Of the three kids, I think Reagan is my worst sleeper. She has strange dreams, she talks in her sleep sometimes, and if she has to get up for something (potty, leg cramp, etc.) she is totally out of it and is usually crying. If you argue at all with her while she's out of it, her crying turns into a loud fit. She's unreasonable, irrational, and dilusional in the middle of the night.
Over the last couple of years Reagan's volitility in the night has scared me into agreeing to lots of strange things. One night she pointed to the ceiling and asked me if "I could see Charlie's birthday cake". "Yep, Reagan -- it's pretty cool, isn't it?" One night she said "Don't put me in that class! It's too easy for me!" "Okay, Reagan - I won't. I won't put you in that class".
Strange dreams, that kid has.
Several nights ago, Reagan got up to go potty. I walked her to the bathroom and waited for her to finish so I could walk her back to bed. She was awake but out of it, and we had this conversation:
Reagan: "Mom?"
Me: "Yeah, Reagan?"
Reagan: "Can you hop on one foot?"
Me: "Um, yeah. I can... Why?"
Reagan: "No. I mean -- can you?"
Me: "Oh! You mean like -- can I? Like you want me to? Right now??"
Reagan: "Yeah. Can you?"
Me: (long pause) "Um... well... sure. Yeah. I guess...?"
And so I did -- I hopped on one foot. In the bathroom -- in the middle of the night. I made her do it after me, and then we both went back to bed.
I think it was even just the next day when Reagan asked me, "Mom? Why do you always yawn so much?"
Monday, September 28, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
S'Mores
Last night after church, our neighbors invited us over for s'mores around their bonfire. Afterwords, we had three very happy, very tired and very sticky kids. :)
And actually, I guess only two of them were sticky. :)
And actually, I guess only two of them were sticky. :)
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Bedtime Prayer
Over the last month or two, Reagan has been having bad dreams. Before she goes to sleep at night Joel and I pray with her and Grant, and then she prays for herself. Her prayer is fairly consistent and she prays it even if she gets up in the night to go to the bathroom and just goes back to bed.
What Joel and I both noticed right away was that on the nights Reagan prayed for her dreams, she would sleep through the night.
Dear God,
Thank you for all our food and thank you for my bed. Please help me with my bad dreams. Please help me with my stranger dream, and my burning foot dream, and my burning hand dream, and my monster dream and my bumblebee dream. And if I do have bad dreams, please help me to be brave. And if I have any other bad dreams, please help me to be brave and know that there's nothing to be afraid of. And please send an angel to help me.
Amen.
What Joel and I both noticed right away was that on the nights Reagan prayed for her dreams, she would sleep through the night.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
All Is Well
Joel's adventure as Mr. Mom went off without a hitch (of course it did). When I arrived home, supper was ready and on the table and the chocolate chip cookies were just coming out of the oven.
You could almost feel the 'smug-ness' in the air, it was that thick. He even told me he found a better way to get all the kids into the vet's office. Whatever -- thanks for the cookies.
On the flip side, the first thing I did this morning was spill my coffee on my pants and the seat of Joel's car. (He has a 'no eating' policy in his car and I was rebelling.) I came back in the house to try to wash some of the coffee out of my khakis, but didn't get it all and wore them anyway.
I missed my exit when I got to West Des Moines, but still managed to arrive to class in time to hear all the opening announcements. Please silence your cell phones and such. I set mine to vibrate, but two hours later it rang anyway. I was terrified that they would call me out as an impostor instead of an Engineer.
By the time 4:30 finally rolled around, I was ready to leave and I snuck a couple of pieces candy out of the dish to bring home for the kids. I had a great time over my lunch hour and learned a little about Land Surveying, but the main thing I remembered today was why I quit my job to stay home in the first place.
Engineering is fleeting. Highways - though they last for decades, are still not eternal. Even if I could be the best engineer there ever was, it would still amount to almost nothing. Conversely, my kids have eternal souls that matter. They need love, guidance, and wisdom and I want to be the one who gives it to them. :)
You could almost feel the 'smug-ness' in the air, it was that thick. He even told me he found a better way to get all the kids into the vet's office. Whatever -- thanks for the cookies.
On the flip side, the first thing I did this morning was spill my coffee on my pants and the seat of Joel's car. (He has a 'no eating' policy in his car and I was rebelling.) I came back in the house to try to wash some of the coffee out of my khakis, but didn't get it all and wore them anyway.
I missed my exit when I got to West Des Moines, but still managed to arrive to class in time to hear all the opening announcements. Please silence your cell phones and such. I set mine to vibrate, but two hours later it rang anyway. I was terrified that they would call me out as an impostor instead of an Engineer.
By the time 4:30 finally rolled around, I was ready to leave and I snuck a couple of pieces candy out of the dish to bring home for the kids. I had a great time over my lunch hour and learned a little about Land Surveying, but the main thing I remembered today was why I quit my job to stay home in the first place.
Engineering is fleeting. Highways - though they last for decades, are still not eternal. Even if I could be the best engineer there ever was, it would still amount to almost nothing. Conversely, my kids have eternal souls that matter. They need love, guidance, and wisdom and I want to be the one who gives it to them. :)
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Living My Dream
I love staying home and being with my kids, but there are just some times that I want Joel to walk a day in my shoes. Just once, I want to be the one who comes home at 5:15, and when I get there, I want Joel to lose his cool, throw his hands up in the air and say, "I don't know how you do it -- this is impossible. I'm so glad you're home -- save me!"
Since the end of July when we got the kittens, we've been trying to eradicate ringworm -- on both the kids and the cats. Every Thursday (for about eight weeks), I have to take all three cats to the vet and have them dipped in a Lime-Sulphur solution. This stinks (literally), and the cats are about one more sickness away from being sent to the animal shelter.
