Good-times with Max

Max needed a haircut

Now he looks like my brother Joey, I feel like it's a time warp

This morning, I took Max and Sam on a walk.  After being vomited on by Max and receiving some love from the other end from Sam,  I needed to reposit the kids in a safe place that wasn't on my person.  So we walked, and the conversation went as it usually does:

Max:  "Car, mommy Car"
Me:  "Yes, Max, it's a car"
Max: "nother car, mommy, nother car"
Me (if you pretend you don't hear him, he will go away): no answer
Max: "'nother car, mommy, huh, nother car huh?????"
Me (resigned): "yes, Max it's another car"
Max:  "Moo moo mommy, moo moo."
Me (I learned my lesson): "Yes, Max, there's a cow"
Max:  "Nother moo moo, mommy"
And so on............................................the whole walk.

To Every Time There is a Season

Ella has been in preschool for three years now, just barely missing the cutoff for kindergarten.  She has had wonderful preschool teachers, all of whom have been charmed by her charisma, love of insects, and her delightful personality.   She has loved Mrs.  Hall and Mrs. Khan, I can tell because every time I took her to preschool she ran up and hugged each teacher.

Mrs. Hall and Ella

Mrs. Khan and Ella

 This week was her last week of preschool.  I found myself being sad to say goodbye to her teachers.  Ella doesn't realize what wonderful teachers she has had, teachers her have encouraged her curiosity, invited her to bring in insects and bird nests and baby brothers to teach the class, asked her to bring her violin and books to show the class how she can play and read, respectively.  I am so grateful for teachers who love children and who enjoy teaching them.

Ella and I took flowers from our yard, dried them, and made cards for her teachers, telling them what Ella liked about them.  While we included a gift card to Target, it was in the card we made that we tried to tell them thanks for being wonderful teachers.

cards for Mrs. Hall and Mrs. Khan

Ella and McKenna

While it is the end of preschool, Ella is excited to be going to Kindergarten, because she will get to ride the bus and take field-trips.

May Happenings

Birthday fruit tart made by Ryan

family picture

I'm not sure May has ever been so busy.  I like being busy though, makes me feel useful.  I have less time to read, which is bittersweet, but have more things to check off on my to do list- always good for a type A personality.

We celebrated my birthday over the course of a week, as I told Ryan that in the thirties, it's important to do something every day for a week.  Some of the highlights were:  shoveling two HUGE (do not underestimate this word) truckloads of dirt and compost into our new garden boxes, taking Ella to get a haircut after she Barbie style mohawked her hair, desperately trying to no avail to clear the huge truckload of mulch in my driveway, and so forth, learning that the boys in our neighborhood have a club equivalent to Gaby's fun club where they talk about penises and motorcycles (of course they do-can't wait until Max is a little older).

In all seriousness, I enjoyed many treats over the past week.  Ryan made a beautiful fruit tart for me that tasted as good as it looked.  Mayo provided a spa day, for 10.00 I got a pedicure, facial, and makeup app, as well as free pizza and soda with no children.  I was shamed about the fact that I don't often wear sunscreen.  We went to a park overlooking the Mississippi and watched the migrating eagles fly overhead as we picnicked.  Ryan put together two rocking chairs on our front porch, so we can start practicing for when we are old (er).

Frontenac state park

Does everyone look a little cuckoo

Mothers Day Allegiances

Note by Madeline on Mother's Day

Apparently on Mothers Day, children forget all the advice and critique they give you year round and focus on the positive.   I think I'll save this card from Madeline to remind her when she tells me I'm mean that she "likes me just how I am".  What more does a person need that to be liked as they are by their family.

Time Out

Kind Madeline

We've always known Madeline has a kind heart and is fair spirited.  Today, we passed the Rosa Parks Pavilion in Rochester, and I asked the girls if they knew who courageous Rosa Parks was.  Madeline did, and told me about how unfair it was that she would have to sit in the back of the bus of have a different movie theater because she was black.

She always looks out for her siblings and other children younger than her.  Five days ago, her teacher, Mrs. Knobb, called to tell me she would be awarded in the Terrific Kids assembly for her kindness to other children.  It was a surprise for Madeline, and you can see her face when she saw Ryan and I.  She leaned over and told her teacher that we were there.  It was hard to get her to show any emotion though once she walked to the front for her award.

Their new workshop

Madeline and Ella have been busy usurping Ryan's domain (yes, the only space he can find is in the garage).  They've rummaged through all my arts, crafts, and long unsorted junk, and much of it has ended up in boxes outside, along with some essentials such as glue, tape and scissors.  If I'm missing something, I know where to look.   In fact, they've been so busy outside, I erroneously accused them of nipping all the buds off my long-awaited, almost ready to bloom tulips.  Ella swore it wasn't her, and then looked for clues to discover what it might be.  Her conclusion:  a chipmunk.  I think the deer have been busy.

In case it's difficult to decipher the above invention, it was created on a rainy day.  Rain doesn't stop these girls.  They simply created rain jackets, and went outside until the wind blew them in.