Power Tools

It is strange… I love Christmas and am happy when it is time to get out the decorations.  I love to get the tree, put on the ornaments, and hang the stockings and a wreath.  Every day, the decorations make me feel so so  happy, until they suddenly don’t.  And then the decorations feel a lot like dirty dishes…

So after our final holiday event – Christmas with Grady (ahhh, he is so big now!!!)I gave the monkeys “closure” with the tree (there were many tears last year when I took the tree down, so I was hoping a formal goodbye would help – it did!)

The next day, while the boys were out with Eric, I packed away all of the decorations apart from the wreath, and dragged the tree out to the garage.

Eric usually slowly cuts the tree up and puts it in the yard waste can a little each week until the tree has disappeared.  I eyed the power saw, and figured that there was no reason for Eric to have all of the fun! 

(try not to be too jealous of my nifty glasses that I borrowed from Jack’s Nerf gun tag set – and also try not to laugh at me too hard – I got enough crap about being overly safe from my brother!!)

Anyhoo…I cannot for the life of me understand why it takes Eric more than one session to get the tree completely gone?!?!  I had that power saw in my hands for about 10 minutes and the tree went from 9 feet to 1 foot before I was done having fun…

Next year, I am not sure if the tree is going to make it until after Christmas day before the power tool fun begins!

Super Jack Party

Jack’s 5th birthday party was superhero/Superman themed.    This was the first party that Jack wanted friends from school(outside our usual group in invitees) – he picked three boys that he often talks about – and a girl that I hadn’t seen him play with before.  Every time we talked about his party, she was always on the list.  He finally explained, “She always laughs at my jokes, Mama.”

It felt a little odd not to have the “normal” core group at the party, and I was terribly nervous at having to perform in front of people that I don’t know (as most of the parents stayed with their children)   Once I started leading the games, my old teacher self kicked in, and I lost my nervousness…

I love the idea of a backdrop for a party (and it helps the photos to look cute!) I used a roll of mailing paper and tempera paint to make the background.  I used spray paint on boxes to make the buildings.

While we waited for everyone to arrive, I had the kids decorate a belt made from felt and duct tape.  I made each kid a cape with their initial on it – that they could take home instead of a party bag.  These two things were big hits.

December is rainy, so I had to think of games that worked for 5 and 6-year olds cooped in a living room.  The games ended up being insanely simple, but were amazingly successful.  The idea was that the kids had to train to be superheroes and prove that they were.  I wrote the Superman motto on a sheet of paper, and added 3 more “requirements.”   Each of the kids showed their skills one at a time while the others watched (and I exaggerated looks of awe…)

• Faster than a speeding bullet (running in place – I wanted to die laughing at how seriously the kids took this “game” – one boy started over three times because he knew he was faster than his previous demonstration “no, wait, I am even faster!  Let me do that again!)
• More powerful than a locomotive! (lifting a ‘very heavy’ weight that I had first asked John and Uncle Marc to bring into the living room – but they just couldn’t lift it – so we had to ask SuperJack to do it…)
• Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound!
• Stomp out crime! (no photos of this – just popping black balloons)
• Restrain the bad guys! (I picked one of the dads at the party to wrap up as a “practice” bad guy. The kids wanted to punch and shoot the “bad guy” but I quickly explained that superheroes don’t like to hurt anyone, and they just tie up the baddies for the police to take to jail.  I was quite relieved the kids were satisfied with that explanation! This dad was a riot and made all kinds of attempts to break free without actually ripping the tp that the kids were using.  It made the kids scream and think the game was that much more fun.)
• Get a supercar! (I wrapped Squinky cars individually and put them in a bowl.  The kids passed the bowl around in a circle while the music played and when the music stopped, whoever was holding the bowl got to take a package out and keep the car inside.  Everyone got a car, so it was just a matter of waiting their turn.)

I had the idea of taking photos of each superhero in front of the backdrop, but completely forgot about it.  When I finally remembered most of the guests were gone, or were completely uninterested in cooperating – including the birthday boy…

I made the buttermilk cake from the Domestic Goddess cookbook and it turned out really nice – though just as I was serving it, I realized that Jack likes chocolate best – next year I guess…

My only photo of the decorations – a bit fuzzy to see.

Happy Birthday my Jack-Jack!

Merry Christmas

(Dedicated to Amy B. who inspired me to write my Christmas card in song form.)(To the tune of Jingle Bells)

 

Jingle Bells! Hope you’re swell!

Here’s our news this year.

Read our song, and hum along.

Oh we hope to spread some cheer.

___

Dashing little Jack

loves to wear his coat and tie,

tell tales and funny jokes,

laughing all the while. HA HA HA

 

He’s learned to ride a bike

and also swim and read.

of French preschool he says, “I like!”

of Superman, “I NEED!”

 

OH! Adenoids out! Tonsils out!

