Yesterday was a glorious day with clear blue skies and reasonable temperatures. I doubted the forecasted winter storm, especially when it was still clear at eleven last night as I went to bed. We woke up to several inches of snow and more falling hard. It's finally stopped now, but as I look out the window I'm grateful that we did our errands yesterday and can just stay home today. We're a little low on baby formula but should have enough to last through tomorrow.
I've had a few moments of panic when it comes to keeping the older kids busy all day. Thankfully they're finally getting old enough to mostly just entertain themselves and they've spent a lot of time playing together quite nicely. It makes my mommy heart proud to see how well they are getting along today. It also makes my teacher brain happy because I'm finally figuring out my challenging class schedule and syllabus for next semester (I have one section that meets twice a week and one that meets only once a week--yuck). Just for today I'm glad to sit on the couch with my laptop watching the snow fall while I think and type. Maybe by Friday we'll be a little stir-crazy. So far, however, today is just fine.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Random Thoughts
I haven't blogged for a week now. The other day I said to Mr. Fob 'why do I feel like my life is so amazingly busy right now?' Well, I had a third child, I started working part-time, and my computer is usually downstairs in the basement office where my husband is working. This is good for reducing my internet usage, but also bad because it reduces my internet usage. Plus I need to have a clear mind to blog and lately my mind is not clear very often.
Last week I had to grade 32 papers. I should have had more, but both my classes had several people flake out. That's to be expected at the school where I'm teaching, but still a little disheartening. I've had one student who managed to miss nearly half the class days this semester who has repeatedly sent me emails trying to figure out some way to avoid having to take the class again. Sorry dude, the first lesson you need to learn in college is the importance of showing up for class and doing the work.
I also went to four different Christmas programs last week. S-Boogie and Little Dude both had programs for school (pictures on the kids' blog). On Thursday night I went to a concert done by a community chorale that my neighbor recently started, and then on Saturday afternoon Mr. Fob and I went on a date to a concert that another friend was performing in. The music was all lovely and it has really helped me get into the Christmas spirit.
I've also been busy the last few days working on some homemade gifts for family. While I can understand the sentiment behind the push for handmade Christmas, it can be a lot of work and I'm not always sure it's worth it. For the last six months Little Dude has been talking about the Play-doh popcorn popper. So I bought it for him; yes, it's a $10 toy from Target, but at this age it's easy to fulfill his hopes and dreams so I might as well.
We've actually ended up getting the kids more presents this year than we usually do. The two older ones are each getting five things from us alone, and I know that they'll be getting a few things from relatives too. However, those things include a CD for each of them, a set of books, and pajamas. S-Boogie isn't even getting any toys this year; we're getting her a desk for her room. We do have a bit more money this year and it has been fun getting stuff that we know they'll really love. Next year I think we should make some kind of a budget and a plan to stick to, though. I'd like to plan on doing more for others, like a Sub for Santa or something like that.
We may not have any money left after the new year thanks to the lovely new leak in our roof. The good news is that so far the water damage is only in our garage, the bad news is that is complicated because our chimney is weird, and the really bad news is that they can't fix it until next week because of the weather and the holiday weekend. Owning a home can be great and not so great at the same time. Thankfully we can find the money, it's just that we would rather spend it on something a little more exciting.
Despite my crazy business lately I am truly excited about Christmas. My kids might have a few too many presents, but I know that each one they open will be something they will love. We may be feeling a little frazzled as we celebrate, but it's only because we have so many good things to choose from and so many fun people to do them with. Nothing wrong with that.
Last week I had to grade 32 papers. I should have had more, but both my classes had several people flake out. That's to be expected at the school where I'm teaching, but still a little disheartening. I've had one student who managed to miss nearly half the class days this semester who has repeatedly sent me emails trying to figure out some way to avoid having to take the class again. Sorry dude, the first lesson you need to learn in college is the importance of showing up for class and doing the work.
I also went to four different Christmas programs last week. S-Boogie and Little Dude both had programs for school (pictures on the kids' blog). On Thursday night I went to a concert done by a community chorale that my neighbor recently started, and then on Saturday afternoon Mr. Fob and I went on a date to a concert that another friend was performing in. The music was all lovely and it has really helped me get into the Christmas spirit.
I've also been busy the last few days working on some homemade gifts for family. While I can understand the sentiment behind the push for handmade Christmas, it can be a lot of work and I'm not always sure it's worth it. For the last six months Little Dude has been talking about the Play-doh popcorn popper. So I bought it for him; yes, it's a $10 toy from Target, but at this age it's easy to fulfill his hopes and dreams so I might as well.
