Mission to Space

I love planning birthday parties!  This year H and his cousins went to space camp for his fourth birthday party.  Okay so I'm pretty sure that nothing that I had planned was actually a part of space camp but the kids didn't seem to mind so I was happy.  I poured over my beloved issues of Martha Steward Kids magazine and copy-catted away.  


We had a dart toss, paper rocket folding and launching,



patriotic tattooing (thank you auntie P),




and my favorite, getting your picture taken in a space suit (thank you uncle A for holding the flag over and over again!).



Despite the games, I think the swing set was the biggest hit!   We chowed on Papa Murphy's pizza and smacked our lips over the eye popping rocket cake my mom made for H.  

H is loving his gifts and has tried out each and every one.  I think he had 4 snow cones yesterday from his new Snoopy snow-cone maker, has run willy nilly through his new wiggling water fun game, paged through books, poured over his Lego mosaic, tried on his new clothes and won't part with his new camouflage rain boots.  Next year he has requested a cowboy party.   I can't wait!

Camp 2007

Things I enjoy about camp:

- H spending sun up to sun down following EH around the camp grounds - H was in his glory!

- Not having to prepare meals

- Ga sweeping little E off for a golf cart ride when I needed a break  Which actually could have been most of the week.  We had a difficult time, probably having to do with point 3 in the next section)

- No phone ringing

- Seeing old friends

Things I love about home:

- Private living (I don't think I'm built for community living)

- No more camp gut

- No one watching on as I attempt to discipline (or the lack of discipline because I floundered under the eyes of others.)

- Highspeed internet (lame I know!)

- Seeing my garden and working out in the yard.

 - Really the list could be obsessively long because I really just love being home!

VBS

H was whisked into the world of special agents at Vacation Bible School a couple of weeks ago. Detective hats, sunglasses, secret hand signals and a classroom of squirrely preschoolers made for a busy week.  We ended up being in the same room together (good and bad to that arrangement).  We watched each day as special agents tried to save the world as we know it from an astroid that was hurling towards us (skit).   We ate a variety of theme foods, played games, and crafted like crazy.  I've heard him humming the songs from praise and worship.  Some of the parent loving lyrics go like this: "Listen to advise and adhere to correction." I read in someone else's blog that their young daughter sang it (in all seriousness) "Listen to your wife and adhere to correction!"  Not a bad ring to that . . . j/k.

Baffled

Baffled. This has got to be H's favorite word! He successfully manages to slip it into conversation at least half a dozen times a day. I think he just loves hearing himself say it - it is kind of a funny word.

Little E's favorite words are bubbles, cooookiee, and meow! He's busy copying just about everything we say. It's fun to hear him having so much fun practicing his sounds and blending them together. He loves to carry on conversations with whoever will pause to chat with him. Of course you'll only understand about .05% of what's being said but it's a joy to hear him be so animated about what he's telling you. Nary a stranger goes by who doesn't get a "HI!" and a great big smile.

Swing hard

Swings! I could spend hours on one. I wonder if there's a chance that they are some form of exercise?

Thanks to some help from all the grandpas and grandmas we now have some swings and a fort in our backyard. After about eight hours of taking the set down and reassembling it (I found it used on Craig's List), we are in love with it! We've picnicked in the fort, swung like crazy, and climbed to our hearts content. I'm loving this as much as the boys!

Yesterday H was out on the glider and I ran out just in time to catch him before he fell off - he had swung himself almost asleep.



Little E has found contentment in a baby swing that an old friend gave us before they moved. It has a nice angled lounge to it and since I've determined that he's the king of lounge it's a good fit.



H and I have determined that the best way to end the day is to swing hard and then glide into a slow swing so you can tilt your head back and look up at the leaves on the trees, the crescent shaped moon, and contrails.

Knight of the World

Today in the car I could hear H singing along to the CD we had playing. The song was talking about Jesus being the light of the world. From the back I heard him softly singing "Jesus, the knight of the world." How sweet! I guess that probably made more sense to a little boy who is all about heros.

