Climb away

I'm reconsidering the good I thought I was doing in introducing Little E to the pack 'n play. We're off on an adventure soon and he will be snoozing with its four meshed walls so I thought he should get aquatinted with it. He's really enjoyed it, he's also learned that he can climb out of it. Which led to crawling out of the crib and Grandma & Grandpa K's house today, which then led to him crawling out of his crib at home three times at bedtime tonight. I hope his excitement over this new found freedom diminishes quickly because I'm about to crack. It could just be that EH has been gone all week and I haven't been sleeping . . . hmm you think?

Uptown bookstore

Today we found ourselves headed to story time at a quant little bookstore in Uptown (WR). First of all, I rarely venture off my beaten path so the sense of victory I felt over finding a new location (even though my Map-Quest directions were wrong) was pretty darn huge!

The place was packed out with moms and toddlers. We were in for a treat as a guest story teller was in residence and we sat spellbound by his tales - well I can't say that Little E sat very still in my arms but putting a 17 month old down in a bookstore is a "no no". After our ears were tickled with fanciful stories we explored the store searching for the store's pet chinchilla - we found the birds, ferrets, tarantula, two cats, salamanders, but no chinchilla, wouldn't you know that's the one thing H wanted to see. We dashed to our car in-between downpours and somehow made it home without getting washed off the road by the torrential rains. I won't have to water the garden tonight!

Commercial airplanes

Today H saw an airplane in the sky (it was real low in the sky as we were down by the airport) and H said "Mom, I think that's a commercial airplane, I can hear the movie playing."

Mint Memories

Newman's Own came out with some really yummy wintergreen mints so we thought we'd try a tin of them. We all give them a thumbs up.

In fact, they bring me back to the day when Grandpa K (my grandpa) would pass out those big pink mints for us kids to suck on. I remember very vividly that they were stored in a bowl on top of the fridge and that Grandpa's breath frequently smelled of them, yum!

It wasn't until just a couple of years ago that one of my brothers revealed to me the truth behind those mints . . . dear gramps would suck on his mints for a bit and then put them back in the bowl. In his forgetfulness he would pass them out to us for a treat, or so I was told. Hmmm, mom and dad do you have anything to say about this?

Just thinking about this memory stirs up all sorts of other memories of my northern grandparents. Harmonica music filling the evening, Grandma's zwiebach (the best rolls ever), playing in the hay mounds with the kittens, avoiding cow pies in the pasture, the trap door to the upstairs bedroom, devotions at mealtime, stoking the wood stove, waking up to the coffee pot peculating, going to that tiny storybook church. I wish EH could have met them before they checked into Heaven. I love knowing that they, along with my mom's parents, are with the family babes.

Airshow

Our summers are always dotted with airshows and train events. They are one of EH's favorite ways to spend time with his camera. We've been known to be on our way to a destination only to be diverted by the sound of a train's whistle. I've seen EH tear up the ground running to reach a spot for just the right shot of a plane flying over head. I love his work, but of course my favorites are the pictures that he takes of our boys.

www.istockphotography.com

Airshow Photos

Serve yourself breakfast

Little E is helping himself to some breakfast here. It might be a bit difficult to tell in the picture, but he has successfully covered the table, chair, and floor in Clifford Crunch cereal.

By the way, EH has a new camera and I have some more hard drive space so be warned that there are many photo blogs to come.

Bedtime talk

Okay this will be my final blog of the day - I promise!

I just tucked H into bed and we had a long conversation about a few things. First we talked about how Auntie M and Uncle S are getting ready to welcome some new children into their family and that the new kids come from far, far away in a different country. We are praying for them to be healthy and well taken care of until they can join our family.

Secondly he brought up again how he wants to marry his sweet cousin E. He's actually very concerned that someone else will marry her before he's old enough. I told him not to worry because they both have to grow up before they make any decisions about marriage. He commented with tears welling in his eyes, "but mom, I want to be with her because she cries when I leave." Dear cousin E, you are so precious and your kind, playful heart has won forever the loyalty of our H. I'm sure once you both are all grown, he will be one of your greatest defenders - right along with your daddy and big brother.

P.S. Sweet Bea, I love the pot-holder you wove me for my birthday!

