Tuesday, July 05, 2016

Second Post of the Year... in July

February  FAST FORWARD July.  It must be apparent by now that I'm having a hard time keeping up - not even one photo posted yet this year and we've just passed the halfway mark of the year.  Any time that I have spent in front of the computer has been dedicated to finishing up the 2014-2015 blog book, in which I believe we are still waiting (very patiently, I might add) for Martha to be born.  In July.  2014.  Yes, we're about two years past that point now and I hardly know where to begin.  Our summer is quite booked this year with camping trips, a week at a cottage with my family, and a summer course/seminar for Mike which will take him to Michigan for a few weeks.  My plan is that those weeks will be rainy and gross outside, so that I will want to spend lots of time in the downstairs office working on blogs and blog books.  Isn't that a nice plan?  Please note I am making no promises.  Even if the blog book miraculously gets completed, I am still overwhelmingly behind on the updated online portion of the blog.  All those photos to sift through... and ever since Mike has had a phone with a camera, I've got a double set of photos to look at and choose from.
But I have been telling myself that I need to stop making excuses for not keeping up with these things as they really do get pushed to the back of the priority list.  Standing right before me most of the time I have a husband and four sweet, beautiful little boys growing by leaps and bounds every time I blink or turn around.  Time just goes by so FAST and you can't get it back;  therefore computery time is relegated to the late hours of the night when truth be told, I'd rather be sitting with a book or sleeping.  I've got a few loads of laundry leftover from our camping trip to the Pineries that need to be washed, dried, folded, and put away before we pack up and leave on Friday for our next week away.  I figured that if I am sitting in the basement at the computer, the chances are higher that I won't leave a load of wet laundry to mold away until the next time I need to wash something.
And Mike just came home (at 9:40????) from a meeting, so this latest blog episode comes to its completion.  Someday you will see pictures, just don't hold your breath!

Thursday, February 11, 2016

February Words

Here on the westerly side of London we find ourselves enjoying another snow day.  It hasn't been a particularly snowy or cold winter, in fact it's been quite warm, but the kids have had enough unexpected days off school to satisfy them - well, the older two are happy about it.  It seems most snow days have landed on a Tuesday or Thursday, and Nate is not quite as pleased to miss a day of Kindergarten.  Stephen enjoys having his brothers home to play with! 
I don't find myself sitting here at the computer very often and thought I would take an opportunity to write an update.  Truth be told, it's only because I've run out of thread and my rotary cutter is dull - otherwise I would be working on my latest sewing project.  I've been working on a new quilt for our bed, as our wedding quilt from Mom VD is getting somewhat threadbare.  I'm really happy with how it is turning out and looking forward to seeing it in our room.  In October perhaps.  It will take me a while!
The kids are scattered over the house and quietly occupied with different things.  Peter is humming and whistling at the Lego table.  Whistling is a new thing for him, and ever since he learned a few weeks ago, he's been whistling all. day. long.  It makes me think of the song from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, "Whistle While You Work" and I like to think that music spills out from joy in the heart.
Aaron is upstairs in the living room reading a Hardy Boys book.  He is devouring books, both out of a true enjoyment for the written word as well as the competition of logging the books they've read at school. 
Nate is working on a colouring page at the kitchen table and probably by now has a pair of scissors and is cutting little bits of paper for some craft idea or another.  The world of words is opening up to him now too, and it is really fun to watch that unfold.  He recognizes words on signs or in books and he sounds things out, and I think he is eager to be able to do what his older brothers can do. 
Stephen is playing with Duplo in the rec room and singing all kinds of randomness to himself.  He's happy to have some playmates at home today, although most days he is pretty content to play by himself lining up the dinky cars or setting out train tracks.  His talking is developing all the time, and though I can understand a lot more of his speech than the typical adult, he is able to communicate well.  He still naps in the afternoon for a while although he is convinced that he doesn't need it.  I am not so convinced, so the naps still happen. 
All four of the boys have taken an interest in the previous three blog books that I have published.  They love to see pictures of themselves when they were younger - Stephen is often quite miffed that he isn't in the earlier books - and Peter and Aaron have been getting a laugh out of some of the stories in there.  It reminds me of the importance of documenting things - well, maybe not the importance of it because if I were never to update the blog and if our family history wasn't written down I think the world would keep on turning.  But it's good to see it's appreciated by more than just me.

The post above was written about two months ago and is unfinished.  With no more ado, I will post it.