Ashley is Eight Months Old!

 One of the things I like to do is keep a journal for my kids in which I write little updates on what they're doing, prayers, Scriptures, or little notes to let them know how special they are to me. As with most things in my world, keeping up with the kids' journals is something that I never have as much time for as I'd like but hope to be more consistent with "some day." Here is a bit from Ashley's jounal which I was able to get some time for on our recent trip to Illinois:

Road Trip

One of the great things about being a stay-at-home mom and homeschooling your kids is that we get to accompany Chris occasionally on one of his work trips. Last week it was to Rockford, IL. We got to spend three days in a new place while Chris worked on a new project at the Rockford plant. The kids and I don't usually venture far when we're on one of these trips.

Celebrating Independence

Family Reunions

One of the great things about summer is getting opportunities to see extended family. Every other year, my mom's side of the family gets together for a day or two to reconnect and fellowship. Most of the relatives that attend these reunions come from Amish backgrounds, so these times of sharing their common heritage are very special to them. I love getting together with my three-or four-times-removed cousins and hearing the lingering Amish accent, trying to sing along with the German songs that I've picked up bits and pieces to over the years, and listening to stories of their former primitive lives shared by the reminiscent folks.

My Kids Make Me Laugh!

I just love the wacky things kids say sometimes. I don't know if other people will find these as humorous as I do, but just for fun I'm going to post some things my kids have said recently that have made me chuckle:
From Seth:
"Can I have a bigger one than a little one?"
From Eliana:
"I nibbled her nose with my nose."

The Lord Is Risen!

Eliana and Seth Re-enact the Triumphal Entry

A Random Post About Some Things We Did This Week

Life is getting busier again. Now that Ashley is over a month old, I don't feel like I have as much of an excuse to be home-bound and laid back. But being busy is good—it's even better when the business leads to productivity J
Chris passed his PMP exam this week which he's been studying for over the past 5 months. He came out above average which did not surprise me, of course. So now he is Project Manager certified, and I'm mighty proud of his hard work and accomplishment.

Look Who's One Month Old!

Technically, she's five weeks old -- today! How is it possible for such a little bundle to impact her whole family so significantly? This is the third time I've had an infant to nurture and protect, yet sometimes everything still feels so new. Both new and familiar. Those tiny squeaks and snorts in the middle of the night, the scrunched up face when she's waking up from a nap, those involuntary squirms and stretches that make me go, "Oh yah, that's what I was feeling when she was bunched up inside me." It's been wonderful having a newborn in the house again. I'm loading up on all those snuggles and soft-baby-head-kisses that make a mommy's heart so happy.

So, what's Miss Ashley K. up to these days?  She still sleeps a lot (yeah!) but is starting to have a little more awake time. She's definitely becoming more alert during her awake times and is making eye contact and tracking things a bit. She's been working on finding her thumb and is reaching towards those colorful dangling toys on her Baby Gym. She's even trying to smile I think.

Big Sis and Bro seem to have adjusted to the new littlest family member. Eliana fills the role of big sister quite well for a 4-year-old. Her loving gets a bit too enthusiastic at times, and I have to remind her often not to touch the baby's mouth and face, but she adores her little sister and is really doing well overall. It has been fun to watch her nurturing skills take shape over the past month. She enjoyes washing Ashley's clothes, tucking blankets around her, and playing Peek-A-Boo when Baby gets fussy. She takes a lot of pride in introducing Ashley to visitors or people who want to take a peek at the newborn when we're out and about: "This is Baby Ashley, and she's one month old!"

Seth took longer to get used to having a new sibling. He was apprehensive at first, saying things like, "Mom, can you make sure Baby Ashley doesn't eat my hockey puck?" But he has slowly warmed up to her. More and more he wants to hold her and give her kisses. A few times he has even offered his treasured "night-night" (his blankie that he sleeps with) to Ashley--a very precious gift indeed. Of course, he always ends up taking it back when it's bed time, but the jesture is very, very sweet. He seems to understand more the significance of being a big brother and is learning to like the idea of having someone to protect and who will look up to him. The first few weeks after Ashley's birth, Seth was understandably reclusive, a bit surly, and clingy. But the old Seth is emerging again--his little shenanigans, jokes, goofy faces, and joviality are resurfacing.
Here are some of my favorite pictures of the kids that were taken over the past week:

My three kiddos :)

Close up . . .