Belated pictures

Hey - just had to add a picture of Little E at his birthday party (yes it was in January). . .


and of going to the circus . . .

First taste of cotton candy. Memorable comment in regards to the acrobatic performers: "Why are they in their underwear?"

our fearless (just earned his yellow belt!) leader of the pack . . .


H in the mud, surprisingly Little E played on the sidelines . . .

Looks like

I've been adding picts to past blogs and I came across this picture that I had to post.



It's H, or is it EH 30 year ago? Precious!

Depths of Despair

The "depths of despair" is what I've referred to as our storage area for the past four years. The thought of trying to find something in there was enough to bring me to tears. After spending a few of my evenings unloading boxes, boxes, and more boxes, EH and junior had a demolition night where they removed the old shelves - with a saws-all of course! Then EH and his dad build some new shelves - they are beautiful, a work of art to be sure! So now we are nicely organized and we even have room for us to hunker down when those tornado sirens go off.

We didn't make a mint off of our garage sale but I love the feeling of having purged our home of "things" that were not needed. Thank you my dear EH for providing me some storage sanity!

Alphabet party

Schools out! Last week we celebrated the completion of h's first year of "school". We studied the ABCs, 1-25 plus the number 100 and many fun themes, colors, shapes and poems. H would frequently ask "when are we going to do school Mom?", so I think it was a success.

We invited h's buddy from up the street and they spent the afternoon creating personalized visors, going on a alphabet hunt through the house, playing alphabet bingo and chowing down their ABC cupcakes and then just getting down to the rough business of playing.

Babes to welcome

My dear childhood friend MT and her family welcomed her second daughter into her arms on June 6th. All is well. I can't wait to hold you sweet Addison!

Precious Anna joined her big sis and parents J & D on June 2nd. Those college days seem so far removed from our current lives.

And who could forget precious Xander, born June 1st? Dear one, you were prayed for for many months of Sunday nights in our growth group. Congratulations to J & D, new blessed parents.

Welcome to a world of challenges and joy. May your lives be filled with knowing the One who created you!

Super Star

A favorite way to pass the time:
Crank Go Fish's Superstar CD (repeat the Superstar song over and over) and completely mess up Papa and I's bed. Jump, free-fall (e's specialty), make forts under the covers, and use the pole of our four poster bed as a fire fighter's pole (h's specialty).

Good Humor Man

Last night while Pa mowed the front yard, the boys and I amused ourselves in the backyard. I was trying to keep them from scaling the fence to go "help" when what should I hear but the faint tinkling music of the Good Humor Man. H has been faithfully saving the $5 he got from Grandma for Valentines Day for the ice cream man to come calling. We rushed to find the treasured bill and staked our claim at the end of the driveway. H chose an icy treat with about 5 different colors to lick through and he even sprung for his little bro to have a treat. It's June and summer has come.

Diaper swishing

Little E knows the routine. After every diaper change we go to the bathroom and put the dirty dipe into the diaper pail. Sometimes I have to swish it around in the toilet, depending on what has been deposited into it. Today I was folding and putting away a basket of fresh clean diapers when E grabbed one and disappeared. I didn't think anything of it, until he brought me back a nice wet diaper that he had taken the liberty to swish all by himself. I think I'd better find time to fix the toilet lock.

Festival

Saturday we wrapped up our garage sale early and headed North to check out a sheep shearing festival (thanks Dad for the heads up about it!). I get giddy just thinking about it again! Under light canopies sat artists creating pottery, pedaling a spinning wheel, tempting me with their beautiful work and of course hand dyed wool.

There was story telling by a brightly dressed lady who also strummed her dulcimer as the kids tapped wooden shoed puppets on a make shift stage. The face painter did a fine job painting a feather on H's cheek (for an entire day afterward he kept asking which cheek is it on mom? and was careful not to sleep on it).

We slurped on root beer floats and watched the llamas, sheep, and chickens meander about. We even got to watch a sheep's wooly coat be shorn - h loved it and couldn't wait to pet the sheep and the pile of wool on the floor. Probably one of the boys' favorite activities was running around inside an old ship or train freight container.


My heart feels full of the beauty this memory speaks to me.

www.shepherdschoice.com
www.laurelsmusicstudio.com