Missing

Missing: a well-loved pink rag blanket, smells like a child's stinky lovey, responds to the name "Blankee"; last seen Thursday in our living room.  If found, there is a bag of gummy worms as a reward.  At this point there may be a monetary reward as well!  See the following pictures that show just how many experiences this blanket has had.  (And these were just from that last month!)

Fortunately, we have an alternate blanket that Caroline seems to be adopting out of necessity (though not enough to lead to naps--boo). Ryan's mom gave it to Caroline a couple of weeks ago.  It is as if God knew our little girl would need a replacement. :(  However, we would be thrilled to find the original!

The water is on

I wanted to squeeze in one more post before we have friends come today.  I'm anticipating posting about their visit, so I wanted to sort of catch up before I feel behind again.

On Thursday we had our last MOPS meeting.  It was a fun time, and I enjoyed one last morning talking, laughing, and eating with the ladies at my table.  I'm not sure if I'll be doing it next year, so it made the meeting a bit more sweet.  While I was having fun, the boys were making these little racecars.  Aren't they cute?

After MOPS, the women at my table and I met at a park.  For whatever reason I got there way before they did, and the boys raced off to play on the ladders, slides, and tractor.  By the time everyone else go there, the boys were not interested in eating but instead wanted to play, and of course, their little sister wanted to follow them.  The problem was that rather than play on the dry playground equipment, they opted to play in the water that had just been turned on that day.  Oh joy!  My boys were SOAKED when we got in the car.  At one point Jack actually did a push-up in the shin-high water.  

Caroline was a little more hesitant to get wet but ended up pretty drenched herself. 

When we got into the car the kids all had to strip down to their undies/diaper.  Did I mention the temp was only 70 degrees?  They had a great time, though, and are no worse for wear.  It would have been nice, however, to know that the water was on before arriving.  I may have requested a different park!

Mother's Day

I sort of celebrated Mother's Day a couple of weeks ago when Ryan took the kids for the day, and I was able to get a massage and facial and spend the day not cleaning up anyone else's messes.  Believe it or not, that was what I was most looking forward to about the day by myself.  It was lovely, but it also showed me just how much I really do love and enjoy my kids.  I felt kind of lonely.  However, it was nice--don't get me wrong!

So for Mother's Day, when my boys gave me their gifts, it was like a bonus day!  Jack is so sweet because he takes these holidays very seriously and draws lots of pictures and says things like, "Oh, Mommy, you don't need to do anything today.  I'll do it all for you."  We just need to work on the follow through! :)



Here is Grant's gift he made in school.  I love how he signs his name--always without the "a" (his teacher wrote it in for him) and with the line on his "n" on the opposite side.

I didn't know if Jack would have anything now that he's in kindergarten, but he came home from school on Friday and announced that I was not allowed to look in his backpack until after Sunday.  After handing me his envelope filled with coupons, he told me he can do anything on the coupons.  I just need to hand one to him.  I think it's time for me to collect on the clean his room one!

The best Mother's Day picture we've ever had--thank goodness for a new fast camera (Happy 5 birthdays/Christmases to me!)

And lest I forget, Happy Mother's Day to my sweet mother!  She is an awesome woman and a wonderful mom.  I am so thankful for all times she's listened and helped me and for all the lessons I've learned from her.  I love you, Mom!

What season is it anyway?

For the past week the boys have BEGGED to go outside and play in the water.  Unfortunately, the temperatures haven't necessarily been hot but have been warm enough to make the boys think it is warm enough.  Does that make sense? 

So last Friday, when they got out the sprinkler, changed into their swimsuits, and turned the water on, I resigned myself to the fact that 74 degrees cannot stop these boys from playing in freezing cold water.  Our neighbor questioned their choice of fun, and I just shrugged and said, "I know."  I mean, really, wouldn't they get out if they were too cold?  I'm not sure, but I can say for certain they did have fun!

On Monday the boys really wanted to get the little pool out.  I think they are a little confused that temps in the 70s are not quite warm enough to play outside in the pool.  Ryan, however, decided he could spray them with a hose while they ran away.  Grant was a willing and excited participant in this activity.  Jack need a little more encouragement before he opted to join in on the game.  In the end I think they both had more fun with Ryan's hose tag game than they would have in our little inflatable pool.

Grant ducking from the spray while Caroline looks on--She wasn't quite ready to get wet.

Got him!

