Recently, Miriam has been telling me that she wishes she had a different name. Specifically, she'd like to be called "Silk" (after a character in some story, I think). We've had a few amusing conversations as a result.
Yesterday (While waiting in the school pick up line):
M: I wish you had named me Silk. Then when I go to school and you come to pick me up, they would call out, "Caroline and Silk Mays!"
Me: Silk? That wasn't really one of the options.
M: What else were you going to name me?
Me: We almost named you Eileen.
M: That would have been better. Then they would call "Eileen!"
Me: For a few days, we considered naming you Evangeline.
M: What?
Me: Yes, we ultimately decided it was too much of a mouthful for a little girl.
M: I'm glad you did not. I wouldn't even know how to say my own name!!
Today (also in the car):
M: Mom, can you change my name?
Me: Like, call you something else? Or actually change your name?
M: Actually change my name.
Me: When you're an adult, you can change your name if you want.
M: I do. When I'm an adult, I'm going to change my name to Silk Mays. I'll still be in your family, so I'll still be Mays, but my name will be Silk.
Me: Interesting. Will you have a middle name?
M: Yep! I will be Silk Ruth Mays.
C: No! That's MY middle name!!
Me: Don't worry dear, she's not going to steal your name.
M: I'm not STEALING it! I just want it!
Next time I sneak candy from the kids' stash, I'm using that line. "I didn't steal it. I just wanted it!"
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
Monday, November 19, 2018
DID YOU KNOW....OF COURSE YOU DIDNT! edition #1, Pandas, By Jonah
DID YOU KNOW.....OF COURSE YOU DIDN'T
HERE ARE SOME FACTS YOU PROBABLY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT....
PANDAS PANDAS PANDAS!
FACTS:1. GIANT PANDAS ARE ACTUALLY A TYPE OF BEAR.
2. A PANDA HAS 6 FINGERS AND AN OPPOSABLE
PSUEDO-THUMB AN EXTENSION OF THEIR WRIST.
3.PANDAS ARE DYING SOLELY BECAUSE WE ARE KILLING
THEM AND THEIR ENVIORNMENT
4. In the 1980s, there were only 1,114 pandas left
in the wild. But now,there are 1,864 pandas!
5.Full-grown pandas have barely any enemies, But
sometimes cubs can be preyed on by jaguars,
snow leopards, and yellow-throated martens.
HOW CAN WE HELP?
TO HELP PANDAS, USE LESS
PAPER! BAMBOO, 99% OF
THEIR FOOD SOURCE IS USED
FOR PAPER.
the caroline best.
By Caroline:
Today at school my special was PE. Well, it was the gym. That's what we did. Today at lunch, someone named Julia sat with me at lunch, but she asked me to sit with her at lunch. Jordan, a person in my class, (it's spelled with a Y, Mommy. J-O-R-D-Y-N.) she had sparkly shoes that could flip rainbow or silver. Today, we had bingo. P.J., Austin, Kaden, shaleey , and Berry got a prize for winning that. And it was candy! One piece of candy!
[At this point, she kicked me out and typed the rest herself. Way to go, Caroline!]
at home i larnd how to rid a bike without thraning weels.. for grandma hunt +jojo+grampa and nana.i love you so much . rite now jonah is playing the piano .yes it is me caroline mays. at school my nomber is 9 the end i love you so much.
Today at school my special was PE. Well, it was the gym. That's what we did. Today at lunch, someone named Julia sat with me at lunch, but she asked me to sit with her at lunch. Jordan, a person in my class, (it's spelled with a Y, Mommy. J-O-R-D-Y-N.) she had sparkly shoes that could flip rainbow or silver. Today, we had bingo. P.J., Austin, Kaden, shaleey , and Berry got a prize for winning that. And it was candy! One piece of candy!
[At this point, she kicked me out and typed the rest herself. Way to go, Caroline!]
at home i larnd how to rid a bike without thraning weels.. for grandma hunt +jojo+grampa and nana.i love you so much . rite now jonah is playing the piano .yes it is me caroline mays. at school my nomber is 9 the end i love you so much.
Voldemort, everyone's favorite rooster to hate
For those of you who haven't had the dubious pleasure of meeting our resident rooster, here's a brief introduction:
----------
When we bought a house of our own, one of the first things we did was order some chickens. Josh absolutely wanted a rooster to help protect against hawks, so that we could hatch our own eggs, and (his number one reason) so he could listen to them crow. We asked for all female chicks, but the accuracy rate is only 90%, so we were fairly certain we'd end up with at least one rooster. In the end, we had two.
Mary Poopins, originally thought to be a female, is lovely and mostly docile. The Black Jersey Giant rooster, however, was huge, scary, and more assertive than I'd like. We quickly named him Voldemort.
Josh loved Voldemort from the very beginning. Even when adolescent hormones had Voldy trying to fight everything that moved, he would eat from Josh's hand. We almost made him into soup a few times, but as he got older, he mellowed out. The kids also got better at handling him. Those two things in tandem meant that Voldy got to stick around...although Miriam still took the broom outside with her if she was going out alone (just in case).
I do not turn my back on Voldemort, but he hasn't so much as ruffled his feathers at me in six months. He DOES follow me around the yard, though, as if he's not quite sure what I'm up to.
----------
Josh has offered to off Voldy for us multiple times, but we always end up telling him to wait. Josh loves the darn rooster so much and Voldemort really does a good job of defending the hens. Anytime they get clucking in a tizzy, Voldemort rushes across the yard to save the day. He stands and watches while they eat and is always keeping an eye out for potential predators.
As our hens have been happily hatching chickens, at least 85% of them have been black. Little Voldemorts, we call them, although quite a few of them are speckled enough that we aren't 100% sure as to their parentage. There are two nearly grown chickens we hatched here (both roosters, of course) that have to be Voldy's offspring: one looks just like him (but a bit smaller) and one is the only other chicken that is the same size, although he has different coloring in addition to the black and green he got from Voldy.
As our flock has grown, it became clear that some of the roosters needed to go to "Freezer Camp" (as our friend calls it). I told Josh to pick two roosters to keep, but he may have talked his way into three. Despite Josh's affection, Voldemort has intimidated more than one house guest, so it was apparent Voldy wasn't going to make the cut.
Then, last week, we had a stray dog in the yard harassing the chickens followed by a hawk the next day. It was a busy few days securing the chicken yard to keep everyone safe. A few days after the hawk and dog attacks, Josh noticed that he hadn't seen Voldemort in a while. The rooster we assumed was Voldemort was the aforementioned Voldy Jr., but he's definitely smaller and less bossy than the original. Sure enough, it's been almost a week without any sign of Voldemort (or two of the younger roosters).
Voldy Jr. (also known as "Mini Voldemort") and his brother Narcisso (originally "Narcissa," when we thought he was a hen) are running around with Mary now. They'll need to work out their own pecking order, but so far none of them have even blinked an eye at the humans in the yard.
In the end, our surplus of roosters may have worked itself out without anyone having to slaughter a chicken or pluck any feathers. On the one hand, I'm relieved. On the other hand, Jonah was really looking forward to eating Voldemort stew.
