We decided to give Owen a go at one day of preschool per week this fall, and I just dropped him off this morning. He has certainly stayed in nursery/childcare settings before in churches (where I'm in the building too), but I have to say it is a WEIRD feeling to have him 10 minutes drive away for 3 whole hours!! I know that sounds really silly, but we've been pretty much attached at the hip since birth, what can I say. He was NOT excited when it was time for me to leave, and started throwing a fit. But he did calm down before he got going (it took a bit of a bribe from me whispered in his ear), and I was able to say goodbye without too much incident. I hope that's the worst of it, and he ends up loving it. The teachers seem great, and the room was wonderful, just the right amount of enticing visuals without being overwhelming, and very orderly. I can't wait for noon to see how it went!
Update: He loved it!!! Great teachers, great setting, he had tons of fun and now wants to go every day. I love that moment when he saw me and yelled MOMMY and came running for a hug. May he do it when he's 18. ;)
Monday, September 13, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Do you hear what I hear?
One more note after Owen's bedtime. I put Owen in bed tonight after our talking time (I think this boy's love language is quality time/conversation. He comes to life when I spend dedicated time rocking and talking to him about life and how much I love him, how things work, concepts about God, memories of our day and what was good and what could be better tomorrow, etc. I love those sweet sessions. I tell him he is my favorite Owen and I will always, always love him, and he gives me a big kiss on the lips, and pats my arm and says, 'I love you so much too mommy. You are my special mommy.' Melt.). After a bit of a struggle and the normal resistance to turning in, he gave in and laid down, then giggled and said, 'Sometimes the rocking chair talks to me.' What???, say I. Owen continues, 'Sometimes it says, 'Rock to market. Rock to market. Rock to market.' I say, 'Oh, you mean when it creaks?' 'Yeah! It says that to me.'
Reuel and Owen go biking together now and then...last couple nights they've driven to a big, safe cul-de-sac down the road and had some long, fun rides. Reuel told me (after I told him the above story) that Owen tells him, 'Daddy, when I'm riding, my bike makes music!'
Reuel and Owen go biking together now and then...last couple nights they've driven to a big, safe cul-de-sac down the road and had some long, fun rides. Reuel told me (after I told him the above story) that Owen tells him, 'Daddy, when I'm riding, my bike makes music!'
New England boy
I can tell you one thing Reuel and I didn't know how to do at the ripe old age of three...how to eat a lobster. Owen got his first lobster-picking lesson today and he thought it was quite fun. At 4.99 a pound (and that's not the lowest the price has been), it hardly deserves the status of a treat at the moment. I was struggling with exactly how to answer all his questions about the lobster being dead, and where the lobster's family lived (nothing like a kid's questions to make you reconsider the question of vegetarianism). I thought maybe Owen was feeling sad about the lobster, and then he wielded the meat pick and stabbed it through the shell repeatedly without a moment's hesitation. I guess I was the only one feeling tender toward the fellow. At one point, Owen was scared of the lobster's face, and I held it up so we could have a close look at it and see that it wasn't scary. Oh my gosh, it is scary!! It's like some horrible creature from The Matrix, but organic rather than mechanical, which makes it that much worse! Totally horror movie-worthy. I guess I've tried not to look too closely when eating lobster in the past. We started pulling the meat out from the tail:
Owen: Mommy, why doesn't the lobster have blood?
Me: Well, I'm not sure if lobsters have red blood like people do. But he's cooked and there's no blood right now, I guess.
Owen: [seeing the white meat] Oh, lobsters have chicken inside of them! I'm going to get you out all that chicken, Mommy. I didn't know lobsters were made out of chicken!
At the dinner table...
Reuel: Owen, do YOU want to try a bite of lobster meat?
Owen: No. I don't like it.
Reuel: Have you tried it? Green eggs and ham!
Me: You could just lick a piece first...
Owen: [Licking gingerly] I *DO* like it! Chomp, chomp.
Me: It's kind of sweet.
Owen: It's just like dessert! [Grabs handful of meat from bowl and runs over to me] Here mommy, try some!
Owen: Mommy, why doesn't the lobster have blood?
Me: Well, I'm not sure if lobsters have red blood like people do. But he's cooked and there's no blood right now, I guess.
Owen: [seeing the white meat] Oh, lobsters have chicken inside of them! I'm going to get you out all that chicken, Mommy. I didn't know lobsters were made out of chicken!
At the dinner table...
