What Kindergarten Looks Like

Prepare to be bombarded by pictures of an adorable boy. I cannot express too strongly how much I'm enjoying being teacher to another 5 year old. And this 5 year old is simply a joy to be with...

Our mornings often begin in this way...Ju is the big boy amongst littles when we take big sister and brother to school. While his age mates enter their classroom, he swings and plays superheroes with younger friends. Then it's off to our morning ritual- buy milk and stop by the coffee shop for a cookie- what a way to start the day!

Coming home- we get out our books and settle down at the table. Some math, some phonics, working through the alphabet in handwriting...all while mommy straightens and cleans. This doesn't take long, and he's flying...

He finished his first (primer) math book and is on to the next. As this was pretty basic material and gave lots of practice pages, he was able to use the same book big brother used. Well done, Ju! One thing I love about laying the educational foundation at home is that we can go at his pace, spending time on thoroughly understanding things and moving on from things that are easily comprehended.

Sometimes, school days look like this. We pack up and head to the park, find a shady spot to work...

...then head out on a paddle boat for a spin and a card game on the water.

One thing we really love about the area where we live now is that we can ride our bikes down to a little food market, and we go there for lunch several times a week, uno cards in hand to play while we wait for our food...

lime shake-mmm!

If there's one word that encapsulates our days this year, I would say it's freedom. I'm free to teach Julian at his own pace. We're free to cover the basics and then enjoy the wonderful world around us. We're also free to do other things when life intervenes, believing that all of life is learning and experience and play are primary teachers at this age. I'm grateful for this gift of time with him, watching him unlock the mysteries of the written word, discover how numbers work together, and growing in relationship with him. What a privilege.

enjoying his freedom- taken when out with Daddy getting our intern settled in her new apartment...this yummy beverage was consumed, and then the inevitable tummy ache ensued!

Recent Favorites

Sometimes pictures really are worth thousands of words. Especially in the midst of family life, when the days are so full and pass so quickly, there's such beauty in looking back at moments and savoring where you are in the journey. In that spirit, here are a few favorites that tell some of our story from these recent weeks...

We live near the King's park again, much to everyone's delight. Tim took this picture on a run one evening, and it captures its beauty well. I'm not overstating the case when I say that I love this park- so many good memories for us here.

The bigger kids just acquired bikes. Because of apartment living, Asa had never learned to ride a big bike. So what did he do when he sat astride his own for the first time? Took right off and began to ride! Way to go, buddy!

The school recently had a 'caps for cure' day- wear a hat to school, give a donation toward research for a cancer cure (please, Lord- quickly!) Asa wore his Papa's WWII tanker hat, and gave his class a history lesson to boot. We sure are proud of our Papa.

Celebrating this fellow's birthday- I am so privileged to walk through life with such an amazing person.

Tim found this graffiti in the city. We'd been wondering what Emmy was up to on her late night excursions!

A moment (let's be honest, a rare moment) of brotherly bonding...

A little fun at school drop off with one of Ju's buddies- they love to be super heroes together.

"Mommy, will you help me make a mustache?"..."and a goatee, like Daddy!"

And finally, a little sample of Asa's sparring in taekwando- I think he looks like a Lego man in his sparring gear- so cute! (and fierce, of course...)

What Middle School Looks Like

The big new transition in our family this year is the one to middle school...we have a sixth grader! She's a young sixth grader, and she remains full of imagination and play and love for her dolls and stuffed animals. She is full of exuberance and lives life to the full. Here's a bit of what middle school looks like, thus far...

new bike! fun to live in a place where we can ride bikes again

 

Middle school looks like...new opportunities. The opportunity has come to put down the piano books (finally, she would say!), and take up an instrument of choice. She's chosen to take a strings class and play the cello, much to our delight. Of course, in our minds we already have her playing in a quartet and helping to lead worship; little by little, we'll see where this goes.  We're so very thankful she has the opportunity to learn such a beautiful instrument in the course of her school days. She's also taking a photography class after school and has a small 'extra' part in the school's performance of Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night'. Not to mention the constant drawing that goes on. It appears that we have an emerging artist...

