Notes

In just an hour I need to wake up my 2 "big kids" and get them dressed and on the bus to school (bus is coming at 6:55-- ICK!).  This year, Addison will be going into 2nd grade.  Levi into Kindergarten.  We are keeping Isaac home one more year since he just turned 4 a week ago!

I wanted to note a couple things from the last few months....

Right now at bedtime Levi will run out of bed about 5 times-- the first 2 or 3 he'll say "I'm scared and you need to pray".... so we do that, the 4th or 5th time he'll say he needs me to come snuggle with him.  While I don't want to do that at all-- I am trying to keep it in perspective-- he will not be doing this in a couple years-- is it really killer to snuggle down with him at bedtime for a minute or two?! 

Isaac's big phrase especially at bedtime is "I need to tell you something"....  for a few months he'd come running out because he'd need to tell me a joke.  His joke usually went something like this: 
"Why did the Life Saver (light saber) cross the road? Because it needed to get to the ship."
Of course sometimes it'd veer off into a big story about Dark Vader needing his life saver, etc, etc...

Addison has gotten to be such a big girl.  This summer she probably slept over at Grandma & Grandpa's house at least 15-20 times.  She also went to Lake Beauty for her first time as a camper!!  I think she had fun, although when I picked her up from the church van she was CRABBY!  As she got out of the van a tooth fell out.  And then she didn't want to tell me anything about camp.  It literally took 2-3 weeks before she would talk about any of it with me.  We had mailed her a few letters and e-mailed a few, she claimed she didn't get them and was VERY adamant with me that it was no fair that we didn't send her anything....  the next day I opened her suitcase and there was everything we sent her-- opened and read.  She said she was just teasing me (ha, ha) about not getting the mail!

2 other funny words I need to write down:
The boys talk about Coyotes a lot-- and they pronounce it "Cow-o-t's"
Isaac talks about volcanos and the hot la-ver (lava)
 

Advent Calendar Part II

 We made the "calendar" last night-- here's what I decided to do--

I also added scripture to each day-- we read the scripture first and then read what the "activity" of the day is.  :)

Here's my scripture list-- one passage each day:
(Also added in were Malachi 3:1, Isaiah 7:14, Exodus 13:2, Hosea 11:1, Jeremiah 31:15)

John 1:1-5

Isaiah 9:2-7

Isaiah 11:1-10

Jeremiah 33:14-16

Luke 1:5-10

Luke 1:11-16

Luke 1:17-22

Luke 1:23-28

Luke 1:33-38

Matthew 1:18-21

Matthew 1:22-26

Luke 1:39-45

Luke 1:46-51

Luke 1:52-26

Luke 2:1-5

Luke 2:6-7

Luke 2:8-12

Luke2:13-14

Luke 2:15-18

Luke 2:19-20

Micah 5:2-5

Matthew 2:1-2

Matthew 2:3-6

Matthew 2:7-8

Matthew 2:9-12

John 1:14

Advent Activity Calendar

I have been noticing an "Advent Activity Calendar" a couple times on Pinterest-- and I thought it looked like a GREAT idea.  Of course December is right around the corner and I hadn't actually sat down to write out the activities until today.  Now if I can find a minute or two to MAKE this calendar or make something cute for it before Saturday, I'll be doing good!  :) 

The idea behind this calendar is to count down to Christmas-- but to fill it with activities or experiences instead of STUFF.  Here is my plan for the countdown days and activities.  When I finish the actual calendar, I'll post it!  There are a few things that will be dependent on weather-- and there are also a couple things that didn't make the list that I hope to stick in there-- so may have to adjust some days, etc....  (One of the things that I don't know what day it happens-- a Live Nativity in town to see-- when I find out when it is, I'll adjust other things to make it work out!  Also, we sometimes go Christmas Caroling with church, and I'm not sure which date it is (probably the 19th)-- so I will add it in if necessary, but we'll wait and see.)  Hopefully we can do all the things I have written down & make it a memorable Christmas season!

Here's the Plan!

