Bigger Mustache

"Wow! Daddy, you're eating that pizza fast!" said Nolan.

I replied, "Yep! That's because I'm bigger than you. I have bigger teeth, I have a bigger mouth, and I have a bigger stomach. So I eat it much faster."

"You also have a bigger mustache," he said.

:-)

Delaney is Sick Too!

"Mommy, what are you doing?" Delaney asked.

"I'm getting Nolan some juice because he's not feeling well," Jen replied.

"Why are you doing that?"

I said to her, "Because it's good to have liquids in your body. We want him to drink juice since he's sick."

"It looks like I'm sick too," Delaney said.

:-)

This Girl Needs A Man

Delaney turned 3 years old today! She is fun, goofy, and spontaneous. She loves dressing up as a "superhero dancer girl with glasses."

I am amazed at how much this girl wants to be held, snuggled, kissed, and looked at. Sometimes I just stare at her, just a few inches from her face, and she stares right back at me. She craves attention from her daddy.

And I know, as her father, that I need to give her that attention. I need her to feel loved and cherished by the man in her life. Me. I show her what it is like to be a woman based on how I treat Jen, and I show her what it is like to be loved in a way that Jen cannot. I set her up for a future, feeling safe and secure knowing that there is a man in her life who loves her, protects her, and makes her feel like I would do anything for her.

As I stare into her eyes, inches away, her smile beaming brighter and brighter the longer I hold her gaze, I see a teenager. I see a young woman. I see a future wife. When Delaney says "Kiss me again, Daddy!" I immediately think about how many dads neglect their little girls and then they look for love in other men out there willing to give it to them. The difference is that other men want something in return, whereas I just love her because she is my daughter. So I kiss her again.

This little 3 year old will not be a goofy superhero dancer girl with glasses forever. She will develop into a butterfly and flutter out of my grasp at the time when God says "it's time." And I'll have to let her go. I just hope and pray that God will give me the strength to be the best dad I can be for her. That I will give her enough kisses that she will not need to look for them in men who want to take advantage of her. That I will balance love and discipline in a way that God balances it perfectly with us, His own sons and daughters. That I will be a diligent father with the limited time I have with her and trust in the path God has for her with the rest.

I love you, Delaney-Bug! Happy birthday!

Throw Underwear At Me!

I was folding clothes today, and Nolan and Delaney were playing nicely with several balloons from Nolan's birthday party. Something needed to be done about this peace and quiet. I was bored.

Since underwear doesn't really need to be folded, I tossed a clean pair of Nolan's Lightning McQueen tighty whities at his face.

No response.

Thirty seconds later, I connected with another pair right between his eyes.

"Huh? What was that?" he said.

Without me saying a word or turning to face him, another hits him. Finally realizing what is happening, he takes action and builds a blockade with the balloons.

"Dada! Throw another underwear at me!"

I say nothing.

"Throw underwear at my face!" he repeats. "Dada! Throw underwear at my face!" I keep silent, although very tempted to explode with laughter at his requests.

Attempting another tactic, he tries, "Daddy, may you please throw underwear at me?"

"Me too!" Delaney finally chimes in.

Nolan Is Already A Teenager

"Daddy, what are you doing?"

"I'm cleaning the toilet, Nolan."

"Why are you cleaning the toilet?"

"Because we poop in it and it's gross and needs to be cleaned. It's dirty," I said.

"Oh okay," said Nolan.

"I clean it once a month and one day when you are older, I'll make you do it and you probably won't like it."

"But I want to do it now!" he exclaimed.

"Well you're too young right now, and when you're a teenager, you won't want to."

Nolan replied, "But I am a teenager."

Eva Joy Riedl

For those of you who haven't heard already, Eva Joy Riedl was born just about a month ago! Jen did an amazing job giving birth to her, and she was thankful to be done with pregnancy during such a hot summer. Eva was actually born on the day after that 103 degree day in late July.

Nolan and Delaney are thrilled to finally meet Eva, as we have been talking it up with them for a long time now. I've been trying to make sure to give them tons of attention to match all the attention Eva is getting, although I think most of the attention she is getting comes from her two older siblings. :-)

Thanks again so much for everyone who has helped us out as we adjust to having three kids! We are pumped for this cute little girl's future and all the bumps along the way.

--Aaron





2015-08-25

Calm Down, Buddy!

