Princess Party

 

Waiting for the guests

 

 

Kaitlyn

 

and the twins

 



 

 

 

Cake

and ice cream

 

Opening presents

 

 

Playing Duck, Duck, Goose

 

 

 

Happy Birthday, Lily!

 

 

Lily is Five!

Lily turned five last month.  She has grown up so much recently!  I feel like we've walked through a door into a new season.  She seems so much older than she was even last spring- thoughtful, responsible, self-controlled, and able to think through things, ask questions, and understand explanations.  A few of the conversations we've had this fall: the economy and the national debt, the presidential race, are Catholics going to heaven, and if Jesus is the biggest how does he fit in a house (which led to a discussion of the incarnation and the Trinity).

She's a busy girl with her Fit by Five preschool class two afternoons a week, ballet, and sewing lessons at Grandma B's.  She's a quick learner, an eager helper, and a loving sister.  She has an eye for detail and is my reminder-er.  She also has a soft heart for others and for God.  I love to hear her sing songs to Jesus that she makes up as she goes along.

 

With Daddy

 

Lily wanted matching purple princess dresses for her and Abby for her birthday present.  Unfortunately, Abby totally refused to wear hers.  Lily still completely enjoyed wearing hers.

The Law of Love

I am not a theologian or a Bible teacher.  Still, sometimes if you don't state the obvious, over time it is forgotten.  So, for what it's worth, here's a little reminder of what has historically been accepted Christian doctrine regarding the question:

Is it sin to be unloving?

In Matthew 22 a lawyer asked Jesus,  “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

From this well-known passage we see three things (at least):

-Jesus considers loving others a commandment.

-Jesus considers loving others the second greatest commandment, second only to loving God Himself.

-Jesus considers all the rest of the Law (including the commands about things we readily accept as sin like adultery, murder, stealing) as hinging on these two commandments.

Is it sin to disobey the greatest commandment?  And is it sin to disobey the other commandments?  So then what about this second greatest commandment?  Is it sin to disobey it and be unloving? 

Granted, in different church circles we can confuse "caring" for others with genuine love, and that "care" can have all sorts of connotations and demands with it- making phone calls, having conversations with others, asking particular questions, meeting specific physical needs.  Jesus is not commanding any one culture's definition of "care."  If you look at all of Jesus' teaching, I think it's hard to condense his definition of love down to any formula.  It is much broader and deeper than that.  But I think most of us know when someone loves us, and we know when they don't.  And Jesus says God's command is love.

I'm not writing this post because I think I'm good at loving people.  I am very aware that that's a big weakness of mine.  In the last year, I've been confronted by my inability to even know what love is, let alone do it.  I am thankful for the mercy and grace of God.  But that doesn't change His commands. 

End Public Service Announcement.  Thanks for listening!

Mr. Charles Bingley

 

Jenn also got this picture of Bingley on his perch by the front window.



The Cub Scout

During Jenn's recent visit she got this picture of William in his cub scout uniform.  He and Eric were on his way to rake leaves with his pack.  Don't you just love boys in uniform? =)

Apple Orchard

We had two apple orchards on the farm where I grew up.  One of my favorite memories is making apple cider.  I loved watching the different machines that got set up outside, I loved the smell of the apple butter cooking inside, and most of all I loved waking up the next day and seeing the row of gallon jugs filled with apple cider lining the driveway. 

So it was especially fun to see the kids get into picking apples this year. They were much more discerning pickers this time, and were able to engage in conversation and really enjoy the day. The older two loved the wagon ride. Abby was scared at first, but then she got used to it. Her favorite thing was holding the bag of apples.

 

At the end, the kids played in the pumpkin patch area, and got a treat from the general store, and it just felt like a visit to the past.  So fun!

One of "Them"

The schooling has overtaken my blogging, as you all can tell.  I'm so sorry!  We've had so much life to report too, but I just haven't had the few moments to record it.  I know I will regret that.  So I'm going to go back and do a few retroactive posts.

