I feel that way.
Mochas. Flowers. Cards. A birthday video. Presents. Phone calls. A list of why I'm loved.
Jon, kids, family, friends: thank you.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
on parenting and tv shows
jon and i have started watched some new tv shows.
modern family. the middle.
very different shows. different reasons why we like each of them. but they bring us laughter, insight and a needed break from tasks around the house.
if i were to write a memoir some day, i think i would use TV shows as my chapter titles:
cosby show: growing up
sisters: high school
boston public, ally mcbeal: first years out of college
west wing: first years of marriage, first kid
six feet under: when david was a baby
wire: when jacob was a baby
the middle: eli's birth
modern family. the middle.
very different shows. different reasons why we like each of them. but they bring us laughter, insight and a needed break from tasks around the house.
if i were to write a memoir some day, i think i would use TV shows as my chapter titles:
cosby show: growing up
sisters: high school
boston public, ally mcbeal: first years out of college
west wing: first years of marriage, first kid
six feet under: when david was a baby
wire: when jacob was a baby
the middle: eli's birth
eli
just realized that i don't even have a tag for darling eli. wee one as i like to call him.
it's probably because i usually do my blog posts at night and night time is his fussy time. jon and i take turns holding him, rocking him, showering him with attention.
he's 3 months old already.
he smiles with his whole mouth. not just an upwards lift of his lips. it's an all out open mouth grin.
i could just eat him up.
i do know i sit and stare at him more than i did with the other kids. he's my last baby. my last chance to be present in these his moments of baby-being.
people ask me what kind of personality he has. with each kid i've had, i've become less and less able to respond to that kind of question. i'm just not sure.
it could be because i'm less tuned into how eli is different than the others, that this collective mass of baby personalities has merged together, that i feebly try to define him by what the others aren't or are.
but i think it's also because i've grown much more humble as a parent over these 6 years. there's much more that i don't know and there much more that i'm ok with not knowing or needing to label or fit into a tidy label or description.
it's probably because i usually do my blog posts at night and night time is his fussy time. jon and i take turns holding him, rocking him, showering him with attention.
he's 3 months old already.
he smiles with his whole mouth. not just an upwards lift of his lips. it's an all out open mouth grin.
i could just eat him up.
i do know i sit and stare at him more than i did with the other kids. he's my last baby. my last chance to be present in these his moments of baby-being.
people ask me what kind of personality he has. with each kid i've had, i've become less and less able to respond to that kind of question. i'm just not sure.
it could be because i'm less tuned into how eli is different than the others, that this collective mass of baby personalities has merged together, that i feebly try to define him by what the others aren't or are.
but i think it's also because i've grown much more humble as a parent over these 6 years. there's much more that i don't know and there much more that i'm ok with not knowing or needing to label or fit into a tidy label or description.
who's the boss?
for better or for worse, i've been using "the boss" terminology.
when we have a sitter over, i'll often tell the kids that when i'm gone, the sitter is "the boss". i then go into the list. "claire, you're the second boss. david, you're the third boss". and then, because jacob is screaming "jacob, jacob, jacob" because he wants to be included, i always add "and jacob you're the fourth boss".
today claire and david were fighting over something, i don't even remember what it was. i told them that i was going to take it away. "it's not fair" david retorted.
"it is because i'm the boss" i said.
"mom. you're not the boss" he said with a very serious look on his face.
"oh yeah? who is then"
"Jesus is the biggest boss" he said. then he walked back outside.
when we have a sitter over, i'll often tell the kids that when i'm gone, the sitter is "the boss". i then go into the list. "claire, you're the second boss. david, you're the third boss". and then, because jacob is screaming "jacob, jacob, jacob" because he wants to be included, i always add "and jacob you're the fourth boss".
today claire and david were fighting over something, i don't even remember what it was. i told them that i was going to take it away. "it's not fair" david retorted.
"it is because i'm the boss" i said.
