Storm and Calm

This morning we started the day off right by watching Endeavor launch. Then we re-watched it over and over again chanting the countdown.

Thunderstorms rolled through our neighborhood. We snuck outside when we could. We found this flower in one of our excursions. While the rain fell and the thunder shook the house, Reuben examined it then drew it. Then we folded paper boats.

While Miriam ate, I taught Reuben the song Rain Rain Go Away. He sang it with gusto.

When the storm moved on we were out the door, paper boat in hand. It floated wonderfully. I love how beautiful the earth is after a powerful storm.

The Zen of Reuben

Saturday morning Aaron ran an errand with Miriam so Reuben and I got some time together. I told him we could do whatever he wanted. So we went on a walk in the rain to the farmer's market.

We stopped on the way to smell the roses and pick up their petals.

Then we looked in the window of the antique shops. Reuben told me this was "Reuben's Mama"

and this seated Buddha was Reuben

Then we sat at the bus stop and watched "fast cars" drive by for thirty minutes. In the rain. No jackets or umbrella.

At first I had the unnerving feeling of being stuck in the movie Forest Gump, but after a few minutes I really enjoyed relaxing and watching the traffic rush by. It made me feel so peaceful and free to be able to simply be instead of do. It was even better since I was "being" with Reuben.

PS - Here is an example of why I appreciated the peaceful moments so much. Here is Reuben "helping" Miriam in the bath. Poor Miriam

Miriam's 9 Month Adventure

Miriam turned nine months. To celebrate we went to my brother's graduation. Not really, Miri did get dragged along but I don't think it was her first choice of things to do. See her expression below: where are we??

Here she is helping clean up Robby's apartment. She found a lot of things to eat while I was distracted by the packing work. Some of what she put in her mouth was food, some of it had once been food and some of it I don't want to think about. (An apartment of six college guys - shudder)

Miriam at the 4+ hours of graduation ceremony.

Yay Robby and Amanda!

Holy Week

This year spring seems reluctant. It's still cold and chilly in our area. But that matches nicely with the late Easter date. Our family has been working on getting ready for Easter.

Aaron and I have been reading the book "God So Loved the World." It does a good job collecting and organizing all of the various scriptural stories of the time and giving additional background and information on different Christian traditions. I feel like it's given me a better understanding of what happened as well as a few ideas on how I want to observe and celebrate the day.

So we've started early and have been trying our hand at Easter fun.

We've needed the extra warm up time. I am pretty slack about holidays. I don't decorate. I hate crafts - I feel like they're generally wasteful of my time and resources. I don't like singing. I'm not very musical. And I REFUSE on moral grounds to decorate cakes. See above feelings on crafts then multiply by ten.

So we've been working on coming up with our own traditions that don't involve too much singing, crafting or cake decorating.

First thing. I participated in cousin Kari's 4th Annual Easter Basket Swap which is loads of fun. If you missed it this year you MUST try it out next year.

Then the Easter bunny helped me out by visiting a couple times this week and hiding easter eggs in our yard. So while I got our garden turned over and our peas planted, Reuben and Miriam hunted around the grass for easter eggs. The easter bunny considerately kept the eggs contents restricted to cereal. Easter Day when the cereal contents magically change to candy, those kids are going to be over joyed.

We picked up some Easter books at our library and have been reading them. Petook. What is Easter? My First Easter etc. Here both kids are looking at our library book haul. Those two are buddies.

Reuben Miriam and I dyed some Easter eggs. We tried hard to make them look good but when Aaron discovered the remains of our first attempt it grossed him out so much he threw up. It's been two days and he says he still can't think about eating eggs without gagging. So I'll spare you the pictures. (See the dangers of treading towards craft land? I justified this as Not a craft because it used vinegar and dyes which is Chemistry)

I've been gathering up some fun stuff for Reuben and Miriam's easter basket. Thank you Etsy.

When Reuben was Miriam's age he had some colored wood eggs and he played with them for FOREVER. We lost two in moves. But the last remaining egg is still a favorite with both the kids. They make great toys.

Tomorrow we are going to do a little Family Home Evening lesson where I hide eater eggs which each have a symbol of Christ and the resurrection - white linen, a rock, wood for the cross, bread. We'll open them together and talk about the story.

And my big and best idea: Friday, which happens to be Earth Day (hooray!!), we are going lights out. As soon as Aaron gets home from work we are going to power down - no lights, no tv, no computer, no phones, nothing will be on. We are powering off. The darkness will remind us of Christ's death and I hope give us some undistracted family time to reflect on the sacred time. Everything will stay off til Sunday morning.

Kind of crazy but I'm looking forward to it.

Anybody else have any good Easter traditions?

One Year

When I saw the trees in the park flowering I realized we've lived in Maryland for a year.

Here's Reuben last year.

And here's Reuben yesterday, deliberately running away from my attempts to recreate the above photo.

I feel like a lot has happened in this last year. It's hard to believe that 12 months ago we were months away from meeting Miriam. Now I can't remember or imagine life without her.

Here she is thinking, nice try on my hair but these pigtails are not straight at all!

Meeting in the Middle

The Meldaus drove North and we drove South to meet up in Staunton VA for conference weekend and to celebrate my little baby sister's 18th birthday!!! Woah. Abby is 18! Guess I shouldn't call her a baby anymore, right Abby? ;)

Especially since we have a few other little ones running around these days.

Here's Miriam snuggling up with her dad.

The girls

A cousin, an aunt AND Dorah? Reuben is in heaven here.

Giddy up Eliza

Since we left, Reuben tells me about once an hour: I miss everyone. I really really miss every one a lot.

Miriam is the great 8

Miriam turned 8 months ... a little while ago. Whoops. Oh well. Anyway, I'd set her on the couch but her great new accomplishment is that she's now standing. and cruising. and almost walking! The girl is determined to go. She can pull herself up to standing - which takes some serious muscle so I think she totally deserves to feel proud.

Doesn't she look like a cute baby Aaron here?

Here's some walking.

I think this is her game face.

The other day her walking bumped her into Reuben. He started giving her a hard time saying something like Move Baby. She turned to him and loudly declared Na Na Na Naa!! ROOOARR! So she's already learned how to live around her brother.

Spring walk