Friday, November 30, 2007
Fine Art Friday
The kids asked me to post the artwork that they did this week on their blogs. Please visit them at The Far Side of the Mountain and at Sophie's Side. I'm sure they would be thrilled to get any comments! Thanks!
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Please Read Very Carefully
Just to clarify, I am not pregnant this time. Julie gets to do the "morning" sickness thing etc. all on her own, but I am cheering her on.
On Sunday, Patrick announced, "James and Melissa are not joining us this time, but Julie and I are expecting next June." (Or something to that effect.)
After the service, a sweet lady patted me and said, "Congratulations."
I think I scared her when I exclaimed, "For what?!" (I was taken aback, folks!)
She quickly said, "I don't know!" then went off to question her son (whose response was "Duh Mom!") She came back apologizing, saying that she had her facts straight now, and we had a good laugh together.
I had to correct another friend's mistaken idea before we left as well. I wonder how many other people at church will be silently examining my waistline with interest over the next months. Should I eat more chocolate (if that's possible ;-) to keep it interesting?
On Sunday, Patrick announced, "James and Melissa are not joining us this time, but Julie and I are expecting next June." (Or something to that effect.)
After the service, a sweet lady patted me and said, "Congratulations."
I think I scared her when I exclaimed, "For what?!" (I was taken aback, folks!)
She quickly said, "I don't know!" then went off to question her son (whose response was "Duh Mom!") She came back apologizing, saying that she had her facts straight now, and we had a good laugh together.
I had to correct another friend's mistaken idea before we left as well. I wonder how many other people at church will be silently examining my waistline with interest over the next months. Should I eat more chocolate (if that's possible ;-) to keep it interesting?
Monday, November 19, 2007
Questioning Authority
As I have mentioned here in the past, Logan is quite pigeon-toed. Though the pediatrician had told us more than once in the past that Logan would grow out of it, I pressed the issue at a recent appointment. The doctor then said that Logan's legs were not aligned and that it was more drastic than what he usually sees. He referred me to a pediatric orthopedic specialist.
On Friday, I took Logan to his orthopedic appointment. Contrary to what the pediatrician thought, Logan's legs are completely normal. The specialist explained to me that the problem lies only with his feet. He has metatarsus adductus which just means that the metatarsals, or bones of the front part of the feet, turn inwards. Thankfully, Logan's feet are flexible and can be straightened to normal with correction. The specialist also said that he has some great toe atavism which means that the big toe flexes outwards. That may improve with correction as well, though it may always be a minor issue.
Thankfully, Logan doesn't need a cast, he just needs inserts to put inside his shoes to align his feet so that they will grow normally. Of course, this will make his feet look even longer, as his shoes will have to accommodate the extra length of the insert!
The specialist told me that it was a good thing that I brought Logan in so that his feet can be corrected. I'm glad that I listened to my "mother's instinct" instead of just going along with the pediatrician's diagnosis this time.
I have also needed to consult other sources of help aside from the pediatrician in the area of nutrition. The diminished appetite of toddlerhood plus "long and lean" genes plus allergy issues plus the uncharted territory of extended breastfeeding (past a year) have caused me to wonder if Logan is getting all the nutrition that he needs. While the pediatrician helped us to discover Logan's allergies, he is not knowledgeable concerning extending nursing and certainly not encouraging. I read the following book on Saturday which helped me to relax:
And here are two pictures thrown in for good measure:
On Friday, I took Logan to his orthopedic appointment. Contrary to what the pediatrician thought, Logan's legs are completely normal. The specialist explained to me that the problem lies only with his feet. He has metatarsus adductus which just means that the metatarsals, or bones of the front part of the feet, turn inwards. Thankfully, Logan's feet are flexible and can be straightened to normal with correction. The specialist also said that he has some great toe atavism which means that the big toe flexes outwards. That may improve with correction as well, though it may always be a minor issue.
Thankfully, Logan doesn't need a cast, he just needs inserts to put inside his shoes to align his feet so that they will grow normally. Of course, this will make his feet look even longer, as his shoes will have to accommodate the extra length of the insert!
