Addendum to previous post: About 5pm one of Tess's classmates called and invited her over to spend the night. She was thrilled, Kate was heart broken.
When I say heart broken, I mean devastated. Complete anguish. Total mental breakdown.
Her crying was gutteral, to the point of almost throwing up. Sometimes Kate is a pretty good fake cryer, but this time it was genuine. It made my heart break seeing her so sad. She really wanted her sister to stay home.....but more importantly, she wanted to have a friend to hang out with too.
"Whhhhhhy can't I be big toooooo?"
"Eeeevverrrybooooddy's bigger than meee!"
"I waaaaannnnnt to grow up toooooooo!"
"It's taaaaakking soooo looong!"
So I held her tight, let her scream(she was seriously scream-crying) and promised to buy her anything she wanted to eat for our "party" tonight.
Sometimes money can buy happiness. It has cost me 15 bucks, but we are happy!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Martens 2009 year in review
For the past 11 years I have written a family Christmas letter to recap what we've been up to for the last year. Usually I enjoy looking back over the calendar and remembering things that made our year special. For some reason, this year I wasn't feelin' it.......so, no letter.
However, just in case you were thinking "Bummer, I wish she would have written that letter. I would have really enjoyed reading it........."
Wish granted.
Here is a recap of some of the high-lights...and low-lights of 2009.
In January Kate broke her arm. I know, it still makes me cringe. She had just turned 3, but handled it like a 30 year old.....so very brave. We altered a lot of shirts to go over that purple cast, and we were so thankful for the modern technology that made the cast waterproof!
February and March were filled with activities that kept us busy, but aren't exciting enough to detail for you. You're welcome.
After 20 + years of wearing contacts, I had Lasik done in April. I can honestly say it has changed my life. Totally worth the money. If you have been considering having Lasik done, but you need to hear from a satisfied customer first.....CALL ME.
May was the Martens first volunteer gig as a family. We did the Walk for the Homeless and had a blast. We got groovy tie dye t-shirts and froze our niblets off, all for a great cause. Can't wait to walk in 2010. Have your pledge money ready!
June was the annual Martens/Greiner family trip to Bennett Spring State Park. Both sets of parents, Andy's sister Missy and her husband Ben, and our family of 5, spent three days "roughing it." We stay in a cabin with my parents and Andy's family camps. Fly fishing, nature hikes, camp fires, and swimming are all part of the fun. We reserved our cabin for June 2010 when we left in June 2009. That's how fun it is.
July 7th our Jane Gracen celebrated her first birthday! Mid-July nine Martens family members(our five, plus parents, sis and bro) drove for 17 hours to get to Montrose Colorado, where four more family members were waiting for us! If you ever wondered if a one year old can hold a grudge....they can! Jane didn't look us in the eye or smile at us for at least 24 hours after we unstrapped her from her carseat. Two more family members driving out a few days later completed our posse of 15 and we became complete tourists for seven fun filled days. And yes, I would do it again.
Lordy, was August rough. We had barely been back from Colorado for a week when the horrific happened, and Andy's uncle Jim died unexpectedly. That made our time as a family out in Colorado even more special. We are still not over this loss. Tess started school and gave her first piano solo at church. I started leading a Bible Study with the junior and senior high school students at church. I may have the title as teacher, but trust me, I am learning way more than I am teaching. Oh yeah, I became a blogger this month.
In September, Tess turned 8 years old, Andy turned 33, and Kate started pre-school. I love how much Kate enjoys school, and how much she is learning without even realizing it! She gets to attend a gymnastics class every Monday after school, and is amazing. There is no fear of flinging her little body any which way the teacher asks. While other kids are still learning to sommersault, Kate is doing flips, cartwheels, bridges(a backwards bend), and jumps on a trampoline. It's funny how she looks like a Martens, but is built low to the ground with muscular little legs, like a Greiner. Kate also joined the cherub choir at church. (see video post from early December) It makes my heart almost burst with love when I hear her singing songs that I sang as a child. Father Abraham, had many sons. Many sons had Father Abraham. I am one of them and so are you...so let's all praise the Lord! Sing it with me, now!
In October, the Martens family, minus Jane, went to visit the dentist. We all came back sqeaky clean, but Andy and Tess were the only ones that got a gold star for perfect teeth. I always have procedures on a "to do" list, but this year Kate had a teeny, tiny cavity. She handled it better than most adults. Tess is still trying to lose some baby teeth, only three so far.
November, Tess had her tonsils and adenoids removed, and nasal turbinates cauterized. After some pain, there was a big gain, as she can clearly breathe through her nose for the first time in years. She also hasn't had a cold since, even though almost everyone else in the world has. oops, hope I didn't just jinx her. I turned the big 3-5 this month and feel pretty darn good about it. I've decided it's time to start caring about things.....like health and fitness....so went for a complete physical and found out my health (blood work) is better now than 7 years ago. The fitness part, not so much.
