Christmas Eve 2012

I think images might be the best way to record the Christmas preparations that have been going on here.

Easy Gingerbread House Construction with graham crackers and homemade, non-pasturized, royal icing.  I figure the egg white won't hurt us, and we're not going to eat it anyway.

One of these little girls likes to hide her cuteness.  Despite her face here, she loved the activity that covered the table in unmonitored candy. 

Later that day I got to head out to see The Hobbit with my sister and a friend. 

We all worked together to decorate the sand tarts.

The end result. 

We caroled some friends Saturday night, then, on Sunday at church, amid all her wiggling in the seat, Sapphire heard the pastor announce another caroling outing that afternoon. Her little head popped up: "He said caroling!" she said. She was on board.

Pearl: "I like that other people are happy when we carol. They don't get to see kids very often. Seeing kids makes them happy." 

Christmas Card 2012

I usually put a note about our doings during the last year in my Christmas cards. After writing about the decline of the Christmas card in the 21st century, I thought I'd experiment with a new image-laden format. I'm using blog names, but I imagine you can break the code. Froehliche Weihnachten!

My husband and I began the year waiting to hear about a referral after starting the adoption process the previous February. Our social worker was scanning the list of special needs children from China each month, and in April, just as we were thinking this wasn't going to happen, we got the call to open the email and see her little face.

Since then we've gotten to know cheerful "Ruby" (2). She loves to give herself little chores, like putting away bowls and throwing things in the trash for us. She's a bit territorial about my lap, but more and more we see instances of her giggling with her sisters. When she first arrived she didn't smile very much, but now a silly look will draw a smile from her, and she seems perfectly at home and attached.  She's celebrated some new holidays and helped us mourn her great-grandmother, my Mom-mom, who passed away shortly after we returned from China. Last week Ruby's four month anniversary with us passed by quietly; it all feels pretty normal.

In addition to entertaining his daughters, my husband continues working on his Doctorate of Ministry, and now he is in the writing phase of a dissertation about junior sermons. He celebrated the 10th anniversary of his karate school in January, and in June our oldest daughter started training with his great group of students. "Jasper" has rebuilt our basement steps with a friend and tinkers on the upper story of our barn--formerly a tobacco factory--as he turns it into a club house for the girls.  He thoroughly enjoyed our two week trip to China, where he brushed up on his Mandarin (I was very impressed) and convinced me we could wander about huge cities on our own, without a facilitator. He tells me his favorite parts of the year were the three trips with his girls. We continue to be thankful for our loving church family as we await our re-affiliation with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church sometime in 2013, a process toward which God has gracefully guided us.

"Pearl," (6) our oldest, delights us with her sweet, nurturing personality that makes her a treasure of a big sister.  She accompanied her daddy on a trip to Boston and came home able to read.  Now she's entered the first grade, and after a rough few weeks in September, she and I have developed into a productive team. She enjoys her co-op opportunities, playing with her friends, visiting shut-ins with her daddy, and spending whole afternoons engaged in complicated imaginative play that her sisters try to join.  Probably my favorite part of homeschooling is our chance to go on field trips all together, including Washington DC Natural History Museum & Zoo, Indian Echo Cavern, a maple sugar operation, Chocolate World, Sheep & Wool Day, the Renaissance Fair, a ceramics studio, a pretzel factory, and nature walks.

"Sapphire" (3) did not escape from our yard at all this summer, which was a blessing after the previous summer's adrenalin-fueled neighborhood searches (not that she got very far). She still loves to climb and jump, and she's the type of child who flings herself right into the creek no matter what the temperature.  Over the summer, even before our big trip, she developed a habit of rejecting her daddy's help and hugs, so in September he took her on a mini vacation, and things have gradually improved 100%. She's experienced the biggest change from becoming a big sister, but she's developed some sweet compassion and self-control as a result. When asked what the best thing in her life is, she answered, "Playing with my two sisters...and playing outside berry nicely." She puts people under her spell very quickly, as you can imagine.

As a lover of quiet, I struggle with the added noise of three children in our house, but since we can't build a sound-proof annex, I'll  have to make do. Much of the adoption paperwork fell to me, and I have to say it is very freeing not to be impatiently waiting for the next form or approval to arrive. The two-church Bible School I directed allowed me to used my super-powers of organization (all God-given, of course!), though it was hard to miss the last three days because of our trip to China.  It is such a joy to see the kids learning the song motions and singing their hearts out each day.