 

Middle school looks like...quite a bit more homework! She juggles many classes and their varied assignments now, and many afternoons can find her at her new desk, earbuds in, working through her assignment book. There have been occasional tears and feeling overwhelmed, but again, little by little, she's growing into this next stage. She enjoys changing classes, having a locker, and the fun of multiple teachers. Thai language instruction has really ramped up at school this year, and she is SO excited to be learning to read and write! Mid-quarter progress report was stellar; we're so proud of our sweet Em and her diligence and love for learning.

Middle school looks like...becoming an even more amazing big sister by venturing into 'brother-sitting' territory! Just last night, for the very first time, we left Emmy with a phone and the responsibility to finish dinner, wash the dishes (I was later told that they divided this labor), read to the boys and help them to bed...while we walked 3 minutes down the street for foot massages (perk of living in Thailand). We were gone for about an hour and a half, and came home to everything in order and boys sound asleep- well done! Everyone reported that it was a great experience, and I speak for the adults in saying it was a momentous occasion for us. Although by no means is it time for us to head out across town for date night, we think these occasional small steps, while we're safely close by and reachable but also a little bit away, can begin to build self confidence and strengthen sibling bonds.

What it comes down to,  I think, is that in the midst of all these changes, our Em is still our Em. Sometimes we look ahead and fear different stages, forgetting that, in the midst of all the changes, we're the same people walking through them, and our same faithful God goes ahead of us. It's a privilege to walk alongside this precious girl as she's growing, just as it was a privilege to hold her in my arms as a newborn, walk with her as a toddler, and love her through her elementary years. I love seeing the way she continues to be a good friend, attracting people of many personalities and cultures around her as friends. I love seeing the way she continues to be a loving sister and daughter, playing with her brothers, loving family dinners, and hoping every night that there will be time for me to lie down and read to her. These characteristics are enduring ones, and as we walk through the days and years to come I know that our faithful God will continue to grow Emmy into the young lady He has planned for her to be.

All About Asa

We've had a couple of birthdays around here. It's so much fun that my Asa was due on my birthday, and now our special days are just a week apart. I was in Phuket on my big day (how often can you say that?:), more on that later; for now let's talk about just how special is this boy who just turned eight in our family...

A second grader, our Asa approaches life with energy and anticipation. He continues in taekwando, this year moving into sparring, and I think it satisfies some of the warrior need in him.  He's happiest with a soccer ball at his feet, Legos in hand, or curled up with a good book (or on Lego club or Minecraft during his much anticipated "electronics time"...). We just went for a checkup and he is tall- still off the charts for his age. Combined with the fact that he is one of the oldest in his grade, and he goes to school with mostly Asian friends, he tends to tower a bit among his peers. He has a sensitive heart, and is always the first to mourn the ending of time with people; I always count on him needing extra encouragement and time when guests have departed or we have separated in some way from loved ones. I've always called him my "prince of a boy", and I believe he truly does have a princely heart and God is doing great things with his life.

For his birthday, we began with our traditional cake in bed (this time a doughnut, as the oven was broken...)

"we're so thankful God gave us you"

sharing

We did cupcakes with his class, then his dinner request (chicken pot pie) and gifts...

brother is all anticipation to see what he'll think

mutual delight

with treats from sibling goody bag

 The following Saturday we took friends to the water park...

swim caps required!

...then brought this crew home for movie, pizza and sleepover. 

Whew, was this boy ever celebrated! From chubby, happy baby to lanky, happy 8 year old, Asa has been a delight and a gift for whom we thank God every day.

Transition

Boy, was I surprised this time at how difficult transition was. There's the sheer physicality of adjusting to the vastly different geographical location (I wonder if our bodies were not really designed to hurtle across the world at hundreds of miles an hour, judging from the physical toll it takes), but also the emotional task of wrapping one's head around leaving one place and adjusting to another. I never think that will be hard, as we very much know the lay of the land here now and are quite at home, yet it always is. When we've been in Thailand 2 or 3 years, I somehow forget the differences between this home and the other one; when we return from a time in the U.S., the differences again seem vast. The environment, the driving, the heat...it all just makes one want to go to bed. But when in bed, one can't sleep properly, so it's really quite trying to the soul. Over a week into regular nights of sleep, now, however, the world looks like a brighter place.

