What Little Boys Are Made Of

*Those are worms my boys are having so much fun with.

Birthday Season

Dear Faithful Blog Readers,

I am sorry I've been out of touch lately. It's not my stage fright that's keeping me away. It's just that we have officially entered one of our major birthday seasons, and I am using every spare minute (aka: when the kids are asleep or otherwise occupied) to get ready for one party in particular. (Jeff's birthday is a week from Sunday, but he is pretty much taking care of his own party, so I only need concern myself with Weston's). Weston has settled on a firetruck theme, and I'm having so much fun pulling it all together. This will be his first birthday party with friends, so we are doing it up right. I have been printing invitations (thank you DLKT), cutting and folding said invitations, adding all the relevant party information, reprinting invitations (due to a necessary change in party location), repeating steps two and three, buying party favors and supplies, reserving our neighborhood community room, communicating with a friend about setting up a special surprise, building a special surprise of my own, having a third surprise spiffied up a bit, talking to Weston about the menu and other party requirements, and trying to remember all the kids in Weston's preschool class. There is a lot to do, but it is oh-so-much fun!! I can't wait to fill you in on all the surprises, but I'm afraid that, for now, you will just have to wait. Can't take a chance on the cat getting out of the bag, you know. So that's what I've been up to. Thanks for checking in.

Yours devotedly,

Mandi

2nd Month of 2nd Grade

Grammar: Practiced capitalization rules, quotations, possessives, contractions and correct punctuation in sentences, thus finishing Unit 1 in the 3rd-grade Grammar book.

Spelling: Finished the 3rd Spelling workbook and began the 4th. Also, practice spelling tests for PSIA's (private school's answer to UIL) Spelling contest, which Ruth will be competing in in the Spring.

History: Studied about the rise and spread of Islam and the work of Muhammad. Read 1001 Arabian Nights, and made spoon puppets of the story of "Sinbad and the Valley of Snakes," as well as a swirling "snake" to hang from the ceiling. Learned about the great dynasties of China. Practiced some Chinese writing and made laquered bowls. Read a story in which a tangram had to be solved and attempted to solve it herself. Studied about medieval Japan and Korea, and made a traditional Japanese meal. Learned about the type of poetry called "haiku" and wrote one of her own. Attempted an origami cat.

Science: Learned about rocks, earthquakes, volcanoes, oceans, rivers and floods. Made her own volcano.

Writing: Two personal letters, a paper describing a picture of Mary Poppins, a how-to paper on making a sandwich, and several practice papers for the Creative Writing contest for PSIA.

Math: Memorized first 15 prime numbers and squares up to 40, while continuing to work on facts and mental math tricks.

Music: Learned G7 chord, dotted half notes, F Major chord, how to use the damper pedal, what a broken chord is and how to play it, what an eighth note is, the fermata symbol, dotted quarter notes and several new songs, such as: "When the Saints Go Marching In, two versions of "Skip To My Lou," and the first line of both "Silent Night" and "Here Comes The Bride."

Portuguese: Finished Level 2 on the software and began Level 3. Also, some written vocabulary practice.

Super Friday: Continues to be a source of enjoyment.

Animal Farm

In her free time, and for her own enjoyment, Ruth (who is 7, let me just remind you) is reading Animal Farm by George Orwell. She is about half-way through now. Yesterday afternoon, she paid a visit to her dad's office (in our bedroom), and they began to discuss the book. Jeff asked her what she thought of the pigs. To which she replied, ""Well, the pigs told everyone that they couldn't sleep between sheets, but then they went in the farmhouse and slept between blankets." Jeff asked her if she thought this was following the rules or not. She answered, "Not really, because they didn't want anyone to sleep in a bed, and they were just making an excuse for why they could sleep in a bed." Then, totally on her own and completely unprompted, she offered up this little jewel: "They remind me of the dictators we studied in history, because they just wanted to make rules for everyone but not follow them themselves."

