Zoom Went the Car

Sometimes Jonathan and Leesi like to type on the computer. I open up a Word document for them, and just let them go to town. Mostly it ends up looking like this:

Jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjkjkkjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjnnnkkkkkkoiiiijjjhhjjyghggjtuymnbvcxzaoygcbvccfvn,n,hjhjjlkkklllllkm,,bbmbnmhhvfghfggtfhtfddsxdddkfpljkjjhuhbffedmhjggbdryhhggklkjthxz

But last time, Leesi and Jonathan sat together and they ended up with this cute little story:

Zoom   went    the       car         oh no  the       car        crashed         in           to     a   big                             truck     it      was       night      the    car     broke down            the       tow truck                                came     it      towed    the         car    went         to    bed     

Clearly Elisa was the brains of the operation. But I think Jonathan contributed a little too. She had help spelling a few of the words. But for the most part, they did it all on their own. 

Summer Fun

We've been on some fun adventures already this summer... here are some of our memories.

 Seattle Day Trip

We realized that we had never really taken the kids around Seattle at all. Seeing how it's so close to my parents, we decided to take a little day trip. First stop: Seattle Center. When we caught our first glimpse of the fountain, Nora stood up in the stroller and squealed with delight. Then, as we got closer, she decided that it was better to watch from a distance. Leesi also was hesitant to run around in the bowl of the fountain. But Jonathan got right down in there; he loved running around down in the fountain, just on the brink of getting wet. 

 

A little later in the day, the big kids and I rode the water taxi over to West Seattle. They were pretty excited about being on "a boat." But when I tried to get them to venture up to the top deck out in the open air, they were NOT going to do it. I finally coerced them up to the top, but they couldn't wait to sit back down on a seat inside. Maybe they were scared by the instructions given over the speakers at the beginning of the trip about what to do if someone fell overboard. Still, they loved it. 

Later on in the evening we went to the Mariner's game with my family. The kids liked seeing Safeco and were excited that they each got a train as a special giveaway (especially Jonathan). My parents took them home and put them to bed after the second inning, which meant that we got to stay and enjoy the rest of the game with my brother and sister-in-law!

13th Anniversary trip to Bend

For our anniversary Greg and I got out of town and headed to Bend. We stumbled upon the Bite of Bend one day and got to watch a cooking competition (Top Chef Bend). We decided spur of the moment to go white water rafting, super fun! Did some "mountain biking" using our road bikes, which we had brought along. Enjoyed the great outdoors and each other. 

When we got back home the kids told us, "Mommy, Daddy, come see! Close your eyes... now open!" And there on the kitchen counter was a beautiful butterfly cake and homemade cards, it was very sweet, and they were very proud.

 

Fourth of July

For the fourth we went over to a friend's house. The kids had a great time playing in the slip'n'slide, and watching a few little fireworks. Nora enjoyed her watermelon.

I love how in these pictures you can see the excitement on Jonathan's face and the smoke still in the air from the fireworks.

Beach Trip

Just this week we went to beach with Wanda. It coincided nicely with my birthday, which was lovely. We had to stop at the Cheese factory, of course!

We had beautiful weather, sunny and 70s... but on the beach it was a bit windy. Luckily Wanda brought an umbrella which we used as a wind shield. At one point it blew away and Greg had to run down the beach after it. A little later, it blew away again. This time none of us noticed right away because we were busy with other things. None of us, that is, except Jonathan. He saw it blow away and ran after it just like Daddy had done. When he finally caught it though, he couldn't bring it back. Finally, I noticed him struggling with the umbrella and ran to help him.

The kids can play in the sand for hours. They decided to make me a birthday sand cake with pretzel candles. I sang "Happy Birthday to me" and blew out the candles. Then we all ate the pretzels... the sand added a little extra crunch.

Everyday Moments

Nora with the water sprayer. 

Nora walking around Costco with her new backpack.
She had to have one since the big kids were both getting them.
We heard, "That backpack is as big as she is!" from about twenty people.

Nora - almost two!

This little cutie is 21 months old! I can't believe that she is almost two, but I guess I have to accept it, all the signs are there. Her legs are stretching, her hair needs regular attention, and she is starting to put two words together into mini sentences. Big girlie!

