More Ogden Nash and an iphone picture

Behold the hippopotamus!
We laugh at how he looks to us,
And yet in moments dank and grim,
I wonder how we look to him.

Peace, peace, thou hippopotamus!
We really look all right to us,
As you no doubt delight the eye
Of other hippopotami. 
                            Ogden Nash




Jenny Wren got her bangs trimmed, thanks to her older brother holding her hands away from the scissors and making funny noises. She spent the evening at an indoor trampoline and jungle gym and had a blast, climbing way too high for my comfort and fearlessly hurling herself down the slide.

January 2017 Daybook

Outside my window... dark, cool and soon to be raining again

I am wearing... Jeans, a purple top, and red socks

I am thankful for... Everyone being well and contented, dinner with my family, no one particularly needing me at the moment.

I am thinking about... Not too much, and that is lovely.

Learning all the time... reading. My second grader and my kindergartener are learning to read. That is also lovely.

From the kitchen... Well, we ate out tonight, and we've been having leftovers that I put in the freezer after our kind friends brought meals a few weeks ago when Jenny Wren was in the hospital. I did make a delicious cranberry cake the other day, with the recipe shared by Matushka Emma. It was so yummy!

I am creating... slowly working away at an afghan I've been crocheting here and there for a couple of years. Also a little book to hold icons for my goddaughter. And coloring with Bluejay in his kestrel coloring book.

I am working on... peace and gentle discipline in the home. It's working!

I am going...  to help make piroshki at church tomorrow, maybe. 

I am hoping... for the peacefulness and routine to continue for a little while. It was a rough first few weeks of the year. For Jenny Wren to be excited about speech therapy. I think she's gonna love it.

I am reading... hmmm. I have my fingers in a number of books lately. Snuff by Terry Pratchett, God's Path to Sanity by Dee Pennock and rereading Green Dolphin Street by Elizabeth Goudge.

I am praying... daily prayers and scripture readings.

I am hearing... the children getting ready for bed; my husband requesting the occasional help as he tidies up the school/playroom/garage (it's all one room!).

One of my favorite things... daybooks :-) this makes me cheery.

A few plans for the rest of the week... Church, homeschooling, a dentist appointment for Bluejay and a visit to the orthopedic specialist for Bluejay as well. He took a fall on his bike and it turns out he broke a bone in his left arm near the wrist! So he's in a splint until we can get it appropriately treated, as early as possible next week. The doctor 

Some picture thought I am sharing with you...

  

Jenny Wren very very happy to be home after five days in the hospital!

Bluejay and Chickadee doing pull-ups. We did not know at the time he had a broken arm!

Waiting for the wrist/arm prognosis

This is probably a very poor quality video, but it shows our little cutie practicing her new, fabulous walking skills!

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real ~ Midsummer Edition

{Pretty}

Our little garden. Much thanks to Aaron's godfather and his daughter, who invited Bluejay and Chickadee over a few weeks ago, and then sent them home with a tomato plant, an eggplant plant, a squash plant, a lemon cucumber plant, a basil plant and two pots of flowers. We have a big eggplant already that is almost ready to harvest, and I've been using the basil in various cooking. We love watering our fast growing little container garden.

{Happy}

Swim lessons. I took all 4 children to the pool for eight days (only the older two were actually taking lessons). A few of the days I was able to bring our teenage neighbor to help me out, but mostly I did it by myself. And I rocked it. I think the key to parenting lots of littles is a) go slow, and b) don't panic.  If you can do both of those things, you can pretty much do anything. It's not as easy as it sounds, though. Hahahaha.

I have lots of pictures of Bluejay and Chickadee swimming, but I realized that they include lots of other people's children, so I'm not going to post them on my blog. But here are the two younger ones, being troopers at the pool.  

{Funny}

The things Sparrow says these days. We've been using the record player lately and have the first Beatles album, which belonged to Aaron's mom. I was putting on a record and Sparrow kept saying "I want wadybugs! I want wadybugs!" (That's ladybugs, for those of you who don't speak toddler). I finally figured it out: "Oh, you want the Beatles." "Mmm hmm," he said, very satisfied. 

Also, he has a friend named Emmiliana. I was singing Karma Chameleon the other day (don't ask me why, I don't even like that song), and later I heard Sparrow singing "Comb, comb, comb, comb, comb Emmiliana".

