the ballad of "reading goal"

Gwendolyn is one of my stubborn children (I have three) who won't do something until she decides that she wants to do it. Reading was like this. One day I was begging her to read to me from an early reader for 15 minutes, the next day she can't put down Harry Potter. She's now about half way through with the book and though she still struggles with some words (about 4-5 per page), I think she's done remarkably well. She began in early February (just reading a page a day at first) and now hopes to be done with the remaining 150 pages by the end of May. Go go Gwennie!

Sunday finery

Yesterday Casper wore one of Linus' former Easter outfits to church -- a linen shorts suit with matching bowtie (Linus actually wore the shirt and shorts when he came to the hospital and met Casper the first time). I think Casper looked charming, but Gwendolyn was particularly enthralled: "He's going to look like a small gentleman going to business! Congratulations, Casper, you got a job!"

grateful sunday

This week I am thankful for:

• the amazingly beautiful weather that we've enjoyed. Countless hours spent outside this week. Windows wide open, house fan on.
  
• our humble little garden. Since moving here 2 1/2 years ago, my attempts at a garden have been feeble at best, but yesterday we jumped right in (a little late in the season, admittedly) with help, support, and advice from my mom and more digging from Todd. Still, I'm proud of our little 3'x6' space, and I look forward to cucumber and tomato salads for lunch all summer long!
• family dinners together. This is typically such a happy time for our family as we reconnect at the end of the day and enjoy one another. Sunday dinners are the best of all, in large part due to the fact that Todd does all the cooking on weekends. Yum.
• family outings together. Yesterday afternoon we told the kids we had more errands to run and loaded three tired little ones into the van and took them to the movies! Going to the movies as an entire family is actually not something we have ever done before, but How to Train Your Dragon was enjoyed by all.
  

Introducing the Amazing Triangle Head

sweet dreamin'

Casper is giving up naps, which I hate. At least he knows we all have quiet time after lunch, and he happily plays in his crib when he doesn't sleep. Sometimes I question him as to why he hasn't slept when he is obviously exhausted.

Mama: "Casper, why didn't you sleep?"
Casper: "I did sleep! On purpose!"

Mama: "You didn't sleep, sweetie."
Casper: "I did sleep! Bunches and bunches!"

hailstorm

For fifteen minutes this evening, a sudden and violent hailstorm hit town. I'm not sure I've seen hailstones as large as these, which were the size of small marbles (or, as the kids might say, Lemonheads and Friends). After the rain and hail ended, the children wanted to go out to inspect and collect the stones and splash in the water. With the overcast sky trapping the light, it was an impressive setting.

boylers

An unrequested hug

Easter morning

Would you believe that we took a dozen family pictures this morning and this was the best one?

The day started with a healthy breakfast followed by an egg hunt, followed by a second breakfast of chocolate and sugar. We later learned that Linus had stuffed the pockets of his church pants with candy, most of which he ate on the ride to church. After church he sneaked in his room and ate the rest of the candy in his basket. Then he had three servings of dinner.

A dialogue before we got dressed for our Easter portrait and a single session of conference at church:

Linus (modeling the shirt he found in his Easter basket, which has a shark on it): Daddy, do I look sharp?
Mama: Yes, you do look shark!
Linus: No, I said "sharp!"
Casper (modeling the shirt he found in his Easter basket, which has a jeep on it, and getting the joke better than Linus had): Do I look jeep?
Daddy: Yes, I'm afraid you do look cheap.

Second breakfast for the parents -- a poached egg with toast for dipping.

grateful sunday

This week I am thankful for:

• Easter. I love Easter. I am so thankful for the sacrifice of my Savior. I am thankful for the promise of eternal life and for the knowledge that He lives.
  
• General Conference. I admit to being a little bit of a conference junkie. I love listening to these talks. I am always so edified, humbled, and inspired. I've already put my favorite 12 on my iPod (trying to rein things in a bit). Does anyone else have a little bit of a crush on Julie Beck?
  
• more money! The raise associated with Todd's new job kicked in this month. That bump on the paycheck really made me very, very happy.
  
• a clean storage shed. Todd and I organized and cleaned out the shed on Saturday. I love a well organized space.
  

decor

Todd is always in charge of decorating eggs with the kids. Maybe because he is the artist in the family, maybe because he has more patience with that kind of thing, maybe because he actually hollows out half the eggs and does wax batiking of flowers, names, and Easter scenes. Needless to say, the kids had a ball and the eggs turned out beautifully.

transportational options

Gwendolyn sees a blimp in the sky and calls it a "blub."

Linus tells me, "My heart's always sinking, Mama."