December went fast, and is coming to a end in just a few hours. On December 5th, Andy and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary at The Elms. This was a well planned TOTAL surprise to me. The girls were in on the surprise the entire time and gave nothing away. I'm not sure if it's a good thing or not that my girls are such amazing secret keepers. On December 27th, Kate turned 4 years old and woke up on the 28th asking if she was still 4.
We are truly blessed, and we know it. The most important thing we can do in 2010, is continue to Praise God for His amazing grace, and teach our children to do the same.
However, just in case you were thinking "Bummer, I wish she would have written that letter. I would have really enjoyed reading it........."
Wish granted.
Here is a recap of some of the high-lights...and low-lights of 2009.
In January Kate broke her arm. I know, it still makes me cringe. She had just turned 3, but handled it like a 30 year old.....so very brave. We altered a lot of shirts to go over that purple cast, and we were so thankful for the modern technology that made the cast waterproof!
February and March were filled with activities that kept us busy, but aren't exciting enough to detail for you. You're welcome.
After 20 + years of wearing contacts, I had Lasik done in April. I can honestly say it has changed my life. Totally worth the money. If you have been considering having Lasik done, but you need to hear from a satisfied customer first.....CALL ME.
May was the Martens first volunteer gig as a family. We did the Walk for the Homeless and had a blast. We got groovy tie dye t-shirts and froze our niblets off, all for a great cause. Can't wait to walk in 2010. Have your pledge money ready!
June was the annual Martens/Greiner family trip to Bennett Spring State Park. Both sets of parents, Andy's sister Missy and her husband Ben, and our family of 5, spent three days "roughing it." We stay in a cabin with my parents and Andy's family camps. Fly fishing, nature hikes, camp fires, and swimming are all part of the fun. We reserved our cabin for June 2010 when we left in June 2009. That's how fun it is.
July 7th our Jane Gracen celebrated her first birthday! Mid-July nine Martens family members(our five, plus parents, sis and bro) drove for 17 hours to get to Montrose Colorado, where four more family members were waiting for us! If you ever wondered if a one year old can hold a grudge....they can! Jane didn't look us in the eye or smile at us for at least 24 hours after we unstrapped her from her carseat. Two more family members driving out a few days later completed our posse of 15 and we became complete tourists for seven fun filled days. And yes, I would do it again.
Lordy, was August rough. We had barely been back from Colorado for a week when the horrific happened, and Andy's uncle Jim died unexpectedly. That made our time as a family out in Colorado even more special. We are still not over this loss. Tess started school and gave her first piano solo at church. I started leading a Bible Study with the junior and senior high school students at church. I may have the title as teacher, but trust me, I am learning way more than I am teaching. Oh yeah, I became a blogger this month.
In September, Tess turned 8 years old, Andy turned 33, and Kate started pre-school. I love how much Kate enjoys school, and how much she is learning without even realizing it! She gets to attend a gymnastics class every Monday after school, and is amazing. There is no fear of flinging her little body any which way the teacher asks. While other kids are still learning to sommersault, Kate is doing flips, cartwheels, bridges(a backwards bend), and jumps on a trampoline. It's funny how she looks like a Martens, but is built low to the ground with muscular little legs, like a Greiner. Kate also joined the cherub choir at church. (see video post from early December) It makes my heart almost burst with love when I hear her singing songs that I sang as a child. Father Abraham, had many sons. Many sons had Father Abraham. I am one of them and so are you...so let's all praise the Lord! Sing it with me, now!
In October, the Martens family, minus Jane, went to visit the dentist. We all came back sqeaky clean, but Andy and Tess were the only ones that got a gold star for perfect teeth. I always have procedures on a "to do" list, but this year Kate had a teeny, tiny cavity. She handled it better than most adults. Tess is still trying to lose some baby teeth, only three so far.
November, Tess had her tonsils and adenoids removed, and nasal turbinates cauterized. After some pain, there was a big gain, as she can clearly breathe through her nose for the first time in years. She also hasn't had a cold since, even though almost everyone else in the world has. oops, hope I didn't just jinx her. I turned the big 3-5 this month and feel pretty darn good about it. I've decided it's time to start caring about things.....like health and fitness....so went for a complete physical and found out my health (blood work) is better now than 7 years ago. The fitness part, not so much.
December went fast, and is coming to a end in just a few hours. On December 5th, Andy and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary at The Elms. This was a well planned TOTAL surprise to me. The girls were in on the surprise the entire time and gave nothing away. I'm not sure if it's a good thing or not that my girls are such amazing secret keepers. On December 27th, Kate turned 4 years old and woke up on the 28th asking if she was still 4.
We are truly blessed, and we know it. The most important thing we can do in 2010, is continue to Praise God for His amazing grace, and teach our children to do the same.
Hey Sarah, what are you doing for New Years Eve?
Same thing I did last year, and the year before that.....just hangin' with my girls!
For the third year in a row Andy is working for the Fire Department, and we are at home, trying to make today feel somehow "different" than every other day.
So far it isn't working.
I'm still doing laundry, picking up each room a bazillion times trying to keep the new Christmas toys from over-taking the house, breaking up "fights" between the sisters, getting into fights with them myself over picking up toys, cleaning their rooms, stop shouting while Jane's napping, and so on and so on and so on......Isn't it a wonder that I can stay so down to earth amidst all this glamour?
