Category Archives: Family

Here’s what we look like today.

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Jay got his Snow Machine today

He was so excited, and took the day off to get stuff ready, and is now on his way to drive it for the first time out by Derek’s place.

I’m thankful the temp’s closer to zero. It was -20 earlier this week, but only -2 last I checked. We had all four brothers here this afternoon, as Jay put the skis back on the machine. Natasha pulled on her boots so she could be out with them watching.

Both girls have enjoyed the stream of activity going through today. An hour after the youngest three brothers left this morning Rachel came by to eat her lunch with us, and we got to talk a bit. Then she returned to work and, again within the hour, Isaac returned, this time with Derek.

Natasha’s been really into this Eyewitness book about skeletons, so she pulled it out as soon as she saw her wider audience, and, while at first she was asking Uncle D to read with her (explain the pictures), she ended up doing most of the explaining.

It was more than a little gratifying to see how much she retained from our time reading together. I overheard her explaining shark teeth, and talking matter-of-factly about the big teeth on the lion skull.

“Those are for he tears out big chunks of ham.” Ham is currently her generic for meat.

Melody was enjoying pulling the earflaps down on Uncle Isaac’s hat. Kept her entertained for a good 5-10 minutes.

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Potluck Sunday

At our church we have a potluck the first Sunday of each month.

Elisha will be six months old this week, and for the first time since before he was born I brought something substantial and homemade. (I was very proud of myself).

Natasha asked that morning (yesterday) what I was making food for.
“For the potluck,” I told her.
“Mom,” she said (in the voice she uses when I tell her carrots are purple), “It’s potluck: the foods at the church today!”

So we talked about where the food comes from. Reminded me how long it’s been since I participated in the bringing.

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After eating, a number of the men went out and started a pretty impressive fire to burn the brush that’s been cleared as part of the building project over the last however long. It had been announced in advance, and the kids were encouraged to go roast marshmallows and stuff.

I was inside talking with one of the other women when Jay brought Melody in. Her bare hands were *red* from the cold and they, along with her face and the front of her coat, were sticky with marshmallow guts. Continue reading →

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We’re growing up.

We’ve been wading through the living room for more than a week now, so last night I sat down before bed and made a schedule outlining what would get done today.

I got all the clothes folded, a load of dishes run, the cabinet doors washed and bread made.

The girls each put away their own clothes (Melody and I shared a “carrying” lesson: one hand on top, one on the bottom, watch where you’re going and don’t get side-tracked), they worked together to empty the dishwasher (I’d already put away what they can’t reach), and rag-mopped the kitchen floor with me.

It was a very productive day. All those things needed very much to be done, but since none of those things was clearing a space (living room floor, kitchen counter) it didn’t feel like we’d gotten done as much as we did.

Elisha woke right after they went down, so he/we worked on his sitting up. He wants it *so* bad!

We had dinner with the Weisensels, and it was nice not to cook after working all day. Elisha sat in Thomas’s highchair and just loved it. the sides are high enough that he can pull himself back up to sitting even if he falls over.

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First Wedding

Our family went to a wedding tonight, and on the way home we had a genuine (as in, exchanging ideas not just continually repeating the known) conversation with Natasha.

She talked about how pretty the bride’s dress was, and how the bridesmaid dresses were “just a little bit pretty.”

And at least twice (maybe three times) she used the phrase, “When I get married…”

She says when she gets married she wants a pretty dress with flowers on it (like Heidi’s), and she wants little flowers to hold– and some big ones. The bride tonight had big ones (lilies). You get to hold flowers when you get married…

It was such fun to talk about something. Many times one of the girls will want to talk, and what is most likely to make me impatient is their not having anything to say.
Melody has started repeating the first half of a line, almost like stuttering, while (I assume) she’s figuring out how/what she wants to say, and both girls will ask the same question over and over (I don’t mind loads of questions, it’s the broken record bit that get to me), just to have something to talk about.

I know this is the reason, because if I can find something “real” to get them started on instead they’ll chatter on with both of us being much happier.

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Every time Natasha would say, “When I get married…” Jay would squeeze my hand and just scrunch up his face and grin at me. She sounded so matter-of-fact and grown up.

“I just can’t imagine a little boy doing that,” is what he finally said (in a low voice). “Wow. Girls and their dreams. It all starts so early. I had no idea.”

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Victory! (We think…)

Natasha hasn’t had an “accident” in over a week, is entirely self-sufficient in the bathroom, and is (proudly) wearing panties today.

Grandma Florie came home last night, and she and Natasha picked out some colorful new underwear, first stop from the airport.

We are all very pleased.

Melody wanted some of the “Curious George” character panties, but not enough to be interested at all in using the potty. One funny thing, though. Last Tuesday she wanted candy enough that she went and used the potty all by herself. So we know she knows how. She just isn’t interested yet.