The morning that Eva was born did not go smoothly. Nolan misunderstood where we were going that day. He thought we were going to his friend's house. However, we were actually thinking it might be the day that Jen would GO INTO LABOR.

We already had an appointment scheduled to visit Jen's midwife, since Eva was 1 week late past her due date. A double whammy made it worse when Nolan wanted me to wear socks and shoes instead of flip flops (you know, the important details! haha). So, with time ticking and sad-and-extraordinarily-depressed-Nolan refusing to hear any of our positive encouragements or pleas, we crammed him into the car kicking and screaming. After all, Jen started having contractions and might actually GO INTO LABOR!!!

He hasn't melted down like this in a long time. All the way to the Providence Maternal Care Clinic in inner SE Portland. Jen took the calm and cool Delaney into the waiting room and eventually the appointment, while Nolan and I stayed out in the hallway. Yep, he was still crying. We thought the toys in the waiting room might calm him down, but no way.

Often when I am parenting, flashes of Nanny 911 or Supernanny flood my brain. I loved those shows. I remember a few particular episodes when they instructed the parents to have their child sit on a mat if they need to calm down, and if they get off the mat, physically put them back on it. Over and over until they give up and stay. And so I did.

I was prepared for this battle to go on forever, but thankfully, after just about a dozen times, Nolan collapsed and decided to roll himself up in the mat. Yeah, it was probably dirty, but oh well. He actually calmed down! Something about being in his cocoon, his own little world where nobody was watching him and there was nowhere to run. As seen in the picture I took of him, I'm wondering if I can use this method of calming the next time any of our kids throws a fit at home! Sometimes the most helpful tools are just lying there in front of me!

After about 15 minutes just enjoying the silence, we had a father-son chat, laughed about the squares on the floor, and went into the waiting room and played with toys.

Then Eva was born about 10 hours later! :-)

VIDEO: Jen reads Ten Apples Up On Top to Nolan and Delaney

One lovely evening, as we were getting Nolan and Delaney ready for bed, Jen began to read them a book. There's nothing like a good book to calm two kids down and ease them into sleepy-time. However, this particular night did not prove to be so calming.

Jen reads Ten Apples Up On Top to Nolan and Delaney - Mr. Riedl on YouTube



Filmed 5/7/2015

Who Spilled This?!

One evening last week Jen and I found some food spilled all over the floor while both kids were playing in the other room. Jen called out to them, "Who spilled this all over the floor?!"

Nolan promptly replied, "Delaney did it. Not I."

We immediately burst out laughing after hearing his unusual choice of grammar in his response. Nolan started laughing too, realizing he had said something funny, and continued repeating, "Not I! Not I! Not I!" over and over again.

Kids, Chores, and God

Nolan is at the age where he loves to help me with chores, no matter what it is that I am doing. "Daddy, can I help?" is a question I hear almost every day from him. If I had all the time in the world, I would have him help me with everything that I do, not only because I love his natural curiosity and desire to learn, but also because I simply love being with him.

However, when I include Nolan in whatever chore that I am doing (i.e., unloading the dishwasher, sweeping the floor, folding laundry, etc.), it almost always takes much longer than if I just did it myself. Since he is four years old, it takes time to teach him, reteach him, train him, practice with him, watch him, talk him through it, and then once we are finished doing it together, I often need to redo it all myself anyway if I need it done correctly. If I include my son with my work, it always takes longer, and the work is never done perfectly.

This is just like our Father in heaven. I visualize God looking down on us, seeing all the pain in the world and Him working in the lives of the people all across the city. However, the awesome thing about God is that He actually includes us in his work! God doesn't need us to help. He could get His work done a lot sooner if He didn't include us in the work He is doing in our city. We make mistakes when we help Him, but He is patient and talks us through it. Sometimes He just watches us and sees how we do on our own. And most importantly, we can talk to Him through the process. He listens to us and speaks into our lives. God is our Daddy who lets us help Him with His work.

The best part is that Nolan thinks he is actually helping me with my chores! It's hilarious! When I tell him we are finished, I say "thanks so much for helping" and he skips away with a big grin on his face. He is certainly doing his best, but is that really making a difference from my perspective? No way! I just love being with him, and it's the same with God. Am I really making a difference in the work that God is doing? Not at all. He just loves being with me.

Five seconds later = disaster!

Delaney was having a marvelous time on the swing when we went to my grandparents' 65th anniversary party a few weeks ago. She is such a daring, risky 2-year old who already loves heights and adventure! This picture captures it all: her cuteness, her joy, her adventurous spirit, and her independence.

