Crepes and Contests and Words and Baby Love

Guess who added delicious, buttery crepes to her culinary repertoire!

This was Robert's entry in the Book Fair Poster Contest. The theme was "All You Need is Love and Books." He won first place for his grade and a free book at the Fair.

In other news, Matthew has added actual words to his vocabulary this week, but most people wouldn't understand them yet :) He's not big on vowels in the middle of a word:

No
Mine
hi
ehyo (hello)
Ma (mommy)
Da da da (daddy)
bysh (brush)
bss (bath)
boon (balloon)
um um (yummy)
bbbbbb (vehicle moving)
bee bee (vehicle honking, or "baby")
kshhhhh (vehicle crashing into you)
om! (something eating something else...this happens more than you think it would)
moh (more)
don (down)
bsh (push or fish)
ba (ball)

James and I were in the backyard this week pulling up creeping charlie from the lawn. There were those big, fat, white grubs every few inches. We found a hundred of them. I kid you not. Some were fed to the chicks, but we were finding them faster than the chicks could eat them. I started throwing them into a bucket of water. James loves grubs, by the way. He loves worms and centipedes and moths and beetles and pretty much anything else you find out there besides ants and spiders. He understands, though, that we squish grubs because we don't want them to eat our fruits and vegetables when they grow up. Well, the bucket of water didn't drown them, even overnight. Hardy little grubs! We ended up dumping the bucket out onto the concrete and popping them by foot. Ugh. Why do I tell you this? 1) because grub hunting made James giddy with delight and he said, "I love a day like this outside in nature. I love digging in the dirt and finding gwubs." 2) because popping 100 grubs at once is a very different sensation from popping 1 or 2 at a time and I'm a little traumatized by the experience.

This morning, James noticed something small crawling around in the shower. He was scared until I told him it was a baby house centipede. Well, if you know James at all, you know that putting the adjective "baby" in front of ANYTHING turns that thing into his most favorite thing in the whole wide world. Literally. James loves babies. He started cooing at it and saying how cute it was. It looks a little too much like a spider for him to try and pick it up, but he was in love.

Earlier this week, he found some really, really small worms. True baby worms. It made him so happy. We had to run out to pick up kids from school, but he gave me a huge hug and said with the biggest grin, "I just love babies. All babies! They are the cutest in the world!" And suddenly, I had a slightly different view of his relationship with Matthew. Generally, when Matthew is getting attention for doing something cute, James will find a way to sneak in and hug-tackle the kid by the neck. I used to think it was jealousy. It probably is in many cases. But in some cases, especially when Matthew is laughing at James' silliness, I think James is so overcome with love for the babe that he just can't help himself.

I have Robert taking sample piano lessons from a few local teachers. I'm just testing the waters, trying to get a feel for how Robert will approach piano lessons this summer, trying to find the best teacher for his particular personality. He says he likes both teachers that he's tried so far, and he even offered an impressive verbal comparison of experiences. This boy can be pretty chatty when he feels like it.

Saturday Night Fun

Our family has had a weekly movie night for some time. Lately, though, it's become a source of contention because we can't agree on anything to watch. One member of our family is SO sensitive to tension/action/conflict/loss that even most G-rated movies aren't "safe." This person has been known to have nightmares for weeks after exposure to something other kids deem perfectly harmless. There are meltdowns at the mere suggestion of watching anything beyond PBS cartoons.

This family member would rather cry alone in another room than watch anything that could potentially involve tension/action/conflict/loss. Bobby and I would rather leave the room than watch PBS cartoons week after week.

So, here's the point where we reassess why we've actually created this tradition, right?

I feel it's a fun thing for us to do together as a family. I like to create common memories. It's a pretty easy, pretty harmless tradition. It's also a great motivator for kids to finish their weekly chores on time. And I really, really, really want to share some of my childhood favorites with them. Will PBS cartoons kill me? No, but they won't be very fun and I won't feel better connected to my kids afterwards. Where's the compromise?!

We've talked about having a "game night" instead. The kids give a lukewarm groan. They really love the idea of a movie. Maybe they'll get on board if I call it "games and popcorn" ;)

I'm open to suggestions, should you have any to offer.

A few updates

I was just re-reading some of my older posts and realized I could update you on a few things:

First off, we've hired a professional to remove the asbestos containing materials (ACM) from our kitchen. He's due to arrive the week of May 9th. I'm finding a new groove with the kitchen out of sorts. Having new people working in my home is way more stressful than having to wash dishes in the bathroom.

