Screaming Angels

It's September.

Yeah.

A little over a month left, give or take some days/weeks (babies... you can't plan these things, you know), until we are officially outnumbered.  By that I mean that the parent-child ratio in this house, currently even, will be out of "our" favor and "they" will have the advantage.

There's a line in a Jack Johnson song that always makes me smile:

She can make angels
I've seen it with my own eyes
You got to be careful when you you've got good love
'cause them angels will just keep on multiplying

They may not really be angels, but they're certainly multiplying.

I was telling my Mom yesterday that I'm finally to a point of not feeling so overwhelmed at the very idea of another baby in this house.  I'm actually... a little excited.  This is monumental, my friends, and it has taken a while (and prayer and peace from God) to get here.  I think the biggest thing is that Evan is finally doing better with all his "stuff" and is much less needy.  He reliably sleeps through the night, takes regular naps and is in a good and predictable routine.  His digestive problems are about 90% better (yay!) and it's not such a struggle to feed him anymore.  And... he's generally happy!  For his entire first year, it seems like he was either sleeping or crying.  He just fussed so much and needed me so much. And now.... now he goes off and plays.  He laughs, plays, gets goofy and wound-up, explores everything quite enthusiastically, and generally seems to enjoy life.  This is a very good thing, and quite a relief for me.  He's not quite walking yet, and I'm so ready for him to walk, but he's getting there.

He loves to stand and practices that at every opportunity, but taking actual steps is just a little too scary.  He will walk holding my finger, and with me not even really supporting him, but he doesn't have the confidence to do it on his own.  I once heard a story about a mother who gave her kid a clothespin to hold and he walked off just fine, not knowing it wasn't Mommy's finger he was holding.

Evan wants to do everything that Jonah does, and by that I mean everything.  And of course, Evan's chaos is just too much for Jonah's Limited World Order. 

Challenges ensue. 

And screaming.  Lots of screaming.

This lifting-crane project was particularly frustrating (and amusing).  Jonah lifted the blocks up, and Evan threw them down.  Jonah threw a fit, tossed Evan on the couch, from which Evan climbed down, and round they went again.

I've been doing a light version of school with Jonah lately.  I just can't quite start doing a full "school time" every day because I have to balance it with the garden and harvest work that must also be done right now.  But we're getting into a good routine, and theoretically, we can just add to it as time allows.  Right now, we have breakfast, then Mommy gets time to check email and facebook, and then it's chore time.  We try to spend 30-45 minutes on general clean-up and daily chores before we get to do school (as the "reward", see?).  Jonah is getting to be a better helper all the time.  I do not have a set chore schedule or anything, since it's just him helping me, but rather I assess what needs doing and we work together until it's done.  When Evan takes a morning nap, we get out the school books.  We always start with Bible, then I let him choose from math, phonics or writing, and he only does as much as is not fatiguing for him.  At some point during the day, whether in the morning school time, or later during afternoon quiet time, we read something together, either our current read-aloud, or some history or science books.  After school time, I get going on whatever garden things are calling me.  It's not much as far as school goes, but it works for now.  I know that as soon as the baby is born, it will all go to pot, but I'm really enjoying the routine for the brief time I get it.

"Brief time."  Ack!