And Then I Cried

On Sunday, I decided to trim Emily's hair. It was halfway down her back and it just got stringy really quickly whenever she wore any of it down. I got out the scissors and trimmed the bottom layer. Then the second. Then when I was trimming the third, I wasn't paying attention and took off...four inches. So, now Emily has a nice bob. Fortunately she has a face that looks supercute with any hairstyle (that I've tried thus far). Her cut isn't super pro - obviously - but I think it turned out alright. And, after I calmed down a bit, I realized that this is really a good thing. She was taking her hair out at some point during the day EVERY single day and it was driving me crazy. Now, I can comb her hair and call it done if I want. I think we will both be happier with that for now.

PS, I had the front part of her hair up in mini french braids, so it looks a little funny.

"I will call you Squishy, and you shall be mine"

Emily has adopted a new pet today.

This afternoon, she ran downstairs and said "Mom! Come see my new puppy! It's upstairs in the window!"

"A new puppy?" I asked.

"Yeah! It's a fly and it's my new cute puppy!"

I went upstairs, and sure enough, there was a fly buzzing around the window. She somehow got it to stay on a green fleece blanket and brought it downstairs for all of us to enjoy. After a few minutes of raptured adulation, she had to run upstairs for something and asked Matt to watch over her pet. Sure enough, within seconds of Emily leaving, the fly flew away. The distraught Emily, eyes full of accusation, asked frantically where her fly was. After Matt's indepth dissertation on the undomesticatable nature of the common fly, she replied, "Okay. I'm going upstairs to find another fly to be my puppy."

So, she is still at it. Either we've got a highly imaginative four year old, or a major fly problem. Or perhaps both.

Good Check Up...?

Pop's 12 month check up was today. He is healthy, he is growing on track, he is happy - except for the nice quintuple poke finish to the appointment. He is 24 lbs 9 oz and 30 1/2 inches long.

In related news, we spent almost two hours in the doctor's office, and I had all four kids with me, and they have been in a funk for the last few days. I'm just amazed that I made it through. Actually, I prayed about it. I know that may seem silly, but I needed help. So, the girls still fought like crazy, the other two had their share of attention seeking maneuvers, but I was able to stay calm through out and deal with each problem as it came. And now we are home and in decompress mode. Whew.

I've noticed lately that I have become a monotone parent. When I reprimand the kids, it is always with the same tone of voice. I've gotten stuck in my auto-response mode, so no matter the size of the infraction, I've reacted the same. I've been working on it. So, hopefully when I tell the kids to get out of the street because a giant metal instrument of death is barreling towards them, they won't think it's on the same level as asking them to not put their underwear on their heads.

PS one week from today!!

Birthday Pictures

For his birthday, I made him a quilt and we got him a big pool ball and a blow up pool. The pool was a big hit with all the kids, of course. It's amazing what a foot of standing water does to a dull afternoon.

One!!

Happy Birthday, Pops!! That first year mark always seems to sneak up on me. My blue faced Papa Smurf is now sunny little creeper, crawling all over the house. Here are some of the status markers:

He has one tooth on the bottom, and I think I saw the edge of one of his front teeth peeking through this morning. The other two in the font will be here any minute.

He idolizes his older brother and oldest sister. He's nothing but smiles whenever he sees them. He loves it when anyone crawls on the floor and chases him.

When anyone in the family is laughing he starts guffawing loudly.

He's taken four steps in a row but isn't really interested in walking alone yet.

I love you, baby! Happy Birthday!!

Sticks and Stones

This morning the kids were eating breakfast when Emily came over and whined, "Mary said 'blah blah' to me!"

Matt responded, "Are you hurt?"

She nodded.

Matt said, "So, if I say 'blah blah' to you it hurts you?"

She nodded.

Matt asked, "Where?"

Emily lifted up her arm and pointed to her armpit. So. Apparently when you say "blah blah" to someone it hurts them in their armpit.

By the Power of Gray Skull!

Miscellaneous Pictures

In May, we had a big camp out in our living room. My favorite kind! Showers, bathrooms, no smoke or dirt or bugs (usually no bugs at least). The kids played in the tent all afternoon, and then watched a movie after dinner. They munched on s'more trail mix (teddy grahams, mini marshmallow, and chocolate chips) and watched a movie. Then I took the two younger ones up to bed and the two older ones slept downstairs in the tent - at least as much as you can sleep at a camp out. They had a blast. Me too. I must say that one of my favorite things in motherhood is doing out of the ordinary things like this. It makes life exciting.

A few days ago, we saw a little fawn running around in our back yard. I'm hoping the mother was just out of sight as opposed to the alternative, but I think I saw the mom on the side of the highway. Poor baby!! It makes me so sad. I called the wildlife people and they said there was nothing we could do or they could do. I hope the little one is still alright. We haven't seen it since. Quite a surprise to find something like this in our yard, though!

