So, did you know that #3 is on the way???
Apologies if word hasn’t made it to you yet. We just started telling folks Tuesday night. Look for a new category on this site in late January or early February!
preschool pronunciation
Brian calls clementines “lemon-todds”
Opera Day
Peter is reading a bedtime story for the kids – and he’s singing the whole thing. They are all laughing hysterically.
caring
As Brian was napping, Marie tucked his Lullaby Peter Rabbit and his Beanie Whale under his arm to snuggle with. So sweet.
robot
Hey Uncle Billy,
Did you know that Marie named her minisapiens Teacup?
Graduation
Today was the big day, Marie graduated from preschool! They had a nice program where they sang some songs and then came up one by one to receive their diplomas. Then we went to their classrooms to pick up goodies and see the teachers, and then to the fellowship hall for cake and lemonade. We took video of the whole thing and maybe will be able to share snippets later. And, below is Marie’s diploma!
“!http://hessekids.com/images/10t.jpg (Marie’s Preschool Diploma)!”:http://hessekids.com/images/10.jpg
(click to enlarge)
Some good advice
To Marie and Brian,
Someday you will probably be old enough to read the archives of this website. And I hope you do, and it brings some smiles to your face.
Today I ran across a link of a person’s “message to their 3 year old son”:http://zenhabits.net/2008/05/a-letter-to-my-son-on-starting-out-in-life/. It is a nice note, and I hope to write my own similar message to both of you someday. For the meantime, allow me to quote a bit of that one:
bq. Live your life by the rule of love. Love your spouse, your children, your parents, your friends, with all of your heart. Give to them what they need, and show them not cruelty nor disapproval nor coldness nor disappointment, but only love. Open your soul to them.
Love not only your loved ones, but your neighbors … your coworkers … strangers … your brothers and sisters in humanity. Offer anyone you meet a smile, a kind word, a kind gesture, a helping hand.
Love not only neighbors and strangers … but your enemy. The person who is cruelest to you, who has been unkind to you … love him. He is a tortured soul, and most in need of your love.
And most of all, love yourself. While others may criticize you, learn not to be so hard on yourself, to think that you’re ugly or dumb or unworthy of love … but to think instead that you are a wonderful human being, worthy of happiness and love … and learn to love yourself for who you are.
I don’t like his last paragraph, so let me add my own:
Your mother and I love you, always have, and always will. Our love for you started the day the thoughts of you first entered our minds, and will continue beyond the day you enter the gates of heaven. We will always be with you and there for you, and our love will always guide, protect, and nurture you. You can never be too lost, too afraid, too strong, too proud, too big, or too small to experience our love.
A fun video
notextile.
Grace
The second grace Brian said at dinner tonight went something like this:
Dear God,
Thank you for making blue because I love blue. I really really love blue in all the colors. You’re welcome. Amen.
Moth
Brian and I found a moth in the mulch next to the sidewalk going into church this morning. It was barely fluttering, so we got a box top and gently put it in there. Then we brought it down to the preschool to see if they wanted the kids to look at it. They all asked Brian where we found it, and he was so proud to tell the story, and made sure we took it to Marie’s class for her to see, too. The kids (and the teachers) were impressed. It was bigger than my hand and really pretty. I was impressed, too! We made the rounds of the 5 classes and then brought it outside and left it where we found it.
The teachers thought it was a luna moth, but it was brown not green, and it didn’t have long tails on its wings so I think it’s a polyphemus moth. “Look here”:http://whatsthatbug.com/saturnid_moths.html for a picture.