pre-departure, with pretty grandmothers at the airport

School has been in session for almost two weeks, and both Em and Asa have had good days. There's always some level of hope and disappointment surrounding teachers and classmates, but we try to remind ourselves that God knows our needs, and everyone adjusts; new relationships are made while the old are still treasured. Emmy has been very excited and a wee bit nervous about the advent of middle school...it's quite a step. (As an aside- she's such an amazingly beautiful middle schooler!) So far, so good. She loves to share every minute detail about her day, much to my delight. When asked about his day in second grade, Asa will say, "I can't really remember. I scored a goal in soccer at recess!" So at least we know the important things are happening.

off to school...well, two of them

As for Ju, he is along for the ride with his crazy teacher mama, and my plan has been to begin kindergarten when I am on a bit more solid ground. In a burst of energy on Friday, however, I spontaneously got out a few books and Julian acted like I'd taken him to an amusement park, so enthusiastic was he. He proceeded to do the first 8 lessons of his math book (!) (his first book is primer level so it is very basic at the beginning), along with some phonics, reading and handwriting. And we were still all finished at 10 and free to go out for errands and noodles for lunch- such is the beauty of kindergarten at home. So, with little fanfare, we're on our way.  I think we're going to have a good time.

 

 

We also had a special gift to help ease our transition...our dear friend cousins, the Watts, came through to see us last weekend, and we had a grand time, as always. We celebrated their boys' birthdays and just all thoroughly enjoyed one another. So very thankful for these beloved ones!

Summer

There have been several occasions this summer that I've thought of chronicling here in this space. I've been kept from it by simple logistics (the computer in constant use by Tim, working on details for worship in Bangkok, or en route to the many places stateside that we have visited, sharing about our work across the world), but also by the enormity of what this time has been. Constant activity, daily rummaging through suitcases for clothing, work and play and time with loved ones jumbled together in a blur that has left us feeling loved and grateful, dazed and tired. Throw in Ju's strep throat and my bizarre pinkeye plague; we would be very happy to never see the inside of an urgent care facility again. Our families and friends have made space for us in their lives and their homes in ways that are exceedingly generous, and we are so grateful. Our experiences have been too many to attempt to document in their entirety; I'll just throw in a few pictures as I ramble.

We stopped over in Seoul, Korea, for a few days en route to the U.S.- was a respite and a great deal of fun to explore a new place together...

We rented a little apartment on Air B&B- a perfect triplicate bunk for our perfect trifecta!

A tremendous treat- visiting the army base house where Tim lived when he was Ju's age

And just a few from Georgia...

Best cousin friends- leaving this will be difficult

We celebrated a very special 11th birthday while here!

birthday morning- with drawings/cards from adoring brothers

a weekend at Berry with these beautiful friends- joy, joy...kudos to Brea for her beautiful photography

camping at Cloudland Canyon- gorgeous scenery and wonderful company

Yurt! My new favorite way to camp.

We depart on Thursday morning for Bangkok, leaving home to go home. The children have mixed hearts, excited to return to life, friends, school, bedrooms and playthings, church, home...yet, as Ju says, "I also LOVE it here!" I, too, am emotionally divided. It will be good to enter again into routine, to put away our clothing, to cook and work and worship and do all of the things we're called to do in the everyday...and yet these coming days will mean seeing tears well in our parents' eyes as we say goodbye, travel that seems never ending, jet lag that will stop us in our tracks for a few days, and immediately jumping into life- worship and school and everything else are waiting for us and will begin almost immediately, ready or not.

That old familiar, quiet feeling, the subtle anxiety of transition, is beginning. We're packing ridiculous amounts of 'stuff' and wondering if we're excessive (hauling three beautiful grandfather-made lamps AND an ice cream maker across the world!?); I aspire to be minimalist, but the details of life as a mobile family often seem to muddle that aspiration! With or without the ice cream maker, we'll board an airplane midday on Thursday and begin the next phase of our journey, the next chapter of life in which Grace City will grow, Emmy will enter middle school, Asa second grade, and Julian the kindergarten scholar will learn to read and 'rithmetic in earnest. Here's to new chapters and to God's faithfulness in all of life's journeys.