Really Good James Day

It was time to get James dressed this morning and he suddenly got suspicious. Getting dressed means we're going out somewhere and we rarely go places that excite him. Well, he wasn't thrilled about today's itinerary either. In a moment of inspiration, I handed the boy 8 quarters and asked him to keep them safe for me. I put 4 in each pocket. He suddenly stood an inch taller and proudly affirmed that he was up to the task. He knows enough about money to realize that this was a big deal.

Two hours later, he still had all 8 quarters. He was very proud of himself that none had been lost. He was also in a good mood, despite having spent time in places he really didn't want to be. Once I had finished everything I wanted to do, we went to Curtis Orchard to do something he wanted to do, and we spent all 8 quarters on feeding the goats.

No wait, I should clarify. He put the quarters into the machine and caught the food pellets as they came out, but Matthew and I ended up feeding the goats. James wouldn't even get close enough to try :) We met up with some friends there and James played really well, really long, with one of the girls. He's changing, maturing, and I like to see him having fun with other kids.

It was a good morning with James.

And, I want to note here, that even though he can be a complete stinker and push everyone's buttons and drive his siblings nutso, he still responds to correction. He does change his behavior. He mocks and taunts the time outs, saying he doesn't care or it doesn't bother him, but he does tone down or stop the offensive behavior after the time out. That gives me reason to hope that it won't always be like this :)

No time-outs this morning, though. Just fun and special privileges. Some pictures from our morning:

Love the cheesy grins.

I didn't tell Matthew to get in the picture. He just saw James and wanted a piece of the action.

Dreaming of the Beach

James asked when we could go to the "Lake House" again.

Yeah, that was a pretty awesome trip. What James doesn't fully understand, though, is that it was the people who made it so perfect. The delightful scenery was simply a stage to hang out with people I already really, really liked.

I would like to do it again sometime soon.

Next summer, however, will not be so laid back. I just signed up for TSA PreCheck in preparation for our trip to Disneyland next July...peak season, enormous city, way on the other side of the continent. I shrivel up inside just thinking about planning for something so, so, so out of my comfort zone. Ugh.

But, but, but, I should remember that it's the people, not the location, that makes a trip awesome. I'll be hanging out with some of my most favorite people on the whole planet. That's gotta make the shriveling up bit a little less shrivelly, right?

Yes.

I hope.

Ugh.

High Hopes for Preschool

James started preschool again today. We pulled into the parking lot and got out. I snuck a sideways glance at him, figuring my chances were 50/50 that he would run away screaming. Instead, he cracked a smile. A real smile. An "opening a birthday present" smile.

Whew!

He threw his backpack into his cubby, washed his hands without complaint, and got to playing. He fell right into talking with his teacher about something he found in his backpack from last year. No big whoop.

Day 1 done.

Getting James to go to Primary has become more difficult lately. Our church meets at 1pm and the kids split off about 2:15. That's James' most tired time of the day. He just wants to snuggle and fall asleep on one of his parents. It's a struggle to keep him with his class. And a struggle to keep him off my lap (I'm a primary teacher). Lately, Bobby has been taking him to the adult classes where he gets bored and falls asleep until church is over. Not ideal. At least he's okay in the adult classes for now. Come January, our church will meet at 9am. Much different! Let's hope that also means much better ;)

Applesauce Cake

We had a very inspiring jar of applesauce sitting on the breakfast table the other day. Alice felt compelled to create some sort of masterpiece from it...

Double layered applesauce cake with spiced apple "frosting" made in the image of a happy family walking through a grassy field punctuated with marigolds.

It was delicious. Very moist. Seasoned well. Thank you, Betty Crocker.

Matthew-isms

Matthew loves Pop Ice, but he can't push it up on his own. Once, I was pushing his up and snuck a little bite. Robert saw me. Well, the next time Matthew needed someone to help him with a Pop Ice, Robert immediately volunteered.

A second later I hear Matthew yell an authoritative, "Hey!" and I look over to see him scowling and pointing an accusing little finger at Robert who has suddenly grown very red in the face. Yup, he had tried to sneak a bite. Matthew immediately forgave him, though, and we all laughed and laughed about it.