Now, some of you, like myself, may have read this book in Jr. High or High School and spent weeks discussing it in class and analyzing it for all it was worth and writing brilliant papers all about it and what it meant. And in the end, the point was exactly what Ruth took away from it, without all the hullabaloo. It just made sense to her and she was able to connect it with the other things in her head to make it make sense. I'm biased, but I might just call her a genius. And certainly her retired English teacher grandmother will be thrilled to know that she got that gene.

**You'll find on this blog we are not ashamed to brag on our kids, and this instance is no exception. We are extremely proud of all of our kids and want the whole world to know it.**

Smashing Good Time

I was awakened this morning to the sound of breaking glass. Knowing this could not be good, I groggily made my way to the kitchen, from which the sound emanated. There I found my two oldest children, one with a gleam in his eye and one with a look of complete disbelief in hers. Before I could even ask what happened, Ruth began to explain in appalled tones: "Mom, Weston grabbed that bottle off the counter, and I told him to be careful with it because it was breakable, and then, then, he just threw it down on the floor!" I then turned to my son and asked him if that was what happened. He replied in the affirmative. And when I asked why he would do that, he answered, "It was in my hand, so I had to break it."

I have read and have heard other mothers say that, around the age of four, some little boys have a surge in testosterone, which makes them more aggressive and a bit moody. I was never really sure if I believed this. But I believe it now. In the past few weeks I have seen this aggression and moodiness creep into my sweet little Weston's life like dust creeps into a home--not all at once and not covering every surface, but there nonetheless, and showing up in places you might not expect. One minute he can be hugging me and telling me how much he loves me or politely thanking me for doing something for him, and the next he can be pushing his brother down or yelling about whatever is making him angry at the moment or smashing glass bottles on the floor or just completely melting down over the smallest little thing. It's' weird. Especially for my passive, ultra-agreeable little Weston.

Don't get me wrong, Weston is still one of the sweetest little kids I've ever known, and this Mr. Hyde version of him is certainly not around all the time. And he only gets glowing reports from preschool, so I assume he isn't transforming in this way when he is there. That he has these swings at all is just so bizarre to me.

So what I want to know is: Have you experienced moms out there seen this happen with your boys? How did you (are you) weather(ing) the storm? Is it time to enroll the kid in karate to channel the aggression? Or should I just lock him in his room for the foreseeable future?

Mercer Arboretum

Facing myself in the face of death

Today, as I bought birthday party supplies for my four-year-old-to-be, another mom buried her four-year-old son, after he succombed to a brain tumor earlier this week. I don't know this woman personally--though I am friends with her cousin--but my heart breaks for her nonetheless. This isn't fair. And it isn't understandable. And there simply are no words. I can only pray that this family will draw the strength they need at this difficult time from the Lord and that He will sustain them in these dark days. For me, the effect of this child's death is to to examine my relationship with my own kids. How many times, just today, did I take them for granted? Or become unnecessarily exasperated with them? Were my harsh words more than my loving words? Did I hug them enough? Did I truly enjoy them? I will admit to you that in the past few weeks I have viewed my role as "Mom" as a burden of sorts, and I have failed to appreciate the blessing that it is to be in this position. A messy house, a screaming child, an interrupted thought, a life lacking in glitz and glamor: these are not burdens. These are the blessings of the everyday. I know Sondra would embrace any and all of these with joy today. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. Not for me, not for my kids, not for anyone. This moment is all I can claim. Please, Lord, help me to make the most of it.

My Lil Punkins

WWW.partyplanner

We have been talking a lot about birthdays around here lately. Weston attended his first-ever friend party a couple of weeks ago and has been excited about planning his party ever since. When you are turning four, one of the most important things is to pick a theme for your party. Weston changes his mind about every ten minutes, but there does seem to be a general direction towards transportation of some sort. During lunch today, he wanted to talk about his party and by the time we finished eating he had settled on boats. The following ensued.

Mom: What kind of boats do you like?

Weston: [blank look]

Mom: Sailboats? Speed boats? Fishing boats?

Weston: Definitely sailboats. I want a sailboat cake with RED icing.

Mom: O.k. Let's look at some pictures online, and you can tell me what you like.