Here are some of her cute little ways:

When it is time to clean up, she helps willingly and even sings along to the clean up song. Her version goes, "bean up, bean up!"

She has learned that though she is the smallest, she has a mighty voice. She knows how to shriek! She often screams "MINE!" And then when you give the longed for item to her she'll say, "tank oo!" sweet as pie. Or sometimes instead of thank you she says you're welcome (melcom). So we coach her, "Nora, say thank you." "Melcom!" she replies. 

She loves Elisa (Ee-uh), and Jonathan (Don-than), and her special pink blankie (bobby). 

She loves her daddy. Once when Greg wasn't home in time for dinner, she asked, "Daddy?" I told her, "No Daddy tonight. He'll be home later." She burst out crying. 

Another time, we came back after being gone for the weekend and she saw us at the door. Her little hands went up to her mouth, and then back down to her sides, and then back up to her mouth and she started shrieking, "Daddy! Daddy!" as she ran to the door. 

She copies whatever she hears big brother and sister saying. Sometimes when we tell her she can't do something she'll say, "Aw man!" which is hilarious coming out of her little one-year-old mouth. Other times when she's set on a certain course of action and we explain that she can't do it, she'll sigh deeply and say, "Oh tay." Like, "I understand why I can't do it, and I'll go along with it, but I don't have to like it."

She loves messing in my purse. One day, since I hadn't heard her for awhile, I went to check on her. I found her starting in on her sixth piece of gum (not just chewing, but swallowing of course). "Bi-mens, bi-mens!" (vitamins) she kept saying as I took what was left of the gum out of her hand.

She has amazing fine motor skills. One of her favorite things to do is play with my keys. She has now gotten to the point that when I hand her my keys she can find the right one to use in the door, get it into the keyhole, and turn it. I still have to turn the knob, but she can do everything else on her own.

Love you to pieces, Nor Bor! 

A grieving prayer, and an answer...

One early morning last week I woke up feeling the sadness again. The sadness that has almost been forgotten: the sadness of leaving Portland. Leaving friends, leaving church, leaving city that we love. I got up and wrote and cried for awhile. 

I think that it came up again because there is yet another transition creeping up on us. Leesi is almost done with school. Come next year we won't be sending her to the same school anymore. Right now we are driving twenty minutes each way twice a day so that she wouldn't have to change schools halfway through the school year. But next year she will be attending the school that is just a short walk away. 

Here is part of what I wrote that early morning:

I think about the fact that Leesi will change schools next year. She has a little friend at her school now. Her name is Juliana. She is a little shy and quiet just like Leesi. One time when we were walking into school, Leesi and Juli saw each other and fell into step with each other. Then they slipped their little hands together and walked into school holding hands. Leesi loves Juli. They sit at the same table in the classroom; they play together every recess. When I think about Leesi starting over again at a new school next year, I feel as though all the air has been pushed out of me. ...

I know you have nothing but good plans for us. I know we can rest in Your goodness and love. Thank you ahead of time for helping Leesi through this transition to a new school. I pray that you will prepare a new friend for her at her new school. I pray that somehow we will be able to keep in touch with Juli over the summer.

A few days later this is what happened:

We had never met Juli's parents, since Juli doesn't get picked up after school but stays for after-school care. The day I wrote this, I mentioned to Leesi that we should send a note to Juli's mom about having play dates over the summer. We forgot to do it, but the very next day Leesi came home with this note from Juli's mom: "Would you be interested in getting the girls together for a play date either Friday or Saturday afternoon?"

Yet again, God's goodness to me (and Leesi).  

Elisa the 6 year old

So my sweet Leesi is six years old. (She has been for about 6 months now… but I just haven't written about it!)

My 6-year-old 

Sweet smile

This is her first-ever selfie :-)

Elisa is my big helper. She loves to help me cook. She loves to play "the cleaning game" to help me clean. She sets the table (at least partly) most nights. And I can count on her to play with Nora and help take care of her in other ways. 

Nora, of course, adores Leesi. They have a very sweet relationship. Leesi still thinks it cute and fun that Nora copies her, and loves it when their clothes match in some way.

