A Dozen (Years)

Today we give thanks for Peregrine, remembering the twelve years we have traveled this earth with him. I always enjoy looking through photos of the kids through the years and thought it would be fun to gather up pictures from all of his birthdays. 

I labored long and hard to bring this little one to the light. His birth was agonizing and beautiful. We were so thankful for the gift of him!

One

We decided early on that we would have a costume birthday party for him every year. It's been a fun tradition. He was a monkey for his first birthday. We all remember it as the first time he got so mad that he held his breath and passed out. Looking back, this totally made sense in the grand scheme of his personality! I made him a pumpkin cake and we let him smash it. 

Two
This was his "Patuanan"... that was how he said Happy Birthday at the time he turned two.

Three
We had just moved to an new house. He was a knight, there was a baby sister by this time, and he had Thomas the Tank Engine on his cake. 

Four

He was an astronaut and Poppy was a star princess. We had a moon piñata.

Five
A brave knight ready to defend his sister.

Six
By this time, Raphael had been born, and apparently it was the end of elaborate, handmade costumes! A simple knight cape did the trick!

Seven
A police detective, two outlaws on the run, and a fairy, of course. Because every police detective should have the assistance of a fairy.

Eight.... aaaaargh, matey!
The legendary Pie-rate party, complete with pie contest, in which he took control of the entire party and showed that he had what it takes to diplomatically command an audience. It was remarkable. 

Nine
Some sort of soldier this year... thrift store costume that he was thrilled with! 

Ten
We celebrated his tenth birthday with my aunt and uncle in California, who made a very special party for him, and then with more family in Baja, Mexico. We had just sold our home and hit the road in our travel trailer. It was the beginning of a grand adventure that lasted over a year. I think this was the only birthday that we didn't dress up.

Eleven
We were at the end of a 2 ½ month road trip around the US and had stayed the night in our trailer in the parking lot of Cracker Barrel in Flagstaff, Arizona. It was cold. We surprised Peregrine by taking the kids in to eat breakfast in the Cracker Barrel restaurant. Pearl has since referred to the parfait Peregrine had that morning as a "barfait", and we like to laugh about that. Later in the day we made sushi, went swimming, and parked our gypsy wagon near the railroad tracks on a cold, desert night. I remember Peregrine having a very, very happy day. We celebrated with family a few weeks later when we were back in Oregon. This was the beginning of the Doctor Who Era.

Twelve
He had a whole Dr. Who costume, but I failed to get a picture of it. Here he was judging this year's contest, which has evolved to include other desserts. My Jammie Dodgers took second place for taste, quite the honor! 

It's hard to believe we've been around the sun twelve times with this boy. Being his mom has stretched me in ways I didn't know were possible. I  didn't know how much I could love, nor how I would find the strength to carry on when I am exhausted and discouraged. I continually throw myself on the promise of God, that when we ask for wisdom, He gives it freely. I'm thankful for the gift of Peregrine, for what he has taught me, for the intensity and passion he brings to life. I look forward to the next dozen years!

Keeping On

   Summer days go by all too quickly. I can hardly believe it's mid-August already. Here in Oregon, we're finally hitting the 90s and it actually feels like summer. I'm ignoring the back to school sales and telling myself that the few trees that are already turning are flukes. Those geese flying overhead must have it all wrong because, seriously, it feels like summer just started. Fall is my favorite season, but let's not rush into things. I want to linger in these summer days, watching the kids run in the sprinkler and eat popsicles on the deck. I want to see their bare legs and sun-kissed shoulders a little longer, and smell their grubby little heads after long hours of playing outside. 

    Here are a few updates to recent news from our home:

• The sale of our home fell through. We actually have now had two offers that have fallen through.  In the first situation the buyers just sort of disappeared, and in the second we were actually pending sale and ran into some issues and they pulled out. We were pretty disappointed but feel ourselves being buoyed up in great loving arms. We find it strange, and so does our realtor and everyone else, that we've had so many "close calls", but no sale. We know though that there is a bigger picture and we don't see the whole thing. So we wait, and try to keep our home reasonably clean and ready to show at an hour's notice. (Ha!) We are resigned to the fact that we will not be going to South America this fall. We're continuing to cross things off our lists and prepare to launch when the house sells, trusting that God will shed light on our path as we move forward.
• We've had a couple great weeks with Peregrine. I am so, so encouraged! There has been much more peace in our home as he has been more calm and able to cope with things. We have been blessed to find a couple different practitioners who have been helping us to balance some physical things in his body. One is Dr. John Green from The Evergreen Center in the Portland area. He specializes in working with kids on the autism spectrum and did a lot of lab work on Peregrine. We learned that he has very high mercury levels, a big zinc/copper imbalance, and that his adrenal glands are stressed, causing low cortisol levels. We've had him on a number of supplements to help bring him into better health. We've also taken him to a chiropractor and nutrition consultant who I believe is helping. (In fact, we were in an appointment with her when the news of the house came to us, and I thought that perhaps God was keeping us here a little longer because we need this woman's help right now.) The difference has been remarkable. A few days ago he ate something that sent him into sobbing, raging, inconsolable behavior for about 24 hours. I can't pinpoint what it was, but it sure made me glad that it's now the exception and not the norm! Hopefully we can figure out what the trigger is. Overall, I feel very encouraged and thankful. It feels like puzzle pieces are coming together and that God is giving us the answers we need to move forward in more peace and harmony. 

