math class excitement

Kiddo tells me very little about school. I don't think she's hiding anything, I just don't think she has much to say about school. But a few days ago something really exciting happened in math class, exciting enough that she volunteered it as the most interesting part of the day.

"The projector for the smartboard wasn't working, so we did our math on the CHALKBOARD!"

we're going on a hunt...

Babs, who is a stick collector by love, sometimes makes the trek to and from school with a rock in her hand. It is for hunting. Specifically, for hunting whatever small animals we may run into, such as squirrels. We are hunting so that we can give the animals to the poor people, so they won't be poor any more.

One day I asked her how we would take care of this animal if she were to kill it (miraculously, with her lack of aim with a piece of gravel towards animals we never actually see). She reiterated her desire to feed the poor people, and I had to confess that no one in our family actually knows how to transform a dead animal into food to eat (with the notable exception of her uncle, who lives far, far away). I did tell her other ways that we can help those who have less than we do, but those weren't very exciting. (And since they dealt with giving our money away, concerned her that then we would become poor.)


Last Friday, on the way home from preschool I asked her what they did that day. Getting information about her school day is similar to the game "two truths and a lie" because she can tell some whoppers. She told me that they went hunting... for bears, and racoons... with guns... yes, they got to shoot the guns, but her teachers aimed the guns. Unfortunately, they didn't get any animals. (This may have been the same day that she didn't get any snack because her teachers ate it all, I really can't remember.)

"a-py" part 2

The boy and I were in the kitchen this morning. I was making Kiddo's lunch, and he was investigating the room. These are our roles in the kitchen. He was standing next to the oven, staring at his reflection in the dark glass. He was singing some tuneless song using his repertoire of sounds, but then I noticed that he was repeating one particular sound: "a-py, a-py, a-py..."

I looked at him, and asked excitedly, "Are you singing a song?"

He smiled, immediately sat down, and clapped his hands together, which, as I've pointed out, is how he asks me to sing "If You're Happy and You Know It..."


So, did he understand "sing song," or was he singing his favorite song? I don't know, but I love emerging vocabulary, it's one of my favorite parts of development to watch.

Other words he understands: food, breakfast, both his sisters' names, outside. I'm sure there are more, I just don't know them.

the first decade

In August, my good husband and I celebrated our 10th anniversary. Although we spent months considering what we should do for this major event, we finally decided (okay, I decided, and he didn't disagree) that we would wait and do something special another year. After all, isn't 11 (or 12) years of marriage just as impressive? This year seemed too busy, and too awkward with a baby, who isn't really a baby, so he can be uncomfortable with others, and miss us.

I meant to wax poetic about my lovely family and my amazing husband, but I have a child who can't fall asleep, so I'm going to be a mom, instead of just talking about it.

this boy

So he doesn't have any words, but he makes a noise that is his version of "vroom" for his cars. He's known how to play with cars since he could pick them up, and was thrilled to get lots of them for his birthday. (Now we are never without.)

There was one word he used twice about a month ago, but has never tried it since. "A-py," He said, while clapping his hands, requesting that we sing his favorite song "If you're happy and you know it..." Now he just looks at us meaningfully and claps his hands together.

For FHE last night, I was desperate for a quick, painless activity, and said: "Let's teach the boy 'Ring Around the Rosie'." He was in heaven, walking with us, singing with us, being with us. It was one of our best activities ever.

He's never happier than when he's outside. I used to take him outside every day, but haven't quite figured out our routine now that the girls are in school (it sounds like it would be easier, but actually he sleeps during Babs' school, and it's been hot recently, and ...), so he usually just gets a stroller ride to and from elementary school. Which would be nicer if he wasn't sharing his stroller with his big sister.

He's almost walking. He takes a few steps, but then is too excited, or to impatient to reach his goal. But he is a fast crawler. Sometimes he wants to hold something in both hands and tries to scoot, but he can't remember how. It's funny to see how slow he is, when he used to be so fast. But he stands a lot, especially when he is standing on the next to last stair. He loves to climb, and can get up and down stairs.

Right now, he rarely lets me put him down. It's getting old. I try to snuggle and hold him as much as he wants, because he's so delicious, but by the end of the day, when the chaos and clutter has only grown, because there's been no time to do battle, I get a little snippy about the constant need to be held. Plus my arms are tired. Thank goodness my husband is the one who puts him to bed most nights.

We'll probably cut his hair soon, and lose all those amazing red and blond streaks, and that will be sad. He has wonderful hair.

He loves his big sisters, and loves to be with them. This last Sunday we made sure the gate was closed to the kitchen, and the door was closed to the bathroom then let the three kids play while the parents napped. It's a whole new world, and I could get used to this.

I'm bored

Kiddo finally uttered the awful phrase "I'm bored!" last Saturday. Although the plan in my head for this moment had always been, "well, then, let's do some chores!" I decided to just wing it.

"How exciting!" I replied. "Boredom always comes before you come up with some interesting new thing to do. How will you stop being bored? Oh, but get your sister a drink of water before you figure this out..."

She did not think this was exciting, but did get Babs a drink of water.

"I have something I'd like to do..." she started.

"What's that?"

"Could I watch something?" she cautiously asked. I couldn't restrain myself.

"What a great idea! Babs is right here! You can watch her, she's funny." This made Kiddo laugh, but she didn't want to watch Babs. "The Boy?" I offered, "He's pretty cute..." Then my good husband walked in the door. "Dad!" I called out. "You can watch Dad!"

Once she stopped laughing she said "You know what I want to watch."

"Yes, and I'm going to need you to say it."

I did let her watch TV after all that work she put in to see it.

a funny story about Babs

I turned to my husband the other night and asked "Do you want to hear a funny story about Babs?" He replied, "are there any that aren't funny?" which was a valid comment. She's funny, clever, smart, and does things her own way, so all her stories are great. So here it is.

She started preschool last week, and is not a fan. (Can you tell from the picture?) Part of the problem is that she hasn't had recess yet (go outside and play on the playground). Part of the problem is she doesn't like to leave me. Part of the problem is that she's never really gotten into being in a classroom setting (hence, preschool, to prepare her for more school).

But I signed us up to bring the snack on the second day of school, "child's favorite fruit." I asked her what her favorite fruit was, she told me she wanted apples. I didn't expect that. She eats apples, but she loves berries. But no matter when or how I asked, she insisted on apples.

At the store she had me buy strawberries for her, and apples. I then learned her plan was bring strawberries for her, and apples for everyone else. Natural suspicion of those she barely knows, just one more thing we love about our Babs.