Odds n' Ends

So we're here on the eve of our last day of the first quarter of school. We are 1/4 of the way through 4th grade and 1st grade. And we are excited to be finished this leg of the journey! We will take 3 glorious weeks off and the girls can hardly wait. In fact, they can't. They are up in a shared air-mattress (more about that later) with Lydia finishing tomorrow's Bible test and Abigail doing as many math problems as she can keep her eyes open for! And to be honest, I have gotten a jump start on a project which was scheduled for break--but I couldn't wait! We have 4 wonderful kids. None of the first 3 wrote on walls. The 4th, however, writes on walls incessantly. Pencils are his favorite, but this week it was also a double-fisted-pink-crayon kind of day. The magic eraser is no match for our flat wall paint. I had been desperately biting my lip every time I passed the incriminating designs--and in fact, used them as "reminder" tools to my young son: "What's that?" (pointing at pencil marks) "Pencils" "Yes, that's right. NO NO NO! We do NOT write on the walls." "Yeah, ma'am." So, tomorrow we will wake up to bright clean walls, probably like a clean slate!

This week has yielded a few medical visits as well. I have been having more frequent migraines, and in between the migraines I've been having lots of debilitating headaches, head pain and eye pain. So, I went to the dr. and she suggested I had allergies and took a nasal spray and that I also go with my gut to get an eye exam. Today was my pupil dilation day. I'm happy to report I have 20/20 vision and perfectly healthy eyes. I could not see however, to make out the check to the receptionist, so I hope that she didn't fill in her name. I thought it a little ironic that I couldn't see to pay, yet they were perfectly happy to send me out to my car to drive home! It was pretty awful, but I drove slowly and on my side of the road.

Lydia has had a smoker's cough for the last 3 weeks so I decided it was time to take her in. She has walking pneumonia. It's a great kind of pneumonia to have because you have no other symptoms other than a hacking cough. She should be better next week.

All in all, we're looking forward to break. The girls will go and spend their usual couple of days with my parents for a treat of a "sleepover" and I will take advantage of two napping boys!! We'll hopefully get in some visits with other friends and some pool time. Ah, I can't wait!

Oh yeah, the air mattress. After dinner the girls ran upstairs and called out what they were finishing doing, but I couldn't understand it. Anyway, turns out that earlier in the day I had agreed to a request for them to blow up the queen size air mattress in their room for them to sleep on tonight. I remember NOTHING of that conversation. I vetoed and said that was for break. Abigail, with her huge eyes just welling with tears, appeared and asked, "Please, please Mommy. You said that we could and we've cleaned up our whole room in order to fit the mattress in." Okay, Dr. No gives in and gains most-favored-parent status (for a few minutes!).

Preschool II

Sometimes we enlist Taid to help with the games. He's an expert ;0)

I think I like Preschool better than Pre-School. Anyway, you might be wondering what exactly you can teach a 3-year old boy at home. Unlike the purpose of a lot of preschools: socialization, a child in a family of multiple children needs less socialization and more "sitting still" skills! So, my mom purposed to have a preschool schedule for Philip which is diverse but regular and consistent. She begins at 9:30 with a time of prayer and catechism memory work. From there, they move on to an activity relating to a theme they are working on: colors, shapes, number recognition, the human body. Then they do some physical work, usually cutting with scissors or gluing or any of the activities you see in the picture. They conclude that section with a workbook activity incorporating critical thinking and fine motor skills. By then it is time for snack. Philip's favorite part. Even an apple brought from HER home, is much more edible than an apple from OUR fridge! After snack, they may do an alphabet puzzle or play with play-doh, then have story time (the same old stories bring squeals of delight!) and finally, outside time--which usually involves playing baseball.

The Substitute. My parents have been traveling this summer. They were gone for about 6 weeks to Hawaii, Tennessee and Florida. When I realized that they would be gone for such an extended period I made an offer to a very dear young friend, who also happens to be a gifted GCC student. She agreed to come twice a week to teach Philip as the substitute. When I told Philip that Miss Annie had agreed to be his teacher until Nain returned, his only question about the arrangement was, "Will she give me a snack?" "Yes." "Good." And with that, he was satisfied. Miss Annie's tenure was a delight and Philip responded well to her following Nain's same schedule. Later each morning, I would frequently hear a buzzing noise and finally I went downstairs to ask what he was doing. He was using his "electric knife" to cut the play doh as they made all kinds of salad items out of green doh. His electric knife got a LOT of use this summer! Thank you, Annie, for being a wonderful help to us. We love you!

Pre-school

It was almost 100 degrees today, so outside time became inside time and the girls joined in the "Okey Pokey"--which featured constantly changing lyrics.

My kind mother comes and teaches pre-school twice a week to Philip to keep him occupied while I school the girls and also to keep him distracted from eating himself into oblivion. I dread to think what our grocery bill will look like in 10 years. Anyway, my mom and sometimes my dad as well, come to visit and help out. We love it and I am VERY thankful for their giving of time and energies.

Simeon enjoyed a snack on my dad's lap. I thought this was a great picture of my dad,

who is now 68 and doing quite well. Simeon, well, he's just still working on the smile.

Batter up!

Today we went to visit Kevin's dad and stepmom, and his grandmother, in Greenville. Kevin's dad now lives two blocks from the baseball fields where Kevin used to play Little League as a child. It was a nostalgic moment as Kevin took our four (very excited) children out onto the sandy field to line them up to bat.

Abigail is getting some pointers from Daddy.

