The Apple Cider Challenge

During our early years in NY, one of our favorite type of evenings was gathering some friends and playing board games. Ticket to Ride, Settlers of Catan, Elfenland and others were some of our favorites, and we had such a fun group with which to play. "Watch out for Jess." There were many great nights around dining room tables! Games played at the Himmelberger home were recorded on "the board" - a chalkboard attached to our dining room wall when we bought the house. We did not know what to do with it for months, but recording a game's title, winner and date seemed like a good option. Winners would be remembered for all time . . . until the board got full and we'd erase it to start over again : )

Sometimes the board would have an odd phrase or two, inside jokes or hidden words among the chalky letters. One fall, during apple season in NY, where delicious apple cider is plentiful, my friend Aaron boasted winning the Apple Cider Challenge. As I recall, we did not put a dent into the gallon jug that night, though once something was on the board we rarely had a reason to take it off.

It was during this board cycle that my Uncle Norton (wife's dad's brother) was making trip around the world and stopped by our home for a few days travelling West from his home in England. He served in the British Army and he once traveled East around the world on duty and technically lost a day to the time zones, so during this trip he was gaining it back! Norton was a tall man, with a booming voice and British accent, and upon seeing the board, asked, "What is an 'Apple Cider Challenge'? I gave a quick explanation of the board and that it was a joke between a friend and I.

Uncle Norton passed away a few years ago, and it wasn't until after his death that I realized something about this story. While with us, Norton would always ask for "apple crush" to drink with his meals. And having visited England a few times for work, I should have realized that across the pond "cider" is mainly "hard cider" - delicious, but alcoholic. So that "Apple Cider Challenge" Norton asked about? Riiiiight . . . he thought we must have had quite the night! (Did I mention my friend Aaron, who "won" the challenge, is a pastor?!!) When I see Uncle Norton in Heaven, and if we have a break from worshiping (he did like to sing too), this is definitely something I will need to clear up : ) We use to laugh about the story years ago, and I think I laugh about it more now. And still enjoy a nice apple crush in the Fall.

Bedtime Routines

Our kids have always been good sleepers, and frankly the evenings in our house after 8pm are usually quite relaxing. Jess and I feel that was by design, a lot more nurture than nature, and it is working for us. The bedtime routine has changed over the years as well. When Hugh was just a baby, and even through when Miah was a toddler, our routine would be to read a book, say a prayer, sing a sing and get them to bed. Some details have changed, but it has been mostly the same.

When the kids were babies, our books were those five-page baby books, they were always about colors or shapes or had different materials on some of the pictures. The books progressed to some type of story, and Hugh's absolute favorite for a long time was a lift-the-flap book called "Where's Spot?" We read some kid devotionals for a while, some bible or bible stories/songs with toddlers in mind, and Dr. Seuss is still a favorite to read. (Especially some of his lesser known titles like, "If I Ran the Zoo", "I Had Trouble In Getting to Solla Sollew" and, if you are ambition, "Oh Say Can You Say?"). We also borrow many, many!, books from the library and most nights we read two, which are usually too short for the kid's liking ; )

Before our kids would talk, we would pray over them that great blessing, adding the Trinitarian formula to the end. Once they could talk a bit more, we would pray for our family and each other and general things. "Thank God for something that happened today," we'd say. There were some stretches where the kids would just say the same thing for a while, which was sweet at first, but sounded too routine, so we had to keep mixing it up! These days we pray for whatever in on our heart, and try to pray for someone that we saw during the day and "pray something nice for them." 

Our babies heard a lot of the songs, Arrorro Me Ne Na, which has Spanish words, Jesus Loves Me, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. When Hugh started pre-school and Miah was little, I recall a lot of Wheels on the Bus and a couple rounds of Down By the Bay. For a few weeks we learned the words and motions to Princess Pat, a fun, camp song. The routine does not include songs right now, I wonder if we will sing them again at night time? 

Then I carry them to bed! I don't recall when we started this, but once we finish reading and praying on mommy and daddy's bed, the kids want to get carried to their bed somehow. Piggy back rides, Super Man flying, upside down by the ankle, and their latest creation, The Pickle. (For those wanting to try this at home, the kids lay on their backs with their heads toward me. I grab an ankle, they lock fingers at my forearm, and away we go!). Getting the kids to bed is sometimes half the fun : ) Almost immediately after getting tucked in, and kissed good night, and hugged, and tucking in stuffed animals, and turning on night lights, and saying good night, is when many things are remembered like going potty, getting a drink of water, where the other stuffed animal is, getting re-tucked in, looking at a book and saying good night again. That was a run-on sentence to capture the how endless this phase of bedtime sometimes feels. 

I bet this will change as we all grow up, so I did not want to forget some of the little things that made even bedtimes special : ) 

Just the Right Amount of Kids

I drafted this a few months back, and the topic of 'more kids' occasionally comes up in our home. So faithfully, we will just have to wait and see.

A few weekends ago, a guest pastor was in our church and he was probably in his 50's. I'm not great with ages, so I hope that was a flattering guess. He showed us pictures of his family and his eight children, now all grown. The picture was of their family on some hike (or maybe it was their backyard) and everyone looked so happy. This guy was full of life in that picture (and while preaching) and I'm immediately thinking of Psalm 127:4-5. Our associate pastor is like that too, except for the age ; ) They had six children, and while obviously older than me, I find them full of life and family. (Literally, do the math, those grandchildren start piling up quick!)

I was telling Jess these thoughts on the way home and she asked me that question of, "Do you want any more kids?" That answer is a mixed bag. I love our two kids right now, and realize that great joy comes from them. And I also see these older men who are reaping the blessing of that full life. Then I also think of how busy we feel at times with two kids, among other factors, and question if spreading out all that fun among additional children is healthy for my (or my wife's) sanity!

A friend of mine just had his fourth and just a week or two after baby came home has said things are mostly back to normal. "The jump from three to four isn't really that bad, all the things we use to do we just do more of! Except, we are just later when trying to get anywhere." The time guideline for my house is ten minutes to get in the car, and that is once we actually start trying to get into the car (coats, shoes, stuff to bring, etc). I can definitely see the time getting away.

Jess made the same joke about that pastor's picture, how we always see pictures of big families once the kids are grown. Who has time for pictures with five-plus little kids. It was probably the first time in ten years that everyone was even dressed at the same time!

I could not imagine keeping a house that full running smoothly. But, maybe "smooth" has different meanings at that point too. I am still not sure the answer to that question, and it really could go either way. More kids? Why not! Adoption is not out of the picture either. Or maybe my quiver is as full as it is going to get. Maybe it is as full as I can handle! Either way I'm thinking that when I am sharing my old man family photographs - on the 4D hologram machines - that they will be with just the right amount of children.