful for "this", but I wish it could be like "that".

Do you ever have "grateful thoughts" like this? It doesn't really seem like gratitude when I'm questioning my path, and wishing things were different!!

While my grateful attitude wavers in some areas, my faith will hold steady. I have felt God's mercy and forgiveness when I did not deserve it. I have felt his love in times of loneliness. And I can see how he chooses to bless me abundantly. It's those blessings I need to focus on right now. Yes, my life is not perfect; I have troubled relationships and past sins. But God continues to love me, continues to bless me, and for that I am undeniably thankful.

I love this song, Blessings by Laura Story..."What if trials of this life are your mercies in disguise?" It reminds me that even the challenges can be blessings.

Checking in...

Is it okay to just check in? I don't have much to say, and I need to get to bed. How do people who post daily come up with new material? My life is going to have to get more exciting!

I did some online research for a women's bible study, and by research I mean I "googled it". I found quite a few helpful links and potential places to spend time and learn, but one in particular really seemed to click with me, and so I'm considering getting started! The only thing holding me back is that the study started today, and I need to purchase the book pretty quickly so that I don't fall too far behind. I love the concept of this bible study group, and I think it may be just the thing for me to get more involved in God's word.

Nate, on the other hand, is very into the Bible lately. He loves his little blue bible that he got as a baby. He carries it around the house and he'll point out the red text and he knows that those are the words Jesus has said. He wanted me to read it with him tonight, so I started to do so, and then he stopped me and told me I had to sing it. So, we sang some verses from Matthew! I love that he wants to read his Bible.

In other news, today is my Momma's birthday! I was so blessed to be raised by her and to be a part of her family. I hope she had a terrific day...Love you Mom!!

Words in my Heart

Something I struggle with in my daily walk as a Christian is making time to read the Bible. In all honesty, my Bible gets the most action on Sunday, and then it rests for the remainder of the week. I'm sure that's not how God intended it.

I feel close to God; I pray to him all throughout the day. It's almost like my inner-thoughts about what's going on in my life turn into little prayers - little notes I'm sending to God. So I'm communicating with him all the time, but I'm not taking much time to listen or learn what he has to say to me, and that's what I need the most. I need to hear HIS voice when I'm excited, worried, frustrated...I want to hear His voice all the time.

I'm not sure the best way to go about reading the Bible. I've started at the beginning, hoping to read through, and I lose steam after Genesis. And yes, that's just the first book! I want to read the books of the bible and find the meaning in them, to better understand them, but I get discouraged easily. I think a devotional or possibly an online Bible study could be a great tool for me to get more excited about the Bible.

I will do some checking and see if I can find a good fit for me...I want to know my Heavenly Father, and I know I can do so much more to understand His word and His will for my life. I'll keep you updated.

"I have hidden your word in my heart so that I won't sin against you." Psalm 119:11

Bedtime Babies

For the last 3 mornings, my little ones have woken up together in Nate's bed...at about 5:30 a.m. This is good news in that they are sleeping together and staying together!! They have not been in my bed (nor I in theirs) for 3 whole days! But...they are both waking up very early, and also at various times throughout the night and they come to me and ask me to help tuck them back into bed. So I do, and I always will, because I want them to know that I will always comfort them when they need it. I assume that eventually, they will not need all of this middle-of-the-night comfort. Until then, I am still waking up very tired. :) However, progress is being made when it comes to the bedtime shuffle, and that makes me very, very happy.

I read this blog yesterday, and loved her post about rocking our babies to sleep. I have always done whatever it takes to make bedtime peaceful. We've rocked, we've bounced. I have vivid memories of holding Avery (and Nate, too), bouncing and swaying them in my arms while I sang to them, often Christmas carols, because it was all that I could think of. Sometimes in a moment of frustration, or in joking, I will say that I've spoiled my babies and I can't stand that they don't just sleep on their own and stay in their beds. I'll lament to myself, "Why, oh WHY did I ever co-sleep with these kiddos? What was I thinking?" And then I remember how much I loved nursing my little ones in the middle of the night. The quiet, precious time together. I loved when our babies were "new" and we'd all be in bed, and everything just felt right with us together. I do miss my sleep, and right now, I can't claim to have the best sleepers on the block, but I will never regret all the nights we've spent cuddled and asleep, dreaming together. Even when I wake up from my dreams with a foot in my face. Even that, I'll be thankful for.

