Hooray for 24 Weeks!!

I had my little sick buddy at home with me again today. This means that my little sick buddy got to accompany me to the hospital for my 24 week scan. Sophie was as good as gold, and the scan looked great. (And yes, to answer your and Emma's question, the baby still appears to be a girl.) I think I may have actually met my consultant today too, but I was in and out of her office so quickly that I forgot to ask her for her name. Assuming she was my consultant, I was impressed by the fact that she appeared to have genuinely studied my file before I entered the room. So instead of asking me why I was there, she began by telling me what her plans were for my care. This was a very nice change.

I think, based on my history, we were both expecting my scan to show some change, but since it didn't (and that's a good thing), she sent me on my way and instructed me to "stay pregnant." I intend to follow those orders to the best of my abilities. I'll be back again in a month, and I hope to have no drama then either.

Since Sophia was such a good girl, we followed our hospital visit with a trip to Borders/ Starbucks where we did some very civilized coffee drinking and book browsing. She is still warm, but seems to be feeling a bit better. She definitely feels well enough to know that two sick days at home with mom all to yourself is a very sweet deal... especially when popsicles are Mom's sore throat remedy. Hopefully she will cool off tonight and be ready to head back to Mrs. Dickson's class tomorrow.

I Have Confidence in Sunshine...

Summertime has come to Wales, and I am enjoying it for more than one reason. Of course the main reason is that sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy, but also the arrival of summer means I am progressing further along in my pregnancy and things seem to be going well. With every week that passes, I feel more and more confident. I have even bought a few items of baby gear (since all of ours has been left in the US... nevermind though, baby shopping isn't torture!)

On Saturday evening we joined some friends at our local-ish pub and had a meal outside while the kids played in the garden. It was a completely lovely evening, and made me happy that there are only three more weeks left in school for my two little duckies. I am looking forward to more relaxed, summer nights when we aren't scrambling to bed when the sun is still up.


On Sunday morning we decided to have church at the local fruit farm. Emma, Sophie and I had a perfectly lovely girls' day out and returned with a heap of strawberries and raspberries. The good thing about berry picking with children is that you are able to be quite thorough. I was able to seek out all of the nice, ripe raspberries at the tops of the bushes, while Sophie found wonderful ruby red treasures down low, and Emma detected anything in the middle we had missed.

I am also enjoying being mobile and pregnant in this beautiful weather. How nice is it to throw on a sundress and not have to worry about sucking in your stomach? Pregnancy has other perks as well; Emma keeps informing me that my "boobs are really out there" these days. Yes, I do enjoy the attention...more than I did the first two times around, and I am thrilled anytime I hear British compliments like, "You have the tidiest bump I've ever seen!" Mind you, I have no idea what a "tidy bump" is, but it is apparently a good thing, so I smile and say "Thank you!!"

On a slightly sour note, summertime has also brought an unfortunate summer virus to our dear Sophia. She is tucked up in bed with a fever watching CBeebies this morning. Of course I hate that she feels poorly, but she has been so sweet and cuddly that being her caretaker is a pleasure. Emma, on the other hand, was a little less than thrilled when she left for school this morning with our neighbor Mrs. Li, while Sophie remained cwtched up in bed in her pajamas... but the sun is shining, and it's a beautiful summer's day, and she will get over it.

One final glorious announcement, on Friday I finished up my last (as far as I know) big obligation with the Radyr Primary School PTA. We pulled off a successful summer fayre in the rain. The majority of the stalls had to be moved indoors; the outdoor barbeque had to be replaced with kitchen-cooked hot dogs, but all in all, things went well... and we are finished for the year! Hooray!

Showing Off Can Be a Good Thing!

Today was "Show Off Day" in Emma and Sophie's classes, so I got to spend this sunny morning with my girls in their school environment. Emma showed me all of the work she's been doing. Her artwork and writing are so impressive. There is definitely room for another writer in the family. I suppose we should attribute her artistic skills to Mimi. Emma's drawings are so detailed and fantastic. I am excited about how she will develop these gifts in the years to come.