Prankster Day

Oh, Prankster Day! How my children love you. The day started with the the children waking in different beds than they'd fallen asleep in, finding hidden dollar bills rolled up in the toilet paper and notes on the potty. They hid plastic dinosaurs in the salad Daddy took to work for lunch and put a rubber band on the vegetable sprayer of the kitchen sink (Mama got drenched). For the day's finale, they went driving in the sky (well, they parked on a roof) and then Todd made them "grilled cheese sandwiches" (toasted angel food cake filled with orange-tinted butter-cream frosting) before bed.

strong man

Linus, after combing his own hair post-bath and enjoying a brownie post-dinner.

Showing off his muscles.

Linus loves exercising these days, especially with weights, to prove how strong he is. He also likes taking his shirt off, so whenever I ask him to go put a shirt on, he responds, "But I'm exercising Mama. See my muscles?"

This morning Linus got exasperated with Casper who was following him around trying to engage his big brother in a game. Linus complained, "I'm on my feet five days a week with a baby following me!"

something about a ham?

After taking the sacrament yesterday, Casper smacked his lips and said, "That water was . . . drinky! And the bread was eatey, too."

Casper: I want jelly beans -- ha, ha, I fooled you!

Mama: Casper, ask Daddy what's for breakfast.
Casper: What's for breakfast?
Daddy: How about pancakes?
Casper: (indignantly) Pancakes not breakfast, Daddy! Pancakes are dinner!

grateful sunday

This week I am thankful for:

• Time spent together as a family. It feels like it has been a long time since we've had a full weekend alone AND a Mama in good health. So nice to feel good and spend time with my favorite people.
  
• Great friends who also homeschool. I have two good friends here who homeschool AND have kids the same ages as mine. We got together for a fun playdate at the park on Friday where moms and kids all had a great time.
• My health. I'm feeling good these days, physically and emotionally. It's nice.
• Texas wildflowers. We live in wildflower country and they are just starting to bloom. They're late this year, but are supposed to be amazing because of all the rain we've gotten. I'm excited.
  

new series

We had a busy Saturday. The vet school had its annual open house so we took the kids and saw a lot of ponies and horses and dogs. I think the kids were thrilled by it all, but we arrived latish in the afternoon so they were already tired and the things they really wanted to see -- the small animal hospital, the exotic animals, and the "teddy bear clinic" (where they could take their lovies to get checked out) all had huge lines. We'll plan better next year.

That evening our friends came over for the latest in our series of dinner parties. Since they had given up refined sugar for Lent, part of our challenge was to create desserts (traditionally the highlight of the meal) without sugar as sweetener. Our solution was to make homemade honey and toasted walnut ice cream with a spiced honey cake, and theirs was sweet potato pie with an all-nut crust sweetened with agave nectar. Everything was delicious and the conversation was delightful. They even came in two vehicles so that they could bring the motorcycle that Linus has been talking about for such a long time (if you look closely, you can see him in the bike's reflection). He actually seemed uncharacteristically bashful while out looking at it, but he's been talking about it ever since, so I know it made a considerable impression upon him. (It probably doesn't need to be said, but Gwennie got dressed up in her frilliest dress for the occasion as well.)

mystery of the missing sippy cup

Casper is tall enough to reach the handle to the broiler. We don't always check in there before we turn the oven on.

well dressed

Gwennie, who wore her fancy pink blazer with ruffles to church, explained to her brothers, "If you wear a jacket with these [lapels], you can be well dressed like a man!" In the above picture she looks like she's fresh out of college and in the middle of a job interview.

big boy

I've been talking to Casper about potty training for a couple of weeks now, trying to get him excited about the new venture we are about to undertake (it's not working). However, some underwear that I ordered for him arrived today and he was anxious to try them on. That little bum and those cute little baby legs look so cute in his new "big boys," but he immediately requested that I put a diaper back on him. He's holding out for the pattern underwear ("No -- I only want the turtles!") which has been on backorder, but when that arrives next week, no more diapers.

what the children know about their daddy, take 2

G=Gwendolyn (7 ½ yrs)
L=Linus (4 ½ yrs)

1. What is something Daddy always says to you?
G – I love you.
L – I love you.

2. What makes Daddy happy?
G – Playing video games together.
L – Obeying him and not breaking my toys.

3. What makes Daddy sad?
G – Us not obeying.
L – Not obeying him and breaking my toys.

4. How does Daddy make you laugh?
G – Tickling me.
L – Tickles me and does funny things.

5. What was Daddy like as a child?
G – Little.
L – Little and small, like me.

6. How old is Daddy?
G – 36
L – 85?

7. How tall is Daddy?
G – 90 inches
L – 40 inches

8. What is his favorite thing to watch on TV?
G – Video games that he usually plays.
L – The news.

9. What does Daddy do when you're not around?
G – Goes to work.
L – Play.

10. If Daddy becomes famous, what will it be for?
G – For playing video games.
L – Because he went to work very often and [people] read in the newspapers about him.

