A couple of weeks ago, the youngers attended a "Truck Touch" at a local dairy farm.
We also got a new (to us... nearly 100 years old) piano and Jamie began lessons with a new instructor at A. M.
And here is a little before and after for K's first summer buzz. I think the new look is really sweet in person - he looks kind of unhealthy-bald in this picture, so you'll have to take my word for it.
Last week, we had cousin F here for some outdoor lunch and sleeping over. He ended up staying two nights because the big thunder storms and tornadoes arrived during our first attempt at dropping him off.
There is a new local hs group starting in this town and the next one over - much saner driving than the last group we joined. So far, we've been to a board game day. The kids were younger than Jeremiah, although I know of at least one family that didn't make it that day with a girl his age who I think he could enjoy.
Dentist - Jeremiah and Ryan and I needing work done, wah. Not a lot but still anxiety-producing for me.
Did I post about bowling? I've got some bowling pictures and a video coming up but the camera is nowhere to be found again. We bowled with WILC. Ryan and Jeremiah had a good time.
Soccer all the time. Jeremiah is on two teams, and has soccer every day this week. He's pretty overwhelmed but is improving and seems to want to continue, even though he can be unhappy about it in the moment. His team (and he) played very well in the soccer tournament this weekend. We thought they had made the finals but then one team had a big upset and it ended up coming down to goal differentials, and they missed out by one goal. Bummer, but it did result in only a 75% loss of our weekend rather than a complete weekend slurp, since they didn't have to go back for the 4th match.
Jamie is very unhappy with his OWL class. He had to wear a pregnancy suit and care for a fake baby during the time of the class. It seems the camraderie and mutual respect is breaking down in that group, at least for Jamie.
Today, our kitchen is being painted. We're going to try to stay out of the house a lot and will probably go for a field trip to the newish mall that opened last year. I think it has some outdoor water play place and Jeremiah is hoping for an arcade. I'd like to get back to listening to books on tape in the car, to give our fluffy not-so-academic outing a bit of redeeming value.
Right now, Jeremiah and I are working our way through the City of Ember series - I just finished The People of Sparks and JJ is midway through Ember. I've been basically meeting my reading goals this year, but not posting much since starting to use GoodReads - I'd like to link to my book list but I think you might need to log in for that. It's a very helpful site for keeping track of to-read books, sharing your reading with others and getting suggestions.v
One big thing I haven't mentioned this week is Jamie's adventure in D.C. with Grammy. They've been there since Monday, and I'm hoping we'll get an action-packed, photo-filled guest-blogger post.
Check back...
Someone's four years old now! We had a very low-key celebration in the midst of pre-moving business and box towers. Ryan created his own birthday hat and enjoyed the singing and cake as much as ever, as always.
tomato sauce mess (and a boy signing "more")
Attitude (and a little eyebrow modification)
and smarts.
JJ has been drawing maps and memorizing Canada
Ryan has been doing a lot of drawing.
and imaginary play
My blogging is badly behind. I have so many unposted photos and updates that I'm kind of paralyzed with behind-ness.
Posting a little is better than none, I know, but somehow I can't move on until I can make it complete, which is really silly. So a little is what it will be.
Jamie starts school Tuesday. Today we're meeting with his teachers. Well, he's meeting with them.
Evan has a trip to Boston on Wednesday, and our buyers are visiting to plan for their remodeling on that day and the next.
Jeremiah is going to start tumbling and/or another martial arts class soon. I'd like to get him going asap, but it may have to be after the move. He is starting indoor soccer this Saturday.
Ryan is seeming closer and closer to 4, which of course he is. Still no real progress in the potty dept, but he's doing well with things like dressing himself, drawing pictures of people and other things, and his verbal skills continue to develop.
Kellen is talking too, saying a few favorite things - Daddy, Mama, Ryan, ball, boots, water, and also signing milk, water, poop, and no. There are more but I have to rush off now...
Je is creating an army. He's got top secret documents being printed out, confidential outgoing mail, lists of allies and enemies, special moves being taught to Ryan, etc. I'm fairly happy with one result of all this...hollering "attention" at Ryan really does get me some attention. There was some debate about which parent is president and which is vice-president, but I think that's finally settled. sheesh.
Jamie is sick. He's got a bad head cold. He's doing a lot of drawing and working his way through this book.
Ryan is learning to use the remote control to put on his own episodes of Little Bear. He's showing signs of promise in the potty department and I am (insanely?) putting some hope in the plan of giving him some fabulous underpants for Christmas that he might keep dry.
K is having record-breaking hideous nights of being wide awake and loudly crying from, oh, let's go with last night's 2-3:30 am for one example. K also, as some of you know, is attached to these little towels - they are actually prefold cloth diapers - he nurses and sleeps with them. We have many of them, which is a good thing when it comes to lovies. If he can find more than one, he will want to hold more than one while nursing. This is usually fine since after all these years of nursing, I can really use one as a prop, if you know what I mean. This morning, however, between his bed and my desk, he manage to accumulate 5 of these things, and he came stumbling in with a huge armful of cuddling towels, giggling. Pretty adorable.
Evan starts his new job today. Exciting!
Today we have a few inches of snow, the kids' pals are off school, and we're all in good moods. Yay! Ryan has been out twice, getting lots of exercise, practice dressing himself, and a little science in the process. He decided to bring a snowball inside, so it's sitting in a cup melting. We check on it periodically.
JJ's friend N is over and they were outside building a snowman city (think Calvin&Hobbes). Ja has invited a friend over, and I think we'll all have lunch and cookies.
I'm going to try to write more often, even if it's about trivial things, because I want to get into the habit of writing daily.
Today the little boys have colds. They are sleeping poorly. Jamie and Je are both on very late schedules, sleeping in past 9 and staying up past 11. I'm finding it difficult to encourage change in this.
Je has stopped attending band at the school. I'm reluctant to insist he continue. Of course, I do think he's learned a great deal about music and is a very fine drummer, so I'm trying to figure out how to keep this up without dragging us all out of YS for lessons. I can't seem to find a good (any!) drumming instructor locally.
Jamie is still taking piano lessons. Oh crap, I forgot to send him yesterday. Need to call his teacher. He's enjoying it a lot. I think it's nice how quickly one can learn an instrument at an older age, assuming the motivation is there. He didn't want anything to do with music instruction for years, but now he does so that he can participate in a band with friends. He's learning basic classical piano and getting the basics happily at the home of an experienced teacher. He rides his bike there most times.
I'd really like to get a piano. What we have is a very insufficient keyboard. He can practice sometimes at G's house. My mom reminded me that the piano my dad has in his house is actually mine. I don't know... they did buy it for me when I began taking lessons. I would *love* to have it back, but it would be difficult to ask him for it. I don't think he necessarily thinks of it as mine, and step-J would not be at all impressed if she lost it.
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