It's been quite a long time since I've last blogged. I'm full of excuses always. I started this blog three years ago in an attempt to document our homeschooling journey. Isabelle at age 5 was starting kindergarten, and Melina was a delightful toddler. Then a surprise pregnancy halfway through that school year, a new baby at the start of 1st grade, and now here I am with a 3rd grader and a pre-K-er with an almost 2-year-old toddler in the mix.
I originally planned to start our new school year the day after Labor Day, but both older girls were excited about their new curriculum and wished to start this week, so we began yesterday. Since they were eager I figured I'd best grab that enthusiasm before it went away.
Wow, I'm exhausted. Two days of doing school while chasing a toddler (and Melina too for that matter), and I'm wondering how I'm going to make it through this year. But it will get better, we'll get our routine down (the TV wasn't turned on once I'm proud to say). Today was the first day of CHER (Christian Home Educators of Ridgecrest) homeschool classes. Isabelle is taking Orderliness of Science and Hebrew, and Melina is taking Art. They'll continue in these weekly classes until end of November and then resume again end of January.
Melina got upset with me this morning when I asked her to change the dress she was wearing (her favorite sundress, a size too big, and falling off the shoulders). This prompted her to not want to attend her art class, so she hung out with me in Isabelle's classes (I was Mom's helper--glad to have that over with, now I can drop Isabelle off the rest of the semester and pick her up at 2). I'm Mom's helper in Melina's art class next week, so I know she'll attend then, and then hopefully she'll be willing to go to class so we can get our money's worth.
After class, the afternoon really didn't get much better with Melina, lots of yelling and screaming (we've really been working on trying to get her to use her words instead of scream or yell), lots of kicking Michaela, just not easy to get along with, very disagreeable, bath did not go well, finally she was asleep after 7:30. I think it's the age-FOUR. I remember doing a lot of praying for Isabelle when she was 4--I really struggled with that age, now here we go again. Yay, 4-year-olds!!! Ugh!! Although I'm sure when I'm dealing with a 13-year-old or a 16-year-old, or whatever teen year, I'll be thinking that age 4 was nothing! :)
This past weekend we just got back from a 10-day camping trip in Mammoth with our new trailer. So much room compared to our old small Cabana, but I loved that trailer. It was our first one, and we have lots of memories of camping in it. Our Weekend Warrior is great too, especially lots of sleeping room--gotta love that!
Okay, this blog post was just some random thoughts to get down in hopes that I'll start documenting our journey again (I hesitate to say "writing" because I really struggle with writing--I never know what to say and I feel I don't express myself well at all).
Here's to a new school year!! I try to always tell myself to find the joy in it all!
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
The Tender Heart of a 2-Year-Old
I awoke this morning to the sound of Jeff helping Melina in the bathroom. She was quite chatty as she can usually be this early in the morning. Jeff asked about an owie she had on some part of her body. She told him about it and then said "yes, Daddy, just like Rodney--he had too many owies so he is now with Jesus."
Oh, how that touched my heart. Nearly 4 months later, our 2-year-old still brings up the precious memory of our beloved dog. May you keep that with you always, sweet baby girl!
Thank you, dear Lord, for this wonderful moment today!
Oh, how that touched my heart. Nearly 4 months later, our 2-year-old still brings up the precious memory of our beloved dog. May you keep that with you always, sweet baby girl!
Thank you, dear Lord, for this wonderful moment today!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Embracing
More on enjoying my children:
I have been reading this blog for a couple of years. Elizabeth is a Catholic homeschooling mom of 9 children, a writer, and she is one of my inspirations to be a better mother. Recently she has been sharing some columns she wrote that date back 10+ years, back to when she was a young wife and mother. Today she posted a column she wrote in 1996, when she had just 3 children, had just moved into a new home, and had so many things to cross off her to-do list. She asked her sister-in-law for advice regarding her clingy toddler and this is what she told Elizabeth:
"Embrace him. He is empty and unsure of your permanence, for whatever reason, and the more you resist, the more unsure he gets. The more unsure he gets, the more he will cling. Embrace him every time he wants you to, for as long as he wants you to. Don't let go until he does. Eventually he will."