11. What is Daddy really good at?
G – Playing video games.
L – Working.

12. What is Daddy not very good at?
G – Telling us to do bad things.
L – Not handling messy children.

13. What does Daddy do for his job?
G – He does some of the same stuff he used to do in his old job, but he also does new stuff because he got a new job.
L – He. . . I don't know that one.

14. What is Daddy’s favorite food?
G – Everything.
L – Potatoes.

15. What makes you proud of Daddy?
G – He has that good job and he works all day to get us money.
L – Him getting money for us.

16. If Daddy were a cartoon character, who would he be?
G – He would be a carrot.
L – Um, I don't know.

17. What do you and Daddy do together?
G – Play Seawayne (with the boys) and play piano (without the boys).
L – Play Seawayne.

18. How are you and Daddy the same?
G – We both have noses and ears and mouths.
L – We both like to play together.

19. How are you and Daddy different?
G – Daddy has green eyes and I don't. He has short hair and I don't. He has black hair and I don't.
L – We're not the same tall.

20. How do you know Daddy loves you?
G – By the way he acts.
L – Because he tells me a lot.

21. What does Daddy like most about mama?
G – That she stays with children and that she made us.
L – That you're his wife.

22. Where is Daddy’s favorite place to go?
G – Home.
L – Work!

What the children know about their Mama, take 2

Find last year's answers here.

G=Gwendolyn (7 ½ yrs)
L=Linus (4 3/4 yrs)

1. What is something Mama always says to you?
G – I love you.
L – Don't play with her computer.

2. What makes Mama happy?
G – Sleeping, or staying in my room all night.
L – Staying in my room.

3. What makes Mama sad?
G – Us not listening to you.
L – Me not obeying.

4. How does Mama make you laugh?
G – Tickling us.
L – She tickles me & does funny things.

5. What was Mama like as a child?
G – Little.
L – Little and small, like me. And messy!

6. How old is Mama?
G – Um, 60?
L – Umm, I don't know that.

7. How tall is Mama?
G – 80 inches high.
L – Don't know that one, either. Can I measure you?

8. What is her favorite thing to watch on TV?
G – The weather.
L – The news.

9. What does Mama do when you're not around?
G – Sleep.
L – Cleans.

10. If Mama becomes famous, what will it be for?
G – Sleeping.
L – Riding a bicycle.

11. What is Mama really good at?
G – Talking care of your children.
L – Cleaning.

12. What is Mama not very good at?
G – Watching TV.
L – She's not very good when I'm not around.

13. What does Mama do for her job?
G – Take care of us.
L – Watches over children.

14. What is Mama’s favorite food?
G – Everything.
L – Potatoes.

15. What makes you proud of Mama?
G – She made us and it's really very hard to make people!
L – Letting us play seawayne.

16. If Mama were a cartoon character, who would she be?
G – A pumpkin that could walk because pumpkins are orange.
L – I don't know.

17. What do you and Mama do together?
G – Cuddle.
L – Clean up.

18. How are you and Mama the same?
G – We both have blue eyes and we're both children of God.
L – We both love each other.

19. How are you and Mama different?
G – She's older than me and wears glasses and has short hair and wears glasses.
L – We don't have the same color hair.

20. How do you know Mama loves you?
G – Because of the way she acts, and she says it also.
L – She tells me.

21. What does Mama like most about your daddy?
G – He has a good job and that he married her.
L – That he goes to work and that he gets us money.

22. Where is Mama’s favorite place to go?
G – C* Library.
L – The Farm Patch, or new places.

grateful sunday

This week I am thankful for:

• The safe return of my sweet kids. I really missed them!
  
• My sisters. It was wonderful to have them both here visiting this week. I'm thankful that we live close enough to get together often.
• Completed home improvement projects. Todd and I actually got quite a bit done in the 3 1/2 days we had all to ourselves. I love completed projects.
  
• Our vehicles. This week we had the van in the shop immediately followed by the Subaru. Minor repairs, but we were a 1-car family for half the week, which is hard where we live. Our cars aren't fancy or new, but I'm grateful for them and thankful that they run well.
• Books. Anyone who knows us knows that we are book people through and through. I love curling up with a good book and reading to my kids and listening to my kids read to me and listening to audiobooks and learning from Todd's knowledge of the Hebrew Bible as we study for Sunday School together. How blessed am I to get to enjoy nearly all of these things every single day?
  

swingin' time

Sadly, my sisters and brother-in-law and nieces leave tomorrow, but we've had a wonderful Spring Break with them. Lots of time spent outside (only one day of rain!), visits to our three favorite local museums, playing at the park, a family movie night (Ponyo), a little kite flying, and lots of good food. I'm especially going to miss the staying up late and visiting/playing games/watching movies with all the adults.

