Catch Up: Photos from the last 6 months

Jonny's other birthday suit. He was busy watching Shark Boy and Lava Girl when this photo was snapped. The morning ride to the school bus.
Halloween pumpkins- Jimmy's has an identical smile on the other side.

August was occupied by bargain Tae Kwon Do lesssons.
Take a picture of me with my ponies!
Take a picture of me with my brother!

A couple of weeks ago, I took my kids and the children of a friend to the temple grounds and visitor's centers. Here's a few photos from the trip. I really like this picture of Henry touching Jesus feet. Don't we all wish we could do that?

The kids enjoyed a quiet moment, taking in the statue of the Savior. (L-R Jonathan, Amelia, Evalyn)

Many Saturdays were spent waiting for Daddy at the airport last spring/summer. Thankfully the travel has slowed down.
One of the precious bouquets that 4 year olds give their mothers. Enjoy them while you can!
Hiding the evidence: Jonathan has a goatee of Qwik (from eatting it out of the can) and sat on the can in an attempt to hide his mischief.
Our first family fishing trip. Notice the stylish matching do rags!
Everyone has a hobby- Jonathan's happens to be spinning salad.

Halloween Lingers On

RIght before Halloween, Jimmy came home from school talking about his classroom jack o lantern. It was really gross, he said. It was totally disgusting and slimy inside. Given his comments, I figured he didn't want to carve his own pumpkin, which was decorated with Halloween-y stickers.

Two days ago, almost a full week after Halloween, he asked if he could carve his pumpkin. I was surprised, but agreed to carve out whatever he drew on the pumpkin. Our knives are REALLY sharp and I didn't want him to get hurt (as an aside, I sliced through my finger about a year after we got married and had to have it stitched- same knife, still sharp!) He drew two mouths on the pumpkin, one on each side. Similarly, I carved Amelia's pumpkin. She opted for the whole face.

At lunch yesterday, the kids amused themselves with the jack o lanterns. Jonny fed Jimmy's pumpkin rice, alternately feeding one mouth and then the other. Then he took of the lid and shouted "Hello!" I was surprised when he also provided an echo "hello!" Amelia thought that was really funny, so she did it too. Who knew jack o lanterns could be so much fun!

Book Reports

Last school year, Jimmy wrote a couple of book reports (one liners- not too much for a kindergartener) that had me laughing. His school was doing a program with a passport, where you got a stamp in your passport everytime you read a book that took place in another country.
Book Report #1 The Trojan War (He LOVES this book and told his first grade teacher all about it in great detail. She asked to borrow it and we still need it back. I think she was trying to gauge his reading level. )
Back to the kindergarten book report:
The Chrogin Horse. The griks won the wor. (The Trojan Horse. The Greeks won the war.)
Book Report #2 about the Titanic
"It wasn't the safest boat."

The memory of these book reports make me smile, and I wish I had saved them so I had them written in his cute handwriting.

PS Thanks, Mom for sending these books. He loves them so much, as well as the King Tut one. He is fascinated by things that REALLY happened.

Halloween

Just a quick note, more to follow when the day arrives, I'm sure.

After the trunk or treat party, Amelia was enjoying her candies. "I sure like these coconut ones" she remarked.

If you are the first to guess what the "coconut ones" are called, I'll mail you some!

Jonny's Belly Button

Every time Jonathan sees me feeding the baby, he pulls up his shirt and holds his belly button (an outie.) He seems to think that is where the milk for the baby comes from. Once or twice, I caught him encouraging Simon "suck my belly button." A few days ago, I noticed him "feeding" a glow in the dark lizard from his belly button.

Amelia's Theme Parks

Ever since we went to DisneyWorld, Amelia has been talking about her own theme park, Disney Love Heart. She encourages me and Jimmy to make up rides to put in her theme park.
Some of the rides include "Lava Girl's Flamethrower" (a big slide shaped like Lava Girl, where you slide down her arm and out the flame thrower she is holding) and "Turner's Big Spin" is one of those towers with the room that spins up and down and gives you a view of the park. It is shaped like a bolt and the nut is the spinning room that goes up and down. Most of her rides are okay for pregnant women, she says. This was an issue on our last vacation.

Two nights ago, she started talking about "Hershey Lovers." I thought this was her version of Hershey Park. I was wrong. She asked me and Gary to play Hershey Lovers. "What's that?" we asked.
"Well," she explained, "Mom and Dad sit on the couch and then we pretend that babies are popping out of her tummy"
"?!"
"Well, we don't really pop out of her tummy, we hide around the room and pop out."

HIking Mary's Rock

Gary decided to take the day off on Monday, Columbus Day and since the weather was nice we decided to go on a hike. Gary chose a nice hike for us to the top of Mary's Rock in the Shenandoah Valley. It took about an hour and forty minutes to get there. It was a pretty drive, out through the more rural parts of Northern Virginia. The leaves on some of the trees were just starting to turn colors. Most were still green.
We ate lunch in the parking lot near the trail head. Much to our surprise, Jimmy's soccer coach and his teammate pulled up next to us and started on the same hike! We saw them again once we reached the top.
After cleaning up lunch, and inserting babies into carriers, we started off: me with Simon on my front, Gary with Jonathan on his back, Amelia with a really big stick, and Jimmy empty handed but raring to go.
The hike started with a lot of steep up hill. It would have been harder in warm weather, but we were blessed to have a nice cool day and lots of shade from the trees. Jimmy lead the way the entire way. He was full of energy. That is good. Amelia was excited for the first half mile and she was not far behind. Simon and I came next, with Gary and Jonathan bringing up the rear.
The trail we started on eventually met up with the Appalachian Trail. I had always heard of that trail and was fascinated when Gary told me it is 2000 miles long. I think we were on it for 1 mile. I guess that only leaves 1999 miles left to explore! It is a very well maintained trail, through beautiful forest and rock. I don't know what kind of trees there are, but they are not like the evergreen forests I hiked in as a kid. A few of the trees were starting to turn color for the fall, but I think that they are a few weeks away from peak color.
Once we got on the Applalachian Trail, Amelia lost her steam and started complaining. Everything was stupid. She sat down many times and refused to get up. She dragged her feet and whined. I lagged behind with her, trying to jolly her along.
"Think of the pioneers," I said. "They liked to sing when they walked. What song should we sing while we walk?"
"I don't want to sing," she said. "This is the worst day ever!"
Thus inspired, I made up a song for her entitled "The Worst Day Ever" This song is not directly a rip off of Sponge Bob's Best Day Ever Song (the kids love to check this cd out from the library) but it is close.
It's the worst day ever! It's the worst day ever!
We're on a hike and it is so long! Chon chon chon cha cha chon chon chon (no, it doesn't mean anything, it just fills space in the song)
And this is our worst day ever song!
Chon chon chon cha cha chon chon chon!
It's the worst day ever!
The worst day EVER!
No, it's not a master piece, but it did get her to the top of the mountain.
Once at the top, the kids thoroughly enjoyed climbing all over the very large rocks at the top of Mary's Rock and we really enjoyed the spectacular view of the valley.
It may have been Amelia's worst day ever, but it was the best day I've had in a long time.
The thrill of reaching the top is evident on Amelia's face. There were lots of great rocks for the kids to climb on.

