First a story, then a few photos.

Yesterday the kids in our BSF program heard the story of Cain and Abel, and at lunch afterward I wanted to talk to Rolland about it. It can be hard to get him to talk about what he's learned, but for some reason he launched happily into a nice, long, three-year-old version of the story, including that God didn't want Cain's sacrifice, which was a carrot. When he said that Cain killed Abel, I said, "Why did he do that?" to which Rolland replied, "His heart was in the wrong place." Suspicious, I asked, "Where was his heart?" Rolland pointed to his chest, near this shoulder. "And where should it have been?" Ah, if only Cain's heart had been a few inches closer to the center of his chest, as Rolland indicated, his legacy could've been so much different.

This is Opal. She is not potty trained. In fact, she is very un-potty trained...unless "potty trained" means that she can indicate the spot on the carpet where she just peed.

Here's Rolland working hard on a foam paw from the Hobby Lobby clearance rack. Tongue out.

 

Two cute kids cuddling on the recliner. Opal's favorite word is "cozy."

 

 Rolland dressed up as...any guesses?

This one is more obvious. I had gotten Opal undressed in the morning, and then gone out of the room to get something. The next thing I know, she comes waddling up to me, proud as she can be at having dressed herself. And, yes, both legs are in one hole. Textbook.

Saying it Out Loud

Last night we ended up having kind of an un-sleepover, which led to a very late bedtime for all three of us, and yet God used my bladder alarm to get me up quite early this morning. As I was reading my Bible (because I figured that why He got me up), I found Isaiah 40:28-31 about how God doesn't grow weary, and He gives strength to the weary. I printed it off, hung it up, and proceeded to make coffee, when suddenly I realized that I was way too excited about that caffeine jolt. So, after an embarrassingly long struggle, I dumped the coffee out and decided to see if God would really give me the energy I needed to parent well all day. And I really think He did, and coffee had nothing to do with it. So, I thought I'd better give him the glory for that, and how much more public can you get than the internet?

The end.
(Until tomorrow when I get weary again.)

He's Off!

Well, this evening we ripped the first loop off our paperchain countdown. Dave left this morning, and so far I've gone shopping, forgotten to feed the kids dinner, and put them to bed an hour late. I need you, Honey!

Actually, Dave did a really good job preparing, so this morning we had a lovely, relaxed breakfast and even had time for a rousing round of Ping-Pong Bandit, followed by Fireman Sam, Doctor, and Yogurt Tub Stack-Up. I think that was good for all of us, and now our house is bandit, fire, and injury-free, so I think Dave will feel good about that as he's away.

After we said good bye, it occurred to me that I've been prepping myself for the whole time he'll be gone, and now part of it is already over. Each moment only means that we'll be together sooner. Very romantic, I know.

Fortunately, I've checked out Kisses from Katie from the library, so hopefully a dose of that will give me perspective. I mean, I miss Dave, but it's not like I've moved to an impoverished village on a different continent to adopt dozens of orphans...by myself. That said, Dave did have a dream last night in which Opal grew up to be a black girl, so maybe that's in our future! Let's do it!

Catch Up

Since last I wrote...

Opal has learned to walk, gotten a ridiculous hair cut (sorry, I haven't taken any pics yet), and started saying "ba ba" on a regular basis (opinions differ as to what she means by it).

Rolland has stopped wearing diapers at night, and has responded to countless crises as either a Welsh fireman or a ping-pong playing sheriff (always in costume, of course).

I've walked a 5k, taken a trip to the ER, and become a little bit famous. (Click here. If you look closely you can see the right half of my face and my gray shoulder. I really had to lean just to get that much in the shot.)

Dave has survived a 4th-grade field trip to the Kalamazoo Air Zoo, turned 35, and hit a really good stride with teaching Colossians to our Sunday school class.

We've also secured tickets for both Croatia and Colorado and are trying to grasp how quickly the summer is coming, while feeling like these last 2 weeks of school will never end. Ever.

Oh, and I just got an email saying we didn't get the house. Whew! It was too cheap not to try, but it was kind of a fixer-upper.

In Grandpa and Grandma's garden

Easter Sunday

Making the right kind of friends

Trail ride. Yee haw!