Jack trying to tag Ryan before Ryan shoots him

Winding Down

As a teacher I always see May as the time of "lasts" and "ends".  It's nice to have a clear start and stop.  Because I'm also married to a teacher, I am not quite sure what life is like when you are not on an Aug.-May school schedule.  I suppose, once you have school aged, you automatically see life in a more traditional school schedule.

Enough of my ramblings...

Last Wednesday Jack had his Awana closing ceremony, and  Grant had his Cubbies closing ceremony the Sunday before that.  I must confess that I was ready for the end.  As much as I love and value what my kids learn in this amazing program, I hate the late bedtime followed by the exhaustion-filled Thursday.  This was our first year doing it, and I am very proud of both of them for receiving Perfect Attendance awards and finishing their books.  Jack finished his twice and even completed the Extra Credit book.  So many verses have been hidden in their hearts this year.

Grant in his vest, refusing to look at the camera.  Look at all of those patches I had to sew on!

It's sort of hard to see, but this is Grant (I'm on the side there), sucking his thumb and walking across the stage after receiving his award.  He got a a cute little Cubbie bear that is Velcroed to his vest.

Jack, waiting before the ceremony--He was in their little video presentation a couple of times.  He really has done awesome this year and has thrived on the memorization (thank you, Lord, for his great memory!) and structure.

I tried to get a shot of Jack before he began walking off the stage.  Unfortunately, he was too fast, and my camera was too slow.  Grrr...

The verdict is still out on whether we will do Awana next year, but that's the beautiful thing about an Aug.-May schedule.  By the time it starts back up, we may have forgotten all of the negatives and may only remember the positives!  We shall see.

Why I don't clean

Confession: I am not great about cleaning.  I admire those people who love to clean and can keep their homes clean, even with young kids.  That's not me!

So, when two accidents happened in the bathroom in one day, I decided I might as well clean not only the floor (which I did after each incident) but also the sink.  I even refilled the soap container!  I felt so productive!  After patting myself on the back and admiring my work, I sat down to relax.  Not too long after that I heard the bathroom door lock, followed by thuds and mischievous squeals and giggles. 

In case you don't know, a locked bathroom door with two giggling boys behind it is NOT a good sign.

I banged on the door to get them to open up, and here is what I saw:

The boys has dumped the whole soap bottle into the sink and turned on the water, after which they threw the bubbles all over the bathroom.

I was not a happy momma. 

Did I mention Ryan missed this whole thing because he was mowing the lawn?   Lucky guy!  Darn my grass allergy!

So, in case you ever visit my house and it's a mess, I am sorry.  I am just not sure I really see the point while I have three lovely yet ornery curious little ones underfoot!



Money, money, money

A couple of months ago we finally took the plunge and decided to start an allowance with the boys.  I don't quite know why we waited so long, but it's been a great thing!  We found these little containers with three sections and divided them into give, spend, and save.  The boys decorated them with stickers and became really excited about the idea. 

I can say that, two months in, an allowance is a GREAT idea!  When we go to the grocery store, we no longer have to hear the begging for treats because we can just simply ask, "Do you have enough money?"  When they want something at Target, we can reply, "I'm not sure if you have enough money saved." 

Jack has been able to use his "give" section to bring money to church to put in the offering plate and to support his Sunday School class' missionary projects.  Grant has also brought his money to church and put it in the offering plate.  We have not done much with the save section, but I anticipate that we will be taking it to the bank in the near future.  I am thankful that we have been able to start our kids (hopefully) on the path to positive money management--and to save us from a bit of whining in the process!

The one where I flip out

On Tuesday I sort of flipped out.  Here's the story:
The first night of swimming lessons Jack was placed in a higher level class.  However, after seeing the children in both the higher and lower classes, the teachers decided (after class was over) to switch him with a girl who was very obviously too advanced for her lower class.  (Hello, lap swimmer??)  My boy, who is not a big fan of change and needs lots of forewarning, refused to switch classes the second week of lessons.  Did I forget to mention that they told him this that night?  Yeah, I totally understood why he was upset because I was upset on his behalf.  The director and I had a conversation and figured we'd see how he did the following week.  After talking at length with Jack, I assumed that he would participate and move easily to the other group.  However, when he once again glued himself to the bench and would not join his new class, my patience was shot. 

"If you don't go to your class, you will be going to Child Watch," I said.
To which he replied, "Okay."
Oooh, the power struggle!  I HATE the power struggle with my strong-willed child!

