First Day of School

Today was our first day of 4K at home. We had lots of fun and hopefully the kids learned something new. The best part was we were able to spend lots of time together being silly and having fun and making new memories. Emily seems to have fully recovered from the ear infection that I never posted about. She has been a little monster this last week and I am blaming it on the ear infection she was diagnosed with last Tuesday. Today she was finally back to her normal jovial and sleeping well self. Praise the Lord for antibiotics! There is only so much inconsolable crying and night wakenings, which were finally a thing of the past, a Mommy can handle without going a little bonkers. Please see my other blog - http://ecolepage.blogspot.com - for more details on the first day of Ecole Page à la maison 2008.

Fall Soccer Practice

Wow! What a gorgeous almost fall day we are having today! It is glorious. I love the feeling in the air about this time of year where you can almost smell the start of fall. The wind has a special feel to it and the sun is starting to cast different shadows. You just know autumn is right around the corner. With autumn comes the start of new extracurricular activities and we put Joshua into soccer this fall. Today was his very first practice. Last fall Joshua played for the city on a 3 year old league where they just learned and practiced the basic soccer techniques - trapping, shooting and passing. I think those are all encompassing and the correct technical terms... not sure. I never played soccer. The word "practicing" may be giving the 3 year olds a little too much credit... they ran around and they may have been lucky enough to have foot contact with the ball a time or two. It was quite amusing to watch. This year, in the YMCA 4 and 5 year old league.. they will actually play in real games. But really, who am I kidding? It will probably still be a lot of running around aimlessly and coincidental contact with the soccer ball. But, that's ok! I am not trying to produce a future soccer star.. really, I'm not!

Precious Soccer Spectators

Friends

We hung out with some friends this past week and the kids had SO much fun! They enjoyed playing in the pool with a slide, making paint out of sidewalk chalk, and torturing a "tickle" bug. No, I have no idea what a "tickle" bug is... Hunter invented that name, I think. However, every unidentifiable bug we have come across since then is labeled a "tickle". Their Mom introduced us to frozen Gogurts which cooled them off on this hot summer day. They are now a huge hit in our home.

Joshua, Savannah (whom Joshua adores) and Sophie Bug


Joshua, Savannah, Sophia, Summer and Hunter

Clermont-Ferrand Geography Lesson

I found this breathtaking photograph of Clermont-Ferrand. Still very surreal to think this will be our home in just a few months. The large black structure you see standing out in the picture is the Cathedral Notre-Dame. It is constructed of volcanic rock. The town appears to be in a valley with the Chaîne des Puys running along side. The Chaîne des Puys is a north-south chain of cinder cones, lava domes and maars in the Massif Central of France. The Puy-de-Dôme is one of the large lava domes in the Chaîne des Puys. It is approximately 10km from Clermont-Ferrand. Clermont-Ferrand is the prefecture (ie capital) of the Puy-de-Dôme department of France.

*Information collected from wikipedia*

Who knew dentist appointments are fun?

Joshua and Sophia both had dental appointments bright and early this morning. I am happy to announce that they both did a fabulous job! The hygienist was very impressed with Sophia's eagerness and bravery. Both of them hopped up on the tables and settled in for their examination. They go to a pediatric dentist and I must say I was very impressed. It is very kid friendly. Joshua was stoked when he first walked in because they have this little tree house like loft area and there was a tv with Playhouse Disney showing. They use very non-technical, thus non-frightening, terms with the little ones to describe the procedures. Joshua and Sophia were able to wear super cool sunglasses during the cleanings... Sophia was a little sad she couldn't take them home. The best news of all is they both had very good checkups! No cavities! Joshua did get bite-wing xrays which showed his permanent teeth under his primaries... hard to believe in a year or two he will be losing his baby teeth! :( It really does seem like just yesterday we were anticipating his very first pearly whites. They had a fluoride treatment and I was instructed not to brush their teeth until tomorrow. Joshua was so disappointed that he was unable to brush his teeth tonight. I am hopeful that his enthusiasm is directly related to his personal concern of the health of his teeth and gums but I am suspicious it has more to do with the new Spiderman toothpaste we purchased at the grocery store following the appointment. We will see if he is as anxious to brush his teeth in a week or so.

Look What I Found?

Life is about to change around here yet again! Look what I found when I walked in to get Emily up from her nap the other day...

She is standing up on her own now!!! Isn't she just precious?

We Heart Rainy Days

Who says rainy days can't be fun? This was the first real rainy day we have had in a long time. So, instead of singing Rain Rain Go Away we suited up and went out to play! It was so much fun. Sadly, I haven't ever done that with my kids before. This will definitely not be the last time.

Emily was jealous she couldn't play too.

Happy Birthday Freddie!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

We love you and hope you are having a great day at work!!