Elisa really likes school. She is in half-day Kindergarten. She goes to a bi-lingual school, and Leesi loves learning Spanish. She is an expert reader. I think her Kindergarten tests from a few months back said she was reading at a first grade level, but I don't tell her any of that. We just emphasize the joy of reading, and try to encourage working hard and doing our best at learning. Right now she is really into a series of fairy books. And last month we read Farmer Boy and some of the other Little House books. They are still a little above her reading level, so we read them to her. But it is fun to be into chapter books now. 

She is best buds with Jonathan. When Leesi gets out of school they often reunite with a huge bear hug! It's very sweet. They color, ride bikes, play cars, or come up with secret schemes together in the afternoon. A few weeks ago after running through the sprinkler one warm (but not hot) afternoon, they discovered the dryer vent and huddled under it for awhile. Then they decided to "roast" some banana pops (frozen sliced bananas on toothpicks) that they had made earlier in the day. They called the vent the "air fire." Jonathan informed me afterwards that he didn't like the roasted bananas too much because "they got all squishy and gooey." It's so fun to watch them come up with and carry out their own ideas.

Yum! Nothing like a "roasted" banana!  

Though she is still a little shy, she does quite well at talking to other people now. I think school has helped a lot with that. I also think that watching Jonathan talk to anyone with an ear (or two) has helped. She doesn't want to get left out! 

Leesi is a bit of a planner. She likes finding projects in her magazines and then doing them. She is hesitant to try new things, whether it be a new food or a new experience. She loves being silly and laughs easily. She is very physically affectionate and snuggly. 

She still loves clothes and has very strong opinions about what she likes. Somehow at the beginning of Kindergarten she decided that she only likes wearing dark colored pants, and no jeans. So most days she either wears black, dark blue, or jean leggings along with various skirts, dresses, and shirts.

Elisa Marie, I am so glad to be your Mommy. I love spending time with you and watching you learn and grow every day. I love you!

Jonathan and the Hot Wheel Ramp

Jonathan is obsessed with Hot Wheel ramps right now.

"Where is your favorite place to go?" I asked him today.
"To the place where the mailman lives." He answered.
"The Post Office?"
"Yep."
"What do you like about going to the post office?"
"Because then the mail man might bring out a Hot Wheel ramp for me."

Once he got a Hot Wheel ramp in the mail for his birthday (from Uncle John and Aunt Kristine), and he's never forgotten it. He still holds out hope every time a package comes that it just might be another Hot Wheel ramp.

We have questions on little slips of paper in a jar that we pull out and answer at dinner time each night. Jonathan's answers usually center on Hot Wheel ramps:

Q: "What was the best part of your day?"
A: "Bible Study because I played with a Hot Wheel ramp there (insert a long description of what the ramp looked like and how it worked here)."

Q: "What is the nicest thing a friend has ever done for you?"
A: "Well, the nicest thing you have done for me (cuz you're my friend, Mommy) is give me money. Because then I can save up the money to buy another Hot Wheel ramp."

Q: "If you could have one wish, what would you wish for?"
A: "A Hot Wheel ramp! (Insert description of what it would look like here.)"

And then there was what he told me to write in Grandma's birthday card. Totally cracked me up.

Some thoughts on Moving

We have been in Eugene/Springfield for six months now.

"Welcome to Eugene - Ideal Home and Recreation Area" the welcome sign brags. I know that someday it will be home… but right now the sign mocks me, reminds me that it is not home yet.

Here the homeless are all around, little tent cities set up everywhere. When we first got here, the tent cities were always moving: two days in a field, three days by the highway, a week by the courthouse. Now they have seemingly found stable spots for the cities.

We also have seemingly found a stable spot. Four years in Arkansas, three years in Portland (both times in jobs we knew couldn't be permanent), four months in the rental house, two months in our new house. I love our new house. I feel a little giddy at the thought of my kids growing up here. The thought of growth charts marked in pencil on a doorframe and the kids knowing every crack in the sidewalk. I am glad for the stability. I just wish the house was in Portland.

There's a niggling question: "Will I make friends here?"

I am beginning to find my way around pretty well. But sometimes I unexpectedly find myself lost. New streets jumble in my head, "Broadway that's the same as 7th, right? Oh wait, or is that in Portland?"

Suddenly the two and a half hour drive to my parents has a become a five hour drive. They are wondering when we are coming to visit and I find myself calculating if it's really worth it for just a weekend.