Alice came in a little while later wanting a popsicle of her own. We had all finished, so we were lounging about in the living room. Alice steps onto the living room carpet and Matthew runs over to her with a furrowed brow, "Odd four!" Alice immediately returns to the hard floor, as our house rule dictates for popsicle eaters. He knows the popsicle rules and isn't afraid to enforce them in his squeaky little toddler voice.

I've seen a few of his first tantrums this week, too. Almost always about leaving a place he wasn't ready to leave yet. He's the first of my kids whose arched back position really is stronger than my grip. I can't wrestle him into the buckle like I could with the others. Uh-oh

Speaking of uh-oh, Matthew counts like this, "1...2...uh-oh." Yup, he's growing up next to James. Lots and lots of counting going on around here ;)

He's asked to say the dinner prayer a couple times. He repeats one word at a time and gets all smiley proud of himself at the "amen."

His vocabulary still hasn't caught up to his desires and expectations, but his expressions speak volumes. He's got this sly little "yeeeeeeees" he does that kinda sounds like no, with one eyebrow raised and his lips in a thin little grin. He's trying to pull one over on you.

Matthew was playing with a balloon yesterday afternoon and it popped right near his face. He cried and cried, holding his cheeks. For some reason, when my kids get hurt, my first instinct is to ask them what happened. Even if I had witnessed the event (I think part of that is because I want to redirect their attention from the fear/pain and get them to focus on telling a story). Anyway, Matthew's in tears and I ask him what happened and he's patting his cheeks saying "seek" and pointing over there saying "buh-yoon" and slapping his hands down on his lap saying "bop" and "loud" and "ouchy." Then suddenly he stops crying, hops off my lap, and runs over to pick up the balloon remnant. He cries again, asking me to "wix it" "bwoh." I tell him it's hopeless, but smile and say, "Would you like to put it in the trash?" Of course he would! And he does. Then off he goes to play with something else.

In addition to practicing his jumps and falls, he's taken to running "wasss", er, uh "fast." He says, "Mama!" I look, he smiles, then tears down the hallway with that toddler hip waddle thing he does. He turns around at the end and grins, "Wassssss!" And comes back at top speed.

He's in love with all things tractor and truck and ball and baby and "tewk" (cute). He sees billboards and diaper boxes with cute babies or animals on them and asks if he can "holdit?". He tries to hold flies, too, and is often frustrated in his efforts :(

He watches his surroundings. If there's a sudden sound or someone is standing or speaking or holding themselves in a way that he finds interesting, he'll turn to me and mimic it, then smile. A friend brought her 6 week old baby to our house one afternoon and Matthew just loved mimic-showing me all the interesting things about her: o-lips, clenched fist, little squeak, eyes blinking, hand open, pouty lip, hungry squeak. He finally put his fists to his chin and declared her "deeeeewt!" (cute)

Love watching this guy come into himself a little more.

Don't think so

Bobby and I spent some time checking out a few lighting options for the dining room upgrade:

Definitely, definitely not.

Wow.

Though we're pretty sure Alice would vote for the tear drop crystal chandelier in the background there. 

One more time

School started today. All smiles and eagerness to start another year.

One big change this year :

Alice and Robert have asked to walk to school every day. Alone. Together. The awesome mom in me says, "Yes! You can totally rock that independence thing! Be free, little birdies!" and the more conservative mom in me says, "Well...um...oh man." It's barely half a mile, through quiet residential areas, but they do have to cross one pretty big street at a 4-way stop. They CAN do it, but I'm not quite convinced they can do it SAFELY 100% of the time.

I walked to and from school almost every day in elementary and junior high, across a pretty big street (without a 4-way stop!), with my sister and brother. I didn't love it, but I think it was good for me.

I really WANT them to do this...I'm about 75% okay with it...just a little unsure a little longer.

Alice...again

She did it again.

Alice asked me on Monday if she could have an "End of Summer" Dance Party with her friends. Knowing Alice's personality, her friends, and her growing sense of independence, I said yes.