    Thanks to all who have been praying for our family. We feel so, so blessed at how much support and love we are continually shown by those who know us and even those who don't! 

Moving Forward, Looking Back: In Which We Come to Terms With Asperger Syndrome

Peregrine and I at Proxy Falls, 2004.

    As we walked the shady path to Proxy Falls the other day, my mind wandered back eight years ago to another day in that same place. Our only child scampered eagerly along, now running forward, now lingering to examine a hollow stump or clamber over a fallen log. Little Peregrine was only a year and a half, exceptionally verbal and promisingly bright. We noticed something that day, nothing extraordinary on its own, but for some reason I've never forgotten it. And knowing him as I do now, I can see a lot of his who he is in this event. 

    It was late spring and the forest was cool and damp. The path was cushioned with pine needles and there was a quiet stillness broken occasionally by the squawk of a bird or a cry of delight from our little boy. As we climbed the path we began to hear the low sound of the falls in the distance and Peregrine began to stay close by. Long before we reached the falls he clung to us, instinctively knowing there was something there and wanting the security of his mama's or daddy's arms. We, of course, were happy to oblige, and we held him close as long as he wanted us to.

    We saw a glimpse that day of the intensity that is Peregrine. I've often said that on a scale of one to ten, all of his feelings are between eight and twelve. Because he was our first child I feel it's taken me a lot longer to notice that many of his traits aren't typical. After many years of frustration and wondering what we were doing "wrong", we have finally come to realize that Peregrine has Asperger Syndrome. I kept thinking that if we continued to provide firm, loving boundaries that he would outgrow some of his more challenging behaviors. What I took for "strong willed" or stubborn I now know is part of his inflexible thinking and difficulty in making transitions. (In this case, making the transition from his expectations to the reality of a situation. This often puts him into pretty serious meltdown.) There are many other traits Peregrine has that are very typical of people with Asperger's.

 

    Although we'd considered the possibility, it's really only been in the last several months that we've accepted it as a reality. It explains so many things about Peregrine, about what makes him tick, and about how his mind works. (And it's really different than the way mine does!) I went through a difficult time of wrestling with this and even through a process of grief. It still feels hard to say. "Peregrine has Asperger Syndrome." I've thought often of writing about it, and I feel that for my own sake it's important that I record a little of our experience. My goal is to think of it not as a "disorder" but to use it as a tool for understanding him and helping him live to his fullest potential. I will not allow a "label", something that for years I was determined to avoid, to define who my son is. I make a point of thanking God for making him just the way he is, and I am trying to embrace the wonderful parts of Peregrine's personality while helping him to grow in other areas. 

    As we once again made the trek through the woods to Proxy Falls, the memory of that long ago day filled my mind. I sat on a log,  holding little Pearl and watching Raphael and Poppy play, while Erik and Peregrine hiked down to the base of the waterfall. Peregrine, still intense, but on this particular day, fearless, climbed across fallen logs and explored the creek. I wonder what the future holds for him, what challenges, but also what opportunities he will face due to his unique mind. I hold to God's promise to give us a hope and a future, and to His unfailing love for each of us. I trust that His plan is good, that His grace is sufficient, and that He holds us all in the palm of His hand. 

    I hope to share more about some of the challenges our family faces as part of Peregrine's Asperger's. I have been hesitant to write some of this for a couple of reasons. First, I am determined that my little space in the blogosphere be one of encouragement, not a complaining fest.  On the other hand, I'm committed to honesty, and have been encouraged to share my struggles. Second, I want to be very careful not to share things that would be embarrassing to my husband and children. I have come to realize though, that if one of them had cancer or some other sickness, I would have no problem writing about it. This is part of who Peregrine is, not by his choosing, and I don't want it to be something that remains hidden. Third, in speaking with a number of other moms I know, I've realized that many others have similar situations and there is a hesitancy to talk about it. I have some thoughts on why, and I don't think it's healthy. We need each other. Fourth, this plays a huge part in our family dynamic and in why we are making the choices we are. If I am to share honestly about our family life, it must include how this affects us all. 

