Harlan Place

I can make Mommy shriek! 

Joshua was very amused with himself today as he enjoyed my horrified reaction to the warm spray that soaked my clothes when I wasn’t quite fast enough on the draw when changing his diaper. I let my guard down for only a split second as I grabbed some lotion for his cute little tush and … !!!!!!!!!! … what was I thinking??? My shrieks were met with his squeals of delight. I’m sure if he could figure out how to get a repeat performance, he would gladly do it again to elicit the same response. Mental note: find a way to potty train before the whole concept of cause-and-effect is fully grasped. 

I can’t crawl, but I can rock ‘n’ roll

Joshua hasn’t quite figured out the whole crawling thing, but apparently he’s figured out that if he rolls over enough times in the direction of a favorite toy (or some tasty leather object, more likely), he will eventuall reach it! He starts from a sitting position, then lunges forward toward the object of his desire… ending up on all fours. He rocks back and forth, trying to figure out how to propel himself forward, and eventually ends up on his stomach. Lying on his stomach has never been acceptable to him, so of course he immediately rolls his tubby little body over. And whala! He’s suddenly a bit closer to dad’s tasty wallet. Another roll…. a little closer! And so the story goes. The down-side is when he realizes that his great achievement is only mildly satisfying, because really… what fun is playing on your back?? That is sooo two months ago!

I looooove water

Joshua was staring intently as I drank a cup of water a few weeks ago, so I thought it would be cute to put it to his lips and let him sip a bit. Who knew I would be creating a water monster!! He can’t get enough of it now! Any time Lane or I are holding a cup of water, he reaches out for it and whines impatiently … as if drinking water in front of him without offering him a sip is doing him some great injustice. In fact, even while I’m nursing him, if I grab some water to take a sip (which I frequently do), he immediately loses all interest in nursing and lunges for the water. What a little monster!

As many of you know, it’s been a struggle for us to decide what sort of work/life balance is best for our family. I always assumed I would quit my job and become the next Donna Reed… dedicating my life to caring for my home and my family. Who knew that in real life, pearls and high heels don’t actually mix well with dirty diapers and bathroom scrubbing! And for another surprise (this is where you pretend to be shocked), it turns out that I’m not the cook or the housekeeper that Donna Reed was. (Am I dating myself with this 50s TV reference? Check out http://www.timvp.com/donna.html)

Long story short… I decided I want the best of both worlds. I want to be home with Joshua 100% of the time, and still be able to hire someone to clean my house and help with meals. Is that so unreasonable?? Apparently not! I’m fortunate enough to have a great job that allows me to work part time, entirely from home. And we’ve discovered a great option for a “mother’s helper” so we have an extra hand around the house to be Joshua’s fully-dedicated playmate for a few hours each day while I sit nearby and work. Who’s this new helper, you ask? An au pair!

We’re going to become a host family to a young foreigner who has a great love for children and would like the experience of becoming part of an American family. She will live in our home for the next twelve months (starting in… June?), and essentially be a “mother’s helper” so I can put in a few hours of work each day. As a bonus, we get to learn about a new culture (and maybe even a new language), and hopefully will have the opportunity to minister to her as we seek to build a Christ-centered home.

So… what do you think? Have any of you had (or heard of) an experience (good or bad!) with an au pair? Feel free to share… we’d love to hear what you think.

Just a quick update.. I’ve posted a bunch of pictures. Check out the links under “Photos” in the right pane.

Enjoy!