After sixteen months of writing and revising, I've recently submitted my manuscript about the global Christmas to my UK publisher, so hopefully I haven't made any insulting mistakes about Father Christmas! With the manuscript out of the house, I teach the girls, work on my two courses, read Nordic noir, and occasionally practice piano, which I'm learning along with Pearl for the first time.

And thus ends our annual newsletter. We pray that your family will find blessings within this Christmas season and experience joy and surprises in the New Year!

"God Bless Us, Everyone"

After coughing all week, Ruby started to wheeze on Saturday, and a call to the pediatrician sent the two of us into the urgent care. Jasper joined us for the diagnosis, and we brought a nebulizer home. She has RSV, an virus that usually only affects infants. She's doing better now after treatments every four hours for those first days. Listening to her wheeze all night made me feel very grateful for the medications of today.

We made it out of urgent care--where she had endeared herself to the staff--in time for the delicious birthday meal of garlic-rubbed beef tenderloin my mother and father whipped up for me and my December-born brother. Neither of us blew out any candles though--we were too slow, beaten by Pearl and Sapphire who were already blowing by the last note of the song--candles are just so exciting! 

Colors change after firing--we can't wait to see!

 Pearl and I had some neat together time this week.  We had a free day last Thursday, so we danced our way to the Prancing Pig and tried our hand at art. This was her third time there, and my first, so she had to explain things to me, and then wait while I picked out my colors and pattern. 

We thoroughly enjoyed the quiet time together. When I asked her what she remembered about it, she said it was that we got to talk so much.

On Saturday, after the birthday feast, Pearl and I made our way to a live nativity. The others would have liked it too, but they were asleep or too sick. Pearl was very taken with the stories of the Forks' live nativities of the 1990s. I told her about her Aunt Jane Lee's amazing soups and all the fun we had standing in the cold.  She asked to go through this one a second time (of course).



On Sunday we went to a much anticipated High Tea with Charles Dickens, Gerald Charles Dickens, the Victorian author's great-grandson. My parents so kindly hosted a table for us, and my friend from Baltimore also came along to soak up the Victorian vibes. The event took place at the Hotel Hershey, and we enjoyed the environment almost as much as the performance. After scones, scrumptious tea sandwiches, and a plate of tiny and very rich deserts, Mr. Dickens gave us a one man show, and abridged version of A Christmas Carol. I image it was very like the staged performances Charles Dickens gave of this novel and many others. Those took place up on stage, but our Mr. Dickens ranged around the room as he shifted from character to characters.

Afterward my dad got a picture of Mr. Dickens for my book. I will soon have to really set up a chart of the 50 photos I'm required to track down before spring. Hopefully my London editor is finding some British-y photos too, as we discussed! I'm not sure how I'd find a Father Christmas here in Central PA!

Sapphire had some fun days too. She got to spend alone time with Grammy and Poppop, which she loves. Some very-Sapphire quotes came out this week: While I was trying to convince her to let me read to her from *The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe*, she pouted, "I hate heroes." And she seems fixated on wrinkles. She looked so concerned when she told us she doesn't want mommy's forehead to get as wrinkly as daddy's. It is hard to try to stop wrinkling your forehead, even for the best reasons.

She's finally switched from saying "I can't know how to" to saying "I don't know how to." We knew it would happen, and we never corrected her, but she figured out the language rule on her own. She really is getting big (as she tells us constantly).

A missionary speaker gave the kids two sheets of paper for their Christmas wish lists and a Thankfulness list. Pearl started her wish list first, but looked up from the pew to say "I don't want to be greedy." With a sigh of relief, I told her she could make a really long Thankfulness list and it would be the opposite of being greedy. She thought so too.

Advent Begins

Our church has an annual Christmas program in the old stone building built in 1774. This year the children of the church livened up our Hanging of the Greens service with their wriggly nativity scene.

We had a real newborn as the Baby Jesus (not the one in the photo above), and the kids were a little distracted when she was plunked down in their midst. They remembered their lines and the song, so all was well.  One sweet little cow was short enough that even standing in front she did not block the baby. Sapphire preferred to sit on my lap; she was a nonconformist sheep. Big surprise.