Theme song

Every waking breath seems to be accompanied by H da da da da da daing his way through the Star Wars theme song. It's become his next breath, he does it without thinking. Of course this is usually followed with Star Wars trivia, Mom, Did you know Luke Skywaker defeated the bounty hunter?" or "Last night we popped Darth Vader into pieces." And let's not forget that everything long and narrow gets turned into a light saber. This largely comes from playing Lego's Star Wars (thus the popping apart Lego figures). Tuesdays are my work nights and once Little E is in bed, the big boys pull out the X-box and get to the business of defending the galaxy. H wishes every night was a Tuesday night. He frequently suggests at breakfast (any day of the week) that I might need to work that night and not to worry cause he and papa will be busy playing Star Wars.

Okay so should I really be publicly admitting that my 4 year old plays X-box? I feel like I'm going to be judged as an unfit mom. But then again, my husband is a a bit of a techie and this is something that they really enjoy doing together. Since they spend plenty of time tearing up the rug wrestling together I figure H will survive and probably thrive from the time spent with his Papa. For the record I don't plan on letting him actually watch Star Wars until he's 30.

Smooches

Little E and I were busy pulling weeds this morning, I was helping him slide his half of the glove set we were sharing back on his arm over and over again. He stopped and came at me with his mouth open, I wasn't sure if I should shield my face or not since he's been into biting lately. I took a chance and just smiled and he leaned in to plant a beautiful juicy kiss right on my nose. He's been blowing kisses forever but actual kisses are something new and of course very sweet. Then he wrapped his pudgy arms around my neck and squeezed long and hard. H saw the activity and not about to be out done by his little brother, planted a nice smooch on me and hugged me. The boys thought that it was great fun and took turns trying to out hug and kiss me for the next 60 seconds. Then I guess the draw of the hose and sprayer was too great - off they went to see how many times they could spray themselves in the face with the mister.

Northern exposure

We're back from a vacation spent up north. Seven blissful nights away from home where the checkbook couldn't stare me down reminding me it needs a few months worth of statements to be balanced. Here are a few picts to tell the story . . .


a little bike riding


a little swimming


a little lake time


a little sand digging


end of the day . . . hit replay for the next day, and the next, and the next . . .

Free climbing

EH took down Little E's crib railing and put up the toddler bar tonight. We added a little step stool and now he can get in and out of his own free will. I'm hoping that once the obstacle is gone, he won't feel the need to fight it. Or at least he won't put any more dents in the floor as he drops out of the crib. Time will tell. He was very proud as he climbed up and down, up and down trying it out this evening . . . he did actually stay in his bed when I put him down for bed too.

Happy 4th Birth Day!

My firstborn celebrates his 4th birthday today. We had blueberry muffins at breakfast, played at a great park with one of his best buddies and wrapped up the day with dinner at McDonalds. As he slurped his chocolate milk he said "Mom, this is my special treat, I don't want any ice cream!" Is this a child of MY womb??? I could eat ice cream for breakfast, lunch and dinner. At home again, he eagerly strapped on his roller skates and tried out his scooter on the living room carpet due to the inclement weather. To wrap up the day he and Papa are playing some Lego Star Wars on the X-box. Just a little bit ago he said "Mom, this is the bestest birthday after!" I think it was a mix of best birthday ever and happily ever after - a good thing to think on ones birth celebration. Then he asked where the cake and balloons were. :) The extended family party (the one with balloons and cake) is at the end of the month. When asked what the best part of being four could be he replied "I can jump higher!"

Still Climbing

So far Little E's climbing out of his crib/pack 'n play record stands at 15 times before I resort to other methods to get him to go to sleep. Generally just closing the door and letting him cry it out, then gently pushing the door open (and him as he's usually sleeping behind it) to lay him in bed. Tonight as I went to lay him in bed I found him flat out on his belly in the rocking chair and his crib filled with the toys from his toy box . . . I guess he had been busy. Sleep tight little one, may tomorrow be a better day . . please!