In the hustle and bustle of a Sunday morning, diaper changes, into the church clothes, buckling shoes and the combing & straightening o hair, we arrived at church 15 minutes early. Mom was preparing snack for the fellowship time, looking for music for the Sunday School opening, and glancing over the preschoolers Sunday School classroom material.
Eden wanted to sit with a friend, and I readily agreed.
Lars, highly agitated and somewhat hyper, bounced around like a jumping bean and talked in his quietest voice that's not quite yet a whisper, the entire service. "Hold me" "Cover me with a blanket" "I need Gum" "Push the Tractor" "I don't like the sounds" "Is it all done yet?"....and on and on it went.
Elia sat contentedly with whoever was holding her at that moment, smiling and cooing.
When service was over, I ran downstairs to serve muffins and start the coffee pot brewing, saying good morning to all who passed through the line, and finding out the news of the week. Then came music, followed by convincing Lars to go to Sunday School (he stayed nearly 10 minutes!) and cleaning up the kitchen, while trying to understand the book of Daniel from the Bible Study. Not my favorite, but I'm really trying. I do like the part where he's in the Lion's Den, if that counts for anything.
Since Pastor had to work all day doing visits and conducting the nursing home service, I begged Lexi to watch the kids this afternoon so I could get some stuff done that didn't get done last week, the week before and the week before that. Then, I sheepishly asked Laura if they could be watched (making messes, dirtying the house, and generally producing a cacophony of noise) at her house. If I sent Elia with the other two, this would provide me an afternoon of quiet and solace, something I've not had in my own house since May.
She agreed, and not even under duress!
It is now nearly 4 hours into the ordeal, and I can see both my desk, Eden's play desk, and the living room floor. The TV isn't on, the pager is on vibrate, the radio, silent. The kids aren't here to jump off the beds upstairs, or try to injure each other in the play kitchen, complete with screams and tattle tailing. The dog is asleep. I don't even have a husband chatting with me, which is something I actually enjoy. The only sound I hear is the clicking of this very keyboard. It's glorious.
And, at the same time, kind of quiet. Maybe too quiet? Is this what it's like when you get old? Maybe I'd better hurry up and finish, so I can go get some hugs...
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
Puddle Jumping
As I looked outside at the bright sunshine today, the near 40 degree weather, and the melting piles of snow, I saw a lot of slushy, wet roads and sidewalks, soggy, yucky patches of grass and a messy, dirty sandbox, complete with mud puddles everywhere your eyes met. A mother's nightmare if the kids get anywhere near it.
Fortunately or unfortunately, however, I needed to get the Christmas stuff from inside the house, out into the car, and up to the storage unit so I could check that off my list. Shoes and socks on, we headed outside to load up.
Lars, "It's a nice beautiful day outside, we should go splash in mud puddles!"
And that, folks, is exactly what we did. A little puddle jumping never hurt anybody.
Fortunately or unfortunately, however, I needed to get the Christmas stuff from inside the house, out into the car, and up to the storage unit so I could check that off my list. Shoes and socks on, we headed outside to load up.
Lars, "It's a nice beautiful day outside, we should go splash in mud puddles!"
And that, folks, is exactly what we did. A little puddle jumping never hurt anybody.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
A New Year
The New Year has come and gone now and if I don't take my Christmas displays down soon, my neighbors are going to start knocking on my door. It's a shame, really, that we consider Christmas over and done with on the 26th of December. The 12 days of Christmas seem to be lost on almost everybody anymore. The return to school and the work routine play some part in the demise, I'm sure, but we Strawn's held out this year and I've thoroughly enjoyed the Jingle Bells, Christmas music, lighted garland and tree right up to the very end.
But, all good things must come to a new beginning and I decided today that I really need to dust, so everything came down. Well, almost. Lars has had so much fun with the Christmas Village (named Frankenmuth, Michigan by Eden) that we are keeping that up at least a few more days. After all, there's still snow on the ground outdoors, too, and hopefully much more sledding and snowmen to come yet this year, so the village is fitting. And it's cheap entertainment.
We enjoyed reading an Advent book to Eden & Lars every day of Advent, switching to Christmas books for the next 12 days. Lars asked "please may I have a new surprise today" every day, too. Guess we need to spread out the wealth next year! Now we've exhausted the few Epiphany books we've got and have moved on to winter fun stories. I feel like a library keeper now that I think about it.
And in the realm of gift giving and receiving, the kids have had a lot of fun with their new toys.
Eden's new kitchen is a big hit (It better be, it took daddy and the visiting doctor 2 solid hours to put it together)! and she's becoming a pro with the texting cell phone from Leapfrog.
Lars is content with his sought after matchbox car, a purple pick up truck, and his Handy Manny Tool Box. He also got a few John Deere Tractors that have been put to good use, farming away his bedroom carpet. He was angry that his bean picker wasn't turning the way it was supposed to yesterday and asked me to oil it with some light oil. I don't even know what that means, but I'm sure he does.
I am in love with my cake platter punch bowls and can't imagine life with out them now!
