Day #19--36 Weeks, Cuatro and School

I just have the number 36 on the brain today...

According to the perinatologist's special machine, Cuatro and I are today 36 weeks along on this stage of our journey together. I am now supposed to stay close to home--within an hour of the hospital.

As one of our friends joked, "Does that include the time it takes to get childcare set up for the other three, or not?" If the answer were yes, I wonder whether our house would be close enough!

I'm not actually worried about making it to hospital, not as long as I'm nearby. We live in a great community and I'm not worried about finding somewhere for the kids to go. One of my friends--she of no-gravy-on-my-sandwich and the pinking shears--even once said she hoped Cuatro would come on Christmas Day (my personal nightmare), because "then we'd have your kids on Christmas, and that would be fun!" I think she's crazy, but it's an incredibly generous sentiment.

In any case, I don't think I'm actually at week 36. I respectfully disagree with that number, putting myself 10-12 days back.

But I can't help it--now that we're close, I think it would be pretty fun for Cuatro to go ahead and come along. For one thing, this is the first time we've waited to find out the gender of our child--and the SUSPENSE IS REALLY SOMETHING.

Also, we have a girl name but no boy name yet. I just added that little line-item to the "Baby-Welcoming" list in my special little notebook. Can you imagine? "Well, Cuatro, I've got your furniture arranged and I've got clothes ready for you, but I forgot to write "Choose a Name" on the list. If you had been a girl we wouldn't have had this little snafu, but I was living by the list back then (it was before Advent, you see) and really--we'll get to it just as soon as we can."

36 Weeks is also the standard length of time for a school year. We are 12 weeks into the year--I can't believe Bud is one-third of the way through Kindergarten!

Planning, preparing and executing homeschool takes up a great deal of time, and I still don't think I'm very good at it. I keep wondering whether there's some magical time-saving device that I'm overlooking...I think maybe it's Sonlight, but I'm hoping for something a little less pricey.

At any rate, "36 weeks" has been a magic schooltime number ever since I started teaching Spanish back in Fall 2001. Working two "half-time" positions meant that I was pulling 14-hour days and trying not to resent J., who had started a Ph.D. program and was earning as much from his stipend and fellowship as I was teaching. ("And our Hearts Forever, Love thee Notre Dame!). I remember getting through week four and thinking, "One ninth of the way there!" and so on, and so on... nothing has been quite so hard since then. But I still count down the weeks during the year.

I actually think that's all I have for 36. I'm not 36 yet, and I haven't yet gained 36 pounds yet, although I could eat 36 miniature candy bars. Like, right now.

OK, this has been random--but we have Boppy and Grandma in town, and I want to get out of here! Happy Saturday night!

Day #18--Loose Ends

###If you are linking to here from November 2011, go on and scroll down to Bud's drawing. That's what I directed you here for.###

My brain is at loose ends today, something that happens from time to time. I have had a couple of windows in the last 24 hours--mostly while doing dishes--where I've had time to begin chasing down thoughts and ideas beyond the initial "oh! That's something I'd like to think/learn/talk about!".

The reflective life is not one I feel the luxury of having at present, but it has been fun to peek at the things simmering in there. The crock pot of thinking is at least plugged in (children's fiction reference? anyone?) and I'll get around to having dinner sooner or later. Meanwhile, it smells kinda nice.

When you have untangled the metaphors, please let me know.

Given the schedule of the rest of my day, I'm resisting the urge to dive into deeper thought here. I think I need Tylenol and a nap more just at present. But I'll note down some of the bullet points, so I don't forget to hit them up later:

Black Moods
Counting Crows
Psychological v. Biblical understanding of Personhood
Scripture Memorization
Binge/Comfort Eating
How the Church identifies, encourages & utilizes the gifts of people
Corelli's concerti grossi
Carbohydrates
Gratefulness for the church we're worshiping with


They ARE all related...isn't it obvious?

Since I'm not going to get into how right now, I'll tie up another loose end: my earlier post on "When You Grow Up." I wanted to show a photo of Pixie taken around the age when she was cheering on Bud:



And to show a picture drawn by Bud at church recently. The kids (and adults) were talking about God's mission, what it is and how we can participate. The kids each drew a picture of what they wanted to be when they grew up: "I can serve God's mission as a..." and then, whatever they wanted to be.

Bud drew a picture of what he wants to be: "Someone who gives money to poor people."


That's him taking money out of his pockets and handing it to someone whose pockets are empty.

Love that Bud.

Day #17 --What are your holiday plans?

I recently got my hair cut. Yes, "once a year whether I need it or not." Despite the fact that I've only sat under her scissors three times, I really like how Samantha cuts my hair. The first time I went I bullied her into cutting it the way I thought it should be cut in order to get the results I wanted. I kept asking her to "make it a little shorter there."

So, three months later it looked the way I wanted it to. You know, about the time that part grew back out to where she had cut it originally. Ever since then I've just told her what I wanted and submitted meekly.