    

Thankful: Peregrine

    Tonight I'm thankful for my oldest son, Peregrine. It's hard for me to believe he's nine. (Nine! As in, halfway to eighteen.) Peregrine is full of life; on a scale of one to ten, I think he lives between nine and twelve. He doesn't have any small feelings, and pours himself fully into whatever he's doing. (Or into wishing he wasn't doing the thing he has to be doing.) Life with him is never dull! I'm enjoying watching him learn and make connections about the world around him. I love that he can follow a recipe and likes to cook. He's a great reader, and is always surprising me with bits of knowledge he's picked up here and there. He loves to be in charge, and I just gave him the responsibility of "teaching" a preschool class to Raphael every morning. He's perfect for the job; he's been reading Raphael stories and then making crafts to go along with them! Raphael is loving it too, and it's keeping them occupied (constructively) so that I can clean the kitchen after breakfast. He's a big help around the house, actually lightening my load a fair bit. He's constantly creating things; if it's not with Legos, then it's with paper, tape, beads, wire, anything he can get his hands on. He loves to draw too, and lately has been making comic books. I'm so glad God gave me this intense, spirited boy! 

Thankful: November 4

    Today I'm thankful for growth. Not the kind marked by candles on a cake or measured by feet and inches, although we have our fair share of that going on around here. I'm glad today for the small encouragements I so need in this challenging journey called parenting. We celebrated Peregrine's ninth birthday this week, and there were small things I noticed, things that spoke to me of a maturing that is taking place. (And really, there are days that I'm not so sure it's happening at all!) He thanked everyone for coming to his party. He was truly excited about each of his few gifts, beaming with gratitude for things thoughtfully chosen by people who love him. He said thank you without being prompted or reminded. He ran over and hugged me, face glowing, after opening a gift from Erik and me. 

    My favorite part of a birthday party is the moment we sing; I've always loved watching their face in the glow of candlelight. Part of growing up is learning the sometimes painful lesson that it's not all about you. And then, for one magical moment, it kind of is all about you but in the best way, with so much love and happiness and thanksgiving for this life, all mixed up with memories and hopes and dreams. 

    Erik took this picture, and I love it. It captures Peregrine so well. Poppy wanted to make him a mask for his birthday, and he was thrilled with her gift. He added the silk cape and became a superhero. I love the joy and serenity on his face, absorbing the love that was so present in that moment. I love the crooked candles that Raphael put in the cake. And I love the boy who is growing, in more ways than up. 

Nine (A Birthday Letter to Peregrine)

   To my dear Peregrine boy,

   It was on a day very much like this one that we first met you nine years ago. From my hospital window I couldn't know how cold it was and could easily have been fooled by the brilliant sunshine illuminating trees ablaze with reds and golds. Inside I was warm and snug, focused only on the newborn boy in my arms. I could see the hustle of life outside and was incredulous that the world didn't stop with me to wonder at the miracle of new life. Didn't they know that today, a child had been born?

 

Newborn Peregrine, our little "Pip". 

    That is the nature of life; miracles do happen, and often, but we're too busy to notice. You, Peregrine, have helped me to stop and breathe in the wonder of the moment. You, for whom every feeling is big and intense, have helped me to learn to rejoice in the little things. I wonder what it is like to be you sometimes, to be so full, all the time, of big feelings, of strong desires, of stories and songs and imaginings. I hope that you never lose the ability to be completely filled with wonder at something that too often goes unnoticed.

    You are always creating something or another. You have, from the time you were small, been able to take whatever is around you and make it more somehow. You can take a simple meal and turn it into King Arthur's court, or Almanzo's dining room. A few articles of clothing and a hat can somehow morph into a whole story lit by the fires of your imagination. You take stacks of paper and turn them into comic books full of heroes and villains and inventions that I have a hard time keeping track of. You are learning the art of cooking, of taking food and making it into so much more than the sum of its parts. I can't seem to keep a roll of tape around as you transform paper into creations of all kinds. You know, I'm not one bit surprised that you are creative; you are, after all, made in the very image and likeness of The Creator. Never lose that spark.

    You've been very excited to turn nine, waiting and planning and counting the days. This morning, you sat on my lap and I put my arms around you and was surprised by how big you are. There's the makings of a man in there. I'm glad we have a few more years before we see him fully emerge, because boyhood is such a great time. Speaking of the coming years, you are so excited about our plans to travel. I admire the way you've been not only willing, but excited, to get rid of things and to live a simpler life. You seem to waver a bit between packrat and minimalist, but you really do seem happiest with less. I'm excited to see what this next year holds for us!

Nine! 