I dragged him (I think--maybe he went willingly?  I really cannot remember!) to Child Watch, threw his shoes onto the floor, told him he could not play the Wii Dance game, slammed the door, and stormed off.  Did I mention that my voice was maybe raised this whole time and that it was in front of the mom of one of my students and some co-workers? 

Yup, Mom of the Year right here.  I'm expecting my medal anytime.
I was steaming mad!  One of the women who witnessed the whole thing came out to see me at the pool (I was watching my compliant swimmer at his lesson) and said, "I've never seen you that mad!  It's always nice to see someone who is usually so calm get upset."
That got me thinking.  I know that my reaction was wrong.  I should have been slow to anger and handled it differently (not quite sure how but differently nonetheless).  God is teaching me something about myself through this child, and I need to be willing to learn it.  However, it also made me realize how much we as parents (and maybe especially moms) hide our weaknesses.  They are so close to the surface, and the thought of anyone knowing how much I struggle with my children at times is too personal to share.  The thing is, though, that if I share my insecurities, maybe I can encourage someone that it is okay to not know what to do--or maybe I can even glean some advice from a "been there, done that" parent.  I will say that the further I get in this parenting journey (don't I sound old and wise with 6 years under my mom belt? *eye roll*), the less I judge other parents.  It is just such a hard job!
So, in conclusion, I flipped out, I learned, I'm waiting for my medal.  That sounds about right!

Four busy cousins and a baby

We spent a fun couple of days last weekend with my sister and her family.  I was curious to see who her son, Barrett (who is 8 weeks older than Miss C.), would play with while we were there: the older boys or Caroline.  Here is who he chose:

It was so cute to see the two 2-year-olds play together!  They loved jumping on the futon mattress (which was on the floor) and laughing.  This picture cracks me up because I can see Caroline's piggies flying as she jumps!

On Saturday the weather was cold, cloudy, and all-around yucky.  We decided, along with a lot of other families, to spend the day at the children's museum by their house.  The museum is a little more interactive and play oriented than ours, and the kids had fun playing and using their imaginations. 

What could be better for two train loving boys than a model train?  Um, a train passing by while standing in the train area of the museum!

Caroline was definitely more interested in Audrey this time than at Christmas.  She wanted to watch the diaper changes and would come around Megan sometimes when she was feeding her a bottle.  The boys, however, probably didn't even know there was a baby in the house.  Funny how different they are!

As I watched Jack climb his jungle gym I had such a hard time believing he was ever Caroline and Barrett's age.  He just seems so big in this picture!

One of the favorite toys for all of the kids was Barrett's train table.  The boys spent a lot of time up there playing with the trains, and every once in awhile they left so that Caroline and Barrett could play on it as well.  They did a pretty good job sharing, but occasionally needed some encouragement to play nicely.  It was definitely the hit toy of the weekend!

Thanks, Megan and Tim, for hosting us in between your crazy work weeks!  We had a great time!

My kind of town

Last weekend we visited my sister in the suburbs of Chicago.  Because the kids and I had Friday off of school we decided to go up on Friday and spend the day in downtown Chicago, which we've not done with the kids.  Ryan used to take students up there so he knew where to go.  We got a little later start than we'd anticipated (what else is new!) so didn't get to spend as much time in the city as we would have liked, but it was still fun to be there.  I'd forgotten how much I like being in Chicago.  There is so much energy and excitement--nothing quite like emerging from an underground El stop onto a busy city street.  It is just a little different being there with kids--more heart pounding moments mixed with lots of encouragement to keep on walking.  However, it was lots of fun for everyone

Our first stop, where we parked, was Chinatown.  We stopped at a bakery , and it was yummy to eat food that reminded me of Japan (red beans and sticky rice balls).  I need to visit the local Japanese store again soon!

waiting for a light to turn--I decided to just carry Caroline on my back and am glad I did.  My foot hurt a little the next day, but dealing with a stroller would have been too annoying.

The Bean at Millenium Park--It was a beautiful day, and everyone was taking pictures of themselves in the Bean.  We hadn't seen it yet in person, so it was neat to finally see this artwork I'd heard about and seen in photographs.  There is just something kind of cool about it.

our family reflected in the Bean

a reflective pool with these LCD screens with faces that move and smile--Jack had to touch the water in it, after which he declared that he'd touched the lake.  We'll have to do Lake Michigan some other time! 

our first family ride on the train--The boys were too interested in looking out the windows to look at me.  I love how Grant has a forced smile on his face but cannot pause to look at the camera.

My little goofball and walking companion--She also refused to look at the camera on the train but for different reasons: she just wanted to be silly!