----------
When we bought a house of our own, one of the first things we did was order some chickens. Josh absolutely wanted a rooster to help protect against hawks, so that we could hatch our own eggs, and (his number one reason) so he could listen to them crow. We asked for all female chicks, but the accuracy rate is only 90%, so we were fairly certain we'd end up with at least one rooster. In the end, we had two.
Mary Poopins, originally thought to be a female, is lovely and mostly docile. The Black Jersey Giant rooster, however, was huge, scary, and more assertive than I'd like. We quickly named him Voldemort.
Josh loved Voldemort from the very beginning. Even when adolescent hormones had Voldy trying to fight everything that moved, he would eat from Josh's hand. We almost made him into soup a few times, but as he got older, he mellowed out. The kids also got better at handling him. Those two things in tandem meant that Voldy got to stick around...although Miriam still took the broom outside with her if she was going out alone (just in case).
I do not turn my back on Voldemort, but he hasn't so much as ruffled his feathers at me in six months. He DOES follow me around the yard, though, as if he's not quite sure what I'm up to.
----------
Josh has offered to off Voldy for us multiple times, but we always end up telling him to wait. Josh loves the darn rooster so much and Voldemort really does a good job of defending the hens. Anytime they get clucking in a tizzy, Voldemort rushes across the yard to save the day. He stands and watches while they eat and is always keeping an eye out for potential predators.
As our hens have been happily hatching chickens, at least 85% of them have been black. Little Voldemorts, we call them, although quite a few of them are speckled enough that we aren't 100% sure as to their parentage. There are two nearly grown chickens we hatched here (both roosters, of course) that have to be Voldy's offspring: one looks just like him (but a bit smaller) and one is the only other chicken that is the same size, although he has different coloring in addition to the black and green he got from Voldy.
As our flock has grown, it became clear that some of the roosters needed to go to "Freezer Camp" (as our friend calls it). I told Josh to pick two roosters to keep, but he may have talked his way into three. Despite Josh's affection, Voldemort has intimidated more than one house guest, so it was apparent Voldy wasn't going to make the cut.
Then, last week, we had a stray dog in the yard harassing the chickens followed by a hawk the next day. It was a busy few days securing the chicken yard to keep everyone safe. A few days after the hawk and dog attacks, Josh noticed that he hadn't seen Voldemort in a while. The rooster we assumed was Voldemort was the aforementioned Voldy Jr., but he's definitely smaller and less bossy than the original. Sure enough, it's been almost a week without any sign of Voldemort (or two of the younger roosters).
Voldy Jr. (also known as "Mini Voldemort") and his brother Narcisso (originally "Narcissa," when we thought he was a hen) are running around with Mary now. They'll need to work out their own pecking order, but so far none of them have even blinked an eye at the humans in the yard.
In the end, our surplus of roosters may have worked itself out without anyone having to slaughter a chicken or pluck any feathers. On the one hand, I'm relieved. On the other hand, Jonah was really looking forward to eating Voldemort stew.
Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Halloween, 2018
This year featuring Artemis Fowl, a raven, and Ariel.
I'd like to point out that for the second year in a row, I was finished with the costumes before time to put them on and cried NO tears in the process! Considering the number of costumes I have finished in tears on the way to a Halloween party, this year was a wild success.
I'd like to point out that for the second year in a row, I was finished with the costumes before time to put them on and cried NO tears in the process! Considering the number of costumes I have finished in tears on the way to a Halloween party, this year was a wild success.
Thursday, October 11, 2018
Caroline loses a tooth x 2
Caroline has been fussing with a loose tooth for a while now. Even when it was barely wiggly enough to be worth mentioning, she was full of questions about teeth.
C: When a tooth gets loose, will it fall out on its own or do you have to pull it out?
Me: It will eventually fall out on its own.
C: Okay, good.
Me: Why? Do you have a loose tooth?
C (clamping her hands over her mouth): NO!
Eventually the wiggly was too much for her and she asked Josh to pull out her most wiggly tooth. The whole thing was quick, painless, and sort of exciting. After that, she asked Josh to pull out her other wiggly tooth. That one was less loose, so the process was a bit more distressing for her, but only for a few minutes.
By the time she was buying candy from the concession stand at Jonah's soccer game with two shiny golden dollars (our resident tooth fairy's standard payment for a first tooth*), she was exceptionally proud of her missing bottom teeth.
*Fortunately, our tooth fairy's piggy bank contains exactly one more golden dollar. Unless Miriam manages to lose two on her first day too, the tooth fairy should be able to avoid any special trips to the bank.
C: When a tooth gets loose, will it fall out on its own or do you have to pull it out?
Me: It will eventually fall out on its own.
C: Okay, good.
Me: Why? Do you have a loose tooth?
C (clamping her hands over her mouth): NO!
Eventually the wiggly was too much for her and she asked Josh to pull out her most wiggly tooth. The whole thing was quick, painless, and sort of exciting. After that, she asked Josh to pull out her other wiggly tooth. That one was less loose, so the process was a bit more distressing for her, but only for a few minutes.
By the time she was buying candy from the concession stand at Jonah's soccer game with two shiny golden dollars (our resident tooth fairy's standard payment for a first tooth*), she was exceptionally proud of her missing bottom teeth.
*Fortunately, our tooth fairy's piggy bank contains exactly one more golden dollar. Unless Miriam manages to lose two on her first day too, the tooth fairy should be able to avoid any special trips to the bank.
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
school lunches
Packing lunches is so much more work than simply pulling leftovers out of the fridge like I did when we were homeschooling, so I'm working hard to train Jonah and Caroline to pack their own lunches. I get a kick out of watching them choose what they want for lunch. The rule is they have to have a protein, a fruit, and a vegetable. Then they can pick a snack and/or a dessert (depending on what we have around the house). Here's a typical lunch by child:
Jonah:
Protein: Varies, but usually the same thing for weeks at a time and then never again
(He went through a hummus phase and another turkey sandwich phase last school year, but heaven help you if you try to offer either of those options to him now. This week, he's been taking leftovers and eating them cold.)
Fruit: Sliced apples tossed in lemon juice or a handful of grapes
Vegetable: Almost always broccoli, but occasionally carrots with ranch dressing
Snack/dessert: Potato chips or frosted animal crackers unless there are homemade cookies
Caroline:
Protein: Salted almonds or pepperoni
Fruit: Grapes, grapes, grapes, or applesauce if we don't have any grapes
Vegetable: Carrots or bell peppers with ranch
(The one time I tried to pack broccoli there was a small revolt.)
Snack/dessert: Fig bars, fruit leather, yogurt, and/or homemade cookies
Miriam, meanwhile, either gets macaroni and cheese or whatever leftovers I'm having for lunch. Once she's in kindergarten, I can't decide if I'll start making really delicious lunches or just eat cold cereal. Maybe both!
Jonah:
Protein: Varies, but usually the same thing for weeks at a time and then never again
(He went through a hummus phase and another turkey sandwich phase last school year, but heaven help you if you try to offer either of those options to him now. This week, he's been taking leftovers and eating them cold.)
Fruit: Sliced apples tossed in lemon juice or a handful of grapes
Vegetable: Almost always broccoli, but occasionally carrots with ranch dressing
Snack/dessert: Potato chips or frosted animal crackers unless there are homemade cookies
Caroline:
Protein: Salted almonds or pepperoni
Fruit: Grapes, grapes, grapes, or applesauce if we don't have any grapes
Vegetable: Carrots or bell peppers with ranch
(The one time I tried to pack broccoli there was a small revolt.)