So I am ready to stop feeling sorry for myself and start making this day what it really is......a gift. There are so many people that would give anything to have the kind of blah day that we are having! 2009 was a good year for this family, and I know that is a blessing, considering it was filled with hardships and loss for so many others.
Tonight we are going to splurge and order pizza, bake some cookies, drink some sparkling apple cider(that "comes in a wine bottle!" exclaims Kate) and try to stay awake long enough to see the clock turn 12:00am.........well, maybe the clocks in New York are the ones we will go by.
For the third year in a row Andy is working for the Fire Department, and we are at home, trying to make today feel somehow "different" than every other day.
So far it isn't working.
I'm still doing laundry, picking up each room a bazillion times trying to keep the new Christmas toys from over-taking the house, breaking up "fights" between the sisters, getting into fights with them myself over picking up toys, cleaning their rooms, stop shouting while Jane's napping, and so on and so on and so on......Isn't it a wonder that I can stay so down to earth amidst all this glamour?
So I am ready to stop feeling sorry for myself and start making this day what it really is......a gift. There are so many people that would give anything to have the kind of blah day that we are having! 2009 was a good year for this family, and I know that is a blessing, considering it was filled with hardships and loss for so many others.
Tonight we are going to splurge and order pizza, bake some cookies, drink some sparkling apple cider(that "comes in a wine bottle!" exclaims Kate) and try to stay awake long enough to see the clock turn 12:00am.........well, maybe the clocks in New York are the ones we will go by.
Monday, December 28, 2009
4 Reasons Why Kate is Great!
Happy Birthday to my favorite 4 year old!
Last night the Martens/Greiner families took a much needed break from Christmas to celebrate our Kate Sinclaire Martens turning 4 years old. Even though there are still signs of Christmas everywhere....and I do mean EVERYWHERE in our house, we made the party as non-Christmasy as we could. We served her favorite meal, spaghetti, to about 20 people(we sure missed the family and friends that couldn't come for one reason or another....mostly due to the weather!) and had a great time opening (more!) gifts. This birthday has been much anticipated because it makes her one year closer to being "big like Tess" which is her ultimate goal. I don't have the heart to remind her that Tess gets older every year too. So to keep it fair amongst the girls.....something I will forever be trying to do.....I will list the 4 things I love about Kate. (I did the 8 things I love about Tess for her 8th birthday, just in case you are a newbie to this blog)
The 4 things I love about Kate:
1. She is perfectly comfortable(and confident) playing dinosaurs and trucks while wearing her Sleeping Beauty dress, make-up, and loads of jewelry.
2. Even when she is scared/shy she says "My brain is telling me to be brave!"
3. "Guess what.......Chicken Butt!" It is funny every time.
4. She will tell you, with all seriousness, that she wants to be a lion when she grows up.
I love you my wonderful child.
Last night the Martens/Greiner families took a much needed break from Christmas to celebrate our Kate Sinclaire Martens turning 4 years old. Even though there are still signs of Christmas everywhere....and I do mean EVERYWHERE in our house, we made the party as non-Christmasy as we could. We served her favorite meal, spaghetti, to about 20 people(we sure missed the family and friends that couldn't come for one reason or another....mostly due to the weather!) and had a great time opening (more!) gifts. This birthday has been much anticipated because it makes her one year closer to being "big like Tess" which is her ultimate goal. I don't have the heart to remind her that Tess gets older every year too. So to keep it fair amongst the girls.....something I will forever be trying to do.....I will list the 4 things I love about Kate. (I did the 8 things I love about Tess for her 8th birthday, just in case you are a newbie to this blog)
The 4 things I love about Kate:
1. She is perfectly comfortable(and confident) playing dinosaurs and trucks while wearing her Sleeping Beauty dress, make-up, and loads of jewelry.
2. Even when she is scared/shy she says "My brain is telling me to be brave!"
3. "Guess what.......Chicken Butt!" It is funny every time.
4. She will tell you, with all seriousness, that she wants to be a lion when she grows up.
I love you my wonderful child.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!
Another slight change in plans.....
This beautiful wintry wonderland has made us captives in our home. The plan had been for us to travel north of St Joseph to my grandma's house in Oregon, Missouri. When we heard of the potential for a snowy Christmas we wondered if we would make it. After getting out last night to go to Christmas Eve services, we knew that our travel plans were not going to happen.
Instead of heading north, my parents and brother headed the 3 blocks south to our house, for the day. We had soup and chili for lunch, played Nintendo Wii (Thank You Santa) and the girls got to spread their Christmas gifts all over the house as they played with them throughout the day. Right after lunch, we bundled them up for a good 20 minutes of outside time playing in the snow. My mother even did a snow angel and I got it on film......priceless!
It was a great day.
The only thing that could have made it better is if we'd had the man of the house at home with us. God bless the people that worked today....and please, please keep them safe through the night. The roads are getting bad again, and I worry that the fire department will get called out to help the late night travelers. I am so thankful that I didn't have to brave the snowy roads, at the crack of dawn, to get into the city for work this morning.
