Times of Transition

I love change. I really do.

I love moving to new places.

I love new projects.

I love new ventures.

Well, there have been two new changes in our lives that have been quite the transition.

#1: My sweet nephew, Anthony, has moved in with us. He had moved to Guam with his family, but got the opportunity to move back. He was going to move in with us, at the time, after a few weeks. It ended up being within a week!

I picked him up at the airport with the kids on Dec. 9th and it's already been a week. Time just flies.

We have so enjoyed his company and the kids can't get enough of him. E asks to play Stratego with him every day. C and G looove being thrown up in the air and tickled and read to. M has enjoyed talking about the romance Anthony has going on with his girlfriend, Marissa. M is suuuuch a romantic.

This has been a delightful transition.

#2: I moved the girls to their own room about a week or two before Anthony moved in (without correlation. I just knew it was time). Well, one of them wakes up every night, sometimes multiple times a night. Sooooo, I have slept upstairs ever since I moved them up here; on the floor next to their bed, on the bed with them, on the couch in the schoolroom . . . What a transition this has been.

I think a baby monitor might do the trick, but wouldn't you know, I just got rid of the one we've had for 9 years this summer . . . grrrrr.

And, I'm cheap.

So, I don't want to spend money on a new one . . .

Buuuuut, I am desperate to sleep a full night with my husband again, and he keeps telling me he misses me :-(

Darn it! I need to bite the bullet and get a stinkin' monitor!!!

This has been a not-so-delightful transition.

Anyway, here's to change and wonderful family!!!!

It's a Snap!

G knows how to snap!

Tonight, while sitting with Daddy, G put her fingers together and snapped! She’s not even two yet and her tiny fingers did the trick. She’s been watching C do this for a looooong time and tried and tried to copy. Recently, she started making the clicking sound with her mouth while she moved her arms around as if she was snapping away. It was so cute.

Well, tonight she figured it out and we were thrilled for her. And, thanks to C, she had an excellent teacher!

"What is love?" he asks.

The kids are having lunch. I am in the kitchen cleaning up and getting my coffee. This is the conversation I hear the boys having:

E: Uh, Sir. What is love?
M: Huh?
E. This is a silly question. What is love? (in kind of a play adult voice)(I am thinking, "that is NOT a silly question!! Many adults don't know what love is!)
M: Love isssss . . . when you are nice to people.
E. So, if I am nice to God, then I will go to heaven?
M: nooo. You have to believe in Jesus.
E: Oh, then you can go to heaven? (He is now acting like someone other than himself, almost as if to test M)
M: Well, you also have to . . . ( at this point I am so having to control myself not to add my two cents . . the truth I know in case they get it wrong. I hold my tongue so I can see IF THEY know the truth!!! How wonderful that they are talking through the most vital topic ever!!!) kind of work for Him. You need to do good things.
E: Like what?
M: You need to help people. And go to church.
E: OK. That . . .
M: Oh!! And you need to pray! And you need to read your Bible!!!
E: What is that?
M: It's a book about God and you learn about Jesus.

At this point I had to go and tend to the girls. They kept talking and I heard E get sillier and sillier and they laughed and had a good time. I told them that I was so glad they were talking about this.

So precious are these children to me. Thank You Lord, for letting me be their mommy. I am truly so privileged.

***

While salvation is not dependent on works, it IS ALL ABOUT JESUS, and I believe they get that. They know that no matter what you do, unless you believe and follow Jesus, it's all for naught.

Weaner's Remorse

Buyer's Remorse.

Seller's Remorse.

Both are very familiar.

Weaner's Remorse. What?!?

I am coining a new term because Weaner's Remorse is what I have right now.

Actually, not at this very moment as I sit in C's bed with C and G on either side of me sleeping so soundly, but, I have been having it in droves of late. On Nov. 2nd, in the middle of the day, I decided it was time to wean G from breastfeeding . . . and I was overcome with Weaner's Remorse!