For now we're keeping them and I have a 'system' worked out to get the cats (and kids) into the vet's office. We have two cat carriers and I put one over my shoulder like a duffel bag and the other rides on top of the stroller awning above Riley. Reagan and Grant walk and usually hold hands because they are more likely to stay near me and obey when they are working together.
There isn't a handicapped button to open the doors automatically, so picture me trying to maneuver the stroller (topped with two cats in a cage) through a set of double doors -- while I hold one door open with my foot, and try to verbally guide my four and two-year-old though the doors and out of the way of the stroller. There is a lot of coaching, meowing, and jostling that happens before all of us get through those doors.
Now here's where I get to the "dream" part: In order to keep my engineering license, I am required to take continuing education classes. Tomorrow is one of those classes and tomorrow is Thursday.
This means that while I'm sipping my diet soda and reading my book over my lunch hour(!!), Joel will feeding the baby, cooking supper, taking Reagan to preschool, and will be jostling, maneuvering, and coaching the kids and cats through the door maze, into and out of the vet's office...
I am living my dream.
Since the end of July when we got the kittens, we've been trying to eradicate ringworm -- on both the kids and the cats. Every Thursday (for about eight weeks), I have to take all three cats to the vet and have them dipped in a Lime-Sulphur solution. This stinks (literally), and the cats are about one more sickness away from being sent to the animal shelter.
For now we're keeping them and I have a 'system' worked out to get the cats (and kids) into the vet's office. We have two cat carriers and I put one over my shoulder like a duffel bag and the other rides on top of the stroller awning above Riley. Reagan and Grant walk and usually hold hands because they are more likely to stay near me and obey when they are working together.
There isn't a handicapped button to open the doors automatically, so picture me trying to maneuver the stroller (topped with two cats in a cage) through a set of double doors -- while I hold one door open with my foot, and try to verbally guide my four and two-year-old though the doors and out of the way of the stroller. There is a lot of coaching, meowing, and jostling that happens before all of us get through those doors.
Now here's where I get to the "dream" part: In order to keep my engineering license, I am required to take continuing education classes. Tomorrow is one of those classes and tomorrow is Thursday.
This means that while I'm sipping my diet soda and reading my book over my lunch hour(!!), Joel will feeding the baby, cooking supper, taking Reagan to preschool, and will be jostling, maneuvering, and coaching the kids and cats through the door maze, into and out of the vet's office...
I am living my dream.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Tough Questions
After learning the Star Spangled Banner, Reagan has been asking for us to teach her new songs. I tried a couple, but Blessed Assurance seemed to be the one she liked the best.
"Mom? What does washed in His blood mean?"
----------+----------+----------+----------+----------
We've "adopted" a little girl from Zambia and every day we pray for her. (She's an orphan who is part of the Hope Children's Center our church is participating in building.)
We've prayed for lots of things for little Exhilda - for her faith and also for basics like food, shelter, and family. Reagan faithfully prays for her, too (which warms my heart) and we've even talked about how we might be able to meet her in heaven someday.
We've been praying for many months, and the other day after she finished, Reagan asked me,
"Mom? Do you think Exhilda has lots of stuff now?"
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
"Mom? What does washed in His blood mean?"
----------+----------+----------+----------+----------
We've "adopted" a little girl from Zambia and every day we pray for her. (She's an orphan who is part of the Hope Children's Center our church is participating in building.)
We've prayed for lots of things for little Exhilda - for her faith and also for basics like food, shelter, and family. Reagan faithfully prays for her, too (which warms my heart) and we've even talked about how we might be able to meet her in heaven someday.
We've been praying for many months, and the other day after she finished, Reagan asked me,
"Mom? Do you think Exhilda has lots of stuff now?"
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Preschool
Reagan loves preschool! Its been a little strange for me -- I'm used to witnessing or teaching her everything. I'm always with her. But now, she comes home with stories about interactions with kids I've never met and singing parts of songs I can't finish.
Reagan's attendance at preschool has been a little hard on my other two afternoon nappers. After dropping Reagan off at noon, I hurry home to put Grant down, feed Riley and then put her down for a nap. At 2:15, when they are both soundly sleeping, I wake them up and put them in the car to go retrieve our smiling 4-year-old.
The hardest time is the two hours that follow... Three o'clock until five (when Dad gets home). Grant is short on sleep and Reagan is always hungry and asking for an early supper. Very quickly, I get tired of the bickering and complaining, so on the nice days, I've found myself saying: "Guys go outside and play until Dad gets home. Don't come back inside until Dad is with you."
Preschool has given me an hour and a half of silence three days a week. I hardly know what to do with myself. It gives me a glimpse of what things might be like in two or three years when we have more kids in school and more silence at home. I'm not sure I'm ready for that part yet!
Reagan's attendance at preschool has been a little hard on my other two afternoon nappers. After dropping Reagan off at noon, I hurry home to put Grant down, feed Riley and then put her down for a nap. At 2:15, when they are both soundly sleeping, I wake them up and put them in the car to go retrieve our smiling 4-year-old.
The hardest time is the two hours that follow... Three o'clock until five (when Dad gets home). Grant is short on sleep and Reagan is always hungry and asking for an early supper. Very quickly, I get tired of the bickering and complaining, so on the nice days, I've found myself saying: "Guys go outside and play until Dad gets home. Don't come back inside until Dad is with you."
Preschool has given me an hour and a half of silence three days a week. I hardly know what to do with myself. It gives me a glimpse of what things might be like in two or three years when we have more kids in school and more silence at home. I'm not sure I'm ready for that part yet!
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