Faith Like a Child

The sweetest interaction occurred yesterday during homeschool.  Alex (7 yrs.) bumped into Kristiana's (5 yrs.) chair and she nearly fell out of the chair.  Alex quickly moved back to his seat without saying a word.  Kristiana let out a huge exasperation, "Alex! You almost made me go to Heaven!"  Alex and I immediately began giggling.  It was exceedingly cute and silly that firstly, she thought falling out of her chair would make her die and secondly, that dying would mean she would go to Heaven.

Then Kristiana became a little weepy because we had laughed at her.  It was hard to express to her that we were not laughing at her meanly, but that we thought what she said had a sweetness and an innocence about it.

I whispered into Alex's ear, "What she said was funny because she thinks she was going to die and dying means she is going to Heaven.  But, it does not work that way does it?  We don't go to Heaven just because we die." 

Then Alex responded, "Yes, Mommy. She doesn't know about Hell.  Let's not tell her about Hell and then she cannot go there because she won't know evil.  She will only know good."

Awe. Melt my heart.  It is a nice thought to think if we just don't tell her about bad things, then she will always be good.  I also was surprised that this is the thought my son had for his sister whom he sometimes wishes never existed. 

Mno Hya Lita!

Day-off Update

We had grand mom visit.  We had a lovely time: candy and movies and talking.

"We're fabulous!"

Wall-to-wall lego carpet is not very nice to step on. Grandmom helped Alex organize his Legos.  

Love my little Princess Sofia

Ballet Dancer

Family Clown

I jumped out of bed this morning, got everyone dressed, let the dog out, saw snow, then remembered to check my email.  I discovered our once every other week homeschool co-op was canceled due to inclement weather.  Well, at least everyone is dressed and ready for the day. 

Techno-School

I have long struggled to parent the inquisitive 2 - 5 year old range of children.  They are high need, high energy and poor communication skills.  Especially now as a home schooling mom I have found it even more of a challenge to both educate older children and keep the busy toddlers out of trouble.  I have dealt with many stress inducing scenarios via the toddlers.  Often have I wondered whether I am cut out for this sort of work.  I am sure every mother questions herself in such a manner.  Motherhood is, simply put, challenging.  

For the past year and a half, I have desired that one of our children go to preschool because she is absolutely into everything every minute of the day.  She also seems a bit high strung and high need.  It is not as though I have not tried to creatively deal with it, redirect and so forth.  However perhaps with preschool she could go somewhere else and channel her energy--save my nerves from having to both school and dash about the house keeping her out of it.

This week has been different.  There is one key change.  We acquired an iPad and the tot is using it to stay out of trouble.  Normally, I have activities for Annie to partake in alongside our home school lessons.  It does not take too long before she has done all she desires to do and slinks away to flood the bathroom or write on walls with permanent marker; break something valuable.  This week when she began to look restless, or fussy, I offered her the iPad.  She had educational preschool games to play.  She stayed entertained for as long as I needed and she even learned a little phonics and counting this week.  Kristiana is doing better with counting as well.  It's a win all around.  It has been peaceful during school.  It's really an answer to my prayers.  It's my electronic nanny.

Mno Hiya Lita!

Great and Holy Icon of Bunny Ears

I love the question my little daughter asks.  During liturgy yesterday, at our Byzantine church, Kristiana looked up at an icon of Christ on the ceiling and asked,

"Mommy, why is Jesus making bunny ears shadow puppet?"

It's Like Riding a Bike...

That is what people say when they mean, something is easy to do and never forgotten...

A lot of people hold dear the first ever two-wheeled bike ride.  It is a small triumph that makes one feel big, grand and free.  The young rider wobbles, feels anxious, heart pounding, nerves rattled.  Then after trial and error, the magic moment comes when he takes off, fully balanced and speeding away on the bike.  

