Family Update

Master I has started playing basketball through a league for kids his age called Junior Jazz. Mark has been playing basketball with Isaiah about once a week teaching him drills, skills, and just playing with him. Mark has marveled at how different Master I's temperment is in this setting. Heis grateful for any teaching and any correction and he tries as hard as he can. He doesn't see Mark as his enemy, but rather as his great helper. He is constantly telling me how awesome his dad is at basketball. He will say to me, "Wouldn't it be awesome if I could be my age and have Dad's skills and knowledge about basketball?" I had an experience with Master I that shows his total humility, desire to be taught, and willingness to do whatever he is told on the basketball court. Mark has taught him how to play defense by gaurding his opponent. He sticks to his opponent like honey. He is really good. But, we noticed that he didn't know where the ball was because he had is eye on the guy that he was gaurding. Mark tried to correct him by telling him that while it was really good that he was keeping an eye on the guy he was gaurding, that he needed to be looking at the ball out of the corner of his eye so that he always knew where the ball was. So Master I tried the drill again. I was the one holding the ball and Master I was trying to guard Mark. Trying to implement Mark's counsel he turned his face to me instead because I had the ball. But the next part was the part that killed me. When Mark said "out of the corner of your eye" of course he was meaning in the periphery of your vision. But, Master I didn't know what that meant. So he tried to look at me, the ball holder, out of the corner of his eye. His eyes were pointed up and in the right hand corner. He had to have his face turned sideways so that he could still see me out of the corner of his eye. I started laughing so hard. If I want to make Mark laugh all I have to do is imitate that same look. Miss R's new thing is ballet. She loves to watch videos on Youtube and to try to imitate their moves. Here she is practicing her moves

Here Master I is making fun and trying to be a part of the pictures.

One of my New Year's goals was to take time to play with her everyday and read to her. I try to do this, but I get busy and somedays pass by without me doing this. I don't want to miss out on the joy that I can give her and the relationship that I know that I can build with her. Today for our play we got her babies dressed in new outfits, fed them bottles, wrapped them in blankets, and sang "Baby Mine" to them. Then we went to her play kitchen to make them food. We used play dough to roll out and cut shapes with little cookie cutters and then pretended to bake it in the oven. My little help in giving her ideas of what she could do was absolutely wonderful to her. She loved it. I loved her and loved my time with her today.

Master W's new found love is avacado and applesauce. He will eat sweet potatoes, pears, strawberries, blueberries, peas, green bean, rice, potatoes, and puffs. But, it isn't consistent that he will always eat those things. But, avacado and applesuace is a major winner. Following the advice of a friend, I buy the Costco bag and then when they are ripe I slice and freeze them. I am grateful that he loves avacado. His pediatric allergist recommended it to me because it is so high in fat and he needs other sources of fat since he can't have any dairy products.

Master W still loves to be held. When I am cooking in the kitchen he comes up behind me, grabs on to the back of my pants, and stands up. It totally traps me. I know that if I move he will fall. My only option is to hold him. I asked Mark to hold him once last week while I was cooking dinner. Mark suggested that I just put him on the ground. I thought to myself, "Yah, why do I feel like I have to hold him all the time?" But, then as the week went on I realized Master W's dirty trick of how he traps me. My wheat grinder broke this week when I went to grind wheat to make bread. I had mixed emotions. Actually, to be totally honest my first feeling was relief that I didn't have to make any more wheat bread. I told Mark the news. He wasn't nearly excited as I was. He loves homemade bread. It is a major staple in our home. I make it at least 4 loaves a week. I guess I should say used to...