Merry CHRISTmas! 3 Christmas get-togethers done, 3 more to go!
And don't even forget about the Birthday party we are having on Sunday for our Kate.
There is SO MUCH to celebrate in Crazytown!!
This beautiful wintry wonderland has made us captives in our home. The plan had been for us to travel north of St Joseph to my grandma's house in Oregon, Missouri. When we heard of the potential for a snowy Christmas we wondered if we would make it. After getting out last night to go to Christmas Eve services, we knew that our travel plans were not going to happen.
Instead of heading north, my parents and brother headed the 3 blocks south to our house, for the day. We had soup and chili for lunch, played Nintendo Wii (Thank You Santa) and the girls got to spread their Christmas gifts all over the house as they played with them throughout the day. Right after lunch, we bundled them up for a good 20 minutes of outside time playing in the snow. My mother even did a snow angel and I got it on film......priceless!
It was a great day.
The only thing that could have made it better is if we'd had the man of the house at home with us. God bless the people that worked today....and please, please keep them safe through the night. The roads are getting bad again, and I worry that the fire department will get called out to help the late night travelers. I am so thankful that I didn't have to brave the snowy roads, at the crack of dawn, to get into the city for work this morning.
Merry CHRISTmas! 3 Christmas get-togethers done, 3 more to go!
And don't even forget about the Birthday party we are having on Sunday for our Kate.
There is SO MUCH to celebrate in Crazytown!!
Please be kind and rewind!
I need everyone to rewind their minds and pretend like this post is from yesterday.....
All day I dreamt of a relaxing night, with the girls to bed, Andy and I watching the winter forecast on the news,then quietly drifting off to sleep....by 10. You see, for the first time in 8 years, Andy and I had nothing to assemble, put stickers on, un-package, or wrap this Christmas Eve. Either it was already done, or didn't need further alteration before being placed under the tree.
Needless to say, the plan did not go as planned.
We had to re-arrange the schedule for the evening after it took my brother an hour and a half to drive from his home in Westport to my parent's house in Kearney.....Praise God that he made it safely......but this put our traditional Christmas Eve schedule off schedule. The gift giving didn't get started until after the Christmas Eve service, putting us home a wee bit late.....like 10.
I wanted to use my quiet, relaxing Christmas Eve to write about some of my favorite things about Christmas time--especially some highlights from this year.
--Wrapping presents has been waaaayyyy more fun this year. I have a three year old learning how to cut with scissors. BIG help. I also have an 8 year old that loves to spell. Another BIG helper writing on the gift tags. Both are learning the joys of how to properly use a tape dispenser. Not to forget our 18 month old that thinks running through the middle of the mess is hysterical.
--I love eating Christmas goodies baked/made by someone else. Enough said.
--We have received two gifts to Heifer International in our honor. I love the teaching and learning opportunity this gift brings to talk about the needs of people in other parts of the world. A flock of chickens and a sheep were purchased in our name. Love love love that.
--Totally feel like we nailed the gifts for the girls. I know we spend more than we should, but that is how we were each raised....to spend money at Christmas. As long as our bills get paid, our favorite charities get gifts, and we don't go into debt, then we will keep the mantra that it is only money. Two of my favorite words.....Christmas Club.
--Metro North, shopping mecca of the northland, has been the place we take the girls to visit Santa for the last 8 years. We started with Tess at 3 months old, and haven't missed a year, specifically because it has been the same guy every year. I love the continuity and it just makes our Santa pics photo album special. After standing in line (why do we always manage to show up just as they are putting up the "Santa needs a break...be back in one hour" sign) for hours we realized that our Santa had been re-assigned to East Hills mall in St Joseph! The horror! I'm pretty sure that is why Jane is crying in her picture.
--Sitting in my living room with a hot beverage, reading, with the tree lights on. I don't know about you, but our tree lights get turned on the minute we wake up and stay on until we go to bed. It just feels like the right way to waste electricity, if ever there was one.
I could probably do this all night, but because it is Christmas Eve (wink wink nudge nudge) I need to get to bed......can't skimp on the beauty sleep.
Hope Santa can find your house in all this snow!
Sarah
All day I dreamt of a relaxing night, with the girls to bed, Andy and I watching the winter forecast on the news,then quietly drifting off to sleep....by 10. You see, for the first time in 8 years, Andy and I had nothing to assemble, put stickers on, un-package, or wrap this Christmas Eve. Either it was already done, or didn't need further alteration before being placed under the tree.
Needless to say, the plan did not go as planned.
We had to re-arrange the schedule for the evening after it took my brother an hour and a half to drive from his home in Westport to my parent's house in Kearney.....Praise God that he made it safely......but this put our traditional Christmas Eve schedule off schedule. The gift giving didn't get started until after the Christmas Eve service, putting us home a wee bit late.....like 10.
I wanted to use my quiet, relaxing Christmas Eve to write about some of my favorite things about Christmas time--especially some highlights from this year.