Sophie also took me through her classroom where I couldn't help but notice her lovely photograph hung up at the front of the room since she was the Superstar of the Day! Sophie also showed me her tray full of excellent work. Her reading is coming along really well and earned her a reading trophy recently. There was definitely cause to "show off" today. Sophie also took me into the infants' garden where there are lots of flowers as well as apples and tomatoes growing. She likes to go out and water them and to just be a helpy-helperton in general.

(Sophie in the infants' garden)

On another note... I am actually soliciting advice for once. I would welcome advice on how to prepare my two little queen bees for the new little ladybug. Emma seems to be fretting a lot lately about becoming irrelevent when the new baby comes. She seems to think no one will have any time for her or any interest in her. I want her to be prepared for the fact that for a few weeks, I will be really tired and sore, BUT that she will always be so special and loved... and of course, I will still read her stories and be her mama!

Sophie is also struggling to adjust to the idea of no longer being the "little one." I would say she is rather resistant to the whole idea actually. Anytime Emma really wants to make her mad, she tells her, "Sophie, you know you're not really the baby anymore." (Yes, can you believe dear Emma could be so cruel!?) This statement always sends Sophie through the roof. So this is a whole different issue. Girls are sure complicated. Things were much simpler when I was pregnant with Sophie and Emma was only one and a half.

I have no doubt we will get through all of this and that everyone will realize that they are indeed still loved and important, but if anyone has any helpful advice, bring it on.

Thanks!

"It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all." - Laura Ingalls Wilder

One of the best things about having children is that you are allowed to see life through their eyes. The things you thought were just ordinary turn out to be truly exciting. I love the fact that my kids get so excited about hot chocolate and picnics in the back garden. Yesterday, we had to run out to the post office at our local mini Tesco, and while we were there I noticed that the blackberries were on sale. I sent each girl to get a shopping basket (since that's the only way to be fair), and let them each carry a punnet of blackberries. We also picked up a few other things like curry sauce and bramley apple sausages which thrilled my two little moppets to no end.

When we got home I washed the blackberries and mixed them with some capped strawberries. I called the girls into the kitchen for this snack, and they were downright giddy. While I emptied the dishwasher, I listened to their ever-so-civilized conversation about how lovely the berries were. Sophie couldn't believe how tasty they were. Wise Emma explained that I must have added some "special mommy 'gredients" to make them extra tasty. My heart smiled.

Anytime I serve the girls porridge for breakfast (that's oatmeal if you're American), Emma launches into the most fantastic and descriptive version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears you've ever heard. Sophie happily eats her porridge with cinnamon and honey while Emma details how Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear each responded to their morning's breakfast. What a nice way to start our day.

Yes, today I am feeling very grateful for the fact that I get to be a mom in this life. I am ever so blessed to have two little girls reminding me that the simplest things can indeed be the best things. There is, in my opinion, almost nothing better than curling up with a little girl wrapped in one arm and a wonderful storybook in the other hand. It is extremely rare for a day to go by without a story and a cwtch among us. Right now Sophie is very fond of Dorothy Edwards' Naughty Little Sister stories. Not surprisingly, Emma is a fan of fantasy stories. And I am just glad that I get to be the storyteller. Nice work if you can get it!

What We Love About Dad

Sophie has been super excited about Father's Day for a while now. For the last two weeks every paper and drawing she has brought home from school has been specified "FOR DAD" and has been placed in a special secret hiding place ready for today. So this morning it came as no surprise that Sophie and Emma both were in our bed before 7:00, ready to get the Father's Day festivities going. So much for a Father's Day lie in!

Just after 7:00, Sophie brought up the presents and cards. Nothing extreme. George is not terribly bothered with presents so we typically get him some nice chocolates and a "Dad" t-shirt. The girls had also compiled a list of things they love about their dad. The list included lighthearted things like "Dad's fantastic pancakes" and "booty stamps" (best not to ask), but it also included some slightly more profound items such as: "Dad cheers us up when we're sad" and "He talks to us about important things when we're upset." I was also happy to see that, "Dad tucks us in and sings us songs" and "Dad loves to read Frog and Toad stories" made the list.

