Oh, the places you’ll go!

Sure, when you hear this song you might imagine Gabby Douglas and Jordyn Wieber striking poses, but I recall the first time I heard the tune. It was on my way back from a Market Basket expedition and I was consumed with concern, like usual, about the path to PhD when this song came on the radio. What a comfort!
I do not consider myself a Gospel scholar or a source of wisdom by any means, but I try to gleam from the God-given experiences in my life, and if there is one thing I’ve learned since we left Arizona almost five years ago it is this: home can be anywhere.
Massachusetts has indeed become our home. It has become such through the friends we have made, as we have embraced the work we have been issued, and through the fortification of our family. Do I still miss the hands-free kickstand at the gas pump Arizona offers? Of course. But, mostly, New England has grown on me.
I can’t help but think of the people and families that were asked to relocate in the scriptures and how God blessed them. I know that my family has been blessed in similar ways. 
We started out with a pretty hefty list of graduate schools and whittled it down to eight schools. Two of those schools are in Massachusetts: Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The other six schools are in California, New Jersey, Michigan, Ohio, Texas, and Utah.

Applications are submitted and we anticipate the replies!

 We expect them to come barreling in sometime in March. 

We are excited to see which place He will make our home next.

 

A Few Relocate-ers from the Scriptures:

• Adam & Eve
• The Family of Abraham
• The Family of Lot
• The Family of Jacob
• Moses & the Children of Israel
• Samuel
• Daniel
• Ruth & Naomi
• The Family of Lehi
• The People of Zarahelma (Mulekites)
• The Jaredites

Word Machine

I have newly entered into another chapter of parenthood. The first three or so years of Caleb’s life I have been teaching through rearing, nurturing and play. Now that he is four years old I can say not only am I teaching my child, but I’m educating him. I'm using my professional education to instruct him, so he can acquire skills. It's awesome. Caleb and I aren't always on the same page, but his recent interest is right up my alley.

Caleb has taken to reading and I have been happy to support him (as you can imagine!) I am so proud of him. I was a slow-reader in kindergarten and am glad Caleb won’t have such a tough time with school.(Don't remind me I'll be registering him for Kindergarten in January- eek!)

Things that have worked for Caleb learning to read:

• screen playtime on Starfall (letters and phonics)
• working on and playing with various word machines,

Dry Erase Word Machine, Caleb also liked the Easter Egg Word Families

• practicing reading with BOB Books from the library, and get a family card for every book he reads by himself
• playing Matching and Go Fish with sight words,
• captioning drawings (if he draws an apple, he sounds and writes out the word apple),
• illustrating sentences

Don't mess with Zac. He has a bat, yo.

• pointing out letters and words in the world around us,
• and good old fashion reading time with Mom or Dad.

Video for grandparents: 

BOB BOOK #6, First read through

Pillow Talk

Before school started up Mike removed the side of Nate’s crib turning it into a toddler bed. After the removal of the side Nate promptly tried to retrieve it and restore it back to its proper place.

I could tell- it was going to be a loooooong night. 

And for those of you who have made this venture before know it isn’t just one night. In my experience, it takes about two weeks before any habit is instilled in any child. I don’t know what is magical about fourteen days, but I can’t argue with results. Teaching a child to stay in bed takes consistency and patience, and I often find a good book to read while you play bedtime gestapo is useful.

So. Now my crib is, well, crib-less.
Mind you, the realization struck me a few weeks ago that Nate was no longer a baby. But the absence of a crib is just conclusive. We are a baby-less household.

So, I’m taking advantage of the warm autumn afternoons by letting Nate strut around in his diaper. This attire makes him seem more like a baby, less like a toddler, and comforts this desolate mommy.

Here are some videos of Nate before bedtime showing off some of his vocabulary. He hasn’t been much of a talker. He has always been a very content kid, so he hasn’t ever really needed to communicate with us. He has a very high EQ in my opinion, so I don’t worry about him too much. 

Here is a list of his vocabulary for his baby book:
At 20 months…
can say- dada, mama, bro-bro/bra-bra, nana (banana), wawa (water), bah-bah (bye-bye), uh oh, ow, duck
can make the following animal sounds: moo, quack, woof, meow, pants like a dog, roars (lion, bear, dinosaur, monster), tweets, bahs, monkey oo-oos.
can sign- please, more, help, sorry, all done
can gesture- no, yes, wave hello and good-bye
likes to pretend to- talk on the phone, sleep (great big snores), and be a puppy dog.