month in review and January goals
this year’s family photo was taken with the self-timer during our camping trip
December has been a fantastic month for us, with Vi taking her first steps, and Nikki and Michael performing in an outdoor Christmas concert. Since completing her 100 reading lessons, Nikki is now reading everything she can get her hands on, including the gospel of Luke, which was handed out at church on Christmas Eve. Nikki also finished memorising the entire 145-question Catechism for Young Children. In addition, Michael’s vocabulary and confidence in speaking have noticeably improved this month, with fewer pauses as he searches for the right word.
We squeezed in the Christmas tree by rearranging our living room to put the tree in front of our unseasonable fireplace. Crazy Clark’s provided unscented white candles and a green garland which, when supplemented with a springform pan base, became a simple table centerpiece and advent wreath. We lit the appropriate candles every night at dinner, and it helped the kids count down to Christmas, while keeping our focus on Jesus and the reason we celebrate.
Ben is participating in a pedometer challenge at work. He has discovered that with his walking commute to the central business district and taking care of things at work and at home, he covers an average of 9 kilometers (5.5 miles) per day. He hit 10km the day he walked from our house and up the steps to his seat at the U2 concert this month, a record which has since been superseded in an errand-running day prior to Christmas.
Our new baby has been bouncing around and I enjoy feeling the movements from time to time. Since sharing the news of a new sibling with our children, Nikki has come up to me spontaneously on several occasions and said, “It’s so exciting about the fourth baby in your tummy!” The stethoscope we gave the children for Christmas is getting a workout, listening in to all of our tummies. My main pregnancy symptom is tiredness, which isn’t helped by the fact that I find myself waking from vivid dreams of queuing for the toilet.
I did finish sanding and waxing the bedside tables for our new bedroom, with the final coat of wax going on just prior to logging in to the computer to write this update! Our washing machine is also back in commission, having been repaired under warranty this afternoon. Am I the only person who questions the conventional parting, “see you soon!” when the repairman says it? Though I did feel like I had a lot of free time this past laundry-free week…
My goals for January are to:
- find a time to read the Bible and pray each day. At this stage in the pregnancy my morning routine comprises of (a) waking from vivid toilet-related dream, and (b) throwing on clothes and stumbling outside to use the toilet, so I have abandoned my first-thing-in-the-morning quiet time. I want to pick up the habit again, even if it can’t be the first thing I do.
- enable Michael (either through training or gate adjustments or both) to open the bathroom baby gate so he can get in there by himself to wash his hands
- continue my quest to eliminate boxes by digitizing at least one box of paper
- read and begin to apply Chapter 6 of How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen so Kids Will Talk
Happy New Year!