Father's Day isn't just a day for Dads; it's a day for the ones who love those Dads to reflect upon how blessed we are to have them in our lives. I feel utterly blessed when I think about the man my kids call 'Dad'. He is a wonderful partner, and we make a well-rounded team. He helps the kids with math and science, and I read them poetry. He teaches them to swim, and I plan the details of their birthday parties. Amazingly we both agree on discipline and 'family values,' and when one of us forgets, the other steps in and takes over. I know every parent doesn't have a partner, and I am in awe of those who go it alone. Today I am remembering how lucky all of us in this house are.

So... how did it happen that the Dad at our house wound up making all of us strawberry pancakes for breakfast this morning?? I think he was just showing off on his big day. The girls also came up with "activity cards" that they put into a bowl for Dad to choose from today. On each card they had written different activities they thought Dad would surely enjoy on his big day. Some of the activities included:

• Having a massage and facial (given by Emma and Sophie)
• Wrestling
• Playing Hide and Seek
• Watching us girls on the swings
• Emma's puppet show
• Playing "Rat-a-Tat-Cat"

Sounds like every Dad's perfect day, eh? We also managed a rather gluttonous lunch at Pizza Hut where I gave it my all when it came to 'eating for two.' After lunch George helped the girls build a huge wooden box for planting their Giant Atlantic Pumpkins. (We are planning to have some proper American-style jack-o-lanterns this Halloween!) The three of them are pictured above inside their nearly finished box.

So all in all, it was a good day for all of us, I think. At the very least George had to feel pretty loved and we all remembered why we love him so much too. Happy Father's Day to all of the proud Papas out there. Hope you enjoyed your day!

Sports Day 2009 at Radyr Primary

Today was Sports Day at Radyr Primary, and luckily after a very wet Wednesday, the weather turned out to be decent. Neither Emma nor Sophie seem to enjoy the races very much at this point, but both did well on the field games and seemed to have a good time of it...

Above Sophie is pictured playing "Foxes and Geese." She was one of the foxes and captured plenty of geese.

Here is Emma jumping through some hoops...literally.

Emma did manage to pick up third place in the javelin throw and earn some points for Red House.

I wish Sophie's eyes were open in this one!! Here she is pictured with her best boy friend, Harry. The two of them sat together and chatted in between all of the races and games.

Go, Sophie, go!!

The girls at the end of the morning.... Sophie was not at all pleased that I was going home and she had to go back to class.

We'll Make Beatiful Music

Yesterday Emma's school had the big music assembly for upcoming juniors. Emma will officially move from "infants" to "juniors" next year, and this means (among other things) she can start learning an instrument in school. She had already told me that she wasn't interested in playing "anything that you have to blow in." Her instrument of choice was the violin.

Here is where I reveal what a terrible mother I am because have you ever heard a 7 year old try to play the violin? It is something I don't think I can cope with on top of the sleep deprivation that comes along with having a screaming newborn in the house. So her Dad and I have talked her into having a go with the guitar instead. If she is still gung ho about the violin in a couple more years, we will oblige, but for now, I think the guitar will be much more tolerable.

On another note...when I picked the kids up from school today, it was pouring down with rain. When we got home, Sophie immediately went into the kitchen and stripped off all of her clothes. Then she threw open the door to the back garden and ran out into the rain shouting, "LET IT BEGIN!!" I'm not sure what "IT" is, but it sure looked like good times.

Over the Hump With an Ever-Growing Bump

Yes, I am nearly 22 weeks pregnant and well over the halfway mark. You can ask any pregnant lady, and she will tell you that 40 weeks is actually 2 weeks beyond 9 months. As that curly headed kid in our world history class in high school would have asked, "Do we get credit for that??"

I am very aware of the fact that I am not alone in my body any more. This morning George laughed at me when he rolled over in bed and I mumbled, "Hey, don't bump into us." I am now a "we," for sure. A few weeks ago at the library, I read Sophie a really lovely book called There's a House Inside my Mummy, in which a little boy relates his perception of having a pregnant mum and waiting to meet his new baby sibling. Our favourite part was when the boy wished mum's "house" had windows so that he could see what that baby was doing in there. I could definitely relate to that. Now that she has gotten bigger, I am constantly feeling her movements and wondering, "What are you doing in there, kid??"

