Emptying

I haven't really had any recent pictures that I've wanted to post, nor any older ones for that matter.  We're settling into our fall routine of school and Sunday school, gymnastics and Little Seedlings for the boys, dance and Sparks for Abbs.  We've started using the Accountable Kids program which is seems to be going well (I'll blog more on details another time).  I'm loving being at home, mostly.  At least when I was doing my internship I felt I had an excuse for not having a clean floor or dusted shelves or folded laundry or homemade bread or delicious culinary creations with homegrown food.  Now, I feel that I should be able to keep on top of all of it and still have ambition to finish my doctorate that has just taken way too long.  I feel like I should be able to give oodles of attention to my little people while they are still little and to my amazing husband. Yet, I'm still falling behind. Then, I get frustrated at myself for falling behind...

I read something tonight that didn't just pass through my mind, but stuck.  Pam Vredevelt wrote "I used to think that raising children was more or less a task of shaping and guiding a future generation. I still do. But I also think God uses children to shape parents.  And the trials that come into our family circle aren't necessarily to make us 'better'.  They are to 'empty us out' so that God can fill us up with more of Himself."

Things are going fine here.  I wouldn't say that we're in the midst of trials, but I am feeling emptied. 

Emptied from parenting children who wake up cranky insisting that because it's still dark that it can't be morning-time, children who can't find 'anything' to wear in their full closets and drawers, children who hit each other with wooden trees from their train set, a preschooler who still choses to poop in his unders than in the toilet...

Emptied by a doctorate that I no longer have any ambition to complete...

Emptied by cleaning a house that doesn't stay clean more than a few minutes & preparing meals that are often met with complaints...

"They are to 'empty us out' so that God can fill us up with more of Himself."

Lately it seems as though I've forgotten (again), that I can't do it on my own, not even the little stuff.

Worm Relocation Project

We took the pool down yesterday. After a few grey days with no solar heating, the pool was a nippy 60 degrees Fahrenheit (about 15 degrees Celsius). The pool set-up was considerably easier and more fun than take down, although the kids did enjoy splashing in the pool when it got down to 12". After a few hours of draining, drying, sweeping and folding up the pool we removed the ground sheet. There were oodles of earthworms of various sizes that had taken residence under the pool. The kids took it upon themselves to relocate them to holes in the yard (thanks to our energetic puppy). They played for hours, trying to keep the worm families together, starting worm schools, carrying them around...

Jude's First Day of School

Update...
Jude had a great first day of school!  He played with a little boy named Austin.  He thought this was great because "now there are two Austins", including the purple kangaroo on Backyardigans :)  He still thinks his teacher is "really nice", but she still hasn't bought sand for the sand table :)

This sweet little boy started JK this morning. He was nervous and a little worried that his teacher wouldn't know where to find him or that he would not be able to find his classroom by himself. After I reassured him, he got excited again. Abby was a fabulous big sister and I have no doubt that she made sure he was with his teacher before she ran off to play on the playground after getting off the bus.

His teacher is Mrs. Krista McCarville. After meeting with her last week, he thought she was "nice" and "beautiful" :)

Jordy and I are having a home day. It's a little quiet.

Transitions.

Back to school...

Last night I laid awake for 2 hours after going to bed. Part of me was excited for Abbs to be entering Grade 1. Part of me grieved that she is now entering Grade 1. My little girl is not so little anymore. She'll spend nearly 40 hours/week in school and on her way to and from school on the bus. We had such a fun, relaxing summer. I'm not ready for Abby to be in school, let alone for 5 days a week. I really missed having her around today. I missed cuddling together and reading her Little House books together. I missed watching her play. I missed watching her pretend that she was breaking horses, galloping around the yard saying, "gaddup", "gee", "haw" and "whoa"...

Jude meets his teacher tomorrow. He'll find out when he gets to start school. I'm not sure I'm ready to see my not so little boy climbing the stairs to get on the bus and be away from home for 8 hours a day, even if it is only 2 or 3 days a week. Jordy will miss him. I'll miss him.

Transitions.

Abby had a great first day of school.  So far, she loves Grade 1.  On a scale from 1 - 10, she gave it a 10 :)

Papa's Surprise

When we arrived at my parents' country home, my dad announced that he had a surprise for the kids. Although it was drizzling, we all made our way to one of his gardens where he had carved each of the kids' names into different pumpkins. As the pumpkins grew, the etched names looked like they had just grown that way.

Jude was impressed that "his" pumpkin had grown the biggest! Jude is very much into comparisons these days, especially in relation to God. He'll often say that something is big or cool, but quickly add, "but GOD's the biggest!" Apparently he is "cooler" than God though :)