The Tooth Fairy Gets Robbed

I forgot to let everyone know the good news of Adelaide's mouth.  The fracture healed, her teeth are intact, and she does not need to have them removed.  We even figured out that if we submit the huge dentist bill to our health insurance, it might get covered because it was her mouth that got fractured, not her teeth.  We'll see.

What a month!

Josiah has had a very eventful month.  He has verbalized so much more; Most importantly, he has said Mama.  Speaking of his mouth, it has been getting all kinds of action these days.  One tooth has fully emerged on the bottom and its pair is pushing through right alongside it.  He is eating lots of foods and even tried hummus today.  He thoroughly enjoyed a sweet potato and carrot dish on Thanksgiving Day.  Josiah has been crawling backwards for a few weeks, but just the other day he got up on all fours and made his move.  I really don't want him to crawl yet, but I don't think I get much of a say in the matter.  His sleep was great right up until his baptism.  Then he got a cold and was waking at night, then started demanding a bottle...It has gone a bit downhill.  One of us is ready to sleep train and the other is not.  However, he still naps really well and I really don't mind one wake-up at night as long as he goes right back down.  We have certainly been keeping baby Tylenol on the bedside table these past few weeks.  Josiah continues to be a happy and easy-going baby except for those few late-night tantrums he had this month.

Not a Future Pele...

This shot of Elias says it all.  Elias is not going to be a big soccer star.  In fact, it was physically painful for me to be at his games.  He would strike karate poses, pull his shorts up very high, and count geese as they flew South.  Oh, and sometimes, he would follow the ball only to stick his backside between another child and the ball.  Now that we have some feedback about kids with sensory disorders, it helps me place all of this in context.  Elias may be a wonderful swimmer or cross country runner, but coordination with balls and feet just may be too hard for him.  He still puts his shoes on the wrong feet all the time and we learned that is very typical for kids who have sensory needs.  So, while mom was an MVP goalie in her Simsbury Travel Soccer days, it may be that we will have to encourage Addie or Jed to don the soccer jersey.

Better than therapy--and cheaper, too

                                 A not very flattering picture of us, but you get the idea.

Gaga and Pop-pop gifted us with a 24 hour furlough from the kids.  It had been since March that we had been away for an overnight.  Adam and I were giddy with excitement, but I was also procrastinating our departure.  Finally, I was ready to go at about noon on Monday.  We ate a delightful lunch overlooking Rittenhouse Square.  Then we enjoyed such rarities as a long walk with no interruptions and an afternoon nap that ended when we were no longer tired.  On our evening jaunt to our steakhouse restaurant an older African-American man sidled up to me real close, stopped, and in a very loud and commanding voice said, "You better marry this pretty girl!"  Well, I couldn't have been happier.  No need to burst the man's balloon and tell him we were an old married couple with three kids.  Dinner was great and the hotel was even better.  It was very dark and quiet--except for the sounds of Adam coughing.  Despite the barking, we managed to sleep and slept in until close to 9am.  We took a walk down to the river, had some coffee, and returned before the clock struck noon.  When I walked into the living room where Josiah was being held, he squealed and starting waving madly.  I was so pleased--and I had really missed him.  24 hours was just long enough.  Thanks to my psychologist father-in-law for keeping us off the couch for a few more years.

A few remaining shots of baptism boy

I just want to eat this boy up--all the time!

Addie and Mom do a Playroom Makeover

                                      I moved the kitcehn area and doll house to different spots.

We put up Alphabet cards that I had since we moved!  Then we made a little reading nook in and amongst the dress-ups.

Baking Bread

We had a very chaotic day today with logistics.  I had to take Elias for some testing--more about that another day.  So, we dropped Josiah off with a friend and Addie off at preschool.  Then I took Eli for his tests.  When we were all finally reunited at home, the kids just wanted to be around me and all together.  Interestingly, Elias really wanted to help me.  So, I got him to help me do laundry.  I asked him to switch out a wet load of laundry into the drier.  Before I knew it, he was pretending that he was baking bread.  He crumpled up each piece of clothing, tossed it into the air, and then rolled it into a ball, an then gently placed it in the "oven."  Later he went upstairs to bring down more dirty laundry and told me that he had to grind the flour.  So, the laundry in the washer was being ground.  Then when we got the drier started the bread was baking.  We kept checking on it to see if it was done.  Meanwhile, Adelaide was washing dishes for me and Josiah was sampling real freshly baked bread from baker Adam.  I ended up folding the baked bread tonight after everyone was in bed.  It was a fun game that Elias created and great for his sensory needs--pulling, pushing, squishing, rolling, etc!