Mom and Weston proceed to look at hundreds of pictures of boat cakes, none of them red enough, but many of them interesting--especially the 3D ones. After maybe ten minutes of this, Weston had something important to say.

Weston: Um. Actually, I think I would like to have a car cake.

Mom: A car? Really? Well, o.k. What kind of car?

Weston: [blank look]

Mom: A race car? Like on your backpack?

Weston: Um, actually, like on my lunch box. (This is the SAME car that's on his backpack).

Mom: O.k. Let's see what we can find.

Weston (after about five minutes): What I would really like is a truck...which is like a car.

Mom: What kind of truck? A firetruck...?

Weston (with eyes and mouth wide open): Ooh! A firetruck!! I definitely want a firetruck!

Mom: O.k. we'll look at a few pictures, but then we are going to stop and I will ask you again in a few days.

Later that same day.

Mom: Who do you want to invite to your party?

Weston: Oh, the people from across the street, the people from preschool, you guys and the young man who lives in the white house.

Mom: The "young man who lives in the white house?!" I don't think I know who that is. Can you tell me his name?

Weston (completely exasperated): You know. The young man who lives in the white house...with the roof. (Shapes his hands like a roof). I pointed him out to you the other day.

Mom (feeling very clever for having figured out the mystery by remembering that he pointed out his imaginary friend's house on the way to preschool the other day): Oh, you mean Jackry?

Weston (utterly indignant): No, Mom! The young man who lives in the white house. I'll show you.

Weston drags Mom out the front door and points to the white house just down the street, where a "young man" has never once been seen by Mom.

Mom: Do you know his name?

Weston: No. But I know I want him to come to my party.

Mom: Sorry, Son, but I think we are just going to stick to inviting people whose names we know.

We've still got a good month and a half until party time, and there is literally no telling how this birthday party will evolve. But, clearly, we will have a lot of laughs in the planning.

Stage Fright

Maybe you've noticed the infrequency of posts on this blog here of late. It could be that the mundanity of my life isn't worth writing about. And, frankly, that's a pretty good guess. Contrary to popular belief, it isn't all glitz and glamor around here all the time. But another thought worth exploring is that I have a type of stage fright. I write this blog mostly for my own benefit, and so the grandparents can see pictures of the kiddos. And I don't get many comments here, so I forget there is an audience out there. But recently, I've had several non-family members tell me that they read and enjoy this blog. And, I feel like I've kind of frozen up. I now feel like I need to be entertaining, and some days (a lot of days) I don't quite feel up to that challenge. I'm not sad that these people have given me compliments on the blog, and I don't want them to wish they had never said anything. I have been truly flattered. I just need to adjust to the spotlight, I guess. And I need to set your expectations that I'm not always entertaining. Sometimes, I'm downright boring. But, I like to write, and I like to get my (sometimes mundane) days down so that I won't forget what it was like to be us at this moment in time. Thank you so much for reading, and I do hope you'll visit often. I'll entertain you when I can.

Our best friend's birthday party

Those of you who know us, know we LOVE Chuy's. And while having one nearby wasn't exactly a prerequisite for us moving here, it certainly didn't hurt anything. The Chuy's nearest us has been here exactly a year. And we certainly aren't ones to let a birthday slip by, especially when it's someone we care about so much. We found out about the party quite by accident, but we wouldn't have missed it. There was face-painting and birthday cake, and Chuy himself was even around for some dancing and picture taking. We had a blast, and of course, we had some fabulous Mexican food.

Everyone loves the new camera...

...Well, almost everyone.

Pile of Pigs

Seriously. You should see these kids eat. We went out on Tuesday night. All three kids scarfed down their kids' meals and began begging us to order them something else. They couldn't get enough. Yesterday, Max and I had some things to pick up at Sam's--a store that always has an abundance of free samples. Max snacked the whole time we were shopping. Then, as I was checking out, he snitched a pear from the shopping cart and devoured it quickly. I then went over to the little on-site cafe to buy us both some lunch. While I was getting our drinks, he snagged another pear and made it disappear. Then, he ate the hot dog I got for him and some of my pizza. Tonight, we had breakfast for dinner. The kids had pancakes, eggs and sausage. When they had all finished healthy portions and I had already eaten until I was stuffed, Ruth and Weston asked me to make more eggs. Ruth had a large second helping and Weston put a small helping onto a biscuit and added some cheese. I simply could not believe it! I guess it takes a lot of energy to grow up so quickly! But they do make an adorable little pile of pigs, don't you think?!

