I remember when Jon and I got married and my mom and dad gave us a long list of names of people they wanted to come (it probably wasn't long but it felt like that to me!).
Yesterday Jon and I went to the wedding of the son of one of our friends. Our names were on that long list of parents' friends that the bride and groom "had" to invite.
It felt right to be there, to be there more for our friends than for the bride and groom. As I sat there in the back of the church nursing Jacob, I teared up as I watched our friends walk their grown son down the aisle. All those late night feedings, those discussions when the kids are in bed about how best to parent, all the worries and joys and fears and hopes wrapped up together in a celebration of a child leaving his parents and starting his own family.
As I watched all of the college friends of the bride and groom interact, I reflected on the 10 years that have passed since I graduated from college. I remember that sense of possibility, of having the world at your feet, of being overwhelmed at the many different paths my life could have taken.
And, as I listened to the sermon on marriage, I reflected on my own marriage. It's good to hear wedding sermons through the lenses of one's own marriage. It's good to remember your own excitement on your wedding day. It's good to hear the vows again. It's good to celebrate God's goodness and faithfulness in marriage relationships.
It was a great wedding.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Keri the super star babysitter
Keri, one of our Hope super star babysitters, moved in with us this past week.
She just got back from a semester in Australia and is taking a one month class at Hope. She doesn't have a ton of money and needed a place to stay, so we offered our house.
It's beautiful to see how much our kids love being with her. She plays with them, she makes them laugh, she enjoys spending time with them.
And we enjoy her. She inspires me to play more, to live life more fully.
She just got back from a semester in Australia and is taking a one month class at Hope. She doesn't have a ton of money and needed a place to stay, so we offered our house.
It's beautiful to see how much our kids love being with her. She plays with them, she makes them laugh, she enjoys spending time with them.
And we enjoy her. She inspires me to play more, to live life more fully.
"They are the best times..."
After church this morning, an older couple stopped to talk with me. They obviously knew who I was because the gentleman made some sort of comment about how he couldn't believe I had three kids already, that he remembered me back when Jon and I were just married. I made some comment about how I'm much busier now.
Then he said, in a reflective sort of way, "Those are the best times you know. They're hard but they're also the best."
I think this is now about the 10th time someone has said something like this to me in the past few months. The timing of these comments always come at strangely appropriate times. Last night at dinner, Jon and I were both hot, tired, and annoyed at our unappetizing food selection and unruly kids. We didn't have a good meal.
Is it a matter of romanticizing life with small, demanding children? Is it a matter of forgetting what it's like to feed a baby several times in the night, to break up fights between a 2 and 4 year old over who gets what color of plate, to discover a dirty diaper on your way out the door when you're already late for something?
Or, it is something that people in my stage of life need to constantly be reminded of? That because of the immediate/extensive demands that young children present, we don't or perhaps even can't always have that glorious "this is such a privilege to be able to do with" perspective unless those outside of our demographic remind us of this.
Then he said, in a reflective sort of way, "Those are the best times you know. They're hard but they're also the best."
I think this is now about the 10th time someone has said something like this to me in the past few months. The timing of these comments always come at strangely appropriate times. Last night at dinner, Jon and I were both hot, tired, and annoyed at our unappetizing food selection and unruly kids. We didn't have a good meal.
Is it a matter of romanticizing life with small, demanding children? Is it a matter of forgetting what it's like to feed a baby several times in the night, to break up fights between a 2 and 4 year old over who gets what color of plate, to discover a dirty diaper on your way out the door when you're already late for something?
Or, it is something that people in my stage of life need to constantly be reminded of? That because of the immediate/extensive demands that young children present, we don't or perhaps even can't always have that glorious "this is such a privilege to be able to do with" perspective unless those outside of our demographic remind us of this.
I had forgotten
I had forgotten how time and energy intensive potty training is.
Between constantly asking David if he has to go to the bathroom and then cleaning up after him when he forgets and then applauding him when he remembers, it's a lot of work.