Snack/dessert: Fig bars, fruit leather, yogurt, and/or homemade cookies
Miriam, meanwhile, either gets macaroni and cheese or whatever leftovers I'm having for lunch. Once she's in kindergarten, I can't decide if I'll start making really delicious lunches or just eat cold cereal. Maybe both!
Wednesday, September 5, 2018
synonyms
C (telling me all about school): So then, Mason*...he's the really fat kid...he got in trouble and Ms. Matthews moved him down to "think about it"!!
me: Oh boy. That sounds like quite the adventure. But Caroline, let's talk about all the ways you can describe people that doesn't hurt their feelings.
[After that, I talked for like 5 minutes and gave what I considered to be a great tutorial on how to talk about people that was accurate but also didn't add any stress or shame to how she might view herself and others. Basically, parenting is hard, but I felt pretty good about how this went.]
C: Ok, so Mason the gigantic kid with the huge belly.
me: Well, no, that's not quite what I had in mind.
C: He sometimes sits by Nate, who is very WIDE.
*Names changed to protect the young and probably delightfully huggable.
me: Oh boy. That sounds like quite the adventure. But Caroline, let's talk about all the ways you can describe people that doesn't hurt their feelings.
[After that, I talked for like 5 minutes and gave what I considered to be a great tutorial on how to talk about people that was accurate but also didn't add any stress or shame to how she might view herself and others. Basically, parenting is hard, but I felt pretty good about how this went.]
C: Ok, so Mason the gigantic kid with the huge belly.
me: Well, no, that's not quite what I had in mind.
C: He sometimes sits by Nate, who is very WIDE.
*Names changed to protect the young and probably delightfully huggable.
Saturday, September 1, 2018
Buffy the Brave
Oh, Buffy. She has always been our noisiest chicken. She's also...a bit dumb. If she gets separated from the other chickens by something as small as a tree, she will start squawking like she's been tortured. Although the longer we have her, the more I think she's lucky or just a genius.
Once, over a year ago, we heard her alarm squawk, so Jonah and I went outside to see what was going on. Sure enough, there was a hawk in a tree above her, hopping from tree to tree. I ran to the woods to scare off the hawk and her noises completely stopped. I looked around where I thought the noises were coming from, but I could not find her. Jonah and I looked for a good 30 minutes, and still nothing. I didn't see her get carried away, but I also couldn't find her. We had no idea what was going on.
Over two hours later, when I took some scraps out to the compost heap, another one of our chickens was wandering near the forest and clucking. Pretty soon, I heard Buffy and Nevyn (the other chicken) calling back and forth to each other and Buffy came out from the spot I'd heard her hours before and happily joined the flock. I can only assume she'd gone to ground to lose the hawk.
All of this is back story to explain something that happened this week.
Buffy went broody over a month ago, so we let her hatch some chicks. She successfully hatched 10 of the 12 eggs, but she's down to 8 live chicks these days. She is mean as all get out and won't let anyone near any of the chicks, so they're all running feral with her through the property. We're super impressed with her abilities as a mother, even if they're the least tame chickens of our flock.
(Case in point, I have yet to get a picture of her with them where she's facing me. As soon as she hears me coming, she takes off.)
Just the other day, I heard her ridiculous alarm squawk again. Thinking it might have been another chicken that had laid an egg somewhere unusual (the proud cluck usually gives them away), I went to investigate. It was Buffy, pacing back and forth along the fence. Alone. Buffy hasn't been alone in weeks! I was so worried.
I rushed over and scared off a hawk that was perched in the tree above her, but she was still agitated. I only saw one of her chicks, and it was huddled on the ground and looked dead. I crept closer and saw that it was, in fact, breathing. I immediately remembered the situation last year and assumed she'd managed to hide this chick. Genius Buffy! Since I could only see the one, though, I figured the hawk must have carried some of the others off.
At this point, Josh came outside. He saw another chick huddled a way off in the leaves and said, "What happened? Is this chick dead?!" As he got closer, he could see the second chick was breathing too. I quickly told him what I'd seen and my theory about the chicks going to ground. Although we were upset about the other missing chicks, the two we'd seen were the only two chicks we can tell apart from the others and the only two anyone has formed an attachment to. (One is this hideous turkey-neck chick and the other is all white in a clutch of all black chicks.)
I tried to shoo the turkey-neck chicken over to the white one and Buffy started making a different cluck and heading their way. Almost immediately, another chick popped out of a pile of branches we trimmed and piled up on the fence line and headed to Buffy. Three chicks!
At this point, we were just standing back and watching in awe. Two more chicks came running from way over at the edge of the yard cheeping like mad. It took them a while to find Buffy, but then she was up to five.
Little chick heads started popping up all over the leaves and cheeping for their mama hen. A few minutes later, Buffy and all eight chicks happily headed back to the compost to peck around at some kitchen scraps. Good work, brave Buffy!
Once, over a year ago, we heard her alarm squawk, so Jonah and I went outside to see what was going on. Sure enough, there was a hawk in a tree above her, hopping from tree to tree. I ran to the woods to scare off the hawk and her noises completely stopped. I looked around where I thought the noises were coming from, but I could not find her. Jonah and I looked for a good 30 minutes, and still nothing. I didn't see her get carried away, but I also couldn't find her. We had no idea what was going on.
Over two hours later, when I took some scraps out to the compost heap, another one of our chickens was wandering near the forest and clucking. Pretty soon, I heard Buffy and Nevyn (the other chicken) calling back and forth to each other and Buffy came out from the spot I'd heard her hours before and happily joined the flock. I can only assume she'd gone to ground to lose the hawk.
All of this is back story to explain something that happened this week.
Buffy went broody over a month ago, so we let her hatch some chicks. She successfully hatched 10 of the 12 eggs, but she's down to 8 live chicks these days. She is mean as all get out and won't let anyone near any of the chicks, so they're all running feral with her through the property. We're super impressed with her abilities as a mother, even if they're the least tame chickens of our flock.
(Case in point, I have yet to get a picture of her with them where she's facing me. As soon as she hears me coming, she takes off.)
Just the other day, I heard her ridiculous alarm squawk again. Thinking it might have been another chicken that had laid an egg somewhere unusual (the proud cluck usually gives them away), I went to investigate. It was Buffy, pacing back and forth along the fence. Alone. Buffy hasn't been alone in weeks! I was so worried.
I rushed over and scared off a hawk that was perched in the tree above her, but she was still agitated. I only saw one of her chicks, and it was huddled on the ground and looked dead. I crept closer and saw that it was, in fact, breathing. I immediately remembered the situation last year and assumed she'd managed to hide this chick. Genius Buffy! Since I could only see the one, though, I figured the hawk must have carried some of the others off.
At this point, Josh came outside. He saw another chick huddled a way off in the leaves and said, "What happened? Is this chick dead?!" As he got closer, he could see the second chick was breathing too. I quickly told him what I'd seen and my theory about the chicks going to ground. Although we were upset about the other missing chicks, the two we'd seen were the only two chicks we can tell apart from the others and the only two anyone has formed an attachment to. (One is this hideous turkey-neck chick and the other is all white in a clutch of all black chicks.)