However, we certainly had a parenting fail about 5 seconds after I took this photo. We probably should have given her a warning. What actually happened was that we said, "Time to go!" and immediately took her off the swing. She screamed like it was the end of the world.

It is amazing how one second a beautiful little girl can take a beautiful little photo that is one of my favorites, and then the next second she is out of control, displaying her true selfish desires for the entire world to see. What a cute little bundle of humanity.

Lenten Learning

Jen and I have been thinking about the Easter Bunny and all those crappy traditions that have nothing to do with Jesus, and we decided to do something during Lent that actually means something. 

For us, as adults, the season of Lent is a great time to give up something special to us as a sacrifice in order to spend more time focusing on Jesus. However, for Nolan (4 years old) and Delaney (2 years old), we feel like they are too young to really understand the depth of sacrifice.

We decided to start a tradition called "Lenten Learning", which is a time of teaching our kids about Jesus during the season of Lent in a fun and memorable way, much like the season of Advent. Our Advent calendar was a fun way of counting down the days until Christmas, celebrating Jesus' birthday. This "Lenten Learning" calendar is just something we quickly put together one night, compiling a bunch of stories about Jesus as He grew up from a boy, what He did, things He said, people He healed, eventually leading up to His death and resurrection!

Easter is just as much of a miracle to be anticipated and celebrated as Christmas is, so we are looking forward to talking about one thing each night at the dinner table, writing a quick Post-It note of what we learned, and then compiling all of them on a green cross cut out of construction paper hanging from our dining room wall. We are looking forward to the end when it is all full of colorful Post-Its, when we celebrate Jesus' sacrifice for us on the cross and conquering death by coming back to life!

Pick A Book, Nolan!

Jen recently said to Nolan, "Pick a quick book, Nolan. Then after we read it, you're going to bed."

With a big smile on his face, he brings her our Bible and asks, "Is this a quick book mommy?"

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from the Riedl family!

"Daddy, Let's Wrestle!"

One of the best joys came to my ears today.

Normally when I get home from work, Nolan runs away when he hears me knock on the door, hiding in the other room for fun. Once I come in, he reenters, usually going back to whatever he was doing rather than giving me a hug or any other greeting.

This time, however, he shouted, "Daddy, let's wrestle!"

I can't put into words the amount of joy that overflowed within me. I'm not sure why, but wrestling with my boy is one of the best things ever.

And wrestle we did.

Why I'm Not Ashamed To Use Food Stamps

I have heard that many people are ashamed to use food stamps when purchasing food from the store. For those who don't know, the Oregon Trail card is Oregon's debit card version of food stamps. More formally referred to as an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card, one applies for these benefits through a program the Department of Human Services (DHS) offers, which is called Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

I am proud to say that I am very thankful to be on food stamps and the new owner of an Oregon Trail card.

It seems to me that it's a touchy subject to talk about SNAP benefits. I don't personally know very many people who are getting these kinds of benefits. I'm not sure if it is because I don't actually know anyone on food stamps or if it is because nobody wants to talk about it. Why are people ashamed of this kind of assistance? We received government assistance to go to college and often joke about how much we are in debt from student loans, so why is assistance for food a big deal? It's a small drop in the bucket compared to the gallons and gallons of student loans.

From what I have heard in my limited experience living in this silly world of ours, many people will judge those who use food stamps when they buy food, like the cashier checking them out at the store or other customers standing in line with them. As they put items on the conveyor belt in the checkout line, onlookers might inspect the items purchased to make sure they are using their free money wisely. After all, the wealthy people out there who earn money and pay taxes toward assistance like this, their money is paying for these food stamps. So, they think it might be justified to make sure the benefits aren't wasted on junk food or other irresponsible purchases. That's how I think many people rationalize it, anyway.

When I made my first purchase with my Oregon Trail card, it crossed my mind that people might be judging me. I was in a Papa Murphy's buying pizza with Nolan. As I paid the cashier, I thought the people behind me in line might be judging me by looking at my clothes, trying to figure me out, deciding whether or not I looked poor enough to deserve the benefits. What made matters worse in my mind was that Nolan was playing with the containers of cookie dough on display. He exclaimed, "Daddy! Cookies! I want cookies!" As if I am an irresponsible parent who only feeds his kid cookies and pizza, maybe the people in line behind me thought I should have worked harder to get a better job and earn more money for myself before having kids. Then I wouldn't be depending on their tax money to pay for my food.

