Stirred Up

Just got back from Ladies Fellowship at church. The book for the year is The Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life by John Calvin. Calvin, that old dude from the 1500's? ABSOLUTELY! RAH! I say YEAH, we are reading the MAN. I didn't remember that he was a uber-Catholic until he was converted to Christ via Protestantism. What is also mind boggling is that he wrote the three volume Institutes by the time he was 26. I am obviously looking forward to going through this book again (after reading it in college). John Calvin has the best smack down of any and all excuses for sin. I appreciate that kind of cut to the chase.

Monday, Monday

Did I mention that Stefan and I watched another 8 episodes of Arrested Development? Too Funny.
This week:
Make it to payday with current groceries.
Bake Bread and Brownies
Revise Weekly Planners
Read "the Doomsday Book" for sci-fi
get Tristan a sweater, few warm things
Yoga class and exercise...
Visit midwives office to see if they know any good C.N.M's

Stretching

After a month of catch up, I caught up. Whoa, a tidy house on a Saturday? Everything I need to make a dinner for Sunday? Anyway, we invited a couple from church over on the fly (I distinctly felt a nudge from above) and were blessed, of course, by the company. The fellowship of those is sweet. I prefer not to leave my comfort zone but the more I do, the easier it gets. I even talked and cooked at the same time. We missed going to worship last week from that nasty cold, and it was so good for our souls to get there today and then have fellowship with other believers. I can really feel it through the week when we miss church.
The couple we had over are newly pregnant and considering midwifery care! Yey, so I had an opportunity to talk about my favorite topic - birthing babies and hopefully they walked away encouraged. Just so glad God brought us together today.h

Arrested Development

My sister Melissa recommended that I rent the first season of Arrested Development because I would laugh till I was sick. She was absolutely correct. The first six episodes are puking funny. When my husband watched them with me (I had to share and watch again) I laughed even more, catching all the innuendos I missed the first time. (I was sorting out the clothes boxes and doing laundry the first time around...a worthy task). I can't nail why it is so great; it just is true to itself and all its insanity to the littlest detail. I am going to rent the next six episodes today.

a moment to rant:
Hollywood video is decreasing the MVP videos and increasing prices! bah!
McDonalds has screwed up my drive-thru order at a 50% rate lately
Gas Prices...2.87 in Seattle
The Gap having everything on sale in the Wrong size

okay, that's all for this quiet Saturday morning

Doodiilly Doo

Tryn is blossoming with 'tabletime'. Today she made "an aqua blue color" with fingerpaints and asked me what I thought of it. I bought her a pair of kid scissors and she sat and cut newspaper for a half an hour! Now we have moved to making funny faces with a magnet kit...."that's a silly face I mix-ded" Sometime during the past few months she learned to focus on a task for longer than five minutes. It is a relief to have her busy and not tailing me asking to watch movies. Such a simple solution.
Thinking clearly is elusive. It take a gallon of caffiene, plenty of protein, and a tidy main floor for my mind to open up and get cogent. (obviously those requirements have been met today) I am dog tired as of late....Tristan is waking up about four times a night and I am not getting to bed early enough. I mistake spaceyness for being incapable and forget that I need more sleep, not better skills. I think I will go sack out on the couch right now, in fact!

Mustard trees

So our Bible time was productive today. After our story of the Israelites living in Eygpt Tryn's little mind is going to....."And the King did not have kindness in his heart, he was wicked. And sometimes papa forgives us...and sometimes papa has to ask for forgiveness. But God is kind in His heart." Telling her God was perfect and never hurts us was a welcome idea.
Yesterday I informed her that auntie Molly's cat, CSLewis, had run away and said we should pray about it. She was on that right quick, looking up at the ceiling saying, "God, could you bring my auntie molly's cat, Lewis, back to her house for her please? um, he ranned away."
And another prayer related tale.....I walked out the back door to take a picture of the girls having a tea party and promptly knocked the camera off the door and on the concrete...gulp...the zoom lens was all crooked and jammed. Well, I just sat down and started to cry and tried to push it back and thought how Stefan was going to kill me. Tryn, noticing what is going on asks, "mama, what happened?" and I told her. Annika meanwhile says, "mama kying, uh oh mama" Then Tryn looks heavenward "God, could you fix my mama's camera?" looks to me and matter of factly says, "He says yes." Well, wouldn't you know it, I tried to fix it again and it popped right back with no problem.