When I left the library...

The sky was dark, the wind was blowing and thunder was rumbling all around. I knew the rain was on the way. But, I had errands to run, so I decided to brave the storm. Not surprisingly, my first stop was Sonic. As I placed my order, the inevitable rain came, forcing me to speak up so the order-taker could hear me. Then, just as the credit card machine was telling me that my card had been approved, the power went out. I realized that I could no longer see the other side of the Sonic and that I was in for a bit of a wait. So, I rolled up my window--just as the back end of my van began to be pelted with dime/nickel-size hail. I waited and waited, wondering what to do. Finally after 20-30 minutes, I stepped out of my van to ask the manager if I could just have my money back. It tuned out that my Java Chiller was already ready but hadn't been delivered, because all work had completely ceased. Unfortunately, in all the chaos, the lid had not been put on tightly and I got a lap full of chocolaty whipped cream. By then, the rain seemed to be less intense and the hail had gone completely, so I decided to make a move. It was only when I pulled around the Sonic to exit that I noticed how bad things really were. There was a large branch laying in the way and what seemed like a whole tree sticking through the tin awning. This had all been going on just a few feet from where I was parked while the rain blocked my view. So very thankful I didn't park on that side! As I said, the rain seemed to be letting up, so I decided to run my other errands. Immediately I found that there weren't any working traffic lights. Soon after, I discovered that there were trees down all over the place, including across one lane of the road I was driving on. Firetrucks and police cars raced around in every direction, lights flashing and sirens blaring. I made my way oh-so-slowly up the debris-laden street, only to find when I arrived at my next destination that they are closed on Mondays. Unwilling to retrace my steps through the mess I'd just left behind, I chose a different route home. Just a few miles down the road, the sun was shining and just the merest sprinkles were falling from the sky. So, I made another quick stop. Back in the van, I found traffic for my back way home backed up for miles and a little fender bender being cleared off the road. And then the medical helicopter made a pass overhead. I finally made my way onto the back road and proceeded to drive five miles an hour for the next 5 miles or so. I continued to observe downed trees and to hear sirens in the distance. Finally, it became apparent what was causing everyone to drive so slowly. There were power lines stretched out all over a portion of the road, with no clear way around. I will tell you I held up traffic further while I debated whether to drive over them like everyone else. Finally, I just closed my eyes and went for it. There were more trees down and branches sitting on power lines, bowing them almost to the ground. When I finally arrived home, I was just so thankful to be alive. And Jeff was shocked to hear my tale of destruction. He said the electricity had only barely blinked off at our house (which isn't all that unusual) and that it had just rained for a short time. Later, we found out that lightening had stuck a house, setting it on fire, not far from the Sonic where I was camped out. Crazy, crazy times. And not exactly my idea of a peaceful afternoon out without the kids!

A month into second grade

I can't believe we have already been back in school a month! Time flies when you're having fun, I guess. I'd love to share with you what we've been doing.

In Grammar:

Ruth has practiced ABC order and dictionary skills. She has reviewed the different types of sentences and has learned how to diagram each type. And, she has learned to identify the simple subject and the simple predicate in a sentence.

In Spelling:

Ruth has continued working through her 3rd Spelling book. (She did the first, second and part of the third last year).

In Portuguese:

Ruth is continuing to work through the Level 2 lessons of the Portuguese software we have. (She finished Level 1 last year). She is gaining confidence in using the language and is perfecting her usage of it.

