She's Good....and by that I mean diabolical.

How does a little sister get her justice-loving, rule following, people-pleasing big brother's goat?  She draws a picture of him scaring her, tears streaming down her sad little face and then hangs it on the fridge.  When big brother objected to the subject matter of the picture she quickly drew JESUS in the sky, looking down on him with contempt.  And then drew ropes around him because, "I tied him up for being mean."

Not sure what the floating heads are (cherubim?) or whom the fellow on the right may be.  I'm just happy she drew Jesus as judge and not our Elf on the Shelf.  This proves that our family holiday traditions are not confusing her theology.

Pride Will Come Before the Fall

Daniel's school conferences were this afternoon.  As his mother, I would be remiss to not mention that statements like "greatly improved," "so polite, " and "star pupil" were tossed around by his first grade and reading teachers.  I walked home with a little spring in my step, eager to tell Daniel how proud we all are of his progress.  He had a very rough start to first grade and he really has made huge leaps in his confidence as a learner and his ability to make mistakes and move on, instead of falling to pieces. 

At dinner we again doted on Daniel and his accomplishments.  Not wanting to build resentment, we turned the conversation to Addie and how we love how she turns even mundane conversation into a musical.  This led to some pretty spazzy singing and falling on the floor in hysterical laughter.

Daniel then announced over the hub-bub, "HEY! HEY!  I have to tell you something that everybody NEEDS to know!"
"NEVER do THIS." And he flipped us the bird.

Steve and I were in tears.  Once we were able to compose ourselves we asked where he learned such a gesture and explained what it means (in loose terms) and why, indeed, we should never use it.  Turns out the boy who sits next to Daniel has been tutoring him in Profanity 101.  Kahlil, you are in my prayers, you little @#$*.

Daniel's Prayer

This is for Daniel's memory, because his mom can't remember dates or details of conversations...

Last night, after books, Daniel asked me if Jesus ever sinned.  This led to a discussion about Jesus dying on the cross and how God left Him alone for just a moment so Jesus could take on all of our sins and die in our place.  And by some precious words and timing from the Spirit, Daniel wanted to pray for God to live in his heart.  We called Daddy to tell him the good news.  I put Daniel to bed.  And then I crumbled and wept in gratitude.  Thank you, Lord for calling my son.  I am overwhelmed.

Collaboration

 

Last month the kids and I repainted this old wooden parrot that had been living on the fence post by our front gate.  I bet it's been there for the last 20 years.  Most of its paint was gone and the wood was weathered.  The kids took turns painting bright colors and patterns on the parrot and when they were finished I painted on the black details and gave it a nice coat of varnish to finish it off.  I love how it turned out.  The parrot now lives in Daniel and Addie's room, perched above their window.  This piece marks our first successful collaboration.  Here's how our collaborative efforts usually go:

After reading my friend Greta's adventures in paper mache with her kids, I decided to pull out the paints this afternoon so the big kids could help me with a project.  I wanted to change a painting I had worked on a few years back (that I never really liked all that much) so I could hang it in Nathan's room.  The idea: Have the kids finger paint leaves on the trees.  The collaboration started out strong.  The kids wanted to add some more colors to the trees and I agreed and they actually looked great.

Then.  Then.  I asked the kids to paint stripes on the ground.  Daniel didn't want to paint stripes, he wanted grass.  I insisted on stripes.  That was me firing the first shot and within seconds the battle between creative kids and psychotic art director ensued.  "Daniel, you're using too much paint."  "Addie, don't put a green stripe next to a green stripe!"  "DANIEL!  You just dripped brown paint all over the sky!"  "ADDIE! YOU CAN'T USE A STICK TO PAINT! IT'S GETTING DIRT ALL OVER THE PAINTING!"  Kids, I'm so happy we shared this quality time; building memories.  I'm sorry your Mom does not know how to play well with others.  Please forgive me.

The painting actually turned out pretty well.

Please excuse the Cybill Shepherd frosted filter on these photos.  There were a lot of kid fingerprints on the camera lens.  Yes, I crabbed at them about that, too.

Nathan, I hope you appreciate the sacrifice your brother and sister made in their efforts to make your room look cool.