Reuel: Owen, do YOU want to try a bite of lobster meat?
Owen: No. I don't like it.
Reuel: Have you tried it? Green eggs and ham!
Me: You could just lick a piece first...
Owen: [Licking gingerly] I *DO* like it! Chomp, chomp.
Me: It's kind of sweet.
Owen: It's just like dessert! [Grabs handful of meat from bowl and runs over to me] Here mommy, try some!
As a final note, Asher was pretty willing to chomp down some cauliflower at supper tonight. When you dip it in flour, then egg, then panko crumbs, then deep fry it, it goes down pretty easy ;)
BOO!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Camping and [Not] Resting
Owen took a nice nap one day over Labor Day weekend, so we prepared for our mommy/son campout (these days when Owen catches a nap, he is up til 9pm+, so a nap was going to be essential so I didn't have to go to bed with him in broad daylight in a tent at 6:30)! The excitement was palpable!
We had campfire with the neighbors, hot dogs, smores and all. Asher went to bed. We got our books, our lanterns, our sleeping bags, topped up the air mattress and settled in for the night. Don't forget extra socks and sweatshirts just in case (overnight temp 49F).
Oh, we had such fun snuggling and reading and telling stories and looking up at the stars. Then, it was bedtime; we were both tired. Well, a tent and a mommy beside him were just too much for little O. He wouldn't lay down, and just kept saying, 'Mommy, I fink we need to go sweep in our bed now.' I tried many a turn of logic, a few appeals and lots of assurances of what fun it would be to stay in the tent. Nope. He would not be budged! Inside it was. Maybe next year we'll make it til morning ;)
In the meantime, the tent is was great fun as a playspace last week!
Well, nap time is almost nonexistent for Owen these days, but we do have an enforced rest time. Whoa, has it been a struggle...Owen doesn't relish being left in his room for an hour and a quarter with only books and a few toys. This week he got smart. Suddenly he stopped resisting me (well, not nearly as much) and in place of intermittent whining and clunking around, all I hear is complete silence. Any mom knows that the absence of sound is the presence of trouble. He is no longer in the field of my video monitor. I contemplate...to stop whatever mischief he's executing, or to relish a quiet, whine-less hour to myself, and to let him self-soothe and solve his boredom problem by finding something to do that excites him. I pick the latter. The result is that he has basically trashed his room every day this week. I haven't figured out what to do about this exactly. I've been hesitant to provide him interesting rest time activities in the past, because I actually hold on to the hope he might catch a nap if not overstimulated (which I really must give up on at this point)...so perhaps I need to start providing some non-room-trashing alternatives to keep him resting and in his room. That said, it has been hilarious to see what he's come up with. Yesterday I walked in to a very bright eyed and excited child who said with all sincerity, 'MOMMY! I climbed up on TOP of my dresser! Aren't you proud of me that I could do that??!' This is about a 4.5 ft. high dresser. Today...
Read: I am very proud of myself that I have removed every object from every closet in my room, and I am wearing entirely different clothes than I had on at the start of this little session!
What better use for a bag of polyfil pillow stuffing? Pull it out of the bag and onto the changing table in imagination-filled play in which stuffed bears eat it! Owen has a bear (the Baylor-colored bear that mommo sewed for Asher) that he is mommying as well as any 3 year old girl these days. The bear gets baths, eats pillow stuffing, and Owen wraps him in a blanket and sings ABCs to him before laying him down for naps in a portable file box and putting a kitchen towel over him for a blanket. When Owen found the bag of pillow stuffing, he brought it to me and said, "Mommy, I know what these letters on this bag say. They say: Bears are allowed to eat this fluff."
I wondered how the music coming over the monitor kept changing. I was afraid to find out. When I walked in, it became clear.
Granted, taking pictures of all of this does not send the message that the vandalism is frowned-upon, and may egg him on a bit. But I couldn't help myself. Won't I cherish the picture someday far more than one day's effort to curb such cuteness? He did, however, have to clean every bit of it up, which he was not excited about :}
We had campfire with the neighbors, hot dogs, smores and all. Asher went to bed. We got our books, our lanterns, our sleeping bags, topped up the air mattress and settled in for the night. Don't forget extra socks and sweatshirts just in case (overnight temp 49F).