Here's a shelter the kids made in the backyard from fallen branches (and that was before Sandy).  They got the idea from a Curious George video.  Growing up, there was a house we drove by often that had a lifesize tepee.  I didn't know the people, but always assumed they must be a bit weird.  Now I shake my head and swallow my pride and accept that I'm one of "them."

Actually, I've been surprised at how much I've enjoyed homeschooling.  Creating my own worksheets is extremely time consuming, but I really enjoy the strategizing and the actual school time.  William doesn't so much.  He gets into the science projects (like this shelter), but math, reading, and writing are a chore.  Still, he's learning, and that's what matters. 

We have a new tutor now; she comes two mornings a week.  So far she's done mostly review, but it's been helpful to have a break and be able to give the girls more attention.

I Will Make You Fishers of Men

Abby with her beloved little Book and a fish bath toy.

Love Letter

Eric found this note on his pillow the other night.  In case you can't make it out, it says,
"Dad, I love you because you are fun and I will always love you with all my heart.  Dear Lily"
 I helped her spell "always."

Eighteen Months and Counting

Abigail had her 18 month wellcheck last week.  Faithful to her genes, she was 40th percentile for height, 75th percentile for weight, and 90th percentile for head circumference. 

Abby seems to learn something new every day.  She has no problem communicating with her little vocabulary.  Her favorite words are "uh-oh," "dis" (this), and "me, me, me!"  She loves to point out every bus and she especially loves to greet her beloved Daddy.

She loves books, and will bring you book after book from the bookshelf so you can read to her.  She has a little green Gideon New Testament she carries with her almost everywhere.

She likes to draw, and will often color/draw for a good 30-45 minutes while I do school with William.  I would prefer she napped (We are all so much happier when she does!), but I'm grateful she lasts that long at the kitchen table.

Abby is a typical third-born child in the way she is always wanting to do what the big kids do.  She is very independent and wants to walk and do things herself.  She follows the older two around and especially copies Lily (who has learned to take it as a compliment, PTL).  Abby has shown quite a bit of interest in the potty, but after one day of trying to do both potty training and school, I've decided to put that off till a holiday break.

Abby continues to have a special soft spot for Bingley, and I often have to remind her that her food is for her and not for the doggie.  She seems to enjoy the outdoors and is not afraid to try new things.  She's a bundle of love with a lot of potential, and I'm looking forward to seeing the woman she becomes.

Bye, Bye Blankie

Sometime this summer, Lily's "purple" blankie got chewed down to a little shred.  We safety pinned the shred to the backup "white" blankie.  Eventually, Lily got annoyed by the pin and took it off and just had the white blankie.  Then one day, about 3 weeks ago now, she lost the white blankie in Wal-Mart.  We didn't realize it till we reached the van.  We retraced our steps and asked every employee and left a note at customer service. 

Ever since then, Lily has jumped when the phone rang, "Mom, that might be my white blankie."  The first few times we went back to Wal-Mart (we go there a lot!), she looked under every shelf and display.  We've checked back at customer service a couple more times.

So today we were at Wal-Mart again, and Lily started talking about her blankie, wondering where it could be.  I tried to gently break the news to her.  "Honey, it might be gone."  I wondered what the people around us thought as I tried to explain to Lily how it could possibly have happened that her precious blankie could have been confused with a rag or something else that would have gotten thrown away.  We checked at customer service one more time; no blankie.  Lily started to cry. 

At that point we were waiting in the checkout, so I could give her a long hug.  I have to say I was sad too for her sake.  It was her most precious possession.  Amazingly, she didn't have a total meltdown.  She really has grown so much.

I was so touched, then, when we got home and I noticed an old, stiff piece of the purple blankie under some things on the kitchen counter.  (which tells you something about the condition of my counters!)  I showed it to Lily.  She got excited for a minute.  Then she tried to snuggle with it, and it was not snuggly, and she tried to chew it for a minute, and it must have lost its flavor, because then she handed it back to me and said she didn't want it anymore.  "That's fine, honey, I'll put it in your baby book," I said. 