--Wrapping presents has been waaaayyyy more fun this year. I have a three year old learning how to cut with scissors. BIG help. I also have an 8 year old that loves to spell. Another BIG helper writing on the gift tags. Both are learning the joys of how to properly use a tape dispenser. Not to forget our 18 month old that thinks running through the middle of the mess is hysterical.
--I love eating Christmas goodies baked/made by someone else. Enough said.
--We have received two gifts to Heifer International in our honor. I love the teaching and learning opportunity this gift brings to talk about the needs of people in other parts of the world. A flock of chickens and a sheep were purchased in our name. Love love love that.
--Totally feel like we nailed the gifts for the girls. I know we spend more than we should, but that is how we were each raised....to spend money at Christmas. As long as our bills get paid, our favorite charities get gifts, and we don't go into debt, then we will keep the mantra that it is only money. Two of my favorite words.....Christmas Club.
--Metro North, shopping mecca of the northland, has been the place we take the girls to visit Santa for the last 8 years. We started with Tess at 3 months old, and haven't missed a year, specifically because it has been the same guy every year. I love the continuity and it just makes our Santa pics photo album special. After standing in line (why do we always manage to show up just as they are putting up the "Santa needs a break...be back in one hour" sign) for hours we realized that our Santa had been re-assigned to East Hills mall in St Joseph! The horror! I'm pretty sure that is why Jane is crying in her picture.
--Sitting in my living room with a hot beverage, reading, with the tree lights on. I don't know about you, but our tree lights get turned on the minute we wake up and stay on until we go to bed. It just feels like the right way to waste electricity, if ever there was one.
I could probably do this all night, but because it is Christmas Eve (wink wink nudge nudge) I need to get to bed......can't skimp on the beauty sleep.
Hope Santa can find your house in all this snow!
Sarah
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Sing it Mary J!
I also want to mention that Mary J. Blige just sang on the Today show.
She is such a rockstar.
The epitomy of cool.
She is such a rockstar.
The epitomy of cool.
What's in a name?
I am watching the Today show right now and they just finished a segment about the top baby names of the year and decade.
Surprise-Surprise.......my kids' names did NOT make the list.
HOORAY!
I know at least one kid/adult to correlate with each of the top 10 names for both boy and girl.
It is such a big deal to name a person. We wanted names that were unique but not weird or flaky sounding. It was never the plan to carry on a family name to our child, we just didn't have anybody with a cool enough name. haha (although I know there is at least one Kate on each side of our family tree) If you haven't heard by now here are some of the naming secrets behind our beautiful babies names.
Brogan Tess-I don't really know, Brogan just sounded uber-cool with the name Tess....I got the name Tess from a book I was reading on a camping trip to Bennett Springs after we first got married. I even told Andy, " I want to name a girl Tess someday" We always knew that Tess would be the name she would use, even though it isn't her first name.
Kate Sinclaire-It was Andy's turn to name a kid. He had a crush on a girl name Katie in high school (younger sister of a classmate) and wanted to use that name. I agreed to Kate...not ever to be Katie, although people make the mistake and call her that all the time. Makes me cringe. After she was born, and still to this day, people ask "just Kate?" when asking her full first name. Yep, just Kate. I swear that will be the name of her autobiography someday, because she is anything but "just Kate" she is SO much more. Sinclaire was a beautiful middle name I just happened to find in a baby book. No meaning other than it sounded like music to our ears.
Jane Gracen-My turn again. It gets hard to find one syllable girl names that don't go against our rule of not sounding weird or flaky. I had seen the name Jane a lot while I was pregnant and it just clicked. Gracen came from the song "Your Grace is Enough" that we sing during the praise service on Sundays. Our lives have been filled, to the point of overflowing, with God's Grace and it just seemed that this third pregnancy felt like the ultimate gift. We know several kids named Grayson, but wanted the "grace" in Gracen to stay true, so just added the -en- and Voila! Our baby was named. The funny story behind Jane's middle name was the evening Andy and I tried to decide on a middle name--he came up with Elaine--but it sounded hilarious with Jane. Go ahead, say it out loud a couple times! Jane Elaine, Jane Elaine!
HOWEVER, after making you suffer through that obnoxiously long post about the name game Andy and I played through the last 8 years, here is the #1 reason I give when people ask why we chose one syllable names for all three kids.
IT'S EASY TO YELL!
TESS!
KATE!
JANE!
see, no problems shouting that at the top of my lungs anywhere.....anytime....for any reason.
When asked the #1 thing that parents should take into consideration when naming their child, what did the Today show expert suggest?
"Go to the back door and practice yelling the name! It if sounds good being shouted...you know you've picked a good name."
I'm just reporting what the expert said.
Surprise-Surprise.......my kids' names did NOT make the list.
HOORAY!
I know at least one kid/adult to correlate with each of the top 10 names for both boy and girl.
It is such a big deal to name a person. We wanted names that were unique but not weird or flaky sounding. It was never the plan to carry on a family name to our child, we just didn't have anybody with a cool enough name. haha (although I know there is at least one Kate on each side of our family tree) If you haven't heard by now here are some of the naming secrets behind our beautiful babies names.