Quote of the Day

Miss Erin gave Addie some new dress up clothes today. She insisted on wearing the Sleeping Beauty dress to Target this afternoon. Not a battle I cared to engage in today. Addie twirled down the aisles in her lovely gown, drawing as much attention as she could.
The kids started to get kind of crabby at the checkout and both pouted when they were told that they couldn't get gum. We headed to the elevator and Addie pushed the "down" button. Daniel walked up behind her and pushed the button again...
Addie: Daniel! Don't do dat! Humph!
She pouted, gave him a small push, crossed her arms and turned her back to him.
Daniel, in disgust: Addie, you're such a princess.

Christmas in Hindsight - Part 1

Once January 1st rolled around I was rather over the holidays. In the moment Christmas was fun, precious and family-filled. But the week after it just felt busy and accumulating. So I needed a little distance before a recap.

The festivities started with Santa House at the kids' school. Gram was sweet enough to accompany Addie and I was able to spend the day with Daniel. We made crafts, met with Santa and Daniel starred as the angel in the pageant.

Daniel and some of his buddies from class.

The entire cast (minus one king) of the 2010 Kindergarten Christmas Pageant. Kings had to play double duty as Inn Keepers and there was only one Shepherd because the class is so small. Thank goodness for Caitlyn or one of the boys would have had to play Mary.

Daniel as "The Angel Daniel" who insisted on sharing the good news with both the shepherds AND the kings because, "they'd want to know, too." Lucky for Daniel Mrs. Villa isn't a stickler for biblical accuracy.

The Boys

These two adore one another. What baby doesn't love attention? And what 5 yr. old doesn't love an audience that is strapped into a chair and thinks every silly noise is worthy of a smile? Daniel spends a large portion of his time at home trying to make Nathan giggle. Addie tries too, but it comes off as not-so-subtle aggression.

Both boys seem to be growing up at warp speed this month. Nathan has worn 6 mo. sized clothing for only a month and he's ready to move up again. At his 4 mo. checkup he was 16 lbs., 4 oz. and 26 inches. He's started eating solid food and he can roll from his tummy to his back. This is actually a problem since he sleeps on his stomach. He wakes himself up a lot by flipping over.

The pants that fit Daniel in October are all now too short. And this happened...

This event, more than any other in his life so far, confirms to me that he is a big kid. It's awesome. And scary. And a little gross.

Photo Shoot - Part 2

More interesting shots by the kids. This eerie effect is achieved by strategic finger placement over the flash...

I like this shot because it captures what Addie's hair looks like most of the time.

My elbow, Nathan's legs, dog's rear end. I think the wadded-up leotard and tights make the artist's message very clear.

The underside of our couch is very hairy. Steve must have just vacuumed because the floor is surprisingly clean. (I know it was Steve because I don't ever bother to vacuum under the couch.)

Photo Shoot - Part 1

The kids have been experimenting with the camera lately. It's made for some fun surprises when I upload photos...

Not sure why the fly swatter she's holding evokes so much passion, but...

Life As We Know It

...has forever changed. One of the blessings and curses of being a firefighter is the rotating work schedule. Up until now our family has operated around Steve's random work schedule. We didn't have normal weekends, which gave us a lot of freedom to do "weekend" things on other days of the week. It seemed almost indulgent to have a family outing on a Tuesday morning when we knew most of the rest of the world wasn't able to. But now that Daniel has started Kindergarten 5 days a week, our family's schedule is becoming incredibly normal. It's a little sad.

But exciting at the same time. Daniel loves his teacher, Mrs. Wisdom (awesome name, huh?) and only has 5 kids in his class. 4 crazy boys and one sweet, yet spunky girl. The kids are going to become close friends over the next year and I'm eager to get to know their families, too.

Here's Daniel at his desk:

Addie started preschool this year. She LOVES it and asks to go every day. Her teacher is Mrs. Visintine. She seems like a real pro; not too tender, not too strict, and incredibly patient. Addie is giving up her afternoon nap to attend school so I am concerned she will throw herself on the floor and scream when things don't go her way...even more than usual. But so far so good.

The kids think it's really fun when they see each other in the hallways at school.

On the days that Addie is home, she is busy smothering and mothering Nathan.

And Lindy-dog tries to figure out where she fits in our ever-evolving pack. Poor dog is an emotional wreck.

Daniel is FIVE

Daniel's 5-yr check up was a little late this year so I just got his new stats, but let's back up to the fun stuff. Daniel wanted a Transfomers Birthday this year complete with a light-up Bumblebee banner and Optimus Prime Cake. Lots of blue lips and teeth after indulging in Optimus.