    I love you so much Peregrine. I know I don't always show it like I should, like I want to, and I'm humbled with how readily you forgive me. I'm so glad that God gave you to me and Daddy and made us a family on that cold and lovely fall day. Here's to many more seasons together!

    Love,
    Mama

The Gyspy (A Poem by Peregrine)

Here's a little poem Peregrine wrote this morning for school. We were looking at a painting and he thought this up on his own; I didn't ask him to do it. I helped him with a few lines. 

The Gypsy

by Peregrine (age 7)

The Gypsies come and the Gypsies go

Whether it rains or whether it snows.

And hardly anybody knows

What they have and what they know.

Then one day a Gypsy small

Came from his old wagon tall

Asking for a bit of food

And as I was in a pleasant mood

I gave him some of the family bread

Then with a thankful heart he said

“Thank you very, very much

For giving me this little lunch!”

He reached into his pouch of things

And from it he pulled a golden ring.

With joy he handed it to me

And it was a pleasure to see.

Away he went, the Gypsy small,

Off again to his wagon tall.

And as he left he waved goodbye

And there was a twinkle in his eye.

And that’s all I know of the Gypsy small

Who went away in his wagon tall

As all Gypsies come and all Gypsies go

Whether it rains or whether is snows.

Author’s Note: As a young poet it’s hard to think up morals for the poems and think up the poems themselves; it’s hard to do that too. (But it can still be fun!) This poem was based on one of the pictures in our school lessons. I’m going to keep on writing poems for a long time. (That is, mom’s going to type them, and I think them up.) Adios for now, Peregrine 

The Coming of the Pilgrims

This week in school we've been learning about the coming of the Pilgrims. One of the things I've been doing with Peregrine is having him do a short narration each week. Usually it's just a few sentences summarizing what we've been learning; he dictates it to me, I write it, and he copies it. This week I told him I would type it for him and he could do a longer one. So, without further ado, here is his story. (This kid amazes me. He even told me that Mayflower needed to be in "fancy" writing.)

The Coming of the Pilgrims

by Peregrine E. B. G.

The Pilgrims left England because they were not allowed to worship God in their own way. They went to Holland, but were not happy among the Dutch. So they left in the ship Mayflower and sailed to North America. Life was hard on the ship, but finally they got to Cape Cod. They decided to build a village called Plymouth Plantation. Building the village was hard work. They must build beams and poles to build their houses. First they all lived in one big house altogether, but then they started to make their own houses. That first winter in Plymouth was extremely harsh. Illness spread through the village like a wildfire. Nearly half the people died. But the next winter was not so harsh for they had built some more houses and had more stores because the Indians had showed them how to plant corn. Corn was their main food that winter. Their village grew and grew until the Indians became worried, for perhaps Plymouth was planning a raid. But they were not, for they had signed a peace treaty. They lived in peace for many years.

Picture by N.C. Wyeth

The Story of Helen, Who Loved Dolls

School has begun in our humble little home. Officially, Peregrine starts first grade this year, and Poppy, at 4 1/2, is my pre-schooler. One of the great things about learning at home is that we are not bound by those numbers, and the kids can learn at their own pace and, largely, learn about things they are interested in. We are doing a combination of a few different curriculum pieces, chosen carefully by Teacher-Mama, who put great thought and care into choosing things that suited our children, their interests, and our family. I've been mulling over, for some time, my teaching philosophy and will one of these days (or months) try to put it into words.

I am very drawn to and inspired by the work of Charlotte Mason, a British educator who lived, taught, and wrote over 100 years ago. The main history and geography curriculum I'm using with Peregrine uses some of her methods, and the language arts program I'm using is also based on her ideas. It tends to be extremely gentle, and instill in children a love of learning. Yesterday we simply looked at the above painting and talked about it. Today, I asked him to tell me a story based on what he sees in the painting. I typed as he dictated to me; since he reads well he watched and instructed me when I left out an exclamation mark, or if he wanted to change a sentence. This is his story. Enjoy!

By the way, does anyone know who did the painting?

THE STORY OF HELEN, WHO LOVED DOLLS, by Peregrine E. B. G.

Once upon a time there was a little girl named Helen. She had a doll with a blue dress and loved dolls. The house dog with a white chest and orange back legs, Collie, would follow her everywhere she went. One day some friends came to her house. She asked them to play dolls with her, but they said they were going to play freeze-tag. So she decided to play dolls with Collie. She put another of her dolls, Rosie, in front of Collie. Collie picked the doll up in her mouth and ran away with Rosie! Helen put down her blue doll and began to cry. She cried for half an hour there in the corner. Then, Collie came in without Rosie! Helen said “Bad dog! You should never go away with my doll like the way you did!”

