Bowl Me Over!

Yesterday, I took Child #3 to meet his future Cub Scout pack at a bowling activity where the Tiger Cubs were working on their Bowling Belt Loop achievement. My lucky son got two strikes, bowled a 93, and beat the other kids, all in one game (with bumpers in the gutters)! Of course in Cub Scouts, you want to do your best, not win, so this was a good exercise for the other little boys too. This child is so excited to join the Scouts as soon as he is old enough. He is really looking forward to learning how to chop wood with an ax. Maybe not as a Tiger...

Rolling with the Punches

Now that Child #5 is square in the middle of her selfish terrible twos, we are buying three of everything (within reason). When Child #4 hit his terrible twos, we had to buy two of everything and write their initials on their toys... So yesterday, I was sent on a mission to buy another Big Wheels style bike for the backyard to keep the peace between the three of them. At Value Village we found no bikes, but we did find roller blades! Child #3 was instantly in love, and would you believe it, they had two pairs of skates in just the right sizes for my boys! For less than one admission and skate rental, I suited the boys up in their very own roller blades! But that didn't solve the problem of threes... so I had to go to Target and get Child #5 her very own Dora the Explorer roller skates too, which she loves. The three of them have been practicing their skating skills on the carpet for a day now and as soon as it stops raining we will head outside to break in their knees on the patio. Child #4 keeps asking, "What if I get a skinned knee?" which the letter d gets in Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. I always reply, "I'll stick a band aid on it and send you back out." I am also repeating:

1. Get your roller blades off the couch!
2. Don't skate on the dog's ears!
3. Watch out for bare toes!
4. I thought I said no roller blades on the stairs!
5. No, you can't wear your roller blades on the top bunk!
6. If you want to sit on my lap, take your roller blades off!
7. Take your roller blades off before you go to the bathroom!
8. Don't skate so close to the TV!

My favorite was when Child #3 asked me if I had an airplane engine that he could use. So he could fly. Sorry, kid. All out of airplane engines!


We also had our first two butterflies emerge this morning!

Back from Disneyland

Our dearest Child #1 is home from Disneyland, just in time to start a new quarter in college. She brought home a bagful of gifts for her parents and younger siblings... including Mickey Mouse ears with their names embroidered on the backs for the three youngers! Child #2 got a coffee mug featuring Tigger, I got a Belle pen, and DH got a Jurassic Park hat. These kids don't really "get" Disneyland, but they know cool mouse ears when they see them. Every day, they put on their ears and chase My Pathetic Doberman around and around squeaking, "Cat! Cat!" and asking for cheese.

Child #6 didn't get anything, probably because she isn't born yet. One of the brothers lent me their ears for this picture. Yes, I look tired, bloated, and...NINE MONTHS PREGNANT! Look at the size of that belly! I didn't know it was that big! But I can't see the whole thing either. Doesn't the baby look cute wearing the ears (on her bottom)? My midwife is estimating the baby is about 8 pounds right now, with three weeks to go!

Here is a random pic that was too cute not to share...

Child #4 decked out in St. Patty's gear, several weeks too late! He assembled this outfit without trying. He likes green. Our little Irish Swede!

Now, most people know that our family is adventurous and different and unique... and we just wouldn't be us if we didn't do something crazy every once in awhile... This time we went to the beach the day after it snowed, when the temperature reached a balmy 40 degrees. But it was sunny and beautiful! And who knows how long it is going to be before I get to go to the beach again? We packed up the entire group and headed out to enjoy some eagle sightings, crab hunting, and rock throwing. We didn't get any people pictures because Child #2 had the camera with her, but this is what we were dealing with as far as the weather goes...

DH taught Child #5 how to collect treasures like rocks, shells, and feathers, and how to keep her hands warm in her pockets. Child #3, of course, got soaking wet, but didn't feel a thing and kept asking when he could go see his older sister. Child #4 only wanted to climb on the giant rock, which was on the other end of the beach. But after we were done and heading to Dairy Queen for ice cream cones, all injustices were forgotten. Pizza for dinner completed the perfect weekend.

The last few days we have been experience typical weather for this time of year. We've had sun, rain, hail, and snow, sometimes all within minutes of each other. Yesterday it hailed and was sunny at the same time! Right now it is snowing and even sticking a bit! Of course, being homeschoolers, we just drop everything we are doing and go play. Child #3 had to run all over the backyard barefoot looking for his boots because a few days ago it was warm enough to go barefoot!










This is what it looks like when I teach. They are watching Curious George. Or Dora the Explorer. And looking at books. Just kidding. We were already done with our school work for the day. But boy, did I feel like a lazy mom! Here we were, finished with all the work, and still in our pjs and watching TV! I should have had them at a museum or a lecture series!







And just in case you forgot what a terrible/terrific two year old looks like...

