How tall will your kids be?

My sister just sent me an email saying that according to this calculator, Joshua will grow to be about 6'2" by the time he's an adult. She wanted me to try it out for my kids. I know these things can't be too accurate, but it's a fun experiment. So, here are the results:
Ruby: 5'1"
Lily: 5'3"
Reid: 5'9"
Looks like Baby Joshua is going to tower over his cousins. :)

Yay, Summer!!!!

We've been having such a nice time this summer, and blogging just hasn't been on my mind much lately.
Ruby's second dilatation was about a week ago, and she's been doing great, eating a pretty normal, varied diet, hardly needing any supplementation at night. She eats pretty slowly still, so it feels like she's always eating. She's doing great. She's been so happy lately.
We went to Coos Bay over Independence Day weekend, and the highlights of the trip were:
1. my step-dad's dirt-track auto races (my kids haven't attended a race yet, so it was pretty fun!)
2. the hotel pool
We learned that Reid is a dare-devil in the pool, that Lily is part fish, and that Ruby gets cold quickly. :) And when we got back, my mom put up her above-ground pool in her back yard, so we've been spending a lot of time at Grandma's house this week.
Other than that, I don't have much more to say. We've been having a lovely summer. The kids have been playing, playing, playing up a storm, getting along so well, I hardly know the meaning of "sibling rivalry," but I am reading a book about it, just in case it ever tries to rear its ugly head someday...
Happy Summer!

School

I've written before about how excited I was about the school we found for Ruby next year. It is a local charter school with rigorous education standards, committed to its small size and tight-knit feel. We won their application lottery, and Ruby was accepted. Donnie and I attended the open house for parents, and we were very impressed. I observed a day in the classroom, and then later, I attended a meeting with the teacher, principal, speech pathologist, and some special education people to set up a plan for Ruby's education.
That meeting was a little frustrating for me, because of their insistence on Ruby being treated differently. The school staff was great, but the special ed people were getting to me. I was asked several times what kind of special provisions should be made for her mic-key button. I said none. They said, "Well what about P.E.? I know if she were my child, I wouldn't want her playing dodge ball!" (they'd never even met her!) Okay, well first of all, I can't see Ruby having even the slightest desire to play dodge ball. I think she would find the nearest corner and hide in it, just like I would have as a kid. She's all-girl. Not really a dodge-ball person. So I told them she would hate dodge-ball, but not because of her mic-key button. They suggested maybe the P.E. teacher and all the kids should be warned to avoid touching Ruby in her tummy area or throwing balls at her. No. I told them I didn't want anyone saying anything of the sort. I've never told my 3-year-olds to be careful of Ruby's button or tummy. It's not that big of a deal. I want her treated normally, and encouraged to do as much as she is able. (I had told them she is a bit weak.)
Anyway, it was decided that the whole class would be told of her mic-key button, and the whole staff would be trained on caring for it. It was just a little irritating.
For the last month or so, I've been having serious doubts about sending Ruby to kindergarten. Her birthday is in June, so she'll be one of the youngest anyway, and in many ways she's younger than her age. She's quite bright, but her vocabulary and communication is more like a 3-year-old. Plus, she's tiny and weak. I fear she'd be run over.
Then, at Ruby's 5-year well-child check up, the doctor suggested a bone age scan, so we did it. It came back saying that Ruby is 3 years old. I do not for one second think that she is really 3 years old, but it gives me just one more reason not to send Ruby to school this year. What if her birth date is incorrect? She is from Liberia, after all! Even if it's off by just a few months, she shouldn't be starting school until next year.
Then, by accident, I came upon a home schooling curriculum by Charlotte Mason. I think I'd heard of it before, but not really considering home schooling, I didn't pay much attention. One thing that really caught my eye is that Charlotte Mason's method has been compared in some ways to the Montessori method. There are some things about Montessori that I absolutely LOVE, and some things that I've been unsure of. Well, the more I read about Charlotte Mason, the more excited I get. Her method is similar to Montessori in the areas that are important to me, and different in the areas that I've had doubts about.
I've long been interested in learning theory, and I'm passionate about education. So I started thinking... who better to teach my children than me? Who cares more than me about their upbringing, their education, and their character?
So we're going to give it a shot. Charlotte Mason doesn't really start until age 6, so we're not officially doing Charlotte Mason, but I've read a lot of great ideas for younger kids, and I am just really, really excited!!!
This is a trial run. I could very well send Ruby to kindergarten next year. I could have all three of them in school two years from now. But we're going to feel out this homeschooling thing for a year, and see how it fits us. I am giddy about it. :) My kids already love books and learning, so I am looking forward to this year.
Oh, and my mom is just as passionate (if not more) about education as I am, and she is so totally on board! She also has years of experience as an assistant teacher (in a Montessori classroom) for children ages 3 years to 3rd grade. I also credit her with my getting through high school in one piece. She held my hand through algebra, science, and anything else that tripped me up. I know my mom will be my safety net for any holes I might leave or any subjects I have difficulty teaching - she will fill in my gaps.
YAY!!! :)

Allow me to introduce you...

See this?
It's a back-massaging dolphin. We got it from one of Donnie's coworkers last Christmas.
It's Reid's best friend. He brings this thing to church with us, to the park with us, even to the movies. He talks to it. He sleeps with this thing, wakes up with it, and comes out to the living room, cradling it, dragging the cord behind him. It's heavy, hard, and bulky - not to mention the cord. But he doesn't mind.
It also eats meals with us.

