Fly on the Wall

If you were a fly on the wall in my house you may have heard the following:



Owen and I get home from Riley.  Owen is working on a Lego set at the table.

Eric takes the kids on a bike ride.  Evie and our Safe Families toddler E in the bike cart, Zane on the trail-a-bike and Liam and Kate riding beside.  When they get back, Zane walks into the kitchen first.

Me:  How was the bike ride?

Zane, matter of factly:  Great!  But my weenie really hurts.

Evie and Eric walk in.

Evie, announcing loudly:  Mom, Zanie's Weener hurts!

I look at Eric wandering what in the world happened.

Eric: Yes, so he told us every few minutes rather loudly.


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Evie LOVES to pray before meals.   She so honestly just tells God all about her day and whatever else is on her mind.  Here's a sample...

Evie:   Dear God,  Fanks mom pick up E.  Fanks Eden take care of E.  Fanks I get to pway ipad. Fanks I get to read book wiff Mom.  Fanks I have letter movie.  Fanks I get to sweep (sleep).  Fanks I go to pool.  Amen.

The funny thing is, this is an exact rundown of the events of that morning and the previous evening in reverse order.   

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Owen had a Renal Ultrasound yesterday where they use the ultrasound on his belly, sides and back to get a good look at his kidneys and bladder.  

When I told him that's what was up first for the day this is what he said...

Owen:  Ooo, I love those!  They tickle.


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One of our friends at church gave Liam an old 10 speed bike.  Yesterday Eric taught Liam how to change speeds.   

On the bike ride Liam rides past his friend's house and sees Jared outside.  

Liam, shouting:  Hey, Jared.  Check it out.  10 speeds, a water bottle and a zipper pouch.

Jared, shouting back:  Can it get any cooler than that?!!  That's the bike of my dreams!

What an encouraging friend.

Fly on the Wall

Mr. Observant—Where Mulch Comes From

Zane, Liam and Eric are sitting on the swing in the back yard.  

[Zane loves to take random observations and form them into absolute truths, whether or not they have any basis in fact.]

Zane: Liam, did you know if you mix dirt and water it makes mulch?

Liam makes the "where the heck does this kid get this stuff from" face.

Eric:  Don't you mean dirt?

Zane: No.  Mulch.

Eric:  I think you mean MUD, buddy.  Water and dirt make mud.

Zane:  Wwweeellllll, technically... it makes mulch.  [Zane likes to use the word technically to make his ideas sound "true-er."]

Liam rolls his head back:  Here we go again.

Eric:  Zane, trust me.  If you mix dirt with water you get MUD not mulch.

Zane:  No, Dad! It makes mulch.  See... [he runs over to the new tree we planted last week and which Eric put mulch around a few days ago apparently unbeknownst to Zane.]

Zane:  ....We've been watering this dirt for days now and see.... it's turned into MULCH!

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Mr. Literal

We're getting our family picture taken for the church directory.  The photographer somehow squeezed and contorted all seven of us close enough together to fit in the frame.  The kids are all doing a great job of staying still and smiling...  except Owen.

The photographer works with us for several minutes trying to get him to stay in position, keep looking at the camera and smiling all at the same time.

Me: That's it, Owen!  Now stay just like that.... just freeze.... like a statue.

Owen, proudly raising his arm high in the air and completely moving every part of his body to turn and look at us: Like the Statue of Liberty?!

[exasperated sigh from the other kids]

Eric—in his calm, "no longer surprised that this is my life" voice— patiently states the obvious to our darling son instead of wringing his neck: No, Owen.  Not like the Stature of Liberty.

...and the process started over again.


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Miss Copy Cat—Who Needs Kneeling?

Eric is doing "Best and Worst" and prayers with the girls before bed like we do every night.  Kate and Evie share their favorite moment of the day and their worst.  Eric is laying on the floor and the girls are laying in their bunk beds.

Folding his hands across his chest, Eric closes his eyes to pray:  Dear Heavenly Father...  [He hears a commotion and opens his eyes to see Evie laying down on the floor next to him with her hands folded across her chest, eyes closed.]

Evie:  What, Daddy?  I pway wike you.

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Sweet Girl

Our nephew Paul stayed with us this week while his mommy went with his daddy on a business trip.  We absolutely adored having him with us for so long.  He and Evie were buddies.  And I think she really took to the "big sister" role.

Evie, no sooner than one hour after Tim and Mindy picked him up:  I miss Paulie.  I weawy miss him.

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Mr. Ornery

We spent Memorial Day weekend camping with my parents at Amishville (Yes, Amber.  That is a real place.)  

