It's Wild Here

Jeremiah and Ryan work with electricity

museum center

Last week, Grammy and the boys and I met with Katie at the museum center. There is a spot in the climbing area where Jeremiah had his picture taken many years ago - he was 5.

He still fits! But barely.

Fynn and Ryan enjoyed watching the fish from within the tank.

K watched from the outside.

and in case you need an extra bit of sweet for today:

Nerd babies

Aw! This is what I want for Kellen and Ryan's room - if we ever get it painted and fixed up. I was thinking about some kind of animal theme but how about a geeky science theme? Science is pretty.

poppitulls

this is Ryan's way of saying popsicles.
Popsicle content in this silly chat (in which "man-boy" was my particular favorite part):
Jamieshmamee: linkage?
Jamieshmamee: Web cams?
Jamieshmamee: :*
wearababy: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/webcams/
Jamieshmamee: :-[
wearababy: this one is different - can't find the other one but hang on
wearababy: http://school.discovery.com/schooladventures/animalcams/
Jamieshmamee: Okeedokerz. O:-)
wearababy: http://biology.about.com/od/animalcams/
Jamieshmamee: :-)=-O:-$:-\:-(:-*:-!:'(;-)>:o:-[:-X:-P8-)O:-):-D Those are all my new smileys!
wearababy: wow
wearababy: multiple personalities!
Jamieshmamee: I now, I'm a man-boy of many emotions.
Jamieshmamee: xP ***know
wearababy: indeedy
Jamieshmamee: YES indeedy.
wearababy: how about some blogification from you?
Jamieshmamee: Indeedy is an understatment, it needs a "YES" on the ends to make it special. =o
wearababy: birthdays, parties, summer, slip and slide, soccer camp, cranky pregnant mama
Jamieshmamee: cranky pregnant mama?
wearababy: oh? you don't know of one?
Jamieshmamee: How about "NICE pregnant mama with some cranky on the side?
wearababy: :-) you are a sweetie
Jamieshmamee: And fries.
wearababy: salad
Jamieshmamee: with a value meal.
Jamieshmamee: and some yo-yope
wearababy: right!
wearababy: speaking of which, we need more
wearababy: grocery time for me - I'm making a list - any requests?
Jamieshmamee: Lots of suger loaded crap?
Jamieshmamee: O:-)
wearababy: coming right up
Jamieshmamee: PLEEEEEEEEEEZ?
Jamieshmamee: O-o
wearababy: as usual, I live to provide you with as many ways to get sick and unhealthy as I possibly can
Jamieshmamee: HUZZAH!
Jamieshmamee: *hug*
wearababy: dear jamis, we have a serious sarcasm problem
Jamieshmamee: What sarcasm?
wearababy: serious sarcasm - is that an oxymoron?
wearababy: ok, so no requests then
Jamieshmamee: Was there sarcasm incorporated into that answer to my request for sugery crap?
wearababy: I'm just speaking for myself, I guess
Jamieshmamee: How about vanilla yogurt and some banana popsicles?
wearababy: but if you weren't being sarcastic, you haven't been paying attention
Jamieshmamee: What>
Jamieshmamee: ***?
wearababy: fine - seriously, you want banana poppitulls?
Jamieshmamee: Yes I want bannana poppitulls.
wearababy: ok

updates

A Lion in the House  is a documentary created by two lovely local people. I can't tell you how it is because I can' t bring myself to watch it, but as soon as I'm past the late-preg, early-newborn stage, I plan to see it.  I love the village where I live and it's always exciting to see my neighbors achieving cool things like front-page PBS.org status. wow. 

Speaking of PBS, Jamie is up early on this dreary rainy day, sitting in Evan's chair watching this episode of Nova, Newton's Dark Secrets.  It's a pleasure and relief to see that, even in the face of a rigorous and structured academic curriculum, he has retained his natural curiousity about other thinky things.  Other things going on with Jamie:  reading The Secret Garden, watching World Cup Soccer, drawing drawing drawing, in PhotoShop and on paper, hanging out with friends Kira and David, pitching in on housework more and more with very little complaint. What. a. guy.

