Tales from the back of the car

May 18, 2013

We're on a road trip! We are headed to see family, then to a conference and then back to see family on our way home. Road trips mean electronic entertainment and miss L took these with the ipad in the backseat. I always think it is hilarious to see what in the world comes up when I sync with my computer. Ha!

We get lots of selfies. LOTS. and lots of pictures of baby dolls. :o)

Garden Plot

May 16, 2013

It's been a really delightful spring. The weather has been wet and warm. It's perfect for starting plants! Except that it's also been a little bit unpredictable. I think I've washed and put away our coats three times already. Sadly, we've had to get them out again for the latest frost that I can remember for awhile. The worst news is that the late frost got our poor tomatoes. Look at those poor guys. I hope they bounce back!

Obsession

May 13, 2013

They tell you every kid is different and you know it's true, but for some reason you just kind of expect them to be sort of similar to one another. My kids certainly don't all have the same "nature" but the "nurture" is largely the same. BUT... if you know my kids, then you know that they are all different creatures.

Honestly, the challenge of differing personalities has to also be one of my greatest joys in parenting. They come out and they are just a bundle of needs. They have a little personality in there but sometimes it's hard to see. When that personality really starts to come out it's an amazing thing. Suddenly this little being that was so attached to you (in some cases, literally) is starting to become their own little person. It's an amazing thing to witness!

Sweet little man is my child that has obsessions. I remember the other kids becoming attached to certain things, but not like this guy. He can hang on to a toy or a book or a thought of what he wants to do for days. Right now, that obsession is with "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" by Eric Carle. If he sees it then he has to have it. If he has it then you have to read it. If you won't then he will follow you around with it saying, "Brown Bear! Brown Bear!" Sometimes, he will sit and read it himself. We've tried hiding it. We've tried other books. He just loves this one. In fact, the past few nights he has cried and cried while we are rocking him because he wants us to read the book again, but it prevents him from falling asleep.

I know that this too shall pass. There isn't much in parenting that lasts too long (which, as all parents know, is a blessing and a curse) and soon we'll be on to our next obsession. He's just so stinking cute that I had to document it!

A Haircut

May 11, 2013

Sweet little man got a haircut this morning and then we had a lunch date. Don't you think he looks nice?

Garden Plot

May 8, 2013

After a few months of growing our tender tomatoes in the window box it became clear that they needed to get outside in the real dirt. So... we worked hard one evening in May and planted a single row of tomatoes and made another row for them, but we were unable to finish the job that evening. The next day we decided we'd drop mister W off at school and head out to the plot to finish the job.

It was a little muddy from spring rains, but we were proud to get our tomatoes in and growing!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

April 21, 2013

Each year Brad's office plans an outing to a ball game. Even though it was a little cold and a little rainy, everyone had a BLAST. I can't even remember if we won or if we lost, but we spent a good deal of time sitting in the stands (a big change from last year) and the kids are STILL talking about baseball. I can't wait until next year!

Garden Plot

April 21, 2013

After a winter full of planning our garden, buying seeds, drawing and redrawing rows and rows of veggies, it was so exciting when it was FINALLY time to get started. The beginnings were hard. Our 20'x20' plot was covered in weeds that had to be pulled. There were TONS of rocks in the soil that needed to be dug up. Then we started the process of double digging the rows in our garden.

Since we haven't used this plot before we have no idea what the soil has been through up to now. We also know that they till under all of the garden plots so we decided to double dig our plot and add lots of compost to the soil. It was hard work for poor Brad, but it's the sort of hard that is really satisfying. Who knew that we'd turn into such gardeners?!

The kids got their own special part of the garden that we reserved for them because it will be planted over last. They enjoyed digging their own dirt.

...and we got the first seeds in the ground. These are our seed potatoes! Yay! We're looking forward to Yukon Gold potatoes out of the garden this summer.

Zoo Trip

April 20, 2013

It's been a lovely spring. There have been several dips back into winter, but mostly the weather has been lovely. Miss L learned to spell "zoo" at some point this year and she's been asking (almost daily) if we can go to the "z-o-o." Since this day was particularly beautiful, and since there was not a good reason to say "no," we got to say, "yes."

The kids were thrilled. I think this was the first time that we actually made it all over the zoo before it was time to go home. We even rode the carousel. What a great trip! (and no accidents!)

Potty Learning.

April 11, 2013

When mister W was a tender almost two year old he became very interested in learning to use the potty. He refused to wear diapers. It was great! It was great until he changed his mind and decided diapers were the way to go. He's been singing that song ever since. He claims that he will wear diapers forever.

His mama, however, is having another baby and as one of my homeschooling mom friends says, "You get to the point where it's like changing a hobo." Mister W has reached hobo stage. It doesn't help that he's a big boy and that I know he is physiologically ready to learn. So... we decided that we would try to help encourage him on his way. We took him to the store to pick out his very own potty. We read lots of potty books. We tried our best to make it exciting.

So here is sweet little man. He's developed a budding interest in learning to use the potty though I am heading him off for now. He does really enjoy sitting here. :o)

Brothers

April 9, 2013

I'm constantly telling my kids that they are best friends. I'll let you know how it works out for me, but I'm going with the idea that if I keep telling them then it will happen. It's my fake it 'til you make it approach. :o) (except they really are best friends...)

We've been trying to spend time outside everyday. We're in that magical time of year between winter's cold and summer's heat. It's a fun time to work in the garden and to get out and just play. Miss L usually takes off as soon as we hit the front porch. She's got a bike that needs to be ridden and things to explore. The boys usually take a moment or two to get adjusted to the outdoors and this day I caught them sitting on the step together having a brother moment. Aren't they sweet? :o) It's like they are best friends.

Homeschool!

April 9, 2013

After our trip it was back to the grind.

Miss L started OT again once we returned and we got some GREAT ideas right away. One was to make a schedule. Miss L thrives on structure and knowing what is coming next. Transition times can be hard for her (as for any kid) and having a checklist really streamlined our day. She stopped fighting me to do schoolwork and stopped asking when it would be over, and we got a lot more done!

Another gem we found that worked well was to do work at the wall. It doesn't work to tape the paper up, because this requires her to hold her paper with her other hand (and forces her to write properly). It gives her all kinds of feedback and she concentrates more on her work. It would be impossible to do this forever but it works really well when we start to get the wiggles.

Blast from the past!

April 7, 2013

Remember these faces? We have lots of friends we don't get to see very often, either because of time or distance. These are the sort that we just pick right up where we left off when we get together again. It's hard to believe that when we met it was two little ones laying on the floor. Now five years and seven kids later (not even counting the secret tiny one that was growing in my belly!) we pretty much take up the whole couch.

We got there late but the kids didn't care. I think they played in the basement until midnight (no kidding!) and then the morning was spent in the world's most hilarious fruit ninja tournament. I so wish we lived closer. We'd be over to this house every single day. For now though, I guess those occasional trips will have to do.

Kid Moment :o)

April 5, 2013

I remember this from my childhood well. The train stops the car and as a kid it was the neatest thing to watch the train go past us. Now, as an adult, it's much less exciting, but I can forgive the train. We have trains where we live, but I can't think of a single place where they cross the road. We've got a draw bridge, which I have never once seen raised and always wanted to, but that's a whole different post. We have subway trains that we see as we get close to town, but nothing like this. SO, this was a treat. We put the car in park and miss L unbuckled to get a better view. I never thought this would be on our childhood bucket list, but I'm glad we ticked it off!