I had forgotten some of the things that happened when I was potty training Claire. It's funny how they're now resurfacing, in very acute ways.
The time when she peed as she was sitting on my lap during a meal. The time she peed when we were out shopping and because I had neglect to bring any extra clothes along, we left the store (and the puddle) wet. The time we went hiking with Claire and she tried to poop in the woods a dozen times. The many hours we spent reading potty training books to her, trying to get her used to the idea of using the toilet.
These experiences have taught me a few things. With David, we skipped the literature and went straight to the bribing (fruit loops and marshmellows). This past week we haven't ventured out of the house unless it was absolutely necessary. We move the potty to whichever room he's in. We're hesitant to declare success because we know it takes time.
Something I did remember about Claire and potty training was the absolutely euphoric feeling I had when she finally learned. I can't wait to feel it again.
Between constantly asking David if he has to go to the bathroom and then cleaning up after him when he forgets and then applauding him when he remembers, it's a lot of work.
I had forgotten some of the things that happened when I was potty training Claire. It's funny how they're now resurfacing, in very acute ways.
The time when she peed as she was sitting on my lap during a meal. The time she peed when we were out shopping and because I had neglect to bring any extra clothes along, we left the store (and the puddle) wet. The time we went hiking with Claire and she tried to poop in the woods a dozen times. The many hours we spent reading potty training books to her, trying to get her used to the idea of using the toilet.
These experiences have taught me a few things. With David, we skipped the literature and went straight to the bribing (fruit loops and marshmellows). This past week we haven't ventured out of the house unless it was absolutely necessary. We move the potty to whichever room he's in. We're hesitant to declare success because we know it takes time.
Something I did remember about Claire and potty training was the absolutely euphoric feeling I had when she finally learned. I can't wait to feel it again.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Potty party
We're partying around the potty these last few days in the hopes that David will enter the world of the toilet trained.
We've only had nominal success so far but my enthusiasm for not having 2 kids in diapers will not be dampened. I'm banking on the success we had with Claire. Her big moment was when Grandma bought her "big girl underwear" and commented that it must feel so nice when they are dry.
Aunt Laura bought David the cutest boxer/briefs and he struts around the house in them as if he's been wearing them for years.
There was a moment today when I decided I would take a picture of him in his "big boy underwear". It had been a good few hours and I thought we were making progress. I wanted to document the achievement.
On my way to get the camera I slipped on the puddle of pee in the living room.
We've only had nominal success so far but my enthusiasm for not having 2 kids in diapers will not be dampened. I'm banking on the success we had with Claire. Her big moment was when Grandma bought her "big girl underwear" and commented that it must feel so nice when they are dry.
Aunt Laura bought David the cutest boxer/briefs and he struts around the house in them as if he's been wearing them for years.
There was a moment today when I decided I would take a picture of him in his "big boy underwear". It had been a good few hours and I thought we were making progress. I wanted to document the achievement.
On my way to get the camera I slipped on the puddle of pee in the living room.
Kathryn Grace and Asher Kallum
My good friend Heidi just had her 3rd baby - Kathryn Grace.
My sister Sarah also just had her 3rd baby - Asher Kallum.
Beautiful names. Beautiful babies. Rock star mammas.
My sister Sarah also just had her 3rd baby - Asher Kallum.
Beautiful names. Beautiful babies. Rock star mammas.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Changes
Jacob sprouted his first two teeth (just today).
David wore "big boy underpants" for half an hour (we're still have a long way to go before he's potty trained but the journey has officially begun!).
Claire is now very proficient at swinging on a swing all by herself.
These changes are inevitable. They need to be celebrated. But they also represent the many small steps to independence that my children will take in the years to come. And they are all good reminders that I need to be celebrating the present.
David wore "big boy underpants" for half an hour (we're still have a long way to go before he's potty trained but the journey has officially begun!).
Claire is now very proficient at swinging on a swing all by herself.
These changes are inevitable. They need to be celebrated. But they also represent the many small steps to independence that my children will take in the years to come. And they are all good reminders that I need to be celebrating the present.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)