Rainy Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day! Thank you to all those who have served or are serving in our country's defense, and to the family members who sacrifice as well.

This is how my kids spent a good part of this afternoon, on a rainy gray Memorial Day. Amid moving mess, they were playing video games. After Collin gave up trying to figure out how to play the game with Spencer, Collin and Claire started taking turns climbing all over their new gym equipment, i.e., my step stool, and singing and making noise into the video game microphone. It's loud. They're fascinated with the sound of their own voices. Spencer was working hard on beating the math game. No, he's not pretending to be an airline runway guy - he just liked the gloves, so he was wearing them. Then when he was complaining about all the noise Collin and Claire were making, Collin went and got him Vlad's noise reduction earphones and stuck them on Spencer's head so he could go ahead and continue making all the noise he wanted. It worked, and everyone was happy. :) What a threesome!

Quotes May 5-13

May 13

Collin was in the backseat of the car next to Claire who was snoring lightly during a nap as we sped at 75 miles an hour down the freeway. Collin calls out, "Mommy? Are you sleeping? 'Cause I can hear your sounds!"

May 12

Spencer, unbelievably proud of his favorite bright yellow umbrella he carried out of the school building, boasted to everyone within earshot: "I have an umbrella!"
His classmate nearby: "Big deal! I have an umbrella too!"
Spencer: "Yeah? Well, you don't have a YELLOW one!"

May 5

Collin: "Mommy, is skipalint a bad word?"
Me: "No."
Collin: "Is flubbyluck a bad word?"
Me: "Nope."
Collin: "Is hump-a-lump a bad word?"
Me: "Um.........................I don't think so...."

Ordinary Days in Photos

We are enjoying ordinary days. More time to spend together, enoying the outside, and the kids with more freedom to roam and play. These are photos of our ordinary days.

Claire trying to keep up with the big boys.

Delicious!!

Sharing is always nice.

The boys and I planted a spruce tree that Spencer got from school so we can transplant it at our new house and watch it grow over the years.

Collin taking it upon himself to do some yardwork.

Quotes May 4-5

May 5

Me: "Here, Collin, put your shoes on."
Collin: "No. I don't like these shoes. I want to buy skip-wicks because these shoes make me hunky!"
Interpretation: "No. I don't like these shoes. I want to buy new shoes that make cool noises becuase these shoes hurt my feet!"

May 4

Spencer stared wide-eyed and open-mouthed at a group of sexy young women dressed to kill with micro-mini skirts and cleavage falling out all over the place as they walked around the local gas station. As one of them passed him he said to her, "Wow! Nice purse!"

Spencer's Biking Drama

Yesterday Vlad took the boys on a walk to town to get some ice cream, and came home with a funny story.

Usually Vlad and his boys take off as a happy threesome, Spencer on his own bike, Collin on a tricycle, and Vlad pulling Collin along with a leash attached to the tricycle. It's about a 2 mile walk, round trip. Spencer loves the freedom riding on his bike, and usually rides way ahead of Vlad and Collin. As Vlad was walking and watching Spencer, Spencer lost control of his bike and toppled over. It was obvious from the way he fell and the lack of crying that Spencer was fine and without injury. But Spencer, being the King of Drama, decided that such a spill needed proper tribute, so instead of getting up from his fall, he laid himself face-down on the asphalt, all four limbs spread in every direction, and just laid there motionless. I can only imagine that in his dramatic little mind he was probably muttering words of doom, or playing out a tragic scene worthy of an oscar nomination while he waited there for his dad to arrive with words of sympathy.... But Vlad took his time. He knows Spencer, and knew there was no need for alarm, except for maybe the fact that our son doesn't see any reason to NOT splash himself flat out on the asphalt. Regular passers-by don't know that, however, and before long a car passed by Spencer, only to screech to a halt, and back up. A worried man got out of the car and approached Spencer. Spencer, by this time realizing that he may have overdone his pathetic scene, got up and brushed himself off and got back on his bike.