Brogan Tess-I don't really know, Brogan just sounded uber-cool with the name Tess....I got the name Tess from a book I was reading on a camping trip to Bennett Springs after we first got married. I even told Andy, " I want to name a girl Tess someday" We always knew that Tess would be the name she would use, even though it isn't her first name.
Kate Sinclaire-It was Andy's turn to name a kid. He had a crush on a girl name Katie in high school (younger sister of a classmate) and wanted to use that name. I agreed to Kate...not ever to be Katie, although people make the mistake and call her that all the time. Makes me cringe. After she was born, and still to this day, people ask "just Kate?" when asking her full first name. Yep, just Kate. I swear that will be the name of her autobiography someday, because she is anything but "just Kate" she is SO much more. Sinclaire was a beautiful middle name I just happened to find in a baby book. No meaning other than it sounded like music to our ears.
Jane Gracen-My turn again. It gets hard to find one syllable girl names that don't go against our rule of not sounding weird or flaky. I had seen the name Jane a lot while I was pregnant and it just clicked. Gracen came from the song "Your Grace is Enough" that we sing during the praise service on Sundays. Our lives have been filled, to the point of overflowing, with God's Grace and it just seemed that this third pregnancy felt like the ultimate gift. We know several kids named Grayson, but wanted the "grace" in Gracen to stay true, so just added the -en- and Voila! Our baby was named. The funny story behind Jane's middle name was the evening Andy and I tried to decide on a middle name--he came up with Elaine--but it sounded hilarious with Jane. Go ahead, say it out loud a couple times! Jane Elaine, Jane Elaine!
HOWEVER, after making you suffer through that obnoxiously long post about the name game Andy and I played through the last 8 years, here is the #1 reason I give when people ask why we chose one syllable names for all three kids.
IT'S EASY TO YELL!
TESS!
KATE!
JANE!
see, no problems shouting that at the top of my lungs anywhere.....anytime....for any reason.
When asked the #1 thing that parents should take into consideration when naming their child, what did the Today show expert suggest?
"Go to the back door and practice yelling the name! It if sounds good being shouted...you know you've picked a good name."
I'm just reporting what the expert said.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Jesus is the reason for the season!
I really despise when people write
Merry X-Mas!
That takes the whole purpose out of wishing someone a
Merry CHRISTmas!
Even Kate knows that JESUS is the reason for the season.
She came home from spending the day with Grandma Ann with a "new" fact..
"Hey mom, guess what I learned today?!"
"What?"
"Jesus is the reason of the season!"
"What does that mean Kate?"
"Jesus's birthday is Christmas Day!"
Yes! child #2 gets it! One more girl to go!
The best Christmas present I have EVER received was Christmas morning 2005. Christmas fell on a Sunday, and our family of three(soon to be 4! in 2 days) was lighting the Advent candles in church that morning. When we got up in front of the church Tess told Pastor Fred that she had something to say.
Andy and I looked at each other with the same thought..."oh crap, she is going to start talking about her presents from Santa!"
Instead my precious 4 year old child confidently said "Glory to God in the highest and on Earth, peace to all men." (this was her line from the Christmas pageant a few days before)
I started to cry(I don't know if it was more out of pride or relief!) and the congregation was one big gasp/sigh of surprise. After church we heard so many compliments of how that was such a Christmas blessing for them, and that it was so great to know that she "got it"....."It" being the real meaning of Christmas.
It is my Christmas wish that my girls will not only realize the true meaning of Christmas, but share the message with anyone and everyone that will listen!
Thanks for listening.
Merry X-Mas!
That takes the whole purpose out of wishing someone a
Merry CHRISTmas!
Even Kate knows that JESUS is the reason for the season.
She came home from spending the day with Grandma Ann with a "new" fact..
"Hey mom, guess what I learned today?!"
"What?"
"Jesus is the reason of the season!"
"What does that mean Kate?"
"Jesus's birthday is Christmas Day!"
Yes! child #2 gets it! One more girl to go!
The best Christmas present I have EVER received was Christmas morning 2005. Christmas fell on a Sunday, and our family of three(soon to be 4! in 2 days) was lighting the Advent candles in church that morning. When we got up in front of the church Tess told Pastor Fred that she had something to say.
Andy and I looked at each other with the same thought..."oh crap, she is going to start talking about her presents from Santa!"
Instead my precious 4 year old child confidently said "Glory to God in the highest and on Earth, peace to all men." (this was her line from the Christmas pageant a few days before)
I started to cry(I don't know if it was more out of pride or relief!) and the congregation was one big gasp/sigh of surprise. After church we heard so many compliments of how that was such a Christmas blessing for them, and that it was so great to know that she "got it"....."It" being the real meaning of Christmas.
It is my Christmas wish that my girls will not only realize the true meaning of Christmas, but share the message with anyone and everyone that will listen!
Thanks for listening.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Bragging Rights
Turns out I have a pretty smart 8 year old.
duh.
But seriously, read these recent results from the STAR Reading computer adaptive reading test that she took last Friday. I'm typing what the report page says.