In History:

We have talked about the fall of Rome, the spread of Christianity to Britain, the Celts, the monks--both Christian and Buddhist, and Justinian and Theodora--rulers of the Byzantine Empire. We have read a novel about a Roman slave who proved her worth and purchased freedom for her family. We have read Celtic fairy tales. We have learned about how books used to be made by hand. We have tried our own hands at calligraphy and illumination. We have made a monk's dinner. Ruth has written her own laws. And, she has painted her own frescoes.

In Science:

Ruth and Jeff have studied about the layers of the earth, the solar system, the seasons, weather, and the water cycle. Ruth made a mobile of the solar system, an anemometer, a water guage and rain.

In Writing:

Ruth has been perfecting her cursive, while incorporating concepts from History and Reading and Grammar.

In Music:

Ruth has learned the notes, the scales, the melodic intervals, the harmonic intervals, what a sharp is and the C Major chord. She learned to play with both hands. And, she can play several songs: Aura Lee, Ode to Joy, Jingle Bells, Brother John and a few others.

In Math:

Ruth continues to work on her facts (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division). She is working on memorizing the prime numbers. She has learned the squares up to 25. And Jeff is teaching her some mental math tricks, such as are used in Number Sense competitions. She has also been reviewing time, money, temperature, measuring and some other basic concepts.

In Super Friday:

Ruth is really enjoying her Super Friday classes. She loves interacting with the other kids and teachers, and she is having fun with the material as well.

In my kitchen today...

• Juice was spilled. (In keeping with the daily ritual).
• Lunches were packed.
• Spelling assignments were finished.
• Ants were killed.
• Chai was sipped.
• Dishes were washed. (Because the pile couldn't possibly have gotten any bigger without becoming dangerous).
• Yellow mayo was removed from the fridge and tossed.
• Rain was made by Jeff and Ruth for science class.
• Hugs were given.
• Appointments were made.
• BLTs were enjoyed.
• Preparations were begun for tomorrow night's dinner party.
• Kisses were received.
• Milk was spilled. (And I do believe there was crying over that).
• Plaster was mixed.
• Frescoes were painted.
• Chocolate chip cookies were made for a group of Aggie students.
• (And yes, dough was sampled).
• A young boy, running like a speeding bullet, slipped on a rug and went sailing through the air. (Which led to a period of intense weeping and wailing).
• Ice was applied to a busted lip. (And not for the boy you are thinking of).
• Fast food burgers were eaten for dinner. (Because even warming up leftovers just seemed like too much effort).
• A smallish person fell completely off the chair during dinner. (Sending up a fantastic spray of French fries and ketchup).
• Presidents were discussed. (Prompting Ruth to ask about the job requirements, which then prompted her to very thoughtfully say that she might want to consider that as a job).

Miscellany

*Please See Below

We had a wonderful time in Dallas. Please check out the slide shows in the following three posts if you are interested in seeing pictures.

Dallas World Aquarium

Installation Dinner and Dance

We're going to the Big D

My dad is being installed as the chairman for the Texas Association of Realtors tomorrow night, so we are headed up to Dallas to participate in the festivities. We will be attending a big, fancy party tomorrow night, complete with evening wear. The kids will hang out in the room with a babysitter and just make a brief cameo at the party so their proud grandparents can show them off a little. We won't be back until Tuesday, so if you're looking for us, look north.

A place for everything

Anyone have a hidey-hole? A place to keep your secret stash--your cash, maybe, or your fun-size Snickers? It's neat to have something hidden. To have things in a place that only you know about. And this is not true only for adults. Ruth loves to put things where her brothers can't find them, and Weston stockpiles toys and books under the couch cushions. And, this week I found out that even Max likes to play the hiding game. His hiding place was really good, too. And I probably wouldn't have found out about it for a very long time if he hadn't given himself away. He was attempting to climb up the side of a very large decorative pot I have sitting by the front door when it came crashing down, busting open and spilling all of it's secret contents. There were legos and books and puzzle pieces and balls and cars. But the item that really stood out--for it's special olfactory properties--was the sippy cup full of milk, which has been missing for a month or more. It had been slowly leaking onto the other contents of the pot and seeping into the pot itself, so that when it busted and everything came tumbling out, the entire house smelled like puke. And, as luck would have it, we were preparing to receive visitors in our home in just under half an hour. Lovely. I guess Max will have to find a new place to squirrel away his treasures. And I will definitely have to keep closer tabs on the sippy cups.

