Sweet Rhythm

The kids have really been enjoying each other's friendship recently. There is something about Summer time and being more alone in our little apartment complex. After breakfast they usually spend a good two hours playing together with their toys and imaginations. Bro loves his train tracks, whereas Songbird loves to build a good fort. They've been building forts and finding shelter from thunder storms - and somehow the game always includes blankets, pillows, and going "night-night" together. Some mornings they enjoy building intricate tower systems, and other mornings they want to spend a lot of time coloring pictures.

Coloring to Bro means making different color balloons. Songbird is into drawing trees and birds, and I have been amazed with how she goes about learning. Learning from others is not her strong suit, but she's really motivated to learn on her own with her own pace. For example, giving her a tip or instruction usually leads to frustration, but if she discovers things on her own she is thrilled. I guess this is true for most learning - things stick with us more deeply when we make them our own and discover them in a way that is meaningful to us. The other morning we were driving to the library and Songbird said, "I can't talk to you right now b/c I'm studying the trees to learn how to draw them." I smiled and said, "OK, thanks for letting me know." Then she continued her observations out loud, "some trees are tall and skinny and others are short and fat. On most trees the grass comes up over the bottom a little bit..." It was sweet to be a fly on the wall during this process of discovery.

Yesterday Songbird fell asleep during rest time and ended up taking over a 2 hour nap! Bro, on the other hand, only slept for an hour. This meant we got some really sweet one-on-one time together. He played with his trains and toys for a while, then I could tell he was growing restless wanting to play with his sister again. He started running around the room making strange animal sounds. I asked him, "Are you a bear?" He gave a simple, "no Momom" in response, so I went through a long list of animal possibilities. He answered no to each animal, so finally I asked, "Well then what are you???" He looked up at me in all earnestness, laid his had on my knee, and said, "I'm little Benjamin, Momom!" I could only smile and pull him into my arms for a big hug and kiss. It was actually the first time I've ever heard him say his own name. It is quite a mouthful, I suppose.

I have really enjoyed these lazy days and playing and working side by side with my children. We've been trying to conquer one major prepare-for-the-baby project together a day. One day we took the infant car seat completely apart and washed and scrubbed the whole thing. I gave the kids a sponge, a toothbrush, and some dish soap and told them to make it squeaky clean. They worked on the base while I worked on the straps. It is fun to be looking forward to the baby together and working together towards bringing her into our home. Of course, any time I get the sewing machine out they pile around to watch the progress. I've been making burp cloths and blankets - just for the baby to have a few new things of her own.

This week is auntie Char-Char's wedding and everything is a hustle and bustle. Songbird is so excited to be a flower girl, and we are looking forward to all the fun events. We are especially thankful to be sending Charlotte off with such a deserving man, and can't wait to celebrate alongside them.

Other than that my Grandma remains in ICU. She has been in the hospital for almost 4 weeks now, and ICU for over two. The doctors act convinced that she will recover completely, yet it seems to be taking a long time. Her original reason for being admitted to the hospital - a foot infection - has long been healed. Life and the body at 93 is so frail, and one thing quickly leads to another when you are in the hospital at that age. We are praying for a quick and full recovery for her...

Hubry is away at a writing group tonight, and after an unsuccessful attempt at having the kids fall asleep together in the same room I am burning the midnight oil with a little late-night reflection. My biggest stress right now is trying to figure out how to arrange our room to make space for both Songbird and the baby. We have one too many pieces of furniture, but they all seem to be equally needed. I am thankful for some sweet friends who are letting us borrow their Moses basket. This will definitely buy us a few months' time before we really need more space.

The ironic thing is that several of our friends have moved or are moving and have offered us their home for equal rent. But we truly can't even imagine moving again. I keep thinking - it's only for 10 months, and surely we can figure out a way to make it work for 10 short months. I am sure there will be many opportunities for growth along the way having 5 people crammed into 2 bedrooms and 1100 square feet! We are so thankful for our little apartment and playground, though. God has been a great provider.