Officially Summer

We have now been to a pool twice in the last week, and have barbequed. It is officially summer. So, why do you have two arm loads of junk per kid plus an additional inexplicable ten armloads every time you go swimming? Unloading the car I thought "Is this worth it?" Yeah. Swimming is great.

The heights by great men reached and kept

Were not attained by sudden flight,

But they, while their companions slept,

Were toiling upward in the night.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Happy Music

Have you heard this song yet? Usually I'm more into music with a more serious or dramatic feel, but some times you just need happy, optimistic music that just plain makes you feel good. This is one of those songs for me.

A Good World

People really are amazing. I don't notice it nearly enough, but there it is, always waiting for me to notice. One example. A retired gentleman lives in a house just down from the elementary school. Last year he would wave as he worked in his yard. He was always working in his yard. A few months ago, I notice he had put up little plastic borders and filled a path across his yard with gravel. One day, as we were walking to school, he was out planting flowers. I asked if it would be alright if we crossed on the path. He said, "Of course. That's why I made it. Now you don't have to walk on the street anymore." He also apologized that it wasn't a better path. I thought that was so thoughtful and kind for him to put in all that work for the handful of us that walk to school.

Field Day 2010

I was able to go to Joe's field day this year with the kids. It was fun to watch them get out and run around. Here is the best video that I got of Joe (a sad commentary on my videography skills).

So, Joe's favorite part of field day? Watching "Up" at lunchtime. I'm sure the races were a close second. As you can see from the video he is very focused when he is racing.

Nice

Here's an amazing feat of skill and dexterity

My favorite part about this video, is that when Emily saw it for the first time she burst out laughing when she lost her balance in the video. If only I could laugh at myself that readily.

Field Day 2010

Wheels Keep On Turnin

Of all the little things that come with parenthood, the thing I like the very least - ranking far beneath cleaning up poop from walls (yes, I've done that) cleaning up puke from a bed and small child in the middle of the night (I just really don't do throw up) or even matching and folding socks - is disciplining. Especially in public! I hate knowing people are watching me. I worry that they think I'm being too lenient - or too harsh. And I just wish they wouldn't think anything at all! Maybe they aren't. But, maybe they are. I wish I didn't care. It just adds pressure to an already less than pleasant situation.

Yesterday, I was riding to pick J up from school, the two younger kids in my bike trailer and E riding her bike. About halfway there, E just stopped. Her back tire was hanging into the street and we were a dozen yards away from a "busy" intersection. I told her she needed to walk her bike across the street. Apparently, that request was on par with asking her to amputate a vital body part, because she proceeded to wail at the top of her lungs. There she was wailing, there I was with my hands on my hips sternly admonishing her to come. I moved her bike out of the road, but that did nothing to move her along. One car slowed to a crawl as it passed, the driver's gaze moving deliberately between E and me until I waved and she drove on. I went and picked up E's bike and back pack and brought it to the corner which brought on renewed wailing and odd looks from the little shop on the corner. Then, a mini van stopped, reversed, rolled down the window and the woman inside proceeded to tell E that she needed to do xyz. I felt like throwing something. I know, super mature, but, do people who don't know my child honestly think that they can jump in with absolutely no information and do a better job than me? That's not to say that well placed assistance from a friendly associate isn't appreciated, but that mini van was just plain meddling. That irks me!! Well, we got to school eventually, and J was able to take E's bike while she joined her siblings in the trailer.

Today, we were sorting through the puzzles, that had once again gotten all mixed together - now a heap of unorganized cardboard, and assembled them to see if any pieces were missing. Suddenly, the princess tunes we were listening to was replaced by Eye of the Tiger. We all stopped and bobbed to the beat then burst out laughing. Two little princesses happy for the change of pace and one mom soaking in their untempered joy. As we did the puzzle, M finally fit two pieces together. Her eyes were bursting with pride as she smiled brightly and said, "I did it, mommy!" Then she wrapped her little arms around my neck and gave me a hug.

The amazing thing about being a mother, and especially of little children, is that life keeps going. Those wheels keep turning. The unpleasantness quickly passes and you are faced with the heart swelling joy of a new precious moment. All these moments are part of that wheel, you can't have one without the other. And, today I am grateful for the good, the bad, the fleeting and the joyous.

A Quadriped No More - Sort Of

W has finally taken interest in walking recently. He is really unsteady, though, so I don't anticipate him walking unaided for at least a few weeks. But, today, he discovered the wonders of the push toy. His sisters had brought our truck toddler bike downstairs...again. He was trying to get on top of it, but it kept moving. It didn't take him long to realize how amazing this new discovery was. He started cruising all over the living room as a true blue biped. Now if he could just figure out what to do with these super "helpful" sisters!