We've found some good new places. Sweet Life, where tons of drool-worthy pastries and desserts beckon from behind the glass case.  They always have a line. Townshend's, a trendy tea shop with over 80 kinds of loose tea (not to mention the bubble tea, kombucha, etc.) It feels like a hip coffee shop but when you leave, your clothes still smell good.

I want to find a new church and get plugged in there. And yet somehow when we do commit to a church it will feel like we have officially turned our backs on First Covenant (our Portland church). The thought of this makes me want to cry.

One morning I wake up with a fear that Ash Wednesday has passed by and I didn't realize it. Will our new church have an Ash Wednesday service? Will they have a Good Friday service?

Perhaps the bigger question is, "Will God reveal Himself to me here? Can I know God and seek God as well here as I did in Portland?"

Someone at the church we are visiting (for the fourth or fifth time) gives me a look because Jonathan is frog-hopping down the hallway. And I am reminded of how much I love First Covenant where people say things like, "I'm so thankful for how free the children are here." as the kids run from "the mouse man."

One week, at a different church, a young family invites us over for lunch. They also have some friends coming, another young couple. All of the men work in Higher Ed. in some way. We have fun conversation and feel a certain kinship with them. We think we might be friends if we went to that church, but secretly Greg and I know we can't go back there.

There are some potential friends around: another mom who brings her kids over for play dates, a couple  of Greg's coworkers who have come over for dinner, some of the moms at MOPs.

But still the question: "Will I really make friends here? Deep friends? Always and forever type friends?"

So we bought a house...

Well, when I wrote the post How God gave me something better than a house, little did I know that in less than two weeks Greg would be offered a new job, and in another month we would be moved to a new town (Eugene), and in less than six months we would have purchased our first house. But, here we are.

As I write this, I'm sitting in the living room of our house, looking out the window at people walking their dogs in the park across the street. Ah, love this view.

A great daydreaming window, and it's low to the ground. Even Nora can see out of it.

We have been officially in the house (as in sleeping here) going on three weeks now, although we got the keys to the house over a month ago. Since Christmas we have been busy working on the house.

Jonathan and Leesi both helped rip the wallpaper off.
Not all of it came off in nice big strips like this. Some of it came off in tiny shreds. 

Jonathan helping Grandpa with the nail gun. 

And working on the house. And working on the house. And working on the house. Oh, and moving and cleaning the other house and watching three kids. So there was a lot to do in just a little bit of time. It was pretty exciting and fun at certain times, overwhelming at others, and most of the time downright exhausting.

Greg had a week off in between Christmas and New Years. And my parents came down and stayed with us for a week and a half to help. (They were life-savers! We couldn't have done it without them; and lots of help from other people too: babysitting by Wanda, moving help from Uncle Rick and McKenzie, meals from Debbie, painting help from Sarah and Stead).

We decided to focus on the main living areas and leave the improvements on the rest of the house for another time.

In the kitchen we ripped out the wallpaper, tore up the flooring (which ended up being quite the job!), and took down the cabinet doors to be repainted. We found that the walls beneath the wallpaper were not in great shape. So we (by which I mean my dad) ended up skim coating the walls, and while he was at it he skim coated the paneling in the eat-in kitchen area so that it would look smooth like drywall too. We put in the new bamboo flooring, painted everywhere, and installed new baseboard. My mom was the super cupboard door painter. Last week I finally finished off the ones she didn't get to, and Greg installed them and a couple new light fixtures, so I figured it was time for some kitchen before and afters!

Eat-in area off of kitchen - before

Eat-in area - after

Kitchen - before (how could you forget?) 

Kitchen - after

Kitchen - after (from the other angle)

There is still a lot to do: many boxes still to unpack, a list of projects, and little finishing details everywhere you look, plus pictures and curtains to be made and hung. But all in all it is starting to feel like our home around here. And it's super fun to know that whatever we do with the space is up to us! We don't have to ask anyone before we paint, we can pick whatever colors we want, we can drill holes in any wall we choose. 

More pictures to come!

Can I help?

I am one of those people who like things to be a certain way. This is not to say that everything has to be my way, but if it's one of my things then it does. For instance, I am not overly bossy toward Greg in general, but when he's in the kitchen I will give him all kinds of unsolicited "advice" about how things are done best. (So helpful, right?)