Sophia and the Pet Store

About a year ago Freddie started the tradition of having a date with his daughter at the pet store. Sophia adores all animals - her faves at the pet store are the puppies, rabbits, guinea pigs, spiders (eewwww!!!), lizards and birds. She has a special place in her heart for the ocean aquarium filled with fascinating sea creatures like the sea urchins, sea stars and sea horsies. Today I had the privilege of taking her on a date and we had a great time. I love spending one on one time with Sophia. She is so much fun!

Sophia pointing to the poor sea horsie caught in the sea weed. She was quite concerned about him.

Sophia inspecting a hissing cockroach!! (Double eewwww!!!)

Sophia and her turtle friends.

Parlez vous français?

Dang you tower of Babel! (insert shaking of fists) How much easier it would be if the entire world spoke the same language. :) Alas, I know God's plan is better than ours. Learning to speak a foreign language at 29 is trés difficile. I mean, right now, I don't even know if I used the right accent mark on that "e". And, there are about 4 different ways to say "this/that" depending on if the noun is feminine or masculine/singular or plural. Same with my, her, his, our, your, etc. Trying to figure all that out while trying to pronounce the words correctly (with a strong southern accent, no less) all while working with a very limited french vocabulary compounded with social anxiety (which exists even when speaking in English) results in sweat beads and waves of nausea. Exit pride. Enter humility. Nevertheless! I am so excited and thankful for this opportunity the Lord has given us. Give my kids a month or two and they can be my own personal translators, right? :)

What a Mighty God We Serve

I have not been doing to well with spending time with the Lord recently. There is no good excuse... even with three children you can find time if you prioritize. And, I am not talking about making time for a formal quiet time. I just mean talking to Him throughout the day. I am usually good about calling out to God when I am not having a good day with the kids but even then I sometimes turn to myself instead of Him. Anxiety about our impending move or starting 4K with Joshua this fall or Joshua's headaches or Sophia's disobedience... I just internalize it in anguish sometimes instead of giving it over to Him. What am I thinking? Little me... BIG Him. You would think it would be a given who would be the more appropriate one to handle these situations. We are such independent beings. Many people always say "The Lord won't give you anything you can't handle". I think that is untrue. The Lord will give you plenty of things you can't handle alone... but WITH him you can do all things (Philippians 4:13).

We had a sermon this past week at church about God's characteristic of being omniscient, or all knowing. It is one of those concepts that, if pondered over long enough, will place you in the corner sucking your thumb - as our teaching pastor put it this past Sunday. As much as it makes my head hurt to think about it, it is that much more comforting to know that the God of the universe knows everything that has been, that is and that will be. If sinful me can't be in control - which really is a blessing in disguise, isn't it? - it is good to know that a perfect God is!

Psalm 139 (from biblegateway.com)

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

1 O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.

2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.

5 You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?

8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, ^[a] you are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"

12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

17 How precious to ^[b] me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!

18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

Isn't this one of the most wonderful truths you have ever heard? The Lord of the universe, our Saviour, is with you always and is delighting and singing over you right now!

Zephaniah 3:17

17 The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."

Playground Fun

The kids and I went to a new playground today. It was really beautiful.. butterfly gardens, water falls and plush green grass. The play area for the smaller kids is gated which is always nice when you have little ones. Emily went swinging for the first time ever in her life. Sophia, wearing her capri suns (Sophia lingo for capri pants) enjoyed pushing her like a little Mommy. Joshua met some new friends and he played super heroes and hide and seek with them. Josh and Sophia are very sociable and friendly but Josh is much better at approaching new children and initiating play... probably more the age than anything else. We packed a sack lunch of pb&j and enjoyed the morning outside together.

First Camp Out

Uncle Jason and Aunt Sandy held a super cool camp out last weekend just for boys. It was so much fun and we were all so excited the entire week before. Despite the 100 degree weather, the guys had lots of fun roasting marshmallows, making smores, roasting hot dogs, wrestling, grunting and whatever else boys do when they all get together in the wild. The girls let them have their fun and we had some fun of our own in the air conditioning where other people cooked our food.

Over the River and Through the Woods...

to the great grandparents house we went almost two weeks ago! This summer we are trying to visit all of our grandparents and the great-grandparents before our move to France the beginning of next year. So, two weekends ago we visited Freddie's grandparents and had a wonderful time. Here are a few photos from the trip...

And she's off!

Emily is officially mobile... scooting and semi-crawling her way around our home. She is adorable and just the sweetest baby. By far the most easy going baby of mine. She is just happy and if she is ever fussy she is either hungry or tired. She loves to suck her thumb and I think it is just the cutest thing. Her brother and sister adore her. We are so blessed and I am forever thankful for the children the Lord has given us.