He finally sleeps ALL night!

Energy to sing, play, shout,

oh and we think Jack’s just right.

____

Owen now is six.

In the first grade, having fun

memorizing poems

learning French with everyone.

 

Still loves to build Lego

To swim, and dance, and read

history and biographies

are books that take the lead.

 

OH! Cardboard please! Tape! and he’s

inventing something new.

Oh! what fun it is to see

his creative side come through!

Merry Christmas!

Snack Notes

Since Owen started kindergarten, I have written little notes to him at school that I slip in with his snack (or lunch).  On day one, Owen told me he wanted me to do it every day that he was in school “for the rest of my life.”  And for the most part I have.

When I first started writing them, I had to limit myself to 3 and 4 letter words that followed phonics rules or to sight words that I knew he knew.  As he learned to read better, I was able to write more idea (and could use less-neat handwriting.)  Several more times Owen has told me how much he likes the notes and it is a little ritual that I really love. 

I occasionally throw the notes in a drawer to save.

One day this week, Owen was having a bad morning, and was mad.  Several things had gone wrong that morning for him. And when I would not make him a different breakfast than what was served (one he usually likes)he stomped off and took the note from his lunchbox and tore it.

I was apparently not nearly at my best that morning either… I responded by picking up the note and throwing it away saying, “If you feel that way about the notes from me, I guess I won’t write them anymore!”

I felt terrible as I drove the monkeys to school.   I took an old receipt out of my purse and wrote, “No matter what, I always love you!”  and slipped it in his lunchbox.

I hated that he would have to wait until lunchtime to see it.

After school Owen seemed his normal chipper self and chattered on about his day.   I felt a little better then.

But when I got home, and opened his lunchbox, I found this tiny, tiny note back to me and knew that all was forgiven –between the both of us.

Cleaning Problems

Because of the promise of many days of sun this week, I decided that it was worth the money to get a carwash.  Jack loves the car wash so he and I went today before his gymnastics class. ( Jack invariably reminds me of the days when he was “little” where he would climb onto my lap during the carwash and cling to me – terrified of the brushes and wild blue tentacles that came too close for comfort.)

After the car wash, I transferred Jack to his gymnastics coach for his class and returned to the parking lot.  My car seemed to be missing.  I looked back and forth between the lonely three cars that were there and wondered where I had parked if not in front of the building.  Of course, the car two feet to my left WAS my car, I just didn’t recognize the color of it when it was clean…

I have lost my car in this same way every single time that I have cleaned it, but for some reason I never seem to learn my lesson.  Maybe it is because we rarely have several days of sun in a row, so my car is rarely clean…

Coupon

I was in line at the fabric store today and noticed two fourteen-ish boys having some  fabric cut (camouflage fleece if you are wondering. )  I tried to imagine my monkeys at that age and wondered what they would be like.  It was a little weird to think about them being so old, but I do hope that my boys are nice – such un unknown time when you have to let your babies go out in the world and trust that they will take what you have taught them…

The boys got in line just after me, and I heard one exclaim to the other, “Seriously, thirty bucks for fabric?!?”

I had printed two coupons at home.  One for 25% off the entire order, and another for 50% off one item.  I had quite a few small items, and after some mental math realized that each coupon would reduce my total by $2.  Since I could only use one coupon, I turned around and gave the 50% off one item to the boy behind me.

He was very polite and thanked me several times.  “This is great!” he exclaimed after doing his own mental math. (His polite manner gave me hope for my boys…)

“Coupons aren’t SO bad, you see.” I joked, “And I used Google to find this one, so I know you would also be able to find one in the future.”

The boy laughed sheepishly and said, “My mom told me to do that, but I just…..I just didn't.”

(and yes, a voice in my head did scream to me that I was now really, truly, officially a mother since I was talking to this poor child that I don’t know and telling him how to be financially aware!!! – As if he did not already have to put up with his own mother telling him what to do!!)

Anyway, when I presented my coupon, the teller informed me that my coupon was only good until noon and I could not use it.  They boy quickly handed back my original coupon telling me that the 50% off one was good for the entire day and I should use it since it was mine to begin with. (More hope for my boys’ futures!!)  I quickly handed it back saying, “It will save me $2 but how much will it save you?” 

“Don’t tell her how much!” exclaimed the other boy.

I was strangely touched by these two boys who wanted to “do the right thing” and let me save my $2 even though they could save $15 by simply saying nothing and taking the coupon.  In the end, I left the coupon with they boys, and they saved their $15 while I spent $2 more.  But if felt like money well spent.  Since I had compared them (in my head) to my own boys, I felt some strange ownership in their well-being.  And I also felt some happiness that these boys represented my own boys  - who might be in a similar situation and would respond in a similar polite, and respectful way.

