dave & janet horsman ::: keepin’ it real since 1998

Don’t worry…I don’t intend to inform you each time I get a week closer to my due date!  But after a commenter asked about seeing me in my “preggers radiance,” I thought I’d oblige…and I figured better sooner than later…I don’t feel very photogenic when I’m 38+ weeks pregnant. 

So, here’s (not so) l’il ol’ me at almost 30 weeks…

By the way, thanks for letting this pregnant lady take some time off to “nest” - although, it’s not like you actually had a say in the matter!  He he.  I got a lot done…organized closets, purged a bunch of toys and clothes… but my crowning achievement is definitely the kitchen.  I scoured everything  - even the fronts of the drawers and cupboard doors.  I must say, it really looks quite stunning.  Well, as stunning as a seventies-style kitchen, with dinged-up and faded linoleum floors, and tacky, ugly-wood cupboards can look!

In other news…Elijah and Zeke unofficially started their spring-break today.  Officially, it starts on Monday, but they also have Thursday and Friday of this week off because of ”workshop days” (not sure exactly what those are).   They spent almost the whole day today outside with the Macleod boys.  The Macleods were recently missionaries in Kosovo, and are currently staying on campus with their four (6, 4, 2 and 4 months) boys.  It’s really wonderful to have such amiable playmates for my kids!  Here was the view from our patio doors this afternoon…  

Remember just swinging and swinging…and then just swinging some more?  What a wonderful and simple time of life being a kid is!  Equally as wonderful (although maybe not so simple!), is having kids, and the smiles that they can bring to your face.  I’ve just put Elijah and Zeke to bed for the night, and I can hear Elijah reading The Monster at the End of This Book to Zeke.  So adorable.  I’ll have to remember this tomorrow when I’m scrubbing the mud out of the pants that they were wearing today!

We had some very cute visitors at our house over the weekend… 

P.S.  Between ”nesting” - you know, a pregnant woman’s insane desire to clean and organize everything,  (I’ve just completely organized our linen closet, and scoured out the refrigerator) and the amazing seventy degree (!) weather we’re having, I’m not sure how much blogging will get done in the next few days.  Have a good week everyone!

After my post about Elijah yesterday, I was struck by the contrast between my two older sons, when Zeke and I had this conversation in the car yesterday…

Zeke:  Uh, Mummy?  How many days are in a year?

Me:  Ummm…365, I think. 

Zeke:  Then…have I been alive a whole year yet?

Me:  Oh… yes Zeke, you’re five-years-old, so that means you’ve been alive for five  whole years.

Zeke:  Well, in about 120 years, we’ll all be dead…

Me:  What?!  What do you mean?

Zeke:  Well, if a black hole comes to earth…then what do you think will happen?

Me:  Uh, I don’t know, but I don’t think you have to worry about that, Zeke.

Zeke:  And what about the equator?  If that gets to close to us, we’d all be killed!

Me:  No, Zeke.  The equator doesn’t move.  It’s a line that goes around the centre of the earth, that separates the top from the bottom.  If we had a globe at home, I could…

Zeke:  Well, what if I was walking, and I didn’t see the equator, and I fell into it?  Wouldn’t I be killed?

Me:  Well, first of all the equator is really far away from us, and it’s not something that you can fall into.  It’s not even an actual line…

After I’d explained some more about the equator, Zeke changed the subject, and wanted to talk about what was for lunch.  I’ve been wondering since, though, Goodness…what else is inside that head of yours, Zeke?

While Elijah is our extreme extrovert (I believe his compliments are  one of the ways he feels like he’s connecting with others - something that he seems to have a real longing for), Zeke is such an introvert - a very thoughtful, and sometimes even worrisome little fellow.  I don’t want to paint an inaccurate picture - he plays and laughs and acts silly with his brothers - but he also thinks a lot, too much probably, for a five-year-old…as evidenced by our conversation in the car yesterday!  It worries me, and I have probably been thinking about it too much since yesterday! …Zeke doesn’t come by his personality by accident!