Checking out those fingers . . .

Almost as big as Eliana's "monkey monkey" :)

17 Reasons For Which I'm Glad I Married My Husband

Today Chris and I celebrate 6 happy years of marriage. I have truly been blessed with a husband who has many, many outstanding qualities. Here are a few of the reasons for which I'm grateful to be married to my wonderful man!

1. Family worship: I am so thankful for Chris's commitment to participating in corporate worship. He values the gathering together of believers and holds family participation in worship services as a high priority.

2. Sharing faith: I have often been amazed at my husband's boldness in sharing his faith with co-workers and acquaintances. He has a knack for turning pretty much any conversation to spiritual matters in a way that doesn't seem ackward. He has studied different religions and is always ready with a good answer when approached with difficult questions (Col. 4:6).
 
3. Teaching opportunities: Chris is always finding ways to teach our children. Whether it be Seth trailing him while he changes a busted belt on the car (as he did earlier this week) or helping Eliana apply a Scripture to a difficult situation or attitude that she is struggling with, he takes advantage of opportunities to help our children grow in knowledge and wisdom.

4. Says it like it is: Unlike me, my husband is straightforward and clear in his communications. If a solicitor shows up at the front door, Chris can say, "No thanks, I'm not interested," without getting roped into an unwanted demonstration (a skill I have yet to master).

5. Details matter: He studies, he reads, he researches, he learns, he observes. It's important to get things right. And for a laid-back personality like mine, it's good to be reminded that details matter.


6. He can figure anytthing out: His engineering mind amazes me--really! When he puts his mind to something, he can always figure out a way to make it work--even if it takes days of focus and hard work.

7. Active in our children's education: I am so blessed to have a husband who loves being involved in his children's education. He often takes time in the evenings to work on Seth's reading lessons or review handwriting skills with Eliana. He has spent hours researching and reviewing curricula and methods of educating that will work well for our family.
 
8. Is really good at surprises: Our honeymoon was good evidence of this. All I knew was that we were going to Oregon. Chris planned everything else out, and what a marvelous trip it was!

9. Calm when the unexpected arises: There have been a handful of times in our marriage when I was anything but calm (like when I chopped through an underground cable with my shovel last Fall), but my husband is the rock, always poised and levelheaded, and knowing how to react--without over-reacting.

10. Providing for his family: I am so thankful for a husband who works hard and plans ahead to make sure his family is and will be well provided for.

11. Loves to continue learning: I greatly admire Chris's desire to read and acquire new information. It inspires me to do the same.

12. Ability to explain things: Chris is a great talent of teaching. I love how he can take things that go way over my head and put them into clear and consice Lacinda-terms.


13. Not given to unwise spending: I really appreciate my husband's caution when it comes to opening the checkbook. Although the checking account has often been an area of tension between us, I would much rather be married to someone who leans toward spending too little than too much. I am so grateful for his motivation to stay debt-free and to be well-prepared for our future.


14. Knows that sometimes I just need to cry: One of the best things Chris did for me in the first few weeks after our first child was born was to come home every day after work and ask me if I needed to cry. I was feeling very overwhelmed by my new role as a mother, and those little cry times were just what I needed to relieve some stress and make it through the rest of the day. Since then, he's been wonderful about being there when I need a little "cry time" after a hard day.


15. Provides perspective that I would miss: We often view things from different angles. Chris brings into perspective details in issues that I never would have noticed on my own.


16. Supports my desire to be a stay-at-home mom: I am so thankful for the privilege of being at home with my children and that I have a husband who encourages me in my role as a mom and homemaker.

17. Family Time: Chris knows the importance of spending time together as a family. He's great at suggesting outings and field trips that the kids will enjoy. I also love watching him play "David and Goliath" with Seth or teaching Eliana how to ice skate or snuggling with Baby Ashley. And I love those nights when we get a few hours after the kids are in bed to play some of our favorite games like Skip-Bo or Catan.