He's a funny boy.

{Real}

Baby girl got sick for the first time. Oh, how that hurts a mama's heart. She is fine, and handled it like a champ, and I did too, although not quite as bravely, since I got very worried the first morning she woke up at 4am with a fever, and then again later when our lactation consultant suggested I make sure she didn't have pneumonia.  

She's almost better now, just has the tail end of a cough. And now I'm coming down with it. Joy.  

Our computer is being weird lately and won't let me see the pictures Aaron has downloaded, when I'm logged in as me. So I don't have very many good ones to post today. 

Linking up with Like Mother Like Daughter...

Overheard on the 4th Day of Christmas

Bluejay and Chickadee to one another this morning several times this morning~

"Are you the innkeeper?"

"Yes"

"Do you have a room to rent?"

"I'm sorry, there's no room.  Well there's one place..."

"Anything will do as long as it has a roof"

"You can use my stable in the cave back there"

"Thank you!"

And then Chickadee said "Joseph and Mary went to the stable..."

These were not either of their roles in the Nativity play they performed before Christmas, but I guess they were memorizing them as well. Such busy little minds... Chickadee was the one who particularly remembered the exact lines and told Bluejay what to say, but they took turns being the Innkeeper and Joseph.

Do Less

Even as I draft this post, I wonder if I will have the courage to post it.  One of my primary philosophies as a parent (and as a wife, a co-leader of this little kingdom that is my family), is that doing too many things, no matter how good each individual thing is, is detrimental to a child's ability to grow and develop, as well as to family peace and harmony, and living a family life of Godliness. It is actually one of the primary reasons I have chosen to homeschool. The thought of the amount of "things" you have to do, once you start driving your child to school in the morning (and I mean paperwork, activities, unnecessary doctor's appointments, field trips, homework!) gives me the heeby jeebies.  And that is just for ONE person, one aspect of life, school.

We live a very small life right now. We hardly ever shop. We go to vespers on Saturday evening and Liturgy on Sunday morning. We go once a week to our little homeschool group music class, with other families from our church. If we add an extra activity into one of our days, I make sure that that is the ONLY activity that day (and this includes me going to work - when I go to work, there are not other places that the kids have to go as well). Other than that, we stay home. 

This is what we DO...

I turn down most birthday party invitations.  I say yes to, and actively seek out, one on one play dates with another family (or two). I do not sign them up for sports, unless it is a short term commitment (Chickadee will do a three week long ballet class, one class/week, next month, because she has asked so persistently). My children are 5, 3 and 1. They are TINY.  There will be so much time in their lives for "doing things". Everywhere the 5 year old goes, the 3 and 1 year old must come too, let alone their pregnant mama. I am amazed already at how much pressure there is to do more (at least I perceive it as pressure, even from other homeschoolers who generally have a similar philosophy to mine); to fit in several things at once. 

Also this: they just got married. They are wearing plastic washers for rings. All Chickadee's idea.

Our church is doing a Christmas play, and my children are thrilled to be involved. They talk about going to practice all week, and they work on their lines (one sweet little line each) every day with enthusiasm. But I struggle with how much is added on to these activities.  Rehearsal starts 2 hours before vespers - first a craft, then time rehearsing, then a snack, then play time, then an hour of vespers.  And while the age range obviously goes up a bit from my 3 and 5 year old, it doesn't go up by much, most of the children are under 7. So I have difficulty appreciating with the why and wherefore of these decisions. I wonder if it comes from a perceived need to make it "enough" for the kids. Sometimes I will bring them a little late, and inevitably, we miss some key part of the practice. Sometimes we skip vespers, which seems so counterintuitive to the whole point of this thing. What I'm saying is, I struggle. 

And we definitely do a lot of this. It's the lifeblood of our homeschooling routine.

I mean no judgment or disrespect to those who organize these activities. I see a real love for the children, and a true desire to offer them participation in the deeper meaning of God becoming man, and entering our world, each year, each Nativity season. I guess we will continue to find balance in ways that we can, and I trust that it will get easier, and I will become more confident in the judgment calls I make, as a wife and mother, on how best to incorporate these things into our family life. In the meantime, prayers are my answer. And I ask for forgiveness of the families whose parties and other activities we have not attended. We were probably already doing one other thing that day.

