What do you call a roommate's baby?

About four years ago, Andy and I invited one of our favorite students to live with us. For reasons yet to be completely understood, he was staying in Canton with friends who really didn't have room for him, so he was ultimately living out of his car. We decided our basement was a fairly decent step up from that.

Addison had just turned one and Jaelyn was just two when Erik moved in. It didn't take long for them to fall in love with him. We have a picture from the first night he was here for dinner and they are both cuddling on his lap, listening to a book he was reading. Erik didn't pay rent; however, he 'paid' us by babysitting our kids. He still remembers giving Addison his bottle before putting him to bed.



There are so many memories of having Erik live here. He was with us for a year and a half. Many of his friends came through and we would all sit around and talk about theory and thoughts. Andy and Erik picked up the guitar while he lived here, so there was a time when guitar chords were always heard. There were so many great conversations late into the night when all of us should have been sleeping; it was a great time.

One night the conversation centered on Laura Miller, the girl who had a pretty firm hold on Erik's heart. That hold eventually turned mutual and then we got to share their engagement and wedding. Jaelyn was their beautiful flowergirl (if I do say so myself), and Andy gave the homily at their wedding.



Today, Erik called to tell us that their daughter had entered the world. Beautiful, healthy, Allison Noel. Laura is doing great too. I'm not sure where to put my happy feelings for them. I feel so connected because of sharing our lives with Erik for so long. But, what exactly is this relationship? Roommate-once-removed? Second generation roommate? I'm not sure, but I'm really happy for them, and I feel really blessed that they continue to connect with us.

Welcome Allison!

Addison turns five...

Addison wanted a 'Superhero' party for his fifth birthday. Andy and I wanted to honor that desire without having an evening filled with small boys running crazily around the room like "Dash" and others pinning us against the wall with their spider webs. So......creative Dad to the rescue!

Andy created a myth....i.e. background story.... to how Addison got special super powers and how he chose three special boys to share his powers with--thus creating the "A-Team". Their super powers were the common superprowesses of flying and magical breath that could free victims who had been frozen by "Mean Man".

Andy created the above costumes himself. The boys thought they were the best! Addison's friend Luke had this to say, "Andrew, could we use these costumes for Halloween?"





Every superhero team needs a logo. This amazing logo, which actually captures the physical characteristics of the A-Team, was created by Aaron, a student at Malone whom Addison adores. (In case you're questioning our math. The original A-team did have five members; however, one member was not able to attend the party as planned.)



This is the extremely evil villain -- Mean Man.... Sexy, too, isn't he?




Mean Man was finally captured and subdued by the A-team flying in circles around him together as a team. Notice, the villian is captured without violence! A pacifist superhero....I wonder if a Disney franchise is in the cards?




The A-team has to get their super-energy somewhere. (I will tell you their other identities, just don't let Lois Lane know.....left to right--Luke, Addison, Noah, Phillip)

It was a fantastic night; Addison wore his costume, including his mask, throughout the entire next day. He actually turns 5 on Dec. 11. He loves superheros, his daddy's stories, playing with his sister, playing with any computer game, and writing/coloring. We feel really lucky!

Christmas Tree Day

Jaelyn with Michael and Kara



We finally find the perfect tree.



We sawed the tree ourselves -- counting the rings we decided that the tree was 13 years old.



I've got lumberjack in my blood. I carried our tree over my head. The other trees travelled by sleds and teams off carriers.



Finally -- a finished tree!

Thanksgiving Memories

Pictures are so bright and believable, that sometimes, I think they steal our memories from us...

So I'll try to weave some of my own memories with the pictures of the weekend.



We drove North through a gentle blizzard. Only one long traffic jam just an hour from home. The whole trip was 9 hours.



We played endless rounds of Take Two -- the scrabble-on-steroids game that I learned in Australia. I, the former champion, came in deadlast. I'm not sure what that's indicative of.



We played two hours of MAFIA -- the older cousins played with wilder and wilder abandon in the adjoining living room -- fully aware that the adults had somehow lost track of them and their bedtimes.



We told ghost stories and took Myers Briggs Tempermant Analysis tests on Friday night.