Just Life

Tristan and I are sick with a nasty chest cold. A visit to the doctor to make sure it hadn't gone down into the baby's lungs...he is 16 lbs 3 oz and has clear lungs. The little guy is busting out of the 3-6 month clothes and he is only 11 weeks old. His cheeks are that perfect chub that only comes with lots of breastfeeding: they look doughy but are really muscular! Nothing beats smooching those cheeks! What a happy kid, grinning and giggling even though he must feel as lousy as I do.
Thinking about the balance of structure and spontenaity with the girls. Lately I have just dreaded getting up and starting the day, not knowing where to start. As I put it down in words I am remembering that I have been through this phase before and it seems to be a normal upcurve of adding a new kid to the mix. Trying to get back to non-pregnant life seems to have a certain adjustment period. I know that I have avoided a few changes that are just necessary to make now sheerly for survival! I have to start getting up before the kids and read my Bible. Taking a shower early would help too, but is not crucial before they wake up. (That will probably change after kid #4) I have started reading our Bible story book and having a sit down lunchtime with the girls...it seems to really help their behavior to have that consistent time.b The exercise chart I have made is working and helping me to stay moving. So anyway, I am and have resisted the STRUCTURE word. Scaffolding perhaps? I see the value of adding more routine to our rhythm, especially as I see how the girls thrive with the few regular activities. Not sure what it will look like yet. Tryn has tabletime occasionally. She picks from the big basket and sits down with me at the table to play. She really is getting past a nap and has alot more focus on activity. When I am thinking ahead and then try for her the results are really great. Annika has been trouble lately, mostly because she is bored.
Speaking of Anni....I mentioned something that sounded good to her (yogurt), and she starts bouncing around and squeezing/flapping her hands hollering "um-on mama, um-on!" It took me a second....Come on mama!"

10 Things

Things I like about me:

1. My lips
2. My height
3. My sense of humor
4. My feet
5. My bone structure
6. My willingness to try new things
7. My determination
8. My strength
9. My tenacity
10. My brains (although they are kinda distracted right now)

Oh, Where to Begin

Huge 10 days:: a Tristan's baptism, visit from three uncles, a sister-in-law and niece, camping in the Redwood, a homeade pizza party, a church picnic, a birthday party and a very feeling behind and worn out mama.
Hmmm...., it is the four year anniversary of 9/11. Only four years ago I was going to my first prenatal visit and saw all the planes grounded at O'Hare....three children since then and now we have another national tragedy to grapple with in New Orleans. Reformation day is the two year anniversary of our move to Seattle. I have spent about half of my married life here now. Startling. Time has been so strange, measured by growth spurts, developmental jumps, and trimesters and never slowing down. Stefan and I just look at each other some days and say, "we have three kids?" How can that be, really?
I will report a decadence of good food and treats....lots of chocolate (remainders of Cheesecake Factory tempt me from the fridge), dinner out, camping fiesta, homeade waffle breakfast, the pizza night. I really want to make bread this week and start up the oven now that the air is changing to damp and cool. Lots of good food has kept me going, that, and lots of good coffee.
Struggling with how relationships happen with this much life busyness. Feeling very "mom of three little kids dumb" (i.e. sleep deprived, dealing with minutea, and can't remember anything before kids) A disease easily understood by those who are here or have been there, but unexplicable to the people who look at you thinking what a basketcase!
But the week begins. Big on this weeks' agenda is Annika teaching and structured Tryn time. Definitely get some yoga time in. Praying for others is on my mind as well as specific needs were heard at the picnic and in general I am just tending toward seeing differences rather than commonalities.
The time with my brothers was too short. I haven't laughed that much in weeks. On the ride home Tryn told Gramma Viv that, "Uncle Jon is my friend and Uncle Mike is Annika's friend." Cute.

The Uncles are Here

The arrival of Uncle Mike and Uncle Jon this morning. Now everyone is napping after the hoop de doo. So good to see them. Not seen Jon since he lived here last year....he is suprised by little Annika being a walking talking girl now. Tristan will be baptized on Sunday and it is a bonus that all his uncles will be there to witness it. (also the added bonus...it will make alot of sense to our church family why Tristan is such a big baby)
But the weekend looms large and I am trying to menu plan (my least favorite domestic art). Rachel (the uber domestic sister-in-law) will be here, but she will mostly be focused on not throwing up rather than watching my meager hospitality skills. Yes, I get to be an auntie again!
So I am making pizza for the party we are hosting tommorow, lots of work but worth it. Michael's birthday is Sunday so I am planning a roast on the grill and something....Jon has volunteered to make the Key Lime Pie (go JonBoy) Shannon is coming over, but I think we will save her for Carter. My brothers are not mature enough for Shannon, honestly.
I really want to have time to find out what is going on with my brothers: where they are at and what they are about. Often guests come in and I blather on about senseless crap when instead I have an opportunity to really listen and connect. Not that I expect long, deep conversations (they are too much fun for all of that), but definitely walking away with a understanding of what is going on in their lives.
Tryn yelled, "oh shit! my carseat is all dirty!" from the backseat today. Her inflection was a perfect rendition of her mothers'....um, time to clean up the language? But I love saying "Shit" and "Holy Crap!"....these are the only two explicatives I'm allowed! What we give up for children I tell you.
My baby is checking out the animals floating above him in the swing. I am noticing that he is very content to play by himself under the gym and in his bouncy seat for longer than his sisters ever did. I think this is a boy deal. The girls always wanted to have a conversation, go figure.
He certainly loves to talk to me, just more during the day, like for diaper changes and at bathtime. Maybe the poor kid is just number three, scavenging for whatever time he can get!
But now I must meal plan or nurse again or something.
Oh, and Tristan is 26 inches long....yikes!