Oh my how this advice spoke to me today. I've been contemplating my weekend these past couple of days, what we did, etc., which is mainly what we didn't do. I will complain to Jeff that "all I did today was hold and nurse a baby, clean up messes, make meals, tame fighting siblings, and so on." I always think I feel so much better about myself if I accomplished something really big--cleaning the house or planting flowers or taking a day trip or simply crossing things off my list--some big obstacle I could tackle--not nursing and nursing a baby and toddler or doing the other countless mundane tasks. Michaela is almost 8 months old--a happy and fun baby stage, but also so demanding and tiring. Separation anxiety, so developmentally normal, seems to be peaking for her, and it makes me so very frustrated at times when I crave solitude.
But...
I AM accomplishing something really big--I am caring for my children, my three precious gifts from God, our beautiful healthy girls. I am loving and holding and hugging and nursing that precious soon-to-crawl baby girl who thinks I am the best thing in her world. She whimpers when I am out of her sight for even a second now, but in time that's not how it will be. This is her time. I need to embrace my little girl and give her what she needs--I will have so much time in the upcoming years to cross things off my to-do list, and I'm sure at that point I'll long to cuddle a baby in my arms and walk the house performing my daily duties with her on my hip or in the sling. And as such, she beckons with her cry from our bed. And so I go to her to give her the love and comfort she needs--and probably some mama milk too :)
I have been reading this blog for a couple of years. Elizabeth is a Catholic homeschooling mom of 9 children, a writer, and she is one of my inspirations to be a better mother. Recently she has been sharing some columns she wrote that date back 10+ years, back to when she was a young wife and mother. Today she posted a column she wrote in 1996, when she had just 3 children, had just moved into a new home, and had so many things to cross off her to-do list. She asked her sister-in-law for advice regarding her clingy toddler and this is what she told Elizabeth:
"Embrace him. He is empty and unsure of your permanence, for whatever reason, and the more you resist, the more unsure he gets. The more unsure he gets, the more he will cling. Embrace him every time he wants you to, for as long as he wants you to. Don't let go until he does. Eventually he will."
Oh my how this advice spoke to me today. I've been contemplating my weekend these past couple of days, what we did, etc., which is mainly what we didn't do. I will complain to Jeff that "all I did today was hold and nurse a baby, clean up messes, make meals, tame fighting siblings, and so on." I always think I feel so much better about myself if I accomplished something really big--cleaning the house or planting flowers or taking a day trip or simply crossing things off my list--some big obstacle I could tackle--not nursing and nursing a baby and toddler or doing the other countless mundane tasks. Michaela is almost 8 months old--a happy and fun baby stage, but also so demanding and tiring. Separation anxiety, so developmentally normal, seems to be peaking for her, and it makes me so very frustrated at times when I crave solitude.
But...
I AM accomplishing something really big--I am caring for my children, my three precious gifts from God, our beautiful healthy girls. I am loving and holding and hugging and nursing that precious soon-to-crawl baby girl who thinks I am the best thing in her world. She whimpers when I am out of her sight for even a second now, but in time that's not how it will be. This is her time. I need to embrace my little girl and give her what she needs--I will have so much time in the upcoming years to cross things off my to-do list, and I'm sure at that point I'll long to cuddle a baby in my arms and walk the house performing my daily duties with her on my hip or in the sling. And as such, she beckons with her cry from our bed. And so I go to her to give her the love and comfort she needs--and probably some mama milk too :)
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Something to Remember--The Little Things
Because I've been struggling lately with caring for three children, I've been reminded to enjoy this time and to find the little things to find joy about. This is one of my constant prayers, and so hard to do sometimes, and I feel it would be good to try and document these moments; here's what happened this evening:
Jeff left early yesterday AM on travel. He is such a tremendous help to me in the evening, holding Michaela, entertaining Melina, talking to Isabelle--basically whatever I need him to do--that I knew the evenings would be rough and I would need things to change the monotony of our day while he was gone. The Truesdales (God Bless you Kathy!) met us at the park for a picnic dinner and to play. While winding things up, I was holding Michaela and pushing Melina in the swing. Michaela was laughing at the fun Melina was having. I quickly put the thought of germs and who knows what else aside and put Michaela in the swing next to her. Melina wanted out of her swing and started to push Michaela. They both laughed and laughed. Melina would gently push Michaela, Michaela would giggle and laugh, followed by Melina, just this simple, heartfelt, true, living-in-the-moment laughter. Over and over. No camera, but in my mind I said, thank you God for this moment--let me remember it always. And in the background, I can hear Isabelle laughing with her friend Riley as they ran through the grass playing. What a moment dear Jesus, and I thank you so much for that!
