Saturday, April 30, 2011

A letter to my son on his 3rd birthday

Asher, yesterday you turned 3 years old!  Wow!  Hard to believe that I've been blessed with 3 glorious years already with you.  It's been such a wonderful journey.

This year is definitely the year you became a boy!  A real playing in the mud, jumping in puddles, running and chasing, rough and tumble little guy.  For your girly girl mother, this has been a year of growth for me too.  I'm still learning how to wrestle - something you are really starting to get into - but for some reason, even I have fun splashing in puddles when it's with you!  A few weeks ago when we were playing outside, the snow was melting leaving puddles everywhere, and you played with a stick and shovel in the puddles for a whole hour straight without stopping for a minute.  You love this kind of play.  Chasing with your friends - especially Marek, Maaike and Josiah - is a regular part of your play routine.  I love watching the boy in you emerge!

You continue to love cars, trucks, tractors, and trains but this year you started a love affair with Lightening McQueen from Disney's Cars movie.  The characters from that movie are either; on your t-shirt or pull-up, a toy or puzzle in your hand, on the book we're reading, or a part of our conversation.  I can't tell you how many times you've watched the movie - and you still don't tire of it.  We will take you to the movie theatre for the first time this summer when Cars 2 comes out - I can't wait to see the look on your face.

You also began a fascination with jigsaw puzzles this year.  You started out with 4 and 6 piece puzzles, and quickly moved from there to 12 and 24 pieces.  You would do a puzzle over, and over, and over again until you knew exactly where each piece went.  You became so good at putting them together.  You are now mastering 48 piece puzzles, and love the challenge of it.  You will work for quite a length of time on a puzzle, and then once you have it completed, you will usually very quickly take it all apart and start putting it back together again.  I'm glad you like the work involved in such tasks, and take your time to figure it out.  You are meticulous Asher, a trait you come by honestly.  Last week when you were at your swimming lesson, your teacher asked you to put the boat and ring away.  Being the little boy that you are, the boat and ring had to go in just the right spot - with the other boats and rings.  Your Papa looked at me when you did that, saying "he gets that from you!".

Speaking of swimming, we have continued lessons all year this year.  You are still in the small pool, but have started doing so much this year.  You can do back floats and front floats with help.  You mastered back glides in an instant and enjoy doing these!  Blowing bubbles has been fun, but teaching you to try to do bobs (where you dunk yourself under water) took a little convincing.  You are learning, but it's not your favorite thing to do just yet.  Soon we will move up to the big pool now that you are 3, and there may be some hurdles to cross as you get comfortable and adjust, but we will learn to have fun there too.  Each week when we visit the big pool, you are reserved and a bit scared in there, but always remember little boy, I promise I won't let you go until you're ready.

Some major changes happened this year in your life, as you can see here:













You became a big brother and started potty training!  Such big changes - no wonder it's taken you some time to figure this out.  You love your little brother Levi so much.  Although at first this transition was a bit tough, and there was some hitting involved, you have come to be the one little boy who can make your baby brother laugh like no one else can.  It's beautiful to see.  You always ask "Mama, where's Levi?" and comment "Mama, Levi's really sad, can you fix it?".  Lately, as you copy me, you have started to give Levi the words to objects in a way he can grasp - as you hold up a block to him, you'll say "Block.  Block, Levi, block".  It's very sweet.  I am so proud of you for loving Levi the way you do, for learning how to be gentle, and for remember to have fun together.

This year you started potty training around October/November -  and, well, it's April and it's still a work in progress.  This has been one of the biggest challenges so far in your little life - figuring out how to control this process.  In typical Asher fashion, we take 2 steps forward, and then 1 step back.  It's been frustrating for both of us at times, but I like to think that through this process we are both learning some big lessons.  In your life, Asher, when you are struggling with something, like you're struggling with this now, I hope you will remember to keep trying; hard work is sometimes required in challenging moments, but persistence will pay off.  And I also hope you know that it's OK to struggle, it's OK to not get something right away, and it's OK if everyone else is doing it and you're not.  Be gracious with yourself - you are learning and it's OK for that to take time.  Some things just come easier than others.