Monday night we headed out into a balmy December night to take in the Christmas lights a local park puts up. Pearl liked it all. Ruby was fascinated by the train room. Sapphire seemed most interested in defending her stroller from Ruby, but hopefully she liked it. 

Jasper enjoyed it too, mostly because it wasn't very cold.

The park had wrapped hundreds of trees in Christmas lights. They also went overboard with lawn decorations. At some point in the past they must have become bored with Christmas themes, because alongside the toy soldiers and nativity, they had a penguin section, a dinosaur section, and many butterflies and caterpillars.
.

Staying out so late left us a little bleary-eyed the next day, my birthday, but we got it together and had a pretty nice day. I had the most successful breakfast in bed of my life: Chex cereal and a clementine. I liked that this meant there was no mess when I finally got downstairs. The girls treated me to the birthday song throughout the day.

Later missionary friends came for lunch, and we went out for dinner at an informal burrito place. Thanks for all the well-wishes!

A First Thanksgiving

Ruby made her first trip to the western part of the state where my grandmother lives in the farmhouse that goes to the dairy farm my grandfather farmed. It's been a rite of passage for each of the girls to visit as babies, and now Ruby has had her chance. She liked the cows, but not the barn cats (which were friendly, not scary, I thought). 

We walked back the lane, a field road that leads to the woods. It was chilly! The last morning of our visit a few flurries tempted the girls outside to try so make snow angels and snow balls out of 1/16" of snow.

We had a very nice time with family. Ruby did so well transitioning into a three night visit at a new place. Her sisters ate up the attention too.  They like to make houses out of blankets and Grandma's walker. Sapphire is already asking to go back, because we were only there a short time.

Here's Ruby's first Thanksgiving dinner.  The social workers always want to  know if Ruby's extended family is welcoming, and I'm so touched that she's been welcomed by every side of the family with such loving hugs.

During both of the long drives all three girls fell asleep for 1.5 hours--this was a real blessing!

Grandma & her youngest great-granddaughter

Sunday night we met with our 4-H group for a Christmas banquet and games night. I've been teaching Thursday nights, so I'm out of the 4-H loop, but it was neat to see the kids play together.

I've never seen musical chairs taken a seriously as at our 4-H, and they even have a live pianist to play. It gets a little dangerous, sort of like spoons in our youth group. With some early help and protection from a friend, and her own uncanny sense of survival, Pearl progressed through each of the rounds of musical chairs.  Pearl was injured in the second to last round (when she was playing against two big boys, one a 6 foot high schooler), but she felt cheered on and decided to make a last attempt. She may have won fair and square, or she may have had help, I'm not sure, but she took home the trophy, still a little tearful, but very triumphant. This morning she shined it up and displayed it to her little sisters very proudly.


On Monday we decorated for Christmas. This means my husband brings down the containers (that's all he likes to do), and usually I do the rest. Not so this year!  With two little girls who know what a tree is supposed to look like, it seemed to decorate itself. This was mostly Pearl's doing. She's very into decorating trees--she decked Grandma's tree and I think it was a highlight of her visit. Sapphire bopped around. Ruby was only interested in the tissue paper cushioning the breakables, but she, like the rest, was excited to see the plastic, play nativity set we keep in the attic until Christmas.

Tuesday was our co-op Show and Tell, a time for the kids to take the stage and show what they've learned. My husband's karate class demo was very impressive. Many of the 3rd-5th graders broke boards at the end, an event they had anticipated greatly. Pearl thrilled us all with her gripping portrayal of the Big Bad Wolf.  Sapphire had practiced one specific line during our read-throughs at home, and when it came time for the first little pig to refuse the wolf, a little voice from the front row drowned out the pig with "Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin!"  We enjoyed visiting with other homeschooling families during the reception.

And, finally, I sent off the manuscript of my book today--this has been in progress since Aug. 2011. I'm sure my editor will have suggestions for revision, but the big stage is over.  If you are looking for a great book about the historical/cultural background of the global, modern Christmas, just wait until next December for the final product. 

