A Few Words on the Kids

For those of you keeping up with Charlie and Madeline, here's a few updates. Charlie is now learning how to spell. He is getting bored with reading at school and his teacher says he reads everything she gives him, so now she is giving him spelling "tests." They aren't really tests in Kindergarten, but they are just between the two of them. He brings the lists home and we practice, then he takes the "test" at school. His first one was 100%! He is so excited about his little sister coming and he loves to feel my belly. His eyes get so big and it makes my heart leap for joy. He is learning how to help me with things like putting the grocery bags from the turnstile to the cart at Wal-Mart, helping Madeline put toothpaste on her toothbrush, and feed the dog. I tell him these are things I will need help with when Caroline comes. He is growing up so fast before my eyes and sometimes, I wonder where he comes up with the things he says. He asked Dave the other day if when we go to the hospital to have Caroline, would he and Madeline go too, or would we leave him at home to take care of her? He loves playing games on the computer and he actually plays baby dolls with Madeline. And then he turns to his cars and superheroes in the very next breath! His prayers are always for me and Caroline and Dad, our retired church secretary and the new one, our friend who is having a baby, and "all the things You've given us." He is becoming quite the little man!

We had Madeline's teacher conference today and she is also doing well. She is learning her numbers and more of her letters even though she only goes two half days a week. She doesn't recognize number 9, and when she counts to 20, she skips 12. Speaking of skipping, she has learned how somehow, and it is the cutest thing you've ever seen. Even the teacher said it was so cute and that we should record it because normally they don't learn that skill this early. But she'll stop and lift a leg a few times until she gets the coordination and then she takes off. It's hilarious!! She, too is very excited about Caroline's arrival, although I'm not sure she's really ready for the changes it will bring. She is still very attached to me and likes to sleep in our bed. We co-sleep, so Caroline will have first dibs. It may be an adjustment. You should hear her prayers. She is very "OCD" about her prayers. Ever since I first got pregnant and was so sick, she has always had to pray for "mom to feel better with the baby." And then she has to pray for "dad to go to work, help the people don't know the words." (We talk about how Dad helps people who don't know Jesus.) So even when she is at school and they pray before eating, she has to say, "we didn't pray for my Mommy!" Too sweet! She also has to pray for the kitty we saw at Ms. Debbie's parent's house that got caught in the garage door as they closed it. The kitty is fine and has been for weeks, but we have to still pray for "the kitty with the back of it's head." Out of the mouths of babes!!

Caroline is doing well. She is still moving, jumping, rolling, shaking and everything else you can imagine. Sometimes I can't even stand up straight! I can't believe with such little room, she can still make my belly roll and jiggle the way it does! She is still so high and therefore taking my breath away, but I still love to feel her move. It seems at this point I get a tad more uncomfortable each day and become a little more okay with the idea of her coming early. She probably won't, but I can't imagine 2 more weeks of this either! Oh, well, she is on God's timing! We go back to the doctor on Thursday.