We went to see _Pride & Prejudice_ on Saturday afternoon. Everyone liked it to varying degrees. Ryan was the firm dissenter -- with a somewhat valid analysis that fully half of the movie had been shots of Mirrors and Long-Shots-of-Walking-Through-Fields. It was cinematic! I argued. Watch this! he countered, and slowly pretended to walk through a pretend field. Look at me! I'm cinematic! I'm artsy! I'm full of longing and despair and breadth of spirit!



Okay, perhaps I embellished Ryan's protests a little bit there.



Will and Isaac were talking and bouncing and increasingly disinterested in their bottles. Grabbing and shoving anything into the mouth that could construed to be solid food.



We listened to some Blues Music and checked out gingerbread houses with the Livermores at the Festival of Trees.



People laughed. People cried. People argued. People agreed. People told stories. People made plans.



It was a good weekend.

Jaelyn's New Locks

The fam arrived home from Thanksgiving last night. Had a good time in Michigan. Pictures from the celebration will be up soon.

Jaelyn and Lynn had the day off today so Jaelyn got a perm...she's astonished by how long her hair is...

All Saints Night

Here are pictures from All Saints Night at Malone College. Apparently, this is the acceptable, Christian way to Trick-or-Treat for Halloween. They were able to collect their treats with the "co-op kids". The history is becoming very thick between these kids as we all share life together.

Jaelyn has been obsessed with Cheetahs for a long time now. I love how varied her interests are and how she diverts from female stereotypes. Of course we still have dolls, but I'm most happy when she comes in the house with five worms clutched in her filthy, dirty hands, gleefully informing me of the worms' names and the exact location of their homes underground.


Addison has become equally obsessed with space and astronauts. For whatever reason, spaceships are his favorite things to draw now. He's been perfecting them for months; he even got input from a college art major who is often at our house. He loves looking at pictures from space and hearing stories about space travel. And after each story, you always hear his trademark phrase, "For REAL?!"

The twins were here! (so were Daniel and Andrea...)

Daniel and Andrea brought the twins to see us in Canton this past weekend. Will and Isaac have been officially adopted for about two weeks now, even though they become part of the family right at birth. I'm continually amazed at the unique, wonderful ways God is designing our family.

We all had a great time together. Jaelyn and Addison were very nurturing and engaged with the twins. Here is a mosiac of our time together:

....Daniel took random pictures all the time, capturing beautiful memories.
....We had lots of wonderful food and conversation.
....There were many bottles and feedings with the boys strapped into their 'saucers'.
....We had lots of laughter at the new antics of the kids, and Daniel.
....We had a wonderful time playing in the sunshine at the monument.

Mostly it was just really fun to spend time with family. We miss that a lot. The sacrifice of time needed for traveling is great, especially with two six month old boys. We really loved it!

Braiding into a new culture

Being new at Timken has been an interesting journey for our entire family. While we still love the Malone community, it has been very enjoyable getting involved with another culture. The urban culture is fascinating, challenging, stimulating, and disturbing all at once.

Jaelyn and Addison love going to Timken, running through the endless hallways, and mingling with students. Jaelyn feel in love with MarDez (one of my peer tutors) and her cousin, Autumn, who is doing the braiding. While MarDez and Autumn worked on Jaelyn's hair, they inducted me into many facets of hair traditions. It was fascinating to hear their family stories and their histories that were so dramatically tied to their hair. It was a very rich time, yet it made me realize how tightly bordered our lives had become. I hope there will be many more activities like this one.

Soccer Irony

From the moment I pulled into the massive parking lot -- teeming with minivans and SUVs -- I knew that participating in Addison's soccer league would be a great opportunity to sharpen my wit against the bland homogeneity of suburban life. I was confident that the acres and acres of neverending green fields, that the endlessly repeated combinations of short players in blue or yellow shirts, that the coiffed hair moms and the puma-wearing dads would provide a never ending store of punchlines for my self-deprecating rants.



How did I end up here? (I'd protest) How long til they lynch us for not sticking PLaysoCCER bumper stickers on our tailgate? (I'd grimace.)



So the irony is --

That this past week at Addison's first game --

Lynn and I were FAR AND AWAY the most enthusiastic parents. Screaming with joy or agony as goals were scored or missed. Jumping and writhing in delight on the sidelines. Coaching over Coach Vince whenever the cluster of players crowded around the ball shifted toward our sideline (despite his capable leadership).



