Sunday Smiles

 Once again, I am relieved to go back to work after a weekend I stuffed from end to end. I did it myself, so I have no one else to blame. Saturday was just a typical activities blast, from dance to library to chores. Jon took the kids to the playground in the afternoon after he had an astoundingly productive morning tuning up the Thesis.*

Church was our now-usual 3 hour affair, ending in choristers practice for Miles. After a quick lunch, he and I drove over to the middle school to watch Aaliyah's big brother play flag football.

This was important for Miles, as he's been having a bit of a hard time finding a kindred spirit in kindergarten. One of his recent prayers at bedtime was that he would find a new friend at school. This little girl, whom he befriended in daycare last year, just gets him.

They hardly did more than exchange greetings when the giggles began and it was chase-chase-chase time. All over the bleachers, for the duration of the football game, they chased each other and laughed endlessly. She had her grandma call me and put him on the other day, and after a short conversation, they just happily sat in silence on the phone, playing in their individual houses. That's how they roll. I know he misses her & I'm so glad to have her Grandma's phone number to hand. 

They were all lit up the whole afternoon. 

Sunday evening was Miles' first time singing in the choir for the congregation. It was also only the second Evensong we've attended at church. Remind us to go again. It was so gorgeous, from the chanting to the collect, from the lovely music to the post-event wine spread. 

Adele was proud to watch brother sing. She wore his old outfit for the occasion, perhaps to show support. 

Their first band photo?

 Once inside, we set up the nursery for the assembled tots and then I got a glimpse of Miles, in his choir robe for the first time.

Here he is with his best church friend. They sing in the Tiny Section together.

The video is of poor visual quality, but I couldn't help myself, taking it. It was my first baby's first performance, after all. They sang "Non Nobis Domine." He'd been practicing all week, but I was still pleasantly surprised that he actually sang, audibly, and opened his mouth wide. After the finished, he grinned at me and his sister and waved. So, we'll work on stage deportment.

News in the #ALIVE campaign: I'm struggling to incorporate exercise into this schedule. My most recent effort involves putting on a list of oldies and doing the Twist, the Watusi, the Pony, and the Mashed Potato with the kids in the living room. I cannot be unhappy while doing these dances. It's not possible. We must have done the twist alone for about 35 combined minutes this weekend, and the kids now think they're experts.

Cheers, everyone! Do what makes you live!

*I'm not sure if I mentioned this on the blog, but Jon defended his Master's thesis recently and is now making final revisions in anticipation of a December 2014 graduation. That makes his third master's degree. Whew! Wish him  us all luck as he goes on the job market.

Little moments

We live at the dance studio on Saturday mornings, in this Fall, 2014. 

She may be the smallest in the class, but she is more than keeping up with her classmates. 

 Adele dances first, and she's quite insistent that it is HER dance lesson, and Miles is only allowed to dance after her. We are playing along, because we sense it's important she be able to be first in something.

He still hugely enjoys his own lesson:

Here he is, learning to shuffle step:

What even is this pose, Miles?

We got such a delightful dinner invite just by happening to run into our friend at Kroger (running into people we know at Kroger having been a bit of a running gag this weekend; Miles says, "Isn't Blacksburg great? We always see people we know!"). The other great thing about small towns: proximity. We walked to our dinner party! And walked back under the stars! What good fortune.

Sunday morning was one of those mornings that makes me so grateful for my church.

First, we had an Adult Forum that preached when our high school pilgrims presented on the pilgrimage they planned and took in Alabama this summer. It was a Civil Rights themed trip, and it seemed profoundly transformative for those that went. I know it was transformative even for those of us who saw their presentation. Hardly a dry eye in the room. I'm so thankful for a church that lets young people lead and speak.

A little pre-church Mr. Rogers, so parents can get dressed. 

There was a baptism at church, too, so my eyes never got a chance to fully dry. They always bring the kids in to watch this entrance into the family. Adele loudly observed, "Oh, the baby is baptized!" at the crucial moment. It reminds me of a couple weeks ago when we passed the font an she said, "That's where I was born!" Kids recognize spiritual power when they see it.

Adele's improving her portrait skills. No finger in the lens this time!

Miles is in Godly Play, Children's Chapel and Choristers. It's amazing to me how many more activities he qualifies for between last year and this.

During Choristers, Adele & I did some free play in the Chapel room.

Mary & her toddler smiled down on us. 

She can't wait till she's big enough to process in to Children's Chapel.

That's still about another year away.

