Just the other day—Tuesday I guess it was—I was tinkering around on the computer and the boys were nonchalantly playing with the pack-n-play on the floor behind me. After a quick email check, I turned around to corral the troops for our weekly trip to Prince of Peace and found the pack-n-play tipped on its side with our entire supply of gift wrap spread out over the top in full fort-like fashion. Caleb looked up at me, his big round eyes gleaming, a proud smile on his face, and he inquired with excitement, "How do you like the house I made, Mom?"
Attempting to conceal my disdain for the now unusable gift wrap, I replied with the usual "That's awesome!" and quickly followed up with a suggestion to find alternate building materials. Naturally, inside the brain of a 4-year old, there just isn't anything else suitable for the job in that particular moment. So, in an effort to avoid an untimely uproar, I quickly reassured him that we could find him his very own roll of wrapping paper at the co-op—and thankfully we did that morning, as I would desperately need some leverage for good behavior later that day.
Finally, after four grueling hours of Kidz Klub with Janine, we headed to Peggy's to pick up the boys. I hadn't even gotten both feet in the door, when across the room I heard, "Mom, I was a good boy!" Caleb was wearing that same proud smile he had displayed earlier that morning, and he just wanted me to know that he hadn't stopped thinking about that roll of red snowflake wrapping paper that was waiting for him back home ;)
Unfortunately, we got back too late to start any projects that night, but as soon as we sat down for dinner Caleb couldn't stop talking about all the things he was going to do with his new roll of wrapping paper. The ideas poured out like a roller coaster and at some point he surprised me by noting, "We better make a list of all our ideas!" If it weren't for already having such a long day with no nap, I'm not sure he would have ever gone to sleep that night.
The next day Caleb was dressed and ready to go unusually quick. His first priority, of course, was making a list of all the things we were going to build. (Proud mama sidenote; he wrote that list all by himself, without hesitation; I simply spelled the words aloud to him!) His list was short, as he was anxious to get to work, but it included a ladder and a monkey (I was put in charge of the monkey).
He immediately began contemplating all the supplies he was going to need: a scissors from his craft drawer, some cardboard boxes from the garage and Dad's roll of duct tape. Boy were the wheels in his little head turning!! He had finally collected all his material together when we had to break for a trip to a potential preschool. The actual building process didn't begin until much later when Dad returned from class that afternoon, but Caleb has been working on that project and nothing else ever since!
I'm not sure what happened to the ladder and monkey plan, but Caleb sure is proud of the house he built (is still building?) for Shelby.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Catch up!
Holy smokes! I knew I didn't have the discipline to be blogging every couple days like I had hoped, but seriously—how long has it been?! So where to start now...
Life is becoming busy, busy, busy! Probably the biggest, most recent news to date is that I applied for a production/graphic design job at Vera Bradley! If you haven't heard of them, you should check out their website (www.verabradley.com). It's the first job posting I've seen in three months that I am actually qualified for (other than reception work). The position is very similar to what I was doing for Flint in Fargo, and the majority of the job description was identical to the information I already had included on my résumé! Now I just have do a little research and wait for a call to interview! I think it would be a really fun product to design marketing materials for, but I have to admit...I'm a little torn between working a full time job and staying at home with the boys now??
The last few weeks have really been solidifying our routine, and in effect, helping us coast through the prolonged winter months. The last week in January, I bombed my first Sunday School lesson, teaching the pre-K age kids (I don't think they noticed, fortunately), but the experience was a good precursor to helping with the Kidz Klub activities on Tuesday afternoons. After just two weeks, I feel pretty comfortable delivering an engaging bible lesson, but the greater challenge is maintaining the discipline at the same time! With a little more practice I think there is hope ;)
While I'm helping Janine with Kidz Klub on Tuesdays and Kevin is at school, the boys are staying with a family from our fieldwork church who have a 4 year old girl and a 2 year old boy (Isabella and—I love this—Jon Jon :). The boys' first afternoon with near strangers went surprisingly well—considering their incredibly shy nature, but it probably had something to do with the overwhelming sea of toys in nearly every room! Even Ethan was distracted enough so I could walk away without seeing his little lips quiver in fear—does he really think I'm not coming back?
Speaking of Ethan—while he is at home, safe and secure in his comfort zone—our "baby" is starting to develop some coherent communication skills! Just before Christmas he could say "nana" in reference to bananas and call out "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!"Although, the latter phrase was often directed at either the Mommy OR the Daddy. And thankfully, he can now properly identify who is the Mommy, and in addition, we have officially recorded his first word as "ball." Which, if I remember correctly, was also Caleb's first word (is that a boy thing or what?).