Which leaves a lot of time for talking. I'm not very good at small talk. I'm not really great at any kind of talking; and although I'm fairly good at snarky cut-downs, I'm trying to cut back, thanks. So sitting in Samantha's chair for an hour or so gave me a good chance to practice, and learn from someone for whom small talk comes with the job.

It does not come with my job.

It was perfect timing--November 6th. After we had talked about Halloween and children activities, traditions, and costumes, there was a lull. Bring on Thanksgiving! And after that--Christmas! With attendant visiting, traditions, travels, family, locations, etc. there was, amazingly, a nice stream of chit-chat... which was all surface.

For example, Samantha knows our generic Thanksgiving plans; but not the zesty little details like covering the table with paper, giving everyone crayons, and having them draw at their places things they're grateful for.

Or how I keep overlooking Thanksgiving as a holiday, coming as it does a few days before the start of Advent, which didn't come up in my conversation with Samantha at all but has been looming rather large on my personal landscape. Following the example set two years ago by my friend Margie back in Wheaton, this year I decided to aim for a peaceful, worshipful Advent season. For me, I thought that would look like doing a couple of different things...and doing them all before Advent begins:

(1) Planning for and preparing a few Advent traditions
(2) Doing the same for Christmas;
(3) Finishing all gift shopping before Advent
(4) Wrapping all presents which need to be wrapped
(5) Getting things ready for Cuatro (who will arrive either during Advent or Christmas)
(6) Being as intentional about traditions and ways of worshiping and celebrating during Advent and Christmas as I am about shopping.

I got out a little notebook and started making lists (Love the lists). The Gift-Giving section is toward the back, behind Decorating, Letter-Writing, Baby-Welcoming, Celebrating Advent, and Celebrating Christmas but before the sections on 12 Days of Christmas and Epiphany.

True, I am now spending a lot of time shopping on Amazon.com. But I've already spent a lot of time on other websites, researching old traditions for different days of the 12 days of Christmas, and tracking down Advent hymns; I have even made a table cover and used lovely purple fabric to make a base for our Advent wreath. I don't sew--but M. lets me borrow her pinking shears. And for this year, that is quite enough.

One of the websites I perused recommended only adding one new tradition in any given year, and that is helping me keep things under control.

And the whiteboard pictured above? We've been counting down for at least 24 days. It's really helped nudge me along toward a feeling of longing and expectation.

I'm working on skipping the snarky comment every time I open eBay and see their countdown--which stands at 37 today.

Day #16--Tell a Funny Joke

Can I pass along a spin on an oldie? You know the one--

Texas was mad when Alaska joined the Union, because then it wouldn't be the biggest state anymore. And the Alaska said, "Be quiet, or I'll cut myself in half and then you'll only be the THIRD biggest state."

Last weekend, J and I were talking football, and he said, "You know, the SEC kinda reminds me of that Alaska/Texas joke." In response to my questioning look, he answered, "You know. 'Quit complainin', or we'll cut ourselves in half and then we'll be the TWO best conferences.' "

What reason are we on? #5, 427. Love that man! He gets it.

It doesn't hurt that his team is an Independent, leaving any conference loyalties up for grabs (or not). Which also means that whenever I look at the rankings and invariably count how many SEC teams are the top 25, and gloat, and (historically, anyway) go off on the PAC-10, he assents.

Again, it helps my case that the loathsome USC (West Coast variety) is in the PAC-10.

This is not to say that I love all the SEC teams, of course. Don't even get me started. But you get it, right?

Day #15--When You Grow Up

There are times when I feel old. OK, not really that often--only when questions like, "Do you realize that on our next birthday we'll be __?!?" Make us stare at one another with open mouths. And then we laugh. I'm laughing because I'm essentially the same person on the inside that I was when I was eight. At least, I FEEL the same.

Pixie's almost eight. Yikes.

So, I'm not really sure what I'm going to be when I grow up. It is fun to hear all of the different ideas about their own futures from the kids, though. Recently Pixie told me she was goin to be a singer, and was going to college to major in singing. She has, at other points, planned professions as Cowgirl and Pharmacist. Those two in conjunction, actually.

This morning during recess, Bud decided that he was in training for his profession (newly chosen today): clown. Here is what the training involved:



And there's Pixie, coaching and encouraging Bud as usual. You may have seen this post where she cheers him on. I don't think I've posted this video, taken the day (actually the instance) that Bud first rolled over from tummy to back. I just love it.



So, I think like to think that among other things, Pixie will grow up and continue to encourage Bud and others.

Even clowns.

Day #14--What's Cooking in the Kitchen?

Steak. Blue Steak.

And Lavender Fried Chicken Drumsticks.



And some crazy ice cream.


And one of my favorite chefs!

Day #13--Find a Happy Place

Balloons are muy popular at our house.




Happy Sunday!