Eight Weeks

Eight weeks ago this week, we opened the pool for the summer. It was a process getting the pool opened this year, and when we finally got in there for the first time, Princess screamed bloody murder, wanting to get right back out. She was terrified. Even while wearing a lifejacket and clinging to me.

I remained calm. We went through this every spring... after 9 months out of the water, there were bound to be some butterflies-in-the-stomach about getting back in. But I was also determined: this was going to be the summer that she learned to swim without any flotation help.

We talked about the importance of swim lessons. Princess made herself a "swim practice chart." (She loves charts of any kind). And we began. For just a few minutes nearly every day, she was required to practice swimming with me, without flotation help.

At first, she fought, she cajoled, she tried to giggle and flirt her way out of the lessons. I stayed firm. Slowly, the little squares on her practice chart were filled. Gradually, her confidence began to build. She was still afraid, but she knew - deep down - that she could do it.

Then, we hosted her t-ball team (and her brothers' ball teams) for a pool party on a Saturday in mid-July. And she was swimming. That was it. Seeing her friends in the pool, and wanting to be a part of the fun was exactly the motivation she'd been needing. From that point on, we've worked on building her strength. I've spent a lot more time telling her to take a rest on a noodle, than encouraging her off the noodle in the past month.

Today, she and I stayed in the pool long after all the other kids had tired of swimming and wandered off to swing or play legos. She was experimenting with swimming underwater, trying to see how far down she could get on one breath of air. She was practicing touching the bottom with her feet, and jumping into the water from the top step of the ladder.

And the entire time, she had the biggest grin on her little face.

I want to keep this picture in my heart forever: my sweet daughter - dancing blue eyes, a sprinkling of freckles across her nose and pale-skinned cheeks, big floppy hat covering her short, light-brown hair - grinning from ear-to-ear, nearly bursting at the seams with pride and self-confidence.

She did it. She mastered the water (and her fears) in less than eight weeks.

I wait. I watch. I wonder: what's next?

Whatever it is, I know where I'll be: right there, cheering her on, taking heart-pictures of it all.

In Quiet Praise of My Firstborn

BigBro doesn't get a lot of airtime on this blog. Mostly because the littler ones are always saying the "cute" little things that strike me as "blog-able."

But today, BigBro needs some applause.

DH has spent the past five months turning our disgusting, unfinished, eyesore-of-a-basement into his own personal man-cave/indoor stadium. But that's another post altogether. This Friday is DH's birthday, and the grand-opening party for his man-cave/indoor stadium. Which means that this week is filled with all the last-minute details required to get the man-cave completed. And I've been helping him as graciously as I can.

But that leaves the rest of the house quickly falling into utter disarray.

Enter BigBro.

This morning, I explained to all of the kids that I had a list of items to complete in the basement, and I needed their help in cleaning up the ever-growing messes on the main floor of the house. BigBro took the lead in getting the clutter and toys put away, then vacuumed the entire main floor.

After a short break and snack, he is sitting here, working through a page of math. His cat, Racer, stretched out next to him on the rug. BigBro leaned over, scratched Racer's belly, and then told Racer, "I can't scratch you all day. I have to do my school, too. It's not just about you, Racer."

Some days, my smiles just can't get any bigger!

Happy 5th Birthday, Princess!!!!

Five years ago, you came into our lives. Every day, your smile brings us joy!


When you were born, Daddy called you his "Little Princess,"
a name you live up to every single day!



I love watching you grow, become more independent and learn new skills. You love
to help me cook and bake. Someday, I know you will outshine me in the kitchen!


May all your days be as sweet and love-filled as this one!

Breakfast in bed (chocolate chip pancakes... by special request) is a
family Birthday tradition. You could not wait!

Happy Birthday, my sweet girl!

Quiet Moments

We are in the post-dinner quiet space. This is "Daddy's Time," when I usually disappear upstairs or behind the laptop, and the kids work out any pent-up energy, rolling around on the floor with DH. But DH is out of town this week. I still need the post-dinner quiet time, and the kids still need a break from me.

BigBro and Princess are playing some sort of computer game in the school room. I hear lots of cooperative language and laughter coming from there. It's a lovely sound.

LilBro is curled up on the couch next to me, playing with BigBro's Nintendo DS. LilBro is actually pretty good at the DS. He's certainly a lot better than I am. But mostly, he loves to crash the cars into walls, drive off cliffs and into lakes. He giggles a lot, and keeps a running commentary going as he plays "Mario Kart" (I think. Could be "Cars.")

I am enjoying the warmth of his head on my upper arm, the sweet scent of his freshly washed hair wafting up to me every now and again. I am not listening to his commentary, but I am finding such peace in hearing his chatter.

These days, I am trying my best to soak up all the sweetness, innocence, and wonder that is LilBro. Just as I got to enjoy his babyhood more than the others', I am definitely enjoying his entry into the Land of Preschoolers. He has the most joyful and excited facial expressions. And he does a great job getting his point across, even ... or maybe especially ... when he mixes up his words.

"I'm too hard of cleaning," he will whine every time I tell him it's time to do clean up. I love how he asks to sit on my "wap." ("lap", for those of you without three year olds at home). Or how quickly his mood changes from sweet to sour, from content to cantankerous, from tempered to temper tantrum.