GE(Grade Equivalent): 12.2
Grade equivalent scores range from 0.0 to 12.9+. A GE scores shows how your child's performance compares with that of other students nationally. Based on national norms, Tess reads at a level equal to that of a typical twelfth grader.
Percentile Rank: 99
The percentile rank score compares your child's performance with that of other students nationally in the same grade. With a PR of 99, Tess reads at a level greater than or equal to 99% of other students nationally in the same grade.
Instructional Reading Level: 10.7
The Instructional reading level is the grade level at which Tess is at least 80% proficient at recognizing words and comprehending reading material. This means that Tess is at least 80% proficient at reading tenth grade words and books.
Her teacher said she has never had nor heard of a second grader scoring this high. For comparison, she put Tess's IRL score from August 26th, which was 6.3.
I know she is my kid. I was there, and even though it happened fast(read blog dated September 3rd) I remember the day quite well.
On the flip side, I am extremely sad that our nation's 12th graders are reading so poorly.
We love to read in Crazytown!!
Sarah
duh.
But seriously, read these recent results from the STAR Reading computer adaptive reading test that she took last Friday. I'm typing what the report page says.
GE(Grade Equivalent): 12.2
Grade equivalent scores range from 0.0 to 12.9+. A GE scores shows how your child's performance compares with that of other students nationally. Based on national norms, Tess reads at a level equal to that of a typical twelfth grader.
Percentile Rank: 99
The percentile rank score compares your child's performance with that of other students nationally in the same grade. With a PR of 99, Tess reads at a level greater than or equal to 99% of other students nationally in the same grade.
Instructional Reading Level: 10.7
The Instructional reading level is the grade level at which Tess is at least 80% proficient at recognizing words and comprehending reading material. This means that Tess is at least 80% proficient at reading tenth grade words and books.
Her teacher said she has never had nor heard of a second grader scoring this high. For comparison, she put Tess's IRL score from August 26th, which was 6.3.
I know she is my kid. I was there, and even though it happened fast(read blog dated September 3rd) I remember the day quite well.
On the flip side, I am extremely sad that our nation's 12th graders are reading so poorly.
We love to read in Crazytown!!
Sarah
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Get it together Woman!
Today I completely forgot about our Parents as Teachers visit. Both girls and I were still in our pajamas at 11:30, there was crap everywhere, and we were in the process of trying to wrap some Christmas presents.....with a 3 year old and a 1 year old.....get the picture? SO, when Marla, God love her, pulls into the driveway, initially I think "how lazy. this is a cul-de-sac, don't use my driveway to turn around!" and then a split second later realize "holy S#$*! That's Marla!"
I run upstairs, change into some jeans, put on a bra(!) and look in the mirror.....while telling my 3 year old to pick up the living room, open the door and let Marla in, don't let Jane have the scissors, and maybe solve world peace too. AARRGGGHH.
Luckily, Marla is ultra-cool and I can shout downstairs to her "hold on, I'm putting on a bra" and not be completely embarressed. As I come into the living room I am grabbing things and throwing them into a pile in the corner, apologizing, smoothing my bed-head down, and wiping the wet mascara marks, from my freshly applied make-up, off my eyelids. I hate the conversation that happens next:
"Sarah, don't worry about it! I love this! Everytime I come here your house is so perfect, and I hated you for always being the most together mother ever!"
Busted.
I have such a love/hate feeling about having this conversation. On the one hand, I love that people really think I have it so together all the time.....but on the other hand, it's the not-so-together moments that make me laugh the hardest. AND give me blog material to bring others JOY.
I run upstairs, change into some jeans, put on a bra(!) and look in the mirror.....while telling my 3 year old to pick up the living room, open the door and let Marla in, don't let Jane have the scissors, and maybe solve world peace too. AARRGGGHH.
Luckily, Marla is ultra-cool and I can shout downstairs to her "hold on, I'm putting on a bra" and not be completely embarressed. As I come into the living room I am grabbing things and throwing them into a pile in the corner, apologizing, smoothing my bed-head down, and wiping the wet mascara marks, from my freshly applied make-up, off my eyelids. I hate the conversation that happens next:
"Sarah, don't worry about it! I love this! Everytime I come here your house is so perfect, and I hated you for always being the most together mother ever!"
Busted.
I have such a love/hate feeling about having this conversation. On the one hand, I love that people really think I have it so together all the time.....but on the other hand, it's the not-so-together moments that make me laugh the hardest. AND give me blog material to bring others JOY.
Kate's Cherub choir---Christmas performance
Here is our little angel. Middle of the front row. Please excuse the incredibly cheesy robes....parents didn't get a vote. And yes, she does elbow the girl behind her between songs....such an angel.
Notice Papa Loren's video camera to the left. His video is much better than mine.
Hey Everybody! Go Tell it On the Mountain ...Jesus Christ is Born!
All I want for Christmas is a new front tooth!