Wasn't that so sweet of God to give my daughter closure like that??  He watches every sparrow...

More Ships

Little did I know what I started when I decided to take the kids to Navy Week. William is so into the ocean and all things "deep, deep, deep." So yesterday I decided to go with the obsession and visit the World War II submarine and the bulk freighter in the city harbor. The kids loved it! They especially loved the sub because they were allowed to try out the beds, tables, sinks (that fold up), and many gears. Their favorite was working the gun on the deck.

This is the bulk feighter.  It carried bulk goods like iron ore, coal, and grain from Duluth to Cleveland and back again.  It's actually larger than Noah's ark. 

Always Christmas

A few weeks ago, William made this Santa and hung it on our front door window.  It makes me smile every time I look at it.  In this house, it's always Christmas and sometimes winter.

Explanations from the SGM Board

This past week the current SGM Board did us all the service of explaining their perspective and actions this past year, for which I am very grateful.  The responses match very consistently with the explanations communicated to us personally, but I'm so glad they've been published so all SGM church members can read them. 

Personally, I found the following sections most clarifying:

Regarding the way CJ and the SGM Leadership Team has related to CLC pastors (which in a previous blogpost this week the current board acknowledged have been in conflict) and members:

"These questions do not involve matters of sin or ethical violation—they are matters of judgment." (p.1)

They go on to say, "We also want to allow debatable secondary issues to distract us from our mission to plant and build local churches and to find a governance that pleases the Lord and seems good to as many of us as possible. As we have so many times in the past, let’s strive to allow grace and love to win the day."

And regarding CJ being re-instated as President:

"We do not think this is the time for a debate about who should lead our ministry. We have a major transition to make in our governance, and we believe that no other leader in our movement has the qualities that will effectively guide us through these changes." (p.5)

 

William's First Day of Class

Here's William entering MCS for his first day.  MCS is the school my dad taught at and my brothers and I attended K-12.  William's standing with Mrs. H, his art teacher and a longtime family friend.

There's a ninth grade Independent Studies girl who God provided on Day 1 to be William's special helper.  I will also be sitting in on music and gym class to help him learn the boundaries and to train the teachers and helpers how to relate to him.  This is new ground for us as MCS doesn't have inclusion experience, but they are all extremely loving, gracious, and accepting.  I am so grateful!

Lily's First Day of Class

We started school at home awhile ago now.  But the first week of September was both Lily and William's first day of class.  Lily is attending a preschool close to home called Fit by Five.  It's a national chain, though I hadn't heard of it before.  It's a "perceptual-motor based" preschool, which means they do a lot of gym-type activities working on endurance, coordination, and cooperation.  Lily's in the Pre-K+ class which is just two afternoons a week.  There are five kids and two teachers which is a real plus in my mind.  Lily loves it!  She often looks at the calendar and points out all the days she gets to go to school.

A Funeral to Remember

This seems to be a season of funerals.  Sobering, I must say.  I went to a funeral of a longtime friend's dad a few weeks ago, and it's been in my mind ever since. 

Funerals display people's character, both the person who died and their friends and family.  Sometimes it gets pretty yucky, but sometimes it's simply beautiful.

At this friend's dad's funeral, my friend's mom sang.  She sang a song she had written.  It wasn't about her husband or about her own life.  It was a song of worship to Jesus for His salvation.  And she sang it so joyfully.  It was such a striking picture; I can't get it out of my head. 

I can't sing, so I know I won't be singing any solos at Eric's funeral (which is hopefully many, many years away).  But I hope I will be able to worship like that in that moment.

Playing Teacher

Lily explained to me this morning that she was playing school with her teddy.  She had him on her bed with some books.  Then later she made him sight words flashcards.  Not being too much of an over-achiever, she had to ask me how to spell the sight words.

