Ian's latest job

Remember this show from the 70's?



And remember these guys?



This is the modern day update as reported by USA Today.


Yep, that's Ian's work outfit. I wonder what casual Fridays will look like.

Clarice

Come down and play

We recently moved Jackson to a "big boy bed". We thought it would be wise to make the crib available for Bright Flower significantly in advance of when she needed it so that Jackson wouldn't have issues about his sister invading his space. We actually set it up the bed about two weeks in advance of when we intended to start using it. We wanted him to get used to seeing it in his room. Plus, it gave us two weeks to talk up how since he had his happy birthday he was now a "big boy" and should have a big boy bed. It turns out we didn't need to talk it up. He was dying to sleep in his new bed (somehow he knew it was for him the day we set it up).


Moving him to a "big boy" bed (with no restraints to getting out independently) meant some changes in our nighttime routine. We used to sit on the floor with him in one of our laps after his bath and pajama change and read him a book. Then we would have him turn on the hall light and turn off his room light and we would hold him for his nighttime prayers before putting him in his crib. The new bed changed all that. We realized that he needed some time in his bed before turning the lights out. So now, after changing into pajamas, we turn on a dim bedside light, have him climb into his bed himself and read him his bedtime story while he sits in his bed. It was Ian's idea to have him then kneel on the side of his bed for nighttime prayers before turning off the lights and tucking him back into bed. As soon as the lights are out, we remind him of the "sleeping rules" - stay in your bed, close your eyes, be quiet, and go to sleep. We especially remind him of the need to stay in his bed. When we first switched to the toddler bed, we had decided on a three strikes and you're out policy. If he comes out, we quickly return him to his bed. But if he comes out a third time, he goes back to his "baby" bed. We've only had to return him to his crib twice. Now he gets the idea after one warning.

So we were so surprised a few days ago when, after reading his book, he pointed to the floor and said "come down and play". He was actually bold enough to start moving to the side of the bed before we reminded him of the sleeping rules. The next night, he tried again, "come down and play, daddy, come down and play, mommy". Again, we sternly reminded him of the sleeping rules and kept to our routine. It happened again last night. This time Ian was only half-way through his bedtime book when Jackson closed it and said "All done. Come down and play." He pointed to the floor and started moving to the side of the bed. We reminded him that he was supposed to stay in his bed and he said, "I wanna play. Play." Then he put his hands together and said "Dear Got." We finally realized that he wasn't asking to come down and play. He was asking to come down and pray. Warmed the cockles of our hearts. Now we just have to hope that Jackson grows out of his Chinese accent before he hits public school.

Clarice

Oh Jesus!

A couple of months ago, Jackson and I were driving home and I heard him exclaim, "Oh Jesus!" I wasn't sure what he was trying to communicate. He said it so explosively I was kind of wondering if he had heard someone else using the Lord's name in vain and was just copying them. I asked him why he said "Oh Jesus," but he really didn't have a cogent explanation for me.

Then a few days later, we were driving home again and I heard him shout it again. "Oh! Jesus! Jesus!" This time I looked back to see him gazing out the window and pointing. I personally didn't see any hint of Jesus, but I remembered hearing that little children sometimes had a heightened spiritual awareness. I started wondering if my boy had been seeing visions of the risen Christ that I was missing out on because of my jaded sensibilities. That led to dreaming of what kind of prophetic gifts Jackson might have that would impact the world. So I thought I would be like Mary, mother of Jesus, and "treasure up all these things and ponder them in my heart." When we got home, I told Ian what had happened, that twice we had been driving and Jackson shouted out "Oh Jesus!" He had a bemused look on his face and said that it had happened when he was driving with Jackson also. Then he asked me if it occurred on San Vicente just past Wilshire. Why, yes, that's exactly where we were both times it occurred. Hmm, we both wondered.

A few days later, I came home after Ian had picked up Jackson. He had a huge grin on his face. He told me that he had figured out why Jackson had been shouting out about Jesus. It turns out there is a statue on the side of the street that neither of us had noticed. And to be quite honest, the statue looks quite a bit like the Jesus we see in the Bible picture books that we have been reading to Jackson at night.


Apparently, even a green man with a beard and longish hair can pass for Jesus in toddler world.

Clarice

New Haircut

Jackson's hair has been really, really slow to grow. He didn't have his first haircut until he was 14 months old. And that was just two little snips of the bilateral locks that were making him look a little bit like a Hassidic Jew (except for the part where he doesn't look Jewish at all). The next two haircuts were spaced 5 months apart and only took place because the hair on the back of his head would be nappy and tangled in the morning when he woke up. So for the past month, we'd been contemplating doing the Chinese thing. In China, they crop the hair of the little kiddies (even the little girls) so that they're cooler in the summer, but also to stimulate new hair growth. And some midwesterners we know follow the Farmer's Almanac to determine periods of time when haircuts will also accelerate new hair growth (hey there, Bob and Lis!!).

