Scattered Thoughts...

Just like the title of my blog, this entry may be a bit scattered. I am tired of looking at my Christmas blog, and I'm sure there are some updates I can think of, although nothing major is really happening right now.

For the most part, we have been busy parenting our two kids, who seem to have forgotten every rule at our house, and have suddenly become more "agitated" lately in every way---mainly with each other. It's literally wearing me out...and I'm sure it's wearing them out to listen to us lecture and discipline so much. Why is it that right before we're adding another child to our family, the two we already have cause me to feel a slight panic at the thought of increasing our craziness?!

In fact, I was thinking yesterday that I really need to do a blog called "What I love about my children", just so I could be reminded of the positives about their sweetness. :) But, this too shall pass...right?!

In other news, we have made a decision about Kendyll's school for next year. After much prayer, research, and consideration of our options, we are feeling great about the choice we have made. That's the greatest part about giving something to God in prayer....every other option we were considering just kept looking like a "closed door". So, we feel like the "open door" we have arrived at is not only best for our family, but best for Kendyll, and God-led. Now, we have to wait and see if we officially get accepted, before our plan is put in motion. But, if everything works out, Kendyll will be attending Providence Christian School for kindergarten. It has a "classical Christian curriculum" which we have been so impressed with and encourages a great deal of parent participation in the education process, which I absolutely love. I visited the kindergarten class for one day, and was blown away by so many things....it will be a great place for Kendyll to be. When I walked in the door, for my classroom visit, the children stood behind their chairs and greeted me with "Good afternoon, Mrs. Jacobs". They showed their teachers the same respect, and were so eager to learn. They make it so fun to learn there and have such neat programs. For example, they have two gardens that the kindergarteners tend all year, and animals from each of the animal groups that are in their kindergarten hall, including eggs that the children watch hatch as the year progresses. Kendyll is very excited about all of these things, plus the art and music classes she will get to be in. Well, I could go on and on about Providence, but I won't. We are very thankful for the way God has led us to this place....and now we will just continue to pray that He will lead us as we budget for private school, when we never dreamed we would be taking anything but the "public school" road!

Other updates about Kendyll....she is either growing up SO quickly, or she just seems like it because I'm about to have another little one. But, she turns five in a few weeks, and it just seems like she's gotten "big" overnight. She does so much around the house to help me, she reads anything we put in front of her (and I take absolutely no credit for that skill!), and she is beginning to understand bigger and bigger concepts. The other night, I walked into her room, as she and Mark were playing a card game on her bed. They were both sitting cross-legged, laughing about the card she had just played, and as I looked at them, I suddenly got this image of her as a 14 year old, sitting on her bed someday. It's just amazing to see how much more I picture her now as "older someday" rather than as she used to look like in her toddler years. Those days are becoming harder and harder to remember....

As for other members of our family, Carlie is continuing to amaze us with her "Carlie-ness" (I really don't know how else to describe it!) She completely cracks us up with her facial expressions (rolled eyes or crazy faces) and so many things that she says. She is obsessed with Dora and would really watch 32 episodes a day if we would let her. She is becoming quite the boss around here, and uses phrases like "Right now!" and "No, m'am!" way too often. (which explains why we feel like we've been disciplining constantly lately....) She loves school and all of her friends, "Flabie, Becca, Hewry (Henry), Sam, Emma, Sawah"...the list goes on and on. She has learned so much from "Mis Cole" (Nicole), her teacher. She loves to play school at home with her flashcards. She sits in "circle time" and shows everyone her flashcards. She says "Hey guys, what's this?" Then, whoever her student is gives their answer and she says "Good job, brown triangle (or whatever the card shows)". She also loves to sing and "pretend read" like her sister. Her favorite songs are anything about her Bible (which she carries around 24/7), Roll the Gospel Chariot, Mamma Mia (random, I know), and "Holy" (You are Holy). Her prayers melt my heart, and sometimes make us laugh too. She always corrects Kendyll in the middle of her prayers and tells her to "fose you eyes" (close your eyes). But, she prays for everything she can think of, some of which we can't even understand.

One of my favorite things she is doing now is snuggling more than ever. She wants to hug and kiss all the time and she'll say "I love my mommy (or daddy)". Then, I say "I love my Carlie" and she says "No, you love your baby!" This is so funny to me because she is about to no longer be the "baby", and she seems to be figuring that out! She wants me to call her the baby as long as possible, I guess.

As for baby Abby Kate, she continues to make her presence known daily with the largest kicks and flips I have ever experienced. Seriously, she blows my other two babies out of the water for the level of activity she is constantly at (and I was hoping for my calm, quiet third child!!). The girls love to watch her kick, as my stomach moves in all kinds of random ways, and they giggle and laugh when they think she is "kicking them". Of course, all of that movement makes me waver between a general "seasick" feeling from being tossed about from the inside-out, and being in a state of constant contractions, as my uterus responds to her pokes and jabs. So, needless to say, I'm pretty ready to be holding my little wiggle worm in my arms rather than my stomach. If she continues with the same pattern that both Kendyll and Carlie did, we will have a baby in a little over FIVE weeks! Unbelievable! I can't wait to meet her and have her here with us---basically, that's a nice way of saying that I'm really tired of being pregnant!

We spent time this weekend (since we were stuck in the house with the weather) washing all of her sweet clothes and getting all of her things organized. Oh my goodness, it makes me want to squeeze her already!! I've missed folding tiny newborn laundry....especially when I can visually picture each of my girls in these outfits that are being passed down to her.

We have also made our list of "prayers and commitments" for 2007, a new way for us to say "resolutions". We found a great list of questions to help us with these (http://biblicalspirituality.org/newyear.html) and I hope some of you find them helpful as well. We really enjoyed spending time as a couple, really discussing these things as our year begins, many of which I'm ashamed to say I had never thought about. For example, one question is "Whose salvation will you pray for daily this year?" and "What humanly impossible thing will you ask God to do in your life this year?" Wow....those really made me think hard. They were a little different than my usual "exercise more" and "finish my scrapbooks" (both of which are still on my list from last year!!) Anyway, this list was a very good reminder of what each day should really be about....

In final news, we are getting geared up for TV today! We only watch a couple of shows around here, so when the two or three start that we do like, we get pretty pumped. We have been busy for the last few months trying to catch up on all 5 seasons of "24". We successfully finished in time for the big Season Six premiere tonight. We can't WAIT! We are also big American Idol fans, and finally have that back in the lineup this week too. I know that may sound completely unexciting to many of you, but any excuse I have these days to lay on the couch is a great one!

Well, I think that about sums up our random updates for now. Hope you are all staying warm in this wintry weather! I just finished my hot chocolate and am going back for more!!