Homeschooling with a Receptive Language Disorder

Sorry, regular readers.  This post is for the other moms out there googling educational info late at night.

William's speech has (yet again) really blossomed over the summer.  He's now making up his own sentences fairly often (maybe once every 1-3 days).  But when it comes to learning, we still need everything to be demonstrated.  We are at the beginning of the school year, but at this point we are having good success with:

-Sing, Spell, Read, and Write.  Actually, we don't really use the whole kit.  We are using the Grade 1A book for review of all the letter sounds and handwriting. At the same time, we are slowly working through the Kindergarten B book to learn how to blend sounds together.  I listened to the songs myself and then slowed them way down when I sing them with the kids.  I also changed some of the words in the short vowel song - egg to elephant, inchworm to igloo- to make it more clear and understandable to William.  William isn't into card games, so we haven't really used those.  And if we get to any of the readers before the end of the year, I'll be thrilled.

The best part about this program is the ferris wheel for the vowels.  We are going very slowly, taking weeks to do one lesson, but it is working.  For a kid with apraxia, saying all the short vowel sounds forward and back (a, e, i, o, u, u, o, i, e, a) is pretty impressive!

The handwriting in the first grade workbooks is a lot, but the style matches Handwriting Without Tears, and it provides the amount of practice that we really need.  We do it at the end of the day though, as it is laborious.  William really likes the cut and paste phonics that goes with it, so that helps offset the displeasure.

I'm going to supplement with the beginner BOB books for readers, and probably also Hooked on Phonics like we did last year.

-Essential Kindergarten B Singapore Math- A black and white but very clear basic math workbook.  I didn't get a teacher's manual, but use the suggestions at the bottom of the page as a starting point for lessons.  I like how it explains the concepts behind the math facts and how there's only a few problems on each page.

The book starts out with the concept of "one more," which William didn't seem to understand.  It seemed like the struggle was linguistic, not cognitive.  He couldn't seem to understand "more" to mean something different than "the stash in the cupboard."  (ie, I want more pretzels/cookies/cheerios.)  So we skipped that for now and are moving on to numbers 1-20 and place value.  As we do numbers, I've been trying to slowly and systematically introduce the idea of comparison that will hopefully lead us back to more and less.  We'll see.

I've been using joining blocks along with montessori small red and blue rods as our main manipulatives.  I have a set of cruisinaire rods, but I'm hesitant to use them as they introduce another level of memorization necessary to benefit from them (ie- The green stick is how many?  Is the pink stick ten??)  I also made a set of place value cards.

For Bible, we're going to study Exodus.  (Right now we're reviewing Genesis, and William's totally into Noah and his big boat.)

For life skills, we're working on dressing independently, making our bed, going to the bathroom and brushing our teeth independently, cleaning up after ourselves, and serving and clearing our food for breakfast and lunch.  As a mom, that's probably the most exciting subject for me! =)

For social studies, we are learning the Pledge of Allegiance, the rest of the words to America the Beautiful, our address and phone number, introducing maps, and (hopefully) doing a light overview of world cultures.

For science, my plan is to do topics related to our study of Exodus (rivers, crocodiles, fire, hail, etc).  We are also reviewing plants from last year.  Last week we did plant puzzles, picked the first green peppers from our pepper plant!, and started a potato root-growing experiment.  State standards suggest we talk about living/nonliving matter and natural/manmade matter.  Not sure how to do that yet.

For health we're going to do the food pyramid.  Did anyone know the food pyramid has changed again??  When I learned it, there were three levels with grains on the bottome, then fruits and veggies, the meat and dairy, and sweets at the tip top.  But now it has stripes going up.  Does anyone know anything about that?   Anyway, I hope to use painter's tape and tape a pyramid on the wall with the different sections (once I get them figured out), and let the kids tape play food in the right places.  We'll see.  We could really use lessons on healthy eating around here, so if anyone has any good kid-friendly ideas on this topic, feel free to share!

