Not So Patient

As we awake each morning to still-below-thirty temps and often layers of new snow on the ground, we become more and more impatient for spring.


The kids are refusing to bundle up to go out, reminding us, "It's spring and we don't need gloves!" (or something of the sort).


I love that they go out anyway, even if they are freezing. Chloe went out like this one afternoon -- after she put on a coat with the hood down and her winter boots on her bare legs :-)


Usually even after they try to be tough they come running in after about thirty minutes, frozen to the core and ask for layers to cover up with.

Then they go back out.

At least the sun shines often enough to fool us into getting out there. It has been a long and freezing winter and we want it to be over!!

Story Time

Evan found the book Star Wars: A New Hope -- the novelization of the movie -- at the library six weeks ago and has not gone a day without having it out, reading to himself or having it read aloud.
Todd has been the go-to for story time since he is quite the expert at doing the correct voices and accents. They have been reading it together non-stop since Friday when Evan realized it was due back Tuesday (today). It is also his choice of bedtime story every night.


Todd said to me, after all these hours of reading, "It would be sooooo much easier to just turn on the movie and sit down with him." But we both know that the easier way is much less memorable or magical.

And so they read.... and read....

Noticing

I am noticing lately just how much Evan is changing.



Of course, his hair is insanely longer than ever and his hands are so big and boy-ish and strong now. But, besides just he physical changes, he is different inside -- the way he perceives his world and thinks about himself in this world. These are deep and important matters to him.



He has an opinion about what goes on in our house.
He wants to be heard.
He needs to know he matters.
He has to find out whether what he thinks and does can actually make a difference.

He wants to know he has what it takes.

Will he be a good man?
Will he do alright in life?

He is struggling with his inner personal beliefs. And he's only seven, I know, but this is so real to him. He has shared his heart on a personal level with me in conversations too sacred to violate, but this is the essence of this period of growth right now.


I am noticing the man within this little boy of mine.

Fashion

I have been spring clothes shopping for the kids over the past few weeks. This process involves lots of going through what we have, making lists of what we need (without being too picky) and figuring out how to not overspend. After all, these are kids' clothes we're talking about.

But the wrench in my plan is always this -- Chloe's preferences.


Things she will NOT wear include:

*anything light pink
*anything green (she and Evan have vowed to hate each others favorite colors)
*anything with flowers (!!!!!!)
*anything with words on it
*anything with ruffles on it
*anything plain like white t-shirts (even with pictures on them)
*anything black or brown
*anything with a hood
*anything with a seam across the middle (empire waist shirts and dresses)
*most dresses unless they are sparkly and red
*white socks
*halter tops
*jeans
*capris



Her preferences include:

*sparkles
*striped pants
*most things that are red
*most things that are bright blue
*glitter
*soft fabric
*shorts that are soft cotton or khaki material
*most things that are orange
*sometimes polka-dots (as long as they are not white or brown or black)
*rhinestones
*most things that have horses on them
*all things tie-dye (as long as they aren't pink)



Uh, seriously. It is taking forever to shop for her.


I know it seems easier to just hand her a pile of clothes and require her to wear them. Actually that wouldn't be easy at all if you know my daughter.....

Exhibit A:
She knows what she likes and I'm okay with that.

I Love Them

I love them.

I really love them.
I'm trying to be more aware and in the moment than I have been recently -- reminding myself of how important these days and weeks are with my kids before they are even just one year older!

I have been reading my blog archives and adoring all I have written so far about my family. Remembering all the details of life here (as I type on this blog) helps me slow down and be present.
I need this right now.

To remember.
To love them even more today than I did yesterday.
To watch them when they ask me to.
To hug them when they need it.
To smile at them even when I'm angry.
To be a part of their everyday lives.
To notice.
To enjoy life as it is right now.



Here are some of my favorite links if you need this reminder too.

On being busy or being full

Time flies when you're (not) having fun

Fighting the tyranny of the urgent

Warmer Days

Yesterday was so nice out.

If it is 60 degrees the kids are allowed to play in mud, so off they went.




By the end of this couple hour session, they were shirtless and covered in mud splats. Even in their hair.
I was inside toward the end of it all doing housework, and I don't have pictures of that since the clean-up whirlwind sort of took over. It was classic. I wonder what the neighbors think....


Today was another warm (enough) day to be outside ..... sigh....




This is the cavern that is our front yard. Good for jumping practice. (Yesterday some of the neighbor girls lost their shoes in the mud slop in the center, but it was hardened today.)

Evan put up a fight over whether he needed a coat today (it was about 55 out). He said if he wore a coat his cape couldn't fly in the wind behind him. We worked out a compromise.

After a bit of fine-tuning by Dad, the bikes which seemed quite small after a long winter, now fit the kids perfectly. Chloe even tried out Evan's old bike (still a bit too big for her, but she did make around the block once).



She was a bit giddy over being such a big girl :-) This bigger bike will definitely be the one she rides by the end of summer.

Evan was soaring on his bike as usual. Just when I can't think he can't get any faster or do any bigger wheelies or get his tires any higher off the ground.... he proves me wrong. Simply amazing, this kid.

The very first crocuses of spring were evident today as we were out and about

along with lots of little berries that have been hiding in snow since fall.

