Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Kate’s Imaginary Preschool
Just in case there was any doubt about the level of my three-year-old’s creativity…
Last night we were having dinner and Kate starts talking about her preschool. Let us first note that Kate doesn’t attend preschool now, nor has she ever. She did go to day care between her fourth and eighth month, but I’m guessing she doesn’t remember it. (Just guessing of course because she remembers really random things from over a year ago—like that it was raining the day that I had my last ultrasound before Gabby was born. I guess that’s why she wanted an umbrella—that soaking we got made an impression!)
As the story unfolds, we learn that Kate is attending Panda Bear Preschool. Where is this school? She gives us the name of the road our church is located on—pretty impressive.
Kate, we don’t take you, so how do you get there?
I ride my bike.
(Bike? When did she get a bike?!)
So what color is your bike?
Red, like my tricycle. With a blue helmet.
(Safety first.)
What’s your teacher’s name?
Kate, same as mine.
What do you do all day?
Rock, slide, play, rest, eat lunch, paint, play, go home.
Justin asks: What do you learn at this school.
Three plus two equals six.
(Not quite, but that’s pretty good, huh?)
That’s a pretty decent description of some preschools (from a kid's prospective). How does she know this? My child lives in her head.
Last night we were having dinner and Kate starts talking about her preschool. Let us first note that Kate doesn’t attend preschool now, nor has she ever. She did go to day care between her fourth and eighth month, but I’m guessing she doesn’t remember it. (Just guessing of course because she remembers really random things from over a year ago—like that it was raining the day that I had my last ultrasound before Gabby was born. I guess that’s why she wanted an umbrella—that soaking we got made an impression!)
As the story unfolds, we learn that Kate is attending Panda Bear Preschool. Where is this school? She gives us the name of the road our church is located on—pretty impressive.
Kate, we don’t take you, so how do you get there?
I ride my bike.
(Bike? When did she get a bike?!)
So what color is your bike?
Red, like my tricycle. With a blue helmet.
(Safety first.)
What’s your teacher’s name?
Kate, same as mine.
What do you do all day?
Rock, slide, play, rest, eat lunch, paint, play, go home.
Justin asks: What do you learn at this school.
Three plus two equals six.
(Not quite, but that’s pretty good, huh?)
That’s a pretty decent description of some preschools (from a kid's prospective). How does she know this? My child lives in her head.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Telephone, Telegraph, Tell a Katie
Ever played telephone?
Here's what we sang: Shepherds kept their watching o'er silent flocks by night.
Here's what Kate heard: Shepherds kept their watching o'er Highland Heights by night.
I guess we could call this name that tune too, huh?
We lived in a town called Highland Heights when she was a little whippersnapper, so that's where she got it from, but it's so funny that she pulled that little shred of information and inserted it into a song, when she couldn't quite place the words.
Here's what we sang: Shepherds kept their watching o'er silent flocks by night.
Here's what Kate heard: Shepherds kept their watching o'er Highland Heights by night.
I guess we could call this name that tune too, huh?
We lived in a town called Highland Heights when she was a little whippersnapper, so that's where she got it from, but it's so funny that she pulled that little shred of information and inserted it into a song, when she couldn't quite place the words.
Sunday School
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. – Acts 2:42 (NIV)
When I was growing up my parents were part of a great Sunday School class. Actually they still are. They’ve been members of this class for about 25 years. The people are wonderful, and after 25 years they have a strong bond. As kids we went to picnics, swimming parties, and (of course) potlucks. My parents served on a lot of committees, saw out some building and renovation projects, and my mom was the church secretary for several years too, so we grew up literally “in” the church. The classrooms were our play rooms, my sister and I memorized the Apostle’s Creed while standing in the pulpit (it was taped to it, so if anyone leading ever forgot it was right there), and we spent a lot of time playing in the evenings with the other members' children.
I have moved from town to town and church to church. I have never seen quite the bond that they have there. One thing that is quite different is that most churches don’t have the on-going classes. They offer a topic and who ever wishes to attend goes until that topic is complete and then everyone switches again. This offers more freedom in study choice, but doesn’t lend itself to the unity of the long term class.
The baby is finally old enough to stay in the nursery, so we decided to join a Sunday School class being offered by our church this past Sunday. It’s a study for families with children, so we’re hoping that this class will give us a link to some of the people in the church we’ve been attending since we moved here 16 months ago.
The first part of the class has focused on how to keep our homes from being child centered. It’s completely counter-intuitive and also the complete opposite of what seems to be screaming at us from every angle these days, but it’s true. We, as a married couple, need to show our children that there is a solid relationship between their parents ad that they aren’t the center of the universe. We think we do a decent job on this, but perhaps there are points we can refine.
Homework for lesson I:
We are to spend have four sessions of couch time. That’s 15 to 30 minutes that we sit and talk while the kids can’t interrupt. We already do this with much less intentionality when Justin gets home in the afternoons. We will be sure to do this, not over dinner preparations or from across the room, like we often do though. As the idea was explained, I immediately thought of Gabriella though. How do we explain this to a one year old. She’s just not going to get it. I understand the point—that we have time to talk and that the children see that we have a relationship aside from them. That will give them assurance too that their parents’ marriage is secure. It seemed questionable from a practical standpoint though. We’d give it a try.
We’ve had our first session and it was pretty funny, but I’ll write at the end of the week and see how it all turns out.
When I was growing up my parents were part of a great Sunday School class. Actually they still are. They’ve been members of this class for about 25 years. The people are wonderful, and after 25 years they have a strong bond. As kids we went to picnics, swimming parties, and (of course) potlucks. My parents served on a lot of committees, saw out some building and renovation projects, and my mom was the church secretary for several years too, so we grew up literally “in” the church. The classrooms were our play rooms, my sister and I memorized the Apostle’s Creed while standing in the pulpit (it was taped to it, so if anyone leading ever forgot it was right there), and we spent a lot of time playing in the evenings with the other members' children.
