Phisch's blog

The Boys, Updates

nobody@vox.com(Phisch) — Thu, 15 May 2008 18:30:42 -0500

Soccer party - thanks for asking Jen. It went well. Both the boys had a blast. NM was good and didn't get impatient when the other kids *didn't* want to play soccer. At some point, someone decided it was a good idea to dig a hole. "To hell" someone said. Well...okay. They didn't make it there if you were worried ;) J found another 4 year old to play with and they were cute, cute, cute! That age is all about imagination and play acting and it was fun to watch.

J is going through a very long phase of "everything must be right." I hope it's a phase. He can't stand sticky fingers, he can't stand that his sock may have a hole (he's finally wearing shoes over socks today) and I've put a limit on him: only one change of socks a day. Otherwise he changes them if they so much as get a drop of something on them. LOL. He's over changing his shirt all the time and that's nice.

This week has been one of our best weeks homeschooling. We've had no meltdowns even though we did eat things we weren't sure about at the soccer party. It was so rewarding! I was a bit bummed that I hadn't pre-planned and gotten together some of our reader books but it wasn't at all bad considering how well both boys did. I'm going to start J on a formal math curriculum soon, same one his older brother uses but at his level of course. He's zipping through the alphabet and a lot of things are starting come together in his brain. He's been asking for me to read Flat Stanley books to him even though they have only a few pictures. I'm glad that both boys can read (or listen to reading) for extended periods of time.

I'm working on some little flyers and things like that for church now. It's kind of fun and I like that church considers those important. We're small enough that we can have baby showers and invite all the ladies at church :) The shower is my next project and I'm excited about that one. Mom was one of my room mates at the retreat.

I haven't started working on my dress yet but I will soon. I can't find the pattern paper I had but I remembered I can use wax paper if I want. I have to put knitting aside for a little bit; my wrist and elbow are bugging me and that's not good. Opening the truck door or carrying a milk bottle in my right hand hurts and now and then, my wrist threatens to give out and I might drop whatever heavy thing I'm holding. Must go get ibuprophen. But I have the ruffle for Anna's tunic completed and I will start the bodice when I have at least an hour to focus on it. Once I get the first couple of repeats done, it's down hill from there, I think. I have hit a slump on it because I haven't found the right beads for it. I'll have to check Michael's since Joann didn't have the right color, not even close.

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Woohoo!

nobody@vox.com(Phisch) — Fri, 09 May 2008 07:02:58 -0500

My SIL gets her master's degree today! WTG, Anna!

I really wanted to get a proper Yoda photo and I was going to make her a yoda hat but the patterns I found were baby-sized and since they were felted I didn't want to chance it. Besides, she's getting something lacy instead (it's taxing my brain and attention span). But I'm sure, by now, she's found some way to Yoda her cap and gown!

Have fun at your party, Anna and congrats again great mastah! May the Real Force be with you!

By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches and honor and life. - Prov. 22:4

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Now Where Was I?

nobody@vox.com(Phisch) — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 06:38:19 -0600

Ok. There’s a birthday coming up and that would be for my oldest. This is his third Lego-themed birthday and I need to figure out some games the kids can play. Easy ones. He says all they need to do is go play soccer. Okay. Good thing the boys from the soccer team are invited.

Women’s bible study: did I mention we’re doing 1Peter? We are. The focus is “a quiet and gentle spirit.” You know those ladies who you admire because they never complain about other people? The ones whose voices never go up octaves when they’re upset? The ones who never discuss what they dislike about other people and make you wonder what they discuss about you when you’re not around? The ones whose speak in languages heavily peppered with scripture? While I know of no one lady who can attest to a consistently quiet and gentle spirit, I know of enough to know that I want to try to model myself after them. Here’s how I know God is working through this bible study: all day today, when I thought of something stressful or was in a difficult bind I just kept asking God for “quiet and gentle” enough to make it through. Maybe I wasn’t either, but at least He was there to remind me.

I should really post some of J’s drawings and scribbles for you. He surprised me a while back by writing his name on a sheet of paper for me. He gets his S and H backwards, but everything else looks great. We work on verbally counting but now I’m trying to help him connect the visual numerals with what they represent. I got him a set of five cups and little plastic bears in matching colors to help us learn counting. We play some games but he’s bored of that now. I have to learn how to help him with his pattern recognition, too, but I’m not sure where to begin. When the budget lets up I’ll probably look for beads and string to help with that. He’s dying to learn to read but I haven’t found any workbooks I like to introduce letters yet. He’s having fun doing “homework” like his big brother and he gets impatient when it takes too long for his dad to print him things to do.