Dec 1  Holidazzle 6:30 pm
Dec 2  Holiday Stroll in town-- free hotdogs, pop, etc…. Wagon rides 12-4
Dec 3  Open new Christmas book
Dec 4  Read favorite Christmas books w/ hot cocoa & music
Dec 5  Make bird feeder ornament
Dec 6  Learn about Christmas traditions around the world
Dec 7  Make Christmas cookies
Dec 8  Snowflake making party
Dec 9  Go for a drive to see Christmas Lights -- stop for Hot cocoa or treat afterwards
Dec 10 Dad brings kids to buy gift for Mom ($5 ea or $15 total)
Dec 11 Decorate the tree
Dec 12 Donate food to food pantry
Dec 13 Christmas Party at School
Dec 14 Craft- Decoration
Dec 15 Salt-dough Ornaments
Dec 16 Christmas movie @theater (1st time the kids have ever been to theater!)
Dec 17 Make Christmas cards for teachers
Dec 18 Christmas Game
Dec 19 Mall Of America-- my niece plays in a handbell choir at 2 pm that day
Dec 20 Mom brings kids to buy gift for Dad ($5 ea or $15 total)
Dec 21 Sledding at Golf Course
Dec 22 Watch some Christmas Movies
Dec 23 Pick out present for baby cousin, Michael
Dec 24 Make a snowman??
Dec 25 Read story about birth of Jesus

K-I-S-N-G

The last month or so Addison has learned the song "_____ & Addison kissing in a tree" but this is the part that makes me crazy-- she sings "K-I-S-N-G".  I told her that not really how it goes and have been trying to teach her to spell "K-I-S-S-I-N-G" but she insists that since I'm from Wisconsin, but she's from Minnesota that they do it differently.  And in MN-- or at least MN people sing the song "K-I-S-N-G" 

Friends!

Levi was excited when I picked him up from school today.  He told me he found himself a friend today. 

When I asked about it on the way home he was explaining that during stations he and Ethan K. were working together and doing some number or letter puzzle.  Ethan had done it all himself but then Ms Donahue suggested that Levi get a try-- and Ethan let him do one.  So Levi asked Ethan "Do you want to be friends?"  and Ethan said yes!!! 

Next Levi told me when they sat on the floor Levi sat next to Ethan-- and then Levi asked him "Can we be friends forever?" and Ethan said yes to that too.  So, they will be friends forever. 

He also found a friend at recess today, but he doesn't know her name (she's not in Ms Donahue's room).  So since he has these 2 friends if he's pretending to be a monster, he won't scare those two friends. Only the other people.  :)

Quiet...

Yesterday Addison was sick.  She woke up at 6:30-- was acting normal.  When Isaac went downstairs to play she said she'd meet him there and then she went to her bed instead.  I thought she was just trying to be a stinker to Isaac, but after a couple hours she was still sleeping.  I checked to see if she was sick and she wasn't warm...  A couple hours after that I checked on her and she was HOT!  I checked her temp and she was around 102 or 103.  She slept till noon.  Got up but didn't really do anything the rest of the day. 

The funny part was at 11, Levi asked me if it was nap time.  I told him no, it's not nap time, he said "but it's just SO quiet today".  He's right-- it was quiet.  Addison kind of runs the show around here-- she talks all day long and tells her brothers what to play, when to play and how to play.  I think they were at a loss as to what to do without her telling him! 

By 6 last night her fever (under her armpit) was 103.7....  that's when I finally gave her a fever-reducer.  Within an hour of medicine she was down to 99.8 and ready to eat some cereal.

She woke up at midnight-- temp was 103.5.... more medicine.  Now she just got up at 8:30 this morning and seems to be feeling normal-- she's talking and sitting up and complaining.  Temp of 99.1 today........ 

Hopefully that's the end of this fever.  Poor girl!

We went to Duluth on August 14th-- just for a day of fun with the kids.  The kids loved chasing sea gulls around...  We also saw a ship leave the harbor, went mini-golfing and let the kids swim in Lake Superior for awhile.  It was a great day.  At one point Isaac and I were watching the sea gulls for awhile... a man walked by us and Isaac looked at me and said "That guy is AWESOME!"  He wasn't anything interesting, so I'm not sure what Isaac was seeing, but it was funny.

Also, Isaac keeps telling us to call him "Ice".  :)

Random nothingness....

I bought a bag of cheetos for us to eat with sandwiches at lunch.  Levi refers to them as "Cappuccinos". So funny.