PHFR - A Day in the Life - Homeschooling a kindergartener + two littles

I am linking this post up with Like Mother Like Daughter...

...because this day was most certainly ALL of those things.  Also, I have to say, it gave me quite a sense of contentment with everyday life, as well as little bit of enthusiasm, kind of like documenting an experiment in process... Sorry it's a bit of a long one.

[Pretty], [Happy], [Funny], and [Real] are all mixed in.

I thought it would be fun to do another Day in the Life, now that we've started homeschooling.  It will be interesting to compare this to homeschooling a few years from now...

Last night was a bit rough, following a pattern of rough nights in recent days.  Chickadee woke once or twice and Aaron went to her (which is rough in itself, because he gets up so early, and needs all the sleep he can get).  Sparrow woke up around 1, and nursed and fussed for over an hour.  Finally, I gave him a bottle.  He devoured it, hollered with frustration when it was empty and finally fell back to sleep.  I stayed in his little twin bed (with rails) next to him for a good few hours before finally waking and feeling like it was safe to leave.  

Aaron kissed me goodbye around 5:30 (after, like the wonderful husband he is, leaving the kitchen and living room nice and tidy for me to start our day), and I slept in semi-alert state for a little while, until I heard Chickadee crying.  I went and got her and brought her into our bed around 6:20.  A few minutes later we heard Bluejay get up, and he came and joined us.  We cuddled and talked and slept until Sparrow woke at around 7:15, and then Chickadee and Sparrow started our day (Bluejay generally likes another hour in bed when the rest of us are up). 

We nursed and talked and changed diapers and read books for a while, then I said morning prayers, logged in to take care of some bills, and began to get breakfast (around 8) while Sparrow rearranged the rubber bands in a kitchen drawer, and Chickadee had a ballet costume emergency.  She needed to wear her tutu but she was cold and had no leg warmers like real balleters (as she calls them). We solved it with warm tights, leggings and a sweatshirt over her leotard and tutu. Then she helped Sparrow with his rubber band project, which was actually helpful, as she picked them all up off the floor, while I scrambled eggs, cut up potato patties and made my tea. Bluejay woke up somewhere in this and went about his own business. He refused to join us for breakfast. He (like me) can't eat when he just wakes up. Sparrow and Chickadee take after their father and must eat immediately after the labors of sleep, or the world is a terrible place, mainly for everyone around them. Those three are the definition of "hangry".

8:30-9:00 We ate breakfast and watched Sister Vassa on my phone. Bluejay came in and got them all involved in a game of pretending to be babies. I cleared the table and headed off to start my "day in the life" notes. Soon, the "babies" joined me in the garage by the computer. I went to the bedroom to do my ablutions, put on my contacts, make the bed and get dressed. They followed me, continuing to play their baby game, as well as jumping from the changing table to the bed, and sprinkling water from their "bottle" on each other. Sparrow, always close to my leg, occupied himself by taking things out of the trash and throwing them in the toilet. I talked to the "older" kids about how we have to keep our toilet lids closed during this stage in Sparrow's life. They agreed with understanding and gravity. I made my bed and stopped the jumping, so they went to the boy's room to "make"/jump on the bed there. Sparrow stayed by my side and distributed a package of diapers around the room. I got dressed and then convinced Bluejay to finally get dressed. I had Chickadee pick up her dolls and doll clothes so we could start school. Bluejay then decided he was finally hungry, so school start was delayed while he and Chickadee had apples, cheese and cereal. Sparrow, who had been following me around calling out "Maaaaaa, Maaaaa" and "mowk, mowk, mowk, bo-ol" (Mama, milk and bottle) had a bottle to drink while I took some more notes on our day. 

Almost 10:00 AM. Finally, school time. I'm not going to notate it here, as it will be in my Week 5 post, but it took about an hour, and went very well. I will say that I brought the coloring back a notch, as it had gotten too much for Bluejay, and brought the story reading up a notch, and that was a huge success, for both of us. Sparrow joins right in at circle and story time, I love how he plops himself right down in the circle as soon as prayers are done.  He LOVES routine.

After school, Bluejay helped me clean up a little and headed outside with Sparrow, they climbed on things and played with tools. 

Chickadee headed back to change into a NEW leotard, leggings and faux fur boots. Wardrobe changes are important. 

