I Sleep in Sheets

I sleep in sheets.

Every night I curl up under cool, cozy, silky-soft sheets and drift off to sleep to the accompaniment of kicks, punches, and rolls randomly distending my abdomen.

Half the world doesn't even know what sheets are.

Or care.

They are starving to death while I curl up in my sheets at night.

They are fighting for their very lives against disease, malnutrition, starvation, and political oppression.

I know this "moment" of mine isn't profound (and even perhaps a little laughable for those of you who've arrived at this place years ago or dedicated your life to eradicating such injustices), but it's definitely caused me to feel a great sense of gratitude for what I have and humility for what others do without on a daily basis.

It puts me in mind of two hymns sung in our church; one about gratitude and the other about allowing that gratitude to spill over and touch someone else's life for the better:

I think I'll start a daily gratitude journal so as never to lose this urgent feeling of needing to reach out past my own insignificant problems to help others who are far less fortunate than I.

First entry: sheets.

Bits and Pieces of April

We love tapping into Pandora's "Crazy Frog" station and having techno dance parties in the living room.  Karsten was already worn out after a few songs, so he was taking a self-initiated reading break here while his brothers continued to boogie down on the dance floor.

Here are some of the things that went on this month.  Probably not in order, but I don't think it makes any difference with these particular pictures.  We have basically hunkered down at home to await the arrival of our new little guy and photos of daily living just don't need to be orderly, right?!

Playing in mom and dad's bed with cars seems to be one of Pip's favorite things to do.  The big boys are only too happy to oblige.

Dad and the boys played Pick and Draw (or "Faces," as the boys call it).

Karsten became an elephant and discovered a clover.  :)

Karsten helped Mommy make breakfast one morning.

Karsten painted his face with sunbutter and apple slices.

Karsten discovered a new play perch.

Karsten's head grew.  ;)

Soren and Karsten rocked out on the Bagel stage with their Tinker Toy microphones (courtesy of Soren's construction genius).

Mom and Dad celebrated their 9th anniversary at Cirque du Soleil's Totem production that was performed at the Del Mar fairgrounds.

Dan thought it looked like he had a black eye, thus ... the next picture ....

I love it.

Incidentally, I discovered something in the making of this post.  You know how they say that you get fewer and fewer pictures of each consecutive child until there is almost no record of the formative years of your last?  Yeah, that must not be the case with me.  Clearly I have a thing for cute little toddlers with big heads.  :)  Really, though, my big boys aren't changing as much as my little guy is (or as fast), so I tend to get fewer pictures of them as they repeat the same routine over and over each day.  Boo on me.  I've just acquired a new goal.

ABC's

Karsten is absolutely cracking us up these days with his new-found independence and the constant flexing of his individuality.  His latest love that has us all grinning from ear to ear every day is writing his ABC's, and, along with that, climbing up on the school table to do so.  He is quickly learning his colors because of his close association with markers, highlighters, colored pencils, crayons, and pens of all types. He's also quite proud of his pages and pages of scribbles that he claims are "ABC's."

To be honest, the kid is something of a wonder in his writing techniques - the way he holds his pencil and his attention to tiny details (you can see it in some of the following pictures where he'll really hunker down close to the paper to draw something tiny).  He loves to demand that mommy come and "see yit!" whenever he writes something.  And he all-too-happily tells me stories about the things he's drawing: "Bug. Ew."; "Moon, Mommy, see yit!"; "Peerot (parrot). Ha! Peerot."

While he's perched on the school table, he never misses an opportunity to sharpen pencils.  It's great because I don't have to anymore; I'm much obliged, little man.  He'll sometimes put a pencil in and leave it there, slightly above the blade, motor running, while he returns to his writing.  Because I'm really good at tuning out background noise, it'll take me a while to realize there's been a constant buzzing and run to the rescue of the laboring motor.  But, he's usually good about putting them in and taking them out and not pushing down too hard.

Man alive, I love this kid.  He is such a hoot every. single. day.  At a time when I'm keenly feeling the drudgery of every day (I hate the 8th month, people), it's the prospect of seeing what he learns next that makes me even the slightest bit excited to get up in the mornings.

I LOVE this picture.  Love. It.  They were giving each other a high five.  They are such good buddies!