It was HOT the day of his party so we all crammed into our tiny living room to open presents. This photo makes me think 2 things: an open floor plan is a must in the next house because look at how ridiculous this is, and Steve has not played that guitar in over a year. If we put it in storage we could fit 2 more people in our living room.

Daniel got lots of cars, Iron Man toys, Transformers, a fishing pole, a skateboard and tons of other fun games and toys. Despite the heat we had a great time with family and friends. Even Great-Grandma and Cocoa joined the celebration.

Our gift to Daniel was his first trip to Six Flags. He and Steve had a great time together. Daniel was tall enough to ride on many of the roller coasters, including the Screaming Eagle, which he said was his favorite. He also loved getting soaked on Thunder River.

Yep. He loved it.

So, Daniel, you're five now. You are 46 1/4 inches tall and 52 lbs. In case you're wondering, that means you're huge. You love cars, rockets, swimming and PBJ's. And you ask us at least once a day if we can have a battle. This usually involves some kind of weapon (toy or imaginary) and lots of laser and explosion noises. You always defeat us.

You like to talk...a lot. And you have all kinds of interesting theories about God, the world, and life in general. Sometimes you like to hear what we have to say about all of those things, but you usually want to stick to your own version of things. It's fun watching you figure it all out. I wonder if your mind ever rests.

You've crossed into the stage of boyhood where Mom snuggles aren't as sought after as Dad wrestling. But you still humor me every once in awhile. I love you, my sweet boy.

Birthday Parties

Whether the celebration is for one of my kids or not, birthday parties seem to bring out the brattitude in Daniel and Addie. The combination of new toys to covet, lots of sugar, and the typical afternoon timing of parties appears to be the catalyst for my children to turn into the worst version of themselves. If you ever watch Wordgirl on PBS, one of the villains she battles is a girl named Eileen who turns into a giant green monster named "Birthday Girl" when she wants something and can't have it. (I love that show.) And if Daniel and Addie haven't completely melted down by the end of the party, the treat bag is the tipping point. I can't tell you how many treat bags I've wanted to chuck out the window on the way home.

As Daniel's 5th birthday approaches I dread every party we are invited to, mostly because I don't want him to ask for his own destination birthday party with friends. I just don't want to do it. Number one, I don't want to spend the money. And two, I don't want to be Mom to the "Birthday Girl" version of Daniel in the days (possibly weeks) leading up to the party.

I don't know how to ward off the gimme's and teach the kids to be grateful at this age. My feeble attempt today somehow ended up with me asking Daniel if he thought toys were more important than people. He replied, "Yes, because toys make people happy and making people happy is very important." Ugh.

Plan B: Distraction. If Daniel asks for a destination party I'll tell him, "No, we're having a party in the backyard with family as usual...but as a special treat Daddy is going to take you to Six Flags!"

Bunk Beds

Yesterday we went to Target so the kids could pick out bedding for their new bunk beds. I had to fight the urge to direct their choices. They had some super cute fish sheets and quilts for both boys and girls and the designer in me wanted the kids to have coordinated bedding. But the wiser voice in my head that is not my own told me to let it go. So Addie chose purple flowers and Daniel chose racing motorcycle/skateboard/train/car bedding that reminded me a little of Skidz...


They were both so excited to sleep in their new beds with their new sheets that they didn't want to read books. But once in bed they spent 2 hours talking, giggling, and climbing out of bed for much "needed" drinks of water. I guess every night will be a slumber party for awhile.

Corn on the Cob

Daniel and Addie LOVE corn on the cob. It's really the only vegetable they will regularly eat. I'm not sure it even counts as a vegetable. Anyway, corn on the cob just made an appearance at the grocery store and Daniel asked if we could buy those little corn holders that you stick in the ends of the cob. I guess they are meant to keep your hands free of butter? Not sure. But the VERY sharp ends do cause a mother of small children to second guess her decision to use them about half way through dinner.

I think the only thing the kids ate tonight was the corn. They ate it like typewriters, licked it like popsicles, and spoke extensively about its nutritional value. At one point Addie waved her corn cob in the air and shouted, "Hosanna! Yay for Jesus!" (Thank you Riverside teachers.)

Daniel and the voice of God (part 2)

Daniel: "Mom, what does God's voice sound like to you?"