Welcome, Baby Ashley

So much can change in three weeks' time! As I sit here typing (one-handed!) and cradling my baby girl in my arm, I can't help but be amazed at God's goodness to me. On February 20, just one day after my last post (the one where I was feeling frustrated, anxious, and disappointed), our little miracle arrived. Everything about her birth was perfect--so much better than I'd even dared to hope. For starters, I was hoping for a short labor (who doesn't--unless, of course, you live hours away from a hospital). I started feeling painful contractions a little after 3 PM and told Chris not to rush, but he might want to get his bag packed. I started timing contractions--they were coming about 3 to 6 minutes apart. I figured I had several hours to go and tried to distract myself with housework. Chris called his parents to come get the kids. I still thought there was no need to rush, but later I was so very, very thankful that he called when he did. By the time Eliana and Seth had gone, all I could think about was getting to the hospital, having some drugs injected into my spine, and relaxing for a few hours until the baby came. We got to the hospital around 6 PM and Chris wheeled me into the lobby where I waited while he parked the car. I told him to take his time--I was in pain, but not as much as I would have expected if I'd have known how far along I really was. When Chris came back in from parking the car, I was hunched over a chair in the lobby trying to remember Lamaze breathing techniques. He somehow managed to push me in the wheelchair plus lug several overnight bags up to the maternity ward. When we got to the check-in counter the staff person was waiting for us (thanks to my wonderful husband for calling while we were on our way there) and told us to go straight back to our room. Our room was all set up, everything ready to go, and a nurse waiting for us. I thought, "Wow, they must think this baby's coming soon. I hope they're not disappointed." I made sure I let the nurse know right away that I wanted an epidural. She looked a bit hesitant and told me she needed to check me first. Contractions were getting stronger now. Imagine my surprise when the nurse told me I was at a 9 and my water was about to break! I seriously thought I'd probably only be at a 4. Then she said, "I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but you're not getting an epidural." That scared me. I imagined the pain only getting worse and worse, but to my surpirse, it really didn't escalate a lot after that point. The nurse seemed impatient to get the doctor in--a good sign, I thought. Somewhere in there my water broke like a great big tsunami. Then I felt the baby's head crowning. I think it was four pushes and out she came! I was still surprised at how quickly everything had happened. We had only gotten to our room 30 minutes earlier! 6:43 PM, 21 inches, and 7 lbs., 15 oz. But no one bothered to tell us that she was a "she!" Since there had been mec in the fluid, I didn't get to hold her right away, so Chris called across the room to where the nurses were making sure her airways were clear and asked them what we had. A girl! Now for the naming process. From our very short list of mutually-acceptable names, Chris picked Ashley and I picked Katherine.
Thanks to a short labor and no epidural numbness, I was able to move around right away after the delivery, watch Ashley take her first bath, and move to our post-delivery room. It was early enough that Chris's parents were able to bring Eliana and Seth to meet their baby sister. It was a sweet event to get to introduce them to our new baby.
Things were going so well that we were able to leave the hospital the next day. Chris and I were both ready to get home and begin life as a family of five. I couldn't help but be overcome with gratefulness for God's many blessings. Mostly, I was thankful that I'd gotten my heart's desire of having a drug-free birth (even though I'd asked!--God's timing is perfect, isn't it?) and that our baby girl was healthy. The whole event is evidence of God's merciful goodness to us.
So, that's the story of how Miss Ashley K. made her appearance into the Damsgard family. And now, nineteen days later, it's had to imagine life without her! She is a delightful little baby, and I'm loving all the snuggling and loving on that little fuzzy head that I'm getting to do these days!

Still Waiting . . .

