Saturday, January 14, 2017

Episode 6: A Day in the Life of Joel

Welcome to Episode 6 of a day in the life of the youngest offspring in the Stapp household.  These posts are mostly just for me to document what daily life looks like for later when I've forgotten.  I plan on printing up a photo book of all of them someday for our family memory library.  But for now, read on if you'd like to be a fly on the wall in our home.


{Sort of.  It is much more chaotic than it appears.} 

Click.  The 7:00 am star light switches on and a pale stream of light falls across my crib. My sister (age 2) in the crib right next to me begins jumping and yelling "Mo-m! Mo-m!"  I pull myself up and jump along with her.  My mom comes in and I am so excited to see her!  My brother (age 4), rubbing his eyes and yawning, does not exhibit as much morning energy as me and my sister.  Next comes morning hugs, a diaper change for me and bathroom visits for my siblings, clean clothes, and some morning milk for me.  My sister doesn't like to sit still very well for getting her hair brushed because she is in a hurry to look at her books.  My brother is in a hurry to talk.  Once I've tanked up on milk, I'm in a hurry to play and explore!  My siblings and I play in our room, usually with books, hot wheel cars, or duplos, while my mom drinks her tea and spends time with God. When the music starts to repeat itself, my brother and sister clean up while I get to keep playing!  Clean-up time is not their favorite, and lately it's been taking them so long, my mom rescues me and lets me start on breakfast without them! 
Yum, meal time is definitely one of my favorite times of the day.  I eat just about anything as long as I can pick it up and chew it.  Breakfast rotates through oatmeal with applesauce, eggs and toast, and yogurt bowls.  Hooray, my brother and sister finally finished cleaning up and come running in to the kitchen as I start my second serving of breakfast.  I love to watch them do everything.  My brother puts away the clean silverware and my sister puts away the clean bowls and plates out of the dishwasher.  My sister likes to go as fast as she can, and my brother likes to talk and work, which slows him down.  Sometimes, my mom makes up a story.  Micah always ask for a new Frog and Toad story.  While I eat my third round of breakfast, everyone else joins me at the table, finally!  They all work on memorizing kids catechism questions, then my mom reads aloud a chapter of a book.  They just finished Little House in the Big Woods.  I get kinda bored with that stuff, so my mom gets me down and I play with the little kitchen while they finish up eating.  

Nap time for me comes next.  My mom used to call me her best sleeper, but recently I've taken to putting up a fight, but only for a few minutes.  I usually fall asleep sitting in my crib with my head on my lap.  When I wake up, I'm always curious to see what they've been up to while I was asleep.  They usually do one chore and some reading together.  Sometimes, my mom sets the timer for 10 minutes at a time and my siblings take turns getting special time with mom to play whatever they want with her while the other does a preschool activity.  Amelia usually picks reading books together, and Micah something more active like balloon volleyball or a snowball fight.  After that, it just varies.  Sometimes they do puzzles, or play games, or bake bread, or do an experiment.  Lately, Amelia's favorite games have been Go Fish, Uno, and Old Maid, and Micah's favorites have been Memory, Set, and Nerts.  I really want to play those games too, but they sit with their backs to me in a tight circle so I can't get in to destroy those cards.  I look forward to the day I'm invited to play games too!  For now, I entertain myself by pulling books out of the shelf, spices out of the pantry, bath toys out of the bathroom, cars out of the end table drawer, and food off the floor.  I also pull myself up so I can stand as much as I can, but I haven't taken any steps yet. My Dad gives me walking lessons often.

By now, it's late morning.  It takes about twenty minutes for Mom to help us all get on our snow pants, coats, socks, boots, gloves, and hats.  I despise getting my gloves on, but I love getting rides on the sled on our driveway by siblings or mom.  The snow is almost as tall as me, so we can't sled in the yard, but the slick driveway works well.  My brother has been digging tunnels through the yard, and every day my mom walks at least a couple loops through the walking path we're trying to keep carved out through part of the yard.  Amelia has grown alot this winter and has moved from hiding with a blanket over her head on a chair on the porch to pushing her toy lawnmower (her "snowplow") through shoveled areas by herself.  My mom says this is great progress.  
Some days, I ride in the stroller and we head out on a walk, but it depends on traffic volume and the current width of the road since there aren't sidewalks right by our house.  It's been a colder than usual winter I'm told, so we usually just play in our yard for 20-30 minutes before heading in as it is usually 5 - 20 degrees F when we are out.  