This is us, at the start of the trail.
Here we are where the original trail meets up with the Appalachian Trail.
Jimmy had loads of energy, as a 6 year old should. He always ran ahead, and here he is having fun on a big rock next to the trail.
We have a book called Donald Duck, Mountain Climber. It's Jonathan's favorite. I asked him if he was a mountain climber and he said "Yes!" and then I asked (or Gary asked) if he could think of any other mountain climbers. We expected he would say "Unca Donald" (he calls Donald Duck "uncle Donald,") and were surprised (and pleased) that he responded "Daddy!"
This is me and Amelia. We are probably singing Amelia's song.

Jonathan's Birthday

Last week was Jonathan's birthday. He really looked forward to it for a long time. He knew what he wanted: a bike and an Elmo cake. Here's the family with the birthday boy and the much desired Elmo cake. He doesn't really know anything about Elmo, but he liked the Elmo pinata at Gary's company's picnic last week and has been excited about him ever since.

We didn't get a picture of him on the bike yet, but here's one of him in his Tigger suit*, opening his Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. This is what he chose with the money that Nana and Pop sent for his birthday. Thanks!

*He calls the tail of this suit his "bouncer" and the first time he put it on, he spent a while going in circles, trying to get a hold of it. I wish I had made a movie of that!

Jousting part 2

Here is Jimmy pretending to joust. Notice the powdered sugar on his nose, which the kids enjoyed while watching the joust.
Jonathan was so disappointed that he did not get to ride the horses, so I took a picture of him with some horses.

Gary's post pretty much says the rest.

National Jousting Championship 2007

Yesterday we attended the National Jousting Championship in Aldie, Virginia. It was interesting, even if it wasn't as dangerous or swashbuckling as we previously imagined. It was a competition of speed and skill, with horseback riders ("knights" and "maids") riding at top speed and trying to spear three rings, as small as 1/4 inch in diameter!



Hopefully we'll attend again next year.

Procrastination

This is the family, right before we broke our pinata. It's a Mickey head that the kids and I made from free Harris Teeter balloons (our grocery store) and papier mache. It is painted to look like Toodles from the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. It was intended to be for a pre- DisneyWorld vacation celebration. But we left early and didn't have the celebration. Then it was intended to be a welcome home/ease the vacation let down activity. But that didn't happen. Then it was going to celebrate the end of summer vacation. Then it was going to be for the first day of school. Then it was going to keep the kids busy while I was in labor. Then it was going to be a welcome home from the hospital thing. Then one Friday night, I was tired of waiting for candy, and I said, "Let's just break it open tonight." So we did.

Family Photos

No one is looking the right directions, but they look cute anyway! I think Simon has a sweet face.
I think Gary has a sweet face too!

This is a bonus from the hospital! I forgot to post it at the time.

Nice try!

Today, I got out the camera to take pictures of the kids to post on this site. (Hopefully I find the cable to connect the camera to the computer and actually post them:( )
Jonny kept asking "Can I take a picture Mommy?"
After repeated "no's" I finally said:
No matter how many times you ask, Mommy does not change her mind. Mommy might get mad, but she will not change her mind.
Jonny thought for a minute and then said "Can I take a picture GRANDMA?"

Amelia's Art

Amelia was feeling artsy the other day. She painted a picture of each of the family members. She made the kids big and the grown ups bigger. Each person has a huge hand. That was so that after she carefully cut around each person, she could tape them together holding hands. She also painted a picture of baby Moses for her family night lesson. (Yes, it has been more than a year and she is still teaching us the same Moses lesson every time.)
So she didn't finish her project on Monday. So Tuesday morning, she cut out her pictures and taped them together. It was really cute! I commented on what a nice, happy family picture she made. Then I noticed that she included baby Moses in the group. I asked if Moses was in the family. She said "That's not Moses. That's another baby, just in case."

Still the Scientist

When Jimmy came home from school one day, he noticed my Avent Isis (pump)on the counter next to the sink. A huge grin spread across his face and he exclaimed :What kind of science experiment is that?!
(Amelia explained it to him.)

Untitled

When complete strangers see me with the kids, they most likely remark "You have your hands full." I usually respond with a smile and "not really."
But last Thursday's soccer practice was an exception. We were going to be there on time for once! I opened the car doors, let Jimmy run ahead, and started gathering kids, etc. Laiden with Simon, 3 folding chairs, and a diaper bag, Amelia, Jonathan and I crossed the street. When we got to the other side, where the practice was, Jonathan noticed that I grabbed the green and blue chairs and he wanted the black chair. It was in the car. So he did what any almost 2 year old would do. He had a tantrum. And it was big. I stood their waiting for it to blow over for a few minutes. It did not blow over and nothing I said helped. So I put down my things, and sat down to wait. Why didn't I go back for the black chair? Because I am as stubborn as my kids, and having a tantrum is no way to get me to cooperate. So after 15 minutes of coaxing and waiting, I gathered my things again, this time including Jonathan in my haul and slowly made my way to Jimmy's practice. It was across the school from the parking lot. As I made my way, carrying 3 folding chairs, one diaper bag, one almost 2 year old (still screaming and flailing), and an infant, someone stopped to tell me I had my hands full. For once, I agreed. But I didn't say so. They didn't stop to listen.