I tried to shoo the turkey-neck chicken over to the white one and Buffy started making a different cluck and heading their way. Almost immediately, another chick popped out of a pile of branches we trimmed and piled up on the fence line and headed to Buffy. Three chicks!
At this point, we were just standing back and watching in awe. Two more chicks came running from way over at the edge of the yard cheeping like mad. It took them a while to find Buffy, but then she was up to five.
Little chick heads started popping up all over the leaves and cheeping for their mama hen. A few minutes later, Buffy and all eight chicks happily headed back to the compost to peck around at some kitchen scraps. Good work, brave Buffy!
Thursday, August 30, 2018
Back to School: Miriam
No description of our week back at school would be complete without mentioning little Miriam. (Only don't ever let her hear you call her "little" if you want to be friends.)
I was worried that Miriam would be bored. I was concerned that Miriam would demand more attention and mental capacity than I sometimes have to give. She can be incredibly intense and always wants an audience. What in the world was I going to do as the only person for her to zone in on all day every day??
So far, life has been perfect. As it turns out, Miriam adores being an only child for a few hours each day. Here she is with three different cases of crayons and pencils, a coloring book all to herself, and the iPad. No sharing with anyone!
We have had a few moments of intense stubbornness that I wasn't expecting. Times when she would normally have done what I asked to go along with the other kids but is pushing back when it's just her here. She doesn't WANT to put away her toys, clean up her room, or clear her plate after meals. Other than that, it's been really fun to have just a single side kick during the day.
She spent the first day wandering around Jonah's room touching everything. She didn't take anything or mess with his things, but she certainly appreciated being allowed in. The rest of the week, she's been happy to tell me what we are going to do for the day. So far, she's done my makeup twice, played with play dough once, fed Vex every single morning, and colored a whole host of pictures. Every rest time after lunch, she gets to pick where she wants to sleep and what story she wants to listen to. I haven't heard a single complaint (so far) about being lonely or missing the kids.
In fact, when it was time to pick Jonah and Caroline up from school on Monday, she was quite put out with me. "I thought it was going to be just you and me ALL DAY," she said. When I explained that the day was over and it was time for them to come home from school, she seemed very suspicious. She was not ready for them to come home yet at all.
Back to School: Jonah
Oh this big fifth grader! He was so excited to go back to school. By the end of summer, he lamented that summer at made him forget all of his vocabulary words and that he really needed to get back to school before he lost everything.
Fifth grade is the last year at Union Elementary before the big switch to middle school, and the fifth grade teachers really focus on preparing their students for that responsibility. That means, in part, that the students have a lot more freedom but that the teachers are a lot more strict. I've already heard from Jonah how scary Ms. Rudisill is when she's mad at you. (His goal: never get in trouble!)
This week has been sort of boring for Jonah, as he says, because they aren't DOING anything. All they do is sit around and listen to the teachers talk about rules. I've assured him that it will certainly pick up soon.
Jonah is going into the year trying to make some new friends and with a goal to join at least one extra-curricular activity. His first inclination is to join the running club, but he might choose Battle of the Books or student council instead.
As soon as he comes home from school each day, he hangs out with Vex. They both miss each other quite a bit during the day, and I regularly find him lying on the ground just resting next to his dog.
The thing I've loved watching the most, however, is how well he's taking care of Caroline. Because of the way their birthdays fall, he's a full FOUR grades above her. One of the reasons we decided to go ahead and send Caroline this year was so that they'd have one year at Union together, and he's taking his job very seriously. Before school started, he drew her a map and told her all about what the days would be like. In the mornings, he walks Caroline to her classroom even though it's all the way on the opposite side of the school from his. As someone who lived for attention from her older brother, it just makes me so happy for them both.
Fifth grade is the last year at Union Elementary before the big switch to middle school, and the fifth grade teachers really focus on preparing their students for that responsibility. That means, in part, that the students have a lot more freedom but that the teachers are a lot more strict. I've already heard from Jonah how scary Ms. Rudisill is when she's mad at you. (His goal: never get in trouble!)
This week has been sort of boring for Jonah, as he says, because they aren't DOING anything. All they do is sit around and listen to the teachers talk about rules. I've assured him that it will certainly pick up soon.
Jonah is going into the year trying to make some new friends and with a goal to join at least one extra-curricular activity. His first inclination is to join the running club, but he might choose Battle of the Books or student council instead.
As soon as he comes home from school each day, he hangs out with Vex. They both miss each other quite a bit during the day, and I regularly find him lying on the ground just resting next to his dog.
The thing I've loved watching the most, however, is how well he's taking care of Caroline. Because of the way their birthdays fall, he's a full FOUR grades above her. One of the reasons we decided to go ahead and send Caroline this year was so that they'd have one year at Union together, and he's taking his job very seriously. Before school started, he drew her a map and told her all about what the days would be like. In the mornings, he walks Caroline to her classroom even though it's all the way on the opposite side of the school from his. As someone who lived for attention from her older brother, it just makes me so happy for them both.
Monday, August 27, 2018
Back to School: Caroline
Caroline started her first year at public school today. She was extremely excited to go and just a little bit nervous.
Her first concern was whether or not she would be able to read well enough to be in the first grade. When your older brother is four grades above you, it can be easy to doubt your own abilities. Fortunately, our dear friend Kaitlyn (who teaches first grade) spent some time with her this summer and assured Caroline she was more than ready for first grade.
Her second concern was what she was supposed to do if she had to go to the bathroom. Jonah explained to her what to expect and all the concerns were addressed. After that, she was nothing but excited!
She was so looking forward to school that she was dancing around the house yesterday, begging to pack her lunch and set out her clothes. She jumped out of bed this morning (something that happens extremely rarely) and patiently waited for me to try three different hairstyles. Basically, she was too excited to even remember to pretend her head is sensitive.
Josh took her to school this morning on his way to work. Boy, I missed her! Miriam didn't seem to mind too much, actually, but that's another post for another day.
When she came home from school, she reported that it was FANTASTIC! She told me all about everything wonderful that happened, everything Mrs. Matthews said to her today, and that she can't wait to go back tomorrow. The only thing she didn't love was recess (go figure) because, in her words, "I couldn't do the things I wanted. Apparently I can't swing on the swings on my stomach or anything fun. I just ended up throwing walnuts at a tree." Considering how much she loves throwing walnuts at the trees in our yard, I'm not too worried about it.
She came home from school and immediately did two things: practiced reading and picked out her outfit for the next day.
I didn't have the heart to tell her that I wasn't planning on taking a picture before school every single day, so I went ahead and took a ton. Look how happy she is!
Here's hoping she loves first grade even half as much by February.
Her first concern was whether or not she would be able to read well enough to be in the first grade. When your older brother is four grades above you, it can be easy to doubt your own abilities. Fortunately, our dear friend Kaitlyn (who teaches first grade) spent some time with her this summer and assured Caroline she was more than ready for first grade.
Her second concern was what she was supposed to do if she had to go to the bathroom. Jonah explained to her what to expect and all the concerns were addressed. After that, she was nothing but excited!
She was so looking forward to school that she was dancing around the house yesterday, begging to pack her lunch and set out her clothes. She jumped out of bed this morning (something that happens extremely rarely) and patiently waited for me to try three different hairstyles. Basically, she was too excited to even remember to pretend her head is sensitive.