Sorry. my computer won't let me post the pictures.  I'll keep trying!  the server is rejecting all my pictures.  Don't know why!

First Week at Work

My first day on Wednesday.

 Aunti Jojo with her new charges.  She survived them...And, plans to be back next week.

This morning I had my first "real"  day of work.  I awoke at 5:45 and quietly snuck into the bathroom for a shower.  It was still so dark I couldn't even see in the hallway.  I dressed and then snuck downstairs to dry my hair so I wouldn't wake anyone.  I then packed an apple in my bag and brushed my teeth.  I realized my shoes, earrings, and collar were in the pitch black bedroom and I quietly put them on.  Josiah was sleeping on Adam's chest as he has had a cold all week.  I didn't want to wake either of them up.  I was out the door by 6:30 and quickly arrived at Redeemer by 7:00.  We had a said Rite I Eucharist at 7:45 followed by a quick turnaround of a 9:00 Eucharist Rite II.  At that service I led Children's Chapel.  After that service, which is the largest--around 250 people--we had a reception for my new colleague and me.  Finally, the morning was capped off with Choral Matins at 11:15.  When that liturgy was over I hopped into my car and was home just a little after 1pm.  I got to nurse Josiah and put him down for a nap.  I will head back in a few hours for the Episcopal Campus Ministry which meets from 5pm to 7pm.  So, it is a full and busy day--but that is no different than what Sundays consist of for clergy.

It's interesting to me that people keep saying how are you going to do it.  On the one hand, I understand their question: three small kids and work.  However, on the other hand I see it as a way of me using my time a bit differently than before.  On Sundays, I'm usually exhausted because I've been with the kids by myself for a whole extra work day--7 to 2.  Usually Adam is busy that whole time and the day to day functioning of getting teeth brushed and shoes on is my duty.  Then he comes home and is tired from work and I'm tired from "home."  Maybe my adrenaline is working right now, but I'm not tired.  I'm sure I will be tonight.  Luckily, Sundays will feel pretty consistent for the kids because their routine will not change much.  Both mom and dad will be home for the afternoon.  The one dramatic change is that I will miss dinnertime.  But, being a clergy family Sunday dinner has never been a real tradition for us.  So, we will just have to be intentional about making Monday night dinners special and plentiful. The major change will be on Wednesdays as I will not be here.  However, I think it may even be beneficial for Josiah because while Tom and Jerry are at preschool he will benefit from one on one attention.  Perhaps, he will learn to play peek-a-boo and Patty Cake instead of listening to light saber battles and renditions of Angelina Ballerina.

Upon coming home, I saw the notice about the Christmas Pageant.  I asked the kids if they would like to be in it again.  They both said, "Yes."  Addie wants to be an angel again and then I asked Elias who he would like to be.  Of course, our son of the clergy couple said, "Santa Claus."  Now that's something to remember.

Wisconsin sweatshirts

Two Badger kiddos--one born there and one being reminded of the cheesecurds and brats!

Any similarities?

Everyone keeps asking who Josiah looks like.  I don't think he looks much like Elias did at this age.  Perhaps, he looks a little bit like his sister.  Here they both are at about the same age.

Is it Too Much to Ask?

We tried to get one whole picture of our family with everybody smiling.  Then we tried to just get everybody looking at the camera.  This is all we got...Oh, well.  Maybe we won't do Christmas cards this year.

Caught the Spirit!

This past week for baby Josiah has been momentous.  We started off with a well check-up in which the nurse felt so badly I did not have a baby book with me that she made one for me--brought to us alll by Enfamil.  It now sits in my diaper bag with records of his weight and height from his birth--as well as all those important shots.  We found out that he had grown 2 and half inches since his four month check-up, but had not even put on a full pound.  (90% for height and 25% for weight). The doctor was unconcerned and told me he would definitely be walking by 10 months.  Well, Jed must have overheard him.  The next day he started crawling backwards.  Then a tooth popped through.  Moreover, he has started to wave to us.  The kicker, however, was he said Da-da.  Now I know marriage is a relationship in which we are supposed to delight in our spouse's joy...but really?  Da-da?  Of all three kids, this one has not been away from me a full day for the last 6 months.  Now I head of to work on Wednesday for the full day and could have truly accepted the Da-da, if it came later this week, as the guilt for leaving him behind.  But, I have been dutifully by his side for these days and nights.  He is still smiley and sweet and everybody says, "Does this kid ever get upset?"  I have to sheepishly respond, "Not really."