T + 12 days. Waiting is hard. Even though I completely expected to be overdue with this child, it's still hard not to be overcome by the emotions that come with waiting, waiting, waiting . . . . Here are some of the feelings that are popping up quite frequently these days:
Anxiety: Is something wrong with me that I can't deliver a baby on time? Am I too nervous, too active, too idle, too stressed, not eating well, not exercising enough . . . And what if this baby stays in me so long that he gets to be too big for me to deliver naturally . . . What if he gets meconium in his lungs . . . And what about all the other risks that increase as Baby stays in me too long. And on  the other hand, what if I get impatient and schedule an induction before he's ready to come out and end up having other complications in regards to that decision.
Defensive: Oh, by the way, even though I can wonder endlessly to myself what I might be doing wrong, nobody else better tell me what I should be doing differently--or even say anything that I interpret as being such a suggestion! No siree! Ye must all walk on pins and needles around this Mama, and watch your tongues!
Impatience: Refer to line one of this post--waiting is hard. I don't need to expound on that one.
Envy: I keep hearing of friends who have delivered early. Just tonight, I got the message that my neighbor, who wasn't due until March, had her baby. A few days ago, I called my clinic to get some medical info and found out that my doctor, who was due the exact same day I was, had her baby two weeks ago already. Just last month, my dear friend Shelley delivered her firstborn a week early (and without pain meds, I might add!). What's up with that? Why am I the one who has to deal with the stress of long-term pregnancies?
Disappointment: This is the one I've felt the most. Maybe it's because being a mother has been my lifelong dream, and I feel like the birthing process is part of the whole wonderful motherhood experience. I love the suspense--not knowing if I'm having a boy or a girl, not knowing exactly when this child will come . . . shoot, I don't even know what names we'll be choosing yet. Picking a delivery date ruins that delightful mysteriousness for me; somehow it just doesn't feel right. Ever since I found out I was pregnant, I've wondered where I'd be and what I'd be doing when that first contraction comes. I've imagined over and over the excitement of realizing that it's time! Inducing takes all that away and makes me feel that I'll be missing out on one of the joys of motherhood if I have to go that route.
Hope: Until that I.V. full of pitosin gets stuck into my arm (if it comes to that), there's still hope that the labor process might start naturally.
Resolve: When it's all been hashed and rehashed, pondered and pondered again, twisted and squeezed through my brain and rung out some more, what it comes down to is this: I want my baby to be healthy. May I never jeopardize the well-being of this special gift from God because of my own idealistic and selfish desires. When that comes to mind, the other things really don't matter. I want what's best for my child, and if that means scheduling an induction, so be it. Not knowing my delivery date is a very, very small thing in comparison to delivering a healthy little boy or girl. Either way, it will be a special and exciting time as we welcome Baby D #3 into our family.

Due Date Come and Gone

My babies like to come late. That's all there is to it. Eliana was somewhere around the 43 week mark when she decided to make an appearance, and Seth, after being induced at 41 ½ weeks, was still "waxy and not quite ready to come out" according to the delivery doctor. So it really wasn't a surprise to me when Baby D #3 let his/her due date come and go without much ado. But even though I really didn't expect Baby to make an entrance into our world by the end of the doctor-prescribed due date, there are still those feelings of anticipation and impatience that try to overtake me when that special date comes and goes. So, what did I do to avoid the "past-due-date melancholy" from setting in and to keep myself occupied and on my baby's due date? Here's what the day looked like:

• Sometime around 3:30 AM I decided trying to sleep was futile (sleeping on one's side can only be comfortable for so long) and dug around on my nightstand for a flashlight and baby name book. For about an hour I skimmed over names, trying yet again to narrow down the list and find those oh-so-perfect names.
• At 5:30, when sleep was still avoiding me, I got up and did my pregnancy exercise routine—squats, leg lifts, and push-ups off the end of the bed.
• 6:00 AM—exercise routine complete and I enjoyed another hour of sleep.
• My big project for the day: laundry—washing all those adorable sleepers, blankets, and cloth diapers that had been given to me at my baby shower a week earlier.
• Housecleaning. You know, the everyday chores like vacuuming, washing dishes, picking up after the kiddos.
• Packing bags. Yes, I know my hospital bags were supposed to be packed 2 weeks ago, but I'll admit I'm a procrastinator.
• Fun in the snow. Chris has been wonderful about taking the kids ice skating this winter. He found an outdoor hockey rink at a park near our house and has taken them there several times. This was the first time I went with them and had a wonderful time running in the snow, snowball fighting, and watching the kids show off their skating skills. It was a gorgeous day to be outdoors, and I thoroughly enjoyed the fresh air and change of pace.
• New neighbors! As we pulled in the driveway from our ice skating excursion, we saw our new "across-the-street" neighbor out shoveling his driveway. We went over to introduce ourselves and were thrilled to find out that they are also a homeschool family and that they have a daughter about Eliana's age. I'm excited to get to know them better.
• Me time—that means a bit of a nap and Scramble (my favorite online game).
• Kid time—stories and Mancala (Eliana's favorite board game).
• I finished up my seed order and wondered if I'm truly crazy for thinking I can handle a garden AND a newborn.
• More exercise. Since the streets are all glazed with ice these days, outdoor walking is probably not the best option for me, so I've been spending a lot of time in the basement with the Nordic Track. I enjoy having something active that I can do indoors, and the kids usually keep me entertained by creating their own fitness equipment with bikes, slides, and other toys that reside down there.
• 11:38 PM—I finished folding the sweet little baby clothes, set up a little space for our new one to be able to be in the master bedroom for the first few weeks, and looked forward to a shower some rest.
• 12:45 AM—I had been sleeping for 15 minutes when a little hand touched mine and I opened my eyes to see my little blondie standing by my bed. I thought he just needed to use the potty and then discovered that he already had peed in his jammies. I figured this would be a quick fix—clean sheets and clothes, and the rest could be taken care of in the morning. Much to my dismay, as I was fixing up a dry spot for him to sleep, I heard a weak voice say, "Seth is sick," followed by a fountain of whatever he'd eaten that day spewed onto the floor and his mattress. Sigh. The next 2 ½ hours were spent cleaning, consoling, cleaning again, cuddling, cleaning some more, and comforting.