Just then, her mother came in. “Why are you crying?” her mother asked. “Because Collie went away with my doll” Helen replied. Her mother said “Never mind. I know where your doll is; Collie ran off and hid it in the bushes.” “Oh, may I get it now?” Helen asked. “Not yet, Silly! It’s lunchtime! Look at the clock!” “Oh,” replied Helen. “You can get it after lunch,” her mother said.

So after lunch her friends said “We’ll play dolls with you now!” “Hurrah!” Helen cried, and jumped up and down. Then, she ran out, got Rosie, got her doll in the blue dress, got five other dolls, and played for hours with her friends.

Then it was time for her friends to leave. “We had a nice time here!” they called. “I’ll see you next time you come!” Helen called back.

And that is my story of a girl named Helen and a dog named Collie with a white chest and orange back legs.

THE END.

Author’s Note: Guess who wrote this story? If you’re my Grandma, or Papa, which of course you probably might not be, it was me, Peregrine! Since you couldn’t guess it was me, whoever has read this story, you will like it! And how a girl named Helen’s mother helped Helen find her doll that the house dog had hidden in the garden. You can learn a lot from this computer-written book and this exciting story!

Peregrine-ism

You know you live in a house with an unusually large number of speakers when Peregrine, instead of asking Poppy to be quiet, asks her to "turn down that speaker in your throat"!

In Which Peregrine Discovers His Purpose, and is Abandoned by His Mother

My Sweet "Sickie"

I'm not sure where to start this story. I should preface it by mentioning that my firstborn is a bit on the, how shall I put it, dramatic, side? And that he has a tendency to make things seem much worse than they really are. And I should probably tell you that he was the very excited owner of a brand new Playmobil set, one he had saved up his own money for, then had to order from the store and wait until it came. And you might want to know, that after having the above mentioned set for a mere couple of hours his mother made him eat dinner. I think those are the relevant details; now, for the story.

A while after dinner Peregrine mentioned that his tummy hurt. Honestly, I didn't think too much of it. After all, the kid had just inhaled two pieces of pizza and joyfully returned to his Playmobil. A few minutes later he popped back into the kitchen with a secret. "Mom," he whispered in my ear, "I have low blood sugar. I think I need some sugar so I can feel better." I, being the compassionate, uh, er, cynical, mother that I am, burst out laughing. Nice ploy for trying to get dessert buddy, but you'll just have to wait. A few moments later he was back again, with another secret. "Mom, I think I'm going to die!" I assured him that he'd be fine, and didn't think much more of it. 

The next thing I knew Peregrine was standing on the floor throwing up. All. Over. The. Place. Poor little man, I guess he really hadn't felt well. I chalked it up to the rapidly devoured pizza and took him to the bathroom to get cleaned up while Erik, my hero husband, proceeded to clean up the mess. (Thank you, thank you, thank you, my love!) I had Peregrine come sit down on the couch while the adults visited. (We had company.) He threw up two more times, and still I thought it was just a case of unchewed dinner. After a while we put him to bed, relaxed a while and went to bed ourselves. 

Thus began one of, what is so far, the worst nights of my life. (Yes, I've had a very blessed life, and my children have always been healthy, thank God.) Just as we settled down we heard Peregrine getting restless and calling out. We raced across the hall into his room, only to see him throwing up- over the edge of his bed. We cleaned him up, cleaned the floor up, reminded him that there was a bucket right there if he needed it and that we were only in the next room. This happened again about 45 minutes later, and again, there he was, hanging over the side of his bed. It seemed that whenever we were finally settling down he would call and one or both of us would jump out of bed to go to him. At some point Raphael woke up and needed to be settled down as well, and then a while later Poppy was crying and needing some care. After a couple hours of this we made Peregrine a bed on the floor next to ours and settled in. Again. 

He continued to throw up every 30 or 45 minutes. And my sweet, melodramatic boy, said at one point "I feel like my purpose for being born was just to barf." And then there was "I think it would have been better if I wasn't ever born!" Or this one: "I think my intestines were coming up that time." 

At 2 in the morning I called my Mom, my dear sweet mama who is still there for me, even in the middle of the night, just like she always has been. She comforted me, encouraged me, and prayed with me, and gave me some practical advice. (Make him some ginger tea with honey.)

It was shortly after that I noticed flecks of blood in his vomit. I tried not to worry, but my mind raced ahead of me. I was trying to figure out how I would manage if we needed to take him to the ER, when I would need to get back to nurse Raphael, etc. Mostly, though, then and throughout the night I felt peace, and even thankfulness to the Lord for His care and for my family. I found comfort in praying the Jesus prayer for Peregrine. (Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on Peregrine.) In my sleepy state, I could wrap my mind and heart around those simple words and know they were enough. At about 4 I decided to look online to see if I should be more concerned about the flecks of blood, which had continued. I was relieved to read that it was likely just a small tear in his esophagus muscles. It was also around then that I finally got a little sleep. Still though, once or twice an hour he would stir, and I would sit up and stroke his head and comfort him while he threw up. Finally, at 5:30, the vomiting became less frequent. He stirred a few times and I felt like all I could do was lie there, exhausted, and mumble a few words to him.

