1. We had a blast at my parents' house during Christmas break. One highlight was taking pictures of ourselves walking on iced-over bodies of water. This just never got old. Here we on the West Virginia side of the Potomac:
2. On the way home, Eric and I drove through the night while the kids slept. We had never tried this strategy before, but it turned out to be a nice deal--we probably saved a couple hours and $40 or so on missed bathroom/snack stops!
3. Eric bought me this book for Christmas, and it's since become my dear companion. I've never been so efficient in my housecleaning/organizing efforts. Eric has ordered me two other titles by this author, and I can't wait to start them! Also, our baby is due in ten days. Efficiency is paramount here if I'm going to keep things running smoothly. Please, please be a happy baby.
4. The other day Jacob woke up before the other boys, and we spent an unusually quiet morning alone, talking over breakfast and reading together. I walked him to the bus stop in the snow, and when I walked back I saw our two sets of footprints walking toward the bus and only my set walking back. I felt a sad tenderness then, knowing that I wouldn't see my boy until that afternoon.
5. Why Jacob Is a Good Boy tidbit #1: When I told him that I would help him with piano if he would commit to 20 minutes of independent practice every day, he asked, "But can't I do more than 20 minutes? I mean, is there a maximum?"
6. Why Jacob Is a Good Boy tidbit #2: Last night Eric was on overnight call and up for most of the night. I was also up for most of the night enjoying some false labor. When Jacob woke up at 6:30, I asked him to get Adam out of his crib. So Jacob got Adam out of the crib, brought him downstairs, fed him breakfast, and played with him for an entire hour while I slept. The kid should be sainted.
7. Speaking of pregnancy, why did no one tell me that my body was going to fall apart on my fifth? Some days I have to walk around the house from furniture piece to furniture piece because I simply cannot move my joints. Blood vessels are protruding everywhere, and I feel like I've been in labor for days! My OB prescribed me the highest grade of compression stockings available, and they have helped immensely. I will not post a picture of them, but I will tell you that they are darling. Actually, no, they're not. Actually they would pair perfectly with these knock-outs:
Also, I'm sorry for complaining. I really don't mind--it's mostly just alarming to me how much function is being lost! But aren't babies the most beautiful things in creation? I wish that we could think of a beautiful name for him. Someone suggested that Quentin would be a distinctive name for a fifth son, but Quentin Brinton? I hope that he arrives looking like a name and that we can just bestow on him.
8. Adam is building a vocabulary of post-baby words, words beyond the "mama," "dada," "ball," and "duck" set. My favorites: "moose," "tractor," and "SpongeBob" (he learned this under the tutelage of his doting older brothers). He has also started to enjoy fingerplays and songs like "The Ensy-wensy Spider" and "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes." Cutie.
9. One afternoon I was in the garage tidying up and Zachary called out to me, "Mom! Come here quickly! Come soooo quickly!" When I rushed in, he was sitting at the piano with a few chairs lined up behind the piano bench. "Mom! When Adam pushes the high keys on the piano, he steers our ship that way and he is steering us right into a SHARK!" When I smiled and made no movement to redirect them, Zachary resigned, "Oh well. I guess we'll just have to die." Here's Michael in his pirate finery:
10. Pinewood derby is coming up! Patient Jacob and Zachary wait for moments when Eric can help them with their cars--aren't they manly out there in the sub-freezing garage polishing axles?
11. Each year I make a major resolution--one that, if the others fall through, I will be sure to keep. This year I am working on being calm. Even if I sell twenty articles and run a marathon and become a rock star organist this year (and wouldn't that all be so fun!), I won't be doing well unless I can be calm. I want the kids and Eric to feel peace in our home, not stress inherited from my needlessly taking on extra responsibilities! I have some simple sub-goals to help me. We'll see how it goes.