Caleb, on the other hand, has REALLY been exercising his imagination the last couple weeks! I can't even begin tell you how exciting that is for his right-brained Mama!! I think it all started with his drawing of an umbrella "with rain falling down on it" as seen on "Harold and the Purple Crayon." Since then, he hasn't been able to put down his doodle pad! The other day I even walked in during nap time to find it tucked under his blankets next to him :) Some of our favorite drawing exercises are playing a kind of Pictionary game, trying to identify what the other person has drawn, but often times he just starts drawing and stops to ask, "Mom, what does that look like?" What really surprises me is that is able to draw something that really does look like what he intends it to be!
While life at home carries on in at ever-changing pattern, I think Kevin has FINALLY wrapped up an intense week of midterms at the Seminary. Nothing too out of his grasp, however, as he has been reporting good grades on any papers and exams to date. And as school continues to go well, he is slowly becoming more involved with his fieldwork at Prince of Peace. Last week he battled the youth group in an afternoon of Laser Tag (and was still feeling it four days later!) and today he had his first visit to a member of the congregation in the hospital. One thing we are learning in the process, is the importance in flexibility of our schedules! Thank goodness for Janine to keep us company today!
I better wrap it up for tonight, but don't worry—I'll post some new kid pics in the next couple days!
Life is becoming busy, busy, busy! Probably the biggest, most recent news to date is that I applied for a production/graphic design job at Vera Bradley! If you haven't heard of them, you should check out their website (www.verabradley.com). It's the first job posting I've seen in three months that I am actually qualified for (other than reception work). The position is very similar to what I was doing for Flint in Fargo, and the majority of the job description was identical to the information I already had included on my résumé! Now I just have do a little research and wait for a call to interview! I think it would be a really fun product to design marketing materials for, but I have to admit...I'm a little torn between working a full time job and staying at home with the boys now??
The last few weeks have really been solidifying our routine, and in effect, helping us coast through the prolonged winter months. The last week in January, I bombed my first Sunday School lesson, teaching the pre-K age kids (I don't think they noticed, fortunately), but the experience was a good precursor to helping with the Kidz Klub activities on Tuesday afternoons. After just two weeks, I feel pretty comfortable delivering an engaging bible lesson, but the greater challenge is maintaining the discipline at the same time! With a little more practice I think there is hope ;)
While I'm helping Janine with Kidz Klub on Tuesdays and Kevin is at school, the boys are staying with a family from our fieldwork church who have a 4 year old girl and a 2 year old boy (Isabella and—I love this—Jon Jon :). The boys' first afternoon with near strangers went surprisingly well—considering their incredibly shy nature, but it probably had something to do with the overwhelming sea of toys in nearly every room! Even Ethan was distracted enough so I could walk away without seeing his little lips quiver in fear—does he really think I'm not coming back?
Speaking of Ethan—while he is at home, safe and secure in his comfort zone—our "baby" is starting to develop some coherent communication skills! Just before Christmas he could say "nana" in reference to bananas and call out "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!"Although, the latter phrase was often directed at either the Mommy OR the Daddy. And thankfully, he can now properly identify who is the Mommy, and in addition, we have officially recorded his first word as "ball." Which, if I remember correctly, was also Caleb's first word (is that a boy thing or what?).
Caleb, on the other hand, has REALLY been exercising his imagination the last couple weeks! I can't even begin tell you how exciting that is for his right-brained Mama!! I think it all started with his drawing of an umbrella "with rain falling down on it" as seen on "Harold and the Purple Crayon." Since then, he hasn't been able to put down his doodle pad! The other day I even walked in during nap time to find it tucked under his blankets next to him :) Some of our favorite drawing exercises are playing a kind of Pictionary game, trying to identify what the other person has drawn, but often times he just starts drawing and stops to ask, "Mom, what does that look like?" What really surprises me is that is able to draw something that really does look like what he intends it to be!
While life at home carries on in at ever-changing pattern, I think Kevin has FINALLY wrapped up an intense week of midterms at the Seminary. Nothing too out of his grasp, however, as he has been reporting good grades on any papers and exams to date. And as school continues to go well, he is slowly becoming more involved with his fieldwork at Prince of Peace. Last week he battled the youth group in an afternoon of Laser Tag (and was still feeling it four days later!) and today he had his first visit to a member of the congregation in the hospital. One thing we are learning in the process, is the importance in flexibility of our schedules! Thank goodness for Janine to keep us company today!
I better wrap it up for tonight, but don't worry—I'll post some new kid pics in the next couple days!
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