Second, I couldn't stand feeding five fully grown hens for only 1-2 eggs a day, so last weekend, the kids and I drove out to my friend's free-range egg farm and left them there. My friend routinely takes some of her most raggedy hens to a livestock auction in Arthur, IL. She was kind enough to add my five to her next trip. Turns out, though, that my five don't act like the other chickens. While they were hanging out on the farm waiting for auction day, they stuck together in a clump and followed the people around all day. Made me laugh to hear that. I didn't think these birds had connected to us much, but they were far more accustomed to people than the free-range hens were. My hens were much fatter and prettier, too ;)

Third, we followed up with Alice's failed hearing test and her complaint about blurry vision. She passed both exams with flying colors. The car ride home from the eye doctor was not pleasant, however, as she loudly protested the existence of a "glasses club" at school where members get ice cream parties and other special privileges flung at them all stinking year.

Fourth, our new chicks are in the big pen. So much more yard/garden/farm stuff to do. I'm kinda glad for this pause in the kitchen remodel (waiting for ACM removal) so I can spend energy outside growing stuff. And I'm growing a lot of new stuff this year. Also changing some infrastructure: adding 2 new flower beds, building a taller screened bed for curcurbits and brassicas, adding irrigation, and devising a taller squirrel-proof frame for growing miniature corn. Yippee!

Need Help

Do me a favor and let me know if any of my kids look like me :)

Lunch Prayer and Mom Bite

James gave the prayer at lunch today. It went something like this:

"Dear Heavenly Father, thank thee for God and Jesus and all other superhero stuff. Keep us away from wolves and foxes and other creatures of the forest. Amen."

*************

The kids and I were enjoying some of the first popsicles of the season and I had forgotten how inexperienced Matthew is with them. He didn't know what the stick was for...just grabbed the middle of the popsicle in his chubby little fist. He got it after a while, but he was eating the thing so slowly that it was a tipping, disintegrating mess before my eyes. I said, "Here, Massyew, lemme help," and I took a bite off the top.

The look on his face!

He furrowed his brow, yanked his popsicle back, took a step towards me, put a single finger on my lips, and sternly cooed, "Nooooooo."

Okay, got it, you cute little cutey.

Up close and personal

Bobby entertaining Matthew at church with selfies. The boy goes into Nursery starting next week. A great day for us, but I feel for the Nursery workers who already have 14 kids (18mo-3yrs) and more to come after Matthew.

Duet

Alice was giving Robert and James piano lessons this Saturday. The boys LOVED it. Alice loved it. Alice can't usually keep a beat. Robert's never really tried it before. But somehow, together, they managed to create this:

I can't describe what it felt like to see them do this together...something like joy and relief and surprise and wonder and fear that I might somehow destroy this moment by being there with a camera. Thankfully, the moment did not collapse, and I got to capture this snippet of friendship in pixels.

Asbestos! Yay!

Got the lab results back. Asbestos is present in all the old layers of linoleum. I'm so happy to have that nugget of knowledge after all the different things I was hearing from the professional flooring folks. Whew.

Asbestos in the linoleum is bad, yes, but workable. The lab was kind enough to give me the names of a few companies that are licensed to remove asbestos, so I've made a few calls to get ballpark estimates. It's probably insanely expensive :(

Asbestos removal is also something we could do ourselves, should we choose to go that route. Wet everything down, run a HEPA filter, wear the right filtered masks and disposable paper clothing, use plastic sheeting to seal the area from the rest of the house (and HVAC), and stockpile some heavy duty contractor bags and cardboard boxes.

DIY Asbestos Removal:
2 squirt bottles--$2
2 disposable coveralls--$20
2 roofing spades--$100
1 asbestos-approved respirator + new cartridges--$70
heavy duty plastic sheeting and tape--$25
freestanding HEPA filter + replacement filter--$230
contractor bags and boxes--$50
waste disposal--6 hours round trip to Household Hazardous Waste facility
3 vacation days--priceless
3 days of childcare--priceless

Kitchen Redo

Last day with our old kitchen. I like seeing (almost) all of the counters cleared off.

Demolition day. Bye-bye lowered ceiling and absolutely everything else.

They are putting dry wall up this week (Mon-Wed) and then I get to paint while we work through a few flooring snags. Well, one REALLY big flooring snag: the possibility of asbestos present on the original vinyl flooring and/or adhesive. After thinking through several alternatives and possible actions, we've decided to have the flooring in question officially tested for asbestos.

It will take some time to get the results back, so I am forced to chill. It's been rough on my "inner planner obsessions" to depend on other people and their schedules to finish something that means so much to ME. If the plumber decides not to come on his appointed day, or the electrical inspector ignores your persistent requests for a visit, then the work gets delayed...both situations happened last week.