"mom. you're not the boss" he said with a very serious look on his face.
"oh yeah? who is then"
"Jesus is the biggest boss" he said. then he walked back outside.
sarah plain and tall
the kids and i started reading it today.
i cried on the second page.
it's such a good book.
claire loves the little brother character. i'm sure he reminds her of david.
she asked what "plain" meant. i wasn't exactly sure how to define it for her.
i cried on the second page.
it's such a good book.
claire loves the little brother character. i'm sure he reminds her of david.
she asked what "plain" meant. i wasn't exactly sure how to define it for her.
david james wants to be a ninja
this morning i took claire and david james to a children's ballet performance in grand rapids. the title of the show was: every princess ballerina needs a superhero dancer.
it was a story about an older sister who wanted to be a princess ballerina and didn't want her pesky little brother playing with her.
rather fitting for the two of them.
we all really enjoyed the show. david's best part was watching the "ninja dancers". not surprising as ninjas are a bit like street break dancers and knights put together, two of his favorite roles to assume when he plays.
it was a story about an older sister who wanted to be a princess ballerina and didn't want her pesky little brother playing with her.
rather fitting for the two of them.
we all really enjoyed the show. david's best part was watching the "ninja dancers". not surprising as ninjas are a bit like street break dancers and knights put together, two of his favorite roles to assume when he plays.
jabob seech 'chool...case in point
last week jacob started going to "speech school". it's actually an early on playgroup (federal funds) designed for 2 year olds who need extra help in lots of different categories. there's a speech therapist, an occupational therapist, a behavioral therapist, etc.
jacob loved the idea of going to school. the morning of his first class, he put his backpack on the minute he woke up. he didn't say goodbye to me when i dropped him off. when we got home, he immediately went to our fridge with his craft in hand and demanded that i display it there.
he's only had 2 classes but does seem to really enjoy them.
his speech issues have made me much more aware of the developmental steps in the speech process. with claire and david, i remember really enjoying watching and hearing them developing their speech. but with them, it was effortless. i remember david going from not talking to talking in sentences in what seemed like a matter of days.
with jacob, it's been more frustrating as i've struggled to understand what he's communicating. paying more attention to his speech though has revealed to me the complex ways in which speech does develop. i'm noticing a lot more - new vocabulary words, new sentence structures, new phrasing and i'm really enjoying this too.
jacob loved the idea of going to school. the morning of his first class, he put his backpack on the minute he woke up. he didn't say goodbye to me when i dropped him off. when we got home, he immediately went to our fridge with his craft in hand and demanded that i display it there.
he's only had 2 classes but does seem to really enjoy them.
his speech issues have made me much more aware of the developmental steps in the speech process. with claire and david, i remember really enjoying watching and hearing them developing their speech. but with them, it was effortless. i remember david going from not talking to talking in sentences in what seemed like a matter of days.
with jacob, it's been more frustrating as i've struggled to understand what he's communicating. paying more attention to his speech though has revealed to me the complex ways in which speech does develop. i'm noticing a lot more - new vocabulary words, new sentence structures, new phrasing and i'm really enjoying this too.
happy birthday - jacob style
i woke up on the morning of my 35th birthday listening to jacob singing in his bed.
it went something like this:
happy birthday to you happy birthday mommy, monday, tuesday, monday, tuesday, can we fix it, jesus loves me.
a wonderful compilation of his latest favorite songs: happy birthday, a days of the week song, Bob the builder theme song, and his all time favorite jesus loves me.
not a bad way to wake up. and, in some ways, a very profound message to ponder.
it went something like this:
happy birthday to you happy birthday mommy, monday, tuesday, monday, tuesday, can we fix it, jesus loves me.
a wonderful compilation of his latest favorite songs: happy birthday, a days of the week song, Bob the builder theme song, and his all time favorite jesus loves me.
not a bad way to wake up. and, in some ways, a very profound message to ponder.
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