A Potentially Shocking Experience

The kids entertained themselves for quite awhile today with the leftover balloons from Ron's birthday celebration. They started by tossing the balloons up in the air and trying not to let them touch the floor, but they soon discovered that taking advantage of the static electricity was much more fun. Tyler also had fun floating balloons over the warm air coming out of the register. You're sure to get a "charge" out of these pictures (roll eyes now):

Happy Birthday to Daddy!

Today was Ron's birthday. The kids and I have some traditions we've established for Ron's birthday: we make the cake together, we decorate the house, and we shop for gifts at the Dollar Store. Today was no different.

We headed out to the Dollar Store, where Tyler announced to the man behind the counter, "Today's my daddy's birthday! We're buying him presents." To which the man behind the counter said, "Well good. Tell him happy birthday from me." And Tyler responded: "I see you have a dog back there." And the man behind the counter added: "Yep. Tell your daddy the dog says happy birthday too." I believe we had the exact same conversation last year. Ahhh...traditions.

The kids picked out their gifts. I must admit they were rather selfish this year. I kept stressing they should try to think about what Daddy would like, but as you can see from what they picked out, my point was ignored. Danielle also picked out pink wrapping paper that said "Happy birthday princess" all over it. She could not be persuaded to get anything else. It was funny (because it wasn't my birthday). Fortunately the store was having a 20% off sale, so that pretty pink wrapping paper and all the other goodies were only 80 cents each!

Once we got home we made the cupcakes and then wrapped presents while they baked. Other than cutting the paper, the kids wrapped their presents all by themselves. Tyler is really getting the hang of it.

After wrapping the presents we decorated the house. The kids did everything. I just secured the streamers in place for them.

Finally we iced the cupcakes. This is the first time I've let the kids put the frosting on. Danielle did very well. Tyler was a little stingy. Fortunately they both allowed me to touch their cupcakes up a bit when they were done.

When Ron got home, the kids met him at the door with party blowers. They allowed him to briefly admire the decorations and then rushed him to the table so he could open "his" presents. They were so excited. Ron did a wonderful job feigning excitement.

That's Ron's tradition for his birthday - feigning excitement over birthday gifts. Ahhh...traditions.

Udderly Ridiculous

Tonight Ron and I watched the movie Barmyard (misspelled on purpose). The kids have been wanting to watch it, but I was hesitant. I'm glad we chose to watch it first. It really isn't for preschoolers; however, my purpose of this post is to pose this question:

Does anyone else notice anything anatomically incorrect on this male cow?

Just for Laughs

We took the kids to see Charlotte’s Web today. In case you don’t recall the exact words, Charlotte spun “SOME PIG”, “TERRIFIC”, “RADIANT”, and “HUMBLE” into her web, in that order, to save Wilbur from becoming Christmas dinner. She made it clear that it was important to believe Wilbur actually fit the description if she was going to put the word(s) in her web. I guess that significance was lost on Tyler. As Charlotte died, the camera panned to the leftover strands of web that had once spelled “HUMBLE”. Tyler leaned over and whispered, “Does that still say 'TUMBLE'?”

This was in the paper a couple weeks ago, and I had the best laugh.

(Click on the image to view it in a larger size.)

Impress Them on Your Children

Tonight was Tyler’s gymnastics class. This session of gymnastics, which started a couple weeks ago, is an hour later than his first series of classes. While we’re out later than I’d prefer, I’m finding the later time seems to be more conducive to meaningful chats with my son. In fact, after the last two times we’ve gone I’ve been reminded of Deuteronomy 6:6-9: “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” I haven’t purposefully gotten in the car and wondered what sermon I should preach to Tyler tonight. Rather, God has allowed our conversations to be gently steered to those moments when my inquisitive son is ripe to listen and learn. Thankfully He has made me mindful of these moments, too.

On our way to class tonight, Tyler broke the silence by asking, “Mom, where is Heaven?” Good question. How do you answer that?! For Christmas Tyler received a couple books (one from Grandma & Grandpa R and one from Aunt Barb) that talked about space, space shuttles, the moon, rockets, etc. I think that’s where this next question stemmed from: “Is it past space? If I took a rocket past the earth and through space, is Heaven on the other side? When I’m bigger I’m going to try to take a rocket to Heaven.” I don’t know how to explain where Heaven is, but I do know how to get there, and how wonderful to have the chance to share that with my son in such a casual way. I replied, “You can’t get to Heaven on a rocket. The Bible says the only way you can get to Heaven is through Jesus. He’s the only One that can take you there.” We talked about believing in Jesus (“I do believe!”), asking for forgiveness for the bad things we’ve done, and asking Jesus to live in our hearts and help us be good. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to “impress them on your children…when you walk [or drive] along the road.”