the highest height

A beautiful day for kite flying, so we went to our neighborhood park to play and to try to find some wind. It took us a while, but we eventually got to the top of a hill where the gusts were strong (if erratic) and the kids each got to handle our turtle kite. We also ran into some friends who were out celebrating the sun, and who Gwennie assisted by launching their kite.

we all scream

All the adults thought it would be a fun idea to take the kids to tour the ice cream factory. It's Spring Break, and every other family on the eastern side of Texas had the exact same thought. After viewing the mega-line outside, we realized there was no chance of getting into the factory, let alone finding a parking spot. We opted for a nice lunch in downtown Brenham before letting the kids run wild for a bit around a local nursery. Fun with cousins in the Spring sunshine -- that's almost as good as an ice cream factory, isn't it?

Casper Superbot

Casper has an active imagination for a two-and-a-half year old. He likes his dog, Toffee, as well as robots and superheros and anything that resembles a digger, a tractor, or a rocketship. I offer some proof:

Casper: You know that big robot with the beeping head and the big mouth? What he say?
Mama: I don't know. What does he say?
Casper: [in a robot voice]: I am a robot!

As Casper and Toffee play in the crib after Casper wakes from a nap: "I want to fly like a superhero, but I can't, so I fly like this. Toffee, you fly like this."

Looking at one of the many library books on outer space, Casper comments: "When I big, I can read this astronaut book."

homesickness

So the kids had been up in Dallas for a few days without Mama or Daddy (two days, to be exact) when I had this phone conversation with Gwendolyn:

Gwendolyn: I’m getting homesick, Mama.
Mama: Well, you only have 2 more days and then you’ll be home!
Gwendolyn: Only 2 more days! Why can’t I stay at least three?

Apparently there was some genuine homesickness going on because the kids, along with my sister and her family, came a day earlier than planned. We are so happy to all be together again and look forward to the week ahead with aunties, an uncle and cousins.

grateful sunday

This week I am thankful for:

• My sweet husband and the nine wonderful years we've had together. Last night we figured out (with the help of old journals) that we've actually known each other for 14 years. That's kind of a long time.
• The short but fun visit I had in Dallas this week. Todd was swamped with last minute exhibition preparations, so I drove up with the kids on Wednesday afternoon. I came back on Friday and left all 3 kids with Granny and Grandad. Apparently, they are having the time of their lives. (And the kids are doing all right, too.)
  
• The prospect of spending the next few days doing some Spring Cleaning without 3 little helpers to hinder me. I'm missing my kids like crazy (seriously, folks -- I spend lots of time crying and long stretches looking at photos of them) but I have a long to-do list which I'm anxious and motivated to get through. Napping also happens to be on my to-do list.
  
• The safe return of Plume (aka Mama Cat). She was out in the yard with us on Saturday afternoon, but didn't come home Saturday night, or Sunday morning, or Sunday afternoon. Todd and I have spent much of the past 24 hours looking, calling, fretting and praying. This evening as we were leaving to go drive around and look/call for her, she showed up by the back door. I'm so thankful that she is home safe.
  

Mr. Lunch thinks Jen's better than Scientific Supercake

We were halfway through our date -- dinner at our favorite middle eastern restaurant, then on to the cinema -- before we realized that this was exactly the same thing we'd done to celebrate our anniversary last year. Before you accuse us of letting our relationship stagnate, I'd like to say in our defense that this was the most recent time we'd gone out for dinner and a movie. Oh yes, we're keeping it fresh.

Number 9 . . . Number 9

Today is our ninth wedding anniversary, and Jennifer decided to celebrate by taking the children and leaving town. Of course, considering the fact that I'll be spending the evening trying to finalize the science fiction exhibition at the library, we didn't expect to spend any time together, much less commemorate the anniversary. Once Jen gets back (without children) and I get the show finished, we should have a chance to go out in recognition of the day.

grateful sunday

This week I am thankful for:

• My improving health. I love being able to have the strength and energy to play with my kids and keep on top of household chores (kind of) and occasionally make dinner for my family. It feels really good.
• Little signs of Spring. Todd spent nearly every Saturday in February digging holes and planting fruit trees (apple, pear and plum) and berry bushes (blueberry, raspberry and blackberry) in our yard. There are little green leaves and buds all over the place, which is pretty exciting. The weather has also been lovely and we've been enjoying lots of time outside.
• Sweet and loving friends. I've received so many emails and notes and cards and calls this week. I honestly feel circled about in arms of love. Thank you, friends.
  
• The amazing children that I have. I'm so crazy in love with those three and adore their charming and unique personalities. I feel so blessed to be their mother.