Good stuff

Church was sooo good today.  Jon Hwang was visiting and taught from Philippians chapter 2.  Jon Hwang is a missionary who was sent out from our church and has planted a couple churches in South Brazil.  We love to hear him teach- he's Jonny's favorite bible teacher.  Anyway, it was one of those days when things that have already been on your mind are brought up.  For starters, I LOVE the book of Philippians.  The section he taught was verses 2-11, which, like so many people, I have memorized.  For over a year now, I've felt like I should memorize the whole book.  I have memorized several chucks of the book over the past 7 years, so the whole four chapters shouldn't be that difficult, right??  In the Fall a friend shared this cite that has a bible memorization method.  I almost posted about this when I talked about my New Year's Resolutions but then decided not to.

Have you ever heard people say that their strengths can also be their weakness or vice versa?  Well, I feel like a strength of mine is self discipline.  If I decide I really want to do something, I'll make a list or somehow make an organized plan and then (usually) stick to it.  If I forget or slack, I get so mad and disappointed in myself.  This can be a good thing for getting things done, but it can be a bad thing when it comes to things like studying/reading God's Word.  Another New Year's Resolution I almost made was doing the bible in a year plan.  Although I think its an awesome idea and think its so cool that lots of people do this, I decided not to do that because for me I'm afraid it might become a dry, legalistic, checklist sort of thing.  I don't want bible reading to be on my To Do List.  I don't want it to become a chore.  If I got behind, I'd probably panic, feel like I wasn't doing a good job... I know myself.  Another thing is if I did it this year, I'd feel like I'd have to keep doing it... every year.  That's not to say I won't try it some year; I'm just not mature enough in 2011.  :)

Anyway, back to Philippians 2... He talked about Jesus' Deity, Jesus' incarnation, and Jesus' exaltation.  It was edifying to my soul!!!  He spent some time talking about Jesus' humility, and referenced what I happened to be reading yesterday in Luke.  It was the passage right before Jesus and His disciples left to the garden of Gethsemane.  It was the last supper, and Jesus washed the disciples feet.  The Highest of highs became the lowest of lows and showed His followers an act of kindness (foot washing) that was the role of a slave.

He humbled himself.  Over and over and over.  He left the holy place with the Father.  Fully God, He became a man.  He served sinners.  He was betrayed.  He was publicly punished as if a criminal.  He was blind-folded and beaten.  His beard was ripped from His face.  A crown of thorns was shoved on His head.  He was stripped naked.  He carried His own cross.  His hands and feet were nailed to the cross.  He died a gruesome death of a literal broken heart when His heart burst open from the weight of his body trying to catch a breath.   Intense!

Today I learned that we get the English word excruciating from the word crucifixion.  Here's what Guzik's commentary had to say about crucifixion:
"Beyond the severe pain, the major effect of crucifixion inhibited normal breathing. The weight of the body, pulling down on the arms and shoulders, tended to lock the respiratory muscles in an inhalation state, thus hindering exhalation. The lack of adequate respiration resulted in severe muscle cramps, which hindered breathing even further. To get a good breath, one had to push against the feet and flex the elbows, pulling from the shoulders. Putting the weight of the body on the feet produced more pain, and flexing the elbows twisted the hands hanging on the nails. Lifting the body for a breath also painfully scraped the back against the rough wooden post. Each effort to get a proper breath was agonizing, exhausting, and lead to a sooner death."

And how does that section in verse 5 of Philippians ch. 2 start out?  That we are to have that same attitude or mindset?  MIND BLOWING!  So I think I'm going to try this memorization thing out.  I know I can't be as humble as Jesus, but maybe writing His word in my heart will do me some good.  :)

BIG mistake!

Oh, gosh!  I think I'm finally calmed down, now.  I hate getting bothered by such trivial things but sheesh!  It felt so frustrating at the time!  Eli and Noah have been especially busy lately.  I think they've been cooped up inside for too long because they are touching, bouncing, grabbing, pulling, on everything!  It seems like they're bored with all their toys, even though we rotate them each week.  Today they've been alternating between fighting with each other or getting into stuff they shouldn't be touching.  (And that's saying a lot because there isn't much in our house they are not allowed to touch.) 