Elijah as our “little guy.”  Three years old.

Elijah’s always been good at giving a compliment…ever since he was a little guy.  It’s usually quite comical, especially when he compliments someone in his own peer group.  Most six and seven-year-olds haven’t had a whole lot of experiance recieving a compliment from someone thier own age, so Elijah usually gets a blank look in return!  Last week, at Elijah’s parent/teacher conferance, his teacher commented on how cute she thought it was that Elijah complimented his classmates on everthing from hairbands to the pictures they drew. 

I have a pair of maternity jeans that I absolutely despise.  They’ve served me well (I got them when I was pregnant with Elijah), but they’re quite hideous.   The stretchy-belly part of them spans way below my waist, to just under my chest.  I plan to burn them at the end of this pregnancy, however, they are comfortable, and they stay put, so I wear them often. 

Anyway, here’s a classic example of one of our dear Elijah’s compliments.  He said this with such earnest sincerity…

“You know, at first, I thought that darker, stretchy part on the front of your jeans was kinda wierd looking, but now…I think I’m really starting to like it.  I think they really look good on you!”

Our neighbors, Gavin, Tara and Eden Hills (fellow Canadians!), just brought TWO absolutely gorgeous baby boys home from the hospital a couple of days ago.  Yes…TWINS!  Click here to read a little about them, and see a short video of Judah and Jethro Hills’ first few moments here on earth.  It’s so amazing…makes me very excited for the arrival of our own little one!

Anyway - understandably - yesterday, the Hills had a sign on their door telling all would-be visitors that they were enjoying some “family time.”  One little visitor, though, was not deterred by the sign!  Noah, the little monkey that he is, has recently figured out how to open doors, so yesterday, out our door he went, and then he “headed to the Hills’.”  The door behind which he knew was an Elmo toy, and a little girl his age.

Gavin said he heard their doorknob turning, wondered “Who in the world would just open our door…can’t they read?” and then watched in curiousity as the door did indeed open and Noah poked his head in and said, “Hi-eee…hi-eee.”

Thankfully, our dear neighbors had a good laugh about it!  How funny!  I think I’ll have to get a gate to put across that door to keep our little man contained.  It does have a deadbolt a little higher up, but I’ve caught Noah on a stepstool unlocking it!  Little monkey!

I’m sure all the moms out there need no explanation for this post’s title.  Anyone who’s welcomed a new baby into the world after forty long weeks of pregnancy knows the excitement and anticipation that builds as those weeks crawl by!  With the first twenty-eight weeks of my pregnancy behind me, I’m now beginning my last last trimester (yes, I really think this will be our last baby…however I believe I’ve said that during two out of three of my other pregnancies!)…only twelve weeks left!  Hooray! 

To celebrate, yesterday evening, our family went out to the Cold Stone Creamery for dessert.   Oh boy…this place lives up to it’s slogan - “The Ultimate Ice Cream Experiance” - soooo yummy.   They start with “homemade” (made in small batches, I guess) ice cream, and then add your choice of mix-ins.  It’s called the “Cold Stone” because the mixing takes place on a flat, frozen granite stone.  The fruit, cake, candy or whatever you’ve chosen (I was in the mood for fruity mix-ins, so I got a “creation” called the Strawberry Banana Rendezvous, pictured to the right) gets all smooshed and - mmmm - “yummified” into the ice cream by hand - well, they use cold utensils - on the stone.  It’s kind of like a DQ Blizzard, but so much better.   OK, I have to stop…I don’t know about you all, but I’m starting to drool.

Noah:  Hi-eee…hi-eee Mumma.  Hi-eee. 

Me:  Hi Noah!  What are you supposed to be?  An astonaut?

Noah:  No.

Me:  Oh…well you’re very cute, whatever you are.

Noah:  No…   By-eee…by-eee Mumma.