The Mad Scientist

Jimmy has taken the new addition to the family the hardest. I think it has been difficult to adjust to a full school day and a new baby at the same time. He is often crabby about something or other. I get caught up in his moods and I forget to laugh. But really, Jimmy gets wound up about funny things.

The other day, I was putting the kids to bed and Jimmy reminded me that we ran out of time for his science experiment. I told him if he was good for the scriptures we could do the experiment after the prayer. He agreed, so I was surprised when he hit Jonathan with the science experiment book. So I said we had to save the experiment for the next day. Jimmy was really upset about that and spent the next hour sneaking out of bed to attempt the science experiment. When Gary got home, I told him about "Jimmy's Rebellion." Gary thought it was the funniest thing! What kid sneaks out of bed to do science?!
We did do the experiment the following day- put the end of a rolled up paper towel in a glass of colored water and watch the water climb the towel. The kids were suitably impressed.

The Woes of a Middle Child

A few days ago, Jonathan said his longest sentence yet.
I was puttering around in the kitchen, putting milk in the freezer for Simon and getting a cup of milk for Jonathan. As I did my business, I rambled about Jonathan and Simon and how they both like milk. I guess it was a bit much for Jonathan to follow because he said:
"I don't want to be called Simon, Mommy."

The next kiddodiddo

We're so pleased to announce that little Simon Jonathan was born last night at 10:23 PM. He and Tracy are doing just fine. We'll be calling as many relatives as we can over the next two days, but you can call us if you want to get in touch with us sooner.

Here are the scientific details:

Unique identifier: Simon Jonathan S.
Timestamp: September 5, 2007, 10:23 PM
Length: 19"
Mass: 3152 g (that's 6 lb 15.1 oz in Free World units)

Jimmy makes me laugh

A few days ago, on his way to his first soccer practice, Jimmy asked if there would be girls and boys on his team. When I told him "no" he started to fan himself vigorously and said "phew." I asked why he did that. He said "because some girls make me feel funny." I got nosy and asked which girls (I couldn't help myself!) He said Cha-Cha, from his kindergarten class and Noelle.

Today Jimmy confided in me that he is a lot like Job.
Jimmy: I am like Job. This week bad things happen to me and I keep the commandments.
Me: That's too bad. What kind of bad things have happened?
Jimmy: I keep losing my plastic teeth.
Me: (trying really hard not to laugh) Yeah, that is too bad. You really like those vampire teeth.

Gary pointed out that it is good for him to liken the scriptures to himself, but I think it's the funniest thing I've heard him say in a few days.

Car Seat Talk

As the time approaches for our new baby to be born, I often wonder if the kids really get it.
Yesterday when I was buckling Jonny into the car, he pointed to the tummy baby's (empty) carseat and said "baby resting in there."
I asked him "Do you think a baby will come to our family and ride in there soon?"
He pointed to my tummy and said "How 'bout that one?"
So I guess Jonny gets it.

Red Alert!

After taking a week to catch up from vacation, we are currentlt preparing the house for the arrival of new baby. He is due next month.
We decided that it would be best to divide the children into 2 bedrooms, instead of cramming all 4 of them in 1 room, using the other as a play room. Jimmy and Jonathan will share one room. Amelia and the new baby will share the other. Since one room will be boy and girl, I decided they should have the green room, and the boys would choose a new color for their room.
Jimmy got pretty creative with the paint simulator machine. He wanted red and green with white polka dots. He wanted it to look like Christmas, with snow balls. He liked it with 2 walls painted one color and 2 walls and the ceiling a different color. Jonathan chose orange with blue. He likes orange a lot.
After sitting on their suggestions for a few weeks, I asked them again about color. They chose red. Not just red, but RED ALERT red. In the brand we bought it goes by "flaming sword." It is not a subtle color. But Gary and I love our kids and want them to be happy, so we bought a couple gallons of flaming sword paint and supplies. We put the kids to bed and got to work. We painted until 1 in the morning. When we woke up, we saw that the paint had not covered very evenly. While Gary was at meetings, I hurriedly applied the remaining paint to one and a half walls. 2 coats looked a little better. The next day, I hauled the kids back to Home Depot for more paint. I told the clerk what I wanted and he tried to talk me out of it. Are you sure? He kept asking. He told me how hard red it to work with (Some people have to go up to 4 coats!) I told him I was in the middle of a project and would he please sell me the paint.
So the kids watched The Muppet Movie while I added more flaming sword to the boys room. I finished with the second coat and started on the third. I ran out of paint again. I left the paint to dry and called it quits for a few hours. We then journeyed back to Home Depot where again they tried to talk me out of the paint, I persisted and we returned home, not without incident. Amelia's a little jealous of the attention being paid to the boys room. (Once it's done, I'm going to make her a little pink canopy or curtains for her bed.)
So after dinner and family home evening, Gary and I applied the third and final coat of paint. It looks good. We left the ceiling, baseboards, and closet door white. We waited a couple a while and then started to peel off the tape. There were so many coats of paint dried onto it that it peeled paint off the walls when it came off. So now, the boys have a red room that needs lots of touch up work.
I decided that if we were going to have a room in our house the color of a flaming sword, it would be the best flaming sword colored room you ever saw. It's not quite there yet, but if you ignore the edges, it looks good. Once we touch up the walls where the bed goes, we'll put up the bunk bed and get the boys moved in. We may even get around to posting a picture of it, but don't hold your breath. I always intend to post pictures but it never happens!

Our Vacation: Jimmy's Version

Test Track. I really liked Test Track because it is so fast adn fun adn cool int he ice chamber. The heat chamber, especially the barrier test and what else I liked about it: our cars go so fast.

Splash Mountain it was scary adn I also really liked it when we took a wrong turn. Instead of going to save Br'er Rabbit we ended up at Fox's house and then we went down a few tiny hills. Then we went down a giant big hill with a big splash! I thought Splash Mountain was taller at Disney World, but it was taller at Disneyland.

I really like Soarin' because of the golf ball, the orange smells, and it feels like you are flying. It's fantastic!

(at the beach) Me and one of my friends went wave fighting and body surfing. When my friend told me there were baby sharks out there, I was scared.