Because of their business and boredom, I decided to bring the sensory/discovery table in the living room.  (Who am I kidding?  We don't have a living room, we have a front play room.)  We haven't had the table in for quite some time because I've had a hard time coming up with creative ideas to fill in it- ideas that are okay for inside carpet.  (There are TONS of ideas for outside!)  I thought and thought, and finally had the brilliant idea of getting some bean bag filler (those little balls) to pour in.  I thought it would be really fun to add some of their smaller dump trucks, some treasure (plastic coins), and various sized plastic cups and Easter eggs.  It looked great!  And it was lots of fun... until I realized that those little beans are like packaging peanuts- they stick to everything!  I figured it would be a little messy, but I explained to the boys that it would be just like the play grass- we'd have to clean it all up off the floor after playing AND we could only play when Siah wasn't crawling around.  OH. MY. GOODNESS!  It was SO messy!  Those things stick to everything!  The boys were quickly entertained by dunking their faces in the table and coming up covered in little white balls.  I knew some would spill, but I didn't think our entire front room would be covered!  And because they stick to the boys, little white balls would leave a trail of everywhere the boys went. 

Ugh!  I was frustrated, disappointed, discouraged, mad and embarrassed.  How could I have not seen this coming?!  Why can't I think of something fun for the boys to do?!  I just spend $15 on a bag that I only used 1/4 of and will never use again.  I hate spending money that ends up being a total waste! 

I'm trying to think of more ideas....

Sunday School

Here are pictures of projects from our lessons in Sunday school from the last three times we taught:

Eli's project for the burning bush.  He only wanted three pieces of tissue paper on his.  :)

These are some of the flannel pieces I made for teaching the 10 plauges of Egypt with the flannel board.  And Eli's project with foam bug stickers on the people. 

These are our quail projects for teaching on the quail and manna.  My example is on the top, Eli's is on the bottom left, and Noah's is on the bottom right.  (He stayed in class with us today.)  My sweet neighbor, Nona, stayed up until 10pm with me last night preparing for this project.

Here is 2/3 of our class projects!

On another note, our newest niece, Ivy Mae, was born this morning!!!  Don't you love her name!?  Congratulations Donnie & Amy, big brother Reid & big sisters Ruby, Lily & Claire!

Goofball

I have to write another Noah post because this kid just cracks me up!  He's so funny lately!  After the boys go to bed, I'll tell Jonny some of the highlights from the day, and often times I'll say that I think Noah is our family comedian.  He'll tell knock-knock jokes or make funny faces or sounds to get us all to laugh.  He'll hide his arms in his shirt and say, "Oh, no!  Hey, guys!  Where my arms go?"

His favorite phrases lately are "Oh my goodness!" and "Oh, man!"  and "That's strange!"  After our Valentine's party with the homeschool group Noah wanted a cupcake.  One bite into it he exclaimed, "Oh my goodness!  This cupcake needs more sugar!"  When trying to get him to use the potty he says, "I'm not a big boy to go poopy on the potty yet."

He's quite a sneaker too.  I had to put his Valentine basket on top of the fridge because he'll get into it when nobody is looking.  He thinks he's so sly too.  Once I come back into the room, its so obvious what is going on when I look into the corner of the living room and see a pile of pillows set up like a wall with a little white haired boy sitting behind them making some kind of crinkling sounds- much like the sounds of a candy being unwrapped.  When I say, "Noah, put the candy back." He responds with a puzzled, "But how did you see me?"

One of the funniest things he does lately is talk to himself.  I should rephrase that and say converse with himself.  Its not just simple statements or observations he says to himself.  He'll have complete conversations, even arguments, with himself.  "Hi Noah.  No, don't talk to Noah.  Why, Noah?  No!  I said don't talk to Noah.  Hi.  Did you hear me?  No!  Stop!  Don't talk to Noah!"

He is also quite helpful, at least he thinks he's being helpful when he not only clears his dish from the table, but takes it to the bathroom to wash it.  His shirt will usually be soaked, along with water all over the bathroom counter and floor, but his dish is clean!

And his imagination!  Wow!  Sometimes I like to sit close by where I can hear him, but not close enough for him to know I'm listening.  It's really hard to keep myself from laughing.  A couple days ago he was taking a bath, and I caught the tail end of a strange situation.  It seems that somehow  Grandpa Marshall got sucked down the drain!  Noah was very concerned and didn't want to get out until Grandpa Marshall was rescued.  Then on Monday, unknown by me, Pastor Rob was in attendance to Noah's mini mover class.  Apparently, he and Noah are good friends.  :)