Evolution of a Kitchen

Oh....the before pictures.....just awful!!

Prologue

When we first moved into our home, the kitchen was the very first room to be changed. It was awful; what with it's odd and primary-colored wallpaper, disgusting linoleum, old appliances and outdated formica....this space needed a lot of work! Within a relatively short period of time, we had taken down the wallpaper, painted the walls red, replaced the formica with a newer, marble-looking version, put in a tile backsplash, and also replaced the sink/faucet. Oh, and Russ also installed a tile floor. While it's not perfect, I'm so proud that he did it on his own. However, if we had to do it all over again, we both agree that we would put in some sort of engineered hardwood, or a hardwood-look that would be safe and compatible for a kitchen area. So, fast forward 6 more years, and here we are...RE-updating the kitchen! :)

(Okay, well not really in this picture, but it's the quickest one I found that showcased the red walls to be changed!)

I've been working on updating our kitchen for the past 6+ months. Earlier this spring, my father-in-law and I began sanding, priming and painting our cabinets. Ohmigoodness, that was a job, and I am forever thankful that he was willing to do this with me. Russ helped me add moulding to the cabinet tops, to give them a more finished look. He also helped transform the space by adding some beadboard on the cabinet endcaps. What a difference! Oh, and before we began on the cabinet transformation, I painted over our dark red walls, and freshened up the space with a light blue-grey. (Color to come. I think it's Sleepy Blue by Sherwin Williams, but need to check!) And by the way, all of these updates were inspired by blogs that I read, like The Nester, 320 Sycamore, and Clarendon Lane. I love the look of their homes...clean, fresh, classic and simple.

After the walls and cabinets were complete, I worked on adding a little bit of decor to the space. I am nowhere near being done with this aspect, and this is where I always seem to stall. I don't quite know how to finish out a room with just the right accents and pops of color...so it's a process. But I did get some DIY curtains up, and added a mirror and small gallery wall to the eat-in area. I loved the way the black frames popped against the light blue, and so after much thought about how to change my kitchen table (and even after taking a survey from facebook friends!), I chose to stain the top of the table in a dark walnut stain, and paint the legs and chairs of the table black. I know that the white/dark stain combination would be beautiful, and it was originally what I had been planning to do, but after seeing how great the black looked in the space, and also after considering how dirty my white chairs might get, I opted to go with the black. Also, it was far and away the winner of my fb survey!

So, currently I have the 4 chairs painted. I hand-sanded them with a sanding block, primed with flat black spray paint, and then did 3 coats of Rustoleom Black Satin spray paint, sanding in between with a very fine sanding "sponge". They feel great, but I still feel that I need to seal them/protect them, so I'm looking for the best option, and hoping to get them completely finished by the end of the week. The table sits un-touched, but it should also be done (fingers crossed!) by the end of the week. I can't wait!!

Ordinary Days

Today was just an ordinary day. Home with Nate and a list of things to do. I couldn't get moving this morning, and Nate and I took a mid-morning nap together. Looking back, it was actually the best part of my day. But when I woke up and realized I wouldn't be able to complete my "list" for the day, I began to feel irritated. I had also anticipated having a few child-free hours today, and it just didn't work out. I was so exasperated over this all day that I failed to make the most of the day that I did have. I hate when I do that. I allowed my unmet expectations to ruin what should have been a perfectly good day. And I let it ruin a perfectly good date night, too. :(

So, what's the lesson here? Look for the blessings. Remember that life is short. Tomorrow is another day and everything on my list can wait until tomorrow. And finally, get over it already! That's what I should have done.