Mostly it is fabulous to feel her moving, but sometimes she plays the bongos on my bladder or worse yet, moves farther southward and dances La Cucuracha. Yow! It was so bad the other night that I elevated my hips on a couple of pillows in hopes that she would drift northward with her fancy footwork, but the end result was only that I had managed to give myself a raging case of heartburn. Oh well, this is all part of it. Being pregnant is certainly a miraculous experience even the third time around.

Remind me of this in late August, please. :)

You May Say That I'm a Dreamer...

"Dreaming permits each and every one of us to be quietly and safely insane every night of the week." --William Dement

My pregnancy with Sophie happened to coincide with a "Dreams and Spirituality" class at our church back home. I have always been a vivid dreamer, and the class interested me even without the added benefit of all of the pregnancy hormones. The class examined the idea of dreams in a Biblical context, and we all kept dream journals and had a go at interpreting what our dreams from each week might mean. As the only pregnant lady in the class, I was, of course, the star pupil, and if you know me, you know I didn't mind that a bit. The class instructor often made photocopies of the dreams I had written about for the class to dissect. I was fascinated to discover that there were indeed recurrent themes and archaic symbols parading through my dreams every evening. I never saw anything like Jacob's stairway to heaven, but it was all very interesting nevertheless.

Now, the pregnant dreams are back, but unfortunately, I don't have a class full of interested students to help me interpret them. I also have not been writing them down. Perhaps I should since this is supposedly how Stephenie Meyer came up with the whole multi-million dollar Twilight concept.

So...no, I haven't been dreaming about werewolves or vampires, unless you count a surprise appearance by American Idol runner-up, Adam Lambert, last night, who wanted me to star as the Virgin Mary in his Biblical Broadway musical.

The recurrent idea I have been seeing in my dreams is this: I discover that "something desirable" exists in a familiar place without my knowledge. (The other thing I learned about dreams in my class is that language is often insufficient when it comes to explaining them.) In the recent past my dreams often included the discovery of wonderful (dare I say) "American Style" churches in my local area. In my waking life I have pretty much given up on finding a church over here that feels like home, but in my dreams, I have found a church with a big friendly congregation, a vibrant youth group, service opportunities, etc. right near me in Cardiff. The me of my dream kicks myself and wonders, "How did I miss this place for the last few years??" I have had similar dreams that involved the discovery of other beloved American establishments like Target or breakfast joints like the Cracker Barrel. In these dreams, I am always thrilled at the find, but also left thumping myself in the forehead as I exclaim, "I could-a had a V-8!" or something similar.

Last night's dream (before Adam Lambert entered the scene) involved me pondering where the new baby's room is going to be. This is something we have all been pondering a bit in real waking life. The girls don't want to give up their small upstairs playroom, and I rather like the idea of new Little Miss being directly across from us in the guest room. Obviously this is not a major dilemma. How lucky are we to have two possible choices. In my dream, however, I walked down the corridor upstairs and discovered two more fully furnished bedrooms in between the guest room and the kids' playroom. They had been there all along! However did I miss them? I immediately called up my friend Molly Cook and told her she should bring her whole family of seven over for a visit since I didn't realise we had all this extra space.

These are just a few examples. I have dreams like this on a weekly basis. My question is: anybody know what this might mean? I have a feeling I am probably the one who is best equipped to interpret these. I have been discussing my various theories with the back of my husband's head this morning as he plays King's Bounty on his computer, but if anyone has any ideas, I would love to hear.

Ironically, Emma came home from school on Thursday singing all of the songs from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. This is an obsession I can deal with. We had been reading stories from her children's Bible this week, and coincidentally, the day we were 'scheduled' to read the Joseph story, Emma's class watched the DVD musical Joseph. I was thrilled to find this morning that the show is coming to Cardiff at the end of September and have booked tickets in hopes that my pregnancy will allow me and the rest of us to go. We'll see...

As I have been typing all of this, Emma has been standing behind George in his chair rubbing his back and head. He is loving this. I am amused by the fact that Emma has so many different named "rubbing techniques." I keep hearing her say things like, "Ok, Dad, now this is called 'Windy Waves'." Or.... "Sparkling Waterfall." Don't forget: "Sharky Dancing," "Water Stars" or the "Coconut Tap," just to name a few.

Aren't Saturdays wonderful?