Ready to roll

Look Right!

Recent fun:

We acquired a piano from some friends who are moving. It's not in perfect tune, but the kids are already showing signs of prodigy, and I'm reliving my high school days when I played the piano instead of having friends. Ah, memories. :)



We recently walked to Family Fare for ice cream (instead of patronizing the nearby Country Sundae or Ice Cream Ally, who charge as much for a kid's cone as the grocery store does for a quart--easy decision). When we arrived, Rolland, as usual, jumped right into the firetruck cart while Opal rode in the stroller. About 3 minutes into the store, Opal started having a huge melt down for no apparent reason...until I realized she was doing everything in her baby power to get near that firetruck. As soon as I moved her, she was a happy as Spot the Fire Dog, and I enjoyed a moment of "This is exactly why I wanted kids!!!" They were so unbelievably cute in there together. The picture doesn't do justice.



Though Opal's actual birthday was on a Friday, we celebrated with G&G Sterken on Sunday after church. Here's the first look at her new Playmobile bus.



My parents came to visit for a fun-packed week that happened to land on Carol's birthday. Here we are at Meijer Gardens, just before we went to see the butterflies. Rolland was disappointed that they didn't land on the outstretched arm of a 3-year-old boy. I have new respect for the intelligence of insects. Nonetheless, we'll all wear sequins next time.



Lastly, in reference to the post title, when you're driving this Spring, don't forget to watch for bikers. I got "bonked" last night while riding with an empty trailer (Praise the Lord!!!). I'm bruised and sore, but fine. But, please pray for Ryan, the kid that hit me. I have no doubt he'll be the world's safest driver for the rest of the summer, but I hope he can let God use this jarring experience as an opportunity to draw him closer to Him.

20,000 Words

We've Sprung!

Today was Spring in West Michigan. We were in the 70s, and everyone was happy, and windows were open, and you could hear laughter ringing from playground to playground across the burbs. I'm going to not check the weather forecast and just assume it'll be like this till June, when it tops out at 75, unless we've planned a trip to the beach and we'd like it just a touch warmer for swimming.

Seventy degrees...and only 2 more full months of school. Pray for Dave as the kids start to get that Spring Break itch.

In other news:

Rolland's cute moment this week: I told him we were going to have his "best friend" over for a playdate, and when I mentioned that this friend's little sister was coming, too, Rolland said, "Oh good. She's my best-friend-in-law."

And Miss Opal is officially walking while holding fingers. She used to plant her feet and bow her belly forward till we gave up and let her drop to her knees, but now she really seems to catch the thrill of being vertical. I'm not expecting her to make any great strides (he he) before Friday, but it's a step in the right direction (he he).

Purim Sameach!

I know this would've been a little more timely last night, but I didn't think of it until this afternoon.

Nonetheless, this evening begins Purim, the Jewish holiday that celebrates the story of Esther. Jews often dress up for it (in costumes, not ball gowns), and one of the things they do to celebrate is read (or act out) the story of Esther and cheer and boo raucously at the mention of Mordechai and Hamon. They make noisemakers (we shook a tupperware filled with popcorn kernels), and write Hamon's name on the bottom of their shoes with chalk and stomp to blot out his name.

I found a kid-friendly version of the story that leaves out the bits about genocide and the questionable beauty pageant, though we still managed to make Rolland cry with our first unexpected outburst against Hamon. Oops.

Another fun tradition is Hamentashen, cookies filled with your choice of delicious centers. (I haven't made this exact recipe, but with 2 sticks of butter, what can go wrong?)

Purim goes till tomorrow night (plus one extra day in walled cities--I'm not sure how many of you that applies to), so you can still celebrate God's saving His people (yet again) so that Jesus could be born through them to save the world!

Purim Sameach!

Teeth

Rolland had his first dental experience on Monday! It went very well. Justine was great, and Dr. Lubbers was kind. Rolland kept his mouth wide open the whole time and probably remembers nothing except how to spell S-H-A-R-K. Why?



Ah yes, the secret weapon of a family dentist: The Great Distracter of Children. I kind of wish he'd been a little more conscious of the experience, but maybe this will give him a foundation of positive associations with the dentist.

