Happy Birthday USA!

July Fourth in Okabena

Photo by Annalise

Watching the tractors proceed

Loudest boy in America does not like fire engine sirens!

School's Out For Summer ........

Or is it? Yesterday, we were in the truck and somehow A got B to play school. They each had their respective drawing boards and A was getting B to practice writing his letters. As time went on, A was getting more and more frustrated (as she is want to do if things don't go exactly as she has them planned out in her head). She finally reached her boiling point and came out with this classic gem: "B, do you just want to goof around or do you want to try your hardest so that you can get gold stars?"

Several surprises/thoughts/cartoon bubbles immediately popped into Mr. Mom's large cranium:

1) How does A know what gold stars are? Such an antiquated reward system cannot be the Montessori way;

2) A is in for a life of teasing from B;

3) B can push A's buttons like no other;

4) A and B are both very twisted individuals because they both continue to subject themselves to these ongoing battles all day long, everyday; and the most shocking of all

4) B actually replied with "I want gold stars."

Camping Season Kick-off!

We had such a nice time at my parents' land in Wisconsin over Memorial Day weekend. It was Colin's first camping experience, as we did not get the pop-up out once last summer! Does anyone recall why that was? Suffice it to say, we were very glad to get the pop-op popped up and we were off and running with our crazy camping family. Our kids LOVE camping! Colin was mesmerized by the campfire, and insisted on sitting in his own chair like a big boy. The bugs were terrible on Saturday night (our first night), and it probably didn't help that we had the kids take a camp bath in a tub out in the clearing, and exposed all that pretty pink skin ripe for the mosquitoes taking! We went on a nice hike, and all the kids (and mommy) took turns going on an ATV ride with Grandpa. We also went to a nearby beach and enjoyed some swimming and playing in the sand. It was a really nice lake and beach, and it was packed with holiday weekend picnickers! Can't wait for our next camping adventure...

More Memorial Day Pics

Wouldn't you know, we forgot the SLR for our first camping trip, but I did get a few photos with the iPhone. Annalise found a few snails and named the first one Donald, and his partner Evelyn (note the alphabetic progression, picking up right after Colin). We were all set to leave them at the land, but after some fat, rolling tears, decided to bring them home in an empty peanut jar.

Beaver lodge

I mentioned how I like moss, and Bennett proceeded to point it out along our whole hike!

Popcorn snack on the ATV

Little Dipper

It took three children, to have one who discovered the fun of toilets. I was in the bathroom with Colin at the exact moment he kindled his fascination... I had just flushed, and he was pointing at the swirling water, and listening to the filling tank, pointing, and saying his little pigeon sound- ooh, ohh. I closed the lid of the toilet. He was holding an empty plastic Ikea bowl; my back was turned as I washed hands at the sink, then plop! Giggle, giggle...he swished the bowl around in the water. I fished the bowl out of the bowl, saying 'yucky, no!', closed the lid, and turned to put the blue bowl in the sink. Turning around to the sound of more delightful squeals, I saw my youngest son creating a whirlpool current with his cupped hand, and as I lurched across the room toward him, pudgy palm went to lips- lovely, sweet toilet water, then a six-toothed grin.

Bedtime at Our House

Bedtime can be a really sweet, frenetic, exasperating, tearful, or joyous occasion here- sometimes two or more of the above! Our routine is rock solid, and is working very well for us. Fairly soon (within 30-45 minutes) after dinner, we all head up the stairs to get ready for bed. Sometimes some or all clothing is stripped from one or more children while still downstairs, for some unknown reason (either by themselves, or by me).

First, the big kids work on brushing teeth and getting jammies on while either Mike or I change Colin's last diaper of the day and get him suited up in his pajamas and sleep sack. Then Colin says good night to his siblings, and we make the 'sleep' sign on his face. He sometimes adds a snoring noise, which is absolutely adorable. One of us goes into Colin's room to read a few books, have a sip of water, and put him in his crib, then we all lie on A's bed while we read 1 or 2 chapters of the Magic Treehouse series, or Junie B. Jones, and 1 chapter or book of B's choice. We of course need to alternate nights for whose book is read first.

Next, Bennett hugs Annalise goodnight and goes to his room to get tucked in while Annalise pulls her covers back. Every time we leave Bennett's room after saying goodnight, turning on the nightlight, making sure he is holding Starry, and spreading the fish blanket over the top of everything, he says, "make sure to leave the door a little bit open." He has been saying this one or more times per night since the age of 2.5. It isn't an absolute requirement that A have a nightlight on anymore, but most nights she turns it on. Annalise never says, "I love you" when we tell her, but she is now making the 'I love you' sign and holding it up to my 'I love you' sign.

I was thinking a while ago about all the different types of kisses we have in our family. Sometime when I put the kids to sleep we do all of them. There is the butterfly kiss, the eskimo, the normal on the mouth kind, turtle kiss (where you stick your nose in the corner of their eye and they squeeze it, and vice versa), and our favorite of all, the open-mouthed, sloppy wet Colin Kiss. We also have been doing lots of zerberts on bellies lately, but we try not to do them too close to bedtime because things can get quite silly. Colin is quite the little zerbert-meister!

Fun with Rubbermaid

Mother's Day Picnic

Mother's Day morning in bed- we're watching Thomas the Tank Engine and eating chocolate cheerios (not my idea; I'll bet you can guess whose idea it was...)

We had such a nice time on Mother's Day. Our family, along with my sister's and my parents went to Minnehaha Falls for a picnic, playing at the playground, hiking around the falls, and kite flying. The kite flying was a hit- it was the first time for all of the kids, and they loved getting them up in the air. We finished off the perfect day with an ice cream cone at Pumphouse Creamery. Delicous!