And he wears it on his back.

Should I be worried? :)

Birthday party pics... finally!

Since we first brought Ruby home, it has been apparent that she is a real princess! Remember this pic?
We carried her around the airport on a pillow to protect her bony little body. Now, who gets carried around on a pillow, besides a princess? :)
Ruby likes all things girly, doesn't like to get dirty, is delicate and sensitive, and she's a real gem of a kid! Plus, she has always been drawn to anything with Disney Princesses on it!
I can assure you, none of this was due to my influence. I do not like princess stuff, have never been into anything overtly girly or princessy, and haven't even seen most of the Disney movies. As a kid, I never dressed up as a princess, and always preferred rocks, snails, and trees to frills and lace. :) We owned nothing at all princessy before we brought Ruby home.

Anyway, for Ruby's fifth birthday, and her first birthday party, we had to do a princess party! My mom was really the mastermind behind it all, and worked tirelessly to put it all together. Thanks, Mom!!! And now, without further ado... the pics!

A knight and cousin Joshua inside the castle

A princess and cousin Joshua inside the castle

The knights' armor

Check out the shirts my mom and sis made - with a royal crest and everything!

The Princess, herself

I wore my Snow White costume from Halloween. :)

Lily playing The Princess and the Pea game



The kids got to drink sparkling cider from fancy glasses!

The knights had to follow clues to find the dragon outside. He had captured the princess' treasure chest.

The dragon was hiding among the trees, and tried to attack the knights.
Yes, that's a dragon. It may look like a big green blanket with a dragon head.
But trust me, it's a dragon.

The unsuspecting princess...

Aaaaah! The DRAGON!!!!

The treasure chest has been captured back for the princess, and now they are trying to get it open!

Uh oh... is the princess flirting with that knight? :)

The whole royal crew - minus Reid, who didn't want to be photographed, for royal security reasons.

Eating, eating, eating...

I'm so excited about Ruby's progress!
Since her dilatation, eating has been so much easier for her. She's been eating her usual things with less difficulty, and then she's been able to get down some new things too! She gobbled watermelon today, followed by ice cream in a cone (and she ate the cone just fine!) and right now she's eating macaroni and cheese. She had some last night, and then specifically requested it today. It's SO exciting!
Her appetite still isn't what I would hope it to be, but that's probably to be expected, for someone who was out of the eating habit for 2 years. For example, I have learned to serve her about half (or less) the serving size that I would give the twins - and sometimes it's still too much. We still have to feed her through her g-tube during the night. But the more dilatations she gets, the more variety she'll have, and hopefully the more she'll want to eat!

Purity

Even though my kids are still really little, I think about the issue of purity a lot. As the age of marriage gets later and later in our society, it makes sense that remaining pure until marriage is getting tougher and tougher for singles. And with the number of sexy images all around us - in the mall, at the grocery store, on TV and in movies, our kids are becoming sexualized earlier and earlier. Being exposed to sexual images and ideas in elementary school, and then being expected to remain pure until age 28 or so, at the time marriage, is a high expectation! I feel that many of our singles are being set up for failure.
So something I think about often is how I can raise my children with a deep understanding of the value of their own bodies and souls. Sometimes adults talk to young people about modesty, about not cheapening themselves, and not giving away their purity, but it doesn't really sink in. Many young people don't view it as giving something away, but more as getting something. They want something. It consumes them. They've crossed a line, opened Pandora's box, and now the desire is stronger than anything they've experienced before. And for girls, they discover a whole new source of attention and "value." It's a whole new world! A fantastically exciting world! And we're saying, "No! Don't do that to yourself." But it's like we're speaking an entirely different language. Maybe they get it intellectually, but how do we get them to get it - in their soul?
As a mom, I can see the incredible value in my children. I can see just how astonishing and awe-inspiring their mere existence is. I can see their beauty, their innocence, and their precious worth. Yet I know that even as much as I see in them, God can see even more. He carefully formed them, creating their little faces, bodies and personalities. He loves them more than I ever will. My goal as a mom is to help them understand their true value, and the true value of what God has given us in the sexual experience. Two amazing gifts that we are to cherish, not squander, not cheapen.
Some strategies I've come up with are:
1. Sheltering my children from unnecessary sexual content. It can come from the most surprising places. Discernment and a watchful eye will go a long way here.
2. A healthy family environment with an attitude of respecting our bodies. Like treating our bodies with respect by eating healthy foods and getting exercise. Even little things like taking care of our hair and skin could contribute to this attitude.
3. Being open and comfortable with my children when they begin asking questions about sex, always talking about it in the context of marriage. Hopefully this will help them continue coming to me when they're older, too.
4. Bringing my children up to love God with all their hearts. Loving Him is the key to obeying His commands.
I see children who have been exposed to way too much, and it makes my heart ache. By entering into the world of sex to early, they are missing out on SO MUCH. They're missing out on innocence. Their immaturity causes them to miss out on the beauty of what God intended sex to be. They're missing out on their own value. Not to mention all the trouble they can get themselves into.
In the hospital we had access to cable TV, and I was horrified at what I saw. I was even more horrified when the nurses would give Ruby the remote, to watch whatever she wanted, when I was asleep or out of the room. Vigilance starts early. The older they get, the more aware I become of what's out there, and the more protective I become. They will have to face this stuff someday, but give me time to prepare them first! We need to build that foundation, so they can stand strong against temptation and immorality.