Teeth-wise, he's great. No cavities--not even a "cavity bud," which was a new term for me. And for those who wonder, he chose strawberry.

On a related note, Dave thinks Opal has a tooth coming in. I say maybe...

Things I Wish I Knew

How can I share the hope of Jesus with a dying world if I can't even answer a three-year-old's honest theological question: "How many nipples does God have?"

Tidbits

Opal not only bounced non-stop during story time at the library today, but she clapped along! That was the first time I'd seen her clap. And this evening when Dave said, "Okay, it's time to put the trains away!" she crawled right over to the box and started dropping tracks in, one by one. Very impressive. Later I told her, "Opal, put the horse down," (a command she's known how to obey for a couple weeks now) and she whacked me in the face with it. She's already a selective little genius.

After supper when we announced that we were doing baths tonight, Rolland affirmed, "I could use a bath!" And during the bath, when his duck had to take a timeout in the sink for splashing water out of the tub, he declared, "The sink is no place for a duck!"

As for Dave, he is presently grading papers while listening to the opening night of Founder's Week. He could use your prayers as he tackles the final project for his masters program. He tries to find quiet places to work on Saturday mornings, and it's kind of a challenge. Last week he was distracted by all the scanning and beeping at the library, and this weekend he went to a coffee shop which was fine, except for (I am not making this up) the ukelele jam session around lunch time.

I found out recently that one of our new neighbors is originally from South Africa, and her husband is half Chinese and half Indian. So, I'm pretty much forcing my friendship on her. I didn't realize I was so desperate for some international interaction. And she makes and sells decorated cookies. Could it get any better?!?

Hair cut

Thirteen inches later:

Pronounciation

Yesterday Rolland pronounced the word “orange” correctly. I almost cried. Not tears of joy or pride, but of wistfulness. My little boy no longer says “or-jin,” “yo-grit” (yogurt), or “o-me-o” (oatmeal). Sigh.

Fortunately, as a Bible-focused family we have a ready source of difficult words. Words like Thessalonians, Achaia, and Eutychus. (Can you tell I’m studying Acts?) And, fortunately, numbers still present an amusing challenge. Not only can Rolland not pronounce “thirteen” (He says: “th-th-th-fourteen!”), but his counting from 10 to 20 goes something like this:

Ten, eleven, fourteen, nineteen, eleventeen, twelve, fourteen, TWENTY!

Yep, some numbers make the list twice, and eleventeen is always included with gusto. Why do kids never say “twelveteen”?

Testosterone

Dave and I started reading the book Wild Things a couple weeks ago. It's about parenting boys, and when we began it all seemed so theoretical to me. But it's funny--within the past week Rolland has entered a new phase of his boyhood, and suddenly I'm a lot more motivated to read the book.

Used to be on snowy, blowy days we could find plenty to keep us amused inside all day long. Last Tuesday Rolland had so much energy to burn that I sent him outside alone while Opal and I watched from behind the (closed) slider while he shoveled the lawn and abandoned his soaking wet gloves.

Used to be going to a restaurant was a fun family experience during which Rolland would quietly observe his surroundings while Dave and I encouraged him to try exotic food. Last night Rolland refused to stay in his seat until we threatened punishment, asked questions like, "IS THIS MY RESTAURANT VOICE?" and greeted our waiter with, "Hey, guy!"

I should've known this was coming. I think it typically happens sooner. We never experienced anything approaching "terrible" during his entire 2-year-old year--and this certainly isn't terrible. In fact, it's most often hilarious. He's getting to be such a smart little stinker. But I'm finding that an increase in his energy demands an increase in mine. I guess that's what happens, though. You pass Level One, the tetriminos start falling faster, and you've got to keep up. God, be our strength!

December 2008

December 2009

December 2010

December 2011

Rolland Says

Rolland has two teachers at BSF (the weekly Bible study that I go to--I highly recommend it if you can find one in your area) Their names are Mrs. Grifhorst and Mrs. Wizwary. Dave still doesn't believe me and makes Hogwarts jokes when I talk about them. But Rolland likes them, and that's what matters. In fact, I had this conversation with him just last Wednesday at lunch:

Rolland: We're doing a good job staying seated!
Me: Oh? Who tells you to "stay seated"?
Rolland: Mrs. Grifhorst.
Me: Ah, she's very nice. Do you like her?
Rolland: I LOVE Mrs. Grifhorst...(thoughtful pause)...but usually horses don't come to class.