This sort of treasure hunting is so much a part of our days in the spring as we get to rediscover the world around us.

Back on her "spider bike" Chloe was faster than she's ever been before. Flying down the sidewalk she was yelling, "Get out of my path Mom!!!! I'm going
We hope there are more warmer days coming up for us, since the fresh air smells so good blowing through the house.
You'd never know it smelled good by the look on Evan's face though.

Bouncy Bouncy

First off, sorry to everyone for the lack of blogging going on here. There are many projects half-finished in my mind that I am trying to work through and of course the less important things get put on hold in order to make progress. So, that is why there have been only three posts in three weeks (or something pathetic like that). It will be back to normal soon, I hope.

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Chloe has been loving this bouncy ball that used to be Evan's.


She is wild on it, but not as daring as Evan was. I love how her hair flies all over :-)


She "injured" her knee last night and told me this morning that the ball is the only way she can get around without it hurting (yeah, okay).

So she bounced everywhere all morning.

Until her legs got tired.

Then.....

her knee felt better!

Amazing.

Getting Warmer

The weather is on a slow yet upward climb so the little ones have been wanting to spend more time outside doing springtime stuff -- today it was biking around the neighborhood. Evan led the pack and by the time he had exhausted himself we were probably six long blocks away from home.

Here they are in all their tired glory :-)Chloe refused to even look at me. That's why her eyes are closed.

We made it back just fine and as it turns out, taking a super long bike ride before naptime is brilliant. Genius. Works like a charm.

Mud

Melted snow + a front yard waiting for the landscaper = MUD HEAVEN!

They are absolutely frozen to the core but refuse to come inside.
I tried.

Spring, please come quickly!

Random Monday

Chloe recently learned how to work all the buttons and remotes on the upstairs and downstairs stereos. She still needs Evan's help to put her favorite tunes on repeat though (this is one skill we should never have taught anyone because at least they tire of pushing the skip back button three thousand times in a row....)
She is loving "Ooby Dooby" and "Ladybug Picnic" by Elizabeth Mitchell right now. At least she is over the Rudolph and Friends CD that's been in the player since November (ugh). Downstairs they still play "Jesus is My Superhero" over and over and over... This has brought them an immense amount winter exercise though since they dance and gallop and run all around while it's playing.

Evan has at least a dozen Star Wars books from the library right now. Informational ones like these are fun for Todd to learn from too.
He really studies them and knows so much detail about the "universe" that is Star Wars. At bedtime, he and Evan are reading aloud the novelization of the first movie (Episode IV). He is so into being "old enough to handle" the scary or mean parts of books now -- it's interesting to watch our sensitive boy mature in this area as he has been ready to.




The kids are always building forts with couch cushions, pillows, sheets and blankets (we keep extra sheets just for this purpose). Evan actually built this one and invited Chloe in after she persuaded him. He was building some Lego creations and narrating every bit to her. He answered all her questions and taught her random things about Star Wars as he went along. So sweet (when they aren't fighting).






I love how pictures turn out all misty like this one in the bathroom -- the steam from the kids' bath makes it so warm.

A woman at church yesterday asked me why we didn't have Evan involved in modeling since he has all that beautiful stylish hair and adorable face. "He won't smile for a camera on command," I told her. "Tell him he can make two thousand dollars for some smiles and he might reconsider," she said.

In the car, I told Evan her idea and asked him to think about it. He said, "Mom I already have... and YES."
Not sure what this means for our future (child modeling?? um....) but it was a fun conversation to have and maybe I can get some better pictures of him now.

Chloe has grown and inch and a half in six months. She is all long and leggy and crazy tall-looking to me. Her 4Ts are getting so short at the ankles and tight on the waist! Her feet are still itty bitty though, with lots of room in a size 8.

Chloe had these nine Breyer Stablemates books from the library for six weeks and was devastated to return them. Hopefully they'll all be there today when we head out to pick up books on hold. Up until she read these books, she didn't realize horses could do jumps and tricks and competitions and races.... Her whole world opened up, and so did our home to all sorts of horse arenas in the living room.

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Since so many of you have been giving me great feedback about how helpful the homeschool info has been I thought I might start sharing links I find, so here are a few if you're interested.

Curious About Unschooling?

Guide to Homeschool Parents

I Want to Homeschool but....

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I've also got a bunch of my made-from-scratch recipes to share, since I've been experimenting and having much success. I'll post some of those in the coming weeks.

She Says

She says, "I'm.... just... too... tired..." and slumps on the floor as an excuse for pretty much any request that she doesn't want to do.



She says, "Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, MOM, MOMMMMM ..... excuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuse meeeeeeeeeeeeee Mommmmmmmmm" which really is ineffective as far as manners go.




She says "ratherwise" as in: "I have to get a drink ratherwise when I go downstairs I will be so thirsty!!"


She says, "I'm never playing with you again!!!" and stomps away, but a minute later all is well and she is playing together with Evan once more.


She says the word exactly to express even more seriousness about a subject, as in: "I exactly had that horse first and Evan took it from me!"



She says, "Actually I do want to" or "Actually I don't want that" or "Actually I want a different one" after every decision she makes -- the girl changes her mind all.the.time.




She says "If I ever have to leave this house I would have to marry someone else and I'm already married to my Dad so I can't leave!"

Evan Was Here