I did the breakfast dishes and made tea. I would like to note again here that this has been an unusually GOOD day. Yesterday, I did not feel well all day, and just slogged through. I may have done a few dishes. I forced myself to keep going, but I really wanted to just lie on the couch all day and feel sorry for myself. And Sparrow felt that it was therefore necessary for him to whine and need me and whine and also whine, all day, while Bluejay and Chickadee got loads of sheets and blankets out of the linen closet and made forts all over the house. And did I mention I felt sorry for myself? And the whining?

11ish. Snack time for me. I sat outside and had chicken salad and bread and cheese and a cup of tea. Sparrow and Chickadee came by and ate all my cheese. Bluejay brought some of Aaron's sharpies and asked to draw with them, which I let him do with great reservations. They all played in the back yard for a while, then Bluejay and Chickadee asked to go to the front yard to do some weeding. 

 

I let them, as long as Sparrow didn't catch on... he hung around and brought me his current favorite book, Chikka Chikka Boom Boom, saying insistently "BOO BOO! BOO BOO!" (which means Boom Boom).

Here he is, saying "Boo' boo'" to me.

After reading I changed his dirty clothes and loaded all the kids in the van. We made a quick trip out to get diapers and a few other essentials - it was right around the time I usually put Sparrow down for a nap, but I don't trust my afternoon energy levels so I thought we'd better go now. I wore Sparrow in the ergo and the other two walked and did not ask to buy things! And I remembered to bring my bag! Score! (plastic bags have been banned in our county, so you have to bring your own, or pay for paper bags at all stores now). Sparrow ate a babyfood squisher on the way home, since I wanted to get a little lunch in him before nap, but knew he was almost out.

12:30 - we got back, I put a show on for the kids and sat in the rocker in the boys room, cuddling and nursing Sparrow to sleep. It didn't take long today.  He was almost asleep by the time we got home.  I transferred him to his bed and logged into my work computer. 

1ish I responded to a few emails and reviewed some data quickly. Aaron called. We got to chat for a short minute. Then I got the kids some lunch. They just wanted snack food, apple sauce and yogurt, and I didn't push it today. I sat down at my other computer and updated my work hours. They came in to ask to watch another show. I said yes! 

While they watched I microwaved a piece of leftover pizza, and tried to get a little more work done, entering new data into the report I'm writing. I got a little bit done, but then Chickadee came in, wanting to change her clothes again. She needed a dress this time. NOT one of the dresses already out in her room. It must be a new one from the closet.  Opening the closet (and her high-pitched voice) woke the baby. I looked at the clock, not even 2 yet. Not a long enough nap. I charged her to STAY QUIET and went into his room, with the vague hope of getting him back to sleep. I lay him back down, got ready to nurse and climbed in the bed next to him. He didn't even try to nurse. I stayed very still and quiet, worrying that Bluejay had gone into the front yard by himself (which I let him do, but only when I can hear/see him from the window). Sparrow went back to sleep! I heard Bluejay whispering my name at the door and prayed he would stay quiet and not open it. I snuck out of bed.  He did not actually need anything. I helped Chickadee put on her dress. Bluejay asked me to work in the front yard with him. I did not want to. It was hot and the sun wears me out fast. I watered a plant and then headed back to the garage to play "bakery" with Chickadee. She got out her little bakery and gave me instructions on how to set it up, and which hedgehogs to put aprons and chef hats on. Bluejay wanted to play, but she didn't want to let him. I gave her a bit of a lecture about how she should be grateful that he wants to play her games with her. I played for a little while, then said I was done, and she let him play. I worked on my blog post and listened to their game. I read a few of my blogs. The game finally ended when Chickadee refused to let Bluejay's characters eat her food. 

This is an "after" shot of the bakery.  I didn't get one when it was all set up and they were playing nicely.

