And I quote

I typically walk around for weeks thinking, "I've got to write that phrase down before I forget it", and while I drive I repeat it back to myself but I almost inevitably forget to record the gems. Here are a few that are not yet lost...

Levi asked me the other day if he was half American and half African. My gut reaction being that he is fully both, and annoyed at our tendencies to classify ourselves based on parts rather than the whole, I said, "I don't know, Levi, is there a part of your body where you are split in half?" (Thinking to lead him into a talk about his completeness.)
"Yes, Mommy, right here..."
...and he showed me the place along the side of his little hand where the melanin changes, where there is a pretty clear demarcation between brown and pink skin. To me it was a beautiful moment but I am at a loss to describe it.
Levi is tender-hearted. He is a baby-lover, always the first (and usually the only) boy to ask to hold or play with any baby we meet. Depending on the day he wants to have anywhere between 4 and 17 kids of his own one day :) He is also empathetic and thoughtful. I had a bad headache a few days ago and he's been the one to ask on following days if it's gone yet. He knows I love to have my hair played with so he'll often sit behind me when I read the boys a story and brush my hair or run his hands through it. (Speaking of hair, he is asking for dreads, so, um, we'll see....)

Micah is a super-hero right now. For most of every day, he wears one of our many capes. He swooshes through the rooms, fighting crime at every turn. We apparently have a lot of crime in our house. He randomly runs up to a seemingly empty patch of air (but clearly bad-guy infested to those with x-ray vision), holds out his hand with a scrunched up angry face, waits a bit, says, "He walked away!" triumphantly, then strides away with hands on hips. He usually has at least 5 or 6 costume changes per day, pretty impressive for a guy without even a phone booth to call his own. (Note: if you have an extra phone booth, we need it. It would fit nicely in our garage beside the dining room chairs, couch, and piano. Note: does anyone want dining room chairs, a couch, or a piano?)
Micah is also an ideas guy. He is full of good ideas.
For instance,
"I gotta idea! I want wogurt!"
"I gotta idea! I can go swimming wif my snawkle mask!"
"I gotta idea! When Levi goes to school I can play his Leapster!"

Mason is becoming a bookworm (hooray!). He is also quickly proving me a liar... all the things I NEVER thought I'd say have come running out of my mouth lately like...
"Put down that book and come to breakfast! The rest of us are almost done eating!"
"Put down that book when you're eating! (This one is really only for the book's protection.)
and last but not least and most embarrassing of all,
"Put down that book and go play outside! There'll be plenty of time for reading later!"
Did I just say that?!?

Micah had his first day of preschool today, which I have been pretty nervous about since he's been in a really clingy phase lately. Joe dropped him off (I am a chicken and a weakling) and aside from a poochy lip at Daddy's departure he had a wonderful day. I think the exact quote when we picked him up was, "I had fun and fun and fun!" He said there were "boys friends and girls friends" and play-dough and a sandbox, so who could really ask for any more than that? Later this afternoon he put on some bracelets and was walking around pretending to be his teacher. "She have fwee blacelets" :)

The boys had their first day back at Circle Christian School this week also, although we started homeschool last week. They had a great time, back in a familiar environment with teachers and friends that they know from last year. Mason was excited to tell me about the science project they did, but the favorites overall? Lunch and P.E. Did I mention they are boys? Mason loves their P.E. class especially because it is taught by "two big really tough guys". (Insert grunt)

Speaking of grunting and tough guys, Mason is progressing so well on his violin (you liked that transition, huh?)! We have found a teacher who is amazing-- with 3 boys of her own she gets it, so when Mason starts zoning out during a lesson she makes him do jumping jacks or somersaults for a minute and then they're back on their way. Learning the violin is HARD WORK and I am really proud of him.

Levi is also working really hard in vision and speech/language/oral motor therapies that I hope and pray will lessen some of his struggles. He works hard for every gain he makes when we are "doing school" and as frustrated as we both get sometimes I know there is this funny, bright little boy in there, and some of that is just blocked. We have finally found some amazing therapists and are making progress. I feel like we are just working towards taking off this outer layer that obscures his true self, his true potential. And so we keep slogging through all the therapy appointments and I am reminded again about why I love homeschooling my kids... if we did public school and music lessons and therapy appointments I'd never see them!

And Joe? Poor Joe. Alpha has lasted, umm, approximately 86 months this year, which means he works 15 hour days in a cold dimly lit cubicle trying to copy God and recreate perfect lighting, which sounds like a particularly impossible task to me but... Joe is a hard worker and amazingly uncomplaining for all the hard work he does. Luckily they feed him dinners. A few weeks ago it was the last week of Alpha and it is rumored that next week may be the last week of Alpha so we hold out hope...

My favorite verse keeps popping up all over the place lately so here I'll repeat it since it seems fitting in all things...

from Hebrews 6
...we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.

Comments

Kay Carbon said…
Leah, thanks for sharing! I love your boys. And We are so thankful for sweet Levi always wanting to love on our Max.
Emily said…
Loved "catching up" on your life a bit today:) Hilarious about the book comments to Mason. I have totally said all of those same things to Jack! Praying for you & your corner of the world today, friend.

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