Muppets 3D is so funny. I wish Fozzie Bear said "Woka Woka Woka!"

Our Vacation: Amelia's Version

I liked Winnie Pooh's Honey Pots because of his weird dream. There was giant things and also a jack in the box.
Soarin' because it feels like you are flying and the orange smell (she rode Soarin' 5 times!)
Snow White's Scary Adventure because of the evil trees, the apple and the crocodiles.
Dumbo the Flying Elephant because of the mouse and the color of the elephant was yellow.
Peter Pan's Flight because of everything and the boat. It was yellow too, just like the elephant. Me and Jimmy rode in the yellow boat.
I liked It's a Small World because of all the things. I saw lots of things and the flowers saying "good bye" to you. They said good bye in lots of different languages.
And I even liked Test Track because of everything.
I just loved Splash Mountain. I like Splash Mountain because of everything.
Tower of Terror. I went up and down and when I went up to the windows my hair went up because of all the wind and I felt like I would bounce out of my seat. I was holding Dad's hand and that stopped me from bouncing out. (Gary said she DID bounce out of her seat, about an inch, before the safety belt caught her!)
In the Muppets 3D we watched at Disney World, there was a remote control pie!

Our Vacation: Jonathan's Version

Water. Swimming pool. Get wet swimming.
Daisy, Minnie, Kudo (Pluto)
Cars! Love it! (about the Indy Speedway- think Autopia)
Darth Vader. Darth Vader favorite. (What does Darth Vader look like?) Kind of orange. We saw Darth Vader at Disney MGM.
Mickey Mouse movie favorite (Mickey's Philharmagic 3 D movie at Magic Kingdom)

Upcoming Trip

We'll leaving for Florida in a few hours.
According to Amelia:
The best part of going to Disney World is going on rides and pulling your suitcase.

Our Harry Potter Party

We have really enjoyed the Harry Potter book series and eagerly awaited the mail delivery Saturday, for the new book. To celebrate, we threw our own little Harry Potter party. Each family member invented a magic trick to perform and made witch hat cookies.
Gary went first. His trick was to pick up a piece of ice with a piece of "string" using salt. It was very scientific. Unfortunately, all we had was yarn. This trick works well with string, but not yarn. He came up with an alternate and performed again at the end.
I went next. I made a top hat out of construction paper and pulled a scarf from the empty hat.
Jimmy did a trick with his pocket. First he had Amelia check his pocket. There was nothing in there. Then we all closed our eyes and counted to 3. When we opened our eyes, she checked again and there was a K'Nex block there!
Amelia brought lots of parts to the magic show- the directions for her Doodle Bear, a barrette, sunglasses, and a small crab towel. Then she said "Mom how do I do the trick?" I had no idea what she was talking about, but quickly came up with the "magic disappearing towel trick." We spread out the items and put the towel over them. Then we said a magic word. Then I lifted off the towel, carefully holding one of the items underneath to make it disappear. She was amazed! She tried to do the trick herself. She was pretty frustrated until I showed her how.
Gary helped Jonathan do a trick. Everyone closed their eyes and counted to 3. When we opened our eyes, Jonathan was gone and Gary shirt had suddenly become very large and lumpy! We all got a big laugh out of that one.
Gary finished it up with a truly amazing card trick. It fooled us all.
We got out the witch hat treats and turned on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for the kids and the grown ups read the newest book together.

Jimmy's First Guess...

...at why we don't go to the "Owl Restaurant" (Hooters.)
I quote:
I was driving by and I saw someone coming out of the Owl Restaurant* and they had a drink called "Caffeine Drinkers" and they had TWO Caffeine Drinkers. Caffeine Drinkers comes in three flavors; chocolate, banana, and organic.

*We used to drive by Hooters (and their billboards) often when we lived in State College

Amelia's First Phone Call

911. Need I say more?

Jonny's first prayer

It's probably been two weeks now since Jonathan said his first prayer. It was a dinner prayer and he said it all by himself. He said:
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you food. Please help Power Rangers. Jesus Christ Amen.

Jimmy's bike riding skills

Jimmy is finally mastering his bike, without training wheels! He "only rides it downhill, on the grass so it doesn't hurt when I fall."
When he does rides on the pavement, he coasts, putting his feet down when he feels tippy. I don't think it'll be long before he gains confidence on the pavement as well. I am proud of him for being brave enough to take on the bike!
*You may ask Why not training wheels? They encouraged him to ride crooked and tip over more. That is why he called his bike "the un-tip-able Titanic." He always felt a sense of DOOM when attempting a ride.

Amelia's Rock Band

Just so you know, Amelia is starting a rock band. It will have 7 girls in it. "Daddy will be the band leader (but only for practices.")
Amelia will play the guitar and little cousin Sara (as opposed to big Cousin Sarah, who is my age) will play the harp. I hope she has a harp!

Jonathan's Happy Dance

So I tried to call my mom to wish her a happy birthday while I was cooking dinner. I absent mindedly left the ingredient cabinet open while I did worked on my pancakes. Jonathan came along and rummaged through and selected a full box of cocoa powder. I don't know what I was thinking, but I let him walk out of the kitchen with it.
As I came out of the kitchen, I saw Jonathan dump the entire box of cocoa powder on the dining room floor (carpet.) He did a happy dance on top of the powder. He looked just like Harpo Marx dancing in the lemonade. He was so full of joy at that moment!
Now our carpet looks about 30 years old. Whoever heard of carpeting a dining area ?! I'll have to haul out the carpet cleaner sooner than I anticipated!

Cool Link

Here is a link to a site that I frequent when looking for activities for the kids. I really like their print out work sheets- mazes, word searches, etc. They also have fun custom chore charts.
http://www.dltk-kids.com/

What Should I Be?

At dinner a few nights ago, Amelia said "I don't know what I want to be when I grow up. There are too many things to choose from. I need your help."
So I asked her which things she was trying to choose from.
"Pirate, mom or cheerleader. But a good pirate, not a bad one."

Bananas and Bandaids

The other day I was getting the kids ready for the pool and the big kids ran to hide because they don't like sunscreen. Not Jonathan. He came running for "nanas." The sunscreen in banana scented and he loves the smell. As I put the sunscreen on him, he said over and over "tickled, nanas!" meaning he felt like he was being tickled by bananas!