Josh took her to school this morning on his way to work. Boy, I missed her! Miriam didn't seem to mind too much, actually, but that's another post for another day.
When she came home from school, she reported that it was FANTASTIC! She told me all about everything wonderful that happened, everything Mrs. Matthews said to her today, and that she can't wait to go back tomorrow. The only thing she didn't love was recess (go figure) because, in her words, "I couldn't do the things I wanted. Apparently I can't swing on the swings on my stomach or anything fun. I just ended up throwing walnuts at a tree." Considering how much she loves throwing walnuts at the trees in our yard, I'm not too worried about it.
She came home from school and immediately did two things: practiced reading and picked out her outfit for the next day.
I didn't have the heart to tell her that I wasn't planning on taking a picture before school every single day, so I went ahead and took a ton. Look how happy she is!
Here's hoping she loves first grade even half as much by February.
Saturday, August 25, 2018
Hello and Goodbye, Arizona
Thanks to an incredible deal on airline tickets, we decided to take the kids back to Arizona again this summer. As with last year, seeing their excitement and enjoyment made the early mornings, cost, and animal care negotiation worth the effort.
When I tell people I'm from Arizona or that we have family there, they almost always ask about swimming pools. Does everyone have a swimming pool? Does my family have a pool? How many pools are there in Phoenix? It's a little bit funny to me because neither Josh's family nor my family had a pool when we were growing up. When we lived there, I did NOT want a house with a pool. They are so much money and work to maintain, plus kids around a pool make me nervous if I'm not on kid-watching duty. That said, both Josh's dad and my mom have pools now and the kids went swimming almost every day. One of the days they weren't in either Grandpa or Grandma's pool, we went to Sunsplash. There was plenty of swimming to go around!
Last night, we sat around the table and talked about our trip. We asked each child to identify the favorite thing they did and the favorite thing they ate in Arizona. Here are there responses:
Jonah: playing games and his first carne asada burrito
Caroline: eating ice cream and playing at Kiera's house
Miriam: going to the children's museum and eating ice cream
Josh and I had to play the game, too! We both agree the sushi we ate in Gilbert was probably the best food of the trip, but our favorites were both Mexican food (a carne asada burrito for him and chicken tacos for me) because we miss it so much. His favorite part of the trip was swimming laps (I think he kids) and mine might have been spending the night at my friend Katie's house. We stayed up late talking like it was high school all over again, except we both had to wake up and take care of toddlers in the morning.
It was a fairly chaotic trip, but we were able to arrange a cousin overnight for Kiera (who am I to say no to that?), one-on-one time for each child and grandparent, and plenty of time just hanging out and playing games. It even rained one night while we were there, so we got the wonderful treat of walking through the desert after rain one morning.
We made plans to go back and hike the Grand Canyon in a few years, and Caroline left with big dreams of flying back to visit for her birthday. It may have taken all the goodwill we've gained over the past two years with Josh's coworker, but she even managed to keep all the animals alive while we were gone.
As much as I love watching them play with their cousins and grandparents, it’s hearing them talk about it later that makes me feel like we did the right thing going to AZ in lieu of replacing flooring, going to the beach, or painting the exterior of our house. Next summer, we may need to one of those instead, but this summer, we feasted on Mexican food and enjoyed the sun.
When I tell people I'm from Arizona or that we have family there, they almost always ask about swimming pools. Does everyone have a swimming pool? Does my family have a pool? How many pools are there in Phoenix? It's a little bit funny to me because neither Josh's family nor my family had a pool when we were growing up. When we lived there, I did NOT want a house with a pool. They are so much money and work to maintain, plus kids around a pool make me nervous if I'm not on kid-watching duty. That said, both Josh's dad and my mom have pools now and the kids went swimming almost every day. One of the days they weren't in either Grandpa or Grandma's pool, we went to Sunsplash. There was plenty of swimming to go around!
Last night, we sat around the table and talked about our trip. We asked each child to identify the favorite thing they did and the favorite thing they ate in Arizona. Here are there responses:
Jonah: playing games and his first carne asada burrito
Caroline: eating ice cream and playing at Kiera's house
Miriam: going to the children's museum and eating ice cream
Josh and I had to play the game, too! We both agree the sushi we ate in Gilbert was probably the best food of the trip, but our favorites were both Mexican food (a carne asada burrito for him and chicken tacos for me) because we miss it so much. His favorite part of the trip was swimming laps (I think he kids) and mine might have been spending the night at my friend Katie's house. We stayed up late talking like it was high school all over again, except we both had to wake up and take care of toddlers in the morning.
It was a fairly chaotic trip, but we were able to arrange a cousin overnight for Kiera (who am I to say no to that?), one-on-one time for each child and grandparent, and plenty of time just hanging out and playing games. It even rained one night while we were there, so we got the wonderful treat of walking through the desert after rain one morning.
We made plans to go back and hike the Grand Canyon in a few years, and Caroline left with big dreams of flying back to visit for her birthday. It may have taken all the goodwill we've gained over the past two years with Josh's coworker, but she even managed to keep all the animals alive while we were gone.
As much as I love watching them play with their cousins and grandparents, it’s hearing them talk about it later that makes me feel like we did the right thing going to AZ in lieu of replacing flooring, going to the beach, or painting the exterior of our house. Next summer, we may need to one of those instead, but this summer, we feasted on Mexican food and enjoyed the sun.
Monday, August 13, 2018
funny quotes, recently (but mostly Caroline)
Caroline: When I'm a grandma, I'm going to do whatever my grandchildren want to do. Mom, those are my children's children.
Jonah (at dinner time): I'm not even hungry. I think I'm dying of a weird disease!
Caroline (talking to Brandon): It's too bad you didn't have any sisters. Sisters are awesome. Except for Miriam. She's annoying.
Jonah (getting in the car): Do I need a book? I definitely need a book. I'll grab two.
Miriam (playing with some Star Wars toys): ...and this storm trooper is the mom. That way he can guard the kids if anyone tries to steal them.
Caroline: People in Chicago are very nice! Two people already told me that my toenails are so pretty.
Miriam: When I'm a mom, I will know how to drive. Then I'll be tall and I'll go to the store and buy candy every day.
Caroline: Vexorg loves being petted. He thinks, "Oh, I would never want to be a wolf. I'd much rather be a dog so Caroline will pet me."
Jonah (at dinner time): I'm not even hungry. I think I'm dying of a weird disease!
Caroline (talking to Brandon): It's too bad you didn't have any sisters. Sisters are awesome. Except for Miriam. She's annoying.
Jonah (getting in the car): Do I need a book? I definitely need a book. I'll grab two.
Miriam (playing with some Star Wars toys): ...and this storm trooper is the mom. That way he can guard the kids if anyone tries to steal them.
Caroline: People in Chicago are very nice! Two people already told me that my toenails are so pretty.
Miriam: When I'm a mom, I will know how to drive. Then I'll be tall and I'll go to the store and buy candy every day.
Caroline: Vexorg loves being petted. He thinks, "Oh, I would never want to be a wolf. I'd much rather be a dog so Caroline will pet me."
Friday, May 25, 2018
Soccer!