3ish They asked to watch another show and I let them. I went into the living room to take a bit of a break. I watched my own show (The Office) and ate a chocolate mochi. Yummy! They came in right towards the end. Bluejay, who had really not eaten much today, asked for food. I said yes. He asked for cereal. I gave in. He got a big bowl of rice crispies and a cup of keifer and looked through a version of Homer's Odyssey he'd climbed up on a shelf to get. First he said he wanted to learn about ships from this book of ships. Then he asked me lots of question about who the characters in the pictures were, and if they were before Adam and Eve. Then he asked me if God was in his mother's tummy when he made Adam and Eve. Then he asked me why there was a battle in heaven. "Mom, I just want to know the main reason why there was a fight in heaven." He asks me these types of questions all the time now. Talk about homeschooling. Chickadee looked at pictures on my phone and then asked for cereal too. We talk about Odysseus and Telemachus and a great sea voyage. 

3:40 - Chickadee and I go out to get the mail, because she didn't get to yesterday and was very sad about it. There are some ads and an LL Bean catalog. We sit in the back yard and the children read the catalog while I play with my phone. Chickadee starts crying because there is nothing in the catalog she wants to buy. She wants to buy a bath tub for her babies. They start a game which turns into an argument which runs roughly as follows:

C: I am the boss of this game.
B: You are not the boss! God is the boss.
C: Well, I am the boss of this game.
B: You are not the boss! God is the boss of everyone! Even grown-ups.
C: I am the boss!
B: God is the boss! He is even older than dead people!

Somehow this argument gets resolved. I do not understand how. They team up together to take all the cushions off the lawn furniture and rearrange them into some sort of fort. I sigh. Aaron JUST put it all back into shapely order after having been randomly set around the back yard covered with toys and junk and leaves for a few weeks straight. I mention that they will have to put EVERYTHING back when they're done. They agree and proceed with their project. 

Sparrow is STILL ASLEEP!  Sparrow wakes up. 

4:00 I go get him and bring him outside to see the kids. The fort game is going on with mixed success. There are still some issues with one person wanting to run the show and one person not wanting to be told what to do. Sparrow sits in my lap and I pick at his cradle cap like a mama gorilla while Bluejay practices "reading" Chikka Chikka Boom Boom. He has memorized most of it. Chickadee has memorized pretty much all of it, but he gets mad when she tells him the next line. Sparrow gets fed up with my picking at his head and leaves my lap. I call one of my friends. While I'm on the phone something goes on with the jumping on the pillows and Sparrow screams "Naw naw!" Which is the thing he says most these days. There is much crying and yelling by Chickadee. She is always tired at this time of day, but doesn't often nap any more. She wants Bluejay to play her game with her and is mad because he's pretending to sleep and snoring in the fort. She cries louder. Bluejay runs inside to check for daddy's arrival. Chickadee cries because she wants him to play with her. She goes after him. I hear him say "I'm really really sorry I didn't play with you. I'll play with you now". I think what a nice boy he is. She wants to have real breakfast in their game. She wants potatoes and eggs and cereal. I tell her she just had cereal. I get keifer for everyone. Chickadee cries because her cup is not full enough. I take Bluejay's cup and pour some into hers, defying them all to throw a fit. They do not. Chickadee wants apples. There is one apple left in the house and it's the one she was eating earlier. I cut it up. She cries because she doesn't want it cut up and it's brown. I put it on the table. She eats it and drinks her keifer and stops crying. Bluejay starts in on the questions again ("Is there more numbers than a gugol?"). Sparrow gets things out of the kitchen cupboards. 

4:50 - Aaron arrives home! Hurray! Sparrow jumps in his arms and starts saying "Moow! Moow!" He wants Daddy to show him the moon. It's his favorite thing in the world. Aaron goes to take a shower, after saying hello to all of us. I sit outside with the kids. Chickadee continues to melt down. She cries because she wants Bluejay to play with her. She screams because she is stuck. I ask Bluejay if she is really stuck. He says that the table that they moved for fort building is in the way, and there is a pillow in front of the table so she can't move it. I ask him to move the pillow. I ask her to move the table. She screams. I finally come over there and no one is stuck. I pick her up and put her in her room and tell her that everyone, including all of our neighbors, can't listen to her scream anymore. She will have to do it in her room for now. I leave and shut the door. She screams until the door is shut. Then she stops and is completely fine - I'm pretty sure I even saw her try to hide a smile from me. Sparrow sneaks this opportunity to go in the bathroom and open the shower door, where Aaron is still showering. I take him away. I tell Aaron that I promised the kids we would go to Mike's Produce Stand, just down the street, to get apples.  