Oh, we had such fun snuggling and reading and telling stories and looking up at the stars. Then, it was bedtime; we were both tired. Well, a tent and a mommy beside him were just too much for little O. He wouldn't lay down, and just kept saying, 'Mommy, I fink we need to go sweep in our bed now.' I tried many a turn of logic, a few appeals and lots of assurances of what fun it would be to stay in the tent. Nope. He would not be budged! Inside it was. Maybe next year we'll make it til morning ;)
In the meantime, the tent is was great fun as a playspace last week!
Well, nap time is almost nonexistent for Owen these days, but we do have an enforced rest time. Whoa, has it been a struggle...Owen doesn't relish being left in his room for an hour and a quarter with only books and a few toys. This week he got smart. Suddenly he stopped resisting me (well, not nearly as much) and in place of intermittent whining and clunking around, all I hear is complete silence. Any mom knows that the absence of sound is the presence of trouble. He is no longer in the field of my video monitor. I contemplate...to stop whatever mischief he's executing, or to relish a quiet, whine-less hour to myself, and to let him self-soothe and solve his boredom problem by finding something to do that excites him. I pick the latter. The result is that he has basically trashed his room every day this week. I haven't figured out what to do about this exactly. I've been hesitant to provide him interesting rest time activities in the past, because I actually hold on to the hope he might catch a nap if not overstimulated (which I really must give up on at this point)...so perhaps I need to start providing some non-room-trashing alternatives to keep him resting and in his room. That said, it has been hilarious to see what he's come up with. Yesterday I walked in to a very bright eyed and excited child who said with all sincerity, 'MOMMY! I climbed up on TOP of my dresser! Aren't you proud of me that I could do that??!' This is about a 4.5 ft. high dresser. Today...
Granted, taking pictures of all of this does not send the message that the vandalism is frowned-upon, and may egg him on a bit. But I couldn't help myself. Won't I cherish the picture someday far more than one day's effort to curb such cuteness? He did, however, have to clean every bit of it up, which he was not excited about :}
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Minivan
I'm waiting.
The thing that has definitely been wonderful so far is that we were able to bring home a load of 10' 2x4s last week without any trouble. That was nice! But as far as more convenient with the kids, etc. I guess I don't see it yet. Yes, the sliding doors are nice, but I'm not sure if that one plus outweighs the minuses of feeling like I'm driving a BUS, being very far away from the kids, and them being far away from each other because the thing is so BIG, a much more scratchable exterior vs. my rugged plastic-bumpered-on-all-4-sides CRV (which I previously used as a gate at the edge of the hilly driveway), and a trunk door so enormously large and heavy it is hard to close one-handed. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. It is a beautiful vehicle (and has seat warmers...um, awesome). And now we can tote around visiting family and kids all together, which is beyond great. I'm just saying that I'm not really sold on it as such a significant help in my day-to-day normal life. Maybe it will just take some more time to grow on me ;)
As far as Reuel the daredevil...well, we were scheduled to leave for family camp on Wednesday at noon. Reuel went to the dealership where we saw the car online, and bought it on Monday night at closing time. All of Tuesday and Wednesday morning was spent in frustrating attempts to wire money from our account to pay for the car (isn't it odd that it is harder to get people your money than to take a loan of their money?). The status of the transaction at camp departure time on Wednesday was that the money had been successfully wired, but could take unpredictable hours to clear the federal reserve and land in the dealership's bank account. No big deal, I packed our other car and insisted that we leave for Maine!! Reuel, however, really wanted to finish this thing, and pick up the car. Mind you, the suburb where he bought it was 1 hour's drive in the opposite direction of Maine. So, I'm thinking...add 2 hours of driving time to our already 3 hour trip to Maine with non-driving-loving kids, and potentially walk away with no minivan? No WAY!! I submitted to my husband. (Take note, that is not always my strong suit, and I did admirably well that day.)
We drive up to the dealership and nope, the money is not here yet! Reuel chats with the salesman while the kids run around and convinces him to go check again. 10 minutes later he's back, and the money has just arrived. Registration, quick inspection, and we drive to Maine with room to spare (the Mazda was packed to the gills).
This is really not that fantastic of a story, but it shares a little of my husband's modus operandi, and how things seem to work out for him. He was really very brave, potentially having to deal with 2 whiny kids and a whiny wife who drove 2 hours out of the way for nothing, and who would've had to return shortly after camp to retrieve the van.
Now we have a very old, very falling apart CRV to try to sell, that we not-so-smartly put too much money into repairing recently. Hope someone wants to buy it.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Offline
Barely a moment's pause lately to record happenings...here are some headlines...
