Sneak Peek

Nicholas ran across flat daddy the other day before I had a chance to tuck him away to wait for the right time for a big reveal--like when I had my camera ready and the energy for the inevitable mayhem...

Soon.

Alida

Seemingly no fear. She's always been this way. It comes across as innate confidence that is stunning.

Fiercely independent in most ways.

During dinner she'll often get up from her chair and come give me a hug and say "thank you" even though she hardly eats anything.

Capable of just hanging out alone, which is a hard skill to learn in our house. She'll often wander outside and play alone for half an hour or more just picking grass or practicing swinging. Catch her eye through the window and she'll smile or stick out her tongue and then she's on her way.

I love this girl.

Stop Touching Me

"Mommy, why are your legs so prickly?"

"Because I clearly need to shave them."

"Ouch! They hurt!"

"Stop touching me."

Not So Very Far South

There's something about crossing over into Mississippi that changes your frame of mind. I don't drive as fast; the landscape becomes rural nearly immediately on our route; and, the heat and humidity emanate. Just a few miles North it is just plain hot and yucky, but when you cross into here it feels like a novel. It feels slower and haunted and quiet even though the same four kids are laughing at a movie in the car with the AC blasting air on their faces. The road wanders and the landscape is green, overgrown. The small towns you drive through are quiet on Sunday afternoons and whisper about the things that they've seen.

So the drive to our friends' puts me in the right frame of mind for slow Sunday afternoons of chocolate cake and spraying 40 degree well water from a hose at each other. The adults sit and talk and the kids run in and out. We're a big sweaty mess when the time comes to find some dry clothes and settle back into the car.
And that is what Sunday afternoons should be I think.

The Saturday Outing: Playdate and Solitude

I meandered through Target for two hours and talked with Patric, just talked. I can count on one hand the times in the past six months I've done that. Actually, I can count on one finger the times in the past six months I've done that.

And without further delay, click here to see why my kids didn't mind me abandoning them and how good, brave friends sustain me.

My Task Today

Find a family picture for the boys' family tree at daycare.

Goodness, easier said than done.

Randomness

Trying not to laugh by shoving your own chin up really doesn't work.

They will wear hair bows for approximately 10 seconds.
So, they have bangs.



Alida became seriously attached to our friend's dog Ranger. She pretends to be a cat or a horse or a dog most every day. I went to give her a hug the other day and instead of a hug she reared her head back to "neigh" like a pony and popped me in the face. That was a week ago; my cheekbone is still tender.


Why I don't get to eat much. They will abandon their own plates of food to take mine from me, smiling the whole time like they know how evil that is.

When we bought 4 umbrellas in February, Elaine insisted that she have a Spiderman umbrella like her brothers' instead of a princess one like Alida. She regrets that decision now.

Eddie Haskell

The Terminator

Perhaps he is explaining to her why boys use the potty standing up and girls don't. It has been an issue for her and she's aggravated at all the options those boys have that she doesn't.

It is striking how important their work is sometimes.

I don't understand their games half the time.

Took a picture of the Mother's Day cards from preschool thinking they would be destroyed within 5 minutes. They're still there. They make me happy.

These are about all of the flowers from my garden that are there right now, lovingly plucked and brought to mother.

Later, when Benjamin stealthily moved them to the Transformer cup, I'm thinking he either thought that they needed a new vase or he was trying to hide that he didn't drink his milk.

Update From Iraq: Faces

Patric sends pictures without explanations.

I have to make up what I think is likely going on in my head.

"Smile! I command you to smile! Then dust off your keyboard for goodness sake."

I had to make all of my own computer equipment from bailing wire and stuff from the recycling bin, but look at this chair! It's awesome.

Of course I'm mad. Everything I've asked for is out of stock, and now I'm going to have to mail order it...

Oh, his mamma misses his face.

Sir, can you just.... Please. Stop the camera. Yes. Okay, you're funny. Can you just sign the dang paper?

Hey this couch would go great with the office chair down the hall.

I imagine this is a return, and they are weary.

And I would love to be there to hear the stories he tells.

I don't know.

He's got me on this one.

Every Weekend?

Must we have this beginning on Friday evening?

Time to pop up the princess castle from Uncle Curt.
And there they played for hours.
And a new love affair with the second floor of the house began.

My Mother's Day Gift

There was napping.

Or at least pretending to nap.

But there was actual napping.

Long overdue weekend napping.

Oh No You Don't

"Here brother. Your diaper is dirty."

And he let them change it.

Theology: Four Years in the Forming

Ben: "Nicholas. That was the hardest spankin' of my life. And I don't want my bottom to crack open."

Nicholas: "Yeah. That would be funny."

Ben: "No, Nicholas. No, it wouldn't. Then I would be dead."

Nicholas: "Yeah. And then you'd go see Jesus. That would be funny too."

Ben: "No! No Nicholas that wouldn't be funny. I'd go to heaven. Nicholas, when I'm dead, no one else can go inside this body."

Nicholas: "No."

Ben: "Yeah, then we'd all be gone forever and wouldn't come back."

I Think They Like It

Our first swing set injury. Nicholas ran out the door so fast it slammed back and hit Elaine in the face.

But it didn't really slow her down.

And I think they like it.

And the girls made it to the top before the boys.

Two words of instruction and the boys had the glider going. The swings are low enough the girls can push themselves from the ground (thank you in particular mom, dad, and Curt).

And the ladies scaled this thing on the first try without slowing down.

Now, I wonder if I can get some Wisteria to grow on the slats up there.

Thanks for all of the construction work from the family.

Waiting...

Beautiful weekend.

Beautiful kids.

Frustratingly long assembly.

I believe they are in the rain working on this right now trying to finish it up.