Grandpa Rohrer wanted to put some more ice in the cooler and needed to move some cases of pop from on top of it first.  

Being ornery Grandpa stacked it on Liam's lap since he was sitting nearby.

Grandpa, as he piles up Liam's lap with the heavy load:  Thanks for helping me, Liam.

Liam, grinning, cases piled up to his chin: Do I have a choice?

Grandpa, teasing: I could really use some help over here, Liam.  Could you get up and help me?  Come on, Liam, what's the problem.

Me, goading:  Yeah, Liam, why don't you get up and help him out?  What's the problem?

Liam, with a big smile, points at Grandpa:  He's the problem.

Grandma, laughing:  Isn't that the truth!


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Miss Social

Me, after first day camping:  Kate, what was your best today?

Kate:  Making a new friend at the playground.

Me, after the second day camping:  Kate what was your best today?

Kate: Making two new friends at the lake and one at the playground.  And... my second best was getting ice cream.

It never fails that her favorite part of any activity always involves seeing friends or meeting new people.  I was so not like this as a kid!

Zaney made a tower

Fly on the Wall Friday

Today as we finished up lunch.

Zane:  Sometimes I pretend I'm a lumber jack.

Me:  Oh, yeah?  Do you like to cut down trees?

Zane:  No, but when I fall asleep.... then I'm a slumber jack.

Zane's Master Blaster

$1 bought Zane this Buzz Lightyear blaster at Treasure House with his own money.

3 days later he realized it had two secret compartments with darts inside.

= one happy boy!

Boys Halloween 2013

Sent my boys off to Fall Festival. Kate is staying home as a "consequence" to something that happened Sunday. Evie did not wake up from her nap well and has been pitching a lovely fit for the past 45 minutes. So us girls are here at home. but check out my handsome, silly boys.

Luke Skywalker

I quickly sewed him a belt out of some spare flannel.  He "had" to have a pouch to keep his Star Wars Origami in.   The kid is obsessed with these books Kristin told us about.  He bought actual origami paper with his own money, and has been an origami machine ever since.  I have had to ban them from school time.  He is so obsessed. 

Owen has been adamant for 2 months now that he would be a "Brave Knight"

He loves his sword

And his shield.

Zane, Oh, Zane.  I tried in vain to get him to wear the Spiderman or Thomas costumes I had in the attic in his size.  "No, Mom. I don't want to be something cool.  I want to be something funny... like a juice box."

He was insistent.  So this afternoon I finally made it happen.

"Shake Well"

 Scanned an actual juice box, printed out the elements a little bigger and glued them on.

 Wrapping paper roll for the straw.

 I hear he pretended to squirt people with it, making me realize I forgot the most important feature he had requested—that it squirt.

Hey, bud, you can't have everything!

"Look Mom!  I'm juice in a juice box drinking juice in a juice box!"

Oh, my silly boy!

Fly on the Wall Friday

Zane, in exasperation:  For Heaven Pete's sake!

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Zane:  How do you call the Fire Ma-partment?

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Zane started preschool today.  He got a little stuffed horse from his teacher.

Zane:  I'm going to name him B-thalomew

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We are planning a trip to the cabin in Colorado in October.  Two weeks ago Liam checked out books about all the states between here and Colorado.  He has subsequently read them cover to cover.  He has also mapped out the route with our atlas.  Every spare minute he's pouring over these.

Last week, Liam: Mom, I realized today that I better make a list of all the things I read about that I want to do, cuz our trip is a month away and I might forget.

It was pretty cute.

Here's a transcript...

To do list

Missouri

- The Gateway Arch

- St. Louis Zoo

- Laura Ingalls Wilder House

- Airline History Museum

Kansas

- Sternberg Museum of Natural History

Colorado

- Go on nature hike

- Pikes Peak

- Seven Falls

- Go down an alpine slide

- Air Force Academ

- Chilax at the Cabin (after all that traveling it makes sense)

- Have fun!

Nebraska

- Listen to books on tape

- Take a nap

- Leon Myers Stamp Center

- Eat snacks

- Don't get bored!

Iowa

- Herbert Hoovers House.

My personal favorites are:

"Don't get bored" in Nebraska.   I told him that one would be the hardest to do!

and

"Chilax at the cabin (after all that traveling it makes sense)

too cute!

love that kid.

Now to get him to understand we will NOT be doing all the things on his list!

Fly on the Wall

Zane, randomly after snack time:  Mom, someday Evie will talk like a human.