He tripped and scraped his knee yesterday (twice, so the scab was scraped off this time) and Gary put a bandaid over it. Jonny pointed to his knee "see bandaid" he told anyone who would listen. This morning, he has been going around, holding his pants leg up and telling everyone again "see bandaid!" I know this isn't his first bandaid, but he sure is proud of it anyway.

The Slumber Party

For the last two weeks, Jimmy had been trying to talk Jonathan into a sleep over in his bunk bed. At first, I resisted, using the "but it's a school night" excuse. But school's out now and once again, Jimmy invited Jonathan over for a slumber party. (they share a room already, the bunk bed and crib aren't that far apart) Jonathan agreed to try sleeping in the big kid bed. I put up a safety rail (thanks freecycle!) and tucked the kids in bed. If Jonathan is still in the bed by the time I've finished typing this, I'll be really surprised!

First Day of Summer Vacation

School vacation started today, technically. It was Jimmy's last day of school.
Upon arrival at home, he encouraged Jonathan and Amelia to act like they did when he was at school.
He kind of moped around a lot, but other than that it was a very normal day. Right before dinner, he said, truly concerned "Mom? Why are you so busy?"

The kids made some summer goals, as a family night activity. They want to go running in the morning and exercise like Rocky (Gary showed them the interesting parts of Rocky before he left on his trip.) And they want to learn karate.

Family Fishing at Frankin Park

Last weekend, Gary and I took the kids of a fun, family fishing day hosted by Loudoun County Parks. It was my very first fishing trip. It was the kids first day of fishing as well. I have always thought that I would enjoy fishing.

When we arrived at Franklin Park, there were representatives from the fish and game department. They had rows fishing poles just waiting for families like ours to show up. They had a cooler full of nightcrawlers in neat little plastic containers. We helped ourselves and chose a spot to begin our adventure.
As we walked around the lake, we were greeted by a man in a shirt that had sponsors all over it. He had his photographer take our pictures and gave us each a do- rag and an autographed card. It wasn't until later that I realized that he was the one on the autographed card. I guess I am not so observant.
When we got to our chosen location, we opened up our container of worms and looked at each other. "this is why I used Power Bait." Gary muttered. I did not think I would be squeamish about worms.
(I never was, until we lived in State College, the Wormiest City in the World. Every time it rains, the worms come out. Not cute little garden worms like I remember growing up. Foot- long, wriggling, slimy, gross- looking worms. They cover the pavement. Since it rains A LOT there are always worms on the sidewalks and especially in parking lots. I lived in fear that I would get a flat tire and have to lie down in the worms to change the tire.)
Back to fishing... Gary bravely reached into the container of nightcrawlers and ripped off a one inch piece of worm for each pole, (as we had been instructed) and showed us how to put it on the hook. Then we practiced casting. This is particularly hazardous with 6 year olds who think they know what they are doing.
We got the hang of casting and watched other kids walking by with their catch, taking it to the scales for the fishing contest. The our kids didn't like the idea of waiting for the fish to bite. The kept reeling in seaweed. And we kept breaking off one inch pieces of worms to reload the hooks. I didn't get brave enough to touch them with my hands. I threaded them on to the hook in the container and then used a rock to chop them off.
I wasn't so good at casting and once smashed the floating ball thing. Jimmy and I took the pole back to the area where we picked it up, to see what could be done. The man in charge said "Just put it over there." and pointed to a pile of rods with tangled line, smashed floating things and assorted other problems. We selected a new rod and returned to the rest of the family. When we got back, Amelia told us about a fish she had seen swimming in the water.
Gary got a bite on his hook. This was very exciting! It got away. I'm sure he could give you the dramatic details of that experience.
About this time, the Amelia's fish came back. It was brown and about 5 inches long. I watched it for a few minutes and realized it was sick or something. It would have been easy to catch it with a soda cup or even bear hands, but we were fishing. We were going to do it "right." We dangled hookes with worms in front of it. I think I even touched it with a worm. It just hovered there in the water, trying to ignore us, or maybe just trying to stay alive.
We decided to turn in our poles and head over to the free lunch. We enjoyed hot dogs/hamburgers, beans, and chips (between bathroom breaks, Thank you Gary for taking care of that) and then rushed home to clean up and head over to cousin Betsy's wedding reception. (We got there in time to say hello, watch them drive off in a "tastefully decorated" car, throw rice and help clean up. It was nice to see relatives, even briefly.)

Beans! Yum Yum!

Yesterday, Jimmy and I noticed green beans growing on his bean plant that he sprouted from a seed. We picked 2 and threw them in with some beans I was planning to serve with dinner. Suddenly, everyone loved green beans!
Hopefully, the same magic will work when the zucchini and summer squash are ready for harvest. (the kids asked for those, although Jimmy likes zucchini for the zucchini bread and Amelia likes summer squash for its color)

How old are you?

In the last few days, Jonathan has been telling a little joke. Every time I ask him "How are you?" he thinks I am asking "How old are you?" He responds "6!"
(Just like his big brother.)