Praying that tomorrow is a better day, and that I can choose a better attitude! Thank you, Lord, for loving me when I'm sometimes so hard to love. You never turn away from me.

Gratitude

It's the month of November, and I'm one of many posting my daily gratitude on facebook. I thought of a few little things I'm thankful for on this day...

I'm thankful that Avery let me put her hair up in a bun. It started off as a side ponytail, which apparently caused her a lot of discomfort, so I decided to sweep it up in a bun. She didn't love it as much as I did, but that's okay. She still wore the hairstyle to school, and she looked absolutely adorable. I couldn't resist taking a ton of pictures of my sweet girl when she got home this afternoon.

I'm thankful that Nate is so very thoughtful. He had a good day at school and was able to choose something out of the treasure box at school. Somehow he lost his treasure between his classroom, and my car and we almost left school without it, but he was so sweet about wanting to go back and get it, that I decided we should. We ran back to his class, and his precious teacher let him pick out a new treat (we couldn't find the lost treasure). He chose a package of Smarties candies and ate almost all of them on the way to pick up Sissy from school. But he saved two of them and he saved them for her. He wanted her to have them. He melts my heart with his kindness, and in between all of his crazy, little boy qualities, he does sweet stuff like this all the time. Everyday he shows to me that he has a thoughtful and generous spirit. I love my little boy so much!

I'm thankful for my health, this gorgeous weather today (high in the 50s!), and breakfast for dinner! I'm thankful for time as a family, eating in the living room because the kitchen chairs are in the garage, all being painted. I'm thankful that Russ doesn't mind (too much) when I want to paint our kitchen table and chairs and lets me do it the way I envision. I'm thankful he watched our little ones the other night so I could play Bunco with some new friends. I'm thankful to my in-laws for watching our little ones tomorrow night so we can have a date night. Yay! I'm thankful that my little ones helped me clean the kitchen tonight. And that they played in the yard together this evening. I'm thankful, happy, blessed, and full.

Thank you, God. Thank you for blessing me daily!

Right Now...

Right now, it's 8:11 a.m. and I'm tired. I'm wearing my pajamas and I'm allowing Nate to play on the computer so I can have a bit of quiet time. (PBSkids, though - so it's all good!) Avery is at school, slightly anxious about the upcoming fire drill that she knows will happen now that it's a new month. I've reassured her, and I hope she'll have a good day.

Tired. My plan at getting the little ones to stay in the bed together doesn't seem to be working yet. I'm not giving up. I woke up this morning with one kiddo *right* next to me on each side. I was hot, uncomfortable, and my back was/still is aching. Russ had moved on to a different bed. I would do that, too. But the kids look for me. I'm a bedtime magnet. I told them that I really need them to stay in their bed. I need sleep so I can be a better Mommy, and I need to have fewer people in my bed so that I can sleep comfortably. I don't want to make them feel bad for creeping into bed with me. I just want them to stay in their own bed. Or at least wake me up, so that I can help them back to their own bed. Eventually, we will get there. I mean, they will not be in their teens and still climbing into bed with me...surely not...?

A strong cold front is coming in tonight. Can't wait. With each cold front, my spirits rise. I love the cooler weather....everything feels lighter and calmer when it's cool. Anyone else feel that way?

15 minutes

Just a few days ago, I was reading one of my favorite blogs about motherhood and family, 71 Toes. If you are one of the 3 people who might read my blog, you should definitely check out her's. Shawni (the author of said blog) writes beautiful posts daily about her family of 7. She has 5 sweet children and how she makes time to write, edit photos and blog every day is beyond me. She recently decided that she was going to limit herself to just 15 minutes daily for blog-writing, and it inspired me to at least try and do the same. 15 minutes for me to devote to writing about what's happening in my little family's life. 15 minutes is so much more than nothing!!