Soccer season is coming to an end for the spring. Jonah played in a league with 10-12 year olds, so he had plenty to learn. I know he was frustrated about not getting more playing time than he did, but I was so proud of his effort. Every time he played, he gave it his complete effort. Very few kids on his team hustled as much as he did.
Turns out Josh had a lot to say during games. All those years of soccer growing up had a way of working their way to the surface, I guess.
(Coming from someone who grew up with a dad whose baseball rules included 1. Hustle and 2. Always know the score of the game, serious hustle is a great compliment.)
Caroline also loved soccer this year. Her league was for age 4-6, so she enjoyed being the tallest and most dextrous on the team. She was #2:
Miriam desperately wished she could be on a team, so she wore an old soccer jersey to every game and practiced on the sideline with her own soccer ball (when she wasn't busy doing somersaults, that is).
All three children have expressed interest in playing fall soccer as well. We liked the league, so we just might do that. That said, we were at the soccer field 3-4 days a week as it was. With Caroline in the next league up and Miriam playing next fall, we might just need to set up a tent and live at the soccer field. I'm not feeling willing to make that commitment today, so I told them not to ask me after I've had a few weeks off.
Turns out Josh had a lot to say during games. All those years of soccer growing up had a way of working their way to the surface, I guess.
(Coming from someone who grew up with a dad whose baseball rules included 1. Hustle and 2. Always know the score of the game, serious hustle is a great compliment.)
Caroline also loved soccer this year. Her league was for age 4-6, so she enjoyed being the tallest and most dextrous on the team. She was #2:
Miriam desperately wished she could be on a team, so she wore an old soccer jersey to every game and practiced on the sideline with her own soccer ball (when she wasn't busy doing somersaults, that is).
All three children have expressed interest in playing fall soccer as well. We liked the league, so we just might do that. That said, we were at the soccer field 3-4 days a week as it was. With Caroline in the next league up and Miriam playing next fall, we might just need to set up a tent and live at the soccer field. I'm not feeling willing to make that commitment today, so I told them not to ask me after I've had a few weeks off.
Monday, May 14, 2018
10 Years
10 years ago right now, I was checking in to the hospital to have a baby. I had no contractions or pain of any kind, but my water broke (sort of*), so my OBGYN sent me off to the hospital anyway. On the way to the hospital, we passed Josh's grandpa on his beach cruiser bike. He was so excited when we told him where we were going!
We walked the hospital floors and up and down the stairs. Mom, Dad, Jo Anne (and Barb!), Byron, Marilyn, Brandon, Stacey, AND Quintin all came to the hospital to wait. Brandon, Stacey, and Marilyn had the good sense to go home and sleep instead of crashing in the hospital waiting room. Quintin went back and slept at our house (I think), but he was too afraid of me to turn on the air conditioning. Apparently, I was sort of scary 9 months pregnant.
We had four nurses: the best nurse ever, the worst nurse ever, a nurse I don't remember, and the best nurse ever all over again. We loved our nurse Gracie so much we almost named Caroline after her.
We were so unprepared. We checked into the hospital and they wanted to know our pediatrician's name and whether or not we planned to circumcise the baby. Somehow, I'd been under the impression those decisions could wait. I had a list of pediatrician recommendations somewhere that Rosalyn had sent me, but I couldn't find it anywhere in my hospital bag. (It was there. I found it when we checked out a few days later.) I must have been really flustered; Gracie had pity on me and just filled in her kids' pediatrician.
It took 24 hours for him to finally enter the world entirely and another 5 for me to get to hold him. (Am I still upset about that? Yes, a little.) His head was all swollen and misshapen from his partial descent down the birth canal, and Josh was worried something was wrong with him. Having never seen a brand new baby right at birth before, he wasn't expecting his head to look like that. Josh made a very wise decision, though, and kept his thoughts to himself. He figured there was no reason to get me all worried in my current state. (Good choice.) He also thought the baby (no name yet) looked a lot like Quintin. He still does, although I see a lot of his uncle Brandon in his face when he's feeling silly.
He immediately convinced all three grandmas to love him more than anything.
By one year, he had two whole teeth.
By two, he was already starting to sing recognizable songs.
By three, he was not yet potty trained, but he was making the biggest mess of his life.
By four, he had already moved five times. I'm also including two pictures from May 2012 because he was so dang adorable as a four-year-old. That was the year Laser Man was born and the monkey blanket became a cape (only to be semi-retired a full five years later).
By five, his hair was starting to turn brown, but he still hadn't given up the cape.
We walked the hospital floors and up and down the stairs. Mom, Dad, Jo Anne (and Barb!), Byron, Marilyn, Brandon, Stacey, AND Quintin all came to the hospital to wait. Brandon, Stacey, and Marilyn had the good sense to go home and sleep instead of crashing in the hospital waiting room. Quintin went back and slept at our house (I think), but he was too afraid of me to turn on the air conditioning. Apparently, I was sort of scary 9 months pregnant.
We had four nurses: the best nurse ever, the worst nurse ever, a nurse I don't remember, and the best nurse ever all over again. We loved our nurse Gracie so much we almost named Caroline after her.
We were so unprepared. We checked into the hospital and they wanted to know our pediatrician's name and whether or not we planned to circumcise the baby. Somehow, I'd been under the impression those decisions could wait. I had a list of pediatrician recommendations somewhere that Rosalyn had sent me, but I couldn't find it anywhere in my hospital bag. (It was there. I found it when we checked out a few days later.) I must have been really flustered; Gracie had pity on me and just filled in her kids' pediatrician.
It took 24 hours for him to finally enter the world entirely and another 5 for me to get to hold him. (Am I still upset about that? Yes, a little.) His head was all swollen and misshapen from his partial descent down the birth canal, and Josh was worried something was wrong with him. Having never seen a brand new baby right at birth before, he wasn't expecting his head to look like that. Josh made a very wise decision, though, and kept his thoughts to himself. He figured there was no reason to get me all worried in my current state. (Good choice.) He also thought the baby (no name yet) looked a lot like Quintin. He still does, although I see a lot of his uncle Brandon in his face when he's feeling silly.
He immediately convinced all three grandmas to love him more than anything.
By one year, he had two whole teeth.
By two, he was already starting to sing recognizable songs.
By three, he was not yet potty trained, but he was making the biggest mess of his life.
By four, he had already moved five times. I'm also including two pictures from May 2012 because he was so dang adorable as a four-year-old. That was the year Laser Man was born and the monkey blanket became a cape (only to be semi-retired a full five years later).
By five, his hair was starting to turn brown, but he still hadn't given up the cape.
By six, he was a big brother again and had finally come around to the idea of nuts on his Texas sheet cake.
By seven, he'd decided to grow his hair out. (It didn't last long.)
By eight, he was ordering full-sized hamburgers off restaurant menus and finishing the entire thing.
By nine, he had mellowed out into the kid we recognize today.
What does ten have in store? It's anyone's guess. He still plays the piano, but he very rarely wears the cape. He still loves his sisters, but they spend more time reading and making up plays together than playing with cars or jumping on beds. The thing he's most excited about tomorrow is going to get snow cones and going to the park. When people ask him what he wants for his birthday, he just shrugs and says he doesn't really need anything. When pressed, he'll admit that he does love books and that he likes useful gifts the best.
Wednesday, May 2, 2018
Josh builds a lot of things.