Today Tyler has been obsessed with the thought of becoming an “animal rescuer” when he grows up (in addition to being an astronaut, I guess). All day he’s talked about how he will rescue forest animals, how he will care for them, what kind of truck he’ll need to drive in the forest, where he’ll live, how Danielle will help him, how proud I’ll be, etc. He has talked about it ALL day long. After our talk about Heaven, he resumed his fantasy of becoming an animal rescuer. At one point in the conversation he was talking about the truck he’ll need to drive through the woods. He said it would have a flashing siren light on top so people would know he was coming. I asked why he would need the flashing light in the woods, but he wisely said, “I’ll need it on the road on my way to the woods.” Oh. Right. Then he said, “God will look down and see a little flashing siren in His hand.” I thought I knew where he was going with this, but I really wanted to hear him say it. I asked, “Really? Why is that?” I got the answer I was hoping to hear, “Because God is so big. He holds the earth in His hand.”

Our Grocery Trip

I forgot to blog about this earlier this week. I don’t know how this one almost slipped my mind.

On Monday Tyler’s preschool was cancelled due to the snow & ice. Frankly, I thought they were being a little wimpy. I tried to reason with his teacher when she called, but she insisted there was NO SCHOOL. Tyler was thrilled with his first “snow day”.

Mondays are my grocery shopping days. I usually perform this dreaded task while Tyler is in school. Danielle typically rides in the little truck in the front of the cart and entertains herself. I’ve given up trying to buy a full cart of groceries with BOTH kids, so this Monday I went to the grocery store with the play area. Usually the kids really enjoy this, they behave themselves well (for them), and my shopping is therefore upgraded to bearable.

This Monday I dropped the kids off, got my little wristband that coordinates with the number on the kids’ name tags, and hurried off to get started. I was making great progress when I heard an overhead page: “Attention shoppers, this is an Eagle’s Nest page for the caregiver with wristband #4. Please return to the Eagle’s Nest.” I cringed and checked my wristband, #6. Whew! I continued on. 30 seconds later the page was repeated: “Attention shoppers, this is an Eagle’s Nest page for the caregiver with wristband #4 AND the caregiver with wristband #6. Please return to the Eagle’s Nest.” Usually this means Danielle has to use the restroom. For some reason I didn’t think that was it this time. Sometimes moms just know.

I got to the play area after the caregiver with wristband #4 and waited my turn. The play area lady busied herself with #4 mom and avoided eye contact with me. (I know this sounds paranoid, but it’s true.) Meanwhile, Danielle peered around the counter and yelled out, “Tyler bit me on the butt! He bit me on the butt.” I mouthed, “Ok. Be quiet,” but it didn’t really matter. She said it a couple more times then returned to watching Cars.

When mom #4 and daughter left to use the potty, the play area lady turned to me. “I was reading a book to Tyler and Danielle when another family needed checked in. I left to check them in. Then I heard Danielle crying. Apparently Tyler didn’t think she was sharing enough so he bit her on the butt. I thought I misheard her, but I didn’t. It was the butt. He bit her on the butt. I’m sorry to bother you, but I can’t look to be sure she’s ok. It was hard enough that she was crying, and I wanted to be sure she was ok.”

Here are the thoughts that crossed my head, in order:
1. Great, a witness (the other family)
2. Of course, it’s Tyler
3. Biting? Is he 2?
4. The butt. Always the butt. WHY the butt?!
5. She’s dramatic. No need to look.
6. Act like I’m concerned about her butt anyway
7. I’m going to kill him.

I apologized for his misbehavior and removed him from the play area. He didn’t have much to say in his defense. She wasn’t sharing. He bit her. Why the butt? Just because. Danielle stayed to play. I resumed my shopping, purposefully walking fast enough that Tyler had to hustle to keep up. I rushed through the rest of my shopping, checked out, and picked up Danielle.

The play area lady told Tyler she hoped he would be allowed to come back next time and gave me a kind smile. At this point I was feeling a bit depressed. Seems like I’m always correcting behavior that shouldn’t need to be corrected. (Really! Biting at his age! We won't even discuss the location!) At least I made someone else’s day. That other mom probably went home and told her husband, “At least our kid’s not as bad as that butt biter at the grocery store!”

Too Bored to Sleep?

We’ve been having an insomnia problem with Tyler lately. I’ve entertained the thought that maybe we’re not doing enough during the day to sufficiently tire him out at night, so today I tried to change things up a little. After lunch we bundled up and headed over to the nearest metro park to take a walk.

I turned too early and we ended up at another park with an observation tower over the now frozen marsh. We got out with the intent of climbing the observation tower, but the wind was sooooo cold. We looked around, threw a couple snowballs on the ice, and hurried back to the van. We drove along to the correct entrance and tried again.