We had gone to the nursing home to minister to those precious, old souls when G kept asking for baba's. It was during the message, so it wasn't taking me away from the residents there, but as she laid there playing and not really eating, I realized it was time. G is 22 months old, I think we've had a great run, but, it's now time to move on. There is a point when a mommy just knows that it's time to wean. It happened also with C and M. I just knew we were both ready and/or needing to move on.

We came home and she asked for baba's again, and I tried to destract her, hold her, feed her . . . a slew of things. And, this is when I realized there is a very strong correlation between drug withdrawals and breastfeeding withdrawals.

G got to the point of absolute panic. She was crying then screaming, she was shaking and snot was coming down her nose. She was sweating and kicking and when I would hold her she would kick and scream and pull at my shirt. I tried holding and dancing with her. I tried rubbing her back, singing to her, playing with her. She was absolutely inconsolable. I felt so bad, but I really believe that it was our time to stop. The kids were asking me to please feed her, but I had made my decision.

Talk about weaner's remorse!!!! I had it through and through and boy did I question myself!

She finally tired herself out and I rocked her and rocked her. I sang to her the Ford version of Mockingbird through tears and heartache, and I looked up to see Martini and Ethan just staring at us and mesmerized, completely distracted from their schoolwork. When I stopped singing, they said, "Mommy! I like that song." And, I got to tell them how I used to sing it to them when they were so little. Again, more tears at those memories.

Now, this was not just a rash decision that day. I had been pondering weaning her for about two months, but I just couldn't. I loved nursing her and our time together was so precious. At night, which was my favorite time to nurse, she would lay in bed and just giggle and say, "Mommy! Baba's!" and just hug me and enjoy it so much. But, she would nurse almost the entire night. I noticed a cavity in one of her front teeth and this is something we have struggled with all the children. Doctors definitely don't recommend nursing through the night because of deterioration, but I have always been partial to cosleeping and night-nursing. Also, in the daytime, she was starting to want baba's all the time and not really eat, but just pacify herself. It was getting quite difficult with homeschooling and such and I realized also she would "snack" on baba's and not eat enough food.

Back to Nov 2nd. That night, I told MyLove my decision while kind of seeing if what I said was rational. He told me that he was on board with whatever I decided. I fully intended it to be the end, but that night, she was desperate and so giggly and happy to have baba's and I was too tired to resist. So, my sweet G got her baba's and I got sleep!

Fastforward to Nov. 5th. MyLove surprised me with a wonderful birthday karaoke party that lasted 'til 3AM, so with the urging and encouraging of Mema, G spent her first night away from me and without baba's. I cried. I felt sad. I felt guilty.

Weaner's remorse . . .

Tonight is now the 3rd night at home that she has not had baba's. The last time she nursed was early, early on the morning of my birthday. I still have weaner's remorse in that I do miss our sweet time together. I miss putting her to sleep in such a precious, trusting way.

The past two nights I have had to rock her and console her to sleep. With the others, I would push them around the house in the umbrella stroller. G loathes it for some reason. Something sweet has come of this though. Each night I hold her she falls asleep on my chest after some crying and confusion of what she really wants. She wakes up wanting baba's but I just tell her, "Mama's here. Mama's here." and I rub her back or rock her again and lay her down. It's really been sweet because our bonding time hasn't gone away. We are just bonding now in a different way. Whenever she is tired, she buries her head in my skin or my shirt and just smells me and wants to be close to me. It just tugs at my heart so much

So, my weaner's remorse is slowing waning because we are still able to bond.

My sweet G, one thing I regret so deeply is I never captured on video your excitement before going to bed with the baba's. So sweet. So innocent. I love you!!!!

I want to remember this: while getting ready to take you to Mema's, you grabbed my bra and brought it to me saying, "Mommy. Baba's. Pleeeease." and I so wish I had nursed you one last time, but instead I felt like I shouldn't do it since I had started weaning during the day. So, we finished getting ready and got in the van. I am crying as I write this even. Your voice was so sweet and hopeful . . . Boy, I just feel so terrible. What was the big deal? I could have nursed you one last time. I could have enjoyed the time and sat there and let you have your "security blanket!"

Weaner's remorse . . . Oh, so deeply . . . It's such a difficult thing.

