Big Shoes to Fill

 

Polar Bear, Polar Bear

Part of Topher's naptime/bedtime routine is reading three books. We pick out the three books before bedtime on Sunday and read them twice each day for the next seven days, then pick out a new batch the following Sunday. It appears Topher has a knack for memorization because he's committed several of the books to memory. Here is his two-and-a-half-year-old variation of Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Eric Carle.

A key to understanding Topher: his Ls sound like Ws and his Rs aren't crisp yet, so leopard will sound like wepode.

The Snowy Day

We had our first snow of the year yesterday. The kids grew increasingly more excited as we watched it fall throughout the day. They were anxious to get outside. I was not at all excited about that prospect, but when Topher woke up from his nap I started gathering the snow gear from various boxes in the basement. After we were bundled, we braved the out of doors.

Peter and Bryan opted to stay inside.

The others had a ball.

Topher, who can't say his s-blends, kept exclaiming variations of "I love the 'no!" and "'No is so fun!"

So Many Things

"Gee Margot, I notice most of your posts recently are pictures with only a few words, everything okay over there?"

Well, funny you should ask. It's 9:17 at night and three children are talking to me at once about three different topics and my mind is overwhelmed. It is definitely past bedtime for two of them, yet they're still up doing schoolwork because they got distracted by fun things like YouTube and Google Hangouts. I am partly to blame since we all went outside for thirty minutes today, but I don't think I get full credit for people not being done with their stuff. And I've discovered I need the recovery time that the quiet after bedtime provides.

Not all days are like this one, but several recently have been. And my brain is pretty much fried by this point, so even if I could have a few minutes of quiet to write, I'm pretty sure I'd just stare at the screen anyway.

I realize that you love the pictures, so it's not a big deal, but there are SO MANY THINGS I'm not writing about, and that makes both the writer and the historian in me sad.

Well, that's about all the words my brain can eke out tonight.

Puzzled

Sophie has had two really good days in a row. She got school done quickly without fighting or complaining or tantrums. She even did chores. It's been a welcome change to some behaviors we've seen lately.

Today she finished school early enough that she and I had time to put together her 100 piece giant floor puzzle. She was so excited that she asked for a selfie to celebrate.

Self Portraits

Our school recently hired a new art teacher, so Phoebe and Sophie were invited to add art as an elective. For their first project they each had to decorate a file folder to hold their artwork. It needed to show at least three things about them. I think they both did a great job.

Catchphrase

Topher is full of catchphrases these days, and I think they're all endearing. Here are a few we hear on a daily basis:

• Ta-da!
• Mom, you know what?
• I can want some? (This is used when he's asking for something.)
• I can have some? (See above.)
• Let go me alone.
• I love you so much.
• I want to nuggle you. (Because s-blends are tricky.)
• Oh no! What are we going to do?!
• I cannot believe it!
• Ye-ah!
• Of course!

Falling Leaves

What do you do with all the leaves you've pulled off your thankful tree in order to reclaim all that sticky tack? You have an indoor leaf fight, of course. Don't worry, no Tophers were harmed in the making of this movie.

Indoor Racing

 

Photo credit: Phoebe and Cooper

And Just Like That, It's Christmas