I grabbed this shot of a church member stepping up to read to the kids and keep them busy while Jon & I socialized. It's a representative moment for how our church shows us hospitality: when we're there, the kids always have many eyes and arms to attend to them besides ours.

It looks so much like Adele is about to pour tea on Miles. I almost hate to tell my readers it was only water, and she only drank it.  

At the evening social at church, we were the only one who brought kids, but we were no less welcomed. Miles' meltdown was lovingly ignored, and lots of hands helped our kids to eat and stay out of trouble. I hope to extend the hospitality I've received at church to other people in other places.

Hoorah for the end of Indian Summer! and may the brisk morning air of fall thrill you all as it does me.

September in the Park

The blog has gone mighty quiet recently, I know. This back-up camera just has me down. When I remember to bring it, it always seems to be out of batteries, which it seems to eat with the same enthusiasm and gusto with which Adele eats pizza. We have also been busier than average, lately. 

We ended with an unoccupied afternoon yesterday, so it seemed a good time to let the kids have a go at bike practice. 

This boy here is a very busy little individual. He's just had so much available to him now that he's in elementary school, and, as he told me, "I just want to do everything!" So, in addition to church on Sundays and Kindergarten 8:30-3:30 M-F, this is his schedule:
Mondays: After-School Running Club ("So I can be Miles the Miler!")
Tuesdays: After-School Chinese Club
Thursdays: Music/Piano lessons at the Blacksburg Music School
Saturdays: Dance Class
Sundays: Choristers (Children's Choir)

He's pretty much me in high school.

*So Miles took a free open-house class (meets just after Adele's "Tutus" class gets out) a couple of weeks ago, and when he came out from it, beaming, they took me aside and said, "Have we told you about the special discount we have for brothers?"

I chewed on the offer for a little while, but before I left the director said to me, "Just bring him back. Don't worry about enrolling him. I'll loan him shoes. We need boys, and none of our classes are full this semester."

So now he's in dance. His sister isn't thrilled, but I'm finding free classes hard to turn down. And so was he! He loves it.

I did try to take pictures of my two dancers this Saturday but, guess what, the camera batteries were dead.

Fall has finally taken a firm hold around here. Miles went from his second dance lesson to his first Hokies game last week (Adele and I were not up for this; Adele needed to nap, and I needed to not be at a football game). He apparently loved it, and reported excitedly upon doing the wave and the performance of the marching band. Bonus: he slept really really well. 

Anyway, back to Sunday in the Duck Pond. The smooth water and familiar gray skies are so soothing. I speak grey skies fluently; it's the upstate New York upbringing. 

There was a turtle. Geese took off dramatically every now and then from no apparent cause. Dogs trotted by gaily to delight the kids. It's always a good scene. 

This girl took her first few pedals on her tricycle by herself. Once she'd accomplished this, she beamed with pride, ordered Papa to watch her, did it again, and then was done riding for the rest of the day. I did a lot of carrying and pushing of the tricycle yesterday.

This guy was all over the place. Like in other aspects of life. 

I made Adele a deal: she could take a picture of me if I got to take a picture of her tricycling. 

This was her best shot.

...And this was mine. Oh, Miles, budging into her video. He's such a firstborn.

He gets a video of his own, above.

I am... under a cloud. I just still can't adjust to getting up at 6:30 (which is still later than I ought to get up), somehow. I fought through a really evil flu thing last week and this week... the cloud still hasn't lifted. I do hope for some energy and wellness to seize me soon. Alive is a tall order this week.

I find Indian Summer very tiring. The colors of fall are beginning to show, however, which is always a welcome sign. I can almost hear the Great Pumpkin Waltz in the air. Come, Fall, do not delay!

The kids are all right

September 1 and all's well!

Jon is still riding a wave of productivity and inspiration in his academic and working life. Pray he remains inspired!

I am enjoying work and am savoring my time in The English Novel like it's a chocolate dessert. I have a paper idea already that the back of my mind is ruminating.

A couple weekends ago we had the weekend of the child's birthday party. One on Saturday, and one on Sunday. Both were brilliant, though very different experiences.

The Saturday one was an outdoor event. I was gratified to see Miles join in with the kids' zombie game. I'm not sure he knows what a zombie is, but the other kids found the pretending very compelling. He imitated and inserted himself with confidence. He usually prefers to play on his own, and waits for an invitation if he's going to join a group game.

Kindergarten seems to be doing him many kinds of good.