At 7:30 Raphael woke up for the day. I nursed my sweet baby boy, who was snuggly and delightful and ready to play, and then my dear husband got up with him and let me sleep. Another hour, and Peregrine vomited again. Then, more sleep. I finally got up a little before ten. When I heard Peregrine calling, in his most pitiful voice a while later, I went in, expecting to find him throwing up again. Instead, he said to me "Mom, I never would have thought you'd have abandoned me like that." Yup, abandoned. Just like that, I left the poor sick, sleeping boy in a room alone. Can you believe it? 

Thankfully, he has only thrown up a few times today. This is the sickest he's ever been, and I am so, so thankful for the good health he, and all of us, have been blessed with. And, I know he's not trying to be funny, but he sure keeps me laughing with all his theatrics! I am very, very tired today, but still so blessed. Blessed that I have this precious boy to care for, that there's no one he'd rather have run to him in his moment of need. I'm blessed by my wonderful husband, who was also up numerous times in the night, who let me sleep in this morning, and who stayed home from work today to help care for us all. And I'm blessed that, just as my boy doesn't hesitate to call his mama in the middle of the night, I can do the same. I still hope to be like my dear Mom when I grow up. (It's times like this, when there's throwing up involved, that I feel a little grown up; often, though, I think I might just be playing house!) And above all, I'm blessed that my feeble cries for mercy are heard, my tears are kept in a bottle, and I and my little family, are loved abundantly. 

Now We Are Six

When I was One,

I had just begun.

When I was Two,

I was nearly new.

When I was Three,

I was hardly Me.

When I was Four, 

I was not much more.

When I was Five,

I was just alive.

But now I am Six, I'm as clever as clever.

So I think Ill be six now for ever and ever.

A.A. Milne

On Saturday we celebrated our Peregrine turning six. So many things come to mind when I stop to think about what a gift we have been given in this boy. I am incredulous that he is already six years old. I owe him a letter, but I'm dreadfully behind on those, as I haven't even written Poppy's from when she turned three (seven months ago. Ack. In my defense we had a baby two days after her birthday, but still. It's not like I never sit down and write anything.) So, my goal this week, along with cleaning my pantry, (which has been on my list since before Raphael was born) is to get these letters written. Quickly, before they grow and change anymore! 

I will leave you with some pictures of the Grand Celebration, the now epic costume party we have every year for Peregrine. 

Peregrine was very excited to receive some tools!

Raphael the happy Lil' Skunk.

The Glam Housewife with her Raggle Taggle Gypsy Man. the scary part? Erik actually liked me dressed up like this! I guess that's fair though, because I thought he looked mighty fine himself. 

Really, though, don't we all dress like this everyday? 

Poppy the Pastry Chef, who takes her job very seriously.

My nephew Gabriel, aka Cheeto!

My ol' Ma and Pa from the Prairies. I grew up on the Prairies, but even then they didn't dress like this.

My niece Jessamyn the Princess, who almost had to turn sideways to get through the door in those sleeves. When she was little we used to call her Jessamyn PrinCessamyn.

My sister Gloria the Peacock and niece Peace the Butterfly. Lovely, both of them.

Peregrine the Wild West Sheriff, and Poppy

And finally, "Great" Aunty Alyssa and "Great" Uncle Scott who managed to make it in spite of their old age.

We also had a little monkey (my nephew Diego), Daddy Warbucks, Grace, Little Orphan Annie and another darling little orphan join the party. A wonderful time was had by all. Peregrine is already talking about when he turns seven, and how long this bridge between birthdays is! We are thankful for our boy, and thankful to all who were able to come and celebrate with us, and those of you who didn't make it this year too.

And to illustrate his rascally-ness, here's a little conversation we had at a Chinese restaurant the other night: Since it was his birthday he got a free desert. This was after the birthday party where there was plenty of sugar to go around. I handed him his fortune cookie and told him we could read the message but that he couldn't eat the cookie. He accepted that without any complaining. (This is a BIG milestone!!) He took the slip of paper out of the cookie and I read it to him: "The thing you are planning will succeed." He didn't even hesitate to say, with a twinkle in his eye, "Does that mean I do get to eat the fortune cookie?" I came close to giving in on account of the quickness he came up with that, but held my ground. He's a wily one, and I really do have to watch it with him! 