At soccer practice today, J and I hung out at the playground like we usually do. A neat thing happened this evening, though. He went up to a little boy who was almost exactly his height and told him, “My name is J. My shoes have spikes for good grip.” And off he went, following his new friend as they hopped along the rocks that marked the park boundaries. He’d come back to me and my knitting and tell me “That’s my friend. He’s J. Now I have two J’s!” Funny how they have the exact same name. This is big for him since this is the little boy who hides behind my skirt when someone says hi to him. He decided making friends besides mommy is a good thing!

NM is doing ok with his diet at home, but apparently things haven’t been changing at school. I suspect that he’s coming down with something lately. However, hubby concurs that there is a pattern and his rough days are usually Tuesday and Wednesday. So maybe there are environmental causes for this? We’re not sure. I emailed his teacher about what happens on those days. Her concerns are his hearing and his eyesight. I asked her to see if the school ever did a follow-up hearing check for him (he failed the first). But I took him to the pediatrician the first time she raised the hearing issue and he got a very good test result.

On knitting: I haven’t enough yarn to finish the clapotis so I started a different project, a stocking. It’s my first felt project ever and I think it will be fun. It’s huge for now, so I guess it will hold a ton of loot even after it’s felted. Thing is, I have no idea how it will turn out in the washer. It’s a front-loader so I can’t stop mid-spin to check how much it shrinks.

I think that’s it for now.

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Times of Trial, Times of Growth

nobody@vox.com(Phisch) — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 16:24:06 -0600

Well, my youngest is three years old. We’ll end it there…parents know what I am alluding to.

However…three is also a fun, fun, fun age.

J’s most requested story is the “man who gets sick” from the Kid’s Praise Bible. It’s the story of the man with a palsy whose friends carry him on a gurney to see Jesus but when they see the crowd they have to cut a hole in the roof and lower their friend to see Jesus.

J thinks it’s hilarious when Jesus says “Your sins are forgiven.” I think that it would have been interesting to see the friends’ reaction to that statement. You know that they expected a healing so they could hang with their friend again like they used to. They did get to see the healing happen but their friend also got a bonus. J just thinks it’s funny.

Being three means it’s just nice to give mom kisses whenever she asks. Lots of hugs, too.

Since he has an older brother, J just has to follow in his footsteps. He’s become very adept at putting Legos together—the tiny ones—and makes cars and airplanes.

Then J really gets into it! Classic boy: flying the airplanes, providing very good sound effects and putting the movement to a story (sometimes the story comes first, then the acting out). It’s too precious (no…no video camera! boohoo!).

NM on the other hand has become transformed. He’s so much more conscious of his behavior and makes a point of stopping mid-error and correcting himself. Work is not so much work anymore but now he puts on a happy face and cleans up. Sure, he does it knowing there’s a reward at the end, but don’t working adults get a paycheck? He is an angel. He’s been reading his bible still and is now past Luke. He’s zoomed in math though needs help in spelling. That’s ok. I’ve told him before that his grades are only second to his attitude and his Walk. Always The Walk is more important. And God is certainly directing his path, the fruit is there.

Now then. If only mom were more “fruitful”!

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Things That Get Me Excited

nobody@vox.com(Phisch) — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 21:29:23 -0600

For the last few days, NM has been choosing to read through the gospel of Luke on his own. He has to read to himself for 20 minutes a day for school. He was steeping himself in Sponge Bob books, but since he's gotten sick he's chosen Luke instead. Why Luke? They're going through it in church. My son is learning to love it. It's a matter of rote right now: How fast can I read it? Can I read all the big words? I love it.

I've caught the kids' bug. Not the pink eye, praise God for His mercy, but the bug that's causing the congestion. I can feel it and I'm tired but not as congested as they were. I'm glad! I have J's birthday party to work on and that won't wait for a cold. The nice thing about the cold is that I've taken the time to finish more knitting and the book The Heavenly Man. Please get it if you can. It really changes your perspective. I am humbled having read about the experiences of someone who can think this way: that to be suffering horribly in jail brings joy because you have nothing but God to depend on and to be hampered by the cares of the world is to be bound by sin.

So, the cold gets me excited? Yes. I am trying to put it into perspective. God is in control and He's allowed that inconvenience. He's going to work that to my benefit somehow.

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