A Good Week

Yes, it’s been a good week.  On Monday, we had a baby.  And that’s just about all I need to say about why this week has been so wonderful!



Hazel Naomi Sutherland was born at 8:34 am on Monday, February 11, 2013.  She was 8 lbs. 1 oz. and 21 in. long.  Mama hasn’t even begun to process all the photos, and the birth story is still forthcoming.  However, in the meantime, you can click on the collage above to see each of the individual photos and/or to download any of the individuals or the collage.  Enjoy!

Generation Gap

Have you ever had one of those moments in parenting where you suddenly realize that something you thought you had communicated apparently didn’t make it through in one piece?  Today the kids were outside playing and Emma ran in and asked “Mama, how many years do you think I’ve been alive?”  Somewhat surprised and waiting for the punch line, I said, “Um … more than six.”  She ran out and I could hear her yelling to Luke, “Mama says more than six!”  Then she ran back.  “How many years has Luke been alive?”

Self-Awareness Moment

Luke: You know, Mama, sometimes I wonder if, when I say that I’m a big boy, you think about me the same thing that I think about Bo-Bo when she says that she’s a big girl.
Mama: And what is that?
Luke: Well, that she’s really just a little girl, but she thinks she’s big.

I told him that I do think that he’s a big boy and that I’m very proud of all that he has learned in seven years.  And that I’m very proud of Bo-Bo and all that she has learned in three years.  I told him that yes, I can see things that he needs to learn and things that he doesn’t understand yet, but that for his age, he’s doing just fine.  And then we had a great discussion about how we will spend all of our lives being older and wiser than some people and not as old and wise as others.  It’s our job to love, protect and teach those younger than us and to honor and seek counsel from those wiser than us.  Knowing your place helps with the responsibilities and the blessings.

And then I left the room wondering what you all will think of me when you read this blog post. ;-)

Unsocialized Homeschoolers

Here’s what happens when you take a large family of sheltered, unsocialized homeschool kids out into the real world (i.e. the dentist’s office).

When each child’s name is called by the hygienist, they jump up grinning and prance forward as if they’ve just been announced on the red carpet.

While you are having your teeth cleaned, you can hear your three-year-old in the next chair explaining to the dentist and the hygienist the roll call of who in the family sucks their thumbs and who sucks their two fingers.  They can’t understand a word she is saying, but you can.

Your four-year-old hops into the chair and cheerfully announces to her hygienist, “I am sometimes a little bit shy with people that I don’t know.”

Your six-year-old explains how all five children are currently sharing a bedroom, complete with a description of who sleeps where … and who used to sleep in which locations before they were rearranged.

Your seven-year-old is mesmerized by the super hero cartoon on the waiting room TV.  When the commercials come on, he watches a whole series in a row and the remarks, “Huh.  Those were all good ones.  Not any bad ones!” (because he doesn’t understand the distinction between ‘commercials’ and ‘reviews’ – like the Dice Tower board game reviews he watches with his Daddy on YouTube, where they far prefer to watch the bad reviews because they are funnier).

The dentist assures you that showing up pregnant to every third bi-annual appointment is actually not a cost-effective alternative to just having the dental x-rays. ;-)

More of Foofie

Foofie and Bo-Bo were getting ready to go outside in the chill of the evening.
Foofie: Come on, Bo-Bo!  Don’t you want to go outside and feel the shivers!?!

Foofie and Bo-Bo were pouring water on their heads in the bathtub.
Foofie: We are becoming kings and queens!  We are pretending that the water is the anointment – like King David!
Foofie (pulling wet hair back out of her face): Who wants watery hair in their way?  Not me!

Strange Beauty

I was looking at a friend’s wedding pictures on-line.  The photographer (also a friend) took lots of shots of the bride and her attendants getting ready.  Ruth was rather mystified at the pictures.

Ruth (looking at a shot of a woman applying the bride’s make-up): What are they doing to her?
Mama: They are putting make-up on her!
Ruth: How is that going to help her if she is pregnant?
[Note: This was a shot from about the shoulders up, so I have no idea why she thought the bride was pregnant.  She definitely was not.  Maybe I spend too much time on Ina Mae Gaskins-type sites?  Maybe it was the black and white photography?]

