It's been a while. How about an update? Sure.
Muad'Dib: Still working at the Post Office, and we've been blessed with his getting a few extra days work as we've had trouble with our car (which the kids have named "BooYah.") We've poured a bit of money into keeping the car drivable...and still we aren't sure it's all going to work out. Turns out a Daewoo is a tricky make. Anyway: He's been working on his book - which I have been reading in an effort to edit. Holy Awesome. This is going to be one fantastic read. The possible applications are mind-bending. On top of that, he comes home every day and spends quality time with the children and helps me with the house. Basically, Muad'Dib is continuing to be the best, most hard-working wonderful husband and father ever. He does that every day and I'm grateful he's mine. :)
Lemur: his eighth birthday is drawing on apace, and he has made the decision to be baptised. For a while it seemed that he had absolutely no interest in being dunked for any reason. Then one day in RS, we were having a lesson on the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and I realized I had never told Lemur what he would be getting out of the covenant. As soon as he learned about the blessing of the Holy Ghost, he was on board.
Now, remember back in December when we were having trouble with Lemur and school? As a refresher, his teachers (and principal) were pushing for him to be tested for ADD, citing that he couldn't focus and couldn't learn also telling us that they "didn't have time" for him. Well, after learning that we could not transfer him to another class or another school, we - Muad'Dib, Grandpa Bob and I - stepped up and helped Lemur. I began "pre-teaching." Grandpa Bob became Lemur's math tutor, as Lemur and I didn't speak the same math language. Grandpa has been a great blessing in this endeavor, and Lemur LOVES spending special math time with him. Although it was often stressful for the poor kid to have to attend school for six hours, and then work in the "School Spot" with me for an hour or more a night, it began to pay off. His reading has improved leaps and bounds - doubled in fact. His math facts and ability to listen and stay on task have also improved.
I was prompted in mid-December to begin early morning scripture study. We've just reached the Book of Enos, and I am positive that this activity has not only helped him emotionally and spiritually, but academically as well. His comprehension skills have gone way up. He and Rivulet both ask some pretty perceptive questions and I have seen them understand the answers.
He has two best friends - Alex and Sam - and is going through a very big "Boys Rule" stage. He is honing his intuitive skills and lets me know that he understands that some kids just aren't "my kind of people; and that's okay." I still see him try to make friends. And his tactics are the ones I would use...so sometimes it surprises me that kids don't respond. Well, he's got two and a bunch of cousins and if that's good enough for him, it's good enough for me.
Also, he's NUTS for adjectives, particularly when used in his favorite DS game: Super Scribblenauts. Wanna be on his good side? Just ask him about it. :)
Rivulet: Happy as a lark, Rivulet is a very creative, social, funny little girl. Let me be more specific. Rivulet is four and a half. In January, she chose her own haircut (a layered A-line) so she could look like her Aunt Emily (my brother, John's wife). She looks super grown up. She and her new cousin, Lucy, are very best friends and love playing together every Tuesday and Thursday while I work. Yet that is not enough for her. She is constantly asking for play-dates with girls from the ward or with cousins. She is looking forward to school with bright eyes and crazy hope. She has been able to write her name for nearly a year, and enjoys poking her head in while math is being taught to her older brother. And when I speak of her creativity, well, Lemur and Rivulet are both creative, but in totally different ways. I describe it as this: Lemur thinks of things and then finds what he needs to make it a reality; like dreaming up a ramp for his cars, and looks for toilet paper rolls and other stuff to accomplish the dream. Rivulet looks at things that are already present and makes something out of it. Often times I find her cutting up a few different colored sheets of paper into a pile of random shapes. I come back a few minutes later and she has made a circus, paper dolls, fairies, a school, a farm or a party out of the "random" shapes. It's incredible.
Both kids are super excited for May, because that is when their baby brother is due. They are absolutely stoked about the upcoming addition to our family.
Sayyadina: Besides being called as the Ward Choir Director last week, an update on me basically is a bunch of info about the pregnancy since October. If any of you were present to the previous two pregnancies, it will shock you to hear that I have not thrown up once with this one. No; my three main struggles have been fatigue, forgetfulness and grumpiness. So basically, I am SUPER blessed. Okay, there was the problem with my SI joint being out of place for about two weeks, which translated into LOTS of pain and crying and frustration. But the Chiro finally got it to move back (after I was able to ease the inflammation with icing, walking, Dreampacker help and a few stretches), so I'm doing much less crying. Although I still don't have full range of motion, because somehow in that two weeks, my baby and baby belly got bigger. I have been advised not to clean, as bending over is almost completely out of the question, and I have to really pace myself. With Rivulet, I was still camping and doing all sorts of activities up until the week before she was born. And with this little guy, I might be able to do ONE productive thing a day before having to pay a high price later with increased fatigue.
It's tricky for me to maintain a positive attitude when I can't do those things that stir a sense of productivity within. Muad'Dib advises me to "just survive". Those words have a negative connotation for someone who has danced with Depression. To me, survival means just scraping by, not acutally BE-ing myself, because if I were being myself I would be up. I would be cleaning my wonderful house, cooking wonderful dinners for my wonderful family, going shopping for baby things, setting up the baby things, helping my sister, working in the garden, being ALIVE.
But, I am smart enough to know what he actually means. It's just a knee-jerk response to be afraid of falling into a pit of despair just because I seem to have permission to do so. "Knowing there is a trap is the first step in evading it."
Being un-able to do for myself and my family COULD be license to fall into a pit. Or, I could see that pit and choose a path around it. Perhaps the path of asking for help; the path of gratitude that I actually have a house to worry about; the path of humbly accepting help.
So if anyone is sitting around wishing they had someone to serve: I offer myself and my house as a recipient of your service.
All around, though, I am very happy and healthy and so is the baby. Oh, did I mention it's a boy? It's a boy. We found out back in December. We are still considering names; luckily we have another ten weeks before we'll need to decide. :)
Since "Crucible" closed we've basically just been a family and done what we do. Our main focus was Lemur's schooling, Rivulet's social life and keeping up with our jobs.
In other news, my sister is pregnant (the one who just got married in August), due early September. My sister in law (John's wife) is also pregnant, due a few weeks after that. And I just found out yesterday that another sister in law (Tristan's wife) is pregnant as well, due late September, early October. So my parents will double their grandkids this year, and the Nelson's will go from 17 grandkids to 19. SO COOL.
So there's the update. Woot.