She had it all planned out. Using her own money to buy all the supplies, she planned the refreshments and baked a really delicious double batch of fresh biscuits. She organized friends and siblings to clean the house and set up for the party. She did it all. I am completely flabbergasted. Where on earth did she get this kind of confidence?! Has she no fear of failure?!

I could learn a lot from this girl of mine.

The guests arrived at 7:00 (a small party on such short notice) and the festivities began. It was simple: dress fancy, eat treats, dance like old timey days, drink bubbly grape punch in plastic champagne flutes, and stay up way past bedtime. Everyone was tired, stuffed, and ready for bed by 8:30.

I love how Alice planned for her brothers to come, too. Robert ate so many treats that he passed out on the couch about 7:30. Matthew didn't want to go to bed until he had finished his bowl of popcorn. He reluctantly allowed Bobby to put him down about 8pm. James got louder and crazier and even louder and crazier as the party progressed, finally shouting, "I LOVE THE GREEN JELLYBEANS!" When it came time for guests to leave, James was so deliriously happy that he was hugging and kissing us, telling us how much he loved us. Another extrovert in the works, I believe ;)

Alice was all smiles. While she had had the time of her life, she confessed that she wouldn't want a "late night" party again until she were much, much older.

I give her a month.

That said, she's pretty nervous about school starting next Thursday. Change is hard for her. And elementary school is less fun the higher up you go...less novelty, same crazy kids, tougher curriculum. One of her closest friends has moved to another school (and she doesn't know that yet). We'll see what the next few weeks hold for her.

A recent Sunday hairdo, by Alice. Her designs are getting less crazy and more genuinely beautiful. Here, she twisted the sides up into a half pony tail, then gathered it all into another ponytail at the bottom. She used water to smooth the loose strands and everything. I taught her NONE of this. It is pure, pure Alice.

Peach Bounty

I should be studying for my upcoming dietetics course (continuing ed), but I'd rather blog about growing peaches.

Ten lousy peaches. Alice and the grapes are there for scale.

I might have to give up. Bobby tells me I'm overreacting. He may be right. I'm just having a hard time justifying two peach trees in my backyard for a measly 10 peaches. Squirrels and a fungus got to the rest. I know there are sprays for fungus control. I don't want to use them, but at least it's a choice. Squirrels, though? Ugh.

When I first planted these trees, I thought, "Let's just see what happens. I know trees are susceptible to disease. I know squirrels are a concern. But I don't know if those things will be problems here, in this yard, with these trees. Let's take one problem at a time."

That was 5 years ago. This is the first year there's been any peach crop to speak of, and there's not much to say :(

Do I build a chicken wire fortress around my fruit trees?

Do I grow and care for fruit trees that will feed more squirrels than humans?

Do I get a license to capture and kill squirrels in my yard?

Do I chop down the trees and use that land to grow something else?

Perhaps Bobby is right. Maybe I'm overreacting. It's only the first crop, after all. Maybe I can focus on preventing mold next year and wrap the lower limbs in bird netting. The squirrels could chew through it, but maybe they won't if the higher peaches are left unprotected. Sounds like a plan. For now.

I did get to taste one peach from our trees this year. It was firm, sweet, and the flavor was almost exactly like Peach-O candy. Made me laugh. I didn't share it. Gardening can bring out the worst in me some days ;)

Sweaty Smiling

In my exercise class today, we were using the elastic bands, punching the air in rhythm to the bouncy music, strengthening those shoulder muscles and working up a sweat. From the back of the room, I hear an older gentleman interjecting "Hello!" at the end of every other punch. I envision a situation where one might deliver a punch and say hello. I crack a smile.

The next exercise, we've got the bands around our feet and legs, stepping sideways (it really targets the hips!). As I feel the burn, the same guy in the back says, "Pardon me, excuse me." It suddenly occurs to me that this is exactly what I would look like squeezing past other people to my seat in a movie theater. I laugh out loud.

Of course he's doing it on purpose.