Now, though, the ball is in my court until we figure out what to do about flooring. I don't like delays, but I don't want to botch this thing by rushing forward uninformed.

We want ceramic tile. That requires we 1) finish the floor before the cabinets go in and 2) we get rid of all the layers of flooring to get to the sub floor. The new mud room has 5 layers. The kitchen has only 3, as far as I can tell. If asbestos is present, then we'll need to decide whether and how to remove it :(

My Buddy is 6!

Bobby was out of town this week (ugh) on a very last-minute, kinda emergency, trip to Yahoo! headquarters in sunny California. He wasn't physically here for Robert's 6th birthday, so I tried to make it a bigger deal than usual.

See, here's the thing about Robert. He doesn't count down the days to his bday and talk about it constantly. Neither does he ask to throw elaborate parties with guest lists and scheduled events. No, this guy is the one who asks (on his birthday), "What's for dinner?" as if he hadn't selected it just two days ago. But, also unlike Alice, Robert has a very specific idea of how the things he does choose need to turn out. And he can be disappointed easily. So, often it's better not to ask his opinion and just do something extra as a pleasant surprise.

So here's how it went:

The night before, I put up all the bday decorations in the dining room, setting the table with his gifts and fresh, homemade cinnamon rolls. When he came into the dining room the next morning, all the other kids and I were there and shouted, "Happy Birthday!" He was pleased...a smile creeped across his face in a sort of embarrassed, but happy, way. He loved the gigantic mylar balloon. Loved the cinnamon rolls. The only way I knew that, however, was the ever-present grin on his face and how much attention he paid to both of those items.

After breakfast, he opened presents in his typical fashion: open one, play with it. Open another, play with it. I can't tell you how much I LOVE that about this boy. Alice was pulling out her hair, begging him to just open all of them at once. He's been very careful with his birthday presents this year...careful not to waste or neglect them...careful to put them away when he's done with them.

He had to go to school as usual, unfortunately, but he put everything away and left as a happy dude.

When he got home, we Skyped with Bobby. It turns out Bobby had contracted some food poisoning the day before, so he wasn't feeling very well. The chat was brief, but Robert had fun. Matthew REALLY had fun seeing Bobby on the computer screen.

After Skyping, we had a dinner of chicken strips, BBQ chips, and raw veggies. Followed by chocolate tapioca pudding. I think RObert chose that last year, too:







To make it special, I had purchased the candles that burn with a colored flame (blue, green, yellow, orange, or red, depending on the candle). We were all impressed. Then the kids threw on PJs and performed this spontaneous dance show with lots of yelling and noise :)  The first minute is my favorite because you get to see Robert at his happy, engaged best. When James assigns him to dance, he does a funky little groove on the spot. You also see a lot of that fingers-on-face action he's famous for. When the song "Window" is over, feel free to stop watching. The remaining 5 minutes of the video can get a little tiresome...lots more shouting, singing, and dancing. Maybe I'll be able to sit through the whole thing in 10 years...




Happy Birthday, Bud!

This post does not come close to capturing all the things I love about you, but here are a few more:

You just can't sit still while reading scriptures. It blows my mind how you can read the words on the page while hopping on and off the couch constantly. Pure genius :) 

You adore younger kids. You get right in their faces and coo at them. You try to lift them up. You bring toys and try to make them laugh.

You ask us about everything and we get to have the coolest conversations. Today alone, we talked about plant defense mechanisms, electrical circuits, feeling the Holy Ghost, and world economics. You share your observations about the world and theorize how and why it's like that.

I love watching you figure out life and who you are. You say you are shy, but I've seen you initiating play with other kids. I've seen you move right up close to adults just to get a better look at something interesting they're doing. You look at people straight in the eye and smile at them. Maybe you're only shy when it comes to words...I'll have to watch a little closer about that...

Anyway, I'm delighted to have had you as part of our family for another year. Happy Birthday!

Lefty?

Could it be?

Dare I hope?

A lefty in our midst?

*squeeeeeeee*

The kid insists on silverware, an open cup, and sometimes even a real seat at the table. A baby no more. He's digging in to Robert's birthday dessert of choice: chocolate tapioca pudding.

I don't want to freak you out or anything, but I have been waiting for a lefty. Not really longing for one, but secretly, patiently watching for one. Any one. You're asking me why. Well, I'm kinda left-handed. I notice left-handedness. I've always wanted at least one of my kids to be left-handed. The kids look so much like Bobby's side of the family. Pick any facial feature and I'll show you which Evans relation gave it to him/her. But the lefty thing would be completely from my side. My own.

I had given up hope after I decided James was our last kid.

I had completely forgotten about it until Matthew started using tools and utensils, turning pages, stacking blocks, and playing with cars predominantly with his left hand. A thrill of hope sprung anew.