5:15 After his shower, we load all the kids in the van to get apples. I try to put the key in the ignition and it won't go in. I panic. Aaron tells me to turn the stearing wheel. It still won't go in. More panic, something is wrong with our van. Aaron tells me I have the keys to the wrong car. Sparrow sees the moon. He shouts "Moow! moow! moow! moow!" all the way to the produce stand. We occasionally acknowledge that yes, that is the moon, and he is satisfied. The kids are making plans to buy honey sticks. We get lots of apples, and they pick out their honey sticks. The girl at the register admires all of their eyelashes.  This happens everywhere we go. We load back in the van and head home. Aaron puts a show on for the kids while I get dinner. Sparrow sits with him and reads Chikka Chikka Boom Boom. When we like something around here, we are serious about it, at least for a week or so. I make salad and put chicken drummies and vegetable samosas in the oven. That's the extent of my cooking generally, these days. Their show ends just in time for dinner and they sit down at the table while I'm finishing up.

6:00 Chickadee asks what is for dinner. I tell her. She asks if they are dinosaur chicken nuggets. I say no, they are drummies. She starts to cry. Aaron gets them all fizzy water while I serve up the plates. Everyone eats their chicken, even Chickadee. Aaron is tired. Sparrow says he is done right away, but Chickadee hand feeds him his chicken and he eats it. Bluejay clears his plate and the kids go outside. Aaron rests for a minute and I show him our shopping scores finds and update him on our day. Then the kids start calling for him. He goes to them and I deconstruct the fort and set the chairs back together.

7:00 Aaron goes to lie down with an ice pack while the kids play outside and I work on my blog. Bluejay is digging a trench and Chickadee is planting seeds. I get Sparrow and put him in the bath (which he loves). I remake Bluejay's bed, which he had completely stripped during the morning jumping. Bluejay and Chickadee come in. I ask if either would like to get in the bath with Sparrow, Chickadee declines because she does not want a bath with boys tonight. Bluejay gets in. I go clear the table and start the dishes. Bluejay shouts with excitement that Sparrow pooped in the potty! Indeed, he had climbed out of the bath and done his business in the appropriate place. General excitement ensues. Aaron goes to take care of it and I start making his lunch for tomorrow. Chickadee visits me. The boys get out and everyone wants food. They get cheese crackers. Aaron puts Chickadee in the bath, and then sits at the table with me. We breathe. The boys come in and Sparrow is still naked. Aaron goes to put a diaper on him. He comes back and as he sits down, Chickadee shouts that Sparrow has gotten in the bath tub with his diaper on. I go get him out and change him again, while telling Chickadee to empty the tub to prevent further mishap. I put on his pajamas despite his strong protestation. Aaron takes Chickadee out and puts on her pjs, the kids brush their teeth and play hide and seek in the house. I brush MY teeth and put on my pjs. Lights are turned off.

8:00 Bedtime. Aaron takes Sparrow off to bed. I read a chapter of Little House in the Big Woods to the other two, while they each have a glass of milk and half a newton. I tell Bluejay I am taking Chickadee to bed and he needs to find a book to look at while I do that. He is a little sad to be alone (even though we do this every night), so I take him to our bed and get him set up. He brings his glass of milk and spills it all over the floor, Aaron's clothes and a curtain. I clean it up. Chickadee calls to me from her room because I'm taking so long. I shush her from the other room, knowing that Sparrow is not cooperating with Aaron and will use any noise as an excuse to avoid sleeping. I get Bluejay set up and climb in bed with Chickadee. We say a prayer and she is asleep in a few minutes. I sneak out of her bed just as Aaron is leaving the boys room. We go in to Bluejay, and Sparrow wakes up. Aaron goes back to him. I go in the living room and turn off the last lights, shut the sliders, etc. Aaron comes back and and we tell Bluejay needs to go to bed. I offer to go with him, since I know Aaron is extra tired today. He says he doesn't need me and can go to bed by himself. Aaron and I get in bed. Bluejay comes back. He says he is cold. I get a blanket and go tuck him in and whisper his prayer with him.

9:00 Aaron and I get in bed and turn off the lights. We talk for a few minutes, and go to sleep.

THE END.

This Girl

This girl...

She is such a three-year-old.  

She is passionately involved in what she's doing, and yet can spend hours walking around half-dressed singing songs she makes up as she goes along, with lots of real and made-up rhyming words.  