So, here goes! Halloween was last night, and we celebrated in our traditional manner. The kids got ready and we made the quick drive to my in-law's home. Avery and Nate love seeing them, and were happy to show off their costumes (Little Women's Amy and Spongebob). After a few minutes of chaos and visiting, we began our Trick-or-Treating trek. What to remember about last night: the kids wanted to run everywhere, but after numerous warnings, they finally began to listen. At every door, Aves would say, "Trick or Treat, smell my feet!" Thankfully, she knew better than to add the last part! They both said "thank you" after every treat was dispensed, and they wanted to go for longer than we have in the past. We returned to Nanny & Granddad's, and they "helped" to give out candy. By the time we returned home, they were exhausted. After a quick shower and bath, they were both out like a light.

For the past few nights, Avery and Nate have both been sleeping in Nate's bed. I decided to try this, because they both like to snuggle with someone and it seems to help them sleep better if they can be attached to a warm body. I was hoping that maybe they could attach to each other, rather than me?!? :) So, we're trying it and the first 3 nights went exceptionally well. In fact, yesterday morning I had to wake them up. I can count on one hand the number of times that has happened. Seriously. (Seriously.) I was giddy with dreams of being able to sleep all night long, every night, uninterrupted. Last night, though, Nate burst my bubble, because he woke up multiple times and would not stay in his bed. So, he was back in our bed, and Aves woke up at her extremely early time....somewhere between 5-6 this morning, I think. Oh well. I'm not giving up. They seem to like sleeping together; Avery has said that she feels safer with Nate, and so we will keep trying for that elusive "good night" of sleep for all of us. Wish me luck!

It's been awhile...

As the title indicates, it's been awhile since I've logged on to blog. Why is it so much more enjoyable to sit and read other blogs than it is to come on and write down a few thoughts of my own? In a few years, I'll wish that I had recorded more, written more. This is likely to be a random post, moving all over the place....

What's going on with Avery:

She's almost 7, and can hardly wait. She hates that her birthday comes last in our family, and feels that it's an injustice she's had to wait so long.

She's doing well in 1st grade so far. Academically, she's doing great - she's a very strong reader and I'm grateful for that, because it is so useful and helpful in learning about all of the other subjects. She loves math and seems to be picking it up quickly, too. She reads nightly for her daily homework, and what I have to help her with when she's reading out loud is slowing down and being more clear.

With school, we've had anxieties pop up that had all but been forgotten over the summer. Fire drills, mainly, but also fears about things that come up at school - like lice, or pink eye. Her teacher is so precious and has already blessed us with her kindness and understanding, especially regarding fire drills. For the first fire drill, she gave Aves a little "secret signal" that it was about to come, and is allowing Aves to use her ear plugs during the drills. This is GREAT! It gives Avery a little bit of control over the situation and that helps a lot. Also, once she'd been through the first drill, she realized that it wasn't nearly as bad as she had been thinking it would be. It's a common theme when it comes to her anxieties, and I'm trying to show her that she worries and builds things up more than necessary, in hopes that she, too will see this pattern and learn from it.

The level of her fears has caused me some concern about her this school year. It seems to have escalated from last year, and while she does love school, her anxieties often keep her from wanting to go. Last night, she became extremely upset with Russ when he began to trim her fingernails. She didn't want him to trim her thumb nails, because then she feared she wouldn't be able to scratch her book pages. Scratching pages is something she's been doing for a few years now. It seems to provide her comfort, or maybe it's just a tic of some kind. But to see her as upset as she was about it last night registers in my brain that there may be more going on with her. I'm constantly on the fence about whether or not I should be worried about her behaviors and quirks. It's hard, knowing that something doesn't seem quite right, but not knowing exactly what it is. And from the outside, very few people (I think) would even recognize the subtle differences in her from other kiddos. I just want to know, and I want to be able to help her cope as much as I can with all of the anxieties and issues she has and may have as she continues to grow.

