Kiddos update

Looking back, I notice a big difference in how often I have written here when I was the parent of only one child, and now having two. I also notice that the frequency of my writing has decreased since my husband took a new job where he & we travel a lot more often. You know what though? I wouldn’t change a thing! Despite the work involved, my children are one of the biggest blessings in my life. Also although my husband’s job means a life less typical than most, it is fun and exciting. We get to see so many new things and have been able to see family more often lately. I am so thankful for that.

This blog’s main purposes are to keep in touch with those loved ones who live far away, and to be a place for me to record some of my thoughts and stories of my journey. Since my goals are not to grow a huge readership or make this a part-time job, I suppose the frequency is not so important. Often I’m so busy living life, that it’s hard to take time to write about it! I do think that writing is a good discipline though, so I still want to do so when I can.

Now for some random stories featuring my children: This morning as I was working out using my DDR game, I looked over at my toddler son, dancing along beside me on his “dance mat” (a baby blanket spread on the floor). He imitated almost my every move and rejoiced in “dancing with mommy”. I was glad that the songs that I was dancing to were praise to our God and thought of David in the Old Testament dancing in praise to God. I am amazed and humbled that he has given me two such blessings to train in His ways. At lunch my son was demonstrating some Tae Bo moves he’s learned from working out with me as well. There’s nothing quite like watching a two year old demonstrate Tae Bo to bring a grin to your face.

The other day we stopped by Aldi on the way home from my daughter’s 6 month check-up. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that my son was so relieved to have been to the doctor with me and not gotten shots (his sister did instead!), but people commented on what happy children I had and how nice it was to see such happy kids. I heard a mom share on the radio recently how such occasions can be opportunities to give God glory for working in our kids’ lives by a comment such as, “God has indeed blessed us.” The speaker went on to remind us that we know that there are plenty of days that our kids are not so happy or well behaved, and that it is not about us or how good of a job we are doing as parents, but about God working in our little one’s lives. This particular day I didn’t remember that, and instead just said “Thank you.” Next thing I know, my son is walking beside the cart singing his favorite hymn for all to hear, “Ho - y, ho - y, ho - y, W-ord God A - mighty. God in fwee pwer-sons. Bwessed Twi-nity.” What an example of unashamedly bringing God glory.

My daughter is so quickly growing too. Somehow with my son I was so eager for him to hit each milestone. Even now when I heard that a little 3 year old friend of his at church is reading, I was tempted to run out and buy a phonics curriculum and begin pushing him. After some prayer and research though, I came to my senses and decided to just enjoy the time we have now. After all, I really think potty training and a bit more phonemic awareness should probably be mastered before pushing phonics. I suppose I am a typical parent in this way, but while I am tempted to push my oldest, I realize with my daughter that each milestone will come before I know it, and I want to hold onto each stage while I can. She, however, seems to be pushing herself! She watches her big brother and wants to be just like him. She made it clear at five months that she did not want to wait until six months to start solids, so we started her on cereal and some baby foods. Really though, she has made it clear that she much prefers whatever table food we will give her. Thank goodness for the little fresh-food feeders that allow her to eat some table foods (fruits & veggies) without such a high risk of choking. Just this week, she has really taken off with her mobility, rolling and skootching clear across a room to get whatever it is she has her eye on! She is getting fairly close to getting her belly off the ground and crawling. Her squeals of delight make us all smile. Since she got her shots two days ago, she has been sleeping a lot more during the day, which is how I can type this now!

Both my kiddos make me laugh so frequently that I wonder what I ever found amusing before becoming a parent. Things that I have no idea if other people would find amusing make us all giggle. The other night hubby was teaching a men’s Bible study in our living room, so the kids were taking their baths in our bathroom. My son grabbed my body wash (which happens to be green), used it as a microphone, pronounced it “yucky” (it was green after all), then began singing, “I’m singing about yucky, yucky, yuck.” Then in a rock-n-roll style he screeched, “Yuck! Yuck! Yuck!” When he saw me laughing, he started laughing, saying, “I’m funny.” Even the baby added her amused squeals to the mix.

In a world that increasingly sees children as burdens or projects rather than blessings to be enjoyed, I am so grateful for my two children and for my hard-working husband who not only puts up with my staying home to care for him and them full-time, but who would not have it any other way.