One year with precious Joseph

We celebrated Joseph's first birthday tonight. The kids insisted on staying up until 7:53pm to celebrate his 'real' birthday. I recounted the story of his birth beginning with my water breaking while lying on the couch. Jacob's face took on a real look of confusion at the mention of water breaking but I carried on with the story. However, I paused in my narration when Jacob placed his hand on my arm to indicate that he had a question.

"Yes, Jacob?"

"Did you get in trouble?"

"Get in trouble? For what?"

"When you broke the glass at the hospital."

"Huh? I didn't break a glass."

"But, you broke the water."

Out of the mouths of babes.

Anyway, Joseph was as surprised as any child on his first birthday when presented with a flaming chocolate cake approaching him accompanied by singing. But, he literally rose to the occasion and crawled out of his high chair and onto his tray. Way to go, little boy. Your name means "God adds to the family" and you certainly have done just that. We love you.

N.B. The candles spell Jo.

New Follower

Sr. I, are you hiding behind Sr. Teresa? If so, here's a picture of your godson.

Out flu enza

I hope I'm not jumping the gun, but I think that I can see the finish line in this marathon of sickness that we've been running. I haven't recorded a fever since the a.m. and, despite one weeping eye, the baby is smiling again. Hopefully he'll make a fabulous recovery for his birthday tomorrow. I've told him that he has under 24 hours to get this walking thing down but he responds that his flu bug really through him for a loop and he is, literally, just getting back on his feet. Jacob is excited to still hold the walking record although, to his credit, he didn't resort to any down and dirty tricks to stop the ambulatory abilities of his youngest bro.
In other news, we got snow tires. Avalanche tires, to be exact. Dave is very excited at his first set of seasonal tires. He was even more excited that the evening of the installation we had both a snowstorm and a reason to venture out onto the unploughed roads. I thought that I had strep throat which necessitated a trip to the Emerg for a quick test. Thus, Dave warmed up the van and readied himself to experience the safety of his Avalanche. There were few cars on the road and Dave, exhilarated by the tread below him, practised emergency stops on the Wilno hills. (He will deny this.) Funny that after four kids a 20 minute drive to the ER can actually become an opportunity for a date! On the way back, after a negative test, we drove slowly through the Wilno hills which are spectacularly beautiful at all times of the year. However, there is a particular beauty provided by snow and moonlight. I noticed some movement and Dave slowed as two deer were standing on the side of the road. A buck with a 12-point rack (don't I sound like I know what I'm talking about) and a doe stood motionless on the shoulder and watched as we drove by. What an incredible sight to see and how privileged we were to witness it. I couldn't help but think that they were on a date night celebrating the end of deer season, "Here's to another year, dear."

Baby Cowboys

Jacob, Hannah, Ben and Joe have a new baby cousin. This newest addition is their second first cousin, another baby cowboy. Rhett will no longer be riding the range solo, no, Baby Jasper Clive will soon be ponying up. Dave is still getting his mouth around the name but Rhett has become common parlance around here and I'm sure that Jasper will too. Jasper is a variant of Caspar (of the Three Wise Men) and Clive is a tribute to C.S. Lewis (who, I am sure, is a saint). I hope that Rebecca and Nathan don't mind that I just introduced their newest babe but I'm excited to be an aunt for the second time. I only hope that one day I can meet these kids! After all, Aunt Elenas have a way of becoming distant and unknown entities...

And in flu enza

We're still doing this in varying degrees of severity. Sigh.

A new place

Here's Joe in yet another spot.

A winter's day-ay-ay in a deep and dark November

These pictures are in the wrong chronological order, however, they still tell the story of a winter that has definitely arrived. Dave took the kids for a Sunday afternoon hike through the pine plantation while I enjoyed a quiet house for an hour.

What's a mommy to do?

I am constantly amazed at how different each of our children is. Benjamin at 2.5 yrs old has never once tried to get out of his crib. He either lies down or sits and waits for someone to get him out in the morning. Jacob was crawling out of his crib at around 1.5 yrs old. Hannah, despite my efforts, learned the trick from her twin but was careful to keep it in check depending on the mood of her mother. Joseph, on the other hand, is already positioning his leg to try and propel himself out of his bed. The above pictures are only two of the many places that I have found him. I must note that he has had no assistance climbing onto the chair, the deacon's bench or the shelf. I have actually witnessed him move pillows, rocking horses and other aids to help him reach his climbing goals. I am glad that he is the fourth child and not our first. I commented to Dave the other day that our children seem to be bookended by two very similar personalities - it must be the hair. Dave replied that he was also quite physically precocious and that we get paid back for how we were as babies. True, true: yet, by all reports, I was pretty sedentary and it seems to me that I'm the one who's getting paid back.

