Friday Update #37 (9/13/13)

We went to a funeral on Saturday. Afterward, during the fellowship meal, Ezra and two of his friends made a lot of people smile by walking throughout the throngs of people with Ezra on a "leash," panting and barking.

Sunday we went on a girls-only date to Shipwreck Beads in Olympia. I haven't beaded in ages, so even though I vaguely knew how to do some of the techniques they showed us, it was a good refresher course.

And I picked up a few supplies I needed to fix some of my old earrings. In addition to making a bracelet and earrings, I forced my new earrings through my poor neglected ears. I took my earrings off for my ultrasound with Ezra in December 2010 and haven't worn any since. Oops.

We capped off our "date" with a stop at a delicious Mexican restaurant. Yum!

Andrew came over afterwards for one last visit with us before flying off to England again.

Isaac can now officially sit up and (army) crawl. Of course he'll continue to work on and then improve each "skill" but I say "officially" because there's no denying that he can actually do both things.

We went out to eat lunch on Tuesday at an Asian food buffet (yes, in two weeks we went out to eat twice!?!) Even Isaac got in on the all-you-can-eat action.

Yes, I know it's a citrus-y fruit...

 He's obsessed with food! Perhaps even more so now that he's actually tasted it? He grabs everything he sees. And if he has to crawl for it? No problem.

Ezra learned the phrases "right now!" and "I said, ____" (both in very demanding, as well as condescending tones) and has been trying to use them all week.

He also attended his very first Bible Study Fellowship class. Essentially it's a pre-school class, I suppose. It went so much better than expected.

Earrings!

When I turned fourteen I finally talked my mom into letting me pierce my ears. Hannah came along "to watch"and then actually got her ears pierced too (which was, I think, Mom's intention all along? at a mere twelve!)

Then, when Hannah and I turned fourteen and sixteen we convinced Mom to let us pierce our ears a second time.

And then, when I turned eighteen, I went and pierced my ears a third time.

For years earrings were the only jewelry I wore. I thought of long dangly earrings (followed by two hoops or a hoop and a stud) were my fashion statement/concession to dressing up.

But... the day I went in to have my 20 week ultrasound with Ezra, I took all of my earrings out. And never put them back in. Until yesterday. Um, yes, from December 2010 to September 2013.

My mom bought all of us girls tickets to a Beading 101 class down at Shipwreck Beads and we planned a girls date for September 8th. So in the week leading up to the class, I pulled out all of my old earrings and cleaned them and sorted them.

Soaking earrings in vinegar works fabulously!
(Unless you forget about them for a week...)

I sorted out all of my broken earrings (and took them to Shipwreck Beads and bought the appropriate hardwear, etc, needed to fix them).

I've also meant to make some sort of earring holder for years now. I had several ideas, but not all of the supplies (or the willingness to get the supplies?) to execute said ideas, so with all of my earrings laying on various shelves in the bathroom, I decided to just make something up. I stuck Ezra in front of the TV and while Isaac napped I snuck outside to spray paint a picture frame. (I've been working on spray painting my dining room chairs, but my goodness, the weather will not cooperate. And of course, the few times it has, Seth hasn't been home to watch Ezra... Poor chairs.)

I then hung the frame up and curled a piece of green Christmas wreath wire around a Sharpie and hung it on the back of the frame (utilizing the hooks on the back usually used to hold in the glass and matting).

The large "loops" didn't work very well, but of course I didn't figure that out until I loaded all of my earrings on. Because I have so many earrings and because some of them are so heavy, I realized I needed to make smaller "loops". The second time around I used a regular ball point pen, so two or three earrings can hang from each "loop" (instead of six or seven, like I did with the big Sharpie shaped "loops").

Until I buy hooks to screw into the bottom of the frame to hold necklaces, I'm using push pins. And I think twisting the wire around something smaller and/or hanging a two rows of wires would actually work even better. But this works for now, so I'm content enough to leave it as is. (It's also really hard to finish these projects with two kids underfoot and I have so many more projects to accomplish first! Being a pregnant zombie for three years has put me quite behind.)

BSF, Preschool, Etc

A blogger I read linked to Susan Wise Bauer's short article "What is Classical Education?" today and I clicked through for some reason. I don't know why, exactly. I wasn't searching for more information on the classical trivium, I wasn't really even in the mood to read anything of substance. But reading through the article just reminded me of the fact that I do think the classical education model to be superior to other models. Actually, I forget there are other models.

This summer, I didn't plan much for this "school" year for Ezra. I had intended to make a list of projects for us, etc... but you know. This summer was pretty rough.