The Importance of Being Emma

I have come to truly appreciate the fact that life is complicated when your name is Emma Carson. You must contend with a constantly whirring brain and the fact that parents and teachers are constantly (it seems) trying to "rule" you.

Emma's current teacher tells me that at school she is very quiet. To digress slightly, I remember her nursery teacher telling me that they were concerned about Emma's verbal development since she rarely spoke in the morning class for 2 and 3-year-olds. I was shocked since she never stopped talking at home. I even took video of her at home and showed it to her teacher, the rather severe Mrs. Walsh, who was doubly shocked to see Emma jabbering on about heaven only knows what.

It seems that things haven't changed all that much since Emma was two. She goes off to school and saves up all of her words; then as soon as we get in the car in the afternoon, they erupt and continue to flow until her eyes eventually close at night. Seriously, there needn't be anyone in the room with her in order for Emma to be carrying on a conversation. We often hear her chatting away in a room by herself. When she is not chatting, she is thinking. Thinking often leads to fretting about what may happen if A, B, C, and D were to first occur. It is all very complicated, I tell you. Sometimes in between thinking, chatting and fretting, Emma finds time to write, draw or create works of art with found objects and lots of Scotch tape. All of this takes a lot of energy and concentration. When we interrupt her repeatedly to ask her to do things like pick up her clothes, brush her teeth or finish her math homework, we often hear complaints about how she never has time to have any fun and how she is sick and tired of having everyone try to "rule" her. (Being "ruled," in case you were wondering, is NOT a desirable thing.)

Last night, Emma and I were taking a shower, and she asked me something like, "When the baby comes, is everyone just going to be interested in the baby when they come to see us, and will they not care about me anymore?" This question broke my heart, and I had to be honest that she might feel that way at first. I told her that everyone would be very interested in the baby at first simply because the baby was new and they had never met her before, but they would, of course, still be very interested in Emma. I tried to equate it to having a new kid in school. At first everyone wants to check out the new kid because he's new and different, but soon the new kid is just like all the other kids in class... or something like that. Then she grumbled, "I wish the baby was going to be a boy."

This morning over a lovely breakfast of scrambled eggs and English muffins (which, by the way, are not called "English" over here....just muffins), Emma said to me, "Mom, I've thought about this as much as a girl can think about these things, and I am NEVER going to have a baby." I told her there was a good chance she might change her mind since she was only seven, but she assured me that a great deal of thought had been put into it and her mind was made up. I had to ask, "Why?" The response I got surprised me....

Emma has seen a few of those Discovery Home & Health shows which document women giving birth, and she was convinced that every woman's birth would be televised. She said, "I don't want everyone in my family to be watching me when I've got me feet up in those things having a baby!!" I assured her that a televised birth was not the norm, and that my births had been very private and lovely. So next she wanted to know about having to have stitches if there is tearing during the birth. Wow. She was starting to make me feel unsure about whether or not I ever wanted to have a baby! Sophie then chimed in, "I think they just use staples!" Dear God, just eat your eggs, kids, and let us never speak of this again! Only kidding, I assured Emma that stitches, if necessary, would be given under anesthesia, and that a staple gun would not be involved. Then we agreed she probably shouldn't worry about all of this at the age of seven, but this is Emma we are talking about, and 'not worrying' is easier said than done.

Now she is off at school saving up her words again...

"I like to do all the talking myself. It saves time and prevents arguments."
-Oscar Wilde

Hospital Blues

Today I went in to the hospital to meet with my consultant...only it wasn't my consultant, of course, it was another lovely lady consultant from India. I am beginning to think that all of the OB consultants in the UK might be from India. Not a problem, merely an observation. I am actually starting to wonder if I will ever meet "my" consultant or if she even exists since her name (Ms. Arnold) doesn't sound even a little bit Indian. Maybe she will pop her head in shortly after I give birth to a healthy baby, introduce herself and then take credit for the entire affair. These are the things you think about when sitting in the waiting area of the Ante-natal clinic for at least an hour.

Actually, the first thing I thought upon settling into the waiting area was, "Good Lord, did a truck carrying miserable-looking ladies just drop off a load here?" Forty five minutes later, I was one of those miserable-looking ladies myself. Come on!! My appointment was at 10:00!! Hello!?