Jeremiah's occupied by lots of trampoline jumping and Ryan-duty. He's patient and indulgent with Ryan and his very unfair toddler rules. Jeremiah is blasting through the Dragonball graphic novel series faster than our library system can possibly keep up.  He has a couple of standing weekly playdates - Nathan and Daniel/David - and usually sees friends at least 2-3 more times each week. Soccer camp begins next week for both big boys.

There's no shortage of Ryan content on this blog, but a few new obsessions:
the hose (to do list for today: babyproofing gadget for a faucet)
the doorbell (known is the "beep")
3 and 4 word sentences (woot!)
Raffi, on the toddler tape player with headphones
lip-synching to They Might Be Giants, which is acceptable enough to the brothers that it need not be limited to headphones.
helping with household chores - he is a very good clean diaper stacker

Evan:  World Cup watching, in very sane moderation (thank you!), almost daily evening walking with the family, regularly accepting 3-boy duty while I take time for myself, sometimes for shopping and errands, sometimes for leisure. 

catching up

So, this is June. Jeremiah was born in June, and this belly baby could arrive in June. As in, this month. More likely, July, but still... soon. The kids are excited. They see baby Audrey and get even more excited. Jamie has a lot to say about Audrey; he loves her toothless smile. Ryan can't wait for the baby to come out and drink from my "milks," with which he is newly obsessed with seeing and talking about but otherwise not interested in other than to talk about their job in feeding the baby.

I started to write that I feel ready, but that's only partially true. I am nesting like a maniac (I am telling you, I've never had a nesting urge this strong - you should see me with the label maker.)  We're ready with a name, short of something dramatic happening. For the most part, we're not telling. I guess it just feels too private right now, I don't know.  Save some kind of surprise for the birth day, right? While he's still inside, he's just Baby Him, Peanut, formerly known as Speck.

So, house, bedrooms, name, clothing and diapers, all set. Big boys and Evan are feeling ready. Ryan and I, maybe not feeling so ready. Ryan, because he's clueless, demanding, and still a baby.  I, because I'm still enjoying pregnancy, for the most part, and I can't say to myself (as I did last time) "Well, we can always do it again." This is it, so it's a bittersweet goodbye. 

Ryan is adding pronouns and articles to his speech. He's still not very clear, needing a family member to interpret a lot, sometimes only understandable by me. Still, I think 75% of what he says is clear enough for anyone to understand. These days he spends a lot of time out in the sand box and at the water table, with occasional runs out to the strawberry bed for a snack. He is thrilled to be allowed to go back there and eat strawberries.  He has this funny gallop-jump-run that he does when he's gleefully on his way.  He's also requesting a few trampoline turns each day, and is quite competent at staying vertical while bouncing around in a circle.  Of course, there would be no chance for him if it weren't for the net enclosure, which most definitely saves his neck every couple of minutes. His brothers kindly oblige and lift him on and off, staying there with him to supervise.

The dogs are visiting. Davy and Bucky are here and the kids find that fun. To me, it's a simple way to pay back a very generous favor from Mom (taking in our beloved but so-dang-loud Davy). Ryan is in charge of letting them in and out of the crate and out the back door. It's a job he takes very seriously. He is also in charge of telling them SHHHHH when they require that.

Jeremiah went to the homeschool science class yesterday at the Beavercreek Narrows Reserve. After about 90 minutes he had a scare with accidentally touching a poisonous plant. I think he was just anxious enough to start with that the plant incident sent him over the edge, and I received a tearful please-pick-me-up call.

Jamie continues to draw and read often, and will take any chance to play soccer in the yard with

Evan, his brother or a friend.  He's also enjoying words more all the time, and has taken our biggest fattest dictionary to his room. The National Spelling Bee is on TV tonight, so we will be sure to see that!

