Ah, Sarah, the little princess, muffin, sweetie pie! My youngest child, a daughter born on my birthday. This little one has a special place in my heart.

Sarah, age four and a half, adores all things common and beloved by little girls down through the ages–dolls, dresses, jewelry, the color pink, etc. Unlike her closest sibling, she doesn’t seem to have an intense drive to keep up with the big kids. She is content to sit and play for hours on the stairs with her Polly Pockets or Playmobil figures. At home she is bubbly and talkative, out in public she is shy and coy. I have had friends tell me they have never heard her speak a word.

Love the slippers!

For Christmas Sarah was given this gorgeous dress. She was absolutely thrilled with it. I knew she would like it but even I was a bit overwhelmed with her response. At one point she told me she wanted to go to bed. I thought for a minute and realized the reason why. She was eager for night to fall so she could wake up and it would be Sunday and she could wear her beautiful new dress to church. Ah, does every young girl want to be a princess?

The lighting isn’t great but it does show the princess’ long, never been cut hair.

Sarah enjoys school and is pleased to pull out her workbooks and practice her writing and coloring. She sits in on David’s reading lessons but doesn’t seem terribly eager to learn herself. She has excellent fine motor skills and likes to work on letters and writing. She took her turn writing on our new full size whiteboard today (in her fancy dress, no less).

She is the baby of the family but no longer a baby. My, how the years go by so quickly!

Kathy

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Today is David’s Special Day! After school we met Tim at the Y for swim lessons and some family wallyball. David is improving by leaps and bounds in his serving. I will try to bring my camera with me next week to see if I can capture his athletic prowess on film.

David is a whimsical, funny, incredibly grateful five year old (six in February, gasp!) boy. He will thank you over and over (and over and over) for a special gift.

For Christmas he received a blue sweatshirt and walkie talkie watch. These two items have become some of his most favorite gifts. I think he has worn both of them every day this week. Joshua said David saw his green watch on the shelf (that hasn’t worked for years) and told Joshua, “Oh, I’ve always wanted a watch!” That same day we opened a few more presents, one of which happened to be a pair of walkie talkie watches for David and Daniel. David was absolutely thrilled. Isn’t it precious when you get to see a (sometimes secret) delight of your child’s heart met.

In Matthew Jesus said, Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Matthew 7:9-11

David’s cheerful, grateful spirit often brings tears to my eyes and convicts me of my own attitude toward the Lord and all the good things He gives me. At one point David told me that he had gotten everything he “absolutely, totally” wanted for Christmas. What an amazing outlook. I know that he is young and much of his manner comes from his youthful innocence but my prayer for David is that he would continue to grow in the grace that God has bestowed upon him and remain an appreciative, thankful, enthusiastic individual.

David loves to play games. For his Special Day he chose The Legend of Landlock. This is another one of our new games from Christmas. Joshua advised as David and Tim played and helped lead David to a rousing victory. Ha!

Whether it be computer games, board games, scooter or bike rides, David is NOT one to be left behind. He does his very best to keep up with the big kids. Sometimes he gets frustrated but he most often picks himself back up and starts off again. He is a light and joy in our family.

Kathy

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Another day, another picture, another child. And so it goes. Do I sound weary? Lol. I’m thoroughly enjoying this blogging – nice to have a renewed purpose in my writing.

Not content with just one photography lesson, I decided to see if there were any library books that deal more specifically with digital camera photography. Ta da! There were at least 90 titles in the library catalog. Hooray! There was nothing to do but reserve as many as looked interesting.

The kids will tell you (with deep groans) that this is a very typical pattern for me. We hit an intriguing topic in school and I will stop everything to spend hours on the computer tracking down and reserving every possible title. I LOVE the library online system. It’s like shopping without the cost!!! That is until you lose books or forget due dates and end up with fines. Sigh. That’s the only drawback about using the library as a primary source of reference material. Thankfully the fines are going to a good cause (at least that’s what I tell myself–and my dear dh).

On to the subject at hand–Daniel!

Daniel, age 9, is a (young) man of action. He loves to wrestle, ride bikes, run, rollerblade, anything that involves movement. His motto seems to be, Why walk when you can run and get there (and back) faster? This book, however, has totally and completely captivated him.

I bought this series,
by Stephen Bly, for Joshua years ago. Rachel read them and thoroughly enjoyed them as well. Daniel is growing in his reading ability and interest so Joshua is working to supply him with books. Daniel recently finished Castle in the Attic and its sequel, Battle for the Castle. Joshua is planning to start him on the Indian in the Cupboard series next (isn’t it nice to have an older brother to ‘help’ you along).

Daniel spent a good bit of time on the stairs reading his book after lunch. I’m not sure that I would choose that spot as a comfy reading nook but he did look cozy and I got several nice pictures of him.

Tim and I come from a long line of avid readers so it warms our heart to see our children develop a love of reading.

Kathy

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It’s Tuesday and therefore Rachel’s day. Tim decided to also make it her Special Day. He has decided to change Special Days a little bit and center them around the home. Of course, winter in Washington is a good time to make such an adjustment. Ha! Not the best season to be visiting nearby parks or going out exploring. The new plan is that, on their Special Day with Dad, each child gets to pick the game and book of their choice. Any extra kiddos who want to play or listen can join in.

Rachel chose to play Sleeping Queens (one of her favorites from the Christmas game collection) and requested the Voyage of the Dawn Treader as her read aloud.

I read a wonderful book on photography this afternoon. We are easing back into school this week and one of the day’s events included a trip to the library. I had several items on hold for me, one of which was a book recommended by a SHS friend (homeschooling e-mail loop).

How to Photograph Your Family by Nick Kelsh You can read reviews on the book on Amazon (click on title link). As I think about taking a picture every day for a year I find myself wanting to improve my photography skills. Kelsh’s book was very interesting. His recipe for improving the average amateur photographer’s pictures is: Get closer. Shoot more film. Turn off your flash.

I took all sorts of pictures of Rachel, age 11, trying to capture something sweet, special or unique about her.

She rapidly grew tired of the exercise and was ready to sit down and do some reading. She had to clean the kitchen first as she has dinner dishes duty this week. Tim especially liked this one (below) because of the little twist in her lips–reveals her wry sense of humor.

What a blessing to have a daughter! I am so thankful God placed her in our family.

Kathy

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