This all went through my head in the few split seconds as I bought my pizza. In reality, the people in line behind me were probably not judging me. They were probably only thinking, I think I'll get a large pepperoni pizza tonight. Heh, cute kid with the cookie dough. I'm glad I didn't bring my kids, they'd be saying the same thing.

I have to block out these thoughts in my mind. I should not care what other people think. It's not like I'm ever going to get into a conversation with them and explain to them that I am actually a full-time 5th grade teacher who doesn't make enough to live comfortably (according to DHS's standards, anyway) each month. What's even more humorous is that I teach at a private school, and many of my students' wealthy parents would probably be shocked to find out that their child's teacher is on food stamps.

In my previous post, I wrote about helping others in need. More often than not, people appreciate it when others help them out. That's how I feel about food stamps. I appreciate the fact that we live in a place where we can depend on each other in times of need. Personally, I'd rather depend on places like Neighborhood House and churches rather than the government, since it is more relational and less political. But I didn't write this to discuss politics... so, moving on...

Overall, in my heart, I know that I am doing my best for my family. As a husband who cares about his wife and a father who cares about his children, I know that taking a gift from others in the form of food stamps is something that I don't have to be ashamed of. If I think that I must earn all of the money for our family myself, well, that's just plain selfish. I work hard at my job and I earn a relatively small paycheck. Other people in this world work hard at their job and earn a relatively large paycheck. That's just life. Life isn't fair, but how you deal with situations that are unfair shows you where your priorities are in life. We probably should have applied for these benefits a long time ago. It really helps keep our heads above water. Even though I struggle with thoughts about what others think about me, I know that it's more important to be able to ask for help when I need it.

Thinking Differently: Faith in Action

My family volunteering at Neighborhood House

When I was younger, I thought that being a "good example" was enough of a witness to the message of Jesus. My plan was that the people around me would see that I lived a good life and ask me what motivates me. It would be then that I would be able to share my faith with them because they were open to hearing it. It seemed like such a great plan to me because I wouldn't have to bug them about my beliefs, and it would be perfect timing for them when they were ready to hear it.

That way of thinking was ridiculous. I didn't really understand that I sinned just as much as any other person in the world, so my idea of being a "good example" was flawed. This was just selfish because I didn't want to actually do anything with my faith.

Now, as a married man with kids, I am reading more of the Bible and learning more about this faith that I believe in. I am realizing that being a Christian is not just about what I believe, but how I live out my faith.

James says, "What good is it if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?" He goes on to say that someone who wishes someone well without caring for their physical needs is pointless. Jesus consistently cared for those who were hurting and in pain.

What have I been doing with my faith? It's not about just believing and working on my own life. God has called us to not only love Him, but also love others.

If I want to be more like Jesus, I should be caring for those who are hurting. What could I do? It seems overwhelming to know where to start since there is so much crap in this world. Getting out of my comfort zone is the first step. God gives me the confidence to think about others more than myself, get off my ass, and go help people in need. It's a witness of Christ's love when He is working in me to do something my flesh doesn't naturally want to do.

Jen and I recently took Nolan and Delaney to Neighborhood House to help volunteer. It is a non-profit organization that helps low-income people in the community. Their goal is to help vulnerable people overcome challenges to achieve success, stability, and independence. About once per month they have a family volunteer night that is ideal to bring kids to help. Nolan and Delaney had a blast!

My students volunteering at Neighborhood House

At school, I took my students to Neighborhood House in two groups. We plan to go back twice every trimester, developing a partnership that lasts. Not just a one-time food drive, but regularly helping with our time. I made a video with my students and we presented it to the other K-5 students at school. My students also had a blast!

If it is such a blast to help others (I think it is too), then why don't Christians do it more often? Why do we always make excuses NOT to help others?

I need to think differently. My faith must lead to action. These actions of ours are done as a response to the message of Jesus. He is the source of love. He saved us and we ought to respond with loving others as well.

Memories

This blog has evolved quite a bit since I started it in 2006. I began writing as a single guy right out of college, forming my opinions about life, and growing in maturity (as if I ever really completely reach maturity!). My hope for the future is that it becomes something more.