Lydia has good form, but not much power!

Philip looked the part if nothing else! Thankfully we live between 6 boys, the majority of whom play baseball and hand down their outgrown things!

Philip hit every ball pitched to him. He's a natural lefty and is a baseball enthusiast!

He was super, super-excited to sit in the dugout!

Even Simeon got in the action, but the metal bat is a little too heavy for him to swing.

Birthday recap

I enjoyed a wonderful birthday treat with some of my dearest friends. They treated me to dinner at the Olive Garden and then treated me even further by us having a mini-devotional right in the restaurant! Daisy led a wonderful time of encouragement from Philippians 4. We had great, purposeful conversation about the Lord and His work in our lives. I am so blessed to have these wonderful, godly women in my life!

Daisy, Haley, Patsy, Amanda and me (turning 37!)

Happening lately

We are in the middle of our first quarter of a new school year. It has been significantly "interrupted" by lots of good things: quick few days at the beach with friends; swimming lessons; several houseguests; lots of hosting on the weekends (which crash the beginning of the week!) and sundry other miscellany. I have been blessed to have had the help of a dear young college friend (a GCC student nonetheless) to help me teach preschool to Philip twice a week while my mom was out of town for six weeks. So, we'll extend our school quarter by a week to make sure we get everything covered.

My mom returned today to preschool and during "outside time" Philip appeared in the school room to say (in rapid, but quiet, fire) "I hit Nain in the face with the baseball, but I said I was sorry." "Oh, okay...Lydia keep reading that out loud...WAIT, what kind of ball were you using?" "The hard one." "Does she need ice?" "No, she already has it on her face." I rush downstairs to find my mom nursing a bruised cheek and a bruised leg and her comment, "I guess he's really improved since I've been gone. He hit every one I pitched to him." Thankfully, no broken bones, but he is pretty good at a long arm extended swing with a metal bat!

I have been taking a self-defense class based on Wing Chun--a Kung Fu system. It has been rather fun! I have been bruised and beaten up by both men and women, but it has been a wonderful stretching of mind and body. I pray I don't ever have to use it, but it has been a really useful way to start thinking about bodies and reactions.

Simeon has begun to express his likes and dislikes in very concrete terms and it's a little tough to deal with. I do enjoy, however, when Kevin gives him some long explanation like, "No Simeon, you may not respond that way. It is unacceptable and we are not going to let you speak that way." I'm sure he can't have understood half the words, but Simeon always bows his head and says, "Yessir."

Swim lessons wrap-up take two

I'm not quite up on this blogger stuff, so here's the post about swim lessons. All three of the older children took swim lessons this year--twice a week for 3 weeks. This was our second year of instruction under Susan Lenahan--who does a fantastic job and really loves our kids, which makes it all the more fun! The weather was brutal for the whole month of June so we were thankful to have opportunities (thanks to the Townsends' pool membership) to cool off. The girls made a lot of progress and Lydia might be closed to being classified as a swimmer! Abigail loves retrieving things from the bottom of the pool (might be a useful skill in the future) and Philip learned a lot about sitting still and listening for his name to be called. Seriously, that's an important skill for him right now!

(I can't figure out how to get the photos to load in the right order, so this one should be last!)

Lydia in the water

Abigail buoyed by many flotation devices. She didn't use all these during the lessons.

Mrs. Lenahan giving out the instructions!

By the end of swim lessons we were all pretty tuckered out, but thankful for another year of lessons!

Fourth of July & Swim Lesson wrap up

Abigail and Elise Conlon looking cute

On Monday, July 5th, we continued on with our regular school schedule (despite the rest of America being on vacation) because we can. So, Philip had pre-school with his hired teacher, Annie, but today he decided to spice it up by wearing a bathing suit and using his father's blackberry holder and an old cell phone. He was only interrupted a couple of times with phone calls: once when he had to call his father, and once when he had "to call my friend, Nain."

Later in the day, we went to the Conlon's house to round out the festivities with some good food, good company, fun water fight and concluding fireworks.

We ended the evening by watching the Fuquay Fireworks from our van, which we conveniently parked behind a tree, behind which they conveniently displayed the fireworks!

Patsy was a real trooper about riding surrounded by kids and carseats!

Like I said, the smile isn't quite coordinated yet!

Patsy, looking lovely ;0)

Catrin Haley and Simeon enjoyed some wiffle ball!
Simeon has yet to fully coordinate his smile. Patsy is looking on in the background and Lydia is to the left.

3rd/4th of July

Well, the celebrating isn't quite over, but here's what we've got so far! We had a wonderful week of having our friend Patsy Moonaff visiting from Suriname. She joined in the chaos quite nicely and went along to dr. appointments, swimming lessons, out to dinner (a treat with wonderful church friends to celebrate my birthday), and then to a cookout at Pilgrim OPC which was combined with friends from Shiloh OPC.

A New Era

So here it is, the era of the blog. I have shied away from blogs for years considering them nothing but navel-gazing excuses for pontification on matters of little interest or by those with little knowledge. But after regularly enjoying the blog of a good friend, who is chronicling her family's journey, and after getting over my voyeurish-addiction to Facebook, here goes a blog. My friend also has specific excerpts from her blog published annually into delightful, scripted photo albums and it seems like a fantastic idea. This blog will serve mostly to remind me of all the things I wish I could remember, and yet only have fuzzy cob-webby recollections of such as people, events and time. Hopefully this will help and allow me to give God greater glory for all His goodness and rich blessings to our family.