Rhyme Time

Peter has been studying poetry at school (we still have a full week until summer break) and he's really getting into it. He came home yesterday, found the notebook with the fewest doodles in it, and announced that it was now his poetry book. He had written two poems at school and quickly copied them from memory into his new book. I love to read poetry, but I'm not great at writing it, so I'm pretty impressed with these. I've corrected his spelling, but maintained his punctuation.

My Day
The sun is shining through my window,
Time to get up you sleepy kiddo.
Time to get dressed, time to eat breakfast,
Time to go get on the bus for school.
After school I get in bed,
Time to rest your sleepy head.

Clock
The clock tells time, one by one.
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12.
These are the hours the clock hollers.

The People of Walmart

I discovered a surefire way to get stares from other people at Walmart. Curious?

1. Take all four of your children to Walmart. (Really, we could stop there, but I'll go on.)
2. Grab one of those gigantic carts that seats three comfortably, but could carry at least four additional children, if not more depending on how small they are and how well they can squish.
3. Place your three older children in the cart, even the ones that look way to big to be riding.
4. Give each of them a book to read. (Let's be honest, this part is more for your own sanity than anyone else's amusement.)
5. Strap your baby into a baby-wearing apparatus.
6. Push the gargantuan cart through Walmart while wearing your infant.
7. Do all of this with a slightly giddy grin while you try not to burst out laughing at all the shocked looks you're getting.
8. When people comment that you have your hands full (and they will) respond with, "Yes I do!" or perhaps, "It's always an adventure!"

There you have it, a no-fail method to garner attention, whether you want it or not.

I Finally Caught a Sophie Smile!

Today Is Your Lucky Day

A few years ago I grabbed a book off the shelf, as I am often wont to do, and started reading to the boys. A page into it I realized I had picked the wrong book. Tom Sawyer was going to provide too many ideas to my clever offspring. I put the book down and switched to something relatively innocuous.

The sun was shining yesterday so the girls and I walked to get the boys from school. Whenever we walk I see parents generously carrying their child's backpack. Since I push a seventy-five pound (including the girls) double stroller, I insist that the boys carry their own bags. When we got the boys I heard Peter trying to convince Phoebe that she wanted to carry his bag while he ran ahead. She didn't agree, so Peter was stuck with his pack.

After a stop at the park to run off some energy, we gathered our belongings and headed for home. I overhead Persistent Peter create a new game and teach it to Cooper. He said that he had flying powers and Cooper didn't, but he wanted Cooper to be able to fly too. To solve this problem, Peter gave Cooper his very own jet packs, one to wear on his back and one on his front. They were even tied together so they didn't fall off.

Any guesses what the jet packs were made of?

Peter convinced Cooper to wear his own backpack and Peter's backpack. Peter walked home unencumbered while Cooper trudged behind at a slower-than-usual pace. I tried to pull the extra bag off of Cooper, but he insisted he wanted to wear it.

Anyone have a fence that they need whitewashed? I think I know someone that can have it taken care of for you.

We Tried Pigtails Again

A New Destination

Last night Sophie and I ventured out and went to a Relief Society activity. I'm always in need of socialization, but the real draw for me was that a few of the teachers would be talking about local summer activities to do with kids. I've been trying to put together a list of sights to see and events to attend this summer, so the information was helpful.

The reason I'm creating a "bucket list" of sorts is that our time in the Pacific Northwest is drawing to a close. At the end of July (or thereabouts) we will pull up roots again and head east. Really, really far east. So far, in fact, that we're trading the Pacific Ocean for the Atlantic.

Our home for the next year will be in Northern New Jersey!

We're excited at the prospect of being so close to two of my brothers (who will be a measely four hours away in Maryland) and to be near all the history that New England holds. And, as daunting as the endeavor sounds, I'm thrilled to get to take the kids to see the Statue of Liberty and Central Park. And Broadway. I'm really excited about taking them to Broadway.

Do any of you wonderful readers have suggestions for fun stuff to do in the Portland/Vancouver area? What about Seattle? We want to plan out our time and use it well.

Also, any recommendations for places to live in Northern New Jersey? Or places not to live? Or must-haves for living in such a humid and snowy place?

An Old Friend

Cooper was cleaning his room yesterday when he came across on old sock puppet. When I went to check on his progress, he insisted on talking to me through the puppet. Then he asked if I had made it. He sounded impressed when I said I had.

I just found this picture of Cooper, taken about a month before he turned three. It looks like he's been enjoying that particular puppet friend for a long time.

Use the Right Tool For the Job

I was in the house feeding Sophie. Phoebe went out to the garage. That's when I heard:

"Mommy, can I paint the car with the shovel?"

Informance

Our local elementary school has a fantastic music program. I think it might be the best thing about the school. Last month we went to a small informational performance, or "informance" as it was titled, for Cooper's class. For some reason we can't find the movie we took, so you'll just have to believe me that it was a fun show and Cooper did a great job.

Can you find Cooper? He knew all the songs and sang out on each one.

Yesterday was Peter's informance. He and Cooper don't have the same music teacher (yes, the school has two), which means Peter's material was totally different from Cooper's. 

Peter was very excited to have us there. Bryan came from work to attend both Cooper's and Peter's.

This movie is just over three minutes long, so it might only appeal to the grandparents, but if you have the time to watch, it's pretty awesome. The kids all play the marimbas. Pay close attention to what Peter does while he's playing. I wonder if he'll be more open to playing the piano now that's he's had a taste of the marimbas.

Moments

I hear other moms talking about sweet moments with their kids; one said something funny or did something silly. I see pictures on blogs of joyous family outings, smiles captured mid-adventure. And then I look at our family. I hear the kids arguing and complaining and speaking unkindly. It's hard to catch those sweet moments amid the chaotic and contentious norm.

Last Thursday night we had Pack Meeting. I mentioned it in my post about no one sleeping. We had eaten dinner early but had still gotten out the door later than we wanted. Somehow, though, we arrived early. We parked and Peter held the door open for all of us. The lights hadn't been turned on yet so we walked down the dark hallway toward the Relief Society room.

I was walking next to Bryan, holding Sophie in my arms. Silhouetted in the light coming from an open room ahead of us, Phoebe, Peter, and Cooper led the way. And then it happened. I was flooded with an overwhelming feeling of love for these five people. It took me by surprise and I tried to etch the image and the feeling into my brain. I took in a long breath and squeezed Sophie a little tighter. And then we reached the room at the end of the hall and that golden moment was over.

We have the normal chaos and stress of regular life. But I now have a beautiful picture in my head of my children walking in front of me in a dark hallway, and the lovely feeling that comes with it.