Me: "It doesn't really sound like anything to me. What He has to tell me just appears in my head and my heart. What does it sound like to you?"

Daniel: "It echoes. Like, 'Daniel, it's God-od-od-od-od...'"

Daniel and the voice of God

Last night after Daniel was given a consequence for some pretty unkind behavior, he ran off to his room crying. I gave him a few minutes to cool down and went in after him. When I opened the door he was sitting on his bed quietly and when I asked him if he wanted to talk he said, "God is talking to me. I can hear His voice. He's not done yet." I left so they could finish their conversation. When I asked Daniel what he and God talked about he didn't want to share.

At bed time Daniel was especially tired and very over emotional. He threw a fit when I told him it was time to brush his teeth. He yelled, "God is saying it isn't bedtime! He says I'm not tired!" Obviously that wasn't God's voice speaking that time.

This morning at breakfast Daniel told me God was occupied with talking to only him and He couldn't talk to other people right now.

Me: "Did you know God can listen and talk to every person He made all at the same time? It's one of the many amazing things God can do."

Daniel: "Can God walk on water?"

Me: "Yes, He can do anything."

Daniel: "Is that because of His super fast wheel chair with flames?"

As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. - Daniel 7:9 NIV

The Pumpkin Patch

Last week my super cute nephew Tucker was in town so we met him at the pumpkin patch for an adventure. Tucker isn't quite old enough to enjoy everything Rombach's has to offer, but he had a good time hangin' with the pumpkins and he found Daniel to be quite entertaining.

Gram lifted T on to the tunnel so he could watch Daniel yell "HELLO!" into a hole in the tunnel top. Tucker thought it was pretty funny. The kids inside the tunnel might have lost some hearing.


After exploring the fort, the old fire truck and tractors, and making obligatory animal noises at the farm animals we headed out to the field. Steve was playing around with the camera and somehow made the pumpkins glow in this one.


Finding the perfect pumpkin can be exhausting....


After a quick nap, the kids found their favorites and we headed home. Thanks for a fun afternoon at the pumpkin patch Gram and Tucker! Jack-o-lantern pics to come....

Potty Time

Addie is potty training. She started off with a few messy days, but seems to be catching on. I don't want to jinx it.

Tonight Miss Hannah watched the kids while Steve & I went to a wedding reception. Hannah told us that Daniel went into the bathroom while Addie was on the potty and sat on the floor. Hannah asked Daniel to come out and give Addie some privacy. He replied, "No, I want to stay with her. Addie, I'm going to tell you some potty stories....Once upon a toot...."

Awesome.

Father's Night

Last night was Father's Night at Daniel's school. Steve and Daniel toured the different classrooms, listened to stories, and made a couple of Halloween crafts. During the tour, Daniel showed Steve a special tree he made for him and a nice letter the teachers helped him write about his dad. The teachers hung the pictures and letters in the hallway for everyone to see. Steve took a picture of Daniel's art and letter for me. Isn't it cute?


Allow me to highlight my very favorite part of Daniel's letter about his dad:

I wonder how much the teacher loved writing this down. Once Steve got over the initial embarrassment we had a good laugh. I laughed a little harder than he did.

The Storyteller & the Comedian

Daniel likes to recount past events over and over (sometimes ad nauseum,) replaying who did what, who said what and how everyone felt. It's freaky that he brings up events that happened more than a year ago we never assumed he'd remember. Talking about the past or about movies and tv shows he's seen is his favorite pastime in the car. It's rare to have more than 2 minutes of consecutive silence when Daniel is traveling with us. Addie tries to get a word in, but is quickly scolded by Daniel for interrupting. Today on our way home from the park she found an opening, and started in with her version of the story...

Daniel: Mom, remember on Transformers when the Decepticons crashed into the building? They smashed into the window, and crashed the walls.......(I admit I stopped paying attention here.)
Daniel stops to take a bite of granola bar.

Addie: Mom! Mom! Decepticons crash the building 'cuz.............they toot.
I laughed. I didn't mean to.

Daniel quickly started in with a new story. Which Addie interrupted with, "They toot! They toot! Hehehehehehe!" Daniel scolded her for interrupting to which she replied, "Toooooooooooooooots!!!!" at the top of her lungs. I had to turn on the radio so they wouldn't hear me laughing.