St. Nicholas Baking

I have never particularly enjoyed baking with the kids. My dislike for this activity mostly has to do with the clean-up. I can't stand overseeing four children of all ages in the midst of flour, broken eggs and various liquids. However, I have always felt slightly guilty that I haven't tried hard enough to introduce them to the kitchen and the joys of cooking. Therefore, I have been trying harder lately and I have enlisted some heavenly companions to help me face a kitchen full of budding chefs. My first celestial buddy is St. Nicholas. His feast day is fast approaching (Dec. 6) and he also happens to be Benjamin's patron saint. So, I decided that I better test the gingerbread recipe before leaving it in the kids' empty boots on the morning of the feast day. The test run was necessary as I am quite a good cook but my baking has been notoriously inedible. Dave usually asks guests to bring the dessert! Nevertheless, all went well and I didn't find cookies hidden under plates or napkins.

Joseph was the trickiest variable. As always, he insisted that he had to be fully engaged in the activity. The floor would not satisfy this 11-month old. I tried the backpack carrier but he came precariously close to falling out as he strained to watch what was going on in front of Mommy. He eventually came to rest in the booster seat with a pile of flour to play with. Jacob and Hannah moved from cookies to some sort of science experiment (their expression) which I later found hardened on the bathroom sink. Benjamin spent the entire time making a mountain out of flour on the table. I was happiest when it was all cleaned up. They asked me the next day if we could bake again. I told them that I needed some time... Enjoy the pictures.

Flu Season

The blogging has been a little slow lately because J and H are both recovering from strep throat. The kids have been extraordinarily healthy as of late but last month we ran out of cod liver oil and our supplier didn't have any on their shelves. Therefore, we lost out on a month's worth of immune boosting and the kids have been home from school for a week. I have been taking pictures during this time so here is one of Joseph in his favourite spot, the pot drawer. More writing and pictures later.

Boys, Business Attire and Buses

The stomach flu has hit our house. So far only little Hannah has undergone the throes of tummy pain but I would be surprised if the rest of us escape unscathed. Jacob is still in fine form and always raring to get to school. His latest gig has been several attempts to wear a shirt and tie to senior kindergarten. He insists that he wouldn't look strange to the other students. I am torn between letting him wear business attire to class and encouraging conformity. I tried to reason that the tie could perhaps become a strangulation hazard. He told me dejectedly that he really wished that he could wear a tie everyday. I countered with the Grandpa Nick (his hero) strategy: "Grandpa never wears a tie, he doesn't like them." I can't believe I am championing my father's wardrobe! In fact, I then said: "Grandpa would probably like to wear pajamas to school." Uh oh, I then saw a new glint in Jacob's eyes. Anyway, we compromised with a striped dress shirt and he headed off to wait for the bus looking pretty dapper. As usual, I followed him out wearing my PJs which I attempt to cover with various winter apparel. Nevertheless, I am sure that the bus driver has realised that my red plaid pants are not part of my ready-to-wear collection. Well, as we waited and felt the anticipation of the imminent arrival of
Mrs. Bielaskie (sp?) (yes, their bus driver is Polish and yes, she was Dave's bus driver), Dave got ready to pull out of the driveway. We opened the gate for him and the bus flew past our house with a wave from Mrs. B. What? Dave rolled down the window and said, "Mrs. B's never wrong. That boy doesn't have school." (Well, he didn't quite say it so hillbilly, I just like the way that sounded.) I ran into the house to check the calendar. Mrs. B is never wrong, but Mommy sure is. At least one of us is dressed for the day.

