Daley Ponderings

On Saturday, March 26th, Jonathan, Faith, Joy and I participated in our first karate tournament. The whole family rose bright and early so we could drive the two hours and 15 minutes to Standish, Maine.  This tournament is relatively small, with only about five dojos participating.  Each division had two to eight participants, with an average of about four (though I didn't do the math.)

Faith's division, 5-7 year old purple belts, was first.  There were six other kids competing with her, including her friend Evelyn from our own dojo.  In the sparring category, she lost her first match, so that one ended pretty quickly.  But when it came time for forms, that is when her practice and hard work shone.  She was confident and crisp in her movements.  She remembered everything and performed smoothly.   She was first to go, and for whatever reason, they allow the first person to go again if he wishes, so she did it again after all the other kids had gone.  She told me later that she almost told them that she had already had her turn, and then realized by how they said it that they knew she had gone already, so she just did it.  It was so fun to watch her.  And then the judges, not her partial mother, awarded her first place!  Evelyn got second place. (More)

On the evening of March 4th, we were on our way to the church to get our portraits taken for the upcoming new photo directory. It was a bit chilly outside, but I didn't put my hood on because I didn't want to have to fix my hair when we got there. Jeremiah had just woken up from a nap so I carried him piggyback.

About halfway there, I commented that my ears were getting cold. Immediately, Jeremiah put his mittened hands up onto my ears. It was such a sweet gesture, I had a hard time keeping from crying.

It has taken me a while to post this mostly because it evokes so many emotions for me. The thoughtfulness and compassion coming from him surprised me. There is something precious inside that boy and I've been missing it because of his stubborn persistence to get into trouble. But this gives me hope for a great future for him. Stubborn persistence to see justice done for the oppressed, to find a cure for a disease?  The possibilities are endless!

2/2 - Noah and I walked past the food pantry on distribution day, and saw a friend of ours heading there. He asked if she was donating food and I explained that she was receiving food.  He wondered why she needed to get food from the food pantry, and we had a good discussion about the various reasons someone may need it.  Our friend is an older single lady on a fixed income.  I also brought up the idea that sometimes people make poor spending choices and that's why they don't have money for food. He picked right up on that, talking about people buying cigarettes instead of food. I also emphasized that it's good to have compassion for people even when they don't make the same choices we do, and try to help them make good choices if they're willing.  And also how it's good to make sure kids get enough food even if their parents are irresponsible with money.  It was a good discussion.

2/2 – Nathaniel came downstairs with help. He sat down facing forward and carefully scooted himself down each step.

2/3 – Nathaniel did the first four steps down holding my hand, all the rest all by himself. He was cautious careful and kind of wobbly. He was very proud and satisfied! That same evening he did the whole stairs all by himself!

2/3 - Noah came in holding a very small piece of fuzz and exclaimed, "With my microscope, I can see tons of colors in this piece of stuff!"  He then examined lots of other things with the microscope.

2/6 - Jeremiah, eating a hard-boiled egg, "Look, Mom! A sun!" Me, "Yes! That's called the yolk." Jeremiah, "You call it 'yolk', I call it 'sun'."

2/10 – Nathaniel wiped my nose with Kleenex.

2/11 - Nathaniel can open the microwave door.  He'll be playing somewhere in the kitchen, hear the beep and jump up and run to the microwave and open the door.  So now we have to be on top of that, because usually the stuff inside is very hot!  He also likes to open the door before it's done.

2/11 - Nathaniel was kicking a bottle around the kitchen like a soccer player.

2/11 - Nathaniel said "hello" with a clear 'l' sound.  He copied me several times that day but has not said it again since.

2/11 - Joy remarked to me, "You can't count by zeroes.  Zero...zero...zero...zero..."

2/12 - I took the baby gate down because Nathaniel wouldn't come down without me, but just stood there at the top and yelled.

But, 2/14, he decided to just step down into thin air and fell down to the landing. So the gate went up again.

This is our major birthday month, Jon turning 39, Jeremiah 3, Nathaniel 1, and Joy 5.  We had our traditional big party for Jon, and a record number of pizzas were consumed (8).  Jeremiah and Nathaniel just had Grammy and Papa over for small family celebrations. But Joy had a girls-only party, which was overall fun, but I like whole family parties better.

Jonathan has started being mistaken on the phone for Jon.  He is thrilled with this development.

2/16 - Joy, remarking about three people on a see-saw, "It's a three-saw, because, one here, one there, and one there."

2/17 - I picked up Nathaniel and hugged him and said, "Oh, my baby!"  He answered, "Oh, my mom."

2/21 - Overheard, Noah to Jonathan, "I'm allergic to dizziness, so count me out."

2/21 - Jeremiah practices screwing in a knob on the microphone stand in the cry room at church.

2/22 - Noah can whistle!

2/24 - You know you're a mechanical engineer when your one year old slams his bowl into yours and even though it doesn't break, you can see in your mind's eye the microscopic stress lines forming.

2/28 - Nathaniel practices putting a cap on a pen.

1/4 - JPD, breaking off celery stalk, "Wow! Big whacker!  Bad guy come in our house, me whack him!"

1/4 - NPD signing "more"

1/5 - Joy, holding necklace, "I made it symmetrical, with yellow in the middle."

1/7 - NPD said, "amen" after we did at dinner.  This has happened a few times now.

Jeremiah says, "gacky bame" which means "exactly the same".

1/8 - JPD, "mine toes-es" (and nearly all other plurals end with -es also.)

1/11 - NPD signed "more" and said, "mo"

1/12 - NHD adding up prices quickly at Goodwill

1/13 - Noah called 1/12, "one dozenth"

1/14 - Faith progressing quickly in skiing.  Her instructor said she should go to level 5 next lesson.

1/14 - NPD, wandering around, looking this way and that, "Where?  Where? Where? ..."

1/15 - JPD, "2, 8, 9, 1, buckle my shoe!"

1/16 - This week, Nathaniel has started making this whine that sounds just like a power router digging into wood.

1/17 - Joy, "knock knock."  "who's there?"  "carrot" "carrot who?" "carrot you" "carrot who??" "carrot you and your mother!"

1/18 - JPD balance on one foot, spinning also

Also, knee...knee...knee...knee...knee...carrot...carrot you glad I didn't say knee again?"

1/20 - Jeremiah, "Does this one [points to his left nipple] have juice, Mommy?"

Jeremiah, "Sho yucky"

1/24 - NPD can stack two jars.

1/28 – Jeremiah, "I like it! Thank you, Mom, making dinner."

1/28 – Nathaniel said "ba" as he pointed to a ping-pong ball

1/30 – Nathaniel might be a lefty too.  Still up in the air, though.

1/31 – Jeremiah, "Potty in your closet, Mom."  Me, "What?  There's a potty in my closet?" Jeremiah, "Yeah." Me, "No, there isn't." Jeremiah, grinning, "Me so goofy, Mommy!"

1/31 – Jeremiah knows how to get to the bank. We went on a very long walk. He directed where we would go.  At the front door of the bank, I showed him the sign that said it was closed on Sunday. So then we went to the back door of the bank. Then we went to the Methodist Church. We checked to see if Mediterrano restaurant was open but it was also closed. We watched two cars getting washed at the gas station. We went down to the other gas station and then up and around the side roads and visited Papa at his house and then we walked home.  Later that week, when we visited the bank again, Jeremiah pointed out the sign that said it was open.