In other, less-worrisome news, she's taking dance again. She had been wanting to do this for a while. After her first class, she told me it was just "too much exercising!" But, she seems to be enjoying it now, so we're taking it a month at a time. I'm so glad she's taking dance...it's a sweet thing to see your little girl in her dancing clothes! However, it's quite expensive, so I won't be heartbroken if and when she decides she wants to try something else. (Update: She just isn't enjoying dance and complains about going every week, so we've chosen to quit for now. I'm hoping we can find something that's physical and fun and a good fit for her soon.)

Now, about Nate....

Little buddy is now 4. Oftentimes, he is truly the most precious child I've ever known. He is so outwardly affectionate - giving hugs and kisses, unprompted, always telling me he loves me, always including each of us in his prayers, sharing with Sissy and friends at school (he earned a sucker for good behavior and gave it to a little girl rather than keeping it for himself!). He's thoughtful and kind - he told me the other night that he would "take care of Sissy" when he gets to her school (so that she wouldn't be afraid of fire drills). Ohmigoodness, I see so much pouring of love from him, and I'm so thankful for that. I pray he always has this sensitive side, that he's always able to reach that part of himself and his heart...that it doesn't fade as he turns into a young man.

The other parts of Nate are what I would expect for most little boys to be like: he likes to play guns and hit, he's great at whining/fussing/throwing things when he's mad. He has a very hard time following directions. He just wants to do what HE wants to do. He still gets into everything...you leave scissors out, he'll find them and cut something. He sees a flashlight, and he wants to take it apart and find new batteries for it. He glances at my make-up bag and suddenly must pull everything out of it and open up all the bottles, and possibly play in the eyeshadow. His need to get into everything (and make a mess of everything) drives me insane. Avery just didn't do this, and I really thought by now, Nate would no longer be so interested in doing it, either. I'm glad for the interest; I can see that this is actually a great quality, to want to know how things work, what they do, etc. But it sure makes for a messy house!!

Nate's speech and vocabulary are growing by leaps and bounds! He's talking so much more, and more clearly than just 6 months ago. He still has difficulty with his "l's" and it often comes out more like a "y", but it's nothing I feel concern about. Some funny things he says still are: tornado sounds like tomato, volcano sounds like holcano, Mrs. Marilyn sounds like Mrs. Marian, airplane sounds like urplane, and I'm sure there are others.

He's doing well in his class, considering that he's the youngest in the group. He seems to be trying and doing his best, and I couldn't ask for more. He already knew his shapes, letters, letter sounds, and colors. He's very good at coloring and cutting because those are things he enjoys doing. We're working on making sure he listens and follows directions in class, because that was a concern early on. We've talked about it a LOT at home, and I always try to remind him to "listen and follow directions" before he walks into class. In the past 2 weeks, his teachers tell me that he's already showing improvement, so I feel great about that. I just want him to do his best academically, and to try his best to behave in the way that he knows is appropriate.

He loves space shuttles, cars, trains, urplanes :), and trucks. Not much has changed in that aspect. He also loves to build with blocks, and Legos, shoot his Nerf guns and fly paper planes. Anything that can be taken apart and finagled with is right up his alley. :)

Things with me:

Life is good. It's finally Fall and I am so, so thankful that cooler temps are on their way. It's been a very hot summer, and with those rising temperatures, my mood went steadily downhill. I've diagnosed myself with seasonal affective disorder, except it hits me in the summertime, rather than in the winter! Honestly, I really do feel like I'm coming a bit out of a funk - I just haven't been myself lately, and I haven't wanted to do some of the things that I normally do. I kept feeling like I needed a break from my obligations. But I can feel the hope that with Fall, things will start to feel right again. I'm working again at YCW, and while I'm in a new classroom, and with new teachers, and a new age group, I am glad to be there. I love the little ones and get a lot of joy out of working with them. I'm adjusting to all of the changes slowly. I miss working with Jen. But I believe it's going to be a great year, and that I'm there for a reason.