Homebirth midwives have a saying, "Pregnancy is not a disease." I thought I totally agreed with that, but COME ON - it's nearly impossible not to feel at least Handicapped. I mean, I am simply not capable of doing everything I am used to doing. So many projects have been left undone. It feels horrible to put things off and put things off, or just not do them at all... Christmas cards, visiting teaching, organizing closets, certain educational outings I really wanted to do this year.
I am normally somebody who is busy all day getting things done, and this resting business is just not my cup of tea! I hate having things undone and I hate asking for help. Don't get me wrong, I love having people involved and wanting to help. But it can just be so tedious when I could (and should) be able to do it myself, which I would do so much quicker!!
It is very humbling.
Saturday, December 03, 2011
Fall Family Pictures
Monday, November 21, 2011
Thanksgiving Around Here
I usually feel lonely at Thanksgiving time. It's the one holiday it seems I need to be with my family - not even Christmas so much. But even other holidays seem kind of empty to where I am asking myself, "Did we celebrate it enough?" I think it's the part of me that searches for meaning in everything I do. And I'm especially uncomfortable with holidays that, on the surface, are about food; because holidays exist for a reason, nothing is about food. And you don't need a special day on the calendar to make a certain meal, or to enjoy your food!
But ... this month has been different. I feel a lot of Thanksgiving around here. I feel much more Thanksgiving than I have in a long time. Maybe this is due to a number of reasons, including my own maturing and not needing that family extension anymore, or simply because my kids are old enough now to where we are our own family with our own budding traditions. But also it feels like Thanksgiving around here because we have been talking about it for weeks... the pilgrims, the blessings of America, etc.
I had this idea a couple months ago to time my homeschool history lessons with certain holidays. So we did a bunch of Columbus activities last month, and now we are on to the pilgrims, which actually works out perfectly. Now my six year old can tell you all about separatists, strangers, Squanto, maize and fish, and the overall *point* to the whole story (oh, wait there is a point? I didn't learn THAT in school....) which is the sacrifices the pilgrims made and the risks they took (yes, it was ILLEGAL to emigrate... they had to sneak out!) because they felt moved to escape tyranical reign and seek their own religious freedom.
We have also been studying Moses and the Exodus story these past couple weeks. - And during one conversation it just hit me suddenly: the pilgrims and the Isrealites have the same story!! They both had to escape to seek their freedom, seeking to honor their own God, not their oppresor's, headed toward a Promised Land; and they both had hardships galore along the way, including wandering around in the wilderness unable to even feed themselves. God fed the Israelites, and He also fed the Pilgrims (via the kind Native Americans) until finally they became self-sufficient. Now, how cool is that?
In honoring the true roots of the holiday, I said we should eat corn and fish for thanksgiving but of course that idea got nixed. (I also say we should be eating middle east grub at Christmastime but that has yet to happen....)
But ... this month has been different. I feel a lot of Thanksgiving around here. I feel much more Thanksgiving than I have in a long time. Maybe this is due to a number of reasons, including my own maturing and not needing that family extension anymore, or simply because my kids are old enough now to where we are our own family with our own budding traditions. But also it feels like Thanksgiving around here because we have been talking about it for weeks... the pilgrims, the blessings of America, etc.
I had this idea a couple months ago to time my homeschool history lessons with certain holidays. So we did a bunch of Columbus activities last month, and now we are on to the pilgrims, which actually works out perfectly. Now my six year old can tell you all about separatists, strangers, Squanto, maize and fish, and the overall *point* to the whole story (oh, wait there is a point? I didn't learn THAT in school....) which is the sacrifices the pilgrims made and the risks they took (yes, it was ILLEGAL to emigrate... they had to sneak out!) because they felt moved to escape tyranical reign and seek their own religious freedom.
We have also been studying Moses and the Exodus story these past couple weeks. - And during one conversation it just hit me suddenly: the pilgrims and the Isrealites have the same story!! They both had to escape to seek their freedom, seeking to honor their own God, not their oppresor's, headed toward a Promised Land; and they both had hardships galore along the way, including wandering around in the wilderness unable to even feed themselves. God fed the Israelites, and He also fed the Pilgrims (via the kind Native Americans) until finally they became self-sufficient. Now, how cool is that?