Ruth (looking at a picture of the woman using an eyelash curler on the bride): What exactly are they doing with that small fork?

I suppose I should be a little more embarrassed at sharing that my girls have so little clue as to what make-up is for and how it could actually enhance one’s features (yes, even if you are pregnant) but at this point, I choose just to laugh!

Impossiblilities

Emma was reading Tommie De Paola’s “Nana Upstairs, Nana Downstairs” to the younger girls.  Near the end of the book it says:

One morning when Tommy woke up at his own house, his mother came in to talk to him.
“Nana Upstairs died last night,” she said.
“What’s ‘died’?” Tommy asked.
“Died means that Nana Upstairs won’t be here anymore,” Mother answered.

 

Later, it seemed like Ruth was having some deep thoughts about the story, so I wanted to talk to her about it.

Ruth: That is just impossible.
Mama: What is impossible?
Ruth: In the book, it says that Tommy is four and that he said, “What’s ‘died’?”  Well, I’m four and I know what “died” is, so it’s just impossible that you are four and you don’t know what “died” is.
Mama (trying to maintain the somber tone of the conversation): Well, how is it that you know what “died” is?
Ruth: Oh, right.  I guess he didn’t have people to tell him what “died” was as he was growing up.

I love the logical thinking.  I also love that she seems to view four as pretty much the end of growing up.

I'm gonna use this line ...

Bo-Bo: (asked Emma a question I couldn’t understand)
Emma: You know, Bo-Bo, I don’t know.  That is a question scientists have wrestled over for years and years.
Mama (privately to Emma): What did she ask you?
Emma (privately to Mama): I have no idea.

The 20-Week Ultrasound

Today I went for my 20-week ultrasound.  The clinic has just recently moved to a new location.  We heard that the ultrasound room was rather small and we weren’t sure if there would be space for seven of us.  So Matt came up with a plan.  He sent me to the ultrasound with an index card and an envelope.  I asked the tech to write down the sex of the baby on the index card and seal it in the envelope so that I could take it home and we could open the envelope and all find out the news at the same time!

When I got home, Matt was feeding the children dinner.  He took the envelope and put it up on a shelf.  So we waited.  After dinner, he and Luke had a board game to finish.  So we waited.  Finally, Matt asked the kids to go and get ready for bed and assemble in the library.  He gave thanks to God for the part we already knew – our baby was healthy and doing well.  Then he opened the envelope …









Our working title for this little person is Hazel Naomi.  Hazel is a name we came across and liked while we were expecting Robyn.  And, in addition to being a Biblical character, Naomi was my great-grandmother’s middle name.

The girls are ecstatic.  Luke is determined to show Henry how to be a good big brother to a little sister!  J

The Hols - Day 3

Today was a slower, less active day, but another smooth day of togetherness.  We headed to the library this morning.  We wanted to get some new videos.  But also, we wanted to get some books about Colonial Williamsburg, where we are headed next week!  We also found some books of interest on the human body and ancient Egypt, two subjects we have been studying in our school time.  I know we’re supposed to be on a break from school work.  But honestly, I’ve never managed to make library time something we’ve fit into our schedule regularly, so this was a fun treat for all of us.



This afternoon, the children were eager to get some time to play in the pool.  However, it was propped up behind the shed and hadn’t been used since last summer.  I wasn’t sure if I would be able to get it out and get it cleaned up and set up for “swimming”.  I’m a slow learner, but I’m gradually realizing that I have more resources at my disposal than I regularly take advantage of.  Sir Luke went out behind the shed, armed with his saw and cut down the little up-start trees that were impeding his ability to move the pool.  He then pulled out the pool and brought it to the deck.  With the help of his sisters, he scrubbed, rinsed, scrubbed, rinsed and convinced Mama to grant it her seal of approval for filling and splashing!





The children had their version of water play …



… and I had mine!



(Who knew so much grime could build up on a deck … or that a power washer could remove it, like scraping butter off of a butter dish?)