Now, whenever my muscles are burning, I just add "Excuse me" or "Hello" to the workout and things feel better.

Girls Nature Association Fundraising

I watched in a dazed stupor today as Alice, Robert, and the girl next door whipped up three different kinds of delectable treats, cleaned up the kitchen (including a load in the dishwasher, hand washing the rest), and sold said treats door to door in our neighborhood to raise money for a club Alice made up: The Girls Nature Association (GNA). They raised $9, bringing the GNA treasury to a whopping $16.33.

Alice cares about the environment, and the GNA has been a dream of hers for several months. They have regular meetings and a motto and an oath and a pile of leadership positions. So far, they have picked up litter and raised awareness on several environmental fronts including water conservation and air quality.

Anyway, all morning, I just kept thinking up reasons why this little plan of hers wouldn't work...she'd botch the recipe(s), no one would buy anything, she'd get discouraged after the first couple of "no thank you" responses and trudge home in tears, she'd find the kitchen too hard to clean, etc.. But I kept it to myself. I thought this was a safe place for her to fail and learn something in that failure. Boy, was I wrong. She did botch the recipes, but they sold anyway. The kitchen was awfully hard to clean, but she kept barking orders at Robert and the neighbor girl until it was done. The "no thank you" responses didn't seem to phase her this time. Hm. That truly was a surprise.

Thank you, dear neighbors, for buying my daughter's treats. I should warn you, however, that the GNA is planning to come back to your house every other day for the next few weeks to keep you well-stocked in treats. Thankfully, they are still naive enough to believe that if no one comes to the door, then no one must be home.

Here Robert is posing by another one of Alice's baked goods from last week: Aronia Berry and Pear tarts. Really, really yummy despite all those nasty sprinkles on top ;)

Matthew's foot on Day 4 of Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease. The white blotches in the middle of the red rashes are actually blisters :( Now on Day 7, the blistered skin has hardened and begun to peel away in large, crusty sheets that reveal raw, red, tender skin underneath. He still doesn't like walking much. And the rashes on his limbs are now all scabbed over. Worst case of this crazy virus that I've ever seen.

Here is a blistered hand on Day 4. He really didn't like me messing with it, so it's not the best photo. Poor guy.

A few sores around his mouth. He's been almost his normal self the last couple of days: sleeping well, appetite returning, getting playful again. He tackled Robert from behind today, just for fun. Robert thought it was hilarious and they chased each other around for a while. Even James got a piece of the "chase and laugh" action, making it a pretty good day for these guys to be brothers. 

Wild Adventure

While we were staying away from the ceiling remodel last weekend, we decided to take a trip down to Arthur and see the new Wildlife Adventure Park. It's on the property that used to house Rockome Gardens. We were not disappointed.

Interesting animals (and photo opportunities) in the visitor's center.

Robert about to ride a mild-mannered Camel named Randy.

On the tram, waiting for the tour to begin.

Alice feeding a true dromedary.

Robert staring down an ostrich. You've gotta keep your hands away from these guys.

James petting a zebra.

All in all, we got to see, touch, feel, and interact with dozens of free-ranging exotic animals from all over the world. Was it worth the price? That's debatable. I had a lovely time, though. I have stared at these kinds of animals in zoos my entire life, never expecting to be able to touch or feed one. But suddenly I had a chance to do it, and my inner child was squealing with excitement the whole time.

Especially for the zebra. What kid doesn't dream of riding a zebra?!

Kitchen Update

Now that the kitchen is mostly, pretty much, almost, kinda getting towards finished, I've stopped updating. Did I even post a picture of it with the new counter tops? I can't remember. I didn't get much sleep last night ;)

Well, here it is (again?) for you:

Flooring, lighting, cabinets, appliances, and counter tops in!

The layout has made all my kitchen wishes and dreams come true. I am so, so pleased. It's not 100% finished, though, with odds and ends still pending.

Electric: need one more smoke detector and need four old wall outlets changed to tamper-resistant outlets.