Earlier today, one of my son's snarky little buddies came up to me and exclaimed that he and his brother knew how to ride bikes without training wheels.  They are both older than my son.  This is not an impressive exclamation.  But they are all about impressing me.  So I smiled and a leaned in as though I was telling him a secret,

"Oh yeah, you know what?  Alex doesn't ride on two-wheels, because, you know, he's never been interested in taking off the training wheels.  We asked him once and he said he wasn't interested.  So why don't you go suggest that he take off the training wheels.  I bet he will want to take them off and you can teach him how to ride his bike."

An hour later, Alex came in asking to take off the training wheels.  We said okay, but once they come off, they stay off.  My husband battled with a cruddy bolt for 30 minutes, then a neighbor came along with a better socket wrench than we had (that's what neighbors are for) and removed the old rusted nut.

The boys all ran out into the cul de sac and tried to balance Alex on the bike.  They didn't have a clue.  So Andrew went out, doing his fatherly duty, he balanced him on the bike, and out of nerves, Alex almost immediately flipped the bike.  So we told him to get both feet on the peddles, Andrew balanced him again and walked him three feet then Alex took off riding.  That was it.  He was riding circles around our cul de sac with speed.  I casually reminded him he had brakes.  He tried them out.  Success.  Then he rode happily around the neighborhood with no trouble.  Both my husband and I were impressed, because we both remember more trial than Alex experienced.  

Yay for Alex--independence.  Now sniffles for mommy, because I am sure this will mean he will want to disappear on his bike for half a day on hot summer days.  He has mobility.  He's not tied to me anymore. 

Mno hiya lita!

Reflecting on the Past, Present and Future

1. Realized/remembered today, I don't miss high school.  I don't really miss being a kid either.

Newborn me…not good times. My sister liked to hit me a lot.  She was apparently very jealous.

Baby me - not enough food coming my way!

Little kid me - too much to even explain

High school me - very lonely

2. I do miss college.  If only I knew then, what I know now. 

3. Had I known in college that now I would be a home schooling mom of four, I would have never started in engineering and definitely would have done an education degree, alongside the philosophy degree (don't regret that, oh so useful, philosophy degree). ;-) It would be great too if I had done something that I could do as a part time job now.

College me - Awesome times!

4. I also would have cherished my college time more.

5.  I would take more art classes.

6. Someday, I'd like to be brave.  I am not sure, I've ever truly been brave.

7. Today, I paused in church to listen to and answer all my five year old's questions about the Nativity decorations.  It was totally worth the interruption.

That's my five year old hanging on my neck.  She throws her arms around my neck at least once a day and showers me with little kisses the way I used to when she was a baby and nuzzles me with her nose.  She tells me I am beautiful and skinny all the time.  She has a really great memory.  If we don't know where something is, we always ask Kristiana and she always know where it is.  The other day, we were outside playing at 5 p.m., and she affectionately greeted each neighbor as they drove into their drive coming home from work.  She's pretty wonderful.

8. Last night, my husband and I had a new year's celebration for two.  We're such good friends!  What good fortune we have each other.

(Mmm, bacon. Ahlalalal)

Now on to bigger and better things in 2014, because "the best IS yet to come."

Mno hiya lita!

Christmas 2013

Playing Ring around the Rosy with Grandpa 

I love how even Lucy, an 18 month old, grasped the concept of this game

Making cookies for Santa - What a mess!

Holy Supper - We don't have a dress code

Gifts for babes

Kristiana helping Lucy open a gift

Annie's Delight - Her own beautiful, princess garb

Lucy and Gramps - it seems the one year old always ends up naked on Christmas

The Greeks for Alex - Thank you, Mommy and Daddy.

Lego Research, as Alex calls it

Grandpa's icon

Kristiana's one Christmas wish - to have a beautiful dress

Annie's Despair - "What do you mean I can't open all the presents?"

The neighbors all came out for some sun and so did the pets.

Scooters!

Family Beyblade battle! Everyone took turns.  Beyblades are engineered tops.  They have special skills.  They bang into each other in the arena.  The first top to stop spinning loses.