Labor Day Weekend

Now you see it. Now you don't

As you know, many, MANY surfaces in my house have been covered with markings of various kinds. So, yesterday I decided to take them on. Armed with a package of Easy Erasing Pads, I set to work. First, I conquered the step stool with the pencil marks. They disappeared with minimal effort. Next, I attacked the colored pencil covering a complete (short) wall upstairs. With just a little effort, the lines faded and then vanished. Then, I went after the Hs written in dry-erase marker. I had to scrub a little more on these, but they eventually came off. Finally, I attempted to remove some secret code scrawled with an ink pen in a couple of different places. This was the most difficult to remove. In a few cases it faded enough so as not to be noticeable. And in other cases, I scrubbed so hard that the paint began to fleck away, prompting me to leave off my efforts until I can come up with a better solution. Overall, I was very pleased with these magic little cleaning pads. I think if you have boys and walls and almost any type of writing utensil in your house, you should go out and buy yourself a pack today. I feel sure this will not be my last time to use them. In fact, I may just buy a gross of them.

Another big boy off to school

Today was Max's first day of "school." He was eager to join his class, but was concerned that so many of them were crying when he arrived. He, however, didn't shed a tear when I said good-bye. His teacher said he had a great day, and I'm very proud of him.

Bringing down the house

The wake of destruction is wide in our household. And not for a lack of trying to reign it in, I assure you. Today, I discovered what Weston was doing yesterday afternoon while he wasn't taking a nap. He was practicing his Hs--you know that hilarious letter that makes your belly bounce. Huh-Huh-Huh. He wrote three very nice ones. On the wall. In marker. I have no idea what got into him. Perhaps he was inspired by some of his brother's recent art work. Speaking of whom, in an effort not to be outdone, the little one victimized another laptop today. It's really a good thing those boys are going to be out of our house for a good portion of the day tomorrow...

First day of preschool

You might expect the first day of preschool to be filled with anxiety, nervousness, clinging and tears. Here's what you might NOT expect:

[Van door opens upon arrival at preschool]

Weston (immediately): O.k. well, bye.

Mom: Weston, you don't have to say bye yet. I'm going to walk you inside.

Weston: Well, you HAVE to go home. You can't stay.

Mom: I know, but I'm going to walk you to your class.

Weston: O.k. well, bye. (repeated no less than four more times before arriving at the entrance to the building).

[Putting backpack and lunchbox on pegs outside the room]

Weston (looking around anxiously): Do I have to leave my lunch out here?

Mom: Yes. Just hang it on your peg.

Weston: But when is lunchtime?

Mom: I'm not sure, but your teacher will let you know when it's time to get your lunch.

Weston: But I can't take it in?!

So, we did have anxiety, I guess. And a certain amount of clinging. But, hey, lunch is really important. He had a great day. And, honestly, I prefer it this way. Without all the drama.

Lil Monkey indeed

Today was sneak preview day at Max and Weston's preschool. They got to meet their teachers and the other students who will be in their classes, and they got to stay for a short time without parents, while we all went to the parent meeting down the hall. They both seemed to love the experience and are looking forward to the real deal next week. The irony is not lost on me that Max was placed in the "Lil Monkeys" class. And more ironic still is that today was the preview day, because today held every single reason I signed Max up for the program in the first place. I will only tell you of his three greatest crimes of the day:

• In the middle of Grammar class, Max got away from me. I thought he was playing quietly in his room (that should have been my first clue) until I heard an unnatural banging sound coming from downstairs. I caught him with a full-grown (NOT a toy) hammer--which he stealthily and amazingly swiped from the top of the dryer--trying to beat in my bedroom door.
• At one point today that little sneak got into my closet with a forbidden pencil and wrote all over my new step stool chair. This was discovered later in the day by my horrified oldest child, who knows first-hand what a terrible offense this is.
• And the straw that just almost broke the camel's back: I came into Jeff's office to to discuss something with him briefly and was not out of the room more than 10 minutes. When I re-entered the scene, I found no less than a third, and maybe even more like half, of the keys plucked off the keyboard of my laptop and strewn all over the kitchen floor, rendering it completely useless.