And, in due time, Allen is going to appreciate his whatchama-call-it that will change tires fast in the racing pits.
We've all had a fun few weeks and I hope the true joy continues to last. It's hard to stay in The Word when the World is doing it's best to swallow us up in busy-ness.
Now, if Elia starts sleeping through the night, we'll be good...
But, all good things must come to a new beginning and I decided today that I really need to dust, so everything came down. Well, almost. Lars has had so much fun with the Christmas Village (named Frankenmuth, Michigan by Eden) that we are keeping that up at least a few more days. After all, there's still snow on the ground outdoors, too, and hopefully much more sledding and snowmen to come yet this year, so the village is fitting. And it's cheap entertainment.
We enjoyed reading an Advent book to Eden & Lars every day of Advent, switching to Christmas books for the next 12 days. Lars asked "please may I have a new surprise today" every day, too. Guess we need to spread out the wealth next year! Now we've exhausted the few Epiphany books we've got and have moved on to winter fun stories. I feel like a library keeper now that I think about it.
And in the realm of gift giving and receiving, the kids have had a lot of fun with their new toys.
Eden's new kitchen is a big hit (It better be, it took daddy and the visiting doctor 2 solid hours to put it together)! and she's becoming a pro with the texting cell phone from Leapfrog.
Lars is content with his sought after matchbox car, a purple pick up truck, and his Handy Manny Tool Box. He also got a few John Deere Tractors that have been put to good use, farming away his bedroom carpet. He was angry that his bean picker wasn't turning the way it was supposed to yesterday and asked me to oil it with some light oil. I don't even know what that means, but I'm sure he does.
I am in love with my cake platter punch bowls and can't imagine life with out them now!
And, in due time, Allen is going to appreciate his whatchama-call-it that will change tires fast in the racing pits.
We've all had a fun few weeks and I hope the true joy continues to last. It's hard to stay in The Word when the World is doing it's best to swallow us up in busy-ness.
Now, if Elia starts sleeping through the night, we'll be good...
Monday, January 03, 2011
Husband says, "I'm going to bed";
He shuts the lid down on the computer, remotes the TV off, strips his clothes off & leaves them in a pile at the end of the couch with his shoes, walks down the hall, climbs into bed and falls fast asleep.
Wife says, "I'm going to bed."
She finishes up what she's doing at the desk, grabs the stray dishes from the living room, runs up to check on the kids in bed, sees the soaking pots in the sink and quickly scrubs and washes them, starts the dishwasher, tosses bags of chips/boxes of crackers back in the cupboard before wiping down the counters, throws the wet towels in the laundry basket on the way down the hall, picks up the last of the toys from the floor, runs back downstairs to pick up husband's clothes from the end of the couch, trips over shoes on the way to the bathroom. Pees, brushes teeth, washes face & moisturizes thoroughly. Starts for the bedroom and remembers the clothes in the washer, so detours to the laundry room. Cycles the laundry, folds the load that just came out of the dryer, and, seeing the empty dog dish, fills it, realizing that something was supposed to be signed and in the backpack before the bus comes in the morning. Finds and signs paper, find and stuffs backpack. Trips over the dog on the way back down the steps. Curse quietly so as to not wake the baby. Check tomorrow's calendar, and, in my case, grab phone, radio and car keys and put them next to my EMS coat & boots near the outside door in case of a midnight run. Finally, goes into the bedroom, undresses and puts clothes in hamper, pulls on warm jammies, and crawls into bed. Lays there and makes a mental list of all the things that need to get done tomorrow. Fall asleep, waiting for baby to wake up and eat....
Repeat.
He shuts the lid down on the computer, remotes the TV off, strips his clothes off & leaves them in a pile at the end of the couch with his shoes, walks down the hall, climbs into bed and falls fast asleep.
Wife says, "I'm going to bed."
She finishes up what she's doing at the desk, grabs the stray dishes from the living room, runs up to check on the kids in bed, sees the soaking pots in the sink and quickly scrubs and washes them, starts the dishwasher, tosses bags of chips/boxes of crackers back in the cupboard before wiping down the counters, throws the wet towels in the laundry basket on the way down the hall, picks up the last of the toys from the floor, runs back downstairs to pick up husband's clothes from the end of the couch, trips over shoes on the way to the bathroom. Pees, brushes teeth, washes face & moisturizes thoroughly. Starts for the bedroom and remembers the clothes in the washer, so detours to the laundry room. Cycles the laundry, folds the load that just came out of the dryer, and, seeing the empty dog dish, fills it, realizing that something was supposed to be signed and in the backpack before the bus comes in the morning. Finds and signs paper, find and stuffs backpack. Trips over the dog on the way back down the steps. Curse quietly so as to not wake the baby. Check tomorrow's calendar, and, in my case, grab phone, radio and car keys and put them next to my EMS coat & boots near the outside door in case of a midnight run. Finally, goes into the bedroom, undresses and puts clothes in hamper, pulls on warm jammies, and crawls into bed. Lays there and makes a mental list of all the things that need to get done tomorrow. Fall asleep, waiting for baby to wake up and eat....
Repeat.
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