A Daily Dose of Mischief

We spent Friday and Saturday visiting family in Vancouver. It was nice to have a little time away from home and to visit with extended family. Saturday morning we were eating breakfast at Grandpa L's house, and #4 just kept eating and eating. He had some omelet, some toast with jelly, juice, and two bowls of cereal. He kept on asking for more. Somebody commented about where he was putting all that food and he said, with a HUGE grin, "Its okay! I have lots of empty space, up HERE!" and he tapped his head. We all burst out laughing. He tried to change the empty space to his arm, but it was already too late. That kid isn't doing much to change the stereotype of blonds .

We stopped ordering school pictures a couple of years ago. This was mostly because school pictures just plain SUCK. They rush the kids through there like cattle and as long as their eyes are open, the rest of the picture doesn't matter. The first year we moved here the photographer that does the school pictures forgot to clean his camera lens and every kid had this thing on their face that looked like a mole or dirt...EVERY kid. We sent our kids for retakes, but due to a miscommunication #1 didn't get to do the retake and we were stuck. I think we returned the pictures, but I am not sure. Aside from dirt encrusted lenses, there are the lovely vacant expressions, weird smiles and yes, even a snarl once that was deemed worthy by the photographer to be printed into school pictures. I haven't even gotten to the cost yet. The package we would normally purchase costs about $24.00 I can print the same number of pictures (minus the 8 useless mini pictures that are about the size o

Two of them! A while back I wrote about our snail Claireford going the way of all the earth (i.e. he/she croaked). I also mentioned that after Claireford's untimely demise there was a mysterious tiny little slug-like creature in the tank. Thinking it may have been a baby snail with an undeveloped shell, I kept it for several weeks, but eventually I gave up on it being a snail and set it free. I know that snails and slugs are pretty much the same thing, but I just can't stomach the thought of feeding slugs for some reason. Snails, I can handle. Near the start of the school year I was walking home from the school with #3 and #4 and I chanced upon a snail crossing the sidewalk. I stopped the boys and had them come and look at it. My intention was to look at it, and then let it go on its slow but merry way. Then I saw a second snail just off of the sidewalk, and I couldn't resist. #1 was pretty sad when Claireford died ( Claireford is named after Cliff and Claire Hu

The other day #4 and #5 were talking about what they want their job to be when they grow up. #4 said he would like to drive a car for a job, so I asked him what kind of a driving job he wanted. He decided that he really just wants to drive and was thrilled when I told him that most grown ups can drive and he doesn't have to get a job driving to do it. He then decided that he would really like to be "The one that cooks dinner" for his job as a grown up. #5 piped up at that point and said, "I want to be the one that plays with all the Thomas (the tank engine) toys when I grow up." I think its good to know what you want and what makes you really happy. I am sure cooking dinner and playing with trains will probably lose some of their allure as the boys get older, but for now I think they are both great aspirations.

A couple of weeks ago #3 asked me about who will get D's PDA when he is gone. I asked him what he meant, and he clarified that after D and I are really old and die, someone would get the PDA , and he wanted it to be him. Here I thought people didn't start fighting over their parent's estate until AFTER they were dead. I mentioned the PDA /death conversation at dinner that night, and it turned into a full blown claiming of our items by each of the kids. I will tell you that none of the items that we would have thought of putting in our will (the grandfather clock D's dad built for us, my Grandmother's painting , the piano, etc) were mentioned. There was a brief struggle over who would get my cake mix doctor cookbook though and #4 decided he wanted our van when we are gone. #5 was content to say that he wanted all of the Thomas the Tank Engine Toys (which technically, are already his). Hopefully D and I will be around for a little longer, at least until #5 outgr

The other day D asked #2 if he would bring him a Philips screwdriver. #2, always eager to help out said "Sure" and went off on his quest to find the needed tool. A little while later #2 came back and said, "Sorry Dad, I couldn't find a Philips, all I could find was a Stanley screwdriver."

Just the other day #4 was noticing how grown-ups (Mommies to be specific) get to do "Whatever they want." We recently had this conversation. #4: I like being a kid better. Me: Better than what? #4: Being a grown-up. Me: Why? #4: Because I get to go to school. I guess I can stop worrying about whether he likes school or not.

#1 wanted to wear an orange T-shirt today but already had put some jeans on. He asked me if orange and blue went together and I said, "Blue jeans go with everything." To which he replied, "Even barf?" Yes...what a sweet kid.

I made this video/slideshow about three years ago when I was first learning how to use video editing software. Its not award winning, but it makes me feel good, and it has all five of the boys in it. I hope you enjoy it!

#4 drew some pictures today and was showing them to #5, explaining what they were. Basically it was a series of babies (shaped like upside down hearts with eyes and a smile) and each one had a certain food they ate, and they only ate that food. I was at the computer when I heard him explaining it to #5 #4: And this baby only eats graham crackers, this baby only eats fruit snacks, this baby only eats icecream, and THIS baby only eats bananas. Then he pointed to the much larger upside down heart on the page and said... #4: This is the Mommy. Mommies eat all the cookies. I asked him why he said Mommies eat all the cookies and his answer was that "Mommies get to do whatever they want..." In other news, today was #4's first day of school. He is in Kindergarten this year! I can't believe he is already in Kindergarten! Excited for School

Today was the first day of school here...for the big boys at least. Kindergarten starts tomorrow. #4, #5 and I walked the three older boys to school today. It was damp outside and the slugs were out in droves. Slugs can become a household pest here if your home isn't virtually airtight. (Its very disconcerting to be walking barefoot in your own home and accidentally step on a slug. Trust me...I know.) On the way to school we walk along a gravel road with grass growing between the tire ruts. There were slugs everywhere. In spite of our best efforts to not squish any of them, I am afraid that some of them met an untimely doom. #5 was fascinated by the slugs and would often pause to watch them. When we got home he proclaimed it slug day. How did you celebrate slug day?

We had the opportunity to go and see a civil war reenactment at Fort Stevens today thanks to a generous friend. She thought the boys would enjoy watching a battle reenactment and seeing the camps set up to show how life during the civil war was. There were cannons, guns, horses and battle, what more could a boy want? (Other than for his Mom to buy him a wooden sword afterwards.) Here are a few pictures from the battle. The boys seemed to enjoy it other than the noise from the cannon fire. All in all it was a great day and we had a lot of fun. Confederate Cavalry Confederate Camp Union Army Our friend who invited us (center) along with her daughter and a friend.