Belly laughs and station wagons

This past Sunday, we had popcorn, cheese and apples as per usual during the evening, but we got to share this feast with our friends the fortneys.  We watched charlie brown’s thanksgiving which I was hoping the kids would enjoy.  But I didn't expect the peals of laughter coming from the youngest two kids there.  They were letting loose belly laughs, mostly at the physical humor.  Near the end of the video, the characters all pile into the back of an old school station wagon where the seats face each other.  Like the kind that we all spent countless hours in carpooling to swim practice, soccer, church, school, going camping etc.  Anyway, as the characters on the screen were piling into the couches, Charlotte Fortney said “why is there a living room in the back of the car?”  It was our turn to belly laugh.  This thanksgiving, we have much to be thankful for, big and small.  Big in the sense that we have our freedom, we have friends, and we have a Savior who continues to guide us through life to our ultimate destination.  And small things.  Like belly laughs with our kids.  

May your pumpkin pie be interrupted at least once this season by a huge unexpected belly laugh.

Fearless

Did I mention that girl is fearless?  A few weeks ago, it was just Joseay and I at the house, she had been riding her bike a bit, then we were wandering in the woods.  Weirdly enough, most of the trees in the woods are not good climbing trees, so despite having tons of trees, my kids really haven't climbed trees to any great extent.  So I got to looking around and found a hemlock tree that would be serviceable.  At first, she didn't really get it, didn't get the concept.  But as soon as she put her head up a few feet into the branches, this happened:

I like the fact that she still has her helmet on...

A few weeks later, the week before Easter, we were at the lake with some other kids all of who were sort of playing at the edge of the water, dipping their toes in and talking about how cold it was.  Joseay then takes a running leap off the dock and splashes into the water.  You didn't even have to look to know who it was.  Now she got out pretty quickly as the week before Easter, it was still pretty chilly.

This is going to be exciting...

Young Capitalists

Spring is just beginning to push up with the flowers, buds and a bit of green showing up.  Our front yard is covered with dandelions and other weeks.  I quixotically pick the dandelions every year, likely to no avail.  Last year the kids sort of helped.  But last weekend, instead of asking them to pick the dandelions, I simply “charged” them 3 dandelions to be pushed on the swing which is their activity of choice these days.  They completely loved it, running around the yard, searching for the dandelions.  They would come running back with their dandelions, do the swing, and then dash off again.  It was a cross between Tom Sawyer and the fence and a lesson in capitalism as a motivator.

Valentines and snow

Feb 13, 2014  Late morning, inches and inches of snow

Last friday was the father daughter dance so Joseay and I got dressed up and went.  Problem was,she had been a bit ill for a few days, but desperately wanted to go.  So we drove out there, I carried her in through the freezing wind to the Embassy Suites where there were hundreds of dads and daughters.  she had been asking about the desserts, or more specifically the sweets that we would have.  I didn’t understand until we got there that when I said Embassy suites, she was hearing Embassy Sweets.  Of course.  The viewpoint of a 4 year old  Excellent.  She was quite proud to be the little lady and see all the other girls there.  She held up for about an hour until she started crying on the dance floor.  She was exhausted.  So we made our way home and she fell very quickly asleep.  A memorable if not enjoyable night!

The next day, we had to clear out of our house as they were putting stain on the floors.  We stayed in Cleveland a couple of nights before relocating to the Goods for a couple of nights for round one of the snow.  But last night, we got back to our house and the bottom dropped out- inches and inches of snow that we have been outside playing in today.  It should all melt pretty quickly as the sun is out and expects to hit 40 today. But we will see. This is the storm that our kids will remember..

Expectant

December 25, 2013.  Quiet. Cold. Expectant.  Excited.

I was in bed this morning trying to think about how our kids were feeling. Or how they would be feeling in a few hours.  I remembered back to my childhood and for the first time in a long time, I could remember in great detail my childhood room.  The smell, the feel of the wallpaper, the crunch of the carpet.  But mostly the excitement of Christmas morning. It was the presents, the family, the fun, the food.  But mostly the expectation.  The thought of Christmas morning. The idea of it was almost more fun the actual morning.  Chris and I were driving the kids around looking at lights last night, and we said we just wanted one more week before Christmas.  As that came out of my mouth, I was struck with the contrast in how kids just ache for Christmas to be here.  They are pushing for Christmas to hurry while we adults are pushing back to enjoy the moments of expectation.  Of course, for all our pushing, there is no changing the inexorable march of time.  Christmas is here.  Or at least in my kids world, it will be here in a couple of hours.  I am up, with the Christmas tree lights on.  Looking at the tree, hanging out with the memories of my childhood, but mostly expectant.  Expectant for my kids to come crashing through the door as they make their memories.

Merry Christmas to all the kids and former kids out there.

Foggy

November 16, 2013.  Early, foggy.

This week was one of those weeks that you notice changes in your kids.  I know they are changing all the time, but I think we only see it in waves and even then, I think we always see it late.  That is we always think of them as being younger than they actually are.  We sort of ignore it until it is forced upon us, and then we notice all the changes that have happened since the last time we opened our eyes.  Perhaps we as parents would go a little nuts if we noticed the changes every single day.   

Normally, when we read to the kids, they fight over who gets to sit in my lap.  So we have a routine where Brown gets to sit in the lap at nap ("when there is sunshine") and Joseay gets the lap at night ("but its darktime, it is my turn").  That has worked well for quite some time.  So long that I guess I hoped it would be the same.  Until high school.  Or beyond.  So this world was shattered this week.  We were climbing in the reading chair after pajamas had been put on, teeth brushed, books picked out and I realized they were not jostling to get in my lap, but they were each trying to stay out of my lap.  They were fighting to not sit in my lap.  Oh misery.  Its hard to be animated reading Cat in the Hat when you want to cry.

Ok, maybe that is a bit of exaggeration because I am sure the next time I read, there will be good snuggling and we can pretend that they are not growing up.  But I have been served notice: This will not last forever.  Childhood, like the rest of life, is a vapor.  

The morning fog is very nice and even comforting this morning.  But the sun and the winds of change are coming soon.

Morning Fog

November 16, 2013.  Early, foggy.

This week was one of those weeks that you notice changes in your kids.  I know they are changing all the time, but I think we only see it in waves and even then, I think we always see it late.  That is we always think of them as being younger than they actually are.  We sort of ignore it until it is forced upon us, and then we notice all the changes that have happened since the last time we opened our eyes.  Perhaps we as parents would go a little nuts if we noticed the changes every single day.   

Normally, when we read to the kids, they fight over who gets to sit in my lap.  So we have a routine where Brown gets to sit in the lap at nap ("when there is sunshine") and Joseay gets the lap at night ("but its darktime, it is my turn").  That has worked well for quite some time.  So long that I guess I hoped it would be the same.  Until high school.  Or beyond.  So this world was shattered this week.  We were climbing in the reading chair after pajamas had been put on, teeth brushed, books picked out and I realized they were not jostling to get in my lap, but they were each trying to stay out of my lap.  They were fighting to not sit in my lap.  Oh misery.  Its hard to be animated reading Cat in the Hat when you want to cry.

Ok, maybe that is a bit of exageration because I am sure the next time I read, there will be good snuggling and we can pretend that they are not growing up.  But I have been served notice: This will not last forever.  Childhood, like the rest of life, is a vapor.  

The morning fog is very nice and even comforting this morning.  But the sun and the winds of change are coming soon.