It turned out to be an easy haircut. We just got out the clippers, put in the number 3 guard and buzzed away. Of course, I did the pediatric dentist "tell-show-do" thing. I told him about the clippers. I showed him how tickly it was on his arm. And then I did it. And of course, we planned other distractions. He was sitting on his potty chair in front of a mirror, set up with his favorite book set (from great-Aunt Linda, thank you!!). He still cried most of the time I was cutting. It's all documented on miniDV, courtesy of his documentarian daddy. But when I was all done, he agreed with me that he looked very "han-sum".

Nesting

I had heard about nesting when I was pregnant with Jackson. One website I visited defines it as "an uncontrollable urge to clean one's house brought on by a desire to prepare a nest for the new baby, to tie up loose ends of old projects and to organize your world". I don't recall experiencing that at all when I was pregnant with Jackson. But then again, I was focusing on tying up loose ends at work so that I could be home for 3 months.

But Monday, the nesting instinct hit hard. I had brought home lots of work to do once Jackson fell asleep, since Ian was working that night. I had grades to enter for last quarter, a new quarter to plan for, a homework assignment for a class I'm taking. But none of that mattered that night. We had bought a new "big boy bed" for Jackson and I was bound and determined to rearrange his room to accommodate the new bed. As soon as we got home, I spent an hour sweeping and dusting his room. Then I threw together a not-too-nutritious but quick meal for us, bathed him, and tried to get him to join me in rearranging his furniture (not too successful). I was so determined to finish the task that night that I kept working after his lights out, using the dim glow of the hallway light to illuminate my work. He managed to fall asleep an hour later than normal as I worked around him. And finally, after four hours of toil, I was satisfied.

It was a rather alarming feeling. I really couldn't think of anything else but finishing up his room. Nothing could deter me...not dinner or even his bedtime. Whatever I've read about nesting indicates that it's an instinct. And, wow, what a powerful one. At least by Tuesday, I finally felt ready to return to my required work....although I never finished that homework assignment.

Anyone else have any crazy nesting stories?

Clarice

Boogers

We are realizing that we can track Jackson's developmental milestones (and social awareness) through his response to boogers.

For his first year and a half of life, he was pretty clueless about the presence of nasal emissions of any sort. Case in point, this video clip from when he was 17 months old:



Then around 20 months of age, he suddenly became aware of his boogers...especially the runnier variety. If he sneezed out an abundance of snot, he would cry. But he wouldn't do anything about it. Well, that's not true. Occasionally, he'd unintentionally smear it all over his hands and face. Or he would burrow into our shoulders, leaving some interesting remnants on our clothing (the mark of parenthood...at least it's not spitup any more).

Then around the 22 month mark, he started showing some initiative at taking care of snot, at least. If he sneezed, he would say "Iwan kleenex. Iwan tissue. Iwan blow de nose." And we'd know to help him wipe off the offending fluid.

Now at 25 months, he's officially entered into familiar toddler realm. He can clearly discern between the wet stuff and the dry stuff. The other day, as we were driving, I noticed a prolonged break in his normal commentary about the same sights we see every day on the way home. He was clearly concentrating on something. Then he piped up from his carseat in back, "Mommy, look! A booger!" He held out his finger for me to see (you wouldn't believe how large some of these things can get, coming from such small individuals). I asked him if he needed a tissue and started scrounging around the car for a scrap of paper while trying to navigate the streets of Beverly Hills. Then I heard his triumphal declaration, "I eat it!!" Sure enough, his finger was clean as a whistle. Well, I guess that's better than having it inadvertently wiped on me.

Clarice

Easter in the Holy Land

I recently got hired on a movie that was shooting in Jordan. That's right, the middle east. When I realized I was going to be away from home for Easter, my initial thought was "how inconvenient."

That's until I realized that Jordan is home to many locations in the Holy Land. The Israelites traveled from Egypt to the Promised Land through Jordan. Jesus was baptized in Jordan.

Suddenly, the reality of spending Easter in the Holy Land hit me. How cool is that?! And even better, there were a handful of Christ-followers on the crew and "lo and behold"an ancient Olive grove just below our hotel in Petra.

So, five of us had an awesome church experience reading through the four Gospel accounts of Easter and marveling at God's work throughout history. Where two or more are gathered in His Name, God the Holy Spirit is there with us. It was a really awesome experience.

God is good. All the time. He is risen indeed!
Ian

P.S. Check back soon for a picture of us in the Olive grove.