I've noticed it with my kids too. An often asked question is, "Can I help?" Which you would think would make a mother's heart leap with joy, but usually makes mine sink. I can let them help in certain scenarios, but when it's one of my things, it's really hard to let go of how I want it done and let them participate with me in it.

Take, for instance, Jonathan's birthday party. Now, Jonathan's birthday party was a small affair. It was just us and my parents celebrating at home. The agenda was: eat pizza, eat cake, open gifts, and play pin the dirt on the dump truck/bulldozer. So, in the afternoon before party time I started drawing a dump truck and bulldozer and getting ready to color them in so that they would be ready for the game. The kids saw me and wanted to help… they wanted to color them. Now, mind you, I am doing this FOR Jonathan. It is HIS birthday, HIS party, and he wants to color the bulldozer. But I don't want to let him, because then it won't look as good. And of course, it looking good is more important than my son participating in getting ready for his party. Hmmm… So I let them paint the bulldozer and the dump truck. They loved it. It was really hard for me to let go, and even as they started painting I found myself giving "helpful" little tips. But it turned out to be one of their favorite parts of the day. And I was so glad I let them do it. And honestly, their pictures turned out kind of cute. In fact, I think Elisa's turned out better than if I had done it myself.

I've thought about this as it pertains to God and us. Have you ever thought about the fact that God lets us participate with Him in His work? He lets us work with Him on things that actually matter. He doesn't set things up for us to do just so that we can feel important. (Sometimes I do that with my kids… you know, make special jobs for them, that aren't really that important but will make them feel important). He's not threatened by our mistakes, He's big enough. We poorly represent Him and even misrepresent Him, and yet He's big enough for that too.

"The gushing pleasure of small children as they help their parents comes from the expansion of the child's little self through the immersion in the life of a larger self to which the child is lovingly abandoned." (Dallas Willard)

God's Kingdom (where what He wants done is done) is all around us. In each moment we are either working to further our own kingdom, or His Kingdom. And let me tell you, my own kingdom, when it comes right down to it, is a pretty pitiful little affair. It's all about my comfort, my happiness, my reputation. How much better it is to find myself part of something larger than me.

His Kingdom is here! Right now!
Can I help?

Nora at 15 months

Two things I had sort of forgotten about 15-month-olds:
1) They are so stinkin' cute!
2) They are so stinkin' messy!

Nora is 15 months old and she is on the go. All day, every day she is about her business, doing the serious work of babies: emptying the recycle bin, emptying the cupboards and drawers, pulling books off the bookshelf, drawing on the walls with markers.

But the cuteness makes up for the messes. Don't you think?

She can be quite outgoing. Tonight we went out to eat, and she made friends with the people in the booth directly across from us, both of the booths kitty-corner from us, and the booth on either side of us. Not an easy feat considering the tall booth backs. But she won them over with her smile, her wave, and in one case some vigorous head nodding.

She hadn't liked reading books at all. I was feeling a little panicky, because how can one of MY children not like reading? But she's turned a corner and all of a sudden will bring me books to read to her and object loudly when the book is closed. Her favorites right now are Goodnight Moon; Bedtime Peekaboo; and Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes. 

She packs away the food and is not picky at all. I can usually count on her to eat dinner even when the other kids are turning up their noses at it. Even so, she is still a bit of a peanut, small in both height and weight categories. She's still in her infant car seat (and hating it) while we wait for her to hit that 20 pound mark so she can move up to the next one.

She says a few words. Her first word was "uh-oh."
Now she also says:
Da-da,
Mama (though sometimes I'm not quite sure if she's just saying it or if she knows it refers to me),
head,
nose (this may explain why she likes Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes so much),
she also makes a few animal sounds (moo, meow, woof, and the cutest little roar ever).

She can navigate the few stairs we have around our house. But I wouldn't trust her by herself with a full flight of stairs. She walks (started right at a year) and is somewhat enamored with walking backwards, which I find quite funny at times. She is turning into a climber, which I do not find funny at all.

Right around 4:00 most days she gets extremely fussy (and hungry) and this makes getting dinner ready challenging. But I've gotten good at listening to crying kids, so I can deal with it. :-) Of course, she is probably the loudest of the three, because she has to be to have any chance of attention at all. Ah… the life of the third-born.

She is mostly happy, loves a good adventure, and tries to keep up with the big kids. As you can tell, we're pretty smitten with her.