Then there is that part of Noah's personality that likes to keep to himself.  Every once in awhile we go to Young Life with Jonny on Monday nights.  Its WAY past bedtime and extremely loud and busy.  Kids are dancing, playing games, singing, and running around.  It's a lot, even for me, to take in.  Its hard not to just sit and stare.  Eli, of course, jumps right in with Jonny and plays ball with a group of guys.  Noah,  however, likes to stick close to me and observe.  He isn't scared or nervous- he just likes to keep to himself and watch everyone.  Once he feels comfortable, he moves to the corner of the room and climbs all over the stacks of chairs.  Well, the other night I was talking with some girls while Noah was sitting in a chair watching everyone.  A girl approached him, as they often do (he's just so cute!), and he hid under the chair.  Normally, when he hides behind or under the chair or turns his face away, people will take that as a signal to give him some space- but not this girl.  She kept talking to him and stuck her head behind the chair to get closer to him.  By the time I got to him he was sobbing!  He told me, "People keep looking at me!"  The next morning he told me, "She kept saying, 'Hi Noah' but I hide my face and she don't go away."  :(  Poor boy!  I guess I'm just going to have to keep a better eye on him and be blunt with people about giving him some space.  He is much more social with visitors when we're at home, and once I started thinking about it- he was like that from the very beginning.  As a baby, he was always more fussy when we were out.  He's always preferred to be home.  (Which makes sense with Eli too, because he loved being out and about as a baby.)  Although his personality has been harder for me to understand, once I figure out what he likes, we're smooth sailing!  I love my little Noey!  :)

And did I mention that he likes to dress himself?  His favorite shirt is his guitar shirt.  He'd wear it every day if his mother didn't insist on washing it every once in awhile.  His new trend is to wear a different shoe on each foot, and, unless he picks is favorite red socks, a different color sock on each foot.  If he manages to get at least one shoe on the correct foot and either the shirt or pants on correctly, then its a success.  =)  My silly boy.

Oelkers' Valentine's recap

Working on Valenine's at the library.

Making Valentine goodies with neighbor Nona.

On our Valentine's date with Siah.  :)

Valentine's the boys made for me & Jonny.  So sweet!

Eli eating a Valentine cookie he helped make.

Boys doing an activity at the homeschool Valentine's party at church.

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Sweet little boys!!!

 We brought Jonny Valentine cupcakes to his classroom, and that night Jonny had Young Life.  He was asked to talk about God's love.  It went really well.  I had tears in my eyes.  He read Rom. 5:8, then showed this video clip (below).  He took Eli up on his lap and introduced him.  He talked about a father's love for a son and how he couldn't have done what the guy in the video did.  He said this video is a small demonstration (in human understanding) of the horrific death of Jesus, God's son.  He then talked about why God wanted to demonstrate that love.  Why that way?  He, of course, mentioned sin.  He said if they are going to spend any time giving serious thought to anything in their whole life, they should consider Christ.  "It's the most important thing you'll ever hear." Then he ended by saying, "That was kinda heavy tonight, but its all good because Jesus rose from the grave!" 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentines and was overwhelmed by His great love for us!     

My little bean

My little Siah bean turned 9 months old yesterday- on his Aunt Amy's and his cousin Ethan's birthday!  Today we had his check up and he's still a little guy, completely strong and healthy, but on the smaller side.  He weighed 18lbs 4oz and measured 273/4 inches long (tall).  That puts him in the 25th percentile for length and 20th for weight.  He's crawling around great, pulling himself up to stand against things, growing his second tooth, feeding himself cheerios and fruit puffs, and babbling and smiling constantly.  He's a very happy, sweet baby.  We all adore him- he gets so much love and attention being the smallest little Oelkers boy!

In case your wondering how he compares to his two big brothers, here are their 9mo. old stats:
Eli:  length-281/2in. 60%  weight-19lbs 7oz  40%
Noah:  length- 281/2in. 60%  weight-19lbs 10oz  40%

Oh, and I love our Pediatrician!  Their office is doing this new literacy program, where they give you a new book at every appointment!  Yay for books!

I can't get enough of this baby!!!

Siah has been doing this super cute face lately.  He smiles while his eyes squint and his nose wrinkles up.  My dad smiles like that; I wonder if that will be how Siah smiles or if its just a cute face he makes.  Here are a few pics I took, trying to capture his cuteness while he eats his bananas and cheerios.  (Oh, and his first tooth looks kinda crooked because he did a face plant on our bench and cut his gum.  He has an appointment next week, so I'll ask Dr. Hathaway if his tooth is okay.)  

Interesting...

There are several big families at our church... some with seven or six kids,  and lots with five or four kids.  Many of these bigger families blow me away at how their children behave.  They're calm, quiet and stay right with their parents- without needing to hold hands.  One family has all seven kids sit with them during the service-- even the little ones.  And they're still and quiet!!!  How is that possible!?  My boys (who I think are quite normal) are squirmy, ask so many questions and like to point and/or wave at people.

