Wednesday 27 August 2008

New Bike!

Happy (Belated) Birthday!

Faithie turned 7 on August 12th. Mack took the afternoon off, and we went iceskating, then came home and "decorated," then had cake and presents after dinner.

Opening the first present...
A Disney Princess alarm clock from Grandma and Grandpa Mack. It projects stars onto the ceiling, and the alarm tone is a princess singing. Faithie loves it that she can set her alarm and get up on her own for school!
New pj's from Peanut
A giant coloring/activity book from C-Ray
I'm glad the picture is small- you can't tell what a horrible cake decorator I am! She also got a Littlest Pet Shop set from Nana and Papa Wife-family that we didn't get a picture of her opening :( but she absolutely loves it! Mom and Dad got her a new bike. Mom will try to upload the videos!

Bella and Keif


Who's idea was it to have parakeets as pets? Let me see how I can put this so that the astute can read through the lines. Mack and I came home from a meeting Monday night and BlueSky was... "sick" in the bottom of his cage. Not wanting her to wake up to this discovery on her first day of school, we told Faithie how we had to take him to the "vet," then Daddy "brought him home" last night after he was feeling better. Daddy also brought home a friend for him, to keep him company since the girls will be in school, and also to help keep each other warm, so they don't get any more colds. Peanut named the new girl bird Bella, and Daddy suggested that since Faithie had gotten to pick out two names, and Peanut got to pick one out, that C-Ray get to "rename" BlueSky. He picked Keif (one of the "big boys" that is a really good friend of the family is named Keith but Colin can't say "th." We thought it was pretty much hilarious). We have figured out that we have to limit fumes in the house, and put a blanket on 3 sides of the cage when the windows are open. Hopefully our luck will change in the bird department...
Keif is "hand trained" so we should be able to take him out of the cage within a few days, once he gets used to seeing our faces. Bella isn't trained at all, so it might be awhile before she gets used to us. I'll post some pics out of the cage, with the kids, when I am able to get some.

Apple's First Day of Kindergarten

I really like this top picture- she looks so cute! Oh wait, I don't think I'm supposed to say that...
All set with her new backpack, lunchbox, and outfit. I think that's really why they like going to school- they get new stuff!
The crew, ready to leave for school drop-off.
Her "spot" for coat and backpack in the hall.
With her teacher, Mrs. Patch. She skipped right into class with no hesitation (Apple, I mean. There was probably plenty of hesitation from Mrs. Patch!). Can't wait to see how she's doing after school!

Faithie's First Day of First Grade

Faithie had a great first day of school. She wasn't nervous or timid at all. She was so excited that she had her own desk now, rather than sitting at a table like kindergarten. She came home and said, "Mom, Mrs. Hofman is really nice, just like Mrs. Patch was." She was also glad to see her friends. She has a "reading test" today, which should be no big deal for her- her reading skills are pretty good.

All ready to go! New lunchbox.
Wearing her "birthday outfit" from Uncle M and Aunt J for her first day.

The Days are Long, but the Years are Short

I saw that quote on a friend's blog yesterday, and it captures perfectly how I'm feeling today. Faithie had her first day of first grade yesterday, and Peanut started kindergarten today. Here I am at home with just C-Ray and Little One. I would say that it is very quiet here now, but in reality it's not. The two of them are making just as much noise as all four usually do right now. But I digress.

I was thinking yesterday about the "early" days of mommyhood- particularly right after C-Ray was born, and we had three children under the age of three. There were days where I felt like the walls of my house were literally closing in around me, and I would be trapped in the chaos of three infant/toddlers forever. But, they didn't and I wasn't. Just four short years later, two of them are in school. The days of them being here, at home, solely under our watch and influence are gone and I can't quite figure out how they went so fast.

I sat eating breafast with C-Ray and Little One after returning home from the school this morning and questioned myself. "Did I do enough for them in that short time? Did I prepare them well enough? Did I shape their character in a way that will give them a solid foundation for all the things they will begin to encounter now? Have I bathed them with enough prayer?" I found myself being challenged by Jochabed, the mother of Moses and by Hannah, the mother of Samuel. Both of those women were given only a few years with their young children before they turned them over to someone else's care. Jochabed was more or less forced to give Moses to be raised in the pagan household of Pharaoh and Hannah chose to give Samuel to be trained in service to the Lord. How intensely must those women have trained their sons in the things of the Lord in the few short years they had with them, knowing that it was all they had? Do I have the same ferver, the same intensity, knowing that my time of profound influence with my children is relatively short as well?

Thursday 21 August 2008

Further Correction

Upon further reflection and introspection, Mack now remembers the conversation in question with C-Ray. He claims that he told C-Ray that it's okay if he drips on the toilet as long as he gets a piece of tissue and wipes it up. Looks like C-Ray is already a typical male- he has both messy toilet habits AND selective hearing!

Wednesday 20 August 2008

Correction

Upon reading my previous post, my husband was incensed and denies the accusation. I guess I'll believe him. So, to all of you readers, Mack did NOT tell C-Ray it was okay to drip on the toilet, but I am leaving the post up because the simple fact that C-Ray would make that up for my benefit is hilarious!

Tuesday 19 August 2008

Train Up a Child In the Way He Should Go...

... potty, that is.

Yesterday morning C-Ray was in the bathroom going potty while I was washing my hands. He finished and was trying to make sure all the "drips" had been removed. He comments, "Mommy, Daddy said it's okay if the drips land on that," as he points to the rim around the toilet bowl. Are you kidding me?? There is a conversation waiting to happen with my husband :)

Wednesday 13 August 2008

From Sunshine to BlueSky

Just an FYI for all of you avid Big Mack & Fries followers out there (lol). We had Sunshine for all of 5 days before she mysteriously dropped dead last Friday night. Mack took Faithie the next morning to the pet shop to get a new parakeet. He is a very pretty blue one, and very young, so he should last awhile. She named him BlueSky. Pictures to follow as soon as I take some...

The moral to this story: Don't buy a bird off of Craig's List...

Tuesday 5 August 2008

Sunshine

Faithie has been saving her money to buy a pet bird for herself. She finally saved enough and we went to get this parakeet on Sunday afternoon. She (maybe?) is solid yellow, which is a little unusual for a parakeet and really is beautiful. Faithie named her Sunshine and is SO proud of her very own pet!