She is the most motherly and loving little thing, toward her babies and any children younger than her (as long as they don't try to play with a toy that is "special to her").

She goes toe-to-toe with Bluejay when there is a dispute afoot, and has a well developed sense of justice.

She cheats at games, in full knowledge and

without remorse.

She has a remarkable sense of style, and can throw on a hat and look chic in any outfit.

She is still so little and darling and such a pain in the neck when she wants to be.  She looks you right in the eye and defies you to stick to your guns.  God help you if you don't.

We adore her.

A Normal Moment in a Normal Day (and I only have 3 kids)

So at last, I sit down at the computer to read my blogs. Finally, the kids are all playing by themselves.  The baby has stopped grabbing at my skirts whining, for the first time all day (he's going through something lately, I haven't figured out what yet).  There are lots of good juicy blog posts from my favorite bloggers and I'm only a few minutes into it when there's a crash in the kitchen. "No one is in there!"  I think, and wonder if someone snuck by me (they're not usually that sneaky yet).  Sure enough, no one was in there, but a cup, one of Aaron's favorites from his childhood, has mysteriously jumped off the shelf and shattered on the floor, amongst all the plastic children's dishes that are already there, due to the fact that I let Sparrow play in the plastic drawer, to detach him from my leg for a minute, and haven't picked them up yet.

No one in the house, including moi, is wearing shoes.  I dispatch Bluejay as the kitchen guard to make sure no one goes in with bare feet, and run off to get my shoes to clean up the shards.  Bluejay takes this very seriously and precedes me down the hallway, shouting to the shoeless masses to stay out of the kitchen!  He reaches the bathroom and announces "Boozy's playing in the toilet!"  (Boozy is the nickname Chickadee has given Sparrow, and it's stuck).  Yes, Boozy is playing in the toilet, dunking the diapers he's pulled out of the trash can.  

I choose to ignore this (he's already gross, how much grosser can it get in a few minutes?), and head back to the kitchen with my shoes, to prevent a more risky situation.  And then I sit down to blog about it.  I guess I better go clean Boozy.

Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real ~ 3 Years Old!

[ Pretty]

Someone turned three!  And she also turned a corner... our little Chickadee has just been a joy to be around lately.

Our girl likes pink.  I mean, really, who doesn't like pink?  It's a delightful color.

She's a fairy! 

Birthday decorations made many years ago by the woman who lovingly taught me and my brothers and sister.  She recently passed away and I think of her often.

I think she was just bopping him on the head.  But maybe he turns into a frog when I'm not looking.

The pretty pink princess on her pink sparkly horse.  That thing went everywhere with her for the rest of the week.  She even wore it like a backpack when riding her bike.  I had to scrub tire marks off its foot.

[ Happy]

It's basically spring here.  We ARE hoping for more rain, but being outside, having the windows open, getting marvelous sunshine makes us pretty happy.  We went for a trail walk and saw a hawk dive for a kill.  Bluejay and Chickadee were pretty sure it was going for Johnny Chuck.  We haven't got far enough in our naturalist lessons to know that there are not woodchucks in California.

Too hot for shirt or shoes

Sparrow = not a fan of hats, even Red Sox hats

He looks...

He dives... and hits the grass with an aggressive fluttering of wings.  He came up empty this time.

And back at his perch.  I feel like I wouldn't like to meet this guy in a dark alley.

I just liked this picture

[ Real]

Sunday mornings.  I tell you.  Are they the trickiest or what?  This particular one was surprising mellow though.  I think we did BETTER getting up early, with the time change, and leaving right away than if we'd had more time to putt around.  Bluejay, my snazzy son, was determined to look more handsome than Daddy.

If he had cufflinks, he'd totally wear them.  Chickadee, however, would generally prefer not to bother with clothes.

Dressed and out the door in time to see a hot air balloon!

[ Funny]

This little tyke.  He just makes me laugh.  Here he is digging in his siblings' mud bucket, and eating it.  I called from the kitchen window "Oh yuck yuck!  Don't eat that!"  and this was his reaction.  Aaron ran to grab a camera.

Don't you just want to squeeze him?  I do!  All the time.  He gets squeezed.

And afterwards.  Looking at this picture makes me think that my baby better still be a baby for a little while longer.