The Week before Thanksgiving

Not much goes on out our front windows. A few years ago they put in a borough sewer line. My husband had a hard time finishing his sermons, he enjoyed watching the machine so much! Now we have a new distraction. Our neighbors to the left are putting a one level modular on the open lot across from us. It has us peeking on the progress. Today the men poured the foundation walls.  That's excitement around here!

We've had a pretty quiet week enjoying our routines: karate, visits with grandparents, church, Youth Group, swimming, library visit. Pearl takes advantage of her sisters' naps to act like an elf and work on Christmas crafts.

Our big news on the academic front is that Pearl has learned to carry in addition. I was nervous about teaching it, but the advice I found online was helpful, and she picked it up pretty quickly. Now we'll just practice for a few weeks. 

Ruby loves stomping around in shoes that are too big for her. She especially likes Pearl's shoes. Here she is looking very stylish in boot 6 sizes too big for her.

We're heading out to the western part of the state for Thanksgiving. This will give us a chance to introduce Ruby to some family members she hasn't met yet. 

All of our study of the Pilgrims is really falling in place this week. We'll miss them when we're done. I especially esteem Priscilla Mullins. Pearl likes the Native Americans' feathers best.

Sapphire is becoming more observant. The other day she was sitting next to her daddy eating lunch. She began to stare at him, and got down to take a closer look. Clutching her own forehead, she leaned toward him. "You are old daddy," she said. She had finally seen his wrinkles, and she was afraid they were catching.

They are never all three in the mood for pictures!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sapphire getting ready for a kiss

Homeschooling Days

Pearl made a sign for the sprouting acorn:  "dont step here tree growing"

If you don't home school, you might be curious about what a day looks like here. For us, it begins with sleeping in as long as possible. Once the girls get to the breakfast table, I begin to break out the books. We're working through a curriculum that walks us through history (still Pilgrims!), writing, English, and manners, but we add Bible readings (reading our way through I Samuel now) and more advanced math.  The internet has taught me how to teach two-digit addition, and she's picked it up pretty quickly despite some kvetching. Pearl tends to like worksheets printed off the internet rather than all the neat interactive math games I've picked up. I'm sure a younger sister will use those.

On Monday we saw a small window of good weather, so we moved purposefully through the curriculum while the little girls played around the house. We were able to go for a family nature walk, during which we identified a Tulip Poplar (and took a circumference reading), shelf fungus, a natural spring, and poison ivy. The little girls preferred the quarried rocks on the road, good for pitching into the creek.

We dropped Ruby off with Daddy for a nap, then I took the big girls to Chick-fil-a and on to the YMCA for home school swim.  Then we crossed the parking lot to check out some books in the library. Pearl read to me and Sapphire "read" to a huge stuffed dog toy that was interested in cows. During my dinner preparations she asked to help, so I decided it was time she learned to work the rice cooker all by herself. She can do it too, and the rice was great.

That evening I attended an adoption-support-group-for-moms, so Pearl enjoyed some biggest girl time with Daddy and watched part of an adaptation of Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper. She's really into Errol Flynn right now, and she likes the Tudors (especially Queen Elizabeth I).  Her daddy fears she's going to need a man who will swashbuckle for her in another twenty years.

The next day, Tuesday, we headed to our co-op early. After announcements and opening prayer, we scuttled off to our assigned spots: nursery class for the littlest ones (they worked on the letter "u"), solar system, manners, then drama for Pearl, and I helped with solar system, had an hour off, then helped with karate. Usually my husband teaches that one and I stay home and revise my book, at least this semester that's how we've done it, but he had a meeting all day, so I filled in.  We all had potluck lunch together, the girls played with friends, then we headed home.

The little girls both needed naps (pretty desperately in Sapphire's case), so Pearl and I played around with fabric. We usually skip book work on co-op days, but we still learn other things. I taught her how to make napkins, and she even worked up to controlling the foot pedal and the fabric movement herself. She has lots of Christmas present plans (but these weren't for any of you, don't worry...unless you are aged 5 and your name starts with a B). Her favorite part is snipping the loose ends. Then she hand-stitched a Christmas gift while I was on the phone.

Jumping in the leaves

While I cooked she sort of entertained her sisters. Right now she's tied herself to Sapphire, and they are walking around the house as a two headed monster.

So that's two days of education here.

PS: Sapphire just told me that when her own little tiny baby comes, I will have to take her, (Sapphire) to China to get her (the baby). !