My first posts here were about movies, politics, tv shows, and other silly things I don't care to post about as much anymore. As I deepened my theological beliefs, I connected it with the world around me as best as I could. I look back on those musings now and realize they were essential for growth and understanding the culture I was in.

The next phase of this blog transitioned into my engagement with Jen, getting married, and realizing the depth of my pride. This was definitely a time of adjustment as my selfishness was being displayed to my spouse every day. We didn't know where our future was headed as we moved from Seattle to Portland, didn't have solid jobs, and were at an all-time low on cash.

It was then that God put teaching on my heart. I worked at the YMCA doing after school care, and my desire to work in the classroom was overwhelming. I filled this blog with posts about funny kid quotes, educating others (including my most popular post about educating others about my birth defect, Poland Syndrome), my opinions (and Jen's) about all the crappy parenting we see, and how I planned to make a difference.

As I began working on my Masters degree, I started Riedlteach.com, blogged about children's books, shared what I was learning, and began teaching at a variety of public schools. I was confident in my God-given abilities to connect with my students, but was still just getting my feet wet. ...Fewer blog posts.

At home, Jen and I welcomed Nolan into the world. Balancing my first few of years teaching, being a husband, and being a father taught me to prioritize and learn. A lot. I realized that at that time of my life, blogging was just not going to happen. ...Even fewer posts.

Our rough experience in Ontario, Oregon, really put the last nail in the coffin for this blog. This post was sitting on the front page for a long time. God really has put our family through a lot these past few years. I'm glad, too. We trust in Him more because life isn't supposed to be easy.

Now, I'm realizing that in this next phase of life, I don't want to forget the good and bad memories my family is working through every day. I want to resurrect this blog and start sharing again. As the years fly by with a steady job and kids growing like weeds, it can easily slip away. I hope to use this blog as a way to record memories, share experiences, and look back on what is most important.

It's Been A While...

A whole lot has happened since our last post here on Riedlblog. We struggled through a miscarriage, left a horrible teaching job in Ontario, joyously discovered we were pregnant again, moved back to Portland, lived with the 'rents for the 2012 summer, settled into a new SW PDX apartment, started a new teaching position, celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary, welcomed Delaney into the world, partied in San Diego at Jen's brother's wedding, successfully finished a full year of teaching fifth grade, received a wonderful gift (a Zoo membership) from friends, spent this summer learning about animals and swimming at Grandma and Grandpa Riedl's, and are now, for the first time, on the brink of beginning a second year teaching at the same school. Many ups and downs were woven into the past 1.5 years.

Unfortunately, we have mostly bad memories from the time we spent in Ontario. We certainly don't regret going, however, because we know that God led us there in order to strengthen our trust in Him, humble us, and mature us. That was evident in the fact that the only aspect of living in Ontario that we found peace was in the church community that we were involved with there. God clearly worked through our great friends at Origins in order to help us through my painful job, our miscarriage, and being away from our friends and family in the Portland area. We look back on that time of pruning as a blessing from God.

Moving back to Portland without a job, I was thankfully offered one after my first interview at West Hills Christian School. We moved two blocks away from the school, so my commute is a 6-minute walk every day. Teaching 5th grade was a blast...much more fun than 8th grade. This fall, I will be back at the same school in the same position for the first time in my teaching career. Our entire family is looking forward to me not having to change schools and start all over again like the last few years. My hope is that I will finally be able to settle into my position and be able to hone my teaching skills into the future.

As for the family, God entrusted us with a super cute little baby girl named Delaney. Seven months ago, our lives changed drastically with the addition of family member #4. It has definitely required teamwork between the both of us in order to take care of a toddler and a newborn. I tip my hat to single parents...I don't know how they do it. It's amazing how less often Jen and I get a break from the kids. Our marriage has been tested now more than ever before. And now, as Nolan is learning to be intentionally defiant, we are learning how to be on the same page with parenting. It was easy when it was simply "Your turn to change his diaper." But now, we need to be consistent as we are feeling the weight of responsibility in how much influence we have on his future.

God is still pruning us. We are glad too, since life without struggle would be boring. The past has taught us many things (here and here). As we look to the future, and as we want our family to grow larger (even though we have no money for a bigger home or a larger car), we trust that God will be our immovable foundation. He is the centerpiece that our lives revolve around. This is His story, not ours. When we focus all of our energy on what is most important in life (loving God and loving others), then we can be at peace knowing that our Father is pleased.

God is enough.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTc_FoELt8s