Needless to say, by the time things settled down and I was able to get back to bed, I wasn't thinking much about another uneventful due date. Instead I was thankful for a little extra time to spend with my 2 oldest kids before they have to make some major adjustments in sharing their "mommy time," and I was thankful for the extra time I'm getting to bond with my baby all by myself while cherishing those miraculous bumps and nudges inside me.

My Little Comedian

The little guy in the picture makes me laugh--every day. He is such a joy to have around. He loves to make people smile, but he's also at that age where he makes us smile a lot without even trying. Yesterdayat the doctor's office while waiting for Dr. B to come in a check our baby's heartbeat, I thought it would be fun to see if Seth remembered the name of his pediatrician. So I asked, "Seth, what's your doctor's name?" Without missing a beat, he shouted, "My doctor is Dr. Seuss!" Then, the other day at the breakfast table, he looks at me in all seriousness and say, "Mom, when will your tummy crack open so the baby can come out?" I burst out laughing--does this kid think I'm a bird egg or what?! I wish I could remember all his cuteness and comedy. I love the stage he's at. I hope he always loves making people smile!

The Most Beautiful Sound

 . . . has to be the whoosh, whoosh, whoosh of an unborn baby's heartbeat. I got to hear my baby's this week. Twice. I've waited a long time. For reasons that I don't regret, we decided not to do doctor visits early on in the pregnancy. For me, the delay of clinic visits really made the pregnancy go by quickly. It kept me from getting overly preoccupied with counting down months, weeks, and days. I also find that doctor visits make me more apprehensive. I really enjoyed taking the first 8 months of this pregnancy to quietly enjoy this little gift and to treasure each little punch, stretch, and roll. It's been a precious time for me to feel like I've got Baby all to myself. I really wasn't in a hurry to involve others--we even waited four months before telling family and friends. But the one thing I did miss was hearing that sweet little heartbeat. Music to the soul. A window into the mysteries of Creator God. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful sound . . .

Tough Parenting

There it was, that moment I had been dreading for four years. You know, the one where your kid is opening her Christmas presents and you all of a sudden realize it's one of those items on the household "unapproved toy list." My heart sank as I watched her face brighten and then look at her Daddy and Mommy with those pleading, "are you gonna let me keep it" eyes. If I'd have been solo parenting at the time, I might have given in, but thankfully the stronger of the two in this parental force promptly stepped in. "Oh Sweetie, we'll have to take that back to the store and let you pick a different toy," Chris told her gently. Her quick moment of hope was over as the package was carefully placed out of reach and she was given another gift to open. She knew where we stood on the issue. She had seen these toys in the stores before and had asked many times to have one and had been given the explanation as to why Mom and Dad deemed these to be inappropriate household play items. I was very proud of her for not whining and putting up a fight. Instead she spent the rest of the evening enjoying the other gifts she had received. And the next day, she was delighted to get to browse the toy store and pick whatever toy she liked (within her cost limit, of course) to replace the unapproved one.
Now that the incident is over, I'm glad we handled it the way we did even though I second guessed the decision a few times. I'm all for tough parenting. If my kids refuse to touch their oatmeal for breakfast, I have no problem saying, "That's fine, but you'll have to have it for lunch, and there will be no snacking in between." Or if they refuse to clean up their room, I have no problem taking away their computer game time until everything is put away. But when I have to take something special away from them when they haven't offended, when their attitudes have been good, and when they haven't done anything to deserve the disappointment, that's really tough--the kind of tough that hurts. I that this will be a valuable lesson for her. I hope it will be an experience that will teach her to hold to her convictions and help her realize that what is fun and attractive isn't always best. Maybe some day she'll be faced with a more serious decision--an attraction that has fallen unexpectedly into her lap, one that might seem pleasing to accept but that she knows should be avoided. Maybe she'll think back on Christmas of 09 and remember that what is pleasant now is not always best. Maybe . . . I hope and pray . . .