If her older sister is any indication, though (and I think it’s fair to assume that), if I “don’t care” long enough with her, it will only be she who is potty training, not both of us. Which, honestly, is more my style.

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Elisha’s eye

We took him in to his appointment this morning (yes, on a Saturday), and after a great deal of fussing, squirming and enforced immobilization, the eye doctor told us the “deformation” Jay observed a couple months ago was completely benign.

It has a name, and the fellow wrote it down for us, but somewhere between then and now I misplaced it. Along with the appointment card for his follow-up in April.

Found it. The name: Nodular Flocculus. “Prominent pupillary frill” another scrawl seems to be saying.

Dr. wants us to come back for a second look, to make sure it hasn’t changed, then we can wait until the “normal” toddler check-up, “around 3-yrs-old.”

I asked why a child needed to be seen at that age (feeling like this was asking a salesman why I needed his brand), but I really wanted to know. Doc (I honestly don’t remember who we saw– he even had to write on someone else’s business card, said he was out of his own) said the reason is to try and catch a type of one-eyed far-sightedness.

This can sometimes cause an eye to cross, because the brain shuts-off receiving from that eye. The dr. said that if this isn’t caught by about age 6 and a half the brain-induced blindness (it’s not using that eye anymore) is permanent. He said they like to do at least one appointment around age three, in case the eye didn’t cross, so they can catch it. Called it the leading form of preventable blindness.

I can remember seeing younger kids with glasses and an eye patch when I was in high school. Don’t know where I picked it up, but I told the kids I was babysitting that the patch was over the “good” eye (counter-intuitive, I know) to make the crossed eye work harder.

Putting that together with what I picked up today (seems to make sense) it’s all very interesting, and seems a compelling reason to get the kids checked as toddlers. Or, at least, as little kids. I’m beginning to tell the difference.

I signed Natasha up for an eye exam the same day Elisha gets his follow-up. She’ll be four.

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Flu shots and more talk

We have a new plan for family-wide shots (if we ever do them again):

The biggest child goes first. That way, if the remaining child(ren) is(are) distressed by the reaction of the first it’s a smaller body to restrain.

Natasha told the story to Mom this way: “Dad, and Mom, and I, and Muddidee all got shots. Elisha was too young.”

The two things that caught me out of that description were her use of I and calling Elisha young, rather than “little.”

There were free flu shots at Pioneer Park (I still want to call it Alaskaland!) as part of a emergency/disaster preparedness practice thingy. Anybody over 6-months could get a shot, and Jay came home over his lunch hour to help the whole family go over for it.

Jay went first, as we had (as a family) discussed. Then Natasha held back, and Melody was willing, so she went first of the girls. Of course she cried (I observed to another mother that somebody offering doses of children’s Tylenol for 50-cents a pop would make good money here. We sure didn’t think to bring any).

Natasha continued to resist, and ended up having to be restrained, and was teary and (I’d dare say) resentful for quite a while afterwards. That is, until nap, and then again after nap until dinner time. She wanted us to know her displeasure.

Fortunately she lightened up by bedtime, and we had a sweet snuggletime.

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I have such nice kids.

Melody was such a sweet helper last night.

Elisha has begun actually playing with things: Attempting to grasp, hold and gnarl whatever is in reach. During a family movie last night he played with a colorful squishy block quite contentedly—until it fell. Then he became quite distressed.

Melody realized what had happened and (pitching her high young voice even higher) she gave it back to him with comforting words.

This repeated several times. He wasn’t dropping it on purpose (I don’t think he’s old enough yet to know that game), since he was so obviously still learning how to hold. I had a new appreciation for the unflagging attention of toddlers.

Those who complain about short attention-spans in young children are only sharing/aware of half-truths. What they aught to say is that the child does not stay interested long enough in what the adult wants to do.

If allowed to pick their own activity/book/song their attention span for that one activity almost invariably lasts longer than the adult’s. (We have a “sanity rule” that each book can be read a maximum of three-times in a row. We invoke it almost daily.)

At Elisha’s doctor appt Wednesday (he had a skin infection, we got some ointment for it) we waited an *insane* amount of time, and if I’d remembered to count I would have learned the girls’ actual attention-span for a number of songs and rhymes I usually leave behind after 3 or 4 repetitions.

Side note: Elisha weighed in at 15lbs, 0oz, on Wednesday. On Thursday (his scheduled 4-month appt and shots), barely a week before, he was 14lbs, 5 oz. Can we say, Good-Eater! ?

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Almost Rolling Over

I don’t know what the “normal” age is for rolling over, but Elisha’s getting closer ad closer every time I change his diaper.

Actually, that’s only true when I’m doing it at the changing table. The fish tank is just above his head, and in his persistent efforts to see the little swimmers he contorts himself quite creatively. I have to work fast to get him out and back in before he pulls onto his side (quicker every time).

I wonder if this means I’ll develop a new diapering technique…