Levi's speech concerns me, I hope that he starts to find all the sounds he needs without speech therapy, but we'll see.  He went to summer preschool last week, and one day was singing a dinosaur song for me: "the stegosauruses tail goes spike, spike, spike..... all around the swamp (which is pronounced by Levi as huwamp).

Isaac is starting to wear some clothes bigger than Levi.  Specifically underwear-- Isaac wears size 6, Levi size 4.  BUT, Isaac is 100% potty trained-- even at night!!!  (Unlike Levi....)

Yesterday the kids played outside for HOURS playing with frogs.  Very sad this morning when they found that the frogs escaped (thanks to dad, but we won't tell the kids that!)

Lots of good stuff around here, just normal everyday life.  :)

Heaven

Heaven has been the topic of many, many, many discussions at our house lately.  Matt & I both read the book "Heaven Is For Real"-- I really enjoyed it.  To be honest I don't know if I've ever thought so much about how heaven will actually be, etc....  But now I find it very exciting.  I got the book "Heaven is for Real-- Kids" and have been reading it over and over to the kids.  So many questions get asked and so much discussion.  The other day Addison asked me about our soul-- I'm really not sure how to explain the concept of our SOUL to a 6 year old..... but we're learning!

Levi has been real concerned about heaven, but would always get caught up in the "I don't want to go to heaven, I want to stay here with you forever" issue.....  Even during church yesterday, Pastor Dan was explaining very clearly how to get to heaven, etc... and Levi looked at me and said "But I want to stay on this planet FOREVER!"  Hard to talk a 4 year old into understanding death, timing, etc....

Anyway-- last night when I was getting in the car with the kids Levi said "Mom, I want to go to heaven."  So I talked a little bit more with him and prayed with him.  This morning when he got up and was eating breakfast  he was being a little evangelist to Isaac.  "You need to ask Jesus to live in your heart and ask Him to forgive your sins."  After that, Levi led the prayer and Isaac repeated it.  :)  So cute to listen to them.  And Levi has announced to me today-- that today he is ready to go to heaven-- right now!  

Blessed be your name

Last night I had some major flashbacks of hard days in January 2006. Addison had just been born, we were so excited to finally have a baby and days later-- her birthmom changed her mind and decided she might want to parent Addison instead. We were heartbroken-- beyond heartbroken. It was probably the hardest time of our married life. But throughout the time of waiting to find out whether she'd be our baby or not-- the song "Blessed be your Name" (Matt Redman) was really big.

I remember times of just singing that song:

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name 

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

There were times that it was all I could do through the tears to just sing parts of that song.........
Fast forward a few years-- last night we were driving home from church and "Blessed be your name"
came on the radio-- Addison was sitting behind me and starts singing along.  I began thinking back 
to how many times I sang the exact song just dreaming of being a mom and parenting that precious 
baby!  It was amazing to look back all those years-- and to hear my girl singing the words.

When the song was over-- she said "Mom, that's my favorite song, that I wish we had on your iPod"....
Thank the Lord for the blessing of being her mom!

Cute things....

Just thinking of two cute things that I will probably forget within a couple months so:

1-- Isaac calls his Grandparents "Bee-pa" & "Mee-maw"

2-- When Levi needs to go poopy he'll run to the bathroom and yell "Mom, don't talk"-- and you can't look at him or talk to him again till he's done. If you try to he gets a very panicked sounding voice and says "mom, don't talk"...... :)

Witches & ???

This week at phy ed the kids were playing some Witches & Warlock game-- Addison told my mom that they played a game called "Witches & Lilacs".

You can say it Isaac....

Levi has a hard time saying his F's-- so a word like "foot" sounds more like "butt".... anyway, my dad & Matt are always trying to get him to say his F's so they'll make him crazy by trying to get him to sound out his F. "Levi say Ff-Ff--Ffoot".... and on and on it goes. The other day in the van, Isaac and Levi were in their seats and I hear Levi saying to Isaac, "Isaac, say motorcycle, Ff-Ff-Fmotorcycle"..... and Isaac would say Motorcycle and then Levi would say "Very Good Isaac!" and then they'd move on to other words, all of which Levi would sound out F's before having Isaac say the word.

Drills.....