Hmmm

Well it's been a while since I posted anything and I guess I'd better update you all on the kiddodiddos!
Jimmy's soccer season ended on Saturday. He learned the game well and aggressively attacks the ball. He learned to jump up after he is knocked down and even took a ball to the stomach in stride (something that unnerved him earlier in the season.) It fun to watch him play, but even more fun to listen. If things are going well, you can hear him laughing as he runs.
As the school year winds down (12 days) he looks forward to calling himself a 1st grader! He learned the kindergarten skills well and improved his handwriting by leaps and bounds.
Last month, he sprouted beans in a plastic bag when they studied the plant cycle and he brought them home. We planted the beans under our tomato plant- I didn't think they'd do well enough for their own pot. Boy was I wrong. Two days ago, Jimmy and I carefully repotted the beans into a pot of their own. They love the extra room. While we don't know what kind of beans they are, Jimmy says they were white. We should find out soon- they have pretty white blossoms on them.
Amelia has been maturing over the last week or two. She has been tending a miniature rose bush (purchased with the intent of teaching her a little responsibility) and is a very attentive gardener. She checks the dirt every day and looks for bugs on it and carries it to sunny locations. She has managed to stay in sacrament meeting for the last 2 weeks with out any behavior issues, which considerably eases family stress at church. (Apparently the single sisters in the ward were getting great entertainment counting the number of trips she makes to the foyer.) She gets a lot of laughs (unintentionally) in primary, particularly during sharing time. One day the primary president asked the kids if they saw general conference. She raised her hand, bouncing in her chair. "I did. I saw general conference! It was BORING!!!!" Another week, Jimmy was chosen to be in a demonstration and Amelia clapped and jumped up and down, so excited to see her brother up in the front. Imagine her reaction when her name was called too! (the names for volunteers are randomly selected from a jar) She ran to the front and hugged Jimmy, jumping up and down. She looked like someone who just won a huge prize on the Price is Right! (I don't think she has seen the show) She sings loud when she knows the words. "The Sunbeams may sing loud but they don't sound good," he commented loudly after practicing the Father's Day song. Her enthusiasm for life is fun.
Jonathan loves Nursery and his teachers. Yesterday, I asked him to point them out in sacrament meeting, hoping to distract him for a bit. He knew immediately where they were. They are grandmas who really enjoy the kids and the kids love them back.
He is excited about airplanes and helicopters, lady bugs, and swimming. He likes to use his musical potty chair. He used to use it more, because it was fun. Then he figured out that grown ups like it when kids use the potty and he stopped using it. It was only fun when it was his choice. So I just ignore the potty now and he uses it when it suits his whim, usually once or twice a day. He loves collecting rocks and sticks and flowers. It is fun to see which he prefers. Based on his collecting style, he holds on to rocks until he finds a flower. Then he drops one rock to pick a flower and he carries both around until he finds a good stick. He drops everything for a good stick. He enjoys finding the same sticks over and over because I have a firm rule- no sticks in the house. We have a jar on the counter for all of the weeds and flowers the kids pick for me. I will miss the crazy bouquets when the kids are older. I know they won't treat me to them forever.

I CAN'T READ

"I can't read" has been Amelia's complaint for some time. She CAN read 2 and 3 letter words, but she is easily discouraged and gives up quickly. Today she read the first few pages of HOP ON POP to me! She really liked the silly rhymes. Hopefully this book will give her some confidence and help her realize that she CAN read, and practice will help.

A Ladies Man

Today we had friends over for a playdate. I turned on some music for the kids to dance to and when a slow song came on, Jonathan marched over to one year old Laina and gave her a BIG kiss!

Loose Tooth!

Jimmy's big announcement two days ago: I have a loose tooth!

This is something that he has been eagerly anticipating for sometime. He says it feels like it will fall out anytime. It's not too wiggly yet, but I can see the new tooth through the gum underneath.

Superhero Rumours

As you all know by now from reading a previous entry, we have a superhero living at our house named Crismon Shedds. His marquee superpower is that he knows everything. We have a few updates on Mr. Shedds. One is a clarification, and the other is new information.

Clarification: the name Crismon Shedds comes from a misreading of the video game Crimson Skies at that vaunted center of high culture, Chuck E. Cheese.

New Information: Jimmy looked down a storm drain and said he was looking for Crismon Shedds. When asked to clarify, Jimmy explained that Crismon Shedds is a shape shifter who likes to flush himself down the toilet. He (Jimmy) did not specify whether Shedds' brother, Crismon Shredds, is also a self-flushing shapeshifter.

That is all.

Jonathan Save Sucker Instead of Face

Last week (or maybe the week before) Jimmy's bus driver gave each kid a sucker as they got off the bus. He is a nice man and he had extra suckers for the siblings that wait at the bus stops. Jimmy, Amelia, and Jonathan were happily walking home, carrying their suckers (to enjoy after lunch) when Jonathan tripped. He fell flat on his face and the only move he made was to protect his sucker by hugging it to his chest as he fell. When he stood up, I could see scraped knuckles and a big scrape on his forehead. I expected tears. Instead, he triumphantly held up his sucker. "Suckoo" he proclaimed, to assure us that the sucker had made it through unscathed.

And speaking of yummy things, Jonathan decided to fix himself a glass of Qwik today. He got out the overly large container and a mug and proceeded to scoop out and drink a glass of the powder! I came across him on the floor next to the table enjoying his treat.

Cast off!

Jimmy got his cast off this week! Life is certainly easier for him with it off. For one, he does not need to wrap his arm in bubble wrap for soccer practices and games anymore. And he can bathe himself again. Mostly, I think he enjoys being free to move his arm as he pleases.

Amelia's birthday

"YIPEE! I'M FOUR!" Amelia shouted as she barrelled down the stairs on the morning of her birthday. She looks forward to learning to read more words now that she is four.

Kidwell Farm

Earlier this week, I took the kids to Kidwell Farm in nearby Fairfax County. We met up with friends and had a lovely (but chilly) time looking at all the new babies that were born this spring. There were twin sheep that were one week old (one black and one white,) piglets (black and white striped) and a baby goat that was hiding behind the woodwork and couldn't been seen. The kids were most fascinated with the month old sheep. They were very active. A worker went into their pen and picked one of the lambs up for the kids to pat. Jonathan got very excited. "Doggy!" He exclaimed. "No," I explained. "That's a sheep." Upon hearing my reply, he eagerly began to growl and roar at the sheep!

Tidewater Fun

Last week during Jimmy's spring break, we took a trip to Virginia's Tidewater region. We visited the National Maritime Center , which is in Norfolk. But first, we spent two days in Colonial Williamsburg, which is in (get ready) Williamsburg.

Colonial Williamsburg is a mostly rebuilt rendition of what Williamsburg was like when it was the colonial capital, and original state capital, of Virginia. Jamestown, where the British first landed in 1607, and Yorktown, where the Americans won a decisive battle, are right down the road. Yorktown, Jamestown, and Williamsburg make up America's Historic Triangle. There are big highway signs to that effect. I was just glad to be in America's Historic Triangle and not Bermuda's.

Williamsburg is important mainly because of who all was there together in the House of Burgesses at the same time: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick Henry, to name a few. They, along with the Adamses in Massachusetts, more or less started the American Revolution.