My Nephew, David

This morning we had a great session of FaceTime with David in Guam. The kids squealed and giggled when they saw their cousin answer the FT call.

We watched him wash some dishes, then he walked to his bedroom and the kids thought that was cool.

He showed us his new bed, desk and chair he just bought.



And we got to just spend some special moments talking and being silly on FT.

E - you were doing some serious dance moves . . . with no music.

C - you made faces with your mane of hair strongly resembling that of a lion ^.^

M - you told David all your many ideas and desires for a new movie for David to make including: guns, explosions, bombs, blood, sounds . . . O.O

G - you kept showing your cousin the silly puddy egg and saying "Vee Tells" for "Veggie Tales." That is your favorite phrase/word right now. As a matter of fact, you say it to just about anyone to convey your excitement for the video with all the songs.


(David made this minutes after our FT session in Photoshop. C's reaction: Great job, David! You're awesome!)

Anyway, David's appreciation for his new bed, desk and chair were so refreshing. How we take for granted these wonderful pleasures. David kept rolling around in his new chair getting things to show us or turning off his fan. The kids loved watching him.

David, at one point, said, "I see something behind E that I really want."
Me: What?
D: It's behind E.
Me: The pack of toilet paper?
D: That too, but no, it's orange. By the chair.
Me: Ooooh!

It was a Whataburger cup we inherited from Papa! We get them for bath time. There is something about Whataburger that Papa, David, Haven, E and M just love. I am not such a fan. As for them? They looooove the place. And the funny thing is, I have met others with the same love for the place!



David, I miss you. I love you. I am proud of you. And, I am so blessed that we can have some FaceTime even though you are halfway around the world!!!!! I wish I could send you a load of Whataburger, toilet paper and whatever else you need.



But, please let me know if there is anything you would like that I can send you . . . that is the size of a ping-pong ball . . . just kidding! I mean the size of an apple. A small apple. Ok. Ok. I'm just kidding. Anything, just let me know. I love you!!!


David shares my affinity for our Mac's. This is how he feels when certain individuals mess around with his Mac and try to take/destroy it:


And . . .


Dear Nephew . . . I understand.

*** David has his own YouTube channel where he does short films and has a vlog. It's fun and entertaining and he even has one that's a tearjerker (for me especially since it's my neice).

Here's the channel: Disbrow819
Tearjerker: Such a (Lonely Day)
Short Film: Milk Run
Scary Running Scene: Run Haven
This kids' favorite, especially at 1:46, they always crack up and the bloopers at the end: The Mind of Me

C's Cloak

For a couple years, C has asked me to make her a cloak of her own. I have resisted because of the time it takes. But, one Saturday, about a month ago, we had a break in go-here, go-there craziness and I felt ambitious. So, I made her one. I let her choose the fabric from what I had and here it is.



She immediately put it on, lifted her shirt and started to "feed" her baby. She would talk to her baby and say things like, "you want baba's?" and, "there you go, Sweetie." I loved it. I had to get a few pics.

Papa's Pause

FaceTime. It's a beautiful thing!

For school, we have recently begun having a weekly lesson time with my dad called Papa's Pause.

On Wednesday mornings, we FT Papa and the kids listen as he tells them a Bible story and does a little quiz at the end. He tells them a scripture to read/think about/memorize and then we giggle and laugh and the kids just enjoy being on camera!

Papa's lessons have so far been: Gideon and the Mideanites, Esther Parts 1, 2 and 3. And today we started a series on Joseph.

The kids and I just love it. They get to see Papa (and Mema sometimes) and my dad gets to share his wisdom with his grandkids and teach them the most important lessons of all: those from the Word! What joy!

There have already been reschedulings and postponings, but, that's the flexibility and ease and fun of this thing called FaceTime.

Thank You, Lord, for giving us such lavish gifts allowing us to benefit from such luxeries, i.e. our computers, the internet, and FaceTime. We are so blessed! Thank You! Oh, how I love You, Lord!!!

Thank you, Dad, for taking the time out to bless and teach our children such valuable lessons. These will be such precious memories for them. I love you!!!!