My Heavens...Time is Zooming By...

First of all, my sincere apologies for being 'away' for so long.  I have been warned by many creditable sources, that time disappears faster and faster the older your children become.  I have to admit I totally thought they were full of BULL... But I have some crow to eat.  I was reading my last post (which still tears me up) and it seemed just like YESTERDAY.  Maxwell has been happily attending Kindergarten for three easy months now.  How blessed am I that he loves school.  He loves his teacher and he can't wait for Monday to roll around.  He has wonderful friends everywhere (I wish I knew all their names), loves PE, loves library, his big reading buddy, and even lunchtime.  But what he loves even more- is the first moment he walks in the door.  He has 100 things he can't wait to tell me.  The color of the day he received for behaviour, what book he read, how many different tag games they played at recess.  All vital details of his day that I cherish.  It is different for me to hear them.  I am the type of momma that likes to witness 100% of daily activities.  If they go to a birthday party...I'm a "stage one clinger" hanging around at the back of the room.  If they have a Sunday School activity... I like to volunteer to help... so I can be apart of their activities and their lives.  I try not to be over bearing or pushy or know-it-all... I just want to experience their life.  It's very different for me to 'hear' of his day now.  I have to admit I don't really like it...but I'm working on it diligently.

I have also had the blessed opportunity to hear my son read to me for the first time recently.  My son can read.  He really likes to read too.  I can't tell you how crazy wonderful it is... Once in a lifetime good.  What doors will he open and what mountains will he climb? 


Marren and Mylee have had an interesting time adjusting to Maxwell being in Kindergarten-  Marren especially.  During the first month of school... the local volunteer firemen come with their trucks, water hoses, lights/sirens, and fully uniformed to make an impression on children.  Hero's to 95% of the children attending our preschool.  One young strawberry blond (apart of the "not as excited" 5%) was extremely alarmed at their presentation of arms (so to speak).  She was literally petrified and couldn't even talk about it for several days.  I honestly believe she has always been afraid of firetrucks and firemen... I can recall that retrospectively.  However, last year...when the firemen visited there was one major difference for my little Marren... Her big brother Max was right there with her and she knew she was safe...because he wasn't alarmed.  She watched him and feed off of him and trusted him.  For several days, Maxwell not being in her school with her really set her back and it nearly ripped me in two.  I was darn near ready to try anything... I even thought about pulling her out of school for a fleeting moment.  That, of course, would have been a terrible mistake.... but it was literally me lying to her and having the teacher rip her away from my neck to get away from her once we were inside the preschool. I cried all morning just imagining her being so scared.  Completely out of character for my little army soldier!! 


After a horrible week....Our wonderfully insightful preschool teacher had a brilliant idea.  We reminded her the firemen were NOT coming back for a long long time and then gave her a timer.  As soon as the timer would go off... I was walking in the door to pick her up.  Just a little reassurance on her belt that I would be back for her....and she was cured.  Nearly a miracle- in my opinion. 


Mylee is an amazing creature.  She is 2 and 2 months old.  She calls my mom "mimi' 96% of the time.  The remainder of the time she calls her 'Sally Brinkema'.  NO JOKE.  What a ham!!!  She loves to just giggle, mirror Marren and Maxwell, play, color, cut shapes, eat...and mirror Max and Marren at any cost... One big detail to mention...Mylee loves loves loves LOVES to TALK.  The girl never ever never never ever stops talking.  She literally puts herself to sleep talking.  There are days when I can't hear or even imagine I have said 3 words.  She can out talk me 10:1. 


The cooler months have been hard on Myles.  She loves to be outside and exploring.  She could be outside all day and never stop moving (or talking) all day long.  I had both girls in the graincart with me for 2 hours one day during harvestwhich they loved.  It was nearly one of the most challenging parenting time periods I have had to date.  Both girls wanted to drive...at the same time.  Then they wanted to sit in the ONE buddy chair at the same time.  I finally put one on the floor of the tractor to my left near the door and the other on the floor to my right...NEAR all the tractor controls.  Turns out...Marren knows how to operate an ignition key perfectly.  We were changing fields...in road gear...with a truck behind me.  Marren reaches up to the ignition and turns the entire tractor OFF!!.  I had time to grab Myles (so she didn't end up like a bug on a windshield) put my foot on the clutch (cuz I hoped that would help somehow) and closed my eyes.  We came to an utterly complete stop in 1 foot.  I think we were only going 15 mph.   But holy cow, was that exciting.  The truck stopped...thankfully....and all was fine.  Marren got a pretty good crunch into the windshield and I put my heart back in my chest... Mylee loved it... and Ross was less than pleased. 


No tangible harm done.


I have 100's of other wonder things that have happened, but I have bored you long enough.  The long and short of it is... We are so blessed and have such a wonderful family and wonderful friends.  My children are surrounded by wonderful people on the school bus, at school, at church... Our little town is safe and bustling.  God is at work in our small corner of the world.