end of summer dinners:

We had a lovely outdoor dinner with some old friends to celebrate the summer.  They are very gifted in hospitality, and it was good for Lucas to have their kind boys (and the boys' dad) to play with.  Naomi always looks forward to seeing the little girl.  They get along so well, it's hard to believe Naomi once pulled on her hair when they were babies.  

The next day, Isaac and I went to our a women's potluck dinner, which was relaxing after a long day.  Lucas seemed to be sick again, and I forgot my purse and had to drive all the way back to get it while I was very sleepy.  I don't remember much else except trying to get the meatballs in the oven and the cucumbers sliced in time to get to the potluck.  Not enough time to make something from scratch.  I was the first person to arrive, but I had to call the hostess to help me in.  Maneuvering a platter and stroller to a backyard can be tricky.  Even though Isaac was fussy, it was still relaxing for me, and I got to know a few ladies over some good food.

Isaac was a complete angel almost the entire evening.  Of course the next day he was a mess, but I'm glad he spared them his wailing.  I've known this lady since she was a teen, and she's so mature beyond her years and always so pleasant to talk to.

Lucas chowing down.  One of the fun things about having a boy.

The girls got together to set the table and put out the dessert for us.  One of the many joys of having a girl.

Isaac hanging out with the ladies.

catching up:

We had a hectic weekend a couple of weeks ago, but it's a blur now since we've been sick and very busy since.  Naomi went to a friends' birthday party at an indoor trampoline place that Saturday.  She didn't know anyone other than the birthday girl, but of course made friends and had the best time.  Afterward, the party continued at her friend's house.  Afterward, I rushed home to make dinner and prepare the baby stuff before leaving for a girls' night out. We went to Cheesecake Factory (one of them had a giftcard) and had a variety of appetizers, mostly vegetarian, and some cheesecake.  The calamari wasn't that great, but thumbs up for the Thai chicken wraps, asparagus salad, avocado egg rolls, and spinach artichoke dip.  I didn't have as much of a craving for cheesecake after Manny surprised me with cheesecake and flowers, but I couldn't resist having a bite of the fresh strawberries and whipped cream.  I am very thankful for friends who think of me and for Manny watching the kids after a crazy week.  All his work weeks are crazy this year, actually, which makes it a little crazy for the entire family, but we're managing through grace and hope.  

That Sunday, Manny took the kids out to ride their scooters and then actually swimming.  The next morning Lucas had a fever of 103.  His headache and fever that wouldn't go away with medicine and hydration.  I decided to get him checked out, and it just appeared to be a viral infection.  Isaac and I got it next, then Naomi, then Manny.  I'd never been through a round of illnesses with three kids before--it is harder as the numbers go up, and there's no one to take care of the mom.  It is hard to have to hold the baby upright at night to sleep and then run over to another sick child.  I label the droppers so they don't cross-contaminate, and I decided to buy a second humidifier.  I'm thankful our kids seldom get sick and don't have chronic illnesses, but they do need to sleep better.

The kids and I are out at one or more commitments or activities every day or evening after school--tennis, Awana, piano, weekday church and bible study, writing class, and the ISP are regular, and then we have appointments, meetings, etc.  I'm also currently working on this elementary school literacy project when I can (often early mornings or middle of the night, but things are falling into place and people have helped a lot).  This is just extra--homeschool takes up the majority of time, followed by caring for Isaac and cooking and cleaning.  It should all die down in the next month which is good as we prepare for the holidays, although Manny still will be working late.  The kids and I miss him a lot on the weekdays.  I'm not really complaining; I think all of this would actually be fine if I had a little more sleep.  Isaac has been sleeping worse at night, waking up every couple of hours, although his daytime naps are usually still okay, except for the fact that I'm waking him up out of naps often to do those other things (something will have to give soon).  I don't know if he's teething or colder at night or if it's just being thrown off after a week of illness.  There was one weekend we had a lot of rain, and he seemed to nap better.  Could it be that we finally have a kid that sleeps better with rain and not worse?  Yes, please!

Pretty bouquet from Manny.

Surprises for each other--my caramel walnut brownies somewhat dwarfed by the cheesecake Manny bought. 

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Happy birthday!  (The old Google photo editor is gone, so now I'll go back to just not naming names).

Celebrating each other.

Isaac is teething, and I don't know what it is about that rubber giraffe, but it works.  A lot of people seem to notice that he has his brother's head shape and hair and his sister's face and expressions.

off to school-school:

We have homeschool, and then we have the ISP classes (which Naomi used to call "school-school") once a week.  This year is Lucas's first, although he's known the instructors and school grounds for three years.  It made for an easier transition, although he still tried to run out of the room and was a little clingy with Naomi the first day.  He also gave away his drink to a girl.  He ended up quite thirsty and had to have some of Naomi's water.  He is a handful, but the teachers are handling him well and are confident that he'll adjust with maturity and familiarity.  Naomi won't have her weekly respite, but she'll be in a writing class with the other older kids another day of the week.  Of course I want the kids to be closer, but she has to put up with his frequent tomfoolery and can use a big sister break.  It'll be interesting to see how this year goes!