Thanksgiving

I asked the monkeys if they wanted to make place cards this year, and Owen was immediately excited.  He remembered the corn ones that we made last year.  Owen had the idea of making turkeys.  He drew the body, cut them out, and colored them.  We used Jack’s fingerprints for the feathers and stapled them to the back.  Owen wrote names on the feet (print on one side and cursive on the other)

Owen had the idea to write something you are thankful for on each feather.  Unfortunately we forgot to do it when everyone was together, but Owen and Auntie Mimi and Jack did it together later in the day. (I cannot find where they went!  I will write their “answers” tomorrow if I find those turkeys…)

Owen and Jack were bored when Eric and I were cooking, but no guests had arrived.  They decided to draw pictures and Owen suggested that they each draw something about Thanksgiving.

Jack explained his picture to me as soon as he was finished.   “This is the kids’ table and chairs (orange and yellow) and this is Mama’s yummy fudge (brown squares.)”   Jack did not explain the other sections  - and so I am not sure what the blue thing is (though I would not be surprised in the least if it was a gun…)

I had seen Owen’s picture from a distance, but didn’t see it close-up until after the monkeys were in bed.

Owen’s picture as lots of labels - these include a list of all of those present:  “Great-Gma, Great-Gpa, Tommy, Lauren, Mamau, Mom, Dad, Owen, Jack, Mimi”  Other labels are:  “Indian,” “Pilgrim,” “Harvest,” and “Dinner” (written on the turkey!)

SUPER JACK

Pumpkin Patch Tradition

2011

2010

2009 (this was around the time that when we had the four kids together,  people would stop to take photos of the kids thinking they were quadruplets)

2008

2007 – we went out of town :)

2006 –This year Katie and Sarah didn’t know how cool the pumpkin patch could be.  Owen and I were at the pumpkin patch with Kris and they just  happened to be there at the same time.  Both girls were crying and wanted to leave the cold, wet, dirty place.  Owen brought them pumpkins to hold – I guess  to explain how the pumpkin patch worked-  Sarah was sort of convinced.  Katie – not so much… 

New Sleeping Arrangements

When the monkeys were three and four, we bought bunk beds for them.  The beds could also be put together as separately, and that was the way we planned to use them.  But buying them this was an economical way to buy two beds, and it was fun to have the option for later.

This summer the monkeys slept in bunk beds while on vacation to Hood Canal.  Eric and I were very surprised that they went to sleep after talking for only a few minutes, and Jack did not get too upset that he was not allowed on the top bunk.

So after several begging sessions by the boys, Eric and I decided that we would give it a go. 

The experiment has been great so far.  The casual threat of disassembly has quelled the half-hour of talking and giggling that happened on the first few nights.  Also, Jack doesn’t seem too phased that he isn’t allowed on the top bunk at all.  Eric and I thought he would do best with a  firm rule rather than a changing one (like- you can only go on the top bunk when ___).  I showed Jack how he can make a secret fort on his bed by hanging blankets from Owen’s bunk.  I think Jack feels like he has the better of the two beds…

Halloween Costumes

The other day, Katie and Sarah’s grandma gave me an article on how to make no-sew superhero costumes and add-ons (like belts) made of fabric and colored duct tape.

I was totally inspired by the idea and decided to make a cape and belt for the monkeys.  I couldn’t quite bring myself to settle with a taped together cape (and my mom left her sewing machine at my house accidentally- oh boy!) so I went full board and took the monkeys to the fabric store to pick out cape material.

The monkeys were excited and decided that they would wear their capes for Halloween.  When the materials added up to $30 at the check-out I was glad for their decision!  So much for a cheap costume…

Anyway, I decided that when I made the capes I would try everything I wanted to do even if it sounded hard. This was really my first serious sewing project – so I had pretty low expectations. (But 4 and 6 year olds are easy to please – so I figured I could mess up lots of stuff and they would still be excited )

Owen wanted a Spiderman cape,  and he picked two fabrics, so I made a reversible cape that goes over his shoulders.  Since Spiderman doesn’t really have a cape, I had to make up his “symbol” to put on the back. 

I stitched a web and a spider on a plain black shirt to finish Owen’s costume, and we made belts out of duct tape and velcro.

Jack’s cape is a much simpler shape – and not reversible, but the “S symbol” is actually sewed separately.  I cut the red S out of the satin, and sewed it to some yellow felt – it took forever!  Then I sewed that to the cape using this really wide stitch that probably isn’t meant to be used that way- there were so many little holes from the needle, that I was afraid I had made something close to that part of notebook paper where it is perforated and easy to rip out of the notebook.  I worried that the black line around the S would rip easily, but it has survived LOTS of wear and tear from Jack so far!   Also, I think I used an entire spool of black thread on that section!!! 

Overall, the boys were happy, and I was pretty impressed at how well everything came out. 

This photo is just too sweet to leave out!