Our youngest daughter is Tea. She is three. For the first time ever, she went to Primary this past Sunday. I was sitting sort of looking at her later that day and that fact struck me so profoundly that I had to express it with a declaration: "Tea! you are a SUNBEAM!!" She, very calmly and peacefully smiled and said, "Yep." She loved it. As it happens, she was in class with Kat. I'm sure that's the best for my Tea since she's rather slow to warm up to new things and new people... just like her Daddy!
She loved it, though. She was quite happy to be in "Sunbeams," even though she really wasn't in a special class just for Sunbeams. They don't have enough teachers to support a seperate class for the youngest Primary goers right now. Soon, I'm sure, they will. But she's happy to be a Sunbeam! And I'm amazed that three of my four kiddos are in Primary! ^_^
Ria will enter the waters of baptism soon. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that she'll soon be eight! EIGHT! My children are growing up way too fast!
Time. It's doesn't seem to be linear for me lately. It's been interesting... the way I feel to perceive time. Strange and wonderful.
Gardening is big in my world right now. Even as the weather has turned rather cold (for us here). I've got worms coming in the mail as well as beneficial nematodes. Last week Jess went to a near place to buy some mushroom compost. Good deal for what seems to be really good dirt. It's a pain that we have to buy and bring in dirt, but the cultivated food stuff we'd like to grow will not produce much in the sand that is our land. So, we're building it up as best we can. Hopefully we'll have the additional 2 raised beds I've been working on and we've worked on up and going when it's time to put seeds out in the yard! I started a 4x8 a couple months ago and Jessie helped us get another 4x10 almost compeltely ready last week. I've also got to 1/2 blue barrells - mostly full of weeds currently, but still. I'm hoping to get another VERY long and 1 foot deep bed set up right against the house for vining food stuffs... and maybe some vining flowers I was blessed to receive from someone. I've also got some good flower seeds from varios places I want to get planted... hopefully in the next 6 weeks before the Spring weather sets in well. We'll see. I'm so hoping that the gardens will produce more this time around... lots of green from our most recent planting... lots of radishes, but nothing else. I almost had one zucchini, but something ate it before we got to pick it. grrr... That's the way of it here... great for growing, but hard to collect from my efforts - it seems.
Jess has been able to have more consistent time away from work recently. He's still working too many hours, but it's beginning to improve.
Ria is progressing WELL in all of her studies. She is becoming quite the little baker, too! She's also a wonderful pancake maker! ^_^ She loves to make PB&J and anything else I allow her to try her hand at. She's amazing. She's a wonderful helper and tries so very hard to choose the right. She's getting tall, too. I can hardly believe my little Ria is so TALL. She isn't compared to other children her age, but she IS to me!! She's read and LOVED Eldest (the second book in the Inheritance Series). It's been fun and funny for me to hear them pretending to be dragons and riders, as per Ria's reading and imagination resulting from her reading of Eragon and Eldest! And then Kat, with her input of Fairies, in particular our visiting faries. SUCH fun!!!
Kat is not far behind her big sister, who she adores, of course. She is reading WELL now and voraciously reads anything she can put her hands on. She loves pretend play, too, of course. Though some might think otherwise, these little girls are not book worms. They simply don't spend hours in front of electronic devices... and spend the time that other children may use computers or whatnot READing! Kat doesn't stick to harder reading material without some encouragement, but she's also only 5... and harder material is a book like Eragon! She WANTS to like it because Ria and I enjoy the series so much, but it's difficult for her to wade through at this point. I have heard her declaring quite a few times recently that she wants to be called Kate... interesting!
Tea is trying so hard to work and produce. She's an amazingly hard worker for a 3 year old! She is moving along in her efforts to learn to read. She wants very much to do her handwriting class, but I'm holding her back because her hand-eye coordination is quite low and I know the frustration that would ensue (on both our parts). Also, I know, from experience, that allowing my children to desire something for a while before I allow it creates a longer-lived effort/endurange in them. So, she'll wait a while. I'm impressed and have been quite surprised by what she is retaining! She may be my earliest reader yet... if she has HER way! ^_^ (Latest walker... earliest reader... hmmmm.)
All three girls have LOVED the painting project I've allowed them to begin and/or work on. They have each created materpieces on our walls. And Jmy has had his hand at coloring on the walls, too... he used crayon, but still! This may sound odd, but it's an exciting project! Each of our girls has been given some painting space, taped off, and they have went at it and created beautiful paintings right on our walls. There are going to be a few more... and then they'll be framed by actual wood (if I have my way) and then a chair-rail will go up, rather high, between the paintings. In my mind's eye it is wonderful... and what already IS is also wonderful! ^_^
Jmy is wonderful. He's a sweet lil' guy. He's usually happy and if he's not there is usually a VERY good reason for it! ^_^ He's still nursing well and strongly, but he LOVES table food, too. He's eating basically everything we eat (less peanut butter, eggs all by themselves, strawberries, and things like that which he may be sensitive to). He LOVED the mixed greens and black-eyed peas we had for New Year's Day party. He's on the verge of being a toddler. He totally CAN walk, he just chooses NOT to for the most part! It's so fun and funny to observe his efforts. He walks well and confidently along things (cruising), but to take two steps away from something... u-uuuhh! no way! He is also a very hard worker. He likes to observe how things work (like the wheels that keep turning after being pushed slightly on his monster truck) and take things out (like folded clothes from drawers), and watch things fall (like when he drops something on purpose. You know, all the wonderful sweet baby-learning things. He's a smartie!
I'm doing well. After the two illnesses in December... because of?... I fell off the daily exercise habit wagon. :( grrrr... Before that fall I started to stay up to see Jessie when he came home from work. THAT was more because I was concerned for his job (again!) - our boss had threatened his position and I felt super-duper uneasy... So, I was staying up at night to listen to and try to discern how our position was (firm or almost lost, etc - so I could prepare, at least mentally, for unemployment and the financial difficulties that would follow - should the worst come to pass). Hopefully the reason for my concern is firmly behind us because I desire to regain the two steps I feel to have back-stepped (sleep and exercise)! I also hope for continued improvement in our financial "house"! I dislike how I've been feeling since I've been staying up late, not getting enough sleep, and not being able to exercise daily!
Life is good. Even amid the trials, difficulties and muck of the journey... LIFE is GOOD. I'm so grateful for my family, my life, and the favor I see the Lord let fall upon us! God is Great!!!!