The surrounding city of Williamsburg is quite modern and touristy, but the historic area is old-fashioned and touristy. Like the Novell campus, Colonial Williamsburg (CW) is preserved and staffed by a non-profit corporation. But unlike the Novell campus, CW is very quainte.

Upon arrival, the kids were convicted of disturbing the peace and got the pillory:




After being released, they got to work in a colonial corn field with hoes:


We visited the very regal Governor's Palace, home of the crown-appointed and colonist-reviled governor of Virginia:


The palace was dull for the kids, but then there was a girl's bedroom, which Amelia enjoyed seeing (you can't read it in this photo, but Amelia's free badge says "I Am Under 6"):


Jonathan had a great time too, despite this photo:


Each afternoon at Williamsburg, they hold a regularly scheduled revolution for a couple of hours. You stand in the street and see authentic characters talk about the British abuses, the war, etc. This photo shows Tracy enjoying the revolution (the boy in the orange is Jimmy; the girl in the stripes is *not* Amelia):


At the end of the revolution on our second Williamsburg day, they invited able-bodied men to join the march to the courthouse before moving on to battle at Yorktown. How could I refuse? (That's me in the green colonial shorts and white colonial baseball hat.)


Civilians, including children, were invited to march behind, but they had to provide their own weaponry if desired. Luckily, Jimmy had chosen out an authentic Pirate Rifle the day before from the colonial gift shoppe (that's him in the yellow shirt; his glow-in-the-dark cast is hiding behind the more authentic soldier):


At the end of the day, we stopped for one last picture before heading back to the colonial parking lot:


The next day, after our last night at the posh Travelodge Williamsburg, we headed to Norfolk. The proper southern way to say "Norfolk" sounds quite impolite; as a squeamish Western prude, I incorrectly say it like it looks: "Nor-Folk." Whatever its pronunciation, Norfolk has several mermaid statues:


It also has a great place called the National Maritime Center, which includes Nauticus, a wonderful museum about all things related to boating, and the Hampton Roads Naval Museum, a free U.S. Navy museum that includes the U.S.S. Wisconsin. I didn't realize the place would hold our attention for the entire day, but it did.

We got to tour the outside of the U.S.S. Wisconsin battleship:

It has been suggested that the kid to our left, your right, needs some manners pertaining to photo-taking in public places. Our kids do it too. What can you do? All we can do is photoshop him right out of there:

The Wisconsin is part of the Navy's Inactive Fleet, which means she could be activated and used at any time. She took part in WWII, the Korean War, and the First Gulf War. It was fascinating to be on a ship so large and with such a long and rich history.

Here is the type of shell that the Wisconsin's big 16-inch guns fire:


Jimmy said he learned a great lesson on this trip: "Guns are important!"

He's right. What else is important? Bunk beds:


Underwater exploration pods with claws:


And of course, families are important. We really enjoyed this little vacation. If you ever come visit us in Virginia, there will be plenty to do!

Wake up time

Last night, as we were going to sleep, Gary wondered how the kids would wake us up in the morning. Sometimes they knock. Sometimes they make a lot of noise. When Jimmy was small, he used to stand by the bed, waking us up as quietly as possible.
This morning, Jimmy and Jonny came into our room, crawled into bed and started to sing "There were 5 in the bed and the little one said 'I'm crowded, roll over!"

Ninja Turtles

Jimmy went to see the new Ninja Turtle movie last night with a friend, Mikito. He came home and told us all about it. It sounds really exciting, full of adventure. There are a few scary parts though. Rafael and Leonardo (2 of the Ninja Turtles) get in an argument and one of their weapons is broken. This was too much for Mikito. He ran screaming from the theater!
(We have since cleared a path in our living room, just in case something scary comes on our tv and he needs a quick exit!)

Boo Bah!

Last week, Jonathan chose a Boo Bah movie at the library. We brought it home and he watched it with Amelia. He watched it but didn't seem so captivated. When it was done, he turned off the tv. Amelia was upset. "Jonny turned the movie off before it was done!" I explained that the movie was all done and it was right to turn it off. Amelia looked really confused. "But movies are supposed to have a beginning, a middle, and an end," she protested.

Angry Eyes

There is a silly part in Toy Story 2 where Mr. Potatohead is packing for a trip and Mrs. Potatohead is helping him. She opens his back and says something like "I'm packing your angry eyes, just in case."
I like to wiggle my eyebrows at the kids, to see them try to wiggle back. Jonathan ususally laughs and tries to grab my eyebrows. Today, he spent the parts of the day with his eyebrows down, looking very dark and angry. But he wasn't acting particularly angry. Then I figured it out. He was trying to figure out how to wiggle his eyebrows at me, but could only manage the down part.

Jimmy's Cast

Last weekend, Jimmy and Gary went ice skating for the school skate night. Jimmy took a big fall on his elbow and cried pretty hard. When he got home, he told me "My arm hurts pretty bad so I'm not going to move it for 8 days." He didn't complain anymore, but he didn't really use his arm. So yesterday I figured there might be something wrong and got an appointment at the doctor today. Ta da! After 2 appointments and x-rays, he has a lovely new red cast, to be worn for the next 6 weeks. His arm is fractured at the base of his upper arm bone. He already feels better from it, as his arm is protected against jostling and banging now. But now I feel like a terrible parents leaving it so long!

3 babies!

Here are the kids happily swaddled in their new blankets! Thanks to Nana and Pop for the Valentine blanket surprise.

A Special Announcement

Please stand by for the following special announcement, exclusive to kiddodiddo blog readers:

The next kiddodiddo.

The due date is September 15. More details to come soon!

UPDATE: he's here! He's here!

Photography

Here is what our new house looks like:



If you follow the walkway in the foreground straight back, you see two doors. Ours is the door on the left. Unfortunately we do not have a garage with handsome barn door like you see in the photo, but at least we have assigned spaces for our car and van:



And here's a photo of cute Jonathan:



I showed him this photo and he said "baby!" It is brightened for better visibility. As I was playing around with the contrast, I bumped it up to 100 and it looked like this:



Jonathan's reaction was, "Uh-oh!"