Well, Erik is going to be home from work soon, so I'd better go freshen up my make-up, straighten my apron, and make sure my pearls look okay. I wouldn't want him to think I do nothing but sit around eating bonbons all day! 

Brothers

Last night was the first night Raphael slept in the crib in Peregrine’s room. I’m always sad when the time comes to move a baby out of our room, but the time has come. None of us has been sleeping well, and with with the other kids it finally took moving them to their own space. I’d given Peregrine careful instructions that when he awoke he was to leave his room quietly and not wake his brother, but I was a little uncertain as to how it would go.
I awoke this morning and heard Peregrine stirring, heard the soft opening of his door, heard the baby cry. I heard the door close and hoped that Raphael would go back to sleep. He whimpered a bit, then stopped. I lay still and listened as it continued; he would fuss for a few seconds, then stop. Then all was quiet. I got up and looked into “the boys’ room” only to see Peregrine standing next to the crib looking down at little Raphael, who was smiling and wiggling in great excitement. I felt a little annoyed that Peregrine hadn’t obeyed me after all until he explained in a voice of wonder:
“Mom, he woke up when I climbed down from my bunk bed and he started to cry. But he’s, like, perfectly satisfied with me. Whenever I tried to leave he would cry, but if I stay here he’s so happy!”
It was the perfectly satisfied that got me. And the sound of his voice, the tone that betrayed that he had found true joy in making another person happy. I sleepily put my arm around him and said “You really love your brother, don’t you?”

Peregrine's Song

As I was working in the kitchen yesterday Peregrine marched in singing. I was so taken with his impromptu song that I had him start over so I could capture the lyrics. Reading them won't be quite the same as hearing them sung with the gusto of a (nearly six-year old) boy, but I hope you'll enjoy it none the less. (That's right my friend, oh yes!)

Don’t let sin go in your heart.

Don’t let Satan go in either.

The Holy Spirit fruit is not a fruit, oh no. 

It’s not a fruit you eat my friend.

The spiritual fruit is not an ordinary fruit.

The patience, kindness, goodness, truthfulness, and self-control.

That fruit is not a strawberry!

It is, in fact- Peace! 

That’s what it is, that’s the first fruit, of the Holy Spirit, in heaven!

Do it on earth, also. That’s right my friend! 

It’s not a Grape! Oh no, that is right my friend!

It’s patience! 

Don’t let weeds grow in your heart.

Let the divine liturgy grow in your heart, and grow and grow!

Until you love Him as much as your mom and dad.

It’s not a peach, oh no~ That’s right my friend. 

It’s Kindness! It’s kindness! That’s right my friend oh yes! 

Don’t let Satan pick your flower and turn it into a weed (that he will put back in your heart.)

I don’t mean your blood heart, oh no my friend! (Not the heart filled with blood that pumps your blood through your body. Oh no~)

I mean the heart filled with love, that heart.

Do not lie. It’ll be makin’ Satin pull out your flower. (The flower of truth!) 

Colored Milk

If you'd been listening in around here recently, you might have overheard this:

Peregrine: Mom, if you drank a lot of food coloring, would it be bad for you? 

Me: Yes, food coloring really isn't good for our bodies.

Peregrine: Oh. But if you did, would it make your milk a different color? 

Has this boy been watching cooking shows or something? Did some food guru give him the idea that presentation and color are important when serving a meal? Or is he just looking out for his little brother, thinking that plain ol' white mama's milk for every meal might just get a little boring. Raphael doesn't seem to mind though. The little chunk, at 11 weeks, already weighs in at 14 pounds. I sure love these boys of mine! 

Talent

Have I ever told you how talented my children are? See for yourself, in this marvelous video clip that captures then in all their charm! Enjoy!

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An Evening Sail

Last Saturday evening Erik, Peregrine, and Erik's dad Claud went on a three hour sail aboard the Lady Washington, a reproduction of a sailing ship from the 1700s. The adventure included a mock battle against another ship, The Hawaiian Cheiftan, complete with cannons and pirates! They had a great time on board the ship and I trust it will be a very special memory for all of them. I played around with a few pictures Erik took and came up with this on Scrapblog.

The Water Cycle

Peregrine often thinks up "experiments", most of which we never get around to doing. One of his recent ideas was to make ocean water with salt and water. He did it not long ago and was thrilled that his experiment "worked". Today I wanted to have some "special time" with him. While Raphael slept and Poppy watched a movie, Peregrine and I took his ocean water experiment a little further. You should definitely listen to this while you read! 

Evaporation and condensation,

The water cycle, the water cycle,

Followed by precipitation, 

The water cycle, the water cycle,

The never-ending cycle is taking place

All the time and everywhere....

(Even in our kitchen!)

Here's our mini ocean, a couple of tablespoons of salt dissolved in warm water.