About noon, we get ready to eat lunch!  Before Micah comes inside, he has to carry enough wood to last us the rest of the day in the fireplace.  Usually, mom gives a lecture or two about not complaining or grumbling about now.  Dad gets to eat lunch with us six days a week, and it is so fun when he
comes home!  We tell him all about our morning and sometimes he wrestles with us.  After lunch, my brother often heads back outside to play a little longer and my mom reads me and my sister a nap time book and lays us down.  Every time my mom lays me down, I pop back up and laugh! Lately, my sister has been entertaining me during the whole nap time, so Mom told us we shouldn't jump and talk anymore so we can sleep.  Micah gets to play outside or rest on the couch during nap time.  I can't wait until I'm four too!

After nap time, we get snacks!  My sister likes to snuggle with mom for a while after nap because she usually wakes up in a bad mood.  Maybe it's because I wake her up?  The rest of the afternoon, we usually play whatever we want.  My sister likes to color pictures.  My brother likes to jump on the mini-trampoline.  Sometimes we play all together and sometimes by ourselves.  At five, I play with kitchen utensils while my brother and sister help cook dinner.  My brother cuts up cucumbers, cracks eggs, and helps brown meat and measure ingredients.  My sister likes to watch and help stir.  We often listen to fun music while we cook.  Once everything is started, they set the table and then my brother and sister read books to each other.  Sometimes, I'm even patient enough to sit still and listen. If it's a night that Dad will be home for dinner, we run to the garage door and jump on him when he gets home.  At dinner time, we each talk about our high point and low point of the day.  Amelia doesn't understand what a low is and says good things for her high and her low!  She also likes to copy whatever Micah says.  Myself, I just know a few words, like Mama and Dada.  I learned how to say uh-oh this week.  

After dinner, we get to play with Daddy or run around the house playing hide and seek, until 6:30.  Before bed, we read a Bible story and pray together.  My mom helps say the words for my prayer since I can't yet.  Dad has been telling us piano stories, where he tells us a Bible story while he simultaneously illustrates the story with music.  Then it's hugs and kisses time and bed time, sadly.  Have I mentioned that I would rather laugh and stand in my crib than lay down?  

Saturday, December 17, 2016

These are the days of...

Silver Buttons by Bob Graham
One of my new favorite children's books is one I accidentally stumbled across at the library called Silver Buttons by Bob Graham. The entire book is composed of mostly insignificant, everyday things that take place in the span of one minute.  I read it over and over again, reveling in the fact that the mundane moments are actually beautiful and meaningful - a mother practicing a folk song on her instrument while her daughter colors a picture in the messy living room, a little girl "mailing" sticks through the slats in the fence, phones ringing in a thousand pockets.

It should be no surprise to me, I have always been awed by the everyday things.  My favorite part of any movie is the first ten minutes, the setting of the scene, the bits of ordinary before the plot emerges.  In fact, the first (and only) series of books I have written were about a girl named Dot, authored at age six.  I turned out tale after tale about Dot, but the problem was, there were no problems in my books.  I would staple together books out of paper and then start writing, but the plot didn't emerge before I ran out of pages.  I remember my mom trying to kindly help me understand that lengthy passages describing the heroine's family members, articles of clothing, address and phone number, and detailed holiday menus do not exactly constitute a story.

Regardless, daily moments are deeply meaningful to me.  As I've wondered why, I've realized that motherhood is mostly little actions strung together.  Picking up the same toys, washing the same dishes, reading the same books. If only the vacations and weekends and big projects "count", then most of my day is of little value.  I'm so thankful that faithfulness in the little things holds value and beauty.  God sees and is there in EVERYTHING.  The big. The small. And even the moments no one else will ever see or even know about.

In the past several months, one way I've learned to record and delight in the little things is to write occasional lists in my journal titled "These are the days of...", inspired by Emily P. Freeman and her book Simple Tuesday.  What is common and frequent today may end next week as something else takes it place.  I look back with fondness at my "days of" lists from earlier this year and the memories they bring.  Here are some of mine.

December 17, 2016
These are the days of:
- a hearth full of snowy mittens and hats and boots drying by the fire
- hanging cloth diapers to dry on an old umbrella skeleton
- Joel sitting up in his crib when I lay him down and laughing uproariously that he can get out of a sleeping position
- Micah learning his first lessons at the piano
- Amelia and Micah running around the house singing Jingle Bells, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, and Joy to the World
- Walking to church in the snow
- Micah testing the snow to see if it is wet enough to make a snowman
- Amelia yelling "no snowballs me"
- Joel grabbing lights off the Christmas tree until we notice him
- The kids clamoring for Caleb to swing them around and make them go "tick-tock" as soon as he gets home

As one year ends and another begins, what are "these the days of" for you?


Saturday, January 9, 2016

A Day in the Life of Micah (3) and Amelia (15 months)

Here is a day in the life of Micah (3) and Amelia (15 months) from Amelia's perspective.