So it's been six months since we moved into this house. Hurray! In that time, Josh (with some help from Byron, me, and all three children) has built:
Bunk beds for the girls and a loft bed for the boy:
A bookcase/shelving unit for our kitchen remodel:
A pasture fence:
A raised bed for my lovely garden:
And a milking stand for mama goat:
Bunk beds for the girls and a loft bed for the boy:
A chicken coop big enough for a flock of 20+:
A bookcase/shelving unit for our kitchen remodel:
A raised bed for my lovely garden:
And a milking stand for mama goat:
I feel like we're living at Lowe's these days, and I've learned how to use all kinds of new tools. If I never have to see a spool of fencing, I won't be disappointed. That said, we're incredibly proud of all our lovely creations and are loving having a home to build things in.
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
Caroline, on dealing with spiders
This afternoon, I lost Caroline. I needed to ask her a question, but I could not find her anywhere! As I walked around the house calling for her, I realized I didn't know where Miriam was either. That meant I was looking for two silly girls. Since I can generally tell where they are just by the sound of their laughter, I was intrigued. I finally found them both locked in my bathroom.
Me: Hey girls, what are you doing?
Miriam: We were watching the spider drown!
Caroline: Well, I found a spider, so I caught and asked if anyone needed to go to the bathroom. Miriam said she didn't, so I told her I did, so we came to the bathroom and threw it in the toilet. Then I peed on it and we flushed it down.
Miriam: And the spider drowned in her pee!
Heaven help me.
Me: Hey girls, what are you doing?
Miriam: We were watching the spider drown!
Caroline: Well, I found a spider, so I caught and asked if anyone needed to go to the bathroom. Miriam said she didn't, so I told her I did, so we came to the bathroom and threw it in the toilet. Then I peed on it and we flushed it down.
Miriam: And the spider drowned in her pee!
Heaven help me.
Sunday, March 25, 2018
School!
Way back in January, Jonah started attending school at our local elementary school. The first few weeks were especially rough, but he is comfortable and loving it now. His favorite days are (in his own words) Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. He loves science, math, reading, and social studies the most. He doesn't love guidance (whatever that is). He has made friends and already dealt with some minor interpersonal drama.
True to form, his teachers have fallen in love with him. He makes his own lunches most days and eats better than I do! Tomorrow, he'll be eating tuna and crackers, dried apricots, Doritos, raspberries, blackberries, and grapes. Here's a picture of Jonah at STEM night a few weeks ago, showing me all about the stop motion program:
I think if given the choice, he would come back and be homeschooled again. That said, Josh and I are really happy with how he is doing and LOVE his school. I won't rule out homeschooling as an option in the future, but we have no plans to bring him back home as long as his experience stays as positive as it's been so far.
True to form, his teachers have fallen in love with him. He makes his own lunches most days and eats better than I do! Tomorrow, he'll be eating tuna and crackers, dried apricots, Doritos, raspberries, blackberries, and grapes. Here's a picture of Jonah at STEM night a few weeks ago, showing me all about the stop motion program:
I think if given the choice, he would come back and be homeschooled again. That said, Josh and I are really happy with how he is doing and LOVE his school. I won't rule out homeschooling as an option in the future, but we have no plans to bring him back home as long as his experience stays as positive as it's been so far.
Saturday, March 3, 2018
Literary Competition (by Jonah Mays FINALLY)
Hiya, the Jonah is back! And I'm serious this time! I actually have a purpose for writing this! (other than annoying you, which, by the way, I still am going to!)
There is a literary competition (hence the title) at my school-you can submit a poem or a story, which obviously caught my attention IMMEDIATELY.
And guess what? All I have to do is submit a good poem, and I could win a prize of
$40.00 (first place)
$25.00 (second place)
$15.00 (third place)
And all this could seriously help my "room fund" (I'm saving for a bean bag chair, about $50).
Even third place would give me enough to buy one of those awesome soft things!
The only problem is I'm trying to decide which poem to submit-they're all awesome, obviously.
here are my options:
(most of these have been previously blogged)
1. The Bonzi
One day I went to the water park,
And a man in front of me said "Hark!
See the great slide! 10 bucks for a ride!"
I'll be right there! I quickly cried
As I gazed up at the monstrous thriller,
I said to myself, "this slide is a killer!"
The only fact that gave me a frown
was the angle-the slide was pointing
STRAIGHT DOWN!!!
So the conclusion that I had drawn,
was to make fun of it- with my mom.
A sliver of Nope to go on my plate,
A large slice of Nada-Quick, I leave at 8:00
10 helpings of NoThanks with a large Nah cheesesteak,
6 orders of Nothing, with extra Zilch cake!
Or, of course, we have old bologna:
Bologna
I declare war against bologna,
even if you think I'm phony,
even if you think I'm strange-
Too bad, 'cause that ain't gonna change!
Goodbye, Bologna,
Salami too-
But hey, I'm keepin' barbecue!
Alright dad, don't be mad at-me,
Okay, alright, I'll ally turkey!
Sendin' the army into dover..I'll see you when the war is over.
*_____/------\_____*
Yeah, I know, I'm back already-
I didn't eat lunch, so I had to go to beddy.
Which one of these do you think most likely to appeal the judges? Grandma Hunt, you're important in this, because you used to work at a school.
I think Bologna is funny and completely unique-A kid "declaring war" against his lunch-Hilarious!
(I can imagine it- BROCCOLI---THE SEQUAL!)
But then again, there's the easy-to-understand and also hilarious THE BONZI- An epic hit in the Mays household (by that I mean me).
Right now I'm tipping towards THE BONZI- but what do YOU think?
*Dramatic Music*
duh duh duh!
There is a literary competition (hence the title) at my school-you can submit a poem or a story, which obviously caught my attention IMMEDIATELY.
And guess what? All I have to do is submit a good poem, and I could win a prize of
$40.00 (first place)
$25.00 (second place)
$15.00 (third place)
And all this could seriously help my "room fund" (I'm saving for a bean bag chair, about $50).
Even third place would give me enough to buy one of those awesome soft things!
The only problem is I'm trying to decide which poem to submit-they're all awesome, obviously.
here are my options:
(most of these have been previously blogged)
1. The Bonzi
One day I went to the water park,
And a man in front of me said "Hark!
See the great slide! 10 bucks for a ride!"
I'll be right there! I quickly cried
As I gazed up at the monstrous thriller,
I said to myself, "this slide is a killer!"
The only fact that gave me a frown
was the angle-the slide was pointing
STRAIGHT DOWN!!!
So the conclusion that I had drawn,
was to make fun of it- with my mom.
A sliver of Nope to go on my plate,
A large slice of Nada-Quick, I leave at 8:00
10 helpings of NoThanks with a large Nah cheesesteak,
6 orders of Nothing, with extra Zilch cake!
Or, of course, we have old bologna:
Bologna
I declare war against bologna,
even if you think I'm phony,
even if you think I'm strange-
Too bad, 'cause that ain't gonna change!
Goodbye, Bologna,
Salami too-
But hey, I'm keepin' barbecue!
Alright dad, don't be mad at-me,
Okay, alright, I'll ally turkey!
Sendin' the army into dover..I'll see you when the war is over.