After weeks of wiggling, pulling, playing with it(both fingers and tongue) and crying about it....yes, dramatic tears of woe......the tooth is finally out! Our Brogan Tess is a late bloomer in the tooth department. She is 8 and this is only her 3rd lost tooth. The dentist says it's a blessing, and since he makes the big bucks in this department, we'll go with that. This tooth was attached to brain matter, I'm pretty sure, and left a gaping hole in her mouth. It's funny how much a front tooth really does affect how she talks. I've noticed a subtle lisp now.....too funny.
The tooth fairy brought $3 and I heard Tess tell her grandma that the tooth fairy puts the childs teeth in their mom's jewelry box. When I asked her why she thought that she said "because Garrett(a classmate)found his teeth in his mom's jewelry box and his mom said the tooth fairy must have put them there!" And this must be true because that is also where Tess's teeth are.
Christmas craziness is here!
Sarah
Monday, December 7, 2009
Fancy Pants
Don't I feel like Miss Fancy Pants with my new blog colors!
Most bloggers change their background layout with the seasons, complete with decorations and even music.
I'm feelin' pretty jazzy with my new color scheme.
Isn't it fun how just changing the colors to red, green, and white implies a Christmas theme without there being any other symbol of Christmas on the entire page.
Happy Monday from Crazytown.
This was totally not on my "to do" list for the day.
Sarah
Most bloggers change their background layout with the seasons, complete with decorations and even music.
I'm feelin' pretty jazzy with my new color scheme.
Isn't it fun how just changing the colors to red, green, and white implies a Christmas theme without there being any other symbol of Christmas on the entire page.
Happy Monday from Crazytown.
This was totally not on my "to do" list for the day.
Sarah
Friday, December 4, 2009
Chicken Butt
This summer Kate was in a foul mood, and I was trying to come up with something to cheer her up. I have no idea why on earth I thought of this saying, but I did. Remember this from junior high?
"Hey! Guess What?"
"What?"
"Chicken Butt!"
The first time I got her with that joke she looked at me like I was crazy, then a smile slowly crept across her face, and then she laughed hysterically. Her laugh brings me such JOY. Well, she took up this new joke with a fierce passion, and can literally trick anyone with it. I have even fell for it a couple times....and I'm the one that taught it to her!
So what inspired this post was tonight Tess was in her room, Kate was in her room. Each were doing their own thing, when I hear Tess shout to me "Hey mom, guess what?" and Kate casually says "Chicken Butt!" before I can even say a word.
That joke is funny anytime, every time.
Blessings from Crazytown,
The Mayor
"Hey! Guess What?"
"What?"
"Chicken Butt!"
The first time I got her with that joke she looked at me like I was crazy, then a smile slowly crept across her face, and then she laughed hysterically. Her laugh brings me such JOY. Well, she took up this new joke with a fierce passion, and can literally trick anyone with it. I have even fell for it a couple times....and I'm the one that taught it to her!
So what inspired this post was tonight Tess was in her room, Kate was in her room. Each were doing their own thing, when I hear Tess shout to me "Hey mom, guess what?" and Kate casually says "Chicken Butt!" before I can even say a word.
That joke is funny anytime, every time.
Blessings from Crazytown,
The Mayor
Clear at last! Clear at last! Thank God almighty she is clear at last!
Tess and I just shared a "happy dance" to celebrate a clear breath of air into her nose!!!
HIP HIP HOORAY! HIP HIP HOORAY! HIP HIP HOOOOORAAAAYYYY!
It brings me such JOY to see her realize that with some pain there can be a BIG gain.
I would give myself a "bad-mother-of-the-year" award if I didn't sing the praises of Tess and her amazing ability to recover from not one, not two, but three different surgical procedures. She stuck by our mantra that "it will get better....." and listened to our advice to rest, drink plenty of fluids, try and eat something, and blow her nose! Sometimes parents really do know what they are talking about. We are proud of you Tess.
Our sincere thanks to Grandma Linda for being the emergency back-up plan for Tess's field trip to Science City today. Initially we thought a day long field trip to Science City, with a bus ride(!) would not be possible. However, Tess proved us wrong by attending school a 1/2 day on Wednesday and a full day on Thursday without any problems. Then when Grandma Linda graciously offered to pick up Tess from Union Station, if she had any problems, there was no way we could say NO! Field trips rock!
God is good.
HIP HIP HOORAY! HIP HIP HOORAY! HIP HIP HOOOOORAAAAYYYY!
It brings me such JOY to see her realize that with some pain there can be a BIG gain.
I would give myself a "bad-mother-of-the-year" award if I didn't sing the praises of Tess and her amazing ability to recover from not one, not two, but three different surgical procedures. She stuck by our mantra that "it will get better....." and listened to our advice to rest, drink plenty of fluids, try and eat something, and blow her nose! Sometimes parents really do know what they are talking about. We are proud of you Tess.
Our sincere thanks to Grandma Linda for being the emergency back-up plan for Tess's field trip to Science City today. Initially we thought a day long field trip to Science City, with a bus ride(!) would not be possible. However, Tess proved us wrong by attending school a 1/2 day on Wednesday and a full day on Thursday without any problems. Then when Grandma Linda graciously offered to pick up Tess from Union Station, if she had any problems, there was no way we could say NO! Field trips rock!
God is good.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