We've actually ended up getting the kids more presents this year than we usually do. The two older ones are each getting five things from us alone, and I know that they'll be getting a few things from relatives too. However, those things include a CD for each of them, a set of books, and pajamas. S-Boogie isn't even getting any toys this year; we're getting her a desk for her room. We do have a bit more money this year and it has been fun getting stuff that we know they'll really love. Next year I think we should make some kind of a budget and a plan to stick to, though. I'd like to plan on doing more for others, like a Sub for Santa or something like that.
We may not have any money left after the new year thanks to the lovely new leak in our roof. The good news is that so far the water damage is only in our garage, the bad news is that is complicated because our chimney is weird, and the really bad news is that they can't fix it until next week because of the weather and the holiday weekend. Owning a home can be great and not so great at the same time. Thankfully we can find the money, it's just that we would rather spend it on something a little more exciting.
Despite my crazy business lately I am truly excited about Christmas. My kids might have a few too many presents, but I know that each one they open will be something they will love. We may be feeling a little frazzled as we celebrate, but it's only because we have so many good things to choose from and so many fun people to do them with. Nothing wrong with that.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Sibling Dynamics
Last week S-Boogie was trying to write something and asked me to spell a word. Before I could answer, Little Dude stepped in and spelled it for her. Perfectly. Today in church he finished coloring his picture, turned it over and drew a church, then wrote "This is hevinly fathers cerch" on it, without asking me how to spell the words. He is four-and-a-half, she's seven, and he has nearly caught up with her in his spelling and reading abilities. A few months ago Little Dude figured out how letters work and took off running. He can read and spell really well. S-Boogie is actually on grade level as far as reading goes and recently brought home a report card that had perfect grades in all her academic subjects (her only low grade was in 'school behavior', which encompasses staying on task and following directions).
This new dynamic has honestly had me a little worried. I have a brother who is slightly less than two years older than me. I started reading when I was three and would sometimes help him with his kindergarten homework. School has always been easy for me, and even though my brother is smart, it wasn't as easy for him. All of my life I looked up to my brother because he seemed so much cooler than I was. He was in band, he did swim team, he had cool friends. I was saddened a few years ago to find out that he had often resented me for being the smart one who did well in school. I worry about that happening with my children, and I admit that I've been trying to not make a big deal about Little Dude's reading abilities for S-Boogie's sake. The other day she brought home a flyer outlining the requirements for district testing for gifted programs in third grade. As I read through it I realized that she really didn't fit the criteria and so I threw it in the recycling bin, but not without a small pain that she isn't more like me. I also realized that Little Dude will likely fit those criteria in a few years and we'll have to deal with some of the issues that come from having kids in two different schools and different programs. For now, however, I have put those concerns on the back burner. He's still in preschool and we have a few years to see how school agrees with him.
Perfect grades and stellar school performance are not the only measure of a child's worth. And that, for me, is what I'm realizing is the important thing for S-Boogie to know and understand. She knows it right now and I hope she always does. A few weeks ago on NPR I was listening to a program about sibling dynamics and the fact that small differences between siblings often end up being exaggerated, both by parents and the kids themselves. So while both kids might be extroverted, the one that is more obviously that way will become more so and the other one will become more introverted in compensation. I hope that doesn't happen with school in our family; I want all three of my kids to like school and to feel like we approve of their efforts. S-Boogie is smart but just not in the same ways that Little Dude is. Plus she just doesn't have his powers of concentration and probably never will. He has weaknesses that she doesn't have either. Right now she loves school and has many friends there, plus if you ask her she will tell you that she is the smartest student in the class. The other day we were driving by the high school and the kids started asking me about what it's like there (this is a frequent topic since we live right by the school). S-Boogie decided that she wants to be on the soccer team, take cooking classes, and take some math classes because she loves math and is the best at it. I hope she still has that attitude when she actually gets to high school some day.
This new dynamic has honestly had me a little worried. I have a brother who is slightly less than two years older than me. I started reading when I was three and would sometimes help him with his kindergarten homework. School has always been easy for me, and even though my brother is smart, it wasn't as easy for him. All of my life I looked up to my brother because he seemed so much cooler than I was. He was in band, he did swim team, he had cool friends. I was saddened a few years ago to find out that he had often resented me for being the smart one who did well in school. I worry about that happening with my children, and I admit that I've been trying to not make a big deal about Little Dude's reading abilities for S-Boogie's sake. The other day she brought home a flyer outlining the requirements for district testing for gifted programs in third grade. As I read through it I realized that she really didn't fit the criteria and so I threw it in the recycling bin, but not without a small pain that she isn't more like me. I also realized that Little Dude will likely fit those criteria in a few years and we'll have to deal with some of the issues that come from having kids in two different schools and different programs. For now, however, I have put those concerns on the back burner. He's still in preschool and we have a few years to see how school agrees with him.
