Yes, but...

I don't know how well this will translate to writing; this story is so dependent on the facial expression, but I will do my best.

For the last several days Benjamin has been out of sorts with his sleeping habits. He is typically a 3-4 hour napper in the afternoons, but over the last week or so he has been talking and playing for up to 2 hours in his bed before finally falling asleep. Today this little routine required some parental intervention.

The first time I went in to his room he was wailing desperately because he had somehow wedged his leg between the crib bars and was unable to free it. When I opened the door he looked at me pitifully and wimpered, "(s)tuck!" In order to free his leg I had to "walk" the crib backward away from the wall, wedge myself behind it, and work his leg out from the outside. Before I left the room I gave him the lecture, "Benjamin, you are being too silly. It's time for you to take a nap. I want you to lay down, close your eyes, and go to sleep."


The second time I heard a loud thump! thump! that could only mean one thing: he was kicking the wall. Not wanting him to wake Talia, who was sleeping in the next room, I hurried in to put a stop to this noisy activity. This time his lecture was a little more stern. "Benjamin, it's very important for you to take a nap. No more talking and no more kicking the wall. I want you to cuddle up with Bear and your blankie and Pooh and GO TO SLEEP."

Just a few minutes later I again heard the thumping of little bare feet on a hollow wall. Hiding my irritation, I entered the room and calmly, but firmly, placed him in a horizontal pose. I placed his blankie in the crook of one arm and his bear in the other. He looked at me wide-eyed and serious. I got down very close to his face and started the lecture. He had the look of a kid trying to look as if he is paying close attention to every word, when clearly his attention is on a superior concern. "Here. Is. Your. Bear. Here. Is. Your. Blankie. Now. Close. Your. Eyes. And. GO. TO. SLEEP." As soon as I had finished my very stern talk he, with his most innocent, obedient face, made a tiny gesture with his pointer finger toward the other side of the crib. In a very small voice he asked meekly, "Pooh?"

The Latest NEWs

NEW for Benjamin:
--Sunday School Class. He now goes to class in a room with a table and little blue chairs which he can sit in and play with big boy toys like the "Little People" Noah's Ark. In his new class they teach a lesson and he does crafts. Sunday he brought home his first, a dessert-size paper plate with odd-shaped red and green paper glued to the surface. The sticker affixed to the top read, "God cares for me when I'm eating."
--Attitude of Helpfulness. Benjamin has really grasped and embraced the concept of helping lately. He has helped "sweep" the kitchen floor for awhile now--he stands in the middle of the room and waves his whisk broom around, occasionally coming into contact with a chair or cupboard door--but he now also helps hold the dust pan and empties it into the trash can. He also helps put away his own pj's, sort laundry, carry his plate and cup to the sink, put the dishes away after they are dry, pick up his toys and books, and other small tasks. In the context of teaching your children and managing daily household tasks, I recently read, "Never work alone." Benjamin seems to be taking to this philosophy quite nicely.
--Words. ("Eees"=Please; "Tuck"=Stuck; "Bi"=Bib; "Dai"=Daddy)
--Letters/Sounds. Benjamin now knows 3 letters by sight. If you show him a "p" he will say "p-p-p." He also knows "k" and "t." The other day, on two different occasions, he pointed out a "t" (in a book and on a toy) and said "t-t-t." So he is starting to recognize that letters aren't just on flashcards, they are everywhere! He loves reviewing his flashcards. When we get to the end of the 9 sounds he knows he usually says, "more?, more?, more?"

NEW for Talia:
--Consonant sounds. Miss Talia is quite a talker. She loves to babble happily face-to-face. "Ya, ya, ya, ya. Da, da, da. Na, na, aaaaaaaaa!"
--Feet. At least they are new to her. Unfortunately they are usually only accessible to her at diaper-changing time since the bulk of cloth diapers often limits her ability to bring them up far enough to grasp.
--Rolls. As in rolls of baby chub. Her little wrists and ankles are just creases where her fat little hands and feet join with her fat little arms and legs. And the dimples that are her elbows and knees are so sweet!
--Obsession with chewing. I would say at least 90% of Talia's awake time is spend gnawing on whatever she can get her hands on. And if there's nothing within her grasp she'll just go ahead and mouth her hands. For the amount of time she spends gumming our belongings, her clothes generally stay remarkably dry.

This should give you an idea of what life looks like at our house these days. I probably say this way too much, but being Mama to these sweet kiddos is so much fun! Motherhood is definitely a life of abundant blessing.

Our little Benjamin?

I think it only fair, after all the complaining I've done about Benjamin's picky eating habits of late, to report that last night he completely devoured his dinner of turkey and green beans (3 thin slices of turkey and nearly a whole can of green beans!) These were, as recently as last week, both things he "didn't like." Go figure! Kids are so funny :)

Elsie Florence Norlander

My grandmother went home to be with the Lord July 31st, 2007, just 6 days after her 90th birthday. When I heard the news I had the unmistakable feeling of relief and joy, mingled with my sorrow. For many years she has been suffering the ill effects of dementia, which left her so much less than the talented, happy lady I once knew. Talia and I were privileged to attend the service of remembrance and celebration this past week.

As I have recalled memories of Grandma over the past couple of weeks, my thoughts have most frequently dwelt on her delightful sense of humor. Her stories, off-hand comments, even the way she went about daily tasks, were always sparkling with fun and wit, reflected by the smiling twinkle in her eye. Grandma loved life.

I am also deeply touched by the remembrance of how she loved her family. I am a grandchild adopted into a large, but close-knit extended family. I will always gratefully remember how Grandma accepted and immediately loved us as her own.

I would be remiss in not mentioning Grandma's superb musical talent, particularly as an accomplished pianist. Her ability to sit at a piano and play, by memory, intricate and beautiful hymn arrangements, one after another, was truly a gift. Even as her memory began to fade (in the earlier stages), she was able to make beautiful music.

As I stood, looking into the face of this good and kind lady, departed from her earthly shell to be united with the God whom she faithfully served, I rejoiced through my tears, knowing that she is whole and healed, once again able to be as God created her.

Return of the Happy Child

I mentioned several days ago that Talia was vocalizing quite a bit. In all fairness to the little pixie, I must report that she has regained her composure and is back to smiling, laughing, and charming everyone within a 19-foot radius.

Sleep

Sleep is at the top of two lists in the imaginary files of my mind: Top 10 Needs and Top 10 Most Elusive Luxuries When You Have Little Ones. I find it unfortunate that the two coincide.

My Favorite Benjamin Words

"Sis-er" (sister)
"tain-too" (thank you)
"YAY!"
"M. Bow" (Mr. Brown, a request to read the book)
"Melmo" (Elmo. He got to watch a video of Elmo's World last week for the first time with a babysitter.)
"mwee" (movie)
"Kicky" (Vicki [for Aunt Vicki])
"Bain-kee" (blankie)
"map!" (nap)
"k-k-k-puc!" (cup)
"papple" (apple)

I just thought I'd share a bit of the fun of living with a toddler :)

(Talia's current vocabulary consists of blood curdling teething screams and blowing various kinds of raspberries.)