We also enjoyed a glorious baptismal weekend with godparents, grandparents, family, and friends.  Josiah loved his holy bath.  We are so proud of him, and we rejoice that he is now living wet.  Thanks be to God.

Just Because

The last few days have been busy with getting ready for company.  At times like this, I marvel at what other moms do so seamlessly.  It seems my mornings involve laundry, picking up from breakfast, a few phonecalls, and shuttling people back and forth to preschool.  And, of course, while all that is going on, I usually play with a baby, feed him, and get him down for a nap!  I also try to think about what needs to be done for dinner.  Then it's the lunch rush and lunch clean-up and sorting of all papers, collages, notices, bills, and lunchboxes that need attending to.  After that, I usually do a little dinner prep, such as chopping up butternut squash for a soup, or just checking to see that I have all the ingredients I need for the evening.  I might fold a load of laundry and then grab a break by doing email.  Then it's time to pick-up Elias from school on MWF or, if he's home, we might play a game, have a snack, and then go outside for a walk.  Soon, it's time for cooking, getting Eli to set the table, putting toys away from the afternoon, and eating.  After that one of us cleans up the kitchen and then the other puts the kids to bed.  But, then I always have Jed to put to bed because I am nursing him.  After that is done, I try to get things ready for the morning like checks ready for preschool or putting the diapers out for the service.  This is a pretty typical day.

Then when we have company I try to cook one extra thing each day so we'll have plenty over the weekend--today it was chocolate chip cookies and yesterday it was butternut squash soup.  I also fret about the state of my house.  In fact, if you walked into my house on any given day and you didn't look down, you might think this was a nice, neat, and organized house.  But, if your eyes went south you would find ground up Cheerios everywhere and pieces of Nerds candy in the strangest places.  I sweep the floor after every meal--and yet...In just two days, the floor is filthy and needs to be mopped.  This week I tried an experiment.  I promised myself it was OK to have a dirty floor.  I even told my kids that it was possible the Health Department might shut us down, but at least we'd have a little more free time.  I made it until last night and broke down and mopped the floor because I was afraid some kind of mold might develop and attack us in our sleep.

And so, I hired a cleaning person to come tomorrow.  I feel ambivalent about not being able to do it all.  I feel guilty that other people do have to do it all.  But, I finally put my finger on something that I feel.  My job feels like it is never done.  By having a woman come and clean 2/3 of my house tomorrow, I will be done--at least for one day.  I know the tubs will be scrubbed, the toilets cleaned, and the floors mopped and vacuumed.  I scurried around tonight making sure all the laundry was put away from the week, all the toys were neatly organized, and all the paperwork was in place.  I know this is a treat for me, but I also know it will give me a sense of completion--even if for but a few hours.  I also know I would rather have a new house than new clothes or make-up or fancy hair.  So, I will gladly put my new earnings as a working woman, always working whether at home or at work, towards a once a month extravaganza of a clean and tidy house.  Get out the Clorox!  Let the good times roll.

Mama's Back at the Altar

Church of the Redeemer Calls New Clergy

After several months of search and interviews
with candidates, two clergy will be
joining the staff this month. The Rev.
Beth Hixon has accepted the position of
Associate Rector and the Rev. Melissa
Wilcox will be Assistant Rector. Both
will begin with us on November 15.

Melissa is returning to regular ministry
after taking four years away to be at
home to care for her children. She is
married to the Rev. Adam Kradel, who
is currently the rector of Christ Church,
Media. Melissa’s experience in campus
ministry and her work as coordinator
of youth ministry in Tanzania aligns well
with our own efforts in mission and in
our hope to build a strong program in
youth formation that effectively leads
from middle school all the way through
college. Melissa will also be our clergy
liaison to Episcopal Campus Ministry
(ECM), which at present serves students
at Haverford and Bryn Mawr colleges.
Her position will be part-time, and she
will be here all day on Sundays and
Wednesdays, with other hours scheduled
more flexibly.
Both Beth and Melissa will be active in
the liturgical work of the parish, and
their contributions will be especially
welcome in the worship that is most
central to our common life. I look
forward to their collegial participation
and their assistance in making the Church
of the Redeemer an evermore vibrant
parish and a place of solace, hope, and
transformation for the greater
community.

For more information on the parish and the call check out http://www.theredeemer.org/

Bill Clinton makes a House Call