Facial recognition

Tonight I needed to distract Jonathan for a few minutes. I thought it would be fun to show him a picture on the computer. So I used Google to search for images, hoping to find a picture of, I don't know, Mickey Mouse. I thought maybe I could explain who Mickey was and what his purpose is in our lives.

But no explanation was necessary.

I was on the search results page when I heard Jonathan get very excited and say, "Mick!" Apparently he already knows. :-) (FYI Jonathan is nearly 17 months old.)

Cans! Num Num Num!

Last time I got out the crayons, Jonathan got very excited and shouted "CANS! Num num num!" (translation: crayons! yummy!) He is my only child who enjoys art time, if for the wrong reasons (he eats the supplies, in case you were wondering.) Jimmy and Amelia hate drawing, writing, and coloring. Does anyone have tips on how to encourage these activities or make them fun for kids?

Jonny's post

Jonny has been very chatty lately, speaking one word sentences and especially the word "MA!" which now means everything (help, more, Mom, and anything else urgent.) Yesterday he said his first sentence. I was trying unsucessfully to buckle him into his carseat and he was sucessfully fighting me off. "DONE!" he shouted over and over, meaning that he was done being in the car and wanted to get out. Finally in shear desparation, he shouted in his angriest 1 year old voice "I AM ALL DONE!" It was very clear. I was surprised.
Today he put a few words together again. "Bye, Jimmy" he said as the school bus drove away this morning.

Amelia's Post

Amelia has joined the primary this year and is very happy to be a Sunbeam. She loves the singing time and brings a lot of energy to the class.

She wants me to type a song she made up it is called "the room of thee"

I will be kind today and i will be all that i can be my earthly home unto thee for sins for forgiveness I will weakness I will sin and obey and then obey holy spirit father of for the kind you say to me thee to parents kind and dear help us find the way oh when all that he must do for living child of gray juice.

*This is not as easy to remember as one Jimmy made up one day that he had the "urp disease"
"this is the throw up place, the United States- bock bock bock!"

Jimmy's Post

Jimmy has been unusually helpful lately. In fact, his school teacher called to tell me what a "good citizen" he has been.
Monday was a school holiday- the floating holiday reserved for snow days that don't come. I didn't set any alarms hoping that the kids and I could sleep in. At 8:15, I heard the vacuum cleaner going. (I was surprised to sleep in that late!) I went upstairs to find Jimmy and Amelia vacuuming up yogurt. Jimmy decided I needed a break that day and so he gave everyone a breakfast of yogurt and bread. Jonny took off running with his yogurt and got it all over the carpet and the slide in the living room. I had to keep from laughing at the mess and their attempt to clean it up. Sometimes it really is the thought that counts.

A Little Lesson in Farming

Yesterday, Amelia and I were out and about together. While we were walking and talking, she taught me a little about farming.

"Mom, milk comes from cows. Carrots come from bunnies!"

The Mitten

Jimmy made a cute little mitten at school and he tells a cute little story with it.
There was a little boy named Nicky who had snow white mittens. His grandma made them and he loved them. One day he went climbing in a tree and one fell off. He could not find it because it was snow white and there was snow on the ground. Along came a mole and climbed inside (he has animal cut outs that fit inside.) It went in backward so it could see if any creditors were coming. (I think he meant preditors) A badger, fox, mouse, and owl follow the mole into the mitten. Then a bear climbs into the mitten. It sneezes "ACHOO!" (he dumps out all of the animals) and out come all of the animals.

Something Strange in the Neighborhood!

Something strange has been going on after bedtime at our house. A few nights ago, Gary and I went to check on the kids after they were asleep and we found them in bed, wearing outgrown winter hats and mittens. I must admit that it is not unusual to find Jimmy sleeping in one glove (a black one, ala Luke Skywalker) but to see him sleeping in a hat that barely covered his hair with mittens on both hands was unusual. To find Amelia sleeping in like manner was downright strange. I wondered what they had been up to. The next night, we found Jimmy sleeping on the closet floor, wearing hat, mittens, and a padded vest. We do not have a cold house. We keep the thermostat at about 70. The third night, after bath, Jimmy raided the old winter clothes yet again, making reference to space travel. A clue! Space travel...

Do dingos eat babies?

I really don't know why this came up the other day. Gary and the kids were having a discussion about whether dingos eat babies or not. Now the kids are afraid of Australia because they think Jonathan will be eaten. Jonathan, on the other hand, likes to go around saying "dingo dingo!"

Why do you like to race?

Tonight, before the kids went to bed, Jimmy challenged Gary to a race. Gary asked Jimmy "Why do you like to race?" and Jimmy responded:
"Because it gets my wiggles out and it gives me strong leg muscles."

So now we know!

Jonny's little joke

Over the weekend, we bought a minivan (yay!) and we are all grateful to have it. It's a 1999 Chevrolet Venture. While Jimmy gets a thrill out of the automatic door, Jonathan found a unique way to enjoy the van. As soon as the door opens, Jonthan reaches in and pushes on the black circle and shouts "ding dong!"

(if you open your car door, you will probably see a black circle where the door closes)

A Grand Announcement

Christmas day was a peaceful day at home of the Kiddodiddo family. After new toys were opened and proper gratitude was shown (yes it was spontanious and wonderful), the children disappeared upstairs with their new treasures. Jimmy's was a talking Red Power Ranger and Amelia's was a Barbie Mermaid. We parents relaxed on the couch. Much later, Jimmy and Amelia appeared downstairs, to announce the marriage of Shella the Mermaid to The Red Power Ranger. The happy couple honeymooned, arm in arm in a pink barbie car and has often been sighted together since

Pictures with Santa

This year's ward party included a fun photo opportunity with Santa Claus himself. As soon as the jolly, old man entered the room, Jonathan (worried) scrambled up into my arms, and Amelia burst into tears. Hold me, she sobbed. While Jimmy conversed freely with Santa Claus, the two younger kids clung desperately to me. Even after seeing the candy cane that Jimmy got, they were not convinced that Santa was a nice man. Eventually, a girl came along and gave Jonathan a candy cane. While he ate the candy, I stuck him on Santa's lap for a picture. As long as he had the candy cane, he didn't care what happened to him. Amelia did not like to be the only one with out a candy cane. She timidly approached Santa for a candy cane and consented to have her picture taken with him.