Speaking of somethings coming easier,  the other day your Aunt Ange - who works daily with speech therapists - said, "Wow, Asher can say the "th" sound - that usually only comes closer to age 4".  You've always been a good talker, Asher, that has been your strength.  And this year, you have come to say many, many sweet things that I will not forget, "I love you" being my all time favorite.  At bedtime as we pray together, you often say your own little prayers, often for your friends; "Thank you God for Maaike/Marek/Josiah/Roxy...".  My eyes fill up with tears each time I hear you express thankfulness for the people in your life.  Currently when I put you to bed, we have a little rant that we say to each other.  I say "Good night Asher", and you echo "good night".  I say "Sweet dreams", "I love you", and "I'll come check on you later", and you echo each one in turn.  It makes me smile every night. 

You can sing many, many songs on your own now, and the music from "Amy's class" - Kindermusik - is what you ask for every time we are in the car.  You can remember the lines to songs that we haven't sang in months.  The other day I said to you "The carpenter's hammer goes rap, rap, rap" and you finished "and his saw goes see, saw, see.  He hammers, and hammers, and saws and saws as he builds a house for me".  You ask me to sing "The Lord loves me" every night, and often join in singing with me.  You have learned several bible memory verses, and hearing them to song has helped with this.  You can now sing Philippians 4:6-7 and say John 3:16 on your own.  You know many of the lines in your favorite books, and if I leave a line out, you will say it for me.  Your Papa and I often play little games like this with you as we read books.  Your memory is impeccable.  You can now "read" some of your favorite books on your own because you've memorized them, "Does a Kangaroo have a Mother too?" being the most recent one.  You still love the Llama books, and the Wombat books, and anything to do with McQueen or Thomas the train.

In addition, this year you've continued to suck your thumb at bedtime and when you're upset or tired, moved into a big boy bed, visited the dentist for the first time, began learning how to dress yourself, enjoyed playing with stickers and trains and cars and tunnels, learned to recognize all of the letters of the alphabet - including knowing the sounds that most of them make - and started going to preschool 2 mornings a week (Roxy's school, as you say).  You continue to be slow to warm up to new situations - my reserved boy - but let it all out once your settled and comfortable.

I love you so much, sweet Asher.  Age 2 has been so fun, and such a year of growth.  I'm so happy to get to stay home and experience much of that with you.  I can't wait to see what age 3 will bring.  As long as I'm with you, I know we'll have a blast.  And always remember little boy, I promise I won't let you go until you're ready.

Love,
your Mama

Friday, April 29, 2011

Happy 3rd Birthday Asher!!!

I still cannot even begin to understand how it's possible that my first baby boy is 3 years old today, but somehow it is.  That saying "the days are long but the years are short" certainly rings true many days, especially today.  Happy 3rd Birthday beautiful boy!

A year in photos; one photo for each month of Asher's second year.

 24 months old


25 months old


26 months old


27 months old


28 months old


29 months old


30 months old


31 months old


32 months old


33 months old


34 months old


35 months old


Good-bye 2, welcome 3!

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Thankful Thursday

Out of the last 6 nights, my baby slept through 4 of them!  Change is a-comin', I feel it and I love it.  What more can I say?

PS - my first baby turns 3 tomorrow, how is this even humanly possible?!?!?

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Thankful Thursday

"Today is only a small manageable segment of time in which our difficulties need not overwhelm us. This lifts from our hearts and minds the heavy weight of both past and future"
Anonymous
One Day at a Time in Al-Anon

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Thankful Thursday

This week I am thankful for...

... my lovely friend who has come to help me get out for an afternoon walk twice this past week with all 4 kids (plus one of her own!).

... the fact that my house is small enough that I can make a good dent in the cleaning in an afternoon.

... Levi always being happy when I'm wearing him on my back.

... when Asher says "Hi Mama, I missed you!" when I pick him up from Roxy's school.

... Asher eating vegetables he won't normally eat if they're inside a quesadilla or a quiche.

... Levi getting to experience, and enjoy, Mother Goose class with me (I'm volunteer teaching again and loving it!)

... that even though my babies have colds that make their sleeping and eating difficult, they are healthy.

... my friend who agreed to pray for my children on a regular basis, and I for hers.

... coffee. Always coffee.