Sun sandwiches, in line with our study of the solar system.

Now dropping two kids off!

Walking to class.

Naomi looking cute for third grade.

Lucas.  I try with gel and water, but that hair will not stay down!

Lucas and Naomi on the left during class intro.

beach day--the best and worst of times:

I don't know what I was thinking--I guess I wasn't.  I picked the worst weekend (Labor Day weekend) to go to the beach.  Well, worst for us anyway.  A normally 45-minute trip took us over 4 hours in stop-and-go traffic with Isaac crying the entire trip.  There was no parking available by the beach, which meant we had to park far, with an hour-long wait in the blazing sun for the shuttle.  But I was so thankful we got the very last spot in that lot, or we might have had to go home.  No one except Isaac had eaten anything all day, and we were tired from the convention the day before.  I'd thought we'd have lunch in the area at noon so didn't feed anyone.  I think it was past 3:30 p.m. before we even got on the shuttle.  It meant the kids would only have a little bit of time in the water.  Manny had to carry several bags which got heavier with sand and water on our return.  We missed church, too.

Naomi and Lucas didn't even whine or complain.  Lucas just said plainly that he was hungry and about to die.  What a blessing they were.  Guess who lost it, though--the grown-ups!  We were starving, dehydrated, and spent.  It was hard with the baby screaming and trying to find somewhere, anywhere to park.  Manny was not happy that I didn't agree to go to the other beach he'd suggested.  It's a little farther but is less popular, colder, and without as many tourist magnets, so it probably would not have been such a nightmare to get to.  The best thing would have been not to go on the road at all, but I was too stubborn about keeping our promise to the kids.  I don't make or take promises lightly, and have never broken a promise to them that I could help, but I went too far in this case.  The kids still had a great time on our trip, and got some candy and chocolate-covered bacon out of it (which only Naomi and I liked), but I learned my lesson about Labor Day weekend travels!  

Labor Day itself was much, much better.  We had a light barbecue with grilled chicken, corn, and watermelon; and we cleaned.  Isaac napped well because we were actually home, and there weren't too many sirens that day.  I've been learning over the years that fun can sometimes be more trouble than it's worth! 

On the shuttle to the beach.  The kids were good sports!

N doing some bodysurfing.  She said she wasn't getting in the water, but she couldn't resist.

He looks concerned, but he could do this all day.

Isaac passing time by chewing his fingers.  Definitely not as tranquil or private for us as last time.

N burying herself.  I felt bad because I had the baby and couldn't help, and the boys weren't interested, but she made do as always.

Having dinner on the pier.  It got cold fast!

Poor Isaac.  He's always staring at what we're eating, and sometimes chews the air while he watches.  He wants a steak!

it's lego time, leggo!

We went to a Lego convention the Saturday of Labor Day weekend.  The weekend was sold out, which made it crazy packed, but our friend also did not get the tickets in time to attend with us, so we were a little sad about that.  Other friends had gone in the morning session, but we went in the afternoon.  It's kind of a big, brick-filled blur now, but I think Lucas liked racing the Lego cars and playing in the big Lego pile the most.  He drank a lot of Honest Kids tea, too.  Naomi built a structure to put in the Creation Nation.  It was a leaning tower.  It took long to make because she enjoys neatly fitting a variety of sizes and colors into one plane.  Lego Friends is her thing.  The structures and Model Museum were my favorite.  Manny posed with Darth Vader while I posed with Gandalf and Iron Man, two of my favorite characters.  Lucas is not so much into Cars as Marvel superheroes lately, but he was interested in climbing on top of McQueen (a no-no).  No one wanted to take a picture with Buzz and Woody, and those were probably the best of the bunch with the color detailing and shape matching.  Anyway, I would have liked the kids to get more out of it, but being so crowded, we didn't do so bad.  Isaac was wiped out, though, and Manny didn't want to push the stroller around.  I didn't bring a sling, so that was no fun for me.  But the older kids had a good time at the convention.  They really want to go to Legoland, but it might be a while before we ever go back.

We mostly borrowed other people's racers and built a couple of our own.  Lucas didn't want to race against others, just on his own.

Naomi building a structure for Creation Nation.

Happily buried in a pile of Legos.  He also enjoyed making Lego angels, but he wasn't in a building mood.

Naomi's step/leaning tower is in the lower center, somewhere in "North Carolina."

Sure, I'd rather her just enjoy playing Legos without the pink and little flowers, but I have to say this is good marketing for the girly girls.

Her favorite statue was the soccer girl.