Well, I heard an interesting piece of parenting advice a few weeks ago-- that you can't expect your kids to do anything in public that you don't practice at home.  Hmm.  Do people actually practice sitting quietly at home?  YES!  Some call it playing statues, some call it self-control time.  They set a timer, and their kids are supposed to sit still and quiet until the timer beeps.  I don't know of anyone who sets the timer for the entire length of a service, but for 3, 4, 5 minutes at first, then the times increases up to like 15 minutes.  Some parents will take the self-control concept a step further by putting a few things in front of their kids that they aren't allowed to touch.  Whoa!

So here's my question- what do you think of self-control time?  Is a preschooler (I'm not even going to bring up the toddlers) capable of learning this?  Should they be expected to learn to sit still and quiet for 5, 10 or 15 minutes at a time?  I don't really have an opinion yet, but I want to hear some different ideas of how people expect their young kids to act in public. 

My shy boy

I signed Noah up for the Mini-Movers class for toddlers.  Its an active, tumbling, gym sort of class... basically a fun class to get toddlers moving around.  Eli started this class a week after his second birthday and really loved it.  (Here's a post from over two years ago when Eli was in the class...)  I try to keep things pretty equal and give Noah the same opportunities Eli had, so when Noah turned two I thought about signing him up.  He didn't seem quite ready for it, (as he seemed to not enjoy other kids... the whole being rough thing...) so I waited until now.  AND... he doesn't really like it.  He refuses to hold anybody's hand for the circle time, he turns his face away when the teacher talks to him, he whines when I try to get him to do the hand motions, he stands stiff and rigid when the kids are supposed to be hopping, jumping, marching, spinning or running, and he is glued to my side- and that is only when he isn't requiring me to HOLD him.  :)  It's so funny because he's an active little guy at home, and lately he's been SO talkative.  

Its weird having a kid that has a, what seems like, total opposite social personality than my first kid.  With Eli we had to tell him NOT to hug the grocer, with Noah we want him to at least say hi to someone who's slightly familiar.  Even in his classroom at church, he mostly keeps to himself and doesn't interact with the other kids.  I don't know if he feels shy or intimidated or just doesn't care because he's got a best friend at home.  I try to encourage him by saying things like, "Noey, are you gonna play with J.J. in your class today?"  And he replies with a very friendly, "I play with nobody!"  What am I supposed to say to that!?  If he ever talks about other friends, its always Eli's friends.  Its always about Eli.  I feel bad and don't want Noah to live in Eli's shadow, but it seems like that's where he feels comfortable for now.  

Then there are times when he is so sweet and friendly to other people... and it throws me for a loop and leaves me scratching my head.  Last week we had a play date, (with one of ELI'S friends) and his baby sister came.  She's about 15 mos old and kinda wobbly walking around.  Noah was so interested in her.  He kept bringing her toys, asking if she was okay every time she fell, and constantly returning her blanky to her when she dropped it.  He'd gently pet her head and give her kisses.  It was adorably sweet!  

I'm not sure what to expect of him.  I have a really shy nephew, and when I'm around him I just sorta keep my distance until he feels comfortable.  I used to do that in the preschools I worked at too.  I would never force someone to answer my question, sit in my lap, hold my hand, etc.  I would interact with other kids near them, so they could make their own observations and decide to join in or not.  But everything feels different when its your own kid.  What do I do?  Or do I do nothing, and wait for him to step out?  Should I keep taking him to the class?  Should I keep providing social opportunities unless he hates it?  What about the rule, 'you have to speak when your spoken to'? Is that more appropriate for older kids?  Should he have to hold a friend or relative's hand if he doesn't want to?  Its tricky because he's both shy and stubborn-- is he using his shyness as an excuse to be stubborn?  If we push him because we think he's being stubborn will it make him even more shy?  Any suggestions?

Here's a couple videos of what he's like in class.  The second one is funny because he finally began to participate when she brought the bubbles out, and then all of a sudden he was shouting, "BAM!  BAM!  BAM! .... Mommy!  Mommy!  Mommy!"  

Oh, and Eli was a crack up.  I knew Noah would be shy, so for our first day I told Eli he was going to have to sit with the mommies and make sure Siah was okay in his stroller.  He confidently strolled Siah in and sat over with the moms while I carried Noah in.  I looked over Eli's way during the class a few times and saw him giving Siah kisses, fixing his blanket, or giving Siah his bink.  He even got my camera out of my purse and decided to take some pictures (at the top of this post).  And for a lot of the activities, he was participating from his seat.  :)