Micah's New "Room"
I wake up and it's dark in my crib so I pull myself up to my knees, grab the crib bars, and holler.  After a few minutes, Micah stirs in his toddler bed in the adjoining walk-in-closet, and I get excited when I see his star light click on.  "Amelia, it's 7 o'clock! My star light turned on!" announces Micah.  I stop hollering and rock back and forth excitedly "talking"as fast as I can when my mom comes in and turns on the big light.  I have so much to say and I rapidly sign "milk". I gulp it down while she changes my diaper and dresses me.  If I wasn't so busy drinking, I would give some input on what clothes I would like to wear, shaking my head vigorously if I don't agree or hugging them close if I concur.  I pat my head to remind her to fix my hair, but sometimes I have trouble remembering to sit still for her to do it.  Meanwhile, Micah sloooowly takes his pajamas off, goes to the bathroom, and picks out his clothes.  He likes Mom to lay out each clothing item "just so" on the floor so he will know how to put them on, but I like to crawl over the top of them and pick them up.  Micah begs Mom to play with us for a few minutes then she puts up the baby gate and (gasp) leaves the room for us to do playtime while we listen to a silly recording her and Dad made!! This is my least favorite part of the day! She dares to leave my sight!  I am tempted to continuing playing duplos or Mr. Octopus with Micah, but I head for the doorway to rattle the gate and remind Mom I'm still here.  Mom says Micah and I used to play together quietly for half an hour during playtime, but these days Mom can only tolerate a few minutes of my yelling.  

I am desperate to eat breakfast.  Micah sets the table while Mom cooks something.  Sometimes, Micah "makes" breakfast by himself by setting the table with cold cereal and milk.  My favorite breakfast is oatmeal with coconut oil and raisins.  Occasionally, I like eggs, but I try to throw my parents off by remaining unpredictable with my food choices. Micah prefers breakfast burritos or pancakes.  The highlight of the meal for both of us is our gummy vitamins.  I stay pretty quiet once I start eating.  If they forget, I always am the first to remind the family to hold hands and pray.  My Dad and Micah take turns answering catechism questions that Mom asks.  Sometimes, they turn it into a contest.  They both like to win a little too much.
It usually takes me twice as long to finish my breakfast as the rest of the family.  By the time I'm done, Mom has usually cleaned up breakfast and started a load of laundry.  After breakfast, Micah is supposed to put away the clean silverware from the dishwasher.  That takes a long time most days.  My Daddy kisses me goodbye when he leaves for work.  My mom is finishing up making her grocery list so Micah is looking at books on the couch. I dig through our living room toy drawer. 
     Mom and Micah have a morning chore they do together that varies depending on the day of the week.  I try to help too.  Today there is vacuuming going on.  I recently outgrew my fear of the vacuum!  
     Mom says it is time for a nap for me.  I have really been protesting this morning nap since Christmas.  Too many new toys to explore!  I rest quietly in my crib for 25 minutes then decide enough is enough and cry until Mom gets me.  She sets me in the living room with my new plastic tea set to play while she finishes having special time with Micah.  Apparently, while I nap, they do activities together that I would not appreciate, like reading books with too many words, puzzles with too many pieces, and crafts with too many parts.  Today they are playing Uno and Candy Land.  Candy Land is my favorite because I get to play with two game pieces, the directions, and the box while they play.  I'm not supposed to touch the board.  
After special time is over, sometimes we do a workout.  Mom rolls out the mini-trampoline from the garage for Micah to burn energy and we all watch her phone for workout video.  Micah's favorite is using the Sworkit Kids app.  I like to watch the screen and laugh at Mom but don't do much working out.  My favorite part of exercise time is when the app tells them to "take a thirty-second break", because then Mom picks me up and we play tag with Micah around the house.  Today, we don't do a workout because it is Wednesday, and Mom gets to go to the gym by herself after we are in bed.  

Instead, we sit down at the little table for a snack.  My favorite snack is raisins or honey nut cheerios.  Micah's favorite snack is yogurt.  Afterwards, I carefully take all the crayons out of their container while Micah paints with watercolors.  I get bored of this quickly and sign "all done", but not before I manage to color some red marker on my face.  I almost fall out of my chair.  I like to walk while my parents hold my hands, but I can't do it on my own yet.  Everyone says I'll be a later walker like Micah and my Mom both were.