Perfect grades and stellar school performance are not the only measure of a child's worth. And that, for me, is what I'm realizing is the important thing for S-Boogie to know and understand. She knows it right now and I hope she always does. A few weeks ago on NPR I was listening to a program about sibling dynamics and the fact that small differences between siblings often end up being exaggerated, both by parents and the kids themselves. So while both kids might be extroverted, the one that is more obviously that way will become more so and the other one will become more introverted in compensation. I hope that doesn't happen with school in our family; I want all three of my kids to like school and to feel like we approve of their efforts. S-Boogie is smart but just not in the same ways that Little Dude is. Plus she just doesn't have his powers of concentration and probably never will. He has weaknesses that she doesn't have either. Right now she loves school and has many friends there, plus if you ask her she will tell you that she is the smartest student in the class. The other day we were driving by the high school and the kids started asking me about what it's like there (this is a frequent topic since we live right by the school). S-Boogie decided that she wants to be on the soccer team, take cooking classes, and take some math classes because she loves math and is the best at it. I hope she still has that attitude when she actually gets to high school some day.
The Letters P & R
We ended up skipping countries that start with O and only did one with R.
Peru: We read a few books about Peru and colored the flag. For dinner we got together with my sister-in-law who had served her mission in Peru. We ate papa a la huancaina, lomo saltado, rice, and chicha morada. It was all delicious, even though the kids didn't like it very much.
Philippines: We read some books; I found a few good story books that the kids liked, especially this one. For dinner we had two of my favorite foods, pancit and lumpia. Neither turned out quite as well as I remembered my Filipino friends making them when I was a kid, but I guess that just means that I'll have to make them again some time.
Poland: We read books and colored the flag; I had a hard time finding any story books about Poland and so we didn't get to read any. We did eat some pierogi, which were really tasty and big hit with the kids. I also tried making some cabbage rolls stuffed with brown rice but they didn't turn out so well.
Russia: The kids liked reading about Russia, and I was able to find a book about a girl who lived in Russia that they thought was really interesting. They especially were impressed with the size of the country. I was feeling somewhat lazy that week and so just had beef stroganoff with mashed potatoes. I did also include a side dish of beets to be more Russian.
Peru: We read a few books about Peru and colored the flag. For dinner we got together with my sister-in-law who had served her mission in Peru. We ate papa a la huancaina, lomo saltado, rice, and chicha morada. It was all delicious, even though the kids didn't like it very much.
Philippines: We read some books; I found a few good story books that the kids liked, especially this one. For dinner we had two of my favorite foods, pancit and lumpia. Neither turned out quite as well as I remembered my Filipino friends making them when I was a kid, but I guess that just means that I'll have to make them again some time.
Poland: We read books and colored the flag; I had a hard time finding any story books about Poland and so we didn't get to read any. We did eat some pierogi, which were really tasty and big hit with the kids. I also tried making some cabbage rolls stuffed with brown rice but they didn't turn out so well.
Russia: The kids liked reading about Russia, and I was able to find a book about a girl who lived in Russia that they thought was really interesting. They especially were impressed with the size of the country. I was feeling somewhat lazy that week and so just had beef stroganoff with mashed potatoes. I did also include a side dish of beets to be more Russian.
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Easy to Love
This afternoon S-Boogie had a dress rehearsal for her dance class. Waiting the hour for her class to finish has become increasingly difficult as P.Bibby has gotten older, and I knew that today would be especially torturous for both the baby and Little Dude because we were in the Senior Center and there was nothing to do (plus the heat was on high and it was exceptionally stuffy). Today's weather was somewhat moderate for December so I decided to take the kids over to the park next door for a little bit of playground time.
When I got there I realized that P. Bibby was probably big enough to try out one of the swings for babies. I was right; when I put her in the swing and started gently pushing it, her face lit up in a big grin and she began giggling. I love her giggling; she is my first child to giggle so freely and so often at such a young age. She really is a delightful baby and nearly every day I think about how much fun she is and what a joy it is to be her mom.
And every time I think this I feel a little guilty, because I haven't always enjoyed being a mom with my other kids (it wasn't always their fault, a lot of it was me and my crazy stress/PPD). I don't know if P. Bibby will always be this easy-going; I'm sure she'll develop some opinions of her own some day. I think I feel guilty because loving her is easy because she is so compliant. She sleeps well, eats well, and likes to play when I put her down on the floor. When we come in the room she lights up and reaches for us. I feel like I love her more than my other kids simply because I can spend more time loving her and less time stressing about trying to 'fix' her because she generally behaves in ways that make my life easier.
