Swimmingly!

First- I cut Pencil's hair. I've been meaning to for ages, because when it was wet it was obviously WAY too long. But, I think I've cut it too short. It made me sad to see no curlies when he woke up this morning.

 

Grapes decided that it looks like Pencil's body with Sock's head. I have to agree- he looks older and more like his dad and brother now. Who said my baby could grow up so fast??

Out of this world!

We've been astronomers this week. (in the most loose interpretation of the word)

We've read about and made a solar system.

These are the Nothings...

We have been doing a whole lot of nothing. It's been low key and it's left me without much to say.
Other than I love my monkeys. They keep me busy and entertained. (and sometimes annoyed and frustrated, but we're trying to work through that...)
And so, these are the days of our lives:


SuperHero... The Parrot, as created by Grapes



Scared, and Scarred, maybe, for life...

The plan for today was an awesome post about our trip to the neighborhood pool with friends. I was even going to post a picture of myself in a new swimming suit that I love (Before this, I haven't even owned one in years...)
We went to the pool with the family of Grape's friend from school. (Pencil and Dad stayed home for nap time) It had a 'beach' entry, so the water sloped gradually from zero inches up to about 7 feet deep. It was warm outside, but the water was chilly. I was excited for some real fun.
Turns out Grape's friend and her little brother swim much better than my monkeys (who swim nearly not at all) so we were happily sticking to the shallows. There were also a zillion children there (a bus-full from some day-care place) but we were having fun.
In an irritatingly brief instant it all changed.

Dino Dayz Part 2

My apologies that this second half of Dino week has been slow in coming. Turns out we made it a Dino two-weeks. Part One Here

 We borrowed a million dino-related books/CD's from our library, and it has been so fun to talk dinos. We were also able to visit a local McDonald's that is (for some unknown reason) all dinosaur style. There are 2 life-sized statues (T-Rex and Miasaura) and footprints at the checkout and a mural on the walls. Wow. This was a big family date- the Doctor came too. It was fun to eat restaurant food and be together. I also felt a pang of accomplishment when Socks piped up out of nowhere and said, "Miasaura means good muvvo" He's learning something after all!! All the pictures of our McD's outing are on The Doctor's phone, so hopefully I'll be able to add them soon. Here are the pics from my camera.

Grapes made a cube-a-asaurus. Janice VanCleave's "Dinosaurs for Every Kid" had lots of activities and science projects. We didn't do very many, but we read about them.

Brittany strikes again

A few days ago  my husband started the kids on a silliness streak that left us all giggling.

I was at the stove, finishing dinner. The Doctor teased, "It smells like burning!" (a paraphrased Simpson's quote) but the kids thought it was HILARIOUS, so they repeated it a million times. In high voices. In low, gravelly voices. In monster voices. In crazy wiggle voices. In baby voices.

"Look what you started!" He said.

"Me?! It was you!!" I answered.

"No, it was my evil twin. Stuart." He smiled back to me. **An inside joke...In college I had an evil twin. Her name was Brittany. Whenever there was blame that needed taking, she logically was the one to take it. (or receive it by virtue of an unjust accusation when she was not actually in attendance-- and, mysteriously, she never was)

Socks turns FO!

 

This little boy came into the world in a hurry.

My first contractions were at 3:30am. I didn't wake The Doctor until 5:00. We figured we had time, so he showered and then we drove Grapes to our friends' house. By the time we were dropping her off it was about 6:45, and I was FEELING it. We still had to drive to the hospital though, and it was the longest 15 mins of my life!

When we got there the sweet little old volunteer man drove my wheel chair through the very cryptic and secret long route to the elevator and up to labor and delivery on the 6th floor. I wanted to strangle him.

(*Parenthetical thought here. Arriving at the hospital at 7:00, when there is a nurse shift change, creates a smidge of issue) When they finally got around to check me, they hurried to get the anaesthesiologist. He popped in to tell me that an epidural would kick in a few minutes AFTER my baby would be born, so he wasn't going to do one.

WHAT?!?!

Dino Dayz Part 1

I used to teach elementary school. I used to manage and teach 28+ kids all day. (10-year-olds, no less!)

While three kids with a wide range of ages and interests is a very different game, I am putting to use some of my old skills. I am also thankful anew for my training and experience as a teacher. I like to tell myself that it helps me be a momma. I like to tell myself that it also helps me be that parent that my kids' teachers don't hate. (here's hoping, anyway!)

We made coloring pages from this free font:
http://www.fontspace.com/category/dinosaur
If you make it 500 size it fits one 'letter' (dino) per page.

We talked about meat eaters and plant eaters, and how the scientists can tell from fossils which is which.
Then we sorted the toys we have into carnivores and herbivores. (we only own a zillion because my Grapes went through a HUGE dino phase early on. Picture a barely 3-year-old headbutting strangers at church and then announcing it was because she was a pachycephalosaurus. Yeah-- that was her.)

Kids say the darndest things...

"Dwace, come pwlay wif me!"
"I can't, Sock, I'm creating."
"Kuait-ing? WHAT?!"


"Da-Yeee? Whah-yooooou?" (Pencil, at the top of his lungs. He wanders the house looking for his missing Dad)



*Pre-information. There are 2 kinds of 'oo' words. Those pronounced like boots, and those like books. Say them each out loud-- hear the difference? Ok.

"Mom!! I gunna poop!!" (with the books kind of 'oo's)
      And also along the poop lines... (say it... poop like book. I'm telling you. HI-larious. Say it again!!)
      "And I made a poop family. A dad one, and a mom one and a tiny baby. Ah.(a contented sigh) A poop family."

Summer Fun

It is summer break here.
It is also getting hotter. I can't in good conscience send kids outside and lock the door until dinner. (Try as I might to convince my conscience otherwise)
So we're trying to stay busy in good ways.

This is the reading nest. They spent more than an hour reading while Pencil napped.
I love that my kids (all 3!) love to read like I do.