It's lunchtime.  I play with the pretend kitchen, placing the bendy man figurine in and out of the oven, while my Mom gets the food ready.  I whine a few times to let her know I'm ready, and pull out the Tupperware box to do some "sorting".  I like plain food for lunch and carefully peel apart my sandwiches or wraps first to make sure Mom hasn't snuck anything terrible in, like meat or hummus or avocado.  Some days, my Dad gets to come home from work for lunch with us.  Most Mondays we meet him at the middle school to eat lunch with the kids there, and most Tuesdays we meet him at the high school to each lunch there, after we go to story-time at the library.  My parents say Micah and I make pretty good advertising for the church youth group.  I'm not as much of a draw as I used to be though, so it's good my Mom is about to have another baby.

After lunch, we bundle up and go outside for a little snow playtime.  We don't have sidewalks near us and the roads are covered in snow and ice so we don't go on many walks anymore.  I don't really like the snow but my brother does.  He even goes down the snowy slide at the park sometimes.  He also squirts colored water out of a bottle to make designs in the snow in our yard.  For a while, he chose yellow every time, so now Mom doesn't give him a choice and mixes up purple or green.

Back inside, we each get to pick a book or two for Mom to read to us before naptime.  I still prefer books with real pictures but occasionally I'll sit still for The Very Hungry Caterpillar or Goodnight Moon.  My favorite books are the sign language board books from the library.  Micah's favorite book right now is Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Micah and I both take an afternoon nap.  Most days, my Mom does too.  After nap, we eat a snack and sort laundry.  I like to give my clothes big hugs and wrap them around my neck.  After that, we play until dinner time.  Micah plays alot with his Knexs he got for Christmas.  I like to play with the pieces too.  I give them hugs and stuff them between my neck and my shoulder.  Sometimes my Mom finds them in my clothes later. 

Most of the time, I like to play with my brother.   Sometimes I dump out puzzles for him to put together.  Other times I play the piano while Micah plays the metronome.  I'm getting better at finding ways to occupy myself while my Mom cooks, but I just want to see what's going on. My Dad gets home for dinner and I love to meet him at the door.  Sometimes I sit in front of the door and block it without meaning to and then he can't get in.  Oops.  I get excited to see him.   We have dinner together as a family just about every night.  In the evenings after the rest of my family cleans up the meal, we usually have a little time to play before bedtime.  Micah and I like it when we play games together as a family, like Twister.  I crawl around the special mat and Micah stretches really far.  Other nights, we take a bath.  And some nights, I'm just exhausted and whine until someone asks me if I want to go to bed, to which I respond by giving them a big hug.  I ask frequently throughout the day to brush my teeth and hair, and always at bedtime.  After we are all ready for bed, my Dad reads us a Bible story.  I listen for a few seconds, then fold my hands to try to hurry everyone along to the praying.  They don't seem to listen to my signal until the story is over.  Usually, Micah and I go to bed at 7.  I don't mind, my dolly stays in my crib now, and I get excited each time we are reunited.  I don't like to miss anything, so after my parents lay me down, I usually crawl over to the side of the crib to watch them say goodnight to Micah.  Then they remind me to lay down again.  Goodnight!


Saturday, May 23, 2015

Blogs I Follow

I gain so many ideas and words of encouragement from the various blogs I follow, I thought I would write a quick post to share them with you!

I subscribe to most of these blogs by email.  Sometimes my inbox starts to fill up with too many unread posts, but I no longer feel any regret in just deleting a bunch if I'm in a busy week.  Seriously, why should I have ever felt obligated to read every post in the first place?  It seems a bit ridiculous now.  Other weeks, I soak up every word of these posts because I need the encouragement. Perhaps you might need some too!

Frugal Living
This is the first blog I remember ever following.  Full of store deals, coupons, freebie links, free ebook notifications, etc.  

Healthy Living
One of my favorite all-around blogs that covers healthy living and homemaking topics.  Erin writes in a genuine and easy-to-follow style.

This is my go-to site for learning about natural remedies. I also enjoy the weekly round-up of links.

Motherhood/Intentional Living
I ended up at Kristy's Cottage for encouragement as a pastor's wife (and Kristy even wrote a blog post specifically in response to my question about balancing ministry and mothering littles on Sunday mornings), but I have recently been enjoying her posts on mothering and other topics lately.  Her blog is beautiful and uplifting.

I was first introduced to Leslie Ludy's spiritual writings in my dorm bible study in college, and I am glad she recently started this blog/wrote a book on motherhood.  This is not fluffy, easy-peasy stuff, it gives me spiritual meat to chew on.

The sub-title "Gospel Centered Homemaking" describes it well. 

I highly recommend Rachel Stafford's book by the same title as the blog, I tend to skim her blog posts, but they are good reminders for me to soak up the daily moments with my children and nudge me to not spend too much time looking at my phone or computer.

Misc.
My go-to website for planning date nights with Caleb. If you subscribe to receive the posts by email like I do, you get access to some exclusive printables and other freebies.