In saying this, I don't mean to imply that I love my other kids less than I love my baby. I'm pretty sure that I do, but sometimes I'm not so sure. I'm realizing that it is easier to feel like I love the people who are like me or who behave like I want them to. That's normal, but it's also something we as human beings should be striving to overcome. It's funny that I've come this far in life without really internalizing this lesson; love is a verb and sometimes it can be harder to do than at other times. Love isn't just for the people that do what I want them to do or who share my opinions or who look like the way I think people should look. Love is for everyone, even my other children who complain about what I serve them for dinner, get upset when I try to help them do things, stay up two hours past their bedtimes bothering me with the reasons why they can't sleep, and other such 'hard' things. True love is really caring about people who are inconvenient, annoying, and incomprehensible. I need to work on remembering that.
When I got there I realized that P. Bibby was probably big enough to try out one of the swings for babies. I was right; when I put her in the swing and started gently pushing it, her face lit up in a big grin and she began giggling. I love her giggling; she is my first child to giggle so freely and so often at such a young age. She really is a delightful baby and nearly every day I think about how much fun she is and what a joy it is to be her mom.
And every time I think this I feel a little guilty, because I haven't always enjoyed being a mom with my other kids (it wasn't always their fault, a lot of it was me and my crazy stress/PPD). I don't know if P. Bibby will always be this easy-going; I'm sure she'll develop some opinions of her own some day. I think I feel guilty because loving her is easy because she is so compliant. She sleeps well, eats well, and likes to play when I put her down on the floor. When we come in the room she lights up and reaches for us. I feel like I love her more than my other kids simply because I can spend more time loving her and less time stressing about trying to 'fix' her because she generally behaves in ways that make my life easier.
In saying this, I don't mean to imply that I love my other kids less than I love my baby. I'm pretty sure that I do, but sometimes I'm not so sure. I'm realizing that it is easier to feel like I love the people who are like me or who behave like I want them to. That's normal, but it's also something we as human beings should be striving to overcome. It's funny that I've come this far in life without really internalizing this lesson; love is a verb and sometimes it can be harder to do than at other times. Love isn't just for the people that do what I want them to do or who share my opinions or who look like the way I think people should look. Love is for everyone, even my other children who complain about what I serve them for dinner, get upset when I try to help them do things, stay up two hours past their bedtimes bothering me with the reasons why they can't sleep, and other such 'hard' things. True love is really caring about people who are inconvenient, annoying, and incomprehensible. I need to work on remembering that.
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
The First of December
A few weeks ago I found a deal online for half-off a fresh Christmas tree, delivered to your home. I'm always a fan of a bargain, plus I'm lazy and liked the idea of home delivery, so I ordered a tree. I thought it was going to be here over the weekend but it didn't show up until today. It is spectacular: a giant noble fir with thick, green needles and an overwhelming smell of pine. The tree takes up an entire corner of our living room. Its heavenly.
So we let the kids stay up late decorating the tree and drinking hot chocolate. We listened to Frank Sinatra and discussed all of our special ornaments, though I think my little candy canes that I bought at Pic-n-Save twelve years ago have finally bit the dust. The kids were thrilled with the tree and I am so grateful to have a lovely home with room for a beautiful tree and a mantel just right for hanging stockings. I have a feeling that this is going to be a wonderful Christmas; the kids are old enough to be excited about everything and able to do somethingwith their excitement, and the baby is just getting big enough to really respond to the twinkly lights. I can't wait until tomorrow when she wakes up and sees the giant tree in our living room. Today Little Dude brought me a list he had written of things we need to buy for making gingerbread houses: kandy, m on ms, kandy kanz, ginger, gliters. We all need more 'gliters' in our life.
So we let the kids stay up late decorating the tree and drinking hot chocolate. We listened to Frank Sinatra and discussed all of our special ornaments, though I think my little candy canes that I bought at Pic-n-Save twelve years ago have finally bit the dust. The kids were thrilled with the tree and I am so grateful to have a lovely home with room for a beautiful tree and a mantel just right for hanging stockings. I have a feeling that this is going to be a wonderful Christmas; the kids are old enough to be excited about everything and able to do somethingwith their excitement, and the baby is just getting big enough to really respond to the twinkly lights. I can't wait until tomorrow when she wakes up and sees the giant tree in our living room. Today Little Dude brought me a list he had written of things we need to buy for making gingerbread houses: kandy, m on ms, kandy kanz, ginger, gliters. We all need more 'gliters' in our life.
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