In honoring the true roots of the holiday, I said we should eat corn and fish for thanksgiving but of course that idea got nixed. (I also say we should be eating middle east grub at Christmastime but that has yet to happen....)
Saturday, November 19, 2011
New Living Room Art
When we were first married, my first priority in terms of decor was the bathroom. We registered with a theme in mind and attained the look I was aiming for upon our first move in.Now, 7-1/2 years later we finally got a "look" for our living room. We've been working on this crimson red color in our kitchen/great room with some bookshelves I painted with the kitchen accent paint. Finally we incorporated the red into our living room with the sage sofas, as well as a new surprise color, orange!
I had just started looking for some wall art this summer when we visited a friend who wanted to get rid of a peice she did. I asked for a few more of the same, and this is what we got! Hooray :) (Thanks Crystal!)
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Pregnancy Update: 32 weeks
Well the past couple weeks have been much better than last month. Baby is now in the correct position so it relieved my back ache and working out is comfortable again, so actually I am able to jog more (to the chagrin of all those witnessing...) In fact I did a 5K this week (39 minutes, 55 seconds with appx. 3:1 minute jog/walk ratio, running at appx 5 mph). My energy has been better too, which is great because I have been super busy!! It's just refreshing to be able to move around and get work done without being strapped to the couch. So I am doing good.
I feel huge, my belly looks like a big basketball under my shirt. So basically I go straight out, in a nice compact ball shape. This makes clothing-wearing very challenging!! Elisabeth even pointed out to me that my belly is sticking out at the bottom. This is the point of pregnancy that I usually hang out in the bathtub most of the day and wear a mumu around so I don't have to deal with this horrible thing called clothing. And waistbands. Ouch. But I don't have a mumu anymore and I hardly fit in the bathtub. And there are people living in my house now (other than husband and toddler) so I can't exactly let it all out. Boo hoo.
Yesterday I wasn't feeling great though. Too much junk food lately.. At school co-op I felt so tired.. I can't be hanging out in public for more than a few hours people.. and Rychen P. was staring at the wall, not even listening (oh yeah another downside to classroom education)... so I just said screw it, we are going home early. (another upside of indepedence from classroom education!) Rychen and I had a date set to go to the temple and I was still feeling kind of yucky. I thought, well it's OK if I am sleepy or achey, that's no reason to cancel our plans. But on the car ride up there I started feeling very yucky, like nauseas and overheated. The thought of putting on long sleeves and being stuck in an unventilated room just made me feel sicker... we were in traffic and it felt like I would never get out of that car! So I said pull over at the rest stop, see if I can get it to pass... but I just yucky so we turned around and went back home!!!
So anyhow I will let you in on something more heartwarming. At the beginning of pregnancy it took me a while to get excited and feel connected to it. But then the movements started and I got into my visualizations, etc... and now I am more connected than I have ever been. I feel like I know this child in me. I feel like I have three kids, one just lives inside of me, and it will be no surprise when s/he comes out because I already know him/her.
Elisabeth is still asking funny questions. She still says she is going to have a baby in her tummy when she grows up. And lately at the YMCA she says "Can you do kickboxing again when your tummy is little?" (she loves watching us "dance") or she will ask if I can carry her again when my tummy is little. We also had a potential embarassment at Wal-mart when I was shopping for certain products, and she overheard something not meant for her, and repeatedly asked me really loud, "Mom when you have a baby, does blood come out?"
Friday, November 11, 2011
Kids doing flashcards together (another video)
Elisabeth likes to be involved with any homeschooling activity Rychen is doing. So if it's worksheets, she gets her own to practice writing her letters; if it's a crafty activity I will give her a watered-down version; we read books together, etc. So with flashcards I thought I was pretty clever when I thought that she could get practice saying the question part of the equation, for Rychen to give the answer. Now she feels like she is doing school too. Look how much fun she has! :)
Wednesday, November 09, 2011
Mozart in the Making
Rychen Parker has been taking Suzuki piano lessons for 1-1/2 years. Here he is performing two songs, "Musette" and "Chant Arabe." (the bowing and other formalities are all part of the Suzuki technique)
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