New Name

A new name for a new year. Psalm 145:3 is now Journals of a Stay At Home Mom. I needed a little makeover to get myself back into blogging mode. The new name I chose describes what I hope this blog will be about--the failures, accomplishments, successes and everyday occurances in my life as a novice homemaker. As I record what goes on in my little world, my hope is that it will challenge me to think through my own goals as well as be a helpful resource to others who are in this same stage of life. By the way, the helpfulness goes both ways, hence the "post comment" application at the bottom of these posts. I'm totally open to feedback--encouragement, admonishment, advice, or just a "hey, here's what I did in that situation." And, just because I took the Scripture verse out of the title doesn't mean that I'm trying to do away with it. It is my prayer that the overarching theme of this blog and more importantly, my life, will be that God is Great--beyond human conceivability--and deserves ALL praise.
"Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable." Psalm 145:3

Not Wrong, Just Different

The small group that Chris and I are part of recently did a 4-month series on Emerson Eggerich's book Love & Respect. One of the main points Eggerich drives in his book is that couples' contrasting and sometimes quirky preoccupations or opinions are not necessarily wrong, they're just different. With that in mind, and in honor of our 5^th anniversary which Chris and I are celebrating today, I put together a fun little list of some of the differing opinions that exist in this marriage and keep it interesting. I think it'll be quite obvious which one is "his" list and which one is "her" list. Here goes . . .

Salty . . . . . Sweet

Chips . . . . . Chocolate

Weird Al . . . . . Charlotte Church

24 . . . . . Jon & Kate + 8

"I'll stay up till 3 AM if I have to" . . . . . "I think I'll just finish this tomorrow—or maybe next week"

"I'll just have a sandwich again today" . . . . . "Let's try some alu makai tikki * "

"I gotta win!" . . . . . "I just play to have fun"

Math . . . . . English

Chemistry . . . . . Botany

John Grisham . . . . . Jane Austen

Golf . . . . . Bike Trails

Night Owl . . . . . Early Bird

Airplanes . . . . . Road Trips

Holiday Inn . . . . . KOA

Cheerios (of course!) . . . . . Oatmeal

Subway . . . . . Olive Garden

Flight Similator . . . . . Facebook

*Indian corn and potato cake

Chorpening Reunion!

I’m still smiling at the memory of the first ever Chorpening family reunion. Yes, now that we have multiplied and reproduced ourselves enough to become our own clan, I guess we get to have our own reunions. Getting together is hard. Me and my oldest sister, who lives about half an hour from me, see each other about once a week, but trying to get our hubbies there at the same time doesn’t happen often. Then add our parents who are a 2 hour drive away and another sister and family who live more than 1000 miles away, and you can see why this is the first time we’ve all been at the same place at the same time. What finally made it happen was my parents’ upcoming 40-year anniversary. That and an invitation my bro-in-law got for a preaching engagement over in our region of the world made it possible for us to all be together for a day last week. It made this chiqua so happy to be with both of her sisses at the same time, to see our hubbies harassing each other (and enjoying it as only men can), and to watch our kiddos play and form those special cousin bonds. Our time together was short, but there are some sweet, sweet memories. Hopefully Chorpening reunion #2 won’t be too far down the road!

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss

Okay, technically his birthday was two days ago, but we were too busy celebrating that day for me to get this post together.