Girls' Day Out & Other Adventures

"What is your letter?" We overheard Sapphire asking another little three year old girl this question in the kids' section of Kohls. She seems to think it is a great ice-breaker. The correct answer, she said, is "3". Now she understands that she should answer "M" if anyone happens to ask her.

Our own princesses--enjoying Spiced Wafers, an Autumn treat

Last week we enjoyed our annual Girls' Day Out--Christmas Shopping Day with Nana and Aunt R. We always look forward to this. It is very doable, shopping with this ratio of 3:3. The girls looked forward to the mall playground, and they were very pleasant.

After lunch, I took the two oldest to Disney on Ice in Hershey. I didn't take the camera, but I'll just say it was a princess wonderland. We walked in and saw dozens of little girls dressed in princess dresses and grown up men wearing tiaras as they tried to sell us light up spinners and snow cones.

Once it started, the girls were pretty mesmerized. Pearl said, "I almost fell asleep. My whole body was so still except for my eyes." She was riveted. Sapphire was interested too, except she got antsy during the last half hour. Seeing Micky and Minnie in sparkly silver costumes introducing the four princess acts really made her day.

Fortunately our library gave us the coupons so the girls could fill out books they've read to earn the tickets.
 

 This is Pearl showing off a plate she made at a local pottery shop. It is perfect for cookies.

Of course, Ruby likes Spiced Wafers too. She's into anything that dips. 

The two little girls joined the Youth Group for the Progressive Dinner. We moved around the neighborhood of the church, eating a course at each house: appetizer, salad, main course, and dessert. Ruby loved the food, though she was just a little confused when we left without being completely full from the first house. She looked longingly at the food, but was happy to find more everywhere we went.

In our homeschooling world, this week we tried the Homeschool Swim at the YMCA. It worked well, and was such a deal. We all left a little tired after swimming for 1.5 hours.

We try to do a nature walk each week, inspired by suggestions from the Handbook of Nature Study blog and newsletter. Today we just walked around our yard, spied a dead mole, and planted the six bulbs from Holland (bought while we were studying the Pilgrims' sojourn in Leiden, Holland). We realized how chilly nature study is about to get!

I brought the hats and mittens down from the attic, so we are ready for the possible snow  (if Sapphire gets her way!). I've revamped our mitten station, hoping desperately that I won't have to match six mittens each time we go out

Kisses and Candy Corn, A First Halloween

After church on Sunday we had a Christmas Box party. The children filled boxes with notebooks, pens, teddy bears, and toothpaste, and I'll deliver these to Samaritan's Purse to distribute all around the world. Sapphire had a hard time putting a few of the toys in the box; she seemed to think she needed them instead. Other than that, the kids really got into it, and one thirteen year old boy told me, while he walked away from our full table of completed boxes, "That was cool." 

I especially liked the notes the kids wrote themselves to place in the boxes, notes that said "I hope you like the presints. We picked them out just for you", at least that is how Pearl spelled hers.

Ruby experienced her first Halloween. The housemother in China told us she had celebrated Christmas and Easter, plus Chinese holidays like Children's Day, but this costume thing with candy was a new one for her.  I think candy corn was her favorite.

Here we all are as princesses (Pearl was a very modern Princess Kate) along with our friend the monkey. 

I've always kissed my babies, but it was an interesting process to teach Ruby that kissing is a way of showing affection in a family. When we first met her, it almost seemed like she had never kissed or been kissed before. I would understand if this germ-carrying form of affection was skipped at the group home, where thirteen kids, staff, and a revolving cast of volunteers could make kissing almost like licking a water fountain. 

When we first got her, it was just a little too strange to begin kissing her like a newborn. She wasn't usually all that happy with us, she was pretty drooly, and we were just getting to know her too.  But as our relationship has blossomed, it has been easier to hug, snuggle, and kiss her naturally and effortlessly. Now she has it down now. Before bed, she'll pucker up as a way of requesting kiss after kiss. 

As for Hurricane Sandy, which closed my campus and all the local public schools two days in a row, I don't have any impressive photos. We have many leaves down in the yard, but that is about it.  It looks like we are in the eye of the hurricane right now. They are calling for winds occasionally gusting to 60mph and more rain, but it really hasn't been to bad up here on the hill!