I have moved from town to town and church to church. I have never seen quite the bond that they have there. One thing that is quite different is that most churches don’t have the on-going classes. They offer a topic and who ever wishes to attend goes until that topic is complete and then everyone switches again. This offers more freedom in study choice, but doesn’t lend itself to the unity of the long term class.
The baby is finally old enough to stay in the nursery, so we decided to join a Sunday School class being offered by our church this past Sunday. It’s a study for families with children, so we’re hoping that this class will give us a link to some of the people in the church we’ve been attending since we moved here 16 months ago.
The first part of the class has focused on how to keep our homes from being child centered. It’s completely counter-intuitive and also the complete opposite of what seems to be screaming at us from every angle these days, but it’s true. We, as a married couple, need to show our children that there is a solid relationship between their parents ad that they aren’t the center of the universe. We think we do a decent job on this, but perhaps there are points we can refine.
Homework for lesson I:
We are to spend have four sessions of couch time. That’s 15 to 30 minutes that we sit and talk while the kids can’t interrupt. We already do this with much less intentionality when Justin gets home in the afternoons. We will be sure to do this, not over dinner preparations or from across the room, like we often do though. As the idea was explained, I immediately thought of Gabriella though. How do we explain this to a one year old. She’s just not going to get it. I understand the point—that we have time to talk and that the children see that we have a relationship aside from them. That will give them assurance too that their parents’ marriage is secure. It seemed questionable from a practical standpoint though. We’d give it a try.
We’ve had our first session and it was pretty funny, but I’ll write at the end of the week and see how it all turns out.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Beautiful Day
We were blessed with unseasonably warm temperatures, so we’ve enjoyed every second of it. What a welcome respite from the heavy coats and bone chilling days. I’m sure there are many of those still to come, but today we are reveling in the warm sunshine.
We went to the park, I took the girls for a wagon ride, and Kate is playing out back as I type. Short sleeves, sun on our faces, windows open. It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.
Thanks be to God for this day.
Psalms 118:24
We went to the park, I took the girls for a wagon ride, and Kate is playing out back as I type. Short sleeves, sun on our faces, windows open. It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.
Thanks be to God for this day.
Psalms 118:24
My Girls
A friend came by the other day while Kate was napping, so it was just the two of us with Gabby. She commented on how quiet Gabby was being that day and I chuckled. Nope, this is just Gabby. It’s hard for people to notice much about her when Kate’s always around stealing the show.
We don’t notice Gabby quietly studying a toy by turning it over and over in her hands, or that she sat still for 15 minutes examining the knots on the knotted quilt. She likes to take things apart. She can empty her bookshelf in no time at all. She’s also good at finding the slightest imperfection in said books and pulling it, ripping the book. She can stack rings and put items into a shape sorter. She’s walking. All those things are in the normal range for this age, but they are all things that Kate didn’t do at this age. Kate was busy talking. To me. Her Daddy. The person pushing the next cart in the grocery aisle. It’s so interesting how two children can be so different. So altogether different.
God granted us two children who will not be the same, but will compliment each other. This will of course mean that over the years there will be strife, when they have differing views, but He knew what He was doing when He sent us our Kate and then our Gabriella, who isn’t quite so gabby, despite what we may call her. They love each other dearly. Besides, this way Kate gets to do most of the talking and Gabby lets her sister distract us while she takes things apart. They already have it all figured out.
Contemplating an ornament.
Psalm 139
We don’t notice Gabby quietly studying a toy by turning it over and over in her hands, or that she sat still for 15 minutes examining the knots on the knotted quilt. She likes to take things apart. She can empty her bookshelf in no time at all. She’s also good at finding the slightest imperfection in said books and pulling it, ripping the book. She can stack rings and put items into a shape sorter. She’s walking. All those things are in the normal range for this age, but they are all things that Kate didn’t do at this age. Kate was busy talking. To me. Her Daddy. The person pushing the next cart in the grocery aisle. It’s so interesting how two children can be so different. So altogether different.
God granted us two children who will not be the same, but will compliment each other. This will of course mean that over the years there will be strife, when they have differing views, but He knew what He was doing when He sent us our Kate and then our Gabriella, who isn’t quite so gabby, despite what we may call her. They love each other dearly. Besides, this way Kate gets to do most of the talking and Gabby lets her sister distract us while she takes things apart. They already have it all figured out.
Contemplating an ornament.
Psalm 139
Thursday, January 1, 2009
New Year's Day
Today being the first day of the New Year I was thinking of things I would like to accomplish this year… I’m not a resolutions type of gal, but I do have some things I would like to get done, okay, so it sounds like a list of resolutions, huh?
1. Obtain my local teaching license. If I do it now it’s good for five years and I don’t have to take any classes to get it.
2. Teach Kate to recognize all the letters of the alphabet. 3 down 23 to go! (The letter of the week is ‘K,’ by the way.)
3. Play more games. Justin and I have a stack (and by stack I mean shelves full) of games that we never find the time to play. Now that the girls are fairly consistently sleeping at night I want us to start playing some of them in the evenings.
Happy New Year!!!
1. Obtain my local teaching license. If I do it now it’s good for five years and I don’t have to take any classes to get it.
2. Teach Kate to recognize all the letters of the alphabet. 3 down 23 to go! (The letter of the week is ‘K,’ by the way.)
3. Play more games. Justin and I have a stack (and by stack I mean shelves full) of games that we never find the time to play. Now that the girls are fairly consistently sleeping at night I want us to start playing some of them in the evenings.
Happy New Year!!!
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