5 Months

Five months ago today, we were looking like this. A little homeless, with all our worldly possessions stuffed into a u haul. But we were taken in by a family from church, and I got to nurse Francis and Sami back to health in a home with a washing machine and bathtub. We were so thankful, and got to enjoy some forced rest between moving out and moving in.

There were days at the park, walks through the fields, trips to the library, and even a few trips to the 'new house' to clean. A week later, we got to move in.

Fast forward 5 months, many visitors and a wonderful summer and here we are. We thoroughly enjoyed our summer. A whirlwind of guests and vacation and swimming. And now comes September with all it's commitments. And surprisingly, it's felt sad. The reality of our 'new' has come to hit us in the face, with new Sunday school teachers, new bible study leaders and new formats for things we've always assumed.

Since we've been here 5 months, it feels like we should be over this, and everything should be okay. But in some ways, we were okay when it wasn't feeling different, when we weren't trying to fit in a new system, or be pinched by a fit that is going to take a little bit to know our place in. There are new songs to learn, a new teacher to learn to love, and routines to establish. The carefree days of summers delayed the adjustment, and now we're missing our 'home' more than ever. But we will adjust. It will become normal. New loves and new favorites will be made.

But missing is allowed too. My heart has broken several times over as I've heard two little girls crying in the back seat on the way home from Bible study. "I miss Mrs. H." "Why don't we have singing time?" "Where is Mrs. T?" "Why don't they sing trust and obey?" While it hurts all of us to grieve our lost normal, it is okay to grieve. It is okay to be sad about these things. I need to let us be sad about this while we find our new favorites, because God has put special people in our lives in Michigan, and we need to thank God for those relationships by missing them. And God has put special people in our lives in Maryland, and we are getting to know them, and when we leave here, we will miss them too. And one day there will be no more missing people, no more sadness or tears. And we look forward to that day, and use our tears to remind us that this isn't our Home. Praise God for these moments.

But in the meantime, we're two weeks closer to normal. And we're thankful.

Jessie-Lynn

This little girl is a curly-haired, thunder-and-sunshine, light-of-our-lives. She brings joy (and frustration) with her persistence, her insistence on her abilities, her desire to keep up with her sisters. She giggles, has learned how to run, and as of last week, has begun to eat. In the last week alone, her diet has grown to include pears, kiwi, peaches, chicken, green pepper, carrots, grapes and peas. Samantha and Emma were sitting at the table whispering, "Don't look now, but Jessie's actually eating!" and "Don't get too excited, but she just picked up her fork!"

Our music loving dancer, who loves to stand on the chair so she can see her reflection in the kitchen window, who has no fear of standing on the table, who is crazy over animals of all kinds, who has developed a love for play-dough and crayons -is a crazy little imp. Just look at that grin! It reveals the trouble she can get into!

Fair Days

This is the week where Francis is in Texas, and me and the gals are making memories, so we started off the week with a bang - the Frederick Fall Fair. According to the weather report, today promised to be the only dry day this week, so despite bad tempers, and Monday morning grumps, we decided to head out. The girls did great, and were very obedient and walked and walked and walked. We got to see newborn calves, chicks and ducks, lots of rabbits, goats and puppies. We were introduced to the "most adorable twins" - a pair of calves born a few weeks ago, and when we got home, I overheard a conversation between another pair of adorable twins.

"Hi, Twin.... you are just sooooo sweet!"

"I love you too, Twin. My, aren't you adorable!"

And then, "Mom. Did you know that we're still twins even when we aren't wearing the same clothes. We'll always be twins. For ever and ever, amen." I love these little girls!

Singed hair smells really bad

alternately titled: the things we do for our kids.

So. I had this great idea. Found on a preschool website. For this little girl.

Unfortunately, great ideas still need to be thought through, well. I forgot that 3 tablespoons (doubled to six) of rubbing alcohol is still alcohol. I forgot that alcohol is used to make things 'en flambe'. I forgot that our oven seals very, very well. I forgot that when I open the oven, it adds an oxygen source, and heat+alcohol+oxygen= big blue ball of flame. We praise God that I was wearing my glasses, that the kids were in bed, that there were no serious injuries. It could have been so much worse (hair and eyebrows are just a small casualty).

This was the finished project. And they loved it! They poured and measured and buried fingers for 20 minutes (which is an extended period of time in toddler-world!)

Jessie, especially, loved the feel of rice. I've been trying to come up with more sensory activities for this child, and she kept asking me to pour rice into her hand. Her little body just sat perfectly still, mesmerized while I lined up the funnel over her hand, and the rice poured down into her palm. Then it would empty and she would bounce and shake her arms until I filled it up, and lined it up again. It was worth it. (and the next day we did it, but allowed the green rice to dry out in the sun. Much better idea :)