I do want to use my/our time wisely and I want our activities to be constructive. But I also don't feel a pressing need to actively teach Ezra anything yet, besides obedience. We took a break from memorizing Bible verses this month, and I do want us to rectify that.

I feel like I have a lot I want to accomplish in the next two weeks as far as figuring out what I want our scheduled priorities to be for Ezra. In terms of outside-the-home activities, what is important? He'll be 2 1/2 in November. I forget that sometimes, thinking he's so much older.

I've realized this summer that getting practice interacting with others might be helpful for him. I know that our seclusion this summer didn't help, but he doesn't share particularly well and most of all, he doesn't interact well with anyone outside of us or my family. At least not without us there too.

Now, I don't necessarily think that these skills are of utmost importance at this age, or that joining this class is the only/best way he can learn them. But I've heard about BSF's children's class in such glowing terms for so long that I wanted to give it a try (even though that meant giving up my Monday night BSF class and its wonderful teaching leader to switch to Wednesday mornings).

A friend of mine has suggested a number of activities they do around town, but I don't know if I want lots of activities. It's harder with two kids, for one. But I don't know if it's necessary either.

Friday Update #36 (9/6/13)

Sunday was our kick off for Sunday School.

Then we had a big family dinner and played croquet, etc. It's so hard to get all of us kids together with such different schedules, so it's nice when it finally happens.

And my baby is no longer a baby!

Monday Seth got off work rather early, so we got to spend most of the afternoon with him. We had a little picnic outside and then Ezra took us on a walk.

Tuesday Seth again got off work early and we got the new tabs/plates for the van and went to the Olive Garden for dinner and then Winco.

David took Ezra to the zoo on Wednesday.

Thursday we were home all day.

Friday we went to the Adams for a long, long overdue visit.

Ezra is Adorable

I was nursing Isaac in the "pink chair" while Ezra played on the other side of the room. His diaper must have been full or put on incorrectly, because he peed all over me. So I was already wet from that when, as soon as he finished eating, he spit up all over me!

Ezra must have heard it or saw it happen because he immediately raced over to me. "Mommy! Isaac 'pit up! Oh no! I get you a wipe!" and seconds later he'd raced over to where the wipes were, grabbed one, and raced back. Such service!

* * * * *

Isaac was sleeping so we went on a little walk around the front yard, Ezra chattering the whole time. He observed "oh, the big puddle is back!" thanks to the rain. But we couldn't "'plash in it because we're not wearing boots". (Of course, though, he didn't want me to get his boots because he "like[s] his circle shoes instead".) And then he observed that there was a rope hanging from the branch on the tree with a swing. Yes, I agreed, it was a swing. But that wasn't specific enough for him. "Mommy, it's a tire swing." After I pushed him a few times we were ready to go explore more. We went to go look at some bushes.

We were looking at a tree and he noticed it had acorns! Green acorns! (The big tree in our driveway has brown acorns.) I picked one to show him, but it was actually two acorns fused together! He saw them and said "Oh, look! It's brother acorns!"

* * * * *

We went to the DOL to pick up our new license plates and tabs. I asked him, on the way there, if he knew what a license plate was (knowing that he didn't). He said, "hmmm. Those crazy green trees?" and pointed at the trees we were driving past. And then proceeded to guess a bunch of ridiculous things. "Pink yogurt on a stick?" Etc.

* * * * *

I was on the phone, speaking to my new BSF leader for this year. She asked whether I had children and I said "yes, my son Ezra is two years old and my son Isaac is six months old." Ezra was on the front porch with me, and immediately started correcting me. "Mom! Mom! Isaac is zero. Not six. Mom! Isaac zero."

Happy Birthday, Sam!

My BFF had a baby boy two years ago today. Our plan is, of course, that our boys be BFFs too!

September 2011

The day before Sam was born!

October 2011

Five and a half and one and a half months old.

December 2011

Almost eight and almost four months old.

February 2012

Almost six and ten months old.

March 2012

Ten and a half and six and a half months old.

July 2012

Sixteen and ten months old.

(Then a huge long break where we didn't see each other, except at Christmas and Memorial Day weekend, and didn't take photos either time...)

July 2013

Twenty-two and twenty-six months old.

New Life

Again with the high highs and low lows this week! Except they're so much more extreme and for much better reason this week.

I was so heartbroken this morning, but then I received the best news that has just made everything better and more bearable. The heartbreak is still there, but I was just reminded anew that God determines death, yes, but new life too.