Bottle Rocket: I would be a smart first grader if a "colleger" didn't even know what that meant!
Smoke Bomb: Do you know Star Horse? (aka StarWars!)
Sparkler: juice, cookie, cracker, milk, night-night, love you, bye bye, shoes, dress, diaper, pee pee, potty, miles, sandy, out, up, ball, puppy, moo, wuff wuff, cheese, bunny
Fire Cracker: There's an American Flag!!!!!!!!! In a pitch that only dogs could hear =)
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
HEARD FROM THE BACK SEAT YESTERDAY.....
3 year old is clicking his tongue and humming repetitively for..... oh about 2 minutes
5 year old says, "Please stop making that noise Fire Cracker"
3 year old continues with his "harmoniuos music"
5 year old says louder, "STOP making that noise Fire Cracker!"
3 year old replies, "Smoke Bomb, I am not being Annoinying!"
Mom laughs!
5 year old says, "Please stop making that noise Fire Cracker"
3 year old continues with his "harmoniuos music"
5 year old says louder, "STOP making that noise Fire Cracker!"
3 year old replies, "Smoke Bomb, I am not being Annoinying!"
Mom laughs!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
MAY I HAVE THIS SEAT, CONT
You might remember a few months back when Sparkler was all into sitting in, well...anything! Favorites included the dog bowl, geotrax train station, footstools, etc. Well the trend has continued and here are the latest "seats" Sparkler has found!
- the 24 inch barstool seats at the dinner table (I turned around from cooking one day and there she was ready to eat....ahem, arent' you only 1 year old and 24 inches tall yourself, do what!?!)
- the miniature pack-n-play and stroller for her baby dolls (we have had long chats about this and how to properly take good care of your toys!)
- the couch (well that is a bit of a story, she actually likes to run and jump on the couch, but occassionally she will sit)
- the dog crate in the garage (a friend just returned it and we had yet to store it....she thought it was a lovely seat......I tried to convince her that there was not a dog included since that is one of her most favorite things in the world!)
- the baby piano table she played with as a little one (it is no longer fun to sit in front of it and play, the cool thing to do now is sit on TOP of the piano)
-the baby sled we bought this past winter that is stored in the garage (when she gets tired from playing outside, she simply pulls the sled out of the garage and plops down to rest, reclining and all!)
- the 24 inch barstool seats at the dinner table (I turned around from cooking one day and there she was ready to eat....ahem, arent' you only 1 year old and 24 inches tall yourself, do what!?!)
- the miniature pack-n-play and stroller for her baby dolls (we have had long chats about this and how to properly take good care of your toys!)
- the couch (well that is a bit of a story, she actually likes to run and jump on the couch, but occassionally she will sit)
- the dog crate in the garage (a friend just returned it and we had yet to store it....she thought it was a lovely seat......I tried to convince her that there was not a dog included since that is one of her most favorite things in the world!)
- the baby piano table she played with as a little one (it is no longer fun to sit in front of it and play, the cool thing to do now is sit on TOP of the piano)
-the baby sled we bought this past winter that is stored in the garage (when she gets tired from playing outside, she simply pulls the sled out of the garage and plops down to rest, reclining and all!)
Sunday, May 9, 2010
IT'S IN THE GENES....
One by one we began to notice a trend. When Bottle Rocket gets tired, he puts his hands behind his head, elbows out and we know he is tired or going to fall asleep soon. This has been the case since he was tiny! Sure enough, Smoke Bomb has exhibited the exact same signal when he is tired. And yep, you guessed it, Fire Cracker does the same thing, too. It really is cute to see all of them after an afternoon of baseball or playing at the park. They will pile on the couch and all assume the position! By the 3rd child we began to figure it was a genetic trait and Sparkler has quickly followed suit. She can often be found laying in her crib, arms behind her head, elbows up! I am yet to get a picture of all 3 (or 4) demonstrating the train, but will hopefully be able to catch it soon.
Another cute trait our babes have inherited is the concentration face! When they are doing something that requires determination and mental stretching, they stick out their little tongues and get this look..............
Someone once told me I do the same, but I plead the 5th! What can we say? It's in the genes!
"INVISIBLE MOTHER"
You might have read this before. My sister sent it to me last year and it's too good not to pass along. The author is unknown.
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?'Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom.
Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more! Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this??Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude -but now, they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!?
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England . Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this".
It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe . I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.
These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof, No one will ever see it. And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place.
It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does.No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become. At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction.. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life.
It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for 3 hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?'Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom.
Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more! Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this??Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude -but now, they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!?
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England . Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this".
It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe . I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.
These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof, No one will ever see it. And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place.
It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does.No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become. At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction.. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life.
It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for 3 hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
MORE THAN I COULD ASK FOR
For those who know me well, they understand that homemade, self created gifts far outweigh any gift bought at the store. I treasure these gifts as they mean the world to me! This week, I have been so blessed with Mother's Day programs at both Bottle Rocket and Smoke Bomb's schools. The programs were phenomenal and I so admire the teachers and staff who were involved at each school to make the holiday so special for moms.
Bottle Rocket's program included the entire 1st grade class singing melodies to mom.....so adorable! The last song was a tear-jerker but meaningful nonetheless talking about mom's selfless love and grace.....makes me wonder how I could ever get frustrated with the kids! Back in his classroom we were treated to a powerpoint presentation (where each child drew a picture and stated what they love about their mom!), a cookbook of favorite class recipes that mom makes, a coupon book for mom, ornate flower pen, and book all about mom...all wrapped in a beautiful bag! To top things off they served delicious chocolate and blueberry muffins with punch! I felt like a queen!
The next day, I was invited to Muffins with Mom at Smoke Bomb's preschool.....a lovely time to spend with our second born. The children came out with their class holding a gift for mom. Then they sang "You Are My Sunshine" to us. Afterwards the children presented moms with a Terrific Mom Award and beautiful hand-painted flower pot. Smoke Bomb really did a great job on the flower pot! We then feasted on a huge variety of yummy pastries and muffins with juice. Smoke Bomb was so polite and offered to get me seconds or more juice when I was done! I felt like a queen again! What a special time to spend one-on-one with Smoke Bomb.
I feel so fortunate to have such wonderful teachers and schools for the boys to attend. I speak very highly of both and appreciate all the staff and teachers do to make learning and school a fun experience for the kids.
** MANY, MANY thanks to Mimi and MacGyver for taking care of the kids while I reveled in these special treats this week!
Friday, May 7, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
CAN YOU GUESS WHAT THEY ARE DOING?
The daily habit around here during homework time for Bottle Rocket is that all kids are seated and doing something quiet around the dinner table.....Smoke Bomb and Fire Cracker like to color or do Awana homework and Sparkler usually snacks while she watches everyone! As the school year has progressed, Smoke Bomb has become more and more interested in doing some "homework" of his own.....today he surprised us all! He watched as Bottle Rocket completed his first math problem and then leaned over his shoulder to see the next. Bottle Rocket gave him a chance to solve the problem and sure enough, Smoke Bomb fell right in step! He even went and got the calculator! They finished the entire worksheet working together- so cute! Kudos to Bottle Rocket for making learning fun and hats off to Smoke Bomb for taking interest! I might, however, have to remind him next year when he has "real homework" of his own! Man, I love these kids more and more each day.....if that is even possible!
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