Family planning

I recently read an article bemoaning bloggers who share too much private information, during the course of which the author actually quoted some of the private information he would rather not have known, as examples of course, but none-the-less proliferating the TMI! If you'd rather not know details about our family plans (and by that, I mean, the process of adding one or more babies to the family), then stop reading. (Side note--I just re-read this sentence after finishing this post, and it sounds much more graphic than I intended. I will not, in fact, be discussing "the process" of making babies. This post is really about adoption. =)

There, you've been warned.

Chris and I talked yesterday. We have both come to the conclusion that we are content with five children, and also content with the idea of more children. This begs the question, "What now?" People in a contented state usually don't try to change that state, so without discontent, how will we move forward?

We discussed another pregnancy. My poor body has had about all I care to take. I get so tired when I'm pregnant that I can't look after the other children the way I want to. Chris, being an employed student, really can't take up the slack at home when I'm sleeping 14 hours a day building a baby (or two.) It's only nine months, but I am NOT content with the idea of another pregnancy at this time in my life.

We discussed adoption. Everyone wants a baby to adopt, and with good reason. If you've read child-rearing books, like the one I'm currently reading, "Bringing Up Boys" by James Dobson, you'll know that the first few years of life really do allow the parents to set up a child in behavioral patterns. James Dobson suggests that a boy desperately needs his father in the picture at the early age of three, as he separates himself from his mother in his toddler years and begins to learn what it means to be a man. (I have actually seen David, 2, doing this!)

However, Chris doesn't want to place through an adoption agency to adopt a baby when we can make our own. He said if someone we know needs adoptive parents and chooses us, he'll certainly adopt. He's actually open to adopting older children sometime down the road. I'm content with that decision, too. The Bible teaches us to care for orphans and widows, and adoption is certainly one way to do that.

I told God one time last year that if He provided another vehicle for us (that has more seats), we'll take that as a sign to have more children. =) I love Gideonizing.

So far, no car.

I'm still content. Honestly. The Christian who rests in the intimacy of fellowship with God can really rest. What a wonderful Lord we have.

A great vacation in blustering St. Louis

Do you love free stuff? I do! Free admission to the Zoo. Free admission to the Science Center. Reciprocal admission to the Magic House (with membership to the Children's Museum of Memphis). Free playplace at CooperElla Cafe (coffeeshop). We drove four hours north to St. Louis for five days of crazy fun with the kids, and most of our days were spent on free, albeit cold, activities.

The high on Thursday was 7. That's seven. I've NEVER lived a day that cold in my life. Bundling up myself is certainly a daunting task, but dressing and bundling five kids and myself before one of them starts undressing can intimidate even the most determined mother.

We went to the Zoo on Wednesday. It was 20 degrees outside. Fortunately, because Missouri is technically the "North," they built many of their exhibits indoors. We ran from building to building to see bears, penguins, giraffes, ostriches, kangaroos and baby wallabies, tiger cubs, primates (but not apes), and reptiles. The kids handled snake skins, crococidle skins and skulls, and a rattle from a rattlesnake. Tobias and Tyler even crawled up to the spider monkeys and played hand games with them through the glass.

Isn't it wonderful to hear your kids laugh?

Because we were the ONLY idiots brave enough to face the freeze, our kids had the freedom to run and scream and play without interfering with others. Chris and I relaxed and enjoyed their thrill.

We went to the Magic House on Tuesday and Friday. We still didn't explore the whole thing! My favorite room, "A little bit of magic," allowed all of our children to play without our immediate supervision. Both entrances were guarded by employees so they couldn't wander off. They played in sand, in water, on slides, on stairs, with balls and bells, with rubberband shapes, with baby toys, and with a strange PVC-and-rubber-flip-flop musical instrument.

Of course, the rest of the Magic House, designed for children of all ages, kept them entertained as well, with an entire floor dedicated to a mini-village complete with grocery store, electric company, post office, pond and river (through which you could watch your fish swim back to the pond), pizza parlor, library (with real books!), and bank (where kids can learn to write a check--what's that?!) They had Once Upon a Child, a room full of fairy tale play. Believe me, we had to drag them out of there! They had an awesome musical instrument made out of a wooden ramp, down which the kids could roll a ball. As it dropped from step to step, it hit hidden xylophones and rang out the tune of Ode to Joy. The thing spanned an entire wall!

We love the Magic House. The four-hour drive was worth it for that alone. Admission is not free, but we have a membership to the Children's Museum of Memphis, and they accepted that membership on a reciprocal basis.

The Science House has dinosaurs on exhibit this season, but we spent so much time in the construction zone (building an Arch, of all things!) and the Discovery Room (specifically for youngsters) that we didn't have time to see the Dinosaurs. Sad times. We intended to go back on Friday afternoon, but when we saw snow set in, we determined it would be best to begin our drive home. The Science Center has free admission, but the Discovery Room, IMAX, and Planetarium, of course, cost extra. They also accept the Children's Museum reciprocal membership.

I won't review the restaurants here because I don't want to bore you, but I will tell you to steer clear of ZuZu's Handmade Mexican Restaurant--canned nacho cheese dip and canned black beans only begin to describe why.

We stayed at the Cheshire Lodge on Clayton Rd. in a huge suite that fit our family perfectly. It had an English feel with ornate decorations and a 10-foot-tall grizzly bear, which held David's attention every morning during our continental breakfast. Frankly, this hotel is known to be a romantic getaway... but it was fun for our family, too.

One last thing we did--we visited an indoor water park, as it's called. The kids really enjoyed the Richmond Heights Community Center (which is a fitness facility strangely adjacent to the library), but the water was really, really cold. So cold, in fact, that the kids started to complain and shiver, so we left after an hour. This was NOT free, so I was not happy about it. But in the locker room here is where I learned from a native St. Louisian (?) that it hadn't been this cold in St. Louis for ten years.

Brrrr.

But lots of fun. I'm glad we were able to go.

Sleeping in

Would you believe that my dear, sweet husband can claim that he changed the last dirty diaper of 2008 AND the first dirty diaper of 2009? I imagine that will come up many times throughout this year. Maybe I should start keeping up with how many dirty diapers I change all together. That would make quite a math problem.

Saja has been creating word problems for quite some time now, but yesterday, Kora looked at a group of buttons on the van and piped up, "Momma, two plus two equals four!" If all my kids are this easy to teach, I will not be intimidated about homeschooling.

To homeschool or not to homeschool... I like my life now. All my kids, all the time (except for weekly babysitting--thank you, Julia and Megan!) We spend about 20 minutes per child doing a form of reading lessons and math lessons. I had a much bigger plan (see post in September), but with the holiday obligations, my educational time has diminished quite a bit. But they love to learn. It's rewarding and fulfilling to teach them. God hasn't led us one way or the other, but I like things the way they are now.

Yesterday, Tobias called me, "Mama." So sweet. Kora called me, "Doo-doo head." She didn't know it was naughty. She really thought I told her that was my name. She called a random number on my phone. Chris answered, but she thought it was "the other Chris." So I took the phone and said, "This is Dorothy!" She said, "Doo-doo head?" Chris lost it in laughter.

Late at night, I lose it in laughter so much more easily than normal. Last night, New Year's Eve, I found myself downright silly and giggly. I like to laugh. I'd rather be silly and giggly than pretentious or angry. I wish I could be a kid again so I wouldn't have to act like a grown-up.

Now I need coffee. I know I'll read this in a month and wonder what I thought I was saying. Some of our most inspirational thoughts come the moment before we drop off to sleep, not just after we've awakened!

Happy New Year!