*_____/------\_____*
Yeah, I know, I'm back already-
I didn't eat lunch, so I had to go to beddy.
Which one of these do you think most likely to appeal the judges? Grandma Hunt, you're important in this, because you used to work at a school.
I think Bologna is funny and completely unique-A kid "declaring war" against his lunch-Hilarious!
(I can imagine it- BROCCOLI---THE SEQUAL!)
But then again, there's the easy-to-understand and also hilarious THE BONZI- An epic hit in the Mays household (by that I mean me).
Right now I'm tipping towards THE BONZI- but what do YOU think?
*Dramatic Music*
duh duh duh!
Thursday, March 1, 2018
her favorite kind of bugs
"Hey Mom! This Jack and Annie story has someone named Tick...like Tick and Tock and ticks on my head! Those are not my favorite kind of bugs. My favorite bugs are ladybugs. I don't really like them, but I do like their pretty colors."
Also, ask Mim to draw you a tick sometime. She draws a circle with tons of little legs coming off the sides. It's never a spider or anything other than a tick.
Also, ask Mim to draw you a tick sometime. She draws a circle with tons of little legs coming off the sides. It's never a spider or anything other than a tick.
Monday, February 19, 2018
the year of the flowers
One of my favorite things about North Carolina is when the flowers start to bloom in the spring. I saw my first daffodils the other day, so I think we're close! I also love the fact that we get some sort of bloom from March until almost October. Every year, I think I'm going to document what blooms when, but I never have. This is going to be that year (I hope).
Apart from the daffodils I saw in a neighbor's yard (definitely planted), we have a weed blooming in our grass right now. The little purple flowers are so cheerful that it doesn't bother me, especially since we have enough grass that there's no way I can worry about weeds.
If the internet is telling the truth (always a gamble), I think we have Veronica filliformis (also known as creeping Veronica and slender speedwell). There was also a tree in bloom at church on Sunday, but I didn't get a close enough peek to see what kind.
Here's hoping our new yard has as many wildflowers as the last one!
Apart from the daffodils I saw in a neighbor's yard (definitely planted), we have a weed blooming in our grass right now. The little purple flowers are so cheerful that it doesn't bother me, especially since we have enough grass that there's no way I can worry about weeds.
If the internet is telling the truth (always a gamble), I think we have Veronica filliformis (also known as creeping Veronica and slender speedwell). There was also a tree in bloom at church on Sunday, but I didn't get a close enough peek to see what kind.
Here's hoping our new yard has as many wildflowers as the last one!
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
feeding children (with some words of wisdom from Miriam)
We try to find a good balance around here when it comes to feeding the children.
On the one hand, I make almost all our meals from scratch. We eat dinner together every night without phones or the tv on. On the other hand, we have sugary cereal for breakfast a couple times a week.
On the one hand, every meal must have a fruit or vegetable as part of the meal. On the other hand, it's almost always something sweet like raspberries or applesauce.
On the one hand, we expect them to try one bite of everything at dinner. On the other hand, they don't have to clean their plates. On the other other hand, they do have to clear their plates before they can eat something else, including dessert.
Last night, Caroline and Jonah had some ice cream after dinner. Miriam did not because eating a hot dog was just too high a price. Today during lunch, we had the following exchange:
C: After lunch, can we have some ice cream?
K: Let's wait until after dinner so Jonah can have some too.
M (in a very skeptical voice) Then for dinner, can we have something I like?
K: Well I hope you like dinner tonight, but I don't know what I'm making yet.
C: Potstickers! Or Hawaiian haystacks!
M: I like Hawaiian haystacks. I only kind of like potstickers.
K: It won't be potstickers. We just had those last week.
M: Good. If I only kind of like something, I only kind of eat it.
On the one hand, I make almost all our meals from scratch. We eat dinner together every night without phones or the tv on. On the other hand, we have sugary cereal for breakfast a couple times a week.
On the one hand, every meal must have a fruit or vegetable as part of the meal. On the other hand, it's almost always something sweet like raspberries or applesauce.
On the one hand, we expect them to try one bite of everything at dinner. On the other hand, they don't have to clean their plates. On the other other hand, they do have to clear their plates before they can eat something else, including dessert.
Last night, Caroline and Jonah had some ice cream after dinner. Miriam did not because eating a hot dog was just too high a price. Today during lunch, we had the following exchange:
C: After lunch, can we have some ice cream?
K: Let's wait until after dinner so Jonah can have some too.
M (in a very skeptical voice) Then for dinner, can we have something I like?
K: Well I hope you like dinner tonight, but I don't know what I'm making yet.
C: Potstickers! Or Hawaiian haystacks!
M: I like Hawaiian haystacks. I only kind of like potstickers.
K: It won't be potstickers. We just had those last week.
M: Good. If I only kind of like something, I only kind of eat it.
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
when it's finally sunny and almost warm
It's been cold around these parts. Shocking, I know, for wintertime. But seriously, it's been record-breaking cold and for many, many days in a row. The few days of warm weather we've had in the past month have been rainy days, so there hasn't been much playing in the sunshine. Today is warm(ish) and sunny (and very windy), so the girls have been outside most of the morning. (Jonah and I are sick, so we've spent our mornings in bed.)
The following took place when it was time for the girls to come in for lunch:
Me: Miriam! Come inside and eat!
M: Awww, but can't I stay and play a little bit?
Me: No, I already gave you a little bit of extra time, remember?
M (sullen): Okaay.
(At this point, I turned around and started walking inside. When I noticed there was no Miriam with me, I turned around and saw her sprinting down the long driveway.)
Me: Miriam! Come inside!
M: I am!
Me: No, that's the wrong way!
M: But I have to plaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyy!
(She did eventually come inside and eat...nothing. Apparently tuna fish is gross and she wanted little oranges not the great, big oranges Grandma sent from AZ.)
The following took place when it was time for the girls to come in for lunch:
Me: Miriam! Come inside and eat!
M: Awww, but can't I stay and play a little bit?
Me: No, I already gave you a little bit of extra time, remember?
M (sullen): Okaay.
(At this point, I turned around and started walking inside. When I noticed there was no Miriam with me, I turned around and saw her sprinting down the long driveway.)
Me: Miriam! Come inside!
M: I am!
Me: No, that's the wrong way!
M: But I have to plaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyy!
(She did eventually come inside and eat...nothing. Apparently tuna fish is gross and she wanted little oranges not the great, big oranges Grandma sent from AZ.)
Friday, January 5, 2018
Dear Dad,
I miss you. I want to pick your brain about all kinds of things, but I'd even settle for you giving me a one-word answer and making me figure them out myself. And don't try telling me in the back of my mind (like I can hear RIGHT NOW) that talking out loud to you here in the dining room is basically the same thing because a) I wouldn't stop talking enough to listen even if you were here, b) I probably know what you'd say anyway, and c) I'd ask your advice and then do the exact opposite. I'd like to have the chance to do all three in person, thank you very much.
Besides that, I want a three-way light switch at the top of my stairs...or just a kill switch to cut all the basement lights at once. I'm surprised having lights on in the basement didn't drive you crazy. Or maybe it did?
Besides that, I want a three-way light switch at the top of my stairs...or just a kill switch to cut all the basement lights at once. I'm surprised having lights on in the basement didn't drive you crazy. Or maybe it did?
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