Dr. Seuss was not a part of our home library when I was growing up, so when my own kids came along, I was a bit unprepared for the reading pleasures ahead of me. Five years ago, I would have associated Seuss with The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham, but was ignorant of some of his other titles that would soon become favorites in our household, such as The Shape of Me and Other Stuff, Horton Hears a Who, Oh The Places You'll Go, and On Beyond Zebra. I'll have to admit, I wasn't exactly enthusiastic about the books right at the get-go. I had to get past Seuss' weird, sometimes freakish illustrations of anemic, balding children and snaggle-fanged, pig/wolf-snouted house pets. Honestly, I still cringe whenever I get to the picture of the Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz in his ABC Book. There's just something about that pink-eyed monster that's still too gross and bizarre for me. But the writings are what made me jump aboard the Seuss wagon and become a full-fledged fan. I haven't read any other children's writer who can stretch, twist, and turn a word inside out quite the way Seuss did. The cadence of his rhymes make them so much fun to read, and the made-up words and sounds that he throws in are so whacky and hilarious, yet so descriptive that you think, "Why, this really should become an addition to Webster's next edition." So, in honor of Dr. Theodor Geisel's 105^th birthday, I'm pulling out some of my favorite rhymes and tongue-twisters from his books. Here they are (note--they're much more fun when read aloud):

From Oh Say Can You Say?

BED SPREADER

Bed Spreaders spread spreads on beds.

Bread Spreaders spread butters on breads.

And that Bed Spreader better

Watch out how he's spreading . . .

Or that Bread Spreader's

Sure going to butter his bedding.

FRITZ FOOD/FRED FOOD

Fritz needs Fred and Fred needs Fritz.

Fritz feeds Fred and Fred feed Fritz.

Fred feeds Fritz with ritzy Fred food.

Fritz feeds Fred with ritzy Fritz food.

And Fritz, when fed, has often said,

"I'm a Fred-fed Fritz.

Fred's a Fritz-fed Fred."

From Fox in Socks

When beetles fight these battles in a bottle with their paddles

And the bottle's on a poodle and the poodle's eating noodles

They call this a muddle puddle tweedle poodle

Beetle noodle bottle paddle battle . . .

FROM Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book

A moose is asleep.

He is dreaming of moose drinks.

A goose is asleep.

He is dreaming of goose drinks.

That's well and good when a moose dreams of moose juice.

And nothing goes wrong when a goose dreams of goose juice.

But it isn't too good when a moose and a goose

Start dreaming they're drinking the other one's juice.

Moose juice, not goose juice, is juice for a moose

And goose juice, not moose juice, is juice for a goose.

So, when goose gets a mouthful of juices of moose's

And moose gets a mouthful of juices of goose's,

They always fall out of their beds screaming screams,

SO . . .

I'm warning you, now! Never drink in your dreams.

The Bible According to Eliana

When I was a kid, our family acquired some felt Bible story visuals to use in our missionary work. There were hundreds of pieces--people, animals, scenery, buildings. I remember playing with these visuals for hours, retelling Bible stories or just making up my own. To my great delight, my mother recently passed these visuals on to my sister and I to use with our children. It was like seeing old friends agian, and I was excited that Eliana seemed to have the same enthusiasm I had for retelling stories and creating her own imanginative recountings. Far from accurate, I love listening to her tales and often laugh out loud at her combination of Bible characters and settings. Here's a snippet of a story I heard while watching her play with her "felt stuff" one day: Along came Sarai and she wanted to pay money cuz she didn't have any children. Along came an angel and siad, "What are you doing in my temple? Oh, okay, maybe I'll go back to Sarah's house." Along came the praying guy, praying for her to have children. Here comes along Abram. Know what? There were trees in the garden. Know what? The evil one put the trees on there and then there was one tree. Then the temple came on the rock. Abram and Sarah were talking to each other in the temple. Along came Elijah and he wanted to talk to them too. And there's Elijah's wife Sarai. God told Noah to build a big boat and Noah said, "No." So Jonah prayed to God and went inside Nineveh. And the angel went inside Nineveh too. The angel's name is God, not Gabriel. Then Sarah came inside Nineveh. Then Abram came and they all played around in Nineveh until it was time to go to sleep on the good grass. About this time Chris came into the room and gave an attempt to bring more depth and accuracy to her story. "Eliana, what was the temple for?" "For two people." "What did they do in the temple?" "Just played games." As you can see, we have a long way to go in the Old Testament History department!