"If the God you believe in as an idea doesn’t start showing up in what happens to you in your own life, you have as much cause for concern as if the God you don’t believe in as an idea does start showing up. It is absolutely crucial, therefore, to keep in constant touch with what is going on in your own life’s story and to pay close attention to what is going on in the stories of others’ lives. If God is present anywhere, it is in those stories that God is present. If God is not present in those stories, then they are scarcely worth telling." ~ Frederick Buechner

20 September 2011

Life Speeds Up in the Fall

For the first time in several years, the pace of our life here has quickened with the start of the school year. Even as a substitute teacher, the start of the school year really didn't affect me, as teachers don't usually begin calling in subs regularly until about a month into it.

Here is a quick list of new things going on in our lives:
- Nich is taking American Lit. again (because ACC lost his grades from the first time around).
- We are participating in our church's annual all-church book study, which also includes a weekly Bible study group.
- Ladies' Bible Study has started again, and consequently, B has been to the infant room at church for the first time (more on that later).
- B and I have been attending Kindermusik. He loves it.

We also still go to the farmer's market and the library every Saturday, sometimes staying downtown to eat lunch and watch the ducks at the park. B's becoming increasingly aware of his surroundings, and he enjoyed watching another little boy chase the ducks last weekend. From this experience, we've decided that ducks are minimalists when it comes to effort. They will only go as fast as they absolutely need to in order to avoid getting caught. Since the little boy chasing them was only about four years old, the ducks were moving at a fast waddle. Needless to say, we were entertained.

I also made a new friend via Freecycle, so B and I have been getting together once in a while on Fridays to hang out with her and her little guys. This past week, we went to the children's museum downtown. It's a really neat place. We got there in time for music time, and B had fun ringing the hand bells (I haven't seen those since my own music classes when I was in elementary school) and playing with the maracas. I look forward to going there more frequently as B gets older and can enjoy the rest of the museum. It's also nice for me to have a new friend.

In other news, B has been asked to be in a wedding as a ring bearer this coming spring. That should be all sorts of cute. The bride would like him to sit in a red wagon (pulled by the flower girls, who are the groom's two little sisters). We'll see how that works out, as he'll be walking by then.

Also, we still don't know what the mysterious illness Nich had/has is. They are still running blood tests, but we have learned that he had mono once upon a time. How does one have mono and not know it?  Thankfully, the fevers are gone, as is the neck pain.

B's two little bottom teeth are bigger now, and he is oh-so-cute when he grins. He has also taken up the habit of pulling his lower lip to one side, which makes us laugh. We're probably encouraging it, which probably isn't a good idea. Hopefully, it don't do long term damage and is just a phase. Also, ever since those two teeth came through, he has been sleeping much better, with the exception of a couple night's ago, when he initially got sick with his first cold. This is the downside to me putting him in the infant room. I would go off on a rant about how annoyed I get with parents who bring their sick kids with them to church, but I really don't feel like being negative. Plus, I went through that tirade when I was pregnant and got sick for the fourth time from church. At any rate, B's such a cheery, happy-natured child that his fussing has been pretty minimal. Although he was more clingy than usual today, his congestion had improved significantly from yesterday, and he wasn't as warm-feeling.

On a sort-of-related note, I have found myself getting a little bit sad when I pack away clothes that B has outgrown. I guess it's the thought that he will never fit into those clothes again - or more to the point, that he will never be that little again. He's growing incredibly fast; he is in 9-12M clothes now, and some of those things look like they won't last him very long either. We just got some hand-me-down, size 4 shoes, and they already fit him! Last night, I put him in these turtle foot pajamas I got for him a while ago on clearance, thinking they would last him through this winter. As he sat there, playing on the nursery floor with his back to me, he looked like such a BOY. Not a baby. A little boy. I guess part of it is that he has never had that roly-poly baby look, and because he's so long, he looks older than he is. Sigh.

Well, this post turned into a very B-centered entry. I guess it is to be expected, as my daily life sort of revolves around being his mother. And I'm okay with that.