Addison was telling me that they had a lyceum (sp?) at school the other day. Ronald McDonald was there and some other characters. I asked her what they were talking about and she said "Drills", I must have asked WHAT?! To which she replied "You know mom, drills, like Alcohol & Drills". Guess Red Ribbon week went well for the Kindergarten kids! :)

Kindergarten

Since Addison started Kindergarten last week she seems to think that Kindergarteners are pretty big stuff. One of the first mornings she got up and said to me "I think this Kindergartener is going to start doing push-ups when I get up, because Kindergarteners are really strong cause they do push-ups when they wake up." :)

Isaac

Isaac is talking a lot these days. Very funny boy-- assuming he will someday be able to say "Isaac" I figure I need to write down what he refers to himself as right now (age 2). Isaac calls himself "Deeka-deeka" (said pretty quickly). So if he sees a toy that he likes he says "deeka-deeka's car" or whatever. :) Such a sweet boy.

Old MacDonald....

Levi walks around a lot of the day singing.... "Old MacDonald had a barm, Levi, Levi-O".....

10? Like Me?

This past weekend we were at Lake Beauty. During a chapel session I was sitting outside the gym (too loud inside for Levi). Another little boy was playing outside as well. Levi wanted to talk to him, so I prompted him in saying "What's your name my name is Levi"-- Levi repeated the words and the other boy said his name was Jack. Next I told Levi to say "How old are you?" So Levi walked over and said "How old you are" and Jack responded "I'm TEN!" (Which by the way is hilarious cause Levi is determined he's 10-- has been for months). Anyway, Levi looked at Jack and very excitedly said "Oh, you're 10? Like me?"

IN LOVE

My parenting experiences are growing-- and any input would be appreciated!!

Today when I picked up Addison from school she was telling me that she's IN LOVE with a boy in her class. Let's just call him EH. She's so in love with him that she's going to marry him. She's decided he's a good boy to marry because he played at the castle the right way. And he stepped on her foot and he also told her something about someone farting in the barnyard.

The part I'm stumped on is I told her that there will be NO kissing this boy-- etc.... and she just keeps asking me WHY she can't kiss him...... I told her that she's 5 and there will be no kissing, but she still asks why. Then she asked if she can kiss him in the cafeteria, or the classroom, or the playground or at home? But WHY not?!

Boy am I glad summer school will be done in 3 days-- and maybe she'll forget about EH as quickly as she fell in love. And thankfully he's not in her kindergarten class next year. :)

Isaac

Last weekend my dad made a comment that has come true way too soon. Dad commented that he'd be shocked if I don't take these boys of mine on multiple trips to the emergency rooms with broken bones, cuts, falls, etc.... I was a little irritated that he said it, but the very next day while playing at mom & dad's house Isaac was determined to jump off of their mission-style furniture (wood arm-rests, etc...). He was on one chair and jumped from one side to the other and smacked his left eye on the arm-rest-- therefore had a black eye from that.

2 days later, while at home Addison & Isaac were riding on toys through the kitchen. Isaac had the John Deere tractor and Levi commented he wanted to ride-- so ran to the entry way to steal it from Isaac. Pretty soon there were big cries from Isaac and Levi was on the tractor. I picked up Isaac to comfort him and realized his eye (left one AGAIN) was dripping with blood-- his eye lid was cut up. We brought Isaac to the hospital-- they felt that it needed to be glued shut to keep the scar from being bad.

Day after his cut...

Anyway-- 3 days after that Matt & I brought the kids to the playground in town. Isaac is fearless so I try and stick with him on the equipment to be sure he's safe. He was climbing the main stairs-- and I was on the top of the stairs with Levi and he tipped over and fell from the top step to the ground. I was scrambling to try and grab him, but couldn't get him-- and he fell to the ground-- head first onto the wood chips below. What an AWFUL feeling to watch your baby fall to the ground probably 5-6 feet down. His face was full of wood chips-- and it looked like he had cut his tongue and after we got home I found the top of his head was scrapped up too.

I don't need to have another week like this for a LONG time. My dad was quite accident prone as a child as well-- so when he heard about this he just said if my Grandma was still alive she'd say that Isaac is living up to his middle name...... Isaac Michael (my dad is Michael)..... I told mom today that I'm changing Isaac's middle name-- she says it won't help-- he's already got it figured out. :(