Jael | January - April 2015

Jael is almost done with her first official year of school! She learned to read this year (sometime in November-December) and is reading short readers every school day now. She picks up on phonics very quickly, although penmanship can be more of a struggle. She loves our history and science every school day and right now we have finished our textbook, so she gets to pick picture books to read each day. Next week we are going to tour her new school (North Star) for the first time and see if we can get her signed up for a couple classes next fall.


Jael spends more of her time keeping busy with her brother and acting out various imagined stories. (The current theme right now is an 'maginary dragon who directs all their play) She loves to play outside by the chicken coop whenever it is warm, but duplos keep she and Judah busy in the house as well. Jael also creates a multitude of exciting creations out of paper on a daily basis and there is usually bits of paper all over the dining room floor as a result. She is very giving and draws all kinds of cards, books, and pictures for her family.


Jael is a manager and tends to run play time, although Judah isn't necessarily accepting of all her ideas and conflict can ensue. But generally they get along well. Jael is very affectionate and loves to hug Daddy goodbye every morning. She is a lot more independent than her brother and is content to play alone for hours. She is still shy in public and very intense, taking it to heart when small trials happen.


So far, Jael leaves Liev to Mommy and Daddy, but she is a very helpful big sister and regularly fetches diapers or the bouncer or holds Liev for a minute while I do something. Although she isn't quite confident or interested in holding him or interacting with him yet, she likes to mimic Mama's baby care with her dollies.


And Jael just starting asking about a baby sister. Not sure what to say about that! ;)


Misc quotes:
January 13:
A little too much theology at breakfast and my brain hurts.  "Only God knows when we will die, right? Do angels die? If all the people on the earth died, would angels live here? If an angel's wing got cut off, would God heal it? Are there angels in our house?" Etc etc.


January 15:
Jael complained today, "Why do we have to stay with Grandma when the baby comes? Why can't we go with? I want to see how it happens!"


January 15:
I turned off the radio today after rolling my eyes at Mark Gungor and his relationship "expertise". (Quote of the day: "Women adore tilling the garden of their relationship, sowing it, watering it, watching it flourish. Men don't like working on their relationships. It's just how they are.") Jael asked why I turned it off and I told her I didn't want to listen to that guy talking. She wanted to know why. "Well, he doesn't say smart things!" Jael nodded and repeated wisely to Judah: "That guy is not bad, but he does not know what he is saying and they aren't good things." haha.


January 27:
Me, figuring out what to wear for an appointment: "I hope this still fits..."
Jael, cheerfully: "It's ok, Mommy, I saw you wear that before when you were fat. It will work!"


February 9:
Apparently I need to add a lesson in subtlety to the lesson about "smoking is very bad"....after Jael walked past a man smoking in the mall parking lot today and went into a fake paroxysm of coughing and gagging and "Something smells HORRIBLE!"


February 12:
I was explaining to Jael that I don't like barbies because they don't look like real people (she has a couple of them passed on to her from her cousin, but I didn't want to buy more). She shook her head vehemently and said, "No, Mommy, they DO look real. They make some that look like you! I saw one and it was very pretty!"
Kind of nice to hear when you feel as huge as a whale. haha. Sweet girl, I guess the whole body image thing is over her head right now.


February 22:
Jael: "Now Daddy, I have lots of friends. But mostly I have boy friends. Elianah is my only girl friend."
Jeff: "Oh? Who are your boy friends?"
Jael: "Ummmm. I don't want to tell you."
Jeff: "Well. This isn't starting well."

March 28:
Liev was fussy this evening, so I was pacing with him in the hallway....when I looked down to see Jael pacing beside me, very seriously patting her doll and murmuring to it.


April 2:
Car rides with my kids.
Jael: "Why are you going slow? That sign says 30!"
Judah: "Can I have a larry-pop at Twader Joe's? Larry-pops are galicious!"
Jael: "Mommy, Judah says heaven is boring. But he doesn't know because HE'S NEVER BEEN THERE!"
Judah: "Is God as big as the world? Or as big as....a tree?"
Liev: *stares wide eyed at his siblings*