The trees made a nice barrier for the wind, and this stop was much better. We wandered along the snow covered path through the woods and watched the wind blow the snow from the treetops. We especially enjoyed trying to identify all the animal tracks. We saw deer, rabbit, dog, and raccoon tracks. Danielle says she saw duck and bear tracks, too.

When we came out of the woods at the other end of the trail, the unspoiled snow was too much to resist. The three of us dropped in the snow and made snow angels. Then the kids made their own animal tracks. (I think they were trying to make rabbit tracks in this picture.) We threw snowballs, they jumped on my head (well, my shadow’s head - as pictured), and we giggled a lot. When we finally got back in the van to head home, Tyler said, “That was fun. That was really really fun. That was even more fun than playing trains!” He was right. It was.
I don’t know if it was our trip out today, a change in his bedtime routine, a combination of both, or just luck, but he fell asleep without problem tonight.



Here are some other pictures from today.

FINALLY! Winter is here!

You should have heard the squeals bounce off the walls when the kids woke up and saw the snow this morning! We have been waiting for snow since, well, last winter. And last winter I only remember one decent snowfall.

We finally layered on the clothes, pulled on the boots, and bundled up the coats to head outside. Of course, Danielle had to go to the bathroom again at this point, so we got to layer, pull, and bundle her twice. It was still coming down when we got outside, and the kids loved it! Before I could even get out the door Tyler had already plopped himself down, made a snow angel, and messed it up again. I managed to catch Danielle making hers.

We had a lot of fun. Ron shoveled while I pulled the kids around the yard on a sled. "Faster! Faster!" they yelled. I ran around several times until I nearly collapsed. Then the kids threw snowballs at me (prompted by Daddy) while I was catching my breath. The kids had a lot of fun playing in the falling snow. Slowly our neighbors started to trickle out of their houses, bundled kids in tow. The dads shoveled, the kids played, and the moms took pictures. (Ah...suburbia). It was a fun time.

Later today Great Grandma R called to talk to Tyler. She wanted to know if he had made a snow angel yet. I was thankful we could say "Yes". Of course, she had already made hers, too.

Heaven

Tonight after gymnastics class Tyler was in a talkative mood for the ride home. After discussing different events from his day, we somehow moved on to the topic of heaven. I asked Tyler what he thought heaven would be like. He said when he gets to heaven he will ask God for all of the Thomas the Tank Engine stuff. Then he will ask God to sit down and play trains with him.

I thought that was a beautiful image. My 5 year old believes the Almighty God would personally want to sit and play with him.

Are You Talking to Me?!

This afternoon the kids and I went to the airport to pick up Ron. Timing is always so important when we pick him up. We have to be there early enough to get a spot where the kids can see him walking down the corridor, yet not so early that they get bored and start creating their own "entertainment". I timed our arrival perfectly today - we arrived 10 minutes before Ron's flight was scheduled to land. Unfortunately, his flight was delayed (again) and we had an hour's wait. The kids didn't want to walk around for fear they would miss Ron. Instead, we sat and waited. Every minute or so Danielle would ask, "Is Daddy coming yet?" We sat and talked and giggled while the hands on the clock slowly worked their way around. After Danielle asked "Now is Daddy coming?" for the millionth time, the lady next to me started laughing. Then she leaned over and said, "Your children are so well behaved! Most kids wouldn't be able to sit so nicely this long." And she was talking to ME! Ahhh...that felt good.

We don't go to the airport with Ron very often. Although it's a little easier now, I have a difficult time dropping him off and leaving him there. The pick up is always wonderful, though. Without fail, this beautiful tear-jerking scene plays out:
I see Ron before the kids do and point him out. They jump up and catch a glimpse of him. Then they take off, both of them, yelling "Daaaaadddddyyyy!!" all the way across the room. It doesn't matter how far away he is or who might be in the way. Ron becomes the only person in that airport and nothing can keep them from him. When they reach Ron, he bends down to them and they jump up and hug his neck (or whatever part they can reach), still squealing "Daddy!" It's as if he'd been gone months rather than days. The welcome he receives is fitting for a king, and it always always brings tears to my eyes.

Quite often this scene evokes "awes" from those sitting nearby. Today I caught the woman next to me wiping her eyes.

An Investment of Time & Love

Early last year Grandpa C and Tyler started a project together. Fueled by Tyler’s interest in his tools, Grandpa thought it would be fun if he and Tyler built a small boat together. Grandpa sketched it all out, got all the supplies, and the boys spent some time working together. They haven’t had a chance to work on it much lately, but while we were visiting today, they decided to finish it up. We girls left to do some visiting so the boys could work.

