Misc. December

Tobogganing is an AMAZING December activity!!! Thanks to Gpa John and Gma June for the idea and for going with us for this fun family outing. We all four rode together down the track 3 times and then had nice lunch at the Inn. At our fastest we were clocked at 32 mph. It was AWESOME!!! The kids loved it. They each took a turn in front and then a turn between Jon and me. If you haven't been to Pokagon State Park to do this, go soon. It is soooo fun!


Reading before bed is a nice treat in December.


Making snow people is another fun December activity


Checking the advent calendar was a daily joy for the kids and for me, too.


The church Christmas Concert was a highlight of the month also. Noah sang in the choir. He is in the front in the white shirt and red tie. He loves to wear ties to be like Jon.


Getting a new car was a December activity for us, too. We traded in the G35 and got a Ford Flex. We miss the Infinity, and it's pick up and handling, but we are enjoying the extra room and better gas mileage of the Flex a lot too. We don't have a pic of the Flex yet, but it is the same color as the G35.


Cleaning is always fun no matter what month it is.


Playing Mary and Joseph is always fun in December.
Don't you just love Mary's pregnant belly and the way they lovingly gaze at the newborn babe? So sweet. Baby Samuel/Audra played the part of Baby Jesus, of course. He's in the basket...wearing a pink skirt.

Anna is 3

My baby is three today, but my baby is not a baby anymore. How do I know this? Many ways, but most recently it is her interest in all things "pretty" that has me worried and thinking, "We're not in Kansas anymore." It seems as though all of a sudden she wants to wear skirts and dresses and spin around and talk about things that are "pretty." Just the other day as we were assigning parts for our game of acting out the Christmas story (yes, we know it's almost February) she asked, "and who are the pretty people again?" because she wanted to make sure that was the part she got. What!!!??? Three weeks ago she wanted to be Mary because clearly Mary has a very important role in the Christmas story. Now she wants to be "the pretty people." Oh my. I know this sounds funny, but I'm really not laughing.

I have tried so hard. We don't buy princess books. Fairy Tales are screened very carefully. We don't let her watch princess movies. We don't let her watch shows where the girls are dumb, needing rescue, or just accessories. We don't comment on her clothes except to talk about how things feel or go together etc. We don't do her hair so it can look pretty. We do her hair so she can "see the world" and do everything she needs to do that day. Rarely do we make comments about her appearance at all. Mostly we try to comment on what she does or says or thinks not on how she looks. We read Ladybug Girl, Trixie, and Dora books. So what is it with all this "pretty" stuff? She is only 3! Well, it's out there in the world and as much as I try to keep her safe from it, it is out there. All I can do is try to send other messages, additional messages, counter-messages. Just tonight as I put her to bed she said, "Can we get the Ariel book. She is so pretty." So I said, "You know that being pretty isn't what matters, right? What matters is being kind and smart and strong and funny and loving. You know that, right, Anna?"

My three-year-old daughter is so much more than pretty. She is confident, funny, loving, caring, strong, fast, articulate, daring, and smart. She can hit a baseball that is pitched from me or or Jon with such force that I usually cover my face after I release the ball so if I get hit in the face it will hurt less. She beats me at Hungry Hippos every day. She can brush her own teeth, speak with a southern accent, and get dressed entirely by herself. She loves to sled, ice skate, and ride a toboggan at 32 mph. She is good at puzzles, singing, dancing, creating shows, and being a super hero. She loves to care for her baby Audra/Samuel, "read" to herself (at least 15 books at bedtime), "write," draw, play with her brother, pretend to speak Italian, play Dora, play school, help clean up, and speak with so much emphasis that both hands and wild gestures are often needed to get the point across. She is so much more than pretty.

Anna, when I think of the future sometimes I get impatient because I so badly want to see how your life will unfold and how God will call you to use your gifts to bring hope and healing to the world. I think you have so much potential. I just pray that you will get to do and be all that you want to do and be, and I hope and pray that I will get to be here to see it. I try to savor each day with you, enjoying the little things, but sometimes it's like I just can't wait to experience all the things we will experience together and to see your life unfold. I am just so genuinely excited about life with you.

Oh, Anna, I hope all of your recent "pretty" talk will pass. I hope you will never feel pressure to look a certain way. I hope you will never ever ever ever ever think that your worth or value is in any way related to how you look, but I'm realistic. I know this isn't going away. The pressures girls face today are unreal, but know this my daughter: Daddy and I couldn't care less if you are pretty. What we care about is you, and you are so much more than clothes or hair or skin. You, my dear are spirit, breath, mind, and heart. We care about you, and we love you now and forever.
We love you to New Orleans and back.

Happy Birthday, my darling daughter.

Chicago

The week before Christmas we went to Chicago with my parents for a few days just to relax, spend time together and go to the Children's Museum. It was great. The kids loved the museum, but they also loved walking around the city, riding the bus, riding the train, and going out to eat at fun restaurants with Nutcrackers and jungle animals.

Brunch


On the train
Noah was so excited to see Wrigley Field where he said his friend Tyson's team plays. So cute.



Walking and walking...so much good exercise and you don't even realize it.


Children's Museum
At the museum Anna really loved the real life little town where kids could do many things like grown ups do. Her favorite activity was putting the "snow tires" on this red car. One time Jon called them "winter tires" and she corrected him: "No, Dad. They are snow tires." She also loved taking Grandpa John on a ride in the car.