Jeff left early yesterday AM on travel. He is such a tremendous help to me in the evening, holding Michaela, entertaining Melina, talking to Isabelle--basically whatever I need him to do--that I knew the evenings would be rough and I would need things to change the monotony of our day while he was gone. The Truesdales (God Bless you Kathy!) met us at the park for a picnic dinner and to play. While winding things up, I was holding Michaela and pushing Melina in the swing. Michaela was laughing at the fun Melina was having. I quickly put the thought of germs and who knows what else aside and put Michaela in the swing next to her. Melina wanted out of her swing and started to push Michaela. They both laughed and laughed. Melina would gently push Michaela, Michaela would giggle and laugh, followed by Melina, just this simple, heartfelt, true, living-in-the-moment laughter. Over and over. No camera, but in my mind I said, thank you God for this moment--let me remember it always. And in the background, I can hear Isabelle laughing with her friend Riley as they ran through the grass playing. What a moment dear Jesus, and I thank you so much for that!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Random Pictures Since Michaela Was Born (Post #2)
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| Michaela's first trip to Grass Valley to visit Grandma and Grandpa Morgan |
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| Cousins | Fun With Fall Leaves |
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| sweet sleeping babe | Daddy and his girls |
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| youngest Morgan girls awake at dawn and hanging out on the couch together |
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| Sisters! | Halloween Pumpkin! |
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| another "sisters" shot | Melina helping Daddy |
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Random Pictures Since Michaela Was Born (Post #1)
Okay, I've been fooling around with HTML for a few days now; I'm posting this now before I mess it up!
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| Bulbs Before (Oct 2009) | Bulbs After--Now Pretty Flowers! (March 2010) |
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| short hike 5 days after Michaela's birth | all 3 girls in the 4-Runner for the 1st time! |
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| New quilt from Grandma Morgan | Wearing "sisters" shirts! |
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| Aunt Mary T. with Michaela | Aunt Connie with Michaela |
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| Sweet sisters! | 1 day old |
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| Halloween Baby! | Fun with Halloween! |
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Rodney
On February 24, 2010, we put our beloved friend and companion, our 10-year-old golden retriever, Rodney, to sleep. He had battled arthritis and presumed hip dysplasia for many years, and was on heavy pain meds. He endured major surgery 3 years ago to remove a benign lipoma from his side, and had many, many more lipomas on his body, including one very large one on his neck that was beginning to interfere with his sleeping and eating.
As difficult a decision as it was, we finally agreed that it was time, and our wonderful vet, Dr. Talbot, came to our house and put him to sleep. We gave Isabelle the choice of staying here or leaving. She chose to not stay, so Jeff and our dear friend Wallace held him while Dr. Talbot administered the injection. Jeff and Wallace buried him in the desert lot across from our house, where he chased many, many a tennis ball, his absolute favorite activity! In fact, we buried his tennis balls with him!
May you rest in peace, dear boy, and we will all see you again someday! We love you always! You were such a good boy!
Rodney and his "sisters" on his last day. I took him out on a hike that morning also; he was tired but he had been very happy to do something he hadn't done in so long because of his arthritis.
As difficult a decision as it was, we finally agreed that it was time, and our wonderful vet, Dr. Talbot, came to our house and put him to sleep. We gave Isabelle the choice of staying here or leaving. She chose to not stay, so Jeff and our dear friend Wallace held him while Dr. Talbot administered the injection. Jeff and Wallace buried him in the desert lot across from our house, where he chased many, many a tennis ball, his absolute favorite activity! In fact, we buried his tennis balls with him!
May you rest in peace, dear boy, and we will all see you again someday! We love you always! You were such a good boy!
Rodney and his "sisters" on his last day. I took him out on a hike that morning also; he was tired but he had been very happy to do something he hadn't done in so long because of his arthritis.
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