Grandpa said this is what went on at his end once it was finished:
When they discussed taking it upstairs, Tyler wanted to cover it up so they could unveil it. Tyler made Grandpa cover it up before bringing it upstairs from the basement, just in case we walked in. Once it was upstairs, Tyler called and begged us to come home. Then he insisted they sit at the table with their hands on the cover, just waiting for the “big” moment. After several more minutes, Grandpa moved to the couch but Tyler still waited patiently at the table, his hand on the towel. Grandpa said every time he heard a noise Tyler would make Grandpa look out the window for us. (He couldn’t leave the table.) Grandpa wanted to turn the tv on, but Tyler was concerned they wouldn’t be able to hear our car. Grandpa convinced Tyler to take the towel off so he could take a picture. Then they practiced unveiling it and saying “ta da”! Grandpa said Tyler sat patiently at the table like this for well over ½ an hour. He was so excited.

When we finally got back, Tyler and Grandpa were waiting at the table. In the middle of the table sat the boat, draped in a towel so it could be unveiled before our eyes. With a “ta da”, Tyler and Grandpa whipped the towel off to reveal the most special sailboat. Tyler was bursting with pride (Grandpa looked pretty proud, too). Tyler carried the boat around the house and even took it with him when he, Grandpa, and Danielle went for a walk around the block. All evening he kept returning to the boat, admiring it and touching it. Talking about what they did here and how they did that. At dinner Tyler insisted on rearranging our seats so he could sit next to Grandpa.

On the way home Tyler asked if he could take a bath with his boat tonight. I denied the bath request (too late) but tried to prepare him for the realization that his boat may not float. He responded with, “It will still be a great boat even if it doesn’t float. But Grandpa said wood floats, so it will float.” Grandpa said it, it must be so. End of discussion. Right now the sailboat is sitting on Daddy’s desk so he will see it as soon as he returns from his trip. I’m sure it will be carried all over the house again tomorrow, taken to school some day to show off, and probably even tested in the bathtub at some point. Eventually it will probably come to rest on a shelf on Tyler’s bed, up near his head where he can always see it. While Tyler is lying still in his bed, trying to fall asleep at night or waking in the morning, he will see their boat and always be reminded of the special time he had with his grandpa.

I think Grandpa will remember their special time, too. When Grandpa forwarded me the pictures tonight, he added, “When we went for a walk we passed some people on the sidewalk and he proudly showed them the boat. He treated it like it was special. It did this grandpa’s heart good.”

The Vacuuming Phenomenon and Other Things

I thought it was just Tyler. It seems like every time I vacuum, he tries to be just a little louder than the hum of my Oreck. Usually he runs around in circles, singing or howling or just making noises in the room I’m vacuuming. Whatever it is he’s doing, he does it very loudly, and it always irritates me. I think sometimes he doesn’t realize he’s gotten so loud. At other times I think he’s genuinely trying to be as loud or louder than the vacuum for no reason other than to see if he can. It happened again today while I was vacuuming the family room. I was pushing the vacuum back and forth and admiring the nice pattern that appears on a freshly swept rug when I thought I heard a noise. But this time, Tyler was at school and Danielle was downstairs in the play room, entertaining herself quite nicely. I turned off the vacuum, and the noise stopped. I turned the vacuum back on and continued to sweep the floor, working my way from the family room to the computer room, occasionally hearing the loud howling sound. When I moved into the computer room, I realized I wasn’t hearing howling. There sat my husband, who was working from home, making up silly lyrics and belting them out as loud as he could, just to see if he could be louder than the vacuum. I guess it’s not just Tyler. It’s just Tyler and his daddy.


Here are the “other things”:

In a memorable break-through moment tonight at dinner, Danielle successfully spelled her name (DANI)! She did it out of the blue, by herself, and was SO proud of herself when I practically exploded with excitement.

After Tyler got home from school today, I asked him if he thought he could write all his ABCs. I don’t know why, but we’ve just never tried them all in one sitting. He was excited to try it and did great!
Later he was watching the Spongebob episode where Spongebob had to write an essay for Boating School. The title of the essay was “What not to do at a stoplight.” Tyler jumped up and asked for another piece of paper. “I want to write an essay, Mom, about what not to do at a stoplight. Will you help me?” He told me what he wanted to write and I helped him with the letters. For some of them, I just singled out the sound for him and he figured out the letter. So, this is Tyler’s first essay. All he has is the title, but a good writer has to start somewhere.

Cookie Pizza

This evening the kids and I made a cookie pizza. The kids thought it would be silly to surprise Daddy with a pizza for dessert! We used the recipe from a great new cookbook I got from my mom for Christmas.

The kids really enjoyed putting the "toppings" - M & Ms, peanuts, & marshmallows - on the pizza. Tyler kept saying, "This is so much fun, Mom!" They each did a side. Once the pizza was loaded, we popped it back in the oven for a few minutes to lightly toast the marshmallows. They thought it was funny that the marshmallows got bigger in the oven. They had expected them to melt down to nothing.

Daddy reacted appropriately and we all had a piece after dinner. Danielle typically doesn't care much for pizza, but I think she really enjoyed this one.