You will all kindly remember to say a special prayer for Miss Brittney and Miss Debbie come Thursday.

Just me and my little man

Weston and I don't have the opportunity to go out and do something by ourselves very often. So, I was kind of glad it worked out that Max's nap time fell during story time today. It was really nice to have some one-on-one time with Weston, especially in light of the fact that he is going away to preschool next week, and I may never see him again! (The previous statement may have been inadvertently dramatized in accordance with the mother's overactive emotions). We really did have a lovely time.

This story time at Barnes & Noble is one of the only out-of-house activities we have ever participated in that really gets Weston out of his shell. He absolutely loves it. He dances. He sings. He interacts with other kids. He listens to the story and volunteers answers to questions asked by the story teller. He eagerly attacks the craft and is always so proud of what he puts together. And he always asks if we can come again. So, it was nice that on this, his last story time (since he'll be in preschool [sob] on story time days in the future), just he and I got to go. I didn't have to worry about chasing Max around or keeping him quiet. I could just enjoy Weston, enjoying story time. And then afterward, Weston and I went on a special date (to the Starbucks inside the Barnes & Noble), where we had turkey and cheese sandwiches (with melted cheese), chips and a little M &M blond brownie for dessert. Weston felt very big and told me he was glad that we got to go on a special date. I was really glad we got to go on this special date, too!




*Click on that first picture so you can really get a good look at Weston's face and see how much he is enjoying himself.

Prior planning prevents poor performance

Weston became interested in learning to read this morning. He came to me with a book in his hand and asked if I could teach him to read. Of course, I said I would. I then told him that the book he had picked might be a little hard to start with and suggested some that had just a few words on each page. He picked out three such books and immediately laid out his plan. He told me one would be for morning time, one for noon time and one for evening time. Then he proceeded to ask when was morning time. I told him it was now, so he promptly sat me down and told me which book was for morning time. We worked through the title together and then tried sounding out several of the words in the book. He loved it. He then carried all three of his books around with him for the rest of the morning, periodically asking when was noon time and explaining to anyone who asked, what his plan was. Around 11:30 he asked again, and I told him it was pretty close to noon and we could read then if he wanted. But, he was determined to wait until it actually was noon. So, we read the second book in much the same way as we read the first. Again, he carried the books around with him for the remainder of the afternoon, asking from time to time when evening time would be. We read his last book right after dinner. And then he carefully gathered them up to take upstairs with him so they would be ready to read again (in the same order) tomorrow. What can I say, he's a man with a plan. He was so proud of himself, of his plan and of his teacher. And I'm so proud of him.

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

Can't believe it's already been eleven years! It just keeps getting better!

First homeschooling, now this:

Vegetarianism. If I start using cloth diapers, you'll really know something is amiss. (No offense intended for my cloth-diapering buddies). We haven't really given up meat, but it just so happened that none of our meals contained meat this week. And, frankly, we didn't miss it that much. We had some fabulous meals, without a chicken or a cow or a pig in sight. (There were turkey sandwiches one day for lunch, but it makes a better story if I say we had a completely meat-free week). Our fare included red beans, pasta salad with roasted red peppers and feta cheese, polenta, portobello pizzas, kale and potato gratin and penne pasta with mushrooms and roasted red pepper/eggplant spread. We will not likely make vegetarianism a new lifestyle choice, but we have enjoyed the experiment and will certainly incorporate these types of foods into the menu more often. If you are a veggiephobe or a die-hard carnivore, you should consider trying an experiment like this for yourself. You might just be surprised how much you enjoy it.