... Asher doing well at swimming lessons these past few weeks. Even though he hates the big pool, he is doing awesome in the small one.

... finding a local wine that I really like!

... that Seeds Family Worship, all 5 albums, are available on Napster.

... getting into a routine on the days when I care for Marek and Milah. There are crazy moments, but it's getting more predictable, and I'm figuring it out.

... celebrating my husbands 31st birthday!

Monday, April 11, 2011

Happy Birthday to Greg!




Today is my wonderful husband's 31st birthday. Wow! Happy birthday to an amazing father, and to my love. I hope 31 is a terrific year for you, and let's make lots of fun memories together.

xo

PS - now Asher can finally stop talking about eating your birthday cake!

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Thankful Thursday

A couple of weeks ago I had the extreme pleasure of sitting down with the women from my parents small group, and a few special guests. As our last small group meeting we decided to invite some mature Christian mothers in to share their experience and expertise. And it was amazing!

These 3 women all have adult children and raised them in a Christian home. They faithfully and honestly answered our questions and shared their wisdom about parenting. It wasn't all glamorous, and it wasn't all peaches. There were challenges, many of them; they had little sleep, they were wrought with worry, they were unsure, they were stretched, and they weren't perfect. But God took what they had to offer as parents, and through their prayers, used it to turn their children into beautiful and responsible people who know Christ.

Nothing they said was necessarily unknown to me, but it was so reassuring as a parent to hear. There are no magic answers, no unknown secret formulas in order to raise healthy, happy people. They all did it differently, with their own traditions and values. They all tried to respond to the unique needs of their children, and loved them for who they were. They all prayed for their children, and had other people pray too. It was complicated, yet simple. It was challenging, yet rewarding. And it was so unbelievably moving, touching, reassuring, and comforting to hear from women who have been there, and who are on the other side of this crazy ride. I can't tell you how much the experience meant to me; it was something my spirit needed.

From this meeting I was also reminded of something a friend once told me, "Love covers a multitude". I believe that if my children grow up knowing that I love them unconditionally, that this will make up the difference in all the ways I lack as a mother. I pray that my love for my boys will cover and clean up all the messes I make on this bumpy ride - do I have any other hope, really? I can't be perfect for them no matter how much I want to, and I can't get it all right, but I can love them. When I rise, sleepy-eyed and disappointed, in the middle of the night to feed my baby - I pray he knows I love him. When I look at my little boy, frustrated and furious over an unacceptable behavior - I pray he knows I love him. And I do pray that in their heart of hearts they will know, "I am worthy and loved" despite my short-comings. I pray that I can communicate that much.

I wish I could be a part of a regular group like this, older, wiser mothers mentoring to younger, still-in-the-trenches mothers. Wouldn't it be amazing if we had this kind of support and resources as parents?

Sunday, April 3, 2011

24 hours...

... is exactly how long I was gone on my "vacation" for. During that time I...


... travelled through a brutal storm and did some slip-slidding in my car on a side street to get to my B&B.

... watched 2 chick flicks, You Again and Back-up Plan.

... had one embarrassing moment where other B&B guests overheard a sex scene in aforementioned chick flick and was rather mortified.

... laid around and didn't move.

... slept THROUGH the night, woke up in the morning, pumped, read, and WENT BACK to sleep.

... had a bubble bath in a double whirlpool tub.

... read, and NOT about potty training, sleep training, or child development.

... had room service.

... texted with my husband too much (it was hard to entirely disconnect). Thankfully he spared me the full details of all the challenges so I wouldn't worry.

... didn't have to change a diaper, clean up a pee accident, wipe any one's nose, pick up a toy, get up in the middle of the night, or answer any one's demands. DREAM!

... got my hair cut.

... felt relaxed.

... came home to 3 boys who were very happy to see me.

... upon returning home heard out of Asher's mouth "Mama you were on vacation and you came back!", and out of Greg's mouth "That was friggin' hard, I don't know how you do it!". Both of those comments were music to my ears!

... missed my family like crazy.

... was glad to have some much needed time to myself, and was reminded that this is important for my well-being as a person and as a mother.

... returned a happier, and more patient person.


Thank you to my family for giving me this amazing treat - so when can we book the next one? :)