She is totally taking advantage of the fact that I move slowly and don't like to get out of my chair when I finally sit down. She ignores me and causes all sorts of trouble. She is so possessive and selfish and competitive with her brothers! She won't even let ME hold her baby dolls. The other night, Child #3 sat down on his dad's lap to hear a story. Child #5 ran over, pushed her brother out of the way, and planted herself right on Dad's lap so SHE could be the one that got read to. Her big brother is so easy going that he just moved over, but come on!

Four weeks until the major competition arrives...and I can't wait.

First Day of Spring

We are up to two chrysalids (or chrysalises if you prefer) on this first day of Spring! The other three caterpillars have assumed the position (hanging by their feet in a J shape) and should be in the pupa stage by tomorrow morning. The kids wake up every morning and run out to see what has happened overnight, much like Christmas. This picture is from yesterday, when we had only one chrysalis. Since then, this chrysalis managed to be glued flat to the lid by another caterpillar, who is now glued to its side. Caterpillars aren't the smartest creatures on God's Green Earth.

Child #1 is on her first official day of Spring Break and will be heading down to Disneyland tomorrow! Lucky!

Luck o' the Irish or Fool's Gold

Before I recount the hilarious story of yesterday's leprechaun hunt, check out this picture of Ian doing a science experiment in the kitchen last Friday. He learned about fizzy things and what makes the bubbles. This is him watching what happens after you add baking soda to vinegar. See that grin? But what happened next was even better! The fizz poured out all over the table, just like the science fair volcano. But that wasn't the funny part either. You know, there is a reason why we do science experiments in the kitchen with everyday ingredients aka nothing poisonous! This child of mine bent over the foam and lapped up a big mouthful of the stuff! Yuck! Vinegar and baking soda! Ew! Oh, the look on his face! But the batteries had just died in the camera...

So, yesterday being St. Patrick's Day, and the fact that we have Irish blood running in Mark's veins, I was under obligation to do something to celebrate. I didn't bother telling the kids it was even St. Patrick's Day until the afternoon because we spent the morning shopping and I didn't want my children pinching strangers for not wearing green. When Ian found out what day is was (he asked the date so he could count down the days to Spring), he immediately checked me for green. I wasn't wearing any. I asked him if he was going to pinch me and he said, "I can't pinch you. I love you too much!" So how do I repay his sweetness? I trick him.

I had bought some gold chocolate coins at the grocery store the night before and decided that this was the moment to give it to him. I asked him if he wanted to go for a leprechaun hunt and got him all excited about the possibility of finding gold in the backyard. I tricked them into looking for Shane's boots in the bedroom while I quickly grabbed the coins from the cupboard and then headed out to check the van for the missing boots. I tossed the coins over the fence while My Pathetic Doberman barked viscously at me, like I was a total stranger tossing poison candy to my kids. Dumb dog. I told her to shut up and then she tried to eat the coins! I yelled at her again and she ran up the stairs and started barking to be let back in the house.

The kids came outside and Ian immediately started running all over the yard looking for leprechauns. He got so angry at his brother for riding bikes and being loud! He said, "If you don't help me find the leprechauns, you won't get any of the gold!" By then, Ami was home from school and we discussed the possibility that My Pathetic Doberman scared the leprechaun away and caused him to drop his gold as he escaped. We pondered whether or not the leprechaun would have dropped the gold by the gate as he was escaping.  Ian immediately starting looking in the right spot, to which I was thankful because I wanted to go back inside; I was cold.





Here they are gathering the gold! Oh, the boys were so excited! They have been collecting spare change and putting it in a piggy bank, so you know these kids thought they hit the jackpot!

When I showed them the true treasure, the chocolate inside the gold-colored foil, I nearly had a mutiny on my hands.






Ian says, "This isn't the real gold. Come 'on Shane, lets go look for the real stuff."

He was not a happy camper.

Finally over the flu!

After 14 days of feeling under the weather with a "flu-like virus" I am finally able to start getting back into a groove. I'm still waking up to cough all night long, but I guess this is just training for the new baby!

On the fourth day of my fever, we got a package in the mail... our caterpillars! They were teeny-tiny little caterpillars, about a quarter of an inch long. My plan (before I got sick) was to do an entire unit (science, reading, writing, spelling, art, etc) on caterpillars and butterflies for all three kids. I had everything all planned out, including having the books checked out from the library. But because we were sick (and I was the sickest) I took the laid-back unschooling approach and have just let them read about caterpillars and butterflies in books of their choosing. Child #4's book is The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, which they all enjoyed. Child #3 can tell me all about the life cycle of a butterfly and how to tell the difference between moths and butterflies. Child #5 can count to 20...but that isn't butterfly related, just scary. Now our caterpillars are about two inches long and should be starting their crysalids any day now!