Sleeping

One and a half weeks ago I decided it was time she fall asleep on her own.  At almost 11 months old now, she's still sleeping in our room and I had been nursing her to sleep every night and during the night when she'd wake up.  We are tired! 

I'd attempted cry it out a couple times before, but wasn't consistent or it wasn't working for us.  (We did it with Elinore at 6 months, it was a breeze and she's a great sleeper usually!)

October 19, that evening, we began.  And we committed to being consistent about it!  10 days in and we have been.  She lays down awake and doesn't cry!  And we've slept through the night more in the last two weeks than we have in a long time!  Woo hoo!  It's not every night, but more nights we slept than didn't.  On those nights we didn't get up with her, I did hear her a couple times she'd cry or fuss a little, but she'd go back to sleep before we'd moved from bed. 

Next step will be transitioning her to the big girl room with Elinore.  This I'm even more nervous about.  What if they're both awake in the middle of the night!?  How do I get them both to fall asleep!?  I'm sure we'll get a routine and be fine.  What that looks like though; I don't know. 

She's mastered blowing kisses the last couple weeks too.  And it's super cute.

Kisses

I saw Ruth give a kiss to Keith last night for the first time.  She's learning!

Then, even more awesome than that; at bedtime, Ruth always comes in to tell Elinore good night.  Then Ruth and I leave the room together and we've been waving lately to tell her goodnight, one more time.  But last night, she blew kisses!  It was so adorable.  These two girls get frustrated with each other, but they sure do love each other too. 

Clapping

Ruth's been waving for a little while now, but last night I saw her clap for the first time!  Clap, clap, clap!

Deuteronomy

As I read through Deuteronomy; I took my usual academic style notes of what happened, but I wrote more too on the opposite page of my notebook.  These are those notes:

• The young don't know right from wrong.  - I'm was refreshed to read that God sees it this way as we do as  humans too.
• Why aren't other nation's God's people?  - Promise to Abraham.  I came back to this a lot during this book.
• Thank you for Jesus!
• He will be testing us?  Even with people close to us. - Be strong in the Lord.
• Remember you were slaves in Egypt.
• People will hear of death to remove evil/sin & will be afraid. - Fear the Lord.  Old testament view of fear I think.  Also commands respect.
• Old Testament - Punish, fear God
• New Testament - Love, follow Jesus
• 1 John 4:18 - "Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear.  If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment and this shows that we have not fully experience his perfect love."
• How do you prove virginity?
• With the glasses of Jesus on and looking at our world today; do we still have foreigners?  Or is everyone our neighbor in Christ?  Immigrants are our foreigners; how many generations before they aren't foreigners?  Immigrants are foreigners and should be welcomed and treated well.
• Obey what was written in Leviticus.
• Reading the old testament makes me remember I'm grateful for Jesus!
• Our minds are human & can't really understand.
• He promises to bring them back to the promised land after they scatter.  This screams HOPE to me!
• Can you imagine not having the written Bible & only listening to the text every 7 years?
• Be strong & brave.

Deuteronomy

Last week I finished reading the book of Deuteronomy, and now I continue on my goal of reading the Bible cover to cover.  As I read through this book, I found myself not only taking my usual notes as a more academic study, but also jotting down some of my personal thoughts, reflections and questions as well.  This reading the Bible, it's working.  It's causing me to think deeper, rely on Him more, and want to follow him.  I'm looking forward to getting into Joshua next!