The smiles of kids about to eat pink cake.

Speaking of kindergarten, 

I think he's on his third homework right now. He loves kindergarten; he tells anyone who asks. 

Here is a writing sample:

 Note the favorite tv show: Cosmos
And the favorite place: Price House

 This little girl has had two sick days already for mild bugs. Welcome back to school, immune system!

We take turns having quality cuddle time with Tiniest. It's a kind of holiday.

Meanwhile, she's been double-dipping on the dance classes during August, for the special one-month double-dip deal at the studio. She now not only participates but practices.

 This morning I was doing tree pose during morning yoga. Adele goes, "Mum, you doing passe!"

I have been so glad she's been taking these lessons. She looks forward to it all week, and it makes her feel sooo important, and unique. For a 2nd born, such experiences can be hard to come by. 

 In mid-August, our family was featured in the local paper after we had our picture taken at Steppin' Out. No fewer than 5 people, since then, have sent us or given us the picture. Small town life! We're local celebrities for the month:

 Filling up the kids' calendar lately have been birthday parties, a trip to the Frog Pond , and, today, a trip to Dixie Caverns. I hear they enjoyed it! I couldn't tell you firsthand, though; I work today.

Oh, and the other day, we grabbed dinner at Chick-Fil-A and were visited by this bovine:

 Imagine being able to make children look this happy just by putting on a suit:

They didn't let her go for a while.

Happy children keep us moving over here.

"Come on with the rain, I've a smile on my face."

It's been yet another lousy news week. 

On the home front, however, we've been getting on just fine. Adele made it through 3 days of daycare before she had to take her first sick day (just some intestinal distress- nothing worrisome! She's fine!). But other than that, the machine of our schedule has been humming along efficiently. 

Miles got off the bus after his first day of kindergarten (after 4pm! such a long day!!) with a huge grin on his face. And, but for occasionally complaining of being tired and of kindergarten being too long, he's been very positive on his new life as a kindergartener. He cheerfully announces that he gets to go back to kindergarten in the morning, and is smiling and happy about the prospect. 

  

Here is some artwork he did on the topic on his first day: You notice that he highlights "excited" and "scared" as his emotions upon starting kindergarten. The drawings on the right show Miles and Papa holding hands (top) and Miles and Adele in the bath (bottom). 

Adele is back in day care and, but for the mild bug she seemed to have, is doing well. She's been bumped up to the big kids room, where the 3s and 4s usually go. They had to move some kids because of required teacher-child ratios, and Adele was one of the more verbal and mature among the toddlers so up she went! So far, so good. Her little BFF got moved with her, so she's not complaining. 

Our Saturday was packed! We got up early to get a good hour of scrounging in at the church garage sale, where, among other things, we picked up some new dress up clothes:

All hail Princess Miles! 

After the garage sale, it was off to Adele's dance lesson, followed by a trip to Christiansburg where, our friend had tipped us, there was a huge free kids' open-house party. The only disappointment there was that our old back-up camera chews through batteries so quickly that I wasn't able to take photos. It was the whole kid fantasy event: bouncy houses, and obstacle course, free food, and a guest appearance by Princess Elsa herself! The kids were in fankid heaven.  

That at church on Sunday were the sum of our outings. I came down with a weird bug and needed  to be home, making the house more livable. Jon was a lifesaver on Sunday when he took the kids grocery shopping and then to the playground so I could putter around the house. 

Just after they got back from the playground, the promised rain done showed UP. Jon jumped up and suggested a dance in the rain. The kids couldn't hardly believe they were going to be allowed to do this, but their joy took off before long. 

Doing "Rainbows" (from dance class) in the rain

 There was dancing, singing, shrieking, giggling, and all that you might expect from a puddle-jump/rain dance. I feel like I say it every blog post, but I'm just so grateful for the kids' example in enjoying life. I sometimes think 75% of my laughs are due to these two tinies (the rest to Stephen Colbert & John Oliver, combined with Jon and our video-game hijinks).

Way to be ALIVE, kids, and way to make it look so good.

I just had to include: this is Miles' latest drawing. Cats that look like cats! For the next post, I'll show Adele's innovation: faces that look like faces.

By the way: If you are paying attention to the news coming out of Ferguson, MO, (and if you're not, please look into it!) please pray. Pray for peace, but also pray for justice. I hope very much that some good and needed changes will happen in our country's conversation on race and integration, but for tonight, I just hope Ferguson can make progress toward not being a police state. Let the kids go back to school!