Plumbing: repair a wonky extra kink in the U-bend and fix the angle that the dishwasher drain is attached to the garbage disposal. The contractor promised me that the plumber would come at the time he was scheduled, stay on-site until the job was done (meaning he'll have all the parts he'll need with him), and get it done in about an hour. I'm skeptical, to say the least. He's scheduled to arrive Friday morning at 10...beware of pigs flying and hell freezing over.

Ceiling: paint (happening Saturday morning)

Flooring: patch holes in the grout, put in a transition strip at the bathroom door (happening next Friday)

General contractor: fix some trim problems and a cabinet door that won't stay aligned

Backsplash: I've asked my interior design friend for a few ideas. I just want something that's consistent with the design choices we've already made and won't attract too much attention on its own. I don't need glamour or flashy or popular. I want classic, functional, and uncomplicated.

Bad News and Good News

The bad news is, Matthew seems to have contracted the worst case of Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease (HFMD) that any of my children has contracted. The other kids got a high fever and a little rash on their hands and feet, but poor little Matthew has big, pimpley, blistery bumps around his mouth, on top of one foot, and here and there on his limbs. The fever started early Tuesday morning. Last night, starting about 9pm, he was so miserable that he didn't really sleep longer than a couple hours at a time. He screamed and cried intermittently until 11pm when I finally took him out to snuggle back to sleep, but he would NOT have it. He hopped off my lap in the darkness, made his way over to the Duplo bin and asked me to play with him. He was a total grouch, but I didn't want his screaming to wake up his new roommate Robert, and it was obvious he was not going to settle down to sleep with me, so I took him grocery shopping.

We really needed groceries, and his whiny, tired neediness all day had made a grocery trip pretty much impossible :( So I figured, "If I'm gonna be up for the next couple hours with this guy anyway, I might as well get groceries...and leave the rest of the kids asleep with their dad."

So, we put on our shoes and headed to the store. At 11pm. In our pajamas.

Matthew was on his best behavior until the very end when he just couldn't wait one minute more for the free horsey ride. Tears, drama, and one tired mama. Whew! But at least I didn't have three other kids with me ;)

So we come home, put the groceries away, and I ask Matthew if he is ready for bed. He says yes. He takes us down the hall to his room. In the pitch black. I lay him down and crawl into my own bed. It is 12:15 by this point. At 12:20, Matthew is screaming and crying and yelling again. I throw my covers off, pluck him from his bed, buckle him into the car, and we take a joy ride around the block before I park the car in our driveway and just wait. He screams. He cries. He starts shouting at me, "No! No!" and then "Out!" (which means "go away"). He's SO angry. Then he calms down a little, I give him the pacifier, and he falls asleep. At 1:15, I gingerly take him from his seat and carry him to bed. The moment his head hits the mattress, he's awake. And angry.

I go to my bed, thinking he'll settle in a minute or two. Nope. Then I remember the pack-n-play and our guest room on the other side of the house. Brilliant! I put him in there, all screamy and mad. When you shut the guest room door and my own bedroom door, you can't hear anything that room. But, I end up feeling bad that I wouldn't be able to hear him if something really went wrong...barf, choking, stab wound...so I sleep on the couch where I and only I can hear his cries. I don't remember much of what happened between that moment and 3am when I awoke to more crying. I traded places with Bobby and he handled the whole mess until 6am when Matthew's cries again ripped me from sleep.

Apparently, Matthew's feet hurt/itched/ached so bad this morning that he couldn't walk :( Bobby tells me that he gave the babe another dose of ibuprofen and put him back to bed.

Are you ready for the good news, yet? Kids only seem to get this particular virus once. Yay! And the second I saw his high fever with no other symptoms, I suspected HFMD. Hee hee! I was actually relieved to see the rash starting on his hands and feet. It meant this whole fiasco was something known, something temporary, and something totally harmless to the rest of this family. Whew.

But we're still in quarantine from any other families with children 0-5 years old. That's okay. I could use a quiet day at home after a night like that :(

Matthew has had his fingers in his mouth a lot more lately. Teething, maybe? Well, it certainly exposes him to large doses of a greater variety of microbes :)