Unfortunatley, I did not get a picture of the gingerbread house we made despite making the kids wait at least a week before eating it.

I am particularly fond of this picture.  Lucy, the red nosed baby, eating gingerbread.

Epic Nativity Puzzle - I am now of the belief that this puzzle was too large, because I felt I could not rest until it was complete.  I neglected my children for this puzzle.  It took four days of working all day.  After accidentally spilling pieces all over the kitchen, I am one piece short.  This is such a tragedy, because it will never be complete and my mind can never rest!  I am going to try a smaller puzzle next year.

We also watched "The Nativity Movie" this year.  I am not sure we will watch it again.  Our seven year old and five year old called out many the errors of the movie.  I thought it was wonderful they could identify inconsistencies in the portrayal of Mary.  There were lots of questions like, "Mommy, that's not how it really was, was it?"  "Mommy, Mary was not like that.  She was always good and obedient."

Our Christmas celebrating has died down due to illnesses.  

Christ is born! Glorify Him!

What Do You Do With A Wedding Dress?

Wedding dresses are the most impractical thing.  They cost a fortune and you only wear them once.  No, I am not going to make into a pillow or a memento out of it.  The other day my mom told me she was going to toss her wedding dress after holding onto it and protecting it all these years.  I told her to send it to me.  Maybe I could do something with it.  Now that I have it, I look at it and think that it was a mistake to want it.  Mainly, I don't have use for it.  

I saw that dress hang in my mom's closet and listened to her revere it for years.  It was a symbol of the the sacrament.  When it arrived at my house, I hung the revered dress in my closet.  I made peace with the dress.  Now I too am ready to toss it out.   I think maybe it was like a funeral for the dress. 

…that is unless I can come up with some fantastic idea of how to re-use it. 

Oh so, seventies!

My own wedding dress is in a storage container in my closet.  I love it dearly too.  When I selected it, I looked for something timeless.  I hope one day my daughters are interested in wearing it.  I have a friend who wore her mother's dress.  It is a sweet notion to think that the dress might be passed to someone else like a legacy.  On the other hand, there is something special about selecting one's own dress.  

I will hold onto mine for years like my mother did.  I do not know when my love affair with my wedding dress will end.  Every time I drag it out my heart stops a little just like it did the first time I wore it.  I love every inch of it.  It has stephanotis flower (greek wedding crown flowers) embellishments with beads and crystals and sequins sewn in the centers. Aaah, sigh.

My dress came out today as we cleaned and reorganized our closet.

She Takes After Her Mother

I know this photo strip is not terribly interesting to most.  However, each night as we eat dinner I take great delight in watching our one year old gobble up her dinner.  The other children eat maybe one in four dinners I cook.  But, Lucy eats and eats and eats.  She begins the meal eating with her utensils.  Alas, she discovers that she can eat more if she eats by the fistfuls.  She enjoys it.  She asks for more.  She laughs and laughs, and is always the last one sitting at the table long after the other children have excused themselves and scampered away.  When the dishes are cleared and the surfaces wiped, she finally decides she's had enough.  Then she is wiped down by a loving parent and whisked to the bath for a playful soak.

I personally take delight in Lucy's eating, because it is a relief to see a child with hearty eating habits and a grateful heart.  I secondly take delight because she is much like myself as a child in eating habits.  Food is good and tasty.  While there are seconds, thirds and fourths to be had, nothing should go wasted, nothing should be leftover.  I often profess that I am a bottomless pit.  I almost always can eat more.  Some would say this is unhealthy.  Perhaps.  Moderation is good--a learned habit.  On the other hand, one could say it is a healthy appreciation of God given gifts.  All Glory to God.

I have a very early memory (a high chair memory) of loving tomato soup and asking for bowl-full after bowl-full.  I get it, Lucy.  Eat away.  Lucy asked for four bowls tonight and slurped it down straight from the bowl.  However, she did begin eating each bowl with her spoon. :-)