Matthew's brain and body still has time to work this out on its own, of course, but now you know which side I'm rooting for. The left one.

1...2...3...4

Feeling good today for a few reasons:

1. I evicted the "chicks" from the guest room/office

Advance apologies to my backyard neighbors for the eye sore...only a few weeks, I promise. The birds seem to enjoy their new digs. They peek out of the grate. Once the weather warms up a little more, I will take off the towels and heat lamp.


2. The new kitchen cabinets arrived

This is the 1/3 of them that fit down the narrow hall into our newly chick-free office/guest room. The other 2/3 are in the garage. The delivery guy had me check off each of the 30 boxes as he brought them off the truck. I got to review the contents of a few of them and I'm starting to get a little excited...just a little...lots of unknowns yet, but this wish appears to be coming true for really reals...a pantry...an integrated trash can and recycle bin...a place for cookie sheets...oh my.

When Robert came home from school and saw the big boxes, he asked if we could keep them all. Not all, dear boy, but perhaps a few of the biggest ones. Oh yes.


3. One little stinker stole my orange

I guess that's not a good thing. I'm going soft in my old age. He's so CUTE, though! And his petite size doesn't help, either. Sheesh.


4. I finally took pictures of all the work my kids have brought home from school, church, and camp over the last year or so. It was a big pile. My purpose is to preserve some form of it digitally before select items end up in the kids' memory boxes. I'll share this little gem with you:

Robert drew a hand drawing a self-portrait of the person the hand was attached to. 

Did I tell you his teacher exclaimed, "He's got this whole art thing going on!"? He finishes his worksheet or whatnot and has extra time so he flips the sheet over and creates this colorful mass of shapes. He's bringing stuff home like this every day:

FRONT SIDE: "Sheep are flofy. Sheep are whit. Sheep are worm."

BACK SIDE: Fill every inch with color.

And this one made me laugh because he created a reverse image of the front side onto the back...mostly. He didn't turn the "at" at the top around. He probably loosely traced the cat itself through the paper, but the rest looks free-hand:

Seriously?! This is where I try to draw some sort of conclusion about Robert based on these examples, but the kid is just plain himself. Not exactly predictable. It's not like he has much to say when I ask him about his work/art pieces, either. I would love to observe him 5 or 10 or 20 years down the line. Is this kind of stuff just fun for now, or something that will persist into adulthood? Maybe both :)

(Just wanna whine for a minute)

(This post is in parenthesis because I just want to write down some frustrations to figure out why their bothering me so much. I want you to know about them, but I also DON'T want you to know about them because they're really not that bad and hardly worth complaining about.)

(Feel free to ignore the rest.)

(Our kitchen cabinets are going to be delivered next week. Yay, right? Well, sorta. I thought Home Depot would be kind enough to hold on to them for us, but it turns out they're getting delivered to MY HOUSE! A whole WEEK before the guys can even begin demolition! Where the heck am I going to put them?! I'm already emptying out my kitchen and half the guest room into the front room. What more do they want from me?!)

(Then demolition will take a week, starting 11 April. Three days of demo before I can even ask the flooring people to come measure. Then after the measure, it's 3 more business days for electrical, plumbing, and drywall to go in. That's a whole week to transform my kitchen from functional to a barren hole with four walls. Didn't think it would take that long to render the heart of my home useless.)

(Then nothing more can be done until the flooring is installed...which could take weeks to get the materials AFTER the measure (28 April?). Then at least a week to install the floor.)

(Then the cabinets go in (5 May?), but no counter tops or running water for another 3 WEEKS!! That's Memorial Day, folks. I sense an upcoming spike in our "eating out" budget.)

(I'm dying out here! But I have no room to complain because I'm paying them to do this really big transformation for me.)

(I guess it boils down to my preparation level. I kinda knew it would cost a lot of money, but I was ill prepared for the time and inconvenience costs. I should have done more homework before signing on.)

(Eureka!)

(And that's why I write these things out. My outrage has now tamed into watchful patience: it was my poor preparation, not the process itself, that has caused this frustration. Now I can deal with it.)

(Therefore, my priorities this weekend include prepping a space in the house to store all the new cabinets, then prepping another space in the house to act as our transitional, sink-free, stove-free, oven-free, counter-free kitchen space for the next 6-8 weeks.)

It's a butterfly. She got this at the school's "Academic Carnival" last night.

He told me to tell the face painter, "Surprise me!"

Our current "mudroom" area, crammed between three doorways. I even tidied it up for you :) This space will be transformed during the kitchen remodel to give us more space for putting on coats, shoes, backpacks, and such.