Swint family throws off all remaining hints of pre-children life and succumbs to a minivan (and reluctant female driver is now trying not to cry)
Great minivan acquisition takes place and is pulled off within seconds of deadline for family camp departure due to husband's ability to laugh at risk in the face (more story to come)
Upon return from family camp, Swints fear they have been hosed by a used car dealer.
No, the oil cap was just loose and that's why there was a puddle of oil in your driveway. Indeed, the van is in perfect shape.
Family camp is 100% blast, all Swints sad to return home to normal life.
Youngest Swint charms masses by busting out his best dance moves...with vigor...during family camp song time. Youngest Swint also baptized in Echo Lake, Maine!
Blonder Swint attempts to charm ladies (usually 1-2 years older than himself) by forcibly holding their hands during various family camp events. When denied this pleasure, grabbing them around the wrists and holding on for dear life suffices.
Unthinkingest Swint (aka Mommy) makes giant blunder by buying tent today and promising yard campout with son on night of tropical weather likely to hit. Extensive disappointment on horizon.
Mommy gets record 21 mosquito bites on foot while unloading van after arriving home. Night of 1.25 hours sleep...THAT'S IT!!!...follows. Ick.
Well, that's just a taste of what we've been up to. I'll put some pix below. Turns out we took hardly any pictures during camp. Most of what we have are from the daily family small group meetings where we reenacted various Bible stories and made comic strips out of the pictures (the year's theme was superheroes of the Bible)
Elisha, Gehazi, and the Shunamite (sp?) woman...of course!
Owen with one of his girlfriends (there were several), Lily:
Any ideas...? Umm, I wasn't at this meeting (Reuel was), I have no idea. Which story has a human sacrifice by crazy people?
Hmm.
Baptism!
Sharing our story.
Pastor Kris wields the plastic camp pitcher.
Asher on one of his many tears across the gym floor. This is a social child...understatement!! He LOVED the meetings. Family camp is great because kids are not expected to sit still. They dance, run, etc, etc.
And again, no idea.
I'm guessing here...praising God?? Or wait...receiving manna??
End of family camp ruckus...sad to leave.
**Gross alert** Can you believe this?
New tent! Played all day in it.
To bed with me. This isn't much detail, but at least I got something down before it's too forgotten!
Swint family throws off all remaining hints of pre-children life and succumbs to a minivan (and reluctant female driver is now trying not to cry)
Great minivan acquisition takes place and is pulled off within seconds of deadline for family camp departure due to husband's ability to laugh at risk in the face (more story to come)
Upon return from family camp, Swints fear they have been hosed by a used car dealer.
No, the oil cap was just loose and that's why there was a puddle of oil in your driveway. Indeed, the van is in perfect shape.
Family camp is 100% blast, all Swints sad to return home to normal life.
Youngest Swint charms masses by busting out his best dance moves...with vigor...during family camp song time. Youngest Swint also baptized in Echo Lake, Maine!
Blonder Swint attempts to charm ladies (usually 1-2 years older than himself) by forcibly holding their hands during various family camp events. When denied this pleasure, grabbing them around the wrists and holding on for dear life suffices.
Unthinkingest Swint (aka Mommy) makes giant blunder by buying tent today and promising yard campout with son on night of tropical weather likely to hit. Extensive disappointment on horizon.
Mommy gets record 21 mosquito bites on foot while unloading van after arriving home. Night of 1.25 hours sleep...THAT'S IT!!!...follows. Ick.
Well, that's just a taste of what we've been up to. I'll put some pix below. Turns out we took hardly any pictures during camp. Most of what we have are from the daily family small group meetings where we reenacted various Bible stories and made comic strips out of the pictures (the year's theme was superheroes of the Bible)
Elisha, Gehazi, and the Shunamite (sp?) woman...of course!
Owen with one of his girlfriends (there were several), Lily:
Any ideas...? Umm, I wasn't at this meeting (Reuel was), I have no idea. Which story has a human sacrifice by crazy people?
Hmm.
Baptism!
Sharing our story.
Pastor Kris wields the plastic camp pitcher.
Asher on one of his many tears across the gym floor. This is a social child...understatement!! He LOVED the meetings. Family camp is great because kids are not expected to sit still. They dance, run, etc, etc.
I'm guessing here...praising God?? Or wait...receiving manna??
End of family camp ruckus...sad to leave.
