sweet songs for grandparents, and more

Aggie's creative juices were flowing last week! Here are some sweet songs she sang for her grandparents. (I helped with the lyrics a little.)

For Grammy and Bump:



For Nana and Bump:



Here's Marcus's version of a sweet song...

Mommy joy and melancholy, in stereo (a preschool day)

A glimpse of Eldon and Peter, on an idillyc spring preschool day.

Today, we had to flea bomb the house (ugh!) so we hurried around and left early this morning, about 15 min after the big kids went to school I had to shut you out and actually lock the doors so you wouldn’t come in while I was setting off bombs. You two are SO NUTS when you are together these days, i feel like I do a LOT of talking with nobody actually hearing me.  When I came outside you were disappointed to know I had already set off the “bombs” and there were no actual explosions.

First, we went to “the climbing place” (The Commons), and since it was 830am, we were the only ones there!  It was wonderful! You two hooted and hollered and spun each other on the spinny thing while I ate Subway and drank coffee. (I forgot to eat before we left!) Of course, the sight of my food made you SO HUNGRY YOU JUST DIDN’T KNOW HOW YOU’D EVER MAKE IT, so I bought you each some nice soft cookies from Subway. You boys marched in with your dollars, cut in line, and demanded the “black cookies” while a line full of people waited patiently and smiled at you both and your crazy little-boy energy.

Next, I took you to FFY for open gym time (the gymnastics center, with the trampoline and the foam pit and whatnot.) Alas, mama misread the internet (could it have been because a hoard of kids were talking to me while I tried?) and it was closed. Shoulders slumped, pouty lips came out, and you both cast longing looks at the dark room where you thought you’d be playing. You grief lasted an entire thirty seconds, when I said “How about we go to Mill Race park?” and you both cheered and ran to the car.

The weather was lovely today. It was the kind of day where we had sweater-jackets, and we’d snuggle in the wind, only to take them off moments later when we were too hot, only to put them back on again when the wind blew again. Spring is happening everywhere, and I love finding it with you boys.

We hiked all the way down the trail so we could go on the blue bridge, then later, across the tracks to the red bridge. On the way we got to watch an entire tree float down the river.  We raced it and, with much effort, beat it to the blue bridge so we could watch it from above. On the way back, we climbed the tower (Peter was quite nervous! I had to carry him back down- I think it is extra scary that you can see through the holes in the floor!)

We walked across a huge field on the way to the playground, and there, my favorite trees: Sprawling, climbing trees, with limbs low to the ground, perfect for little ones (and old mamas!)  Eldon saw them and yelled, “Look at those trees! I want to climb on them!” and Peter yelled, “I want to pee on them!” You did both. Mission complete.

Next, the playground, and then we walked to the pond with the fountain. You two were delighted to see the ducks, and better yet, they were friendly! They kept coming up to you, probably hoping you had bread.  But we had no bread, and poor Peter’s heart began to ache about this. “Next time we weally weed to bwing bwead for the ducks mom,” he said about ten times.   Soon after, we saw a huge “turtle party” on a log in the water- at least 20 turtles, babies and big ones, rested in the sun.  After that, we discovered a beautiful patch of blue flowers (probably weeds, but they were lovely); a really cool dead lizard, a tunnel covered with wives, and a flock of canadian geese. “Mom, I really want to have a goose birthday party when it’s my birthday!” Peter, you have said that to me at least 20 times in the past month.  Last fall, you were obsessed with chickens, but now, geese. What is it about fowl that you love so much?!

It was such a lovely day you boys talked me into skipping your naps.   I opted for a Walgreens lunch, thinking it couldn’t be any worse than MCDonalds, and hoping to find some cheap bread there for us and the ducks. We did, and also clearance Easter candy! Score! Eldon chose a huge chocolate easter egg, and Peter, a bag of jelly beans “because Eldon, yours will go too quick, but I’ll suck on mine and they will wast wonger.” (last longer.) That’s quite a bit of wisdom from a child who can’t quite pronounce the “l” sound yet!

We learned that canadian geese have no taste for white bread. We had to hunt for the ducks in two different ponds before we found them.  The park was slightly flooded, so we had to stand in the grass and throw the bread over the sidewalk and then into the pond. It was quite a challenge. It was so fun for me to watch you two sharing throwing strategies. “Peter, you have to spin around first like this.” (peter spins, drops the bread at his feet, falls.)  “Eldon no you have to jump like this!” “Mommy look I did it!” Those 2 ducks ate about 6 hot dog buns that day!

What a lovely morning with my preschoolers!  I am so glad we got OUT to the park. It is much easier for me to relax and just BE with you kids when I am not at home with all the undone jobs yelling at me. And it is hitting me lately, how very quickly these preschool years have gone. White Creek has been the perfect place to raise up four preschool boys (girls, you were only pre-school here for a very short time as we moved here in 2008!)  There was a time when I thought I would be home with little boys FOR EV ER and wasn’t sure we’d survive, but look where we are now! Almost at the finish line!  I’m not sure I’m altogether happy about this!

All day I had the song “Landslide” in my head because it so matched my move. “Oh I’ve been afraid of changes, cuz I built my life around you. but time makes you bolder, children get older, I’m getting older too.” And the crazy thing is- we went to Menards to buy some green bean seeds for you to plant in the garden, and there at the checkout, where you boys are sitting side by side in one of those “car” carts, that VERY SONG came on the speakers at Menards! Mommy melancholy in stereo! It made me laugh though, and gave me that last burst of energy to drive you like a wild woman in your cart-car all the way through the parking lot.

Love you, little boys!

Eldon's sixth birthday

Eldon,

Where did my little boy with the blankie go? And the finger sucking? Suddenly you are a big kid, a SCHOOL kid, and you are thriving in kindergarten. Last week Mrs. Finke brought eggs to school to incubate in your classroom- you will get to see them hatch! When dad asked if YOU had to take a turn sitting on them you rolled your eyes and shook your head and just said, “Dad. Seriously.” (sounds more like ‘sewiouswy.’)

Mickey Mouse is no longer your best friend- now, you are all about dinosaurs. We had an all-boy dinosaur party for your birthday.  It included mud, a rock pile, nerf guns, milkshakes, dinosaur tails, and even dancing (open the door, get on the floor, everybody walk that dinosaur!)  You got a remote control car for your birthday, and just a minute ago your plastic dinosaur was taking it for a spin down the hallway!

I love how excited you are about school right now. It doesn't matter what’s going on after school, even if I have my hands in soapy dishwater, or if I’m teaching a class with adults, you HAVE to run right to me, open your bag, and show me your papers one by one the minute you walk in the door. Then, of course, it’s “what’s for snack?”

I love the way you yell out “SKUS-TING!” like when you found that huge dead frog in our basement or when copper brought the dead raccoon on the porch or whenever you see Peter in his underwear (daily).

I also love the way you sneak in the snuggles whenever you can… like in the morning, when I don’t get out of bed right away, you get dressed as fast as you can and then climb in next to me.  Or when I’m sitting on the swing; you’re usually the first one to come away from whatever fun action is happening with the big kids (trampoline, baseball, rock pile, whatever) and you curl up next to me and put my arm around you.

You are so excited to be six! I can tell you feel much older than Peter, who is currently four (“and a half, Eldon! I’m four and A HALF!”)  Welcome to the world of big-kids, Eldon! But my arms are still open for you whenever you need them.

Thanking God for six years with you Eldon!  Happy Birthday!
Love, mom