There was a TV in the waiting area, which usually annoys me since hospital TVs are never set to a channel that I would like to watch. Today it was showing Jeremy Kyle, a trashy British chat show. While I waited, Jeremy harassed a single mother for not spending enough time with her kids. Then he brought on a woman with terminal lung cancer who was on oxygen and berated her for continuing to smoke. I didn't want to watch, but the noise was so distracting, I couldn't concentrate on my book, Dewey, which was barely holding my attention anyway.

Finally, the doctor called me. When I came in she asked rather abruptly, "Why are you here?" Gotta love the NHS and British hospitality. So I had to go through my whole spiel about why I had been referred to the consultants again since this doctor had never seen me before and obviously hadn't bothered to look at my file. "Right, yes, you do need to be here." she confirmed.

I feel as though anytime I am dealing with obstetrical medical professionals here, I am being tested. They assume from the start that I am a completely paranoid idiot. After I go through my entire medical history, which is required at EVERY visit since I never see the same doctor, their body language changes, and they say something horribly reassuring like, "Right, yes, you do need to be here." Ah, validation...it's a start. Today's doctor said she was going to refer me for scans every four weeks to monitor my cervix and make sure it remains as it should. So I am happy that I now have a longterm plan. I am planning to stick the plan, and will my body to behave itself. (That's what's called the "power of positive thinking," and can't you tell I've got it nailed!?)

After this brief consultation, the doctor turned me over to a student who, for some reason, violently prodded my stomach while I lay on the table. Then she attempted to listen to the baby's heartbeat with no luck. The real doctor came over and immediately found the heartbeat, which sounded as strong and sweet as ever... not that I was concerned as I am feeling her engage in all sorts of acrobatics on a regular basis. Next the student measured my uterus and said I measured at 24 weeks. I chose to ignore this since she obviously has issues.

After that I was off. The doctor did recommend continued "rest" on my part. I have been resting for several weeks now since it is the only thing I feel I can do about my situation. So, unfortunately, you won't be seeing me at that prenatal aerobics class or even out doing the grocery shopping. Perhaps by the end of it all, I will have grown to miss the most treacherous Tesco, but for now I am very content to buy my groceries online.

The first big milestone is 24 weeks, and I have complete faith that 24 weeks will be here before we know it.

Worth Celebrating

Whoops! Forgot to post these photos as part of my last blog. In an attempt to convince Sophie that ANY healthy baby (boy or girl) is worth celebrating, we baked a little chocolate cake when we got home yesterday. That certainly lifted her spirits...

Then she and Emma decorated it with a bazillion chocolate stars and Smarties. Here they are posing in the back garden with their creation. So rest assured there is a lot of festive cheer at our house. Hooray for little girls!!

But I Want a Brother!!

Yesterday was the day of the big scan. Emma was with her class on a field trip to Southerndown beach, so Sophie and George went with me to the hospital...

Most importantly, everything with the baby looked good. No abnormalities were detected, so we are pleased as can be. Sophie, however, was not so pleased when no boy parts could be detected either. Her arms went crossed and bottom lip came right out when her Dad said, "It looks like it's going to be a sister. What do you think about that?"

"No, I want a brother!"

The lady who was doing my scan apologised repeatedly to Sophie (bless her), but after looking, she really didn't see anything that would indicate we are having a boy. After the fact, I realized that my children and family had me quite convinced it was a boy because I am still trying to process it. We all had boy names picked out. (Sophie was pulling for Leo or Harry.) But we haven't really thought about girls' names. There is obviously still plenty of time for that...and, of course, ultrasound scans are not 100% accurate. Even though my previous scans indicated I was carrying girls, I always held off on buying too much pink unti I saw the goods for myself.

After we left the hospital, we did our best to convince Sophie that having a baby sister really would be good fun. We took her shopping and let her pick out a few cute, pink baby things. When we got home, we called Emma, who had gone to her friend Hannah's house after school. Sophie broke the big news, "It's a girl," and then she almost angrily insisted, "And it's gonna be FUN!" Emma didn't mind whether it was a boy or girl, but she was excited to hear the news.