**Gross alert** Can you believe this?
New tent! Played all day in it.
To bed with me. This isn't much detail, but at least I got something down before it's too forgotten!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Praying
Have lately read these two posts on prayer from a friend of my parents' that I respect immensely:
http://elobban.blogspot.com/2010/08/give-us-today-our-daily-bread-part-one.html
http://elobban.blogspot.com/2010/08/prayer-our-father-in-heavengive-us.html
Owen has been keenly aware of my moods lately...his maturing process seems to have led him to notice how others are feeling. I don't think I've just been more moody lately! (No comments from my husband allowed on that one.) His sensors aren't tuned just right yet. Unless I am elated, through-the-roof excited, jumping up and down happy, he accuses me of sadness, anger or a fairly strong negative emotion. But he definitely picks up on what's going on. There are so many sweet moments in our days (like today when we came in the house and I dropped my bag, sighed, and sat on the floor and he came over, took my cheeks in his hands and said, 'How's my cute Mommy today?') but this one today was extra-sweet.
'Mommy, are you sad? Mommy, are you sad that your Daddy died?'
Yes, I am sad my Daddy died! But I am thankful that I'll get to see him someday again in heaven.
'I know Mommy, I can cheer you up! I know how to cheer you up!'
That sounds great, Owen. What are you going to do to cheer me up?
'I'm going to pray wif you Mommy, that will cheer you up.'
Oh, Owen, I would love that.
[Owen sits in my lap. Then silence.]
Owen, would you like to pray?
'No. Mommy can pray.'
So 'we' cheered me up and talked together with God about Grandpa and how hard it was/is to say goodbye. I couldn't be more fortunate than to be reminded to refocus midday by my sweethearted son.
Finally, speaking of prayer, can I ask for your prayers for my mom as she deals with hospitals, insurance companies, and other difficult to work with entities as she has to go through a hassle about large bills surrounding my Dad's care? These bills should not have come to her, but now are, and she has the headache of sorting it all out with no guarantee it can be righted. She seems to be at peace with it, but I can't imagine something a person who's just lost her husband would rather do less. So, just a prayer request for a quick resolution, good outcome, and continued calm for her.
Off to family camp Wednesday! I will be on my knees for some smooth sailing there, too...new territory for all of us in one cold, mousy cabin trying not to wake the world and each other all night :0
http://elobban.blogspot.com/2010/08/give-us-today-our-daily-bread-part-one.html
http://elobban.blogspot.com/2010/08/prayer-our-father-in-heavengive-us.html
Owen has been keenly aware of my moods lately...his maturing process seems to have led him to notice how others are feeling. I don't think I've just been more moody lately! (No comments from my husband allowed on that one.) His sensors aren't tuned just right yet. Unless I am elated, through-the-roof excited, jumping up and down happy, he accuses me of sadness, anger or a fairly strong negative emotion. But he definitely picks up on what's going on. There are so many sweet moments in our days (like today when we came in the house and I dropped my bag, sighed, and sat on the floor and he came over, took my cheeks in his hands and said, 'How's my cute Mommy today?') but this one today was extra-sweet.
'Mommy, are you sad? Mommy, are you sad that your Daddy died?'
Yes, I am sad my Daddy died! But I am thankful that I'll get to see him someday again in heaven.
'I know Mommy, I can cheer you up! I know how to cheer you up!'
That sounds great, Owen. What are you going to do to cheer me up?
'I'm going to pray wif you Mommy, that will cheer you up.'
Oh, Owen, I would love that.
[Owen sits in my lap. Then silence.]
Owen, would you like to pray?
'No. Mommy can pray.'
So 'we' cheered me up and talked together with God about Grandpa and how hard it was/is to say goodbye. I couldn't be more fortunate than to be reminded to refocus midday by my sweethearted son.
Finally, speaking of prayer, can I ask for your prayers for my mom as she deals with hospitals, insurance companies, and other difficult to work with entities as she has to go through a hassle about large bills surrounding my Dad's care? These bills should not have come to her, but now are, and she has the headache of sorting it all out with no guarantee it can be righted. She seems to be at peace with it, but I can't imagine something a person who's just lost her husband would rather do less. So, just a prayer request for a quick resolution, good outcome, and continued calm for her.
Off to family camp Wednesday! I will be on my knees for some smooth sailing there, too...new territory for all of us in one cold, mousy cabin trying not to wake the world and each other all night :0
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