These Days

I have started researching some more safety products to keep our little guy in the car. I have a deep love for the people who invented locks on the windows and child locks on the doors and now I am looking for someone who has invented a net or shield to surround a rider in the car who often hits whoever is next to him, throws shoes and sippy cups, and blows snot all over his face and wipes it on windows and people within his reach. Sometimes he is a great little rider, and sometimes not so we all desperately wish for that shield. In the meantime, we have discovered Angel Guard car seat button covers that have helped to solve the problem of keeping his seatbelt on now that he has outgrown his carseat. That worked well for awhile until he learned he could reach over and unlock Layla's carseat. And then he discovered he could stretch out the seatbelt and climb under without unbuckling it. So we are back to looking for carseats with a harness for bigger children. (and before you start judging--yes we have tried talking about it, praising, consequences, redirecting, ignoring the behavior, etc.)

Perry says his name perfectly now. You can ask "What's your name?" and as clear as can be and with a cute smile on his face he replies "Perry" with a beautiful "R" sound.

Layla and Perry love playing together. Layla grabs Perry's hand and leads him with a "come on, Perry". Perry likewise asks "where's A-ya?" when she's not around. These cuties are always with bags in hand and backpacks on backs. Which means they always have an assortment of toys with them and strewn about the house.

Sometimes Layla plays school, too.

But my favorite game is when they put me on the couch or into my bed and sing me lullaby, give me a kiss, and tell me it's sleep time. I don't mind that game one bit. :)

Kacin caught this guy on his head one day while at gymnastics.

 We went to a Frozen party at a friend's house.

Have I ever posted a picture of this sculpture before? Kacin made it years ago at school. We both can't remember what animal it was supposed to be. But I will never forget the day that Kacin decided it wasn't worthy of his shelf in his room and said it was the weirdest blob he'd ever made. I tried so hard to keep a straight face, but at the same time I totally meant it when I told him how much I loved his work and creativity and so it came to the shelf in my room. Since that day every time my eyes rest on it on my bookshelf I smile and chuckle and think of sweet, little Kacin. Aren't sculptures like this a perk of motherhood?

We are enjoying the slower pace of our first week of summer vacation. There has been a lot of reading and laying around, a lot of time at parks, a lot of playing with toys, and a lot of tv. We had a fun day with friends at the zoo, too.  

Last Days of School

Perry grew so much this school year! We were so glad that by the end of the year he loved going to school and getting on the bus and got so excited when we mentioned his teachers or anything about school. He loved teacher Diane and the four other teachers he worked with in the classroom and for pullout services.

I had my last day of preschool. We had a teddy bear picnic, a little program, and the presenting of certificates. It was a fun group of kids! I'm sure going to miss those little ones who are heading off to kindergarten in the fall. Some of them I have had the last two years. I'm looking forward to another year with some of these guys.

My 3rd grader and 4th grader each made it through another year just splendidly.

They were so ready for that last day of school.

Two days before the last day, these three boys put their minds together and planned out an end of the school year party for a few friends.

I would be lying through my teeth if I said that this planning session was smooth and productive and all warm fuzzies. 

 But it was a great opportunity for some learning on empathy and compromise and communication. 

And in the end they pulled it all together and threw a super fun party that went according to their plan.

There was gaga ball, xbox kinect sports, the Categories game, cookie ice cream sandwiches, Legos, and playing outside. 

Yay for summer!

a new home for the duck

We all referred to it as a duck, even though it is a goose.

The boys were dressed up and ready for their spring concert.

We stopped at a lake that had other geese living there.

Kacin said, "I feel like we are carrying a dead body."

It was time to let it be free.

We said our goodbyes.

We tried to find a place for it to be, then walked away.

In the car, we offered a prayer for the duck to find a family and a home with the other geese.

a Piano Recital and Spring Concert

On back to back nights, the boys performed in their school spring concert and in their piano recital.

It was another wonderful piano recital. The boys have been much more diligent about practicing (probably because I have actually been on them about it). They did a great job with their songs, a few mistakes but they stayed confident and recovered nicely. I'm just so proud of these boys. And grateful for their great, patient teacher.

We weren't sure if our entire family would make it to the spring concert. Let's just say it was a rough day for my P man. We thought for sure one of us would be in the car with him, but luckily we were able to sit in the balcony without anyone behind us for a few rows so Layla and Perry and a little friend sitting across from us were able to wonder up and down the stairs and try out all the chairs and so for the most part Eric and I actually got to watch the concert. The music teacher at the elementary school is amazing! She put together such a great concert. 

Kacin is in the 2nd row in the middle

Kacin is playing the xylophone in the front middle

Kyler is playing xylophone in the back right

One of the songs the 4th grade sang was "What does the Frog say?" Their school mascot is a frog. Kyler is on the left side, 2nd row next to boy in blue.

Such studs.

Kyler's toe

This is sad. I haven't written anything in over a week because the end of the school year is just so busy. I don't have time to download pictures off my camera or write up anything big. I want to take a nap before the missionaries come for dinner. I know, I have my priorities straight. An opportunity to nap trumps all. So I leave with a picture of Kyler' black toe. He has been fascinated with the blue to black transformation of this toe nail after smashing it. He begged for peanuts from costco. We bought them. He dropped them. Poor toe.

these days

Kyler and Kacin have come of age. Twice now they have shared mowing the lawn. I love their enthusiasm for this task. They begged to be allowed. So proud of these guys.

Sweetness in my shopping cart.

Perry doing his "work", he called it.

And a messy living room. It pretty much looks like this all of the time. Tidy lasts 5 min. around here.

My cute helper in the kitchen. He has really taken to cooking.

The raingutter regatta happened one evening. Kacin battled asthma and a too big sail, but stuck with it 'til the end. They both had some cool looking boats. Kyler may have been a tad bit glad that this was his last regatta. He's just getting so old.

The school year is winding down. I teach two more days. Perry goes to school for 5 more days. The older boys have 10 more days. I have mixed feelings. I am mostly excited and ready, and partly feeling unsure if I can be a patient mom all day long every day. If I could catch some time to finalize some summer plans I think I would be feeling better. Actually, I'll probably just feel better in the morning once I have rested and my head isn't spinning from dealing with pee all over the couch and hearing screaming the 30 min.to therapy and wiping smeared snot from someone's face and hair and piles of stuff a little girl has made in multiple areas of the house as she plays "trip" and "school' and motor skills evaluations, and grumpy kids and grumpy me. Oh how I'm thankful for fresh starts in the morning. And I'm thankful I can sit down here and look at pictures and remember all of the good in my little life. There is so much hard and so much good. I need to keep my thoughts on the good and laugh at some of the craziness and that is a key to happiness when things are challenging.  We can do this. 

If you pick a fight with a squirrel . . .

If you pick a fight with a squirrel,

you are going to get bit.

It was the squirrel who started it.
He was running all over the chicken coop and trying to get into the chickens food.
Eric saw it through the window so he went outside to scare it away.
It didn't move when he went out there, so he threw a pine cone at it.  And he hit it.
The squirrel still didn't go away so Eric decided to take a stick to it.
He picked up the stick and swung and the squirrel jumped on E's shoulder, bit him in the ear, and scurried away.

While the two marks on E's ear lobe bled a lot, he is not yet foaming from the mouth.

Eric gets some gnarly injuries because of chickens here.