Evaporation

The heat of the sun (or the burner, for lack of a heat lamp and a couple of hours) causes water vapor to form into a cloud of steam.

Condensation and Precipitation

I placed four glasses around the pot, then set a large glass lid on top of them to trap our "cloud". 

Through the glass lid we could watch the steam condense and run off the sides as "rain".

Just for fun we let the water boil away and were left with a crusty bed of salt...

...and a very pleased boy! 

(I know I've linked to these before, but I must put in another plug for these science songs. They were recorded in the 1950s and 60s and Peregrine, and the rest of us, love listening to them. He has learned a lot of basic science concepts from them.)

Birthday Letter (To a Boy Who is Five)

To my Dearest Peregrine Boy,

You turned five, almost five months ago. I've been meaning to write you this, your birthday letter, ever since. Our life has been a bit on the busy side, and your baby brother will be born any day, so I figured I'd better not wait any longer. 

I really can almost not believe that you're five. Well, closer to five-and-a-half, really. Didn't you just turn four? You like to say you're almost six, and I think you really believe that November 1st is just around the corner. And, if the next several months are anything like the last, it'll be here before we know it. Five is not a little kid anymore. I look at you and wonder when you got so big, learned so many things, developed so many of your own opinions. You have an amazing imagination and you love to tell us stories and ideas that you come up with. You have big plans and big ideas, my boy, and I like that about you. 

We celebrated your birthday with a costume party, as we have now for five years. It's hard to believe we've thrown five of these parties, parties where Grandmas and Papas, Aunties and Uncles and Cousins and Friends all come to celebrate you. Where we eagerly watch out the window, waiting for "the guests to arrive" as you would say, anxious to see what kind of costumes everyone has chosen for the event. This year you were a knight. A knight in shining armor, and a red tunic with a dragon on it. You went to the fabric store with me and carefully helped me pick out the fabric for each part of your costume. You're a boy who cares about details, who notices- and remembers- and is able to describe- things in great detail. You are fully drawn in to stories of knights and dragons and far-away lands and adventure. You hear them, you think about them, and then you go to your dress-up box and become the characters from these stories. And it's not enough just for you to be someone else; you dress up your sister and get her into the story, and, when it's possible, you assign characters for Mama and Daddy too. 

You love your sister with a fierce sort of love. She is your darling, your best little friend. She adores you in return, and much of the time your play together is very sweet. At other times you get frustrated with her for not doing what you want, but she holds her own pretty well. You often draw her into your adventures, but you also enjoy playing with her things too- you help her care for her dolls, cook in her play kitchen, and (you'll be embarrassed about this someday) dress up like faeries together. You're all boy, but you do have an eye for beauty, and are known to practically swoon (you're a bit on the dramatic side) at the sight of a flower or a tree in blossom. That's something else I like about you though, that for all your boyness you see and appreciate what is lovely in the world.

You have a baby brother who will be born very soon. It could be today or it could be two weeks from now, and you are excited. A couple of months ago you could hardly wait for him to be born because you were so anxious to have a brother to sword fight with. I'm excited for you to have a brother too, but it's going to be a while before you can teach him to wield a sword! First there will be what will seem like ages of having to be very, very careful with him, and of giving Mama a lot of extra help. You're a good helper, and sometimes I'm amazed at just how many things you're able to do.

You've been learning a lot about self-control lately. Maybe it's partly your age, but we're glad to see this developing in you. You don't hide your feelings, which sometimes is hard, but we're glad too- you are transparent and easy to read most of the time. You have, and always have had, a real sensitivity to the things of God. We pray that this will continue as you grow, that you will grow ever more aware of the kingdom of God and that your heart will not be turned aside by the things of the world. You care very much about the poor, and often remember them and want to do things to help them. I hope you never lose that. 

Not long ago I was snuggled up with you in your bed and you told me that you want to have a heart like David, a heart after God. I encouraged you to pray and ask God for this, and here is part of what you prayed "Dear Lord, Please help me to have a heart like David's and the angels and the saints. Please help me when Mama gives me hard jobs to do to do them. Even if evil pagans kill me someday please help me never to turn back from you. And I won't ever take up the spear and sword but follow after you, and just be a humble monk and a missionary to foreign lands, an American missionary." 

Our prayer too, dear boy, is that you will follow after God with all your heart, that you will use your imagination and your creativity, your ability to tell stories, your desire to "lead people", your passion and compassion and love all for the glory of God. We are in awe of you, and very often feel completely at a loss as to how to raise you! But we are so incredibly thankful that God has blessed us with you, and we're very excited to see you becoming the boy God created you to be, a boy after His own heart.

I love you my Peregrine, my firstborn boy who has grown so very big. Thanks for being my boy.

With love,

Your own Mama