higher education

there is something amazing about how much we learn, the second time around, in our pursuit of education. the thing is, sometimes i think it's the pursuit of supporting our children's education that merits the greater higher degree. 

for example, i became an expert oceanographer this weekend, thanks to a project cole had to do for school.  we read a lot together, and then i read even more, to learn all i could to then translate it into simple 3rd grade terms.  and off to school he ran this morning with all the components he had created for a project he needed to assemble at school, and notes to help him create an informative essay in class.  i closed the front door after the routine morning calls of "bye! i love you!" ..."love you, too!" and returned to the table and the remains of his project preparations, and picked up one of the books and just kept reading.  this is cool stuff!

a couple weeks ago i was into entomology! cole caught a dragonfly. and suddenly we couldn't learn enough about them.  we read, researched and sat engrossed in youtube videos of dragonfly nymphs emerging from their life underwater, to break out of their old skin and become the dragonfly we're most familiar with.  well, mr. dragonfly died. but not to worry, two days later cole caught a praying mantis, and back to the internet, insect books, never before watched insect movies in our home library, and pet store we went, learning all we could learn.  we sounded like bug nerds, and i LOVED it! 

you know those little scout advancement pins boys put on their moms? well, there should be accompanying pins or certificates or diplomas or caps and gown for moms who do it all again...and again...relearning on new levels the many things their children need to learn...and surely much better than we ever did the first time around!

p.s. i do think i'll still leave the math pin for mark, however.  

boys aren't so bad after all!

when i was pregnant with jenni, i prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed for a little girl.  literally.  i told heavenly father i knew she might not come first, but asked for some little inner assurance that 'one day' i could have a daughter of my own.  my mom left when i was 5 - and though wonderful women filled my life and that slot in my life - i still wanted my very own mother/daughter relationship.  so the day jenni was born i wept and wept and wept for joy.  i had a little girl of my very own!  less than two years later i found myself in disbelief to learn that i would once again be blessed with a girl.  i thought i'd already received my blessing. 

by this time i was sold! girls were the best thing on earth. and when rochelle came it just reinforced all those feelings all over again!

well - it's confession time...

after having girls, i decided i NEVER wanted to have a boy! 

i was so perfectly content with girls, and pink, and playing house, and dress up, and cooking together, and singing, and decorating things, and snuggling, and loving babies, and soft sounds, and creativity, and pretty pretty princesses, and mommy and me time, and loving school, and taking pride in neat work, and giggles...

i had no interest in raising a child of the blue variety (ask jan skubal - she heard me say it countless times!) 

well, i have had to re-eat those words SO MANY times in the past 8 years, i'm starting to choke.

as i sat at a cub pack meeting last night (another thing i can't believe i'm doing now) and looked at this mini 'sandlot' group of boys, i just laughed inside.  

who would have thought i could feel so crazy about having THIS in my life?  

or this...

(these are boy shoes - 6 weeks after purchase - thanks to a recess-addiction to two-square last year)

i have said over and over that cole is the reason we smile every day. 

who couldn't with this guy in your life?!

 

i have learned that even with boys life is full of snuggles, singing, creativity, cooking lessons, mommy & me time, loving babies, and...laughter.

it is also full of dirt, mud, tools, balls, rock-filled pockets, anything with wheels, anything with motors, anything that makes noise, anything that flies...or can be made to fly, anything that can be built...and destroyed, and anything that can serve as an outlet for their mighty super-hero powers...complete with sound effects! 

one things i was not prepared for was how much it would fill my heart with joy to watch my son be his father's shadow.  and i had no idea it would make me love my husband even more - knowing that if the shadow could grow up to be anything like his dad, well, some mother's wishes for her daughter will one day come true.

thank you heavenly father, for blessing me with what i thought i did not want...or need. 

he has changed my life...for good!