Not for sale, but definitely up for short-term lease

One breaking and entering, food-sneaking, mess-making, possession-destroying, banshee-yelling, fast-running, furniture-climbing, sink-sitting, couch-diving, lipstick-eating, object-throwing, intense-crying, purse-emptying, pantry-raiding, noise-making, rule-breaking, chair-moving, goods-stealing, potty-splashing, shift key-removing, warning-ignoring, risk-taking, door-opening, opinion-having, book-tearing, trash-digging, sibling-terrorizing, glass-smudging, carpet-staining, super-cute little boy.

Second Grade

Well, we survived our homeschool adventure last year, so we have decided to jump in for another round this year. Today was our first day, and we were all really excited. Here's the line-up of classes for this year: Math, Spelling, Grammar (or "English" as Ruth prefers to call it), History of the Middle Ages, Earth Science/Astronomy, Portuguese, Music, Writing and Reading. Ruth will also have some special classes on Fridays with other homeschool kids and other teachers. The "Super Friday" classes for this semester are Passport Through History, Chimes and Math Counts. Please stay tuned for snippets of our school year and see how much fun second grade can be.

Baby no more

Max moved into a big-boy bed tonight. I won't lie to you. I cried. Perhaps the tears were spurred by moving him into the new bed on the very day we bought Weston his new backpack and lunchbox for preschool. A mother's heart can only take so much, after all. But, I suspect there would have been tears regardless. And if my friend lamenting her son's return to college is any indication, it never gets easier. Our kids are made for growing up. And our job is to see that they do. But what a mixed bag of emotions all this growing up is. On the one hand we thrill to our children's every accomplishment and step towards independence. But on the other, we build our scrapbooks with all care and diligence because we need to hold on. We need to be needed, and we can see the writing on the wall showing that we will not always be. Yes, a big-boy bed is an exciting step. (Not to mention a whole lot safer). But, for this mommy, it's hard to see the baby days slip much too quickly away. Although, in that huge bed, he does look a bit like a baby, doesn't he?!

Eventful week, so far

We made the 10-hour drive back from the Davis Mountains on Monday in around 12 hours, after stopping for playtime and work emergencies along the way. Upon arriving in Kingwood (a.k.a "the plastic bag," a moniker given to reflect the impossibly hot and humid living conditions), we went directly to a homeschool event, where we were able to meet other homeschool families and find out what kinds of activities and programs are offered for homeschoolers in our area--of which, there are many. At that event, I put my name in a drawing. I found out the next morning that I actually won! I never win anything, so I was really pumped! And what I won was a big basket of school supplies, which is one of my favorite things ever, not to mention pretty useful for our upcoming school year. I have eaten Mexican food twice this week and have plans to do it again on Friday with some of my girlfriends. I have eaten Thai food once and cheap fast food once, as well. I have also gone out for ice cream and a Sonic Diet Vanilla Dr. Pepper. I've taken my kids to storytime. I have given the washer and dryer a workout like they have never known before. I have sorted through a mountain of mail, which included a wedding invitation for a dear family friend and a picture ticket for a traffic violation Jeff committed downtown about a month ago and thought he got away with. I have also paid more than a few bills. I have gone through my inbox and caught up on all the goings-on (that I care about) of cyberspace. I have hosted a Bible study in my home and have swept up more Nerds candies than you can imagine. I have talked on the phone (for business and pleasure) and opened some presents. And I have celebrated a teeny, tiny birthday. I have also made the official school schedule for our upcoming school year and have begun preparing lessons for history and grammar. I have bought the big kids new school shoes and have watched them try them out in the middle of the street on which we live. I have made plans to attend a couple of big events in the lives of a couple of different family members in the next few months. And I have watched some adorable kids sing "I'm a Long, Tall Texan" on You Tube. I finished a novel, started looking through my September Real Simple magazine and have had more than a handful of sessions in my massage chair. I have downloaded pictures from our trip on to my computer and have looked at the pictures of the kids from Nana Camp. I may have even squeezed in a nap or two. And it's only Wednesday. Can't wait to see what else this eventful week brings. I'm sure our neighbors are hoping to see a mowing of our lawn come up on the list.

Campmeeting 2009