In Spencer's own words: "The man said, 'Are you okay?' and I said, 'Yeah.' and then he said again, 'Are you okay?' and I said, 'Yeah.' And then the girl in the car said, 'Are you okay?' And I said, 'YES!!'" Evidently they believed him the third time, and left before Vlad could catch up, although you can't blame them for doubting. It's not every day you find a kid lying motionless on the asphalt for no apparent reason!!

Quotes April 28-May 3

May 3

Vlad looks at the kids, who are all three grinning at us from where they're sitting squished together on the floor of the walk-in pantry, and says with a smile, "That can be your bedroom, all three of you! A bedroom Japanese style!"

April 30

Collin, looking at Spencer's returned schoolwork pages: "Spencer! You did bery bery well! You did great, Spencer! You're wike da best kid EVER!!"

April 28

Looking at our new house, Spencer said to me very seriously, "Mommy, I don't want to live here." "Why not, honey?" "Because they don't have the right toys!"

Kiss the Hurt Away

I'm always amazed at my kids' empathy. Lately I've been rather clumsy. Two weeks ago I whacked my head on something and actually started crying (it really hurt!). I immediately felt bad because Claire started crying as she watched me cry. Then right away, as soon as I was sitting still instead of hopping around, both she and Collin climbed on my lap, gave me hugs and cuddles, and Claire made some very sweet comforting sounds while patting me. It was heart-warming, and really did help take the pain away. :)

Now this morning I slipped and I've sprained my ankle or something in that area. As I stood hunched over the stairs, moaning and trying not to hold my breath, Spencer was the one by my side patting my back, asking if I was okay, asking what I'd hurt. I couldn't talk, so he finally gave up and Claire took over. She climbed on the stairs and put her little face right in front of mine, and smiled at me with the sweetest, most hopeful smile while patting me again and making cooing noises. This time it didn't take the pain away, but I still felt so much better.

Kids are amazing! I don't know where they learn this empathy, even at Claire's young age, but it's remarkable to see them at their best when others are in pain or need. What sweethearts!

Home Again

Collin, Claire, and I have all had quite an interesting week. First we took off and drove down to Indiana. I actually believed that Grandma would pass away before I arrived, but she amazingly held on for two weeks without water, and longer without food. I got to see her before she died, one day after I arrived.

Next we were over to Lafayette to see my brother and spend two nights with him....then upstate to a cousin's wedding where I not only got to see many family members, but also got to meet my friend, Stephanie. We established our friendship on a parenting forum online, so meeting in person is always interesting, and in this case also a delight.

Then we went back downstate for Grandma's funeral. This was the other side of the family. All of the cousins were there except one of my brothers and my own hubby. Still, somehow, it felt like our family group had shrunk by about half. We had a great time with all the cousins, though. As we each left the visitation we returned to my uncles house until we were all gathered there for the remainder of the afternoon and evening. I don't remember the last time all the cousins gathered in one place and just chilled. It was one of those simple moments of life that I'll carry as a treasured memory.

Grandma's funeral was very nice. The saddest thing for me was to see members of her generation pass by her coffin. They'd spent a lifetime together, and now she was gone....and they too will follow. I had to wonder what they were thinking as they looked at her lying there.

All too soon the week was over and we were back in the car headed north. And NORTH we are! We were no sooner home than it started to snow outside! In the middle of May!! Unbelievable.

I thought my camera had died from having a bit of milk spilled on it, but when I got it to the repair place on the way home, the brilliant tech guy just looked at my batteries, turned one upside-down, closed the hatch, and the camera began working perfectly! How embarrassing!!!
Maybe I can blame it on the pregnancy...So I don't have photos of most of the week, but I do have a few photos of Claire in a cute little ballerina dress. She's got bruises all over her face from trying to keep up with her lightning-fast brothers. Sigh. What a little princess!

Stephanie and I

Little Bruiser

our Little ballerina. yes, she does like to dance and twirl in circles.

Collin next to his pet dinosaur.