The Gift of Siblings

This post has been floating around in my brain for a while and perhaps the morning after a bad night's sleep (sleep, what sleep?) does not promise eloquence, however, I'm going to commit these thoughts to the blogosphere.
I have been thinking a lot about the incredible gift of siblings lately. A lot of this thought is the result of simply observing my own children and their interactions as well as people's reactions to them. Dave and I have often commented that neither of us know what it is like to be part of a group of four children so close in age. Our children are experiencing childhood in a very different way than either of us did and they have so much to teach their parents. I frequently wonder what their relationships will be like as they grow older, "Will J like B? Will H rebel as the mother hen?" A good friend of mine from a family of seven kids said, "In a big family, you have your choice of who to be friends with and that changes depending on what stage you find yourself in. It's a gift."
The fruit of sibling relations might come early or it might only develop later in life as we take on new roles or enter into our particular vocations. This is especially true of me and my sister Rebecca. Through much of our lives we didn't have much in common and often butted heads over major issues and family relations. However, marriage and motherhood changed all that. Who knew that my older sister would become one of my biggest supporters, one of the only people who always seems to understand and have the right word of wisdom or reassurance even though we haven't seen eachother in almost 4 years?
I hope that my children will benefit from such relationships as they grow older. I have faith that they will and that they will find some of their deepest friendships within their own family. They are a blessing to eachother, to us and to others. Each new child is a gift to the family, not just to Mom and Dad but to each brother and sister.
I was especially struck by this truth last weekend when we spent the better part of Saturday morning selling our car to a newly-immigrated couple from Jamaica. They had a beautiful little 18-month old girl and were pretty firmly resolved to have no more. The first time we met them we had the two youngest with us, but on our second meeting we brought the whole crew. We spent a good deal of time together as negotiating price, changing ownership, plates and so on can take up a fair chunk of the day. So, there we were in the Ministry of Transportation with 5 children under 6 trying to stay quiet. (I couldn't help thinking that Dave and I looked like Angelie Jolie and Brad Pitt!) Their daughter was quickly assimilated by our children and fit neatly between Ben and Joe. I could see both of her parents watching the interactions closely. When we parted, the mother said, "Maybe our daughter needs a sibling. Look at the way they play together. Maybe we shouldn't have met you guys!" Who knows? I told her that I hoped they would soon have more than one car seat in their vehicle. I pray that they do.
As I write this, the three oldest are in the basement playing some game devised by Hannah, detailed by Jacob, and followed by Ben. Little Joe is sitting at the gate at the top of the stairs teetering on the edge of the transition between wanting to be with Mommy and wanting to play with his sibs. How blessed he is to have three older children who will soon usher him into their world and who so exuberantly and exemplarly welcomed him into all of our lives.
I better go though, I hear screaming!

Fatigue

You know you're tired when your daughter creates a structure out of dominoes and you comment, "Wow, that looks like the Tower of Eiffel." You then spend the next few minutes wondering why the Tower of Eiffel doesn't quite sound right.

Room with a View

Last week we enjoyed unseasonably warm weather for the first week of November. I ran in a

t-shirt and shorts, the kids refused their coats and the dog's water didn't freeze. I took advantage of the weather to stay outside and take some pictures of the view from the House of Diminished Circumstances. As you can see, the aspect from this house is anything but diminished. Rather, the proximity to the mountain is breathtaking and the cows out the kitchen window are a welcome distraction to an intransigent two year old. So, I've included a few shots of the landscape that surrounds our four walls. Enjoy!

The Determinator

Dave and I both agree that never have we had a baby with so much determination. Joseph has hit all of his physical milestones earlier than the others and continues to exceed our expectations. Perhaps this has something to do with being the fourth child and copying older siblings. However, we prefer to believe that he has an innate sense of determination that makes this baby the Determinator. Just look at the pictures of our 11-month old. (Double click on the first picture to check out the look of concentration on Joseph's face.)

Comments

My wonderful Texan sister informed me that one could not leave a comment on the blog unless one had a google blogger account. The problem has been resolved and comments can now be added without signing up for a google account.

Hallowe'en Montage

Here is the long promised Hallowe'en series complete with the night before pictures, going to school pictures and photos of the big night. (OK, they're in the wrong order...)

Stickin' close to God

Pictures of Hallowe'en are coming but I thought I would post these two funny incidents before I forget them. The first happened on Hallowe'en night as we trick or treated which, by the way, is very strange in the country. One covers around ten kilometres worth of road and knocks on only 5 or 6 doors. People also don't light jack-o-lanterns up here so it's a bit of a guessing game as to who is doling out the sweet stuff. Is there a homeowner hiding behind that curtain? Anyway, as we drove from house to house, Jacob and Hannah quickly learned that their mommy really likes cheesy chips (Doritos). How did they discern this? After their first few stops, I was hitting them up for anything that smelled remotely orange and MSG-filled. We continued to trick or treat with our second last stop being Dave's principal's farm. Said principal brought us into his kitchen and showed the kids his table of goodies. Jacob mustered his gusto and said, "Our mom really likes cheesy chips. Could we take a few bags of them?" What could I say? Not much.
The second incident happened today at mass. Dave had removed youngest son to the back of the church as the pew was becoming a jungle gym. Therefore, I was left with the three oldest who really are not a handful at church. However, the moment we began to sing the Holy, Holy, Holy and lift our eyes heavenward, my eyes were drawn downward to a little hand holding a tube of white school glue. "What?", thought I. A certain little girls' eyes looked up at me and said, "I found it in Jacob's jacket. "Oh." I rooted through the pockets of the jackets of both offenders to make sure that the pockets weren't filled with the offending white goop. Upon discovering that the pockets were clean, I noticed glue on only daughter's new winter coat as well as eldest son's hood. With a quick, "Pass me the wipes now, Hannah," I proceeded to wipe down the coats so that I wouldn't have to face dried glue at the end of mass. I'm proud to say that I did this all while on my knees and with the jackets successfully hidden in front of my body. Of course, my mind was not fully participating in the celebration of the mass but, as we parents know, sticking close to God is found in the small stuff. Happy All Souls Day.