OK... posting these updates and then some more about last weekend and all its parade-carnival-family busy-ness.

their
Thieu
Thor
Thur
thee
Edit...
Revert to "thier"

surprise
sup rise
sup-rise
spires
sunrise
Edit...
Revert to "suprise"

(No suggestions)
Edit...
Ignore all
Add to dictionary

home school
home-school
homeschooling
homesick
Herschel
Edit...
Ignore all
Add to dictionary

Beaver creek
Beaver-creek
Beverage
Beefcake
Bergerac
Edit...
Ignore all
Add to dictionary

business
Edit...
Ignore all
Add to dictionary

 

The reason my house looks like an explosion and my mind matches

Next week

Monday
Jeremiah taekwondo with Grammy
Jamie soccer game - away

Tuesday
this week only, Greene County parks homeschool science class: Raptors
homeschool gym
Jeremiah taekwondo forms/conditioning, this week only - testing for brown belt
Jamie soccer - rec
Birthrite meeting

Wednesday
WILC outing to Cedar Bog
midwife appointment (need to postpone)
Jeremiah taekwondo
Jamie soccer - select
Jeremiah soccer - rec, conflicts with tkd

Thursday
allergist
homeschool gym (probably will skip)
Jamie soccer - rec

Friday
Grammy over to play with Ryan
Jamie soccer - select

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But they are sleeping well at night.

this and that

We found a Honda dealership that actually knows the meaning of the word customer service. They are, unfortunately, 45 minutes away, but they know the meaning so well that they towed our van in and delivered a rental car in the meantime. The sad part is why the heck does our 01 Odyssey need a new transmission??!! 

As soon as it gets back from those repairs, it goes in for the repairs from our accident. When it rains it pours. Meantime, we cram three boys into the back of some small Kia - I'm forgetting what type.

I thought the mom's group was coming yesterday morning but no one showed. Fine really, because it was nice to enjoy the tidy house all day.

Today the boys are taking a 3-hour science workshop/class at Boonshoft Museum.  Ryan and I will run around the place while they attend.

I finished Jamie's socks and both were way too tight at the top to pull on. I need to bind off way more loosely - I'm not sure it's even possible.  If Ryan is happy in an enclosed space at the museum, I can work on that. I am beyond ready for a new project...

studies, photos

What we're up to:

Evan
weekend naps and bedtime toddler duty, all night parenting. woohoo! Evan is TheMan.
considering a trampoline construction in the back yard
perfecting his squid menu and asian accents via Iron Chef viewing marathons
cheerfully and sincerely engaging Jeremiah in riveting discussions about YuGiOh cards
games of Risk with two big boys
a history lesson here and there with Jamie

Amy
reading Blink, Shiloh, an Ina May book, and Scattered (about ADD)
knitting Clapotis
catching up on the clutter of not tidying well for 9 weeks

Jamie
studying early American settlements, the geography of the Northeast US region, plant classification, art history, reading and studying Shiloh, and practicing some composition skills
beginning a new season of indoor soccer (not a bad start - first game won 8-1)

Jeremiah
reading Geronimo Stilton, listening to various books on tape, reading various picture books to himself and Ryan
caring for Ryan well while Jamie and I work on book-work
perfecting his purple belt taekwondo forms
attending homeschool gym class
arranging regular playdates with Joe, Murphy, Alex and Sam

Ryan
multiple daily readings of Goodnight, Gorilla
multiple weekly viewings of Blues Clues, Little Bear and Winnie the Pooh
heading outdoors as often as possible, any weather is just fine
randomly requesting candy throughout the day by repeating "neenee" at least 87 times until we all want to bang our heads against a wall. This, despite his not receiving any candy for several days.  Determined.
mastering names of colors, shapes and animals
fighting a mysterious fever with no other symptoms
sleeping poorly due to fear of shadows and other normal  developmental quirks

carnivorous plants, pretesting, drawings for nana

Plenty to report, but I'm needing to stay focused on the main daily priorities, as my energy is quite limited. As soon as the first trimester ends, I'm good to go.

Jamie set up his carnivorous plant terrarium. It needs to sit in the fridge for several weeks.

Jeremiah has completed his pretest for purple belt.

All three kids made lovely drawings for Nana, who is healing from surgery.