Maybe because it's my third (and final) time through these minefields, I am enjoying him more. I am more amused by him. I get involved in his tantrums less. I worry less about the language mix-ups and the bouts of moodiness. I giggle more, cuddle more, and thank God more for each little moment, each slobbery kiss, each clumsy attempt at independence, each tear and smile and bounce. And especially for the quiet moments, just being together.

The Spelling Champ!

BigBro competed in a spelling bee today that was open to all homeschoolers from first through eighth grade in our region.

He came in First Place in his grade (first), and will compete in an overall "spell-off" with the fourth and seventh grade winners sometime in January.

HOORAY!!!! Great Job, BigBro!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whoo-Hoo! Go Princess!

Yesterday afternoon, I took the kids to the science center to run off some of their excess cold-weather, stuck-inside, Christmas-cookie-eating energy. On our way there, we passed a sign that read "Zoo."

From the back of the van, Princess said this:

"Mama, why does that sign say 'zoo'?"

No sounding out. No pictures on the sign. And we were driving along at a pretty good clip... probably about 30-35 mph. I instantly realized what she had done: she had read a word, with no context, no prompting, no sounding out. She just read it.

I started cheering and congratulating her. She didn't even realize that she had done it. For the first time, Princess had read a word that wasn't written in a book or on a piece of paper right above mom's index finger!

She realized why I was so happy, and started to giggle. "I can't wait to tell Daddy that I can read!"

Yay, Princess! You go, girl!

Where Does the Time Go?

LilBro is looking so much bigger to me lately. I keep looking at this little boy... a baby no longer, and wondering how it is that he is nearly 3 years old already.

I remember holding my tiny little guy in my arms. He and I had a wonderful start together... as an experienced mom, I knew enough to take full advantage of my 48 hours in the hospital post-birth. I knew that coming home to a toddler and preschooler meant quiet time with my baby would just not happen. And so, we cuddled, nursed, and slept nestled together in the hospital for those first few days.

And he is still my baby. He is much younger than the other two were at his age. I know that some of it is circumstance. BigBro had to be more mature; he was forced to walk rather than be carried by the arrival of Princess. Even Princess had to give up most of the babying with LilBro's arrival. So some of it is birth order. And some is me. I love cuddling him. I love letting him be two years old... with all of the joy, wonder and excitement, as well as all of the anger, frustrations and temper tantrums.

This morning, I saw both sides of my little guy. He got really upset when his turn playing on the PBSKids website was done, and he quickly spiraled into a tantrum. I scooped him up and held him close, as I carried him to his room to calm down. By the time we got to the top of the stairs, he was taking slow, deep breaths. I complimented him on his hard work to calm himself down. Then I gently placed him on his bed, handed him a few books, and told him that when BigBro and Princess get upset, they go lay on their beds and read until they are calm. When Mom gets upset, she does the same thing. I told him I thought he was big enough now to do the same thing. Did he agree? He didn't look at me or answer me, but he did open his book and start "reading." I gave him a kiss and told him I'd be happy to see him downstairs again when he is calm. About 10 minutes later, he interrupted BigBro's math lesson with a smile, a hug, and a jump up and down telling me he was calm and quiet now. (Ok, so not exactly quiet in demeanor, but at least emotionally). Wow... my little guy is growing up.

A few hours later, he came over and climbed in my lap. "Mommy, I falled down and hurt my leg. You need to cuddle me now." And I did. He lay there, closed his eyes, and I could see the peace and comfort he found in my arms. I prayed that he will always be able to come to me for peace and comfort, even as I know that these days will fade away, and a time will come when he won't come up to me and say "You need to cuddle me now." But for now, he is still my sweet baby, and I am going to hold tight to every moment I get.

Maturing

When we got our first cat, Trixie, three years ago, BigBro was horrible to her. He was mean and took all of his preschooler frustrations out on the poor cat.

It warms my heart to see how he is maturing.... I walked into the room to see him gently cuddling her this morning:

Milestones

Yesterday afternoon, we went to the playground. As I sat there on the bench, watching all 3 of my children running, climbing, sliding and swinging, I was struck by how quickly they seem to be growing.

I first came to this playground 6 years ago, when BigBro was just starting to crawl. I used to hover over him, crawling around on the rubberized surface, watching him pull up on the ladders and play with the big, plastic sliding bugs. We don't usually come to this playground in the summer (it gets too much direct sunlight, and is also home to a "summer day camp"). Yesterday was our first afternoon here in close to six months. And the changes were dramatic:

• LilBro climbed up the various different "rock walls" and multi-shaped ladders with ease
• Princess pumped her legs on the swing without being pushed
• All of the sections that were "scary" or "too hard" or "too high" last spring, weren't anymore
• LilBro was able to rotate the crank and move the cars around the racetrack

I remember that fall 6 years ago, as I followed my tiny crawler around the playground, I would occasionally see a mom or dad sitting on a bench, book in hand. Yeah, um... don't see that one happening. Well, yesterday, as I sat on the bench, watching the "spaceship" game my children were playing, I realized that day had arrived. It was finally my turn to sit on the bench with a book. Now, I just need to remember to bring the book!