The specialist told me that it was a good thing that I brought Logan in so that his feet can be corrected. I'm glad that I listened to my "mother's instinct" instead of just going along with the pediatrician's diagnosis this time.
I have also needed to consult other sources of help aside from the pediatrician in the area of nutrition. The diminished appetite of toddlerhood plus "long and lean" genes plus allergy issues plus the uncharted territory of extended breastfeeding (past a year) have caused me to wonder if Logan is getting all the nutrition that he needs. While the pediatrician helped us to discover Logan's allergies, he is not knowledgeable concerning extending nursing and certainly not encouraging. I read the following book on Saturday which helped me to relax:
Good, good book! I wish I had read it when Evan was an infant! I appreciated reading some history of supplementation and gaining perspective on what types of food would be most beneficial to a nursing toddler (partly by inference).
Logan, by the way, has some adventurous food preferences. One of his favorite foods is hummus. I have tried giving him hummus on cracker, but he just sucks the hummus off and spits out the cracker. Now, I just skip the cracker and feed him bites off of a spoon. He also loves black olives (Which actually isn't too surprising for this family. Stop gagging Aunt Beth and Colleen.) And whoever heard of a baby who won't eat Cheerios? Logan won't touch them, but he does like Wheat Chex.
Logan, by the way, has some adventurous food preferences. One of his favorite foods is hummus. I have tried giving him hummus on cracker, but he just sucks the hummus off and spits out the cracker. Now, I just skip the cracker and feed him bites off of a spoon. He also loves black olives (Which actually isn't too surprising for this family. Stop gagging Aunt Beth and Colleen.) And whoever heard of a baby who won't eat Cheerios? Logan won't touch them, but he does like Wheat Chex.
And here are two pictures thrown in for good measure:
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Busy Baby
Edited: I removed the links to Dropshots. The site is not working properly. I think that the company is going down.
New Skills
New Skills
Tonight at the supper table, we spent a lot of time laughing at Logan's cuteness. We joked that he was the entertainment for the entertainment (Sophie). Part of the time, he shrugged his shoulder to his chin, looking down with a little smile, then looking up as slowly as he could to fix his eyes on someone with a twinkle in his eye.
There is nothing more sweet than hearing the little guy sing. And he is now starting to enjoy pretending. When he brings me an empty container, we both dip our fingers in to "sample its contents" while "chewing" noisily.
There is nothing more sweet than hearing the little guy sing. And he is now starting to enjoy pretending. When he brings me an empty container, we both dip our fingers in to "sample its contents" while "chewing" noisily.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Our Car Is Sick Too
James drove to work on Friday, but decided to come home when the stomach bug hit him. On the way home, the Mazda died. He called to tell me that he was going to catch a bus home, barf bag in hand. I wanted to pick him up, but not with pukey kids in tow. I called his mom who graciously rescued him. He got the car towed to our mechanic.
Though it wasn't fun for James to deal with car problems when sick, it was probably a good thing that the car trouble occurred during the middle of the day rather than during rush hour traffic.
The shop called to give us the cost of repairs, which would exceed the worth of the car.
We've been thinking about what vehicle to purchase in replacement of the Mazda (which served us well for many years and was used in the first place). We are leaning towards buying a used 12-passenger van for hospitality purposes. We have often thought it would be nice to convey people other than just our immediate family. I would drive the big van, especially since I drive infrequently, and the mini-van would become James' commuter vehicle. We have been thinking this way for a while, and now the death of the Mazda will force us to act. (If you think our idea is foolhardy, feel free to try to talk us out of it in the comment section. ;-)
Matthew is convinced that this is the vehicle for us (click on the link, Loey). While the sign warning cars to stay back 500 feet, the intimidating presence, and the lights and sirens to clear our path are appealing (Logan: "Konk, konk, woooooo"), we might have too much trouble fitting it into our garage. Too bad, Matthew.
Though it wasn't fun for James to deal with car problems when sick, it was probably a good thing that the car trouble occurred during the middle of the day rather than during rush hour traffic.
The shop called to give us the cost of repairs, which would exceed the worth of the car.