With all that regular education, it's hard to remember sometimes that the main thing we need to focus on is language.  But half of our IEP is language goals, so that helps.  My hope is to increase vocabulary through making posters, building shadow boxes and other models, watching movies, singing songs, and playing games.  The harder language goals are the interactive ones (conversation skills, etc).  I'm still praying over how to really teach and practice those and not just react when it goes poorly.  Of course, it will help when classes get underway this week.

Navy Band

On Thursday we packed a picnic lunch and went to hear a small ensemble from the Navy Band at a free performance in a local shopping area.  I was determined to get pictures this time. 

The kids really enjoyed the music. The band did patriotic songs, so the kids knew some of them. Then afterwards we discovered a splash area, which was extra fun!

 

Ships, Ahoy!

After we left the science center, we saw the ships that are in the city port for Navy Week.
William could have stayed there all day! He kept wanting to work the levers, get in the rafts, lift the buoys....   As we were leaving one ship, he asked, "Where is Captain Hook?" There were sailors and other military personnel everywhere, and they were all super nice.
I wish I had taken pictures, but I was too busy supervising!  So here's William and my attempt at a drawing of the frigate.  It's suppose to look like the modern one we saw today, but we wrote War of 1812 at the top because that's what Navy Week is commemorating.

The Intense Look of Learning

 

Today was kid free Tuesday at the science center so we went with another family from church.

I'm not sure what the kids were suppose to be learning at this ball machine, but they were all mesmerized.

Rainbow in the Midst of Rain

Lily spotted this rainbow this morning while the rain was still coming down.

Summer of Sickness

We've been sick pretty much since the Fourth of July this summer.  Not the same bug, just moving from one to the next.  Today all three kids had fevers.  William, who's usually the night owl, was laying on the recliner around 8pm and asked me, "Mom, where is the dark?"  Poor kiddo!  But it's so sweet he can say the whole sentence.

Ocean Shadowbox

Thanks, Grandpa R, for the inspiration!

Addicted to Christmas

William is addicted to Christmas.  It's his favorite thing to play after Thomas.  About a week ago, in 90 degree weather, he dressed up in his Santa suit and went outside with a trash bag full of toys.  Later I went outside and found the sled in the driveway with the trash bag on it.  The sled rope was attached to our ride-on Thomas and a pair of paper antlers was taped to Thomas' funnel. 

A few days later William got up in the morning and started moving the loveseat in the living room.  "What are you doing, bud?" I asked.  "Christmas tree," he answered.  He remembered that we move the loveseat to make room for the Christmas tree every year.  So I tried very hard to explain to him that this was August and it was summer and hot and Christmas isn't until December (flipping the pages on the calendar) when it's winter and snowy and cold.  And I got to clean behind the loveseat.

So then this morning when William said, "Christmas tree!" again, I got nervous.  But he brought down the diaper champ, set it on a chair with authority and showed me he was just pretending.  And he let his sisters help, which made it fun for everyone.  I took this picture 3/4 of the way through.  The finished product had his fisher price little people train track around the bottom and paper cut-out snowflakes around the top.

William is Seven!

 Wow, my kids are growing up!  It's just wild.  William was able to pick his own birthday theme this year, which was super fun- Cars.  Here he is vigilently guarding his cupcakes after Abby put her signature on one.

 We're working on William understanding that he is seven, and that each birthday is when you get one year older.  I don't think he gets it yet, but he certainly understood the day was for him.  We had had to postpone the party a week since I was sick, so I hadn't made a big deal about it beforehand.  But last night when I iced the cupcakes, we talked about it, and he got super excited.  This morning on the way to the playground, he kept saying, "Party....party....party!"

The best part was that he was able to interact with the other kids, thank them for their presents and talk a bit about them.  My favorite moment was when a friend gave him a colored picture of a pirate ship and William said, "Thanks, Matey!"