Various statues in the Model Museum.  Pretty cool.

shabbat dinner:

Naomi is studying world history this year, and we are starting out with Jewish traditions and celebrations.  The first was the Shabbat (or sabbath) dinner.  For something to commemorate rest, it sure was a lot of work!  It was fun for Naomi--she got to make a spice box and bread covering, set the table, and help braid the bread.  We made two loaves, but ate a lot of the first one before dinner.  Generally, the Jewish have the blessing and three festive meals on that Friday night until Saturday night (Jewish days start and end in the evenings).  A blessing is given over challah bread, which is braided supposedly to to look like arms folding and resting.  We had fish, roasted potatoes, and salad, similar to a standard Jewish meal.  Naomi didn't want wine or grape juice, so we went with unfiltered apple juice.  For whatever reason Isaac was a mess that day and wouldn't nap for very long, so it was a challenge to make the bread and the meal and to even sit down with Naomi while I was constantly going to the crib.  Manny didn't/couldn't join us till 9 pm.  It was a crazy day, but worth it!

Ready for our Shabbat feast!

Naomi with our homemade challah bread.  We love fresh bread!

naturally sweetened memories:

I've been swamped with homeschooling, a big community project, and other things, on top of taking care of the family, so I'm going to play catch-up again.  Two weekends ago, after Naomi and I picked up our new glasses, Manny took us all out for a special lunch to a place he and I ate at when we were in school.  Some of our old stomping grounds, including where we had our first dinner date, are now closed or gone.  It was nice to be able to bring our children.  Afterward we thought we'd visit the local art festival, especially the sidewalk art.  Unfortunately, most of the sidewalk art was not yet completed, but Naomi got to contribute a square of her own.  Shortly afterward, we had a family domino incident, which means one family member stumbles, which pushes another to stumble, and so forth.  Then it carried over the next few days.  But over time we learn from the bad and cherish the good of that day.  

  

The next day we heard the last of a series from a pastor we were sending off to another location/church.  That evening we had a send-off for him and his family.  I was glad I went, but the series of bad happenings that weekend, no matter how hard I tried to fight them and make everyone happy, just led to a rough evening for the family.  I think Manny was right that I should have gone alone or with Isaac.  I think sometimes I get confused--I try to include the family because when I go off somewhere alone, they seem to feel excluded, but then if I make them all go, it may not be the best timing.  I grew up very much independent, not having much help with school and putting myself through college, and thus probably not having to consider other family members that much apart from honoring my parents and some degree of mutual respect.  As a result, I think I am still learning when to consider the family as a whole unit that needs to stay together physically and when it's not necessary.  But, again, hopefully the take-away will be lessons learned and focusing on the good memories.

Naomi and I love guacamole.

There wasn't anyone else in the restaurant yet, so I just walked Isaac around to calm him while Lucas and Manny played tic-tac-toe.

In the mood for Mexican food!

He's finally got the hang of eating a taco!

Isaac savoring the moment.

Beautiful sidewalk art.

Vendor selling colored glass sculptures.

Naomi adding a tile to the sidewalk.

Maybe a self-portrait?

Prayer and send-off at church.

isaac at 5 months:

Isaac continues to delight us with his cuteness and personality.  He's thinning out but still refuses the bottle. I'm going to try yet another formula and bottle.  He has, however, started on baby cereals.  Naomi gave him his first feeding, and he took to it right away.  He still can't eat much on one sitting, though, whether solid or liquid.  I don't plan on starting fruits and vegetables until 6 months, but that's just around the corner.  He seems to want to hurry up and get to steak dinners already.  It's sad how he stares at us and our food while we eat, like a wistful puppy.

He is teething, drooling and constantly wanting to chew.  He holds objects to his mouth now to chew on them.  He also started babbling a little more, and he groans and mutters when he's complaining, which is much more fun to listen to than his crying.  He still cries inconsolably for entire car rides, even for hours.  He still likes diaper changes and dislikes baths.  He still likes to dance and immediately smiles upon hearing "Boogie Wonderland" while we make him dance.  He isn't sitting up unsupported or pushing himself up on all fours yet, and I'm thinking I'd like him to be a late crawler and walker, unlike the other two.

He has not had a cold yet.  I'm hoping he'll make at least six months without having one.  He is not sleeping through the night, but he is sleeping in longer stretches.  He usually wakes up between 5 and 7 am, but I try to get him back to sleep, because he goes to bed late for his age.  He's turning out like the other two, refusing to sleep till he sees his dad, even though I put them all to bed as infants and toddlers.  I have to have a noise machine and a loud fan on for his naps to drown out the outside noise, but there is remodeling going on in neighbors' homes.  Sirens and motorcycles wake him up as well, and we're not far from a busy street.  Still, Naomi went many days as an infant without napping at all, let alone in the crib, so I'm just thankful Isaac naps.  Having three is still a major juggling act with constant recovering of the balls.  It's all wonderful, but I'd be lying if I said it was easy!

Not that great of a shot, but here he is at 5 months!

 

Laid back.  I don't button his onesies at home, because it prevents diaper blowouts.

His crib is in the corner of the office.

Tummy time!

First cereal.

Likes to chew.

Pacifiers are only good for chewing.

He looks so much like Manny as a baby.

He looks a little more like me in this one.  I love overalls.  Almost all his clothes are hand-me-downs.  Yay!