"Ice Skating" was also a hit for both kids. After seeing how much they loved this, Jon suggested that we get a big sheet of linoleum and wax it up and set the kids loose in the basement this winter. Not a bad idea, dear. Not bad at all.



The water area was another fun place


Pretending to be fire fighters was also very cool



More walking together


Riding the bus


Hanging out in the condo
It was so nice to have a family member's condo to stay in so we had some extra room to move around and to be able to eat breakfast "at home."





Nutcrackers at the restaurant were so much fun. Last year Anna was terrified of the tiny Nutcracker my parents have and this year she poses with a giant one. My how they grow up.

More Quotes

Good grief. These kids are so quotable lately. They are just cracking us up with their astute observations and hilarious comments.

1. One wintry day as the snow was falling outside and the kids and I were safe and cozy inside, Noah looked contemplatively out his window while Anna and I played on the floor and then I heard him say, "This house is peaceful." What joy to know that my son feels peace at home.

2. We had a Preacher Mama (and Papa) hymn sing in October. It was a great time of fellowship and good singing. We even recorded it and David was nice enough to make CDs for each family in the group. The first time I played the CD in the car Noah heard it and said, "Mom you should have had a book" implying that we didn't sound very good. So I told him, "Noah, we did have books." To which he replied, "Next time you should actually look at the book." Oh my word!!! Too funny! So this past week we had another Preacher Mama and Papa hymn sing at our house this time and you can bet I made sure to show Noah that we all had books in hand and were looking at them.

3. Every time I say "ridiculous" Anna says, "ree-dic-lee-us" just to say it wrong and annoy me. I correct her and say, "Anna the word is ridiculous" to which she again replies "ree-dic-lee-us." Clearly this is a very funny game. She also likes to say "lie-bare-ee" instead of "library" even though she is perfectly capable of saying it correctly.

4. The other week the kids were at Gma Ruth and Gpa Tom's for the weekend and after church on Sunday Tom and Ruth took the kids to Hacienda for lunch. Our family also frequents the Goshen and Elkhart Haciendas, and in Goshen they have caffeine free diet soda, but in Elkhart they don't. So, as they drove up to the Goshen Hacienda Anna proclaimed, "Oh good. This is the one where we can have pop!" Love it!

5. As Grandpa Tom and the kids made their way out the door to go to church that same weekend Anna paused halfway out the door and said to Grandpa Tom, "Wait a minute. I need to go back and get my phone in case I get a text." Huh.Lar.E.Us! I can not imagine where she has ever heard this before.

6. As I drove home from my weekend away with my college friends I was talking on the phone with Jon and the kids just a bit. Jon was in the process of putting them to bed so they were all there together on Noah's bed reading stories, and as we were signing off so I could focus on driving,
I said, "Goodbye. I love you."
And Noah said back to me, "I love you bigger than a giant. Bigger than the world."
To which I replied, "I love you all the way to Jupiter and back."
Noah came back at me again with, "I love you all the way to Pluto and back."
And then Anna, oh bless her, she piped up and said, "I love you all the way to New Orleans."
Ahhh yes, all the way to New Orleans...oh how I love them so.

Preacher Mama Retreat

Our first Preacher Mama retreat was a smashing success. It was short (less than 24 hours actually) but still great. We sat, ate, talked and had time to just be with one another. It was fantastic. We had originally planned to have a speaker and do multiple sessions of input etc. but decided in the end that we just needed some down time to be together and let conversation flow. So we did a lot of knitting, talking, laughing, game playing, eating, and generally having space and time to have good talks about lots of different things. I so treasure this group of women. Thanks for a wonderful time, Preacher Mamas.

November in a Nutshell

The First Snow

The first snow of the year was great! We played and played. The kids' newest favorite way to pull one another and get pulled on the sled is for me to pull Noah and for him to pull Anna. That way Noah and I are reindeer and Anna is Santa. Too funny! We also built a snow fort that was pretty cool although we didn't really have a snowball fight where we could use it to it's fullest potential.

Setting up the Christmas decorations

Anna's First Movie
Anna's first feature-length film in the theater (The Muppet Movie). She is clearly (see picture) stoked about the event!

The funny thing was after all the previews and the first half of the movie, she had used up her tolerance for sitting still and watching something on the screen (she much prefers books to movies or TV) so she and I left the boys in the theater and took to the hallway of Linway 14 where we ran sprints, played hide and seek and generally amused ourselves until the movie was over.

Don't Go, Daddy, Don't Go!

Trying to make so Jon can't leave for work. I've got to hand it to them. They give it all they've got. Sometimes they go so far as to lay down on the kitchen floor holding on for dear life to Jon's legs and they make him drag their bodies across the floor with each step as he inches his way to the back door. Priceless!

Daddy Hug!

I was sorry to miss out on this great family hug, but it was fun to be able to snap a few pictures of it happening.

Facepainting at First Fridays

We were going to let them sleep in it, but it was getting all over EVERYTHING (notice nice white blanket that Anna is laying on) so we took baths and washed faces before bed. I was proud of myself for even considering letting them leave it on all night.

Wishful thinking (looking at holiday catalogs)