Quiet Milestones

Milestones constantly whiz past us as mothers, don't they? Some are momentous, like a baby's first steps, first words, or first time to sleep through the night. Others tiptoe past us so quietly we might miss them. We had one of those recently.

It was a lovely, late-summer morning, and Grace and Abby had set up kiddie tents, blankets, and dolls in the backyard to pretend they were on a camp out. Jake was at a friend's house, and I was puttering around the kitchen trying to get a few things done. After a minute I started to wonder where Emma was. I looked outside and found this.

My sweet little toddler with glaucoma (and extreme light sensitivity) had wandered outside without sunglasses, without being carried, and without burying her head in my shoulder. This was a milestone that I wondered when we would ever reach, and I wanted to capture the moment forever in my heart. Thank goodness for cameras (and blogs) that make such things possible.

Lessons Learned from Emma

My baby girl just turned two, and I can't believe it. The journey from here...

When we brought Emma home from the hospital Grace ran to get these toys to share with her.

to here...

was at times record-fast and at other times incredibly slow. I have learned a few things from this delightful little person who has had a few extra needs.

1. We are always learning. When I was pregnant with Emma I figured I knew how to take care of babies and that baby number four would just blend in with the others in our home of mostly happy chaos. Cameron was halfway through his masters degree and always busy when she was born. I had four kids under the age of six and was always busy in different ways. Over time it became clear that Emma was not going to just blend in like the others did. She has had different needs and we are constantly learning and searching for how to best help her. Life is about learning--learning helps us grow, and learning is good. (But sometimes it's still hard.)

2. God prepares us for our challenges. When the doctor told us Emma had glaucoma he was very sympathetic and explained that this presented an uncertain and difficult future. After dealing with eye cancer, an eye problem that would result in possible blindness instead of possible death was much easier to handle. We have marveled as we have seen all the ways that my cancer paved the way for us to understand and assist Emma with her eye challenges. God knows the end from the beginning, and He prepares us for our challenges. Thank goodness I can trust His hand in my life!

3. There are angels all around us. We were humbled and carried by so many people who helped us through the difficult weeks surrounding all of Emma's surgeries last year. I am always inspired by the goodness of others who reach out when they see needs. I want to be as good to others as so many people have been to us!

4. Good things come in all kinds of packages. Having Emma in our family has introduced us to lots of other families with special-needs children, and boy has that been an eye-opening experience! I marvel at the parents of children who have no diagnosis or whose needs and developmental delays are so difficult and consuming. Inside these different-looking bodies are some amazing little people who God sends to some pretty incredible parents and families. It is a privilege to rub shoulders with them.

I never knew I wanted a baby with extra needs, but I did. Emma has taught us more about patience, compassion, service, love, and joy than we knew before. I sure love our little girl!

What It's Like to Be Four

Do you ever stop and wonder what it's like in your child's shoes? I'm pretty sure I don't think about this nearly enough. I'm also sure that if I did I would be an even better parent.

What is it like to be four? Well, at our house it means waking up in the morning and spending some time playing house with your sisters and a large assortment of dolls and stuffed animals. (Our girls usually like to tell me how old their "kids" are. Often one of them is the mother to at least one set of twins.)

After that you probably spend some time riding your bike around the neighborhood, swinging on the swings, digging in the sandbox, or catching insects to temporarily adopt as pets.

By lunchtime you are starting to feel worn out from so many hours of fun, but it's hard to stop now, right? After catching a quick meal on the run, you head out for more outside time with your siblings and neighborhood friends.

This means that shortly before dinner you are so exhausted from all of this wonderful playtime that you collapse on the couch in whatever clothes, dress-up outfit, or swimsuit you are currently wearing.

Grace has actually slept through dinner a couple times this way. Once we moved her to bed and she slept through the night. 

What's it like to be four? I can't really say, but from a bird's eye view it seems like a pretty good deal.

Good Things to Come

I love homeschool. I also love summer break. For me it has been a time to reorganize closets, repaint rooms, clean, declutter, and take a few minutes to breathe and think. It's been glorious.

The kids' rooms got new curtains and decorations and fresh paint.

Now another homeschool year is looming on the horizon, and I can't wait. Packages have been arriving in the mail.

Stacks of books are waiting to be devoured.

And I have been burning up my sewing machine making history costumes for the kids. (We'll be studying the medieval and Renaissance time periods, in case you couldn't tell.)

For me there is a delicious sense of anticipation. I can't wait to teach my kids such wonderful things, learn together, make new discoveries, and have delightful new experiences. It is a season of good things to come, and I can't wait.

In the mean time, I better go make some freezer meals while I still have time to cook.

Proper Care and Feeding of Your Insect

Right now my girls are a delightful mix of princess and tomboy, and I love it. They love to dress up and care for their dolls.

And they also love to gather bugs outside. Recently Cameron caught a grasshopper for Abby, and Abby proudly brought it in to show me.

"We named her Rosie because she might be a girl," Abby said.

We chatted a couple minutes about her lovely new pet, then Abby said, "Maybe I should read The Grasshopper and the Ant to her before I set her free." She then skipped out to get some grass to feed her little friend.

Food. Fine literature. All part of the proper care and feeding of your insect.