So, I'll be sure to emphasize that last "t" in her name from now on. I wonder what he thinks a Grif Horse is. Similar to a unicorn?

Speaking of lunchtime conversations, we had one today. Well, it was more of an "incident" than a conversation. He gets (and I am not proud of this) candy when he goes pee-pee in the potty. He did so today and looked forward to his half of a mini Snickers bar for lunch dessert. Soup gone, I gave him the chocolate and left the table to work in the kitchen. He was quiet for a long time--probably 10 minutes--when all of a sudden he burst into tears.

Me: Rolland! What's wrong?
Rolland: (sobbing) I didn't want to swallow!

Kid knows how to savor. Dave says he's "such a first child." The kind that turns candy canes into weapons. En garde!

Last one. This evening Dave and I were having a conversation about Tim Tebow, whom we admire. Rolland wanted to join in so, like any mom, I immediately explained that Tebow does nice things for people because he wants to be like Jesus (and don't you want to be like Jesus, too, my son?). Somehow this reminded him of a cartoon where a shepherd saves a sheep. We must've told him that the shepherd was like Jesus, because before I knew it he was asking why the shepherd had to buy football tickets for people. Sigh.

In other news, here are some photos I took for Rolland's passport app. You're not supposed to smile! Boo.

And a fun snack we made today.
Snowflake tortillas!

What We Did Saturday Night

When I think back to what I used to do on Saturday nights, I wonder why I wasted my time. Getting dressed, going out, and staying up late don't hold a candle to getting comfortable, trying a new recipe, and hanging out with the fam. Ahh, I feel relaxed just thinking about it.

Last night we had Poutine, a Canadian dish layering fries, cheese, and gravy. Here's the recipe I used: Poutine. The gravy was great. I think I'll cheat on the 'taters next time. Our house still smells like fried.

Then we turned on the game, but we don't like commercials, so Dave did a little surfing, and what should be on but...The Lawrence Welk Show!!! So, the Sterken family sat around the TV on a Saturday night and enjoyed a variety of singing, dancing, and big band entertainment. Rolland's favorites were the accordion and the saxophone. I enjoyed the 70s eye make up, the pink leisure suits, the soft focus on the close up camera shots, etc. But my highlight was when I asked, "Rolland, would you like to learn to tap dance?" and he said, "Yes." Hooray! All my dreams are coming true!

After that good time, Opal's night took a turn for the awesome when we gave baths. No matter where she is or what she's doing, when Opal hears the bathtub faucet turn on, she immediately bursts into tears and starts crawl-lunging toward the bathroom at top speed. She continues crying and flailing desperately until we manage to fight her clothes off and get her in the tub, at which point she switches instantly to laughing, splashing, and stealing all of Rolland's bath crayons. (You can see her going for them in the picture, following).

Unfortunately, Dave's night didn't end as he'd hoped when the Lions managed to "snatch defeat from the jaws of victory" (thanks for the line, Dad) and we ended up going to bed after 11:00 pm, (thanks for the late games, Eastern Standard Timezone--boo).

But, still, it was way better than back when we were "young and free." I mean, what beats this?:

Cousin Concert

Look out Grand Ole Opry. (Zooey is holding a microphone. Rolland is on the air ukulele, I guess.)

New Years Resolution

Resolution: Become the kind of person who posts Christmas pictures before January 1. (Who am I kidding? That will require an act of God, not my own resolve.)

Nonetheless, this was our Christmas 2011:

Early Christmas with Grandpa and Grandma Sterken

Flying to Colorado


Rolland did great with both Zooey and Jack.

Zooey turned 4 while we were there!


Good thing we left Michigan to find some snow.

Happy Hanukkah! (We only celebrated the 2nd night.)

Our best group pic. Sigh.

Fun with chores.

This is the closest we got to a hike...or the mountains.

On our way to the Christmas Day service. Dave was pumped!

My favorite family picture of the year.