• They grew in numbers, so much Moses needed help to manage, so he appointed other wise and experienced as leaders.
• Sent spies to the land to review it.  The land was good, but people large. 
• They feared & wouldn't enter, so God was angry they didn't rust him to provide the way.  They don't get to enter; only their children who were young and didn't know right from wrong will enter with Caleb.
• They continued to travel, following God's directions through the land.
• God gave them the power to defeat areas and people killing all, saving livestock and valuables for themselves.
• The land is divided among tribes.
• "Do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God will fight for you."
• Moses could see the land, but not enter it.
• Joshua was to take them to the promised land.
• Remember & obey the 10 commandments.
• Three cities of safety were selected.  This is where you go if you accidentally kill someone. 
• Remember these rules, teach them, obey them for God has given you a great land with many benefits.
• Love the Lord.
• God will provide for his people; they will defeat those in their land now and must obey his commandments. 
• Remember to obey the Lord in the land of plenty; we cannot live on bread alone.
• God corrects as a parent does a child.
• God goes before you into the land/battle not because you are good, but because of His promise.
• Remember all the times the people made God angry and Moses prayed for you to save you.
• Remember.
• Moses goes and gets new stone tables.
• Do what the Lord wants you to do; don't be stubborn.
• Help orphans, widows & foreigners.
• Love the Lord, Obey his commands.
• Remember your children didn't see everything God did to remove you from Egypt.
• Obey God's commands & He will provide for you through your land.
• Remember God's word; teach your children.
• Choose a blessing or curse depending on ability to follow God's commands.
• God commanded the prior occupants of the land worship and ritual items must be destroyed. 
• God will guide you to a place of worship in the land & guide on offerings & eating of the meat.
• God will test us with people to lead our worship away; they are to be killed.
• Punishment for sin is DEATH!
• Destroy cities who worship others, burn them & everything in it as a burnt offering.
• Rules for eating: can't eat something already dead but can give it to a foreigner to eat.
• Give 1/10th of your crop.
• 7th year cancels all debt.
• There will always be poor, give freely.
• Let slaves go after 6 years & give to them.
• First born male animals are for God.
• God chooses the place he is to be worksheet.
• Directions of how to celebrate the Passover, Feast of Weeks, Feast of Shelters,.
• Appoint judges in the land to rule fairly and not be bribed. 
• Idols will not be tolerated, those found worshipping idols with 2-3 witnesses are to be stoned to death.
• Difficult cases to the judge should be taken to the priests/Levites then their orders followed exactly. 
• Appoint a King of God's choosing: must be an Israelite, not too many horses, not go to Egypt for more, not many wives, not too much silver or gold and must keep scrolls, read daily and follow commands. 
• Israelites will provide shares for Priests/Levites because they have no land of their own; only God.
• Don't fall to foreigners ways.
• God hates mediums, magic & witchcraft.
• List to the prophets.
• Family of murder victim has a duty to punish the murderer.
• Establish 3 cities of safety in the middle of the land.  Those who by accident kill are safe there.
• Snow no mercy, remove the guilt of murder.
• Do not move the stone that marks the land.
• Must have 2-3 witnesses to accuse someone.
• Show no mercy, an eye for an eye.
• The Lord goes before you into battle.
• Must remove everything from the cities you take over.
• Officers talk to army and decide who may go home.
• Do not destroy fruit trees; they are your enemy, but food.
• Town nearest a murdered person takes and gives blessing.
• When over taking a city you may take a captive woman as a wife.
• Everything goes tot he oldest son; even if Dad doesn't like son's mom.  This son proved he could be a father.
• Sons refusing to obey should be taken to the older leaders and stoned.
• When punishment/consequences are carried out, other would hear about and feat the Lord.
• When sin is punished by death, the body is hung from a tree for the day to be seen.
• Hold on to the items lose & care for them until they're returned.
• Help others.
• Wear only your gender's clothes.
• Laws about house building, planting, plowing & clothes.
• Get rid of evil from Israel.
• Marriage laws defined including adultery, divorce, etc.
• Who may come before the Lord.
• How to keep camp clean, what to do with poop/dung.
• Do not mistreat escaped slaves.
• No prostitution & no money from it.
• Don't collect interest on loans to fellow Israelites, only foreigners. 
• Keep your promises.
• Divorce & marriage laws.
• Kill kidnappers.
• Lap repayment & collection laws.
• Pay your servants.
• To each their own sin only.
• Leave grain/food for foreigners, orphans and widows in the field.  Pick only once for you.
• If no sons, widows marry brother-in-laws.
• Give the first of the harvest to the Lord.
• These of this book: obey, keep the commands.
• Write the laws on stone before entering the land.
• Curse on the land.
• Obey & you will be blessed.
• Disobedience = curses
• Keep the agreement with God.
• The Israelites will return back after they've left.  God will show mercy & bring them back again.
• Choose life; you can do it!  Love & obey!
• Joshua becomes leader in place of aging Moses who can't enter the promised land.
• Moses write the teachings to be read to the people every 7 years.
• Joshua - be strong & brave; God goes with you.
• Moses song - Tells the Israelites story & power of God.
• Moses told to climb a mountain, look at Canaan & there he will die.
• Moses gave the Israelites by tribe a blessing before he died. 
• Moses died so he couldn't enter the promised land as God said. He was still strong.
• The Israelites mourned Moses for 30 days.
• Joshua was filled with wisdom to lead.

The Unwritten Rules of Friendship: Simple Strategies to Help Your Child Make Friends

Caden and Caleb are awesome kids with great, unique personalities.  As many kids do, they struggled with some social situations though.  They each had their own segments they struggled in.  For awhile we approached it as a they will learn and grow out of it, it's part of childhood.  But we decided that was a silly approach when we could help them now!  In the long run, they very well may have learned and caught on and been adults, but parents hate to see their kids struggle as kids, us included.  So we did a little Google research and found this book recommendation.  Amazon sent it our way, and I've now read it cover to cover. 

The book offers an introductory section followed by a section on different types of children.  Not that they're stereotyping children, but that there are several behaviors that fit together into different descriptions lumped together in chapters that address those concerns.  Sine of the chapters are:

• The Vulnerable Child
• The Intimidating Child
• The Short Fused Child
• The Little Adult
• The Sensitive Soul
• The Different Drummer
• The Born Leader

I saw characteristics of my boys in several different chapters.  I don't necessarily agree with everything in the text, but awareness of issues was presented for me, and awareness of things I still need to teach my children.

I want me children to be unique and be themselves, but I also need them to be able to navigate socially and through society in a manner that allows successful interactions for all parties.  I want to help them.

There are things Keith and I still need to teach them.  Even if when we choose to go against the norm, we need to know what the norm is and why we're doing it.  Keith even read a chapter or two that I suggested to review. 

I felt better knowing there are other kids out there like mine.  And picking up a few things I can teach the kids.  I'm keeping the book handy for a little while to refer to as things come up to help teach. 

Booger

Elinore just picked her nose and got a booger. She asked me if she could feed it to the dog.

Ruth - 10 Months

Photos...or not.

Sometimes I get in a funk and quit taking photos.  And I usually notice it after awhile, and I usually regret it, but I still fail to remember.  There are still plenty of photos I'm sure, more than in decades past with technology, but at the end of the year, when I try to put together next year's calendar I'm always a little sad at the months when I've slacked or there are kids missing from the photos because of activities or time or just wrong place at the time. 

Just know kids, regardless of the number of photos, you are so very loved, equally.