Collin's Pet Dino

Collin lived every kids' dream today. There was a big green dinosaur on the front of a gas station as we passed by the Wisconsin Dells today on the way to Indiana. What kid wouldn't want a big dinosaur to cuddle with?! I had to document this dinosaur-lover's first encounter with a life-sized dino!

Quotes April 20-27

April 27

Collin: "This car has superpowers! Just like Batman, the brave and the boast!"
And here I always thought Batman was brave and BOLD!

April 25

Claire: "Mommy!"
I'm finally "Mommy"!

April 21

Spencer: "Mommy, what is your friend saying?"
Me: "We're just talking about mommy stuff."
Spencer: "Oh, so you're talking about discipline?"

April 20

Spencer: "Mommy, is my brain in backwards?"
Me: "No, honey, why?"
Spencer: "Because then it'd be detached and I'd be crazy - like you!"
My cover is blown.

Spencer's Spring Concert

Thursday was Spencer's Spring Concert at school. The theme was Disney, and every child (except kindergarteners) had a costume and lines. Spencer has been memorizing songs and singing them for bedtime, in the van, at dinner, and any other time we'd listen, for weeks. His favorite was "Be Our Guest." So when the time came, and every imaginable Disney character (in miniature) shuffled into the auditorium, there was quite the air of excitement. Thankfully for me, who went to the concert with two younger children who have yet to learn the meaning of "sit still," the kindergarteners went first. To say that Spencer sang at the top of his voice is putting it mildly. All the children were loud, but Spencer was the loudest. He belted it out as loudly as he could. He yelled. He did all the hand motions, although noone else was doing any, he found me in the audience and waved wildly, and when they were done with each song, he clapped along with the audience. He was in the height of his glory. It was so funny and adorable I sat there giggling at him and giving him the thumbs up.

Unfortunately my camera was out of batteries (again) and so I didn't catch any of it on film.

But what a fun memory!

My Grandma

There is a quiet farm in Indiana, where the cool green grass is pushing up from the life-giving earth, and the birds are filling the air with their songs. There, in a long-loved house surrounded by corn fields and sunny skies lies a tiny, delicate old woman, breathing......just breathing. My Grandma. She has returned home to die.

It was here she built a house and home with Grandpa. Two quiet, simple farmers with shining eyes, radiant smiles, and hearts bigger than could be contained by the land they nurtured like a baby.Here she watched her five children leave home and marry. Here she held her grandbabies and watched as they grew and played together, blew out hundreds of birthday candles, uttered prayers of thanksgiving at harvest time and squealed with delight on Christmas morning. Here she taught us not just through words, but through her actions, about life, love, faith, and how to pour heart and soul into the people around you and make the world brighter where you stand. Here she laughed, worked, played, sang, prayed... Here she watched the ebb and flow of life - here she returned, alone, when Grandpa went before her to the other side.Her teenage love, her life partner, her Sweetheart.

After more than 40 years of marriage, when Grandpa drew his last breath, Grandma said "There goes one of God's greatest creations." I'm sure Grandpa gave an adoring chuckle when he heard that, and if he'd been able to, he would have reminded her that he was only 1/2 - that without her he could never have been the complete person that he'd been.

To me, Grandma was what grandmas should be - always round, rosy, fully of love and laughter. She was always scurrying here and there, and forever looking for some misplaced paper. Grandma's house was summer fun, family togetherness, Christmas magic, and vegetable soup. She taught me how to shuck corn, how to pick green beans, how to pull up pantyhose, about God, the joys of the treadmill, and that every girl in the world looks more beautiful with Shirley Temple curls. Somehow with a love, sweetness, faith, and a simplicity that were almost childlike she helped equip two generations of her family for adulthood.

And so now, the other half of one of God's greatest creations lies, just breathing, surrounded by her children. They hold her hand and quietly sing her the songs of her heart - the songs of faith she's sung since childhood. In grief, they wait for her to leave them. Unseen are the ones who have gone before - her Sweetheart, her oldest daughter. In joy, they wait for her to join them.

And so, Goodbye, sweet Grandma. You will be missed, loved and never forgotten.XOXO