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Kate, after a discussion about how God gives us new hearts/makes our hearts new when we believe in Him:  It's not the same as our heart that's a muscle.  We kind of have 2 hearts.  Actually 3.... if you have a baby growing inside you.

[no, I'm not pregnant.]

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Zane, playing ipad physics game:  Mom, I need this canyon to shoot this pile down.  But this other canyon is in the way.  

Me:  Do you mean "canon"?

Zane:  That's what I said, canyon!

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Zane, while playing in a bunk bed tent with their mini light sabers:  I love my light saver!  Star Worst is a fun game.

I love his mispronunciations.]

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Liam, at his well-check with new pediatrician: So if this is a physical, am I gonna have to do push ups?

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Zane Knows America

Zane has been obsessed lately with a part of the "Stack the States" iPad game where you place all the states in the proper location.

Zane loves puzzles and the iPad, so it's no surprise to me that he loves this game.  The amazing part is that there are NO OUTLINES on the map and each State is presented at the same size until it is placed (ie Rhode Island looks the same size as California.)

Today Zane mastered this game.  He ran to tell me he did it with no mistakes.  Which is really hard. I've tried this game.  If you tap even the slightest bit in the wrong place it buzzes you.  

So I took a video of him doing it.  He missed only one, and it was the second one he placed.

Then I got the bright idea to show him the wooden States puzzle we had.  I usually keep it out of reach.

The kid dumped it and proceeded to complete it in under 5 minutes.  Owen helped a little.

I may be biased, but I'm super proud of my little man!

Fly on the Wall - Zane

Zane's Sunday School teacher: Who can tell me some good news from their family this week?


Zane: I can.... My mom and dad like to kiss a lot.


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Zane, to Aunt Janet on her 30th birthday:  I've never met someone so 30.

Then as she used scissors to open a gift.... Zane: Can you even use scissors right?!

Three Peas in a Pod, Now and Then

Proud Puzzle Put-together-er

Best Birthday Present Ever

"Mom!  Mom!  Mom!  It SNOWED!  On my birf-day!!!!!!"

I let him go outside to play first thing this morning.

I didn't take much convincing.

He was so excited.

Then some other kids thought it sounded like fun too.

School can wait 30 minutes.

Green Piggie Birthday

Zane asked for a "Green Bad Piggie" birthday.

Being the in-the-know mom that I am

of course i knew exactly immediately asked my 8 year old what he was referring to.

A spin off of the Angry Birds game in the ipad.

clearly.

version 1.0 showed me the app and I made this cake for 4.0.

Actually all the kids helped.

It was Owen's idea to use marshmallows for the teeth.

My favorite line, as I iced the first layer of a 2 layer cake...

Liam:  So that's how you get the icing in the middle of the cake!  I've always wondered how you did that!

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Zane is going to be 4!   

I can hardly believe it.

pre-party interview:

Evie eyeing that yummy green icing.

opening a book from the Minnesota cousins!

Thanks, Adde and Ella and Ivan, he loves it!

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He was so excited about his GREEN piggie party, especially his cake.

he got oddly upset after I removed the candles because there were "holes" in his head!

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Zane, age 4

Zaney, I love you to the moon and back.  You are funny, cuddly, helpful, curious, insightful, determined, smart, energetic, a hard worker.  You easily forgive, are quick with hugs, always ready for an adventure and throw yourself completely into whatever is before you.  

I am glad you still love to snuggle with your mama.  I think they way you suck your thumb when you're sleepy is sweet.  Your favorite toys are Mikey and Brownie.  Those poor dogs are starting to smell like Nana did from how much you chew on them.  In fact you're always chewing on something—even Legos.  

Z-man, you LOVE playing Legos with your brothers and are an expert "Dup-a-lo" (as you say) builder.  You make the most amazing and completely symmetrical towers, vehicles and buildings.  You are amazing at puzzles and can zip around the ipad faster than Mommy.  You know you're numbers and letters and their sounds.  You can even read a few words. 

You adore your brothers and sisters, and frankly, don't know what to do with yourself without them.  You keep up with the big kids and play nicely with Evie too (sometimes).  

Zane, we can't imagine our lives without you.  You bring so much fun and so many words to our family.  You never ever stop talking.  You tell the best (and the longest) stories, and we love it.  We can't wait to see how God uses your strengths and interests, weaknesses and struggles for His glory and to reach others for Him!

We love you, Dinga.

Kids' Portraits - November 2012

I took the kids to Portrait Innovations Monday.

Despite the less than stellar studio behavior of my kids, we came out with some great photos!