And now it is all just starting to feel very real to us. George felt Miss Baby move earlier this week when she was practicing her evening tap dance routine. My tummy is obviously growing, and it appears we are not playing around...we are really going to be having another baby! Look out, world!

On another note...we have had completely gorgeous weather all week. All of the locals have been apologising to me about the heat. This always makes me laugh since we've had highs in the low 70's, and anyone who has lived in North Carolina knows, that ain't heat! (I also giggle because they often use the phrase "in your condition" to describe my pregnant state.) So thankfully Emma had fantastic weather for her class trip to the beach yesterday. When she got home last night, she told me all about it. Apparently, it wasn't all fun and games. She had to do lots of work at the beach. This work included looking for creatures such as 'kermit crabs' and 'sea gooseberries'. Today Sophie's class has gone to Cefn Mably farm, and I am hoping they too will make it through the day without rain.

As you can see, we've had a week full of excitement. We are all feeling very positive and ultimately blessed! Hope you all have a great weekend!

Emma's Questions For Today...

"Does Jesus mind that Muslims don't believe He's God's son?"

My stumbling response that basically boiled down to: I don't think we as humans can understand God's mercy or his knowledge about people's hearts, and it might as well have been: Duh, I don't know.

Also how about, "Mom, Jesus and God aren't the same person, right? I mean I'm not George, but I am his child."

Her questions are way above my pay grade here! How does one explain the concept of the Trinity to a seven year old. I'd be more inclined to ask her to explain it to me. She seems to have a much better grasp on these things than I do. I got in way over my head when trying to explain Judaism, Christianity and Islam to her. Throw in polytheism, and we were drowning. I could tell things weren't going well by the end of it when she said, "What's up with Moses? I don't think I believe in him at all!"

I joke, of course, because the discussion wasn't a failure at all, just a reminder of how little I understand about everything. The fact that she's asking these questions now is nothing but good. The fact that she is also learning now that there are few simple answers, is also good.

I still have one of her Sunday school papers (from when she was about 4 years old) taped up in my office. At the top the question is posed, "What do you think about God?" Emma's writing beneath reads simply, "God is good." So she's had the basics down for a while now.

Exponential Chaos?

So here's what I'm wondering... Since having two kids, it seems as though they very politely take turns having drama. The week before last, Sophie was a right mess. She was grouchy, upset and tired all of the time and even hit the roof when I called her feet "big."

"My feet are NOT big" she snarled, "They are little and cute!!" It doesn't take a genius to understand her issues as the current baby of the family with an ever-growing, pregnant mama. Sophie is generally not a complicated girl. A week off from school and some good doses of one-on-one time with mom seem to have cured her (for now).

Of course, now that she's all hunky-dory, Emma starts up with her own drama about feeling misunderstood, over-burdened and over-'ruled'. (See yesterday's blog post.)

Back to my initial wondering....what happens when there are three kids in the house? Will there still only be one squeaky wheel to deal with at a time, or am I in for a whole new world filled with chaos?

On second thought, please don't answer that question.

Oh Lord, Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

It's the last day of the holidays before the kids go back to school tomorrow, and today I have been listening to Emma bemoan the fact the no one (especially me) understands her. This is mainly the result of my telling her she needs to clean up her dump of a bedroom and get rid of some stuff. Emma, who has always had a flair for the dramatic, has taken the opportunity to thoroughly expound upon how unfair her life is. Some of the highlights of our discussion included the following Emma quotes:

• "You just don't understand me!! No one understands me!! I just wish you could go inside my head and read everything that is written there!! [to herself] That would actually be a really LONG read."
• "Mom, will you just let me drive my own life!!!??"
• "Mom, you really need a lesson on playing, and you're about to get one!!" (in response to my asking for about the third time, 'What on earth do you even do with THIS (random piece of junk)?')

I cannot believe I escaped the conversation without a "Why do you people always have to try to RULE me??!!" which is another favourite persecuted Emma quote, but she left that one out today.

Sophie is neither bothered about being understood nor is she attached to bits of rubbish like Emma. She spent the morning frolicking about the house and garden keeping herself thoroughly entertained. At one point, she came into my room, flopped on the bed and heaved a great sigh and said, "Oh, Emma! Mom DOES understand you!"