We've been thinking about what vehicle to purchase in replacement of the Mazda (which served us well for many years and was used in the first place). We are leaning towards buying a used 12-passenger van for hospitality purposes. We have often thought it would be nice to convey people other than just our immediate family. I would drive the big van, especially since I drive infrequently, and the mini-van would become James' commuter vehicle. We have been thinking this way for a while, and now the death of the Mazda will force us to act. (If you think our idea is foolhardy, feel free to try to talk us out of it in the comment section. ;-)
Matthew is convinced that this is the vehicle for us (click on the link, Loey). While the sign warning cars to stay back 500 feet, the intimidating presence, and the lights and sirens to clear our path are appealing (Logan: "Konk, konk, woooooo"), we might have too much trouble fitting it into our garage. Too bad, Matthew.
Friday, November 09, 2007
Happy Barfday to Me (Sorry)
Yesterday James gave me a card reading "16 1/2 million people are celebrating their birthdays today and you are the only one getting a card from me!" I'm starting to realize that calling a certain day "My birthday" does not mean that the day actually "belongs" to me! Hey, at least I'm starting to get it before I turn 40.
"My" birthday began in the wee hours of the morning with the gift that just keeps giving. I lay in bed near Logan so that I could try to contain the waves of...well, you can guess...caused by his stomach virus. Poor Logan, you say? Yeah, well at least he could sleep through a lot of that. Did you know that is is possible for a toddler to retch and be held upright yet still stay asleep?
In the morning, Logan stopped throwing up and Evan started. At least he's old enough to know how to contain the mess himself!
I enjoyed the cards that the kids made for me and was happy not to receive any sentiments like this!
"My" birthday began in the wee hours of the morning with the gift that just keeps giving. I lay in bed near Logan so that I could try to contain the waves of...well, you can guess...caused by his stomach virus. Poor Logan, you say? Yeah, well at least he could sleep through a lot of that. Did you know that is is possible for a toddler to retch and be held upright yet still stay asleep?
In the morning, Logan stopped throwing up and Evan started. At least he's old enough to know how to contain the mess himself!
I enjoyed the cards that the kids made for me and was happy not to receive any sentiments like this!
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Must-See Movie
James and I watched the movie Children of Heaven and then had our children watch it in segments. If you would like a refreshing break from typical, emotionally-manipulative Hollywood fare but yet would enjoy watching an uplifting story, simply told, please watch this movie! The movie is Iranian with subtitles, telling the tale of a boy who loses his little sister's shoes and the trials that follow. The movie tells a story of love and self-sacrifice while realistically portraying the pangs of childhood struggle. Please tell me if you watch it!
Monday, November 05, 2007
Twizzlers and Twinkle, Twinkle
Interesting Illustration of the Day:
In the course of some discussion with the kids today, I pointed out that sin can be very pleasurable for a period of time, but that the end result is always destructive. Evan interjected, "It is like eating an apple-flavored Twizzler. At first it tastes good, but pretty soon the taste turns nasty in your mouth."
What Will Our Relatives Do Next?
Apparently my nephew Conner will play his violin in public...for the right price! Recently he informed his parents that he wanted to dress in western wear and perform at an outdoor mall. Here is a picture that his dad emailed us:
In the course of some discussion with the kids today, I pointed out that sin can be very pleasurable for a period of time, but that the end result is always destructive. Evan interjected, "It is like eating an apple-flavored Twizzler. At first it tastes good, but pretty soon the taste turns nasty in your mouth."
What Will Our Relatives Do Next?
Apparently my nephew Conner will play his violin in public...for the right price! Recently he informed his parents that he wanted to dress in western wear and perform at an outdoor mall. Here is a picture that his dad emailed us:
Conner earned $11!
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Slice of Life
We spent a quiet evening at home last night in spite of the ringing doorbell and chorus of trick-or-treaters. We ate supper by candlelight. James let the kids carve two of the pumpkins that Matthew grew. Logan sat drowsily on my lap in the family room, holding my fingers while he looked around at the flickering candles and listened to me quietly sing Psalms.
The Toddler Pumpkin
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