Beforehand I teased Addison that if he didn't win, we would have to spank him. Or cut off his head.

But then once the game was going, I felt like calling out. "I wasn't kidding!"

"Seriously, Boy! Get your head in the game!"

Of course I didn't. At least not TOO often.



No -- I'm kidding! I didn't yell at all. Just encouraging growls of approval at BOTH of the goals that my four year old scored.



Seriously. Two goals!? First game ever!? I think we should maybe look into a travelling team or something. Maybe we could move him up to the first grade leagues. More of a challenge...

First Day of First Grade

In thirty minutes, Jaelyn will get on a bus and go to her first day of first grade. I feel as nervous as I did in ninth grade.





When mom and dad took me to college, I remember the feeling of happy disorientation, of dread and hope all braided together...that blue and brown station wagon disappearing from the chapel parking lot. They went back to Michigan and left me in Ohio.

I used to do doughnuts in icy fast food parking lots with my high school friends in that station wagon. But there went that station wagon and my parents and a great deal of my identity.

Every morning before we left for grade school and high school, my sleepy mother would pull all of her children to her and offer a dramatic prayer to God for our safety and safe return. She hugged us fiercely and kissed us each.

My dad's telling of that journey home from college is that mom cried. Sobbed. All the way back through Ohio and Indiana and Michigan. Eight hours because the speed limit hadn't gone up yet.

And now its just five minutes til she boards the bus. Will I always feel this lost when she disappears?



The bus missed our house. I almost got a picture of it disappearing without Jaelyn. We all piled into Minnie the minivan and zipped up the street.

Lynn wanted to make sure that the school new that the bus had, as we told Jaelyn, "gotten lost."

"Unh-uh." said Jaelyn, "You are not going in with me." Lynn agreed to just walk to the door. I was so relieved to hear Jaelyn WANT to find autonomy. It just feels too early. Too young.



Addison didn't feel great about his sister's disappearance either. This is him on the way home from dropping off Jaelyn. He's counting down the days (18) til his school starts as he eats an Eggo waffle across the counter from me.

Myrtle Beach

Every morning I woke at 5:30 and watched the sunrise over the sand and tall grass and worked on my screenplay. In the afternoons I built sandcastles, ran on the beach, played frisbee and bobbed in the waves with the kids.

I bought that shirt at a thrift store for .99 cents. Isn't that amazing? It's the real deal -- with a frayed Penneys tag from like 1956.

The smallest of the Leindecker cousins (Marcaus) woke up every morning by 6 so the cousins were up and going soon after. My in-laws like tv a lot more than we do so I found out about a frightening new incarnation of The Wiggles -- The Doodlebops. Think smurfs on heroine in Stepford. Ahhh the things that cousins pass on to each other...

that's our cottage where we all feasted on crockpots and ovens full of red meat and potatoes and hearty sauces and casseroles every night. In fact, we may be headed back to start cooking when this picture was taken...

Lynn read _Little Altars Everywhere_ & _The Flight of Peter Fromme_. She's so full of curiousity and conversation. Walks on the beach with her are always the best thing that could happen. Plus. She's beautiful.

One night I fell asleep on the porch. It felt like I was living inside of waves. Another night, just after I finished Marsden's _Fundamentalists and American Culture_, I sat on the beach and wondered what it had been like to be my grandparents who all chose to become fundamentalists as converts in the late 1940s and early 50s. The sound of the waves is the best sense memory from the whole week.

Face Lifts...

After debating with fate for several years, we've decided to stay here in Casa Communitas (our house) for two years. If you haven't been here to visit yet...better hurry.

The Lord told the children of Israel when they were carried away into captivity that they should "Plant Gardens" in the cities where they were displaced.


Claiming that as a summer theme verse (mixed with oh, just a little bit of the cultural milieu of DIY / Trading Spaces) -- we added some COLOR to the kids bedrooms.



In other news,

Jaelyn was diagnosed with a developmental far-sightedness -- thanks to the perceptive diagnosis notes of Mrs. Parks (the kindergarten teacher), Gramma Gloria & Reading Diagnostician Extraordinaire, Lynn.

Her new frames were her first pick once she got into the choosing room.

She looks way cute and just a little bit EMO.