To say we've been busy is a bit of an understatement. Along with the regular assortment of play groups, play dates, gymnastics and kung fu classes, we've had house guests, holidays, and even a trip to the emergency room. Ryan fell down and split his lip open. Five stitches, one puzzle, and one dump truck later he is stitch-free and happy.
Spring has found us outside much more often. Ethan and Ryan now get up and run outside to jump on the trampoline. Despite my warnings that they shouldn't flip over in mid-air, I know they are doing exactly that. I could try to work up to being truly upset about it, but I know that I would do the same thing if I could.
Their birthdays are coming up soon, Ethan in May and Ryan and June. Ethan had said that he wanted a Wii, but abruptly changed his mind last week and now wants Pokemon themed gifts. I'm a little surprised by this since he loves to play with his friends' Wiis, but knowing how much he adores all things Pokemon, I'm not completely shocked.
Ryan wants a spy-themed party. No surprise there at all. we're going to assemble a spy briefcase for him with a magnifying glass, a light in the shape of a pen, a flashlight, a lock-picking set, and such. I need to start checking thrift stores to find a second hand briefcase.
In the meantime, the library playgroup has moved into the park, and we'll start running a sports program again this year. This year instead of having baseball every week we'll have different sports like kickball, frisbee, horseshoes, and croquet. That will have to wait until May though when the weather is less soggy and jackets are, more or less, optional. For now, we'll enjoy the sunny days and bounce on the trampoline to keep warm.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
St. Patrick's Day, Ice Cream. and Kids
It's been a good few days. For St. Patrick's Day we made an entirely green meal: fried eggs, pan-toasted buttered pita, boiled potatoes, broccoli, milk, and angel food cake with cream cheese icing all liberally altered with food dye. The guys loved it. We also played a game all day which involved saying "St. Patrick's Day!" whenever you saw a shamrock or other St. Patrick's Day themed item. Since we went to Stew Leonard's, we saw a lot of of them. We also got ice cream.
Tuesday was busy. It always is, but this week it was exceptionally busy. We went to the Scholastic book sale with Stephanie and her kids and got a number of things for the guys and for the gift closet. After that we picked up our neighbor's daughter from school and went over to our friends' farm to see the new babies. They had lots of kids, lambs, and chicks. Ryan liked petting and being petted by the goats, but I think Ethan's favorite part was when he got to climb on the dirt pile that's been built up from clearing and grading the new road.
It was drizzling when we got to the farm, then it started to snow. The sun was out even while it was snowing. The snow stopped,and the sky cleared. The sunset was absolutely amazing. The building is the brand new chicken palace that Mark just finished building.
Today we dyed eggs using rubber bands, scotch tape, and stickers as resists. Those worked really well. We mostly used white eggs, but tried 3 brown ones just to see how they'd turn out. They came out really nice, I thought. I need to get some photos of them before they turn into deviled eggs and egg salad this weekend.
I'm glad it's rained the past few Wednesdays. It gives me an extra incentive to be in the house. Even if I don't always accomplish all the things I want to get done, I do get to spend more time with Ethan and Ryan without the pressure of knowing that we have to be someplace at a specific time.
Tuesday was busy. It always is, but this week it was exceptionally busy. We went to the Scholastic book sale with Stephanie and her kids and got a number of things for the guys and for the gift closet. After that we picked up our neighbor's daughter from school and went over to our friends' farm to see the new babies. They had lots of kids, lambs, and chicks. Ryan liked petting and being petted by the goats, but I think Ethan's favorite part was when he got to climb on the dirt pile that's been built up from clearing and grading the new road.
It was drizzling when we got to the farm, then it started to snow. The sun was out even while it was snowing. The snow stopped,and the sky cleared. The sunset was absolutely amazing. The building is the brand new chicken palace that Mark just finished building.
Today we dyed eggs using rubber bands, scotch tape, and stickers as resists. Those worked really well. We mostly used white eggs, but tried 3 brown ones just to see how they'd turn out. They came out really nice, I thought. I need to get some photos of them before they turn into deviled eggs and egg salad this weekend.
I'm glad it's rained the past few Wednesdays. It gives me an extra incentive to be in the house. Even if I don't always accomplish all the things I want to get done, I do get to spend more time with Ethan and Ryan without the pressure of knowing that we have to be someplace at a specific time.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Spies and switched identities
Ryan was going to play Candyland with Jeanne after dinner, but when I asked Ethan if he wanted to come with me to take the dog for a walk, Ryan immediately said "I want to go!" I warned him that if he went with me Candyland was out of the question tonight. He didn't care.
We donned some warm jackets and set off. He skipped along next to me offering me his theories about why the birds were being so noisy. I have to admit that I never considered that they were complaining because it was much early to go to bed. I also never thought that they might be having dinner and telling each other what they did during the day. I suggested that they might be saying good night to each other, but Ryan explained that birds only say good night after the sunlight is completely gone.
Ryan wanted to walk through the school parking lot and along a curving street toward the park. I don't generally walk along that street because the trees and bushes aren't well maintained. He pointed out the sidewalks were not clean and that "whoever works in these buildings needs to have a clean up day because all the garbage lying around is rude." I couldn't agree more. He suggested we pick it up as we walk, but soon realized taht there was more garbage than we could carry and that there aren't any rubbish bins in which to put the trash we had picked up.
After a few blocks, a couple turned from a side street onto the street we walking along. "Shhhh," Ryan told me, "See those guys up there? Those guys are spies for real."
"Really? How can you tell?"
"Because Ba, they're wearing blue shirts and dark pants. All the spies wear that."
"Oh, OK. How do you know that's what spies wear?"
"Because I'm a spy!" You can't argue with that.
The couple turned off, and we turned back toward the house. Ryan announced that he was cold. He wouldn't wear a hat or gloves when we left the house,so this didn't surprise me. "Would you like my hat?" What a silly questions. About a block later he was wearing my gloves as well.
He held out his hands, my gloves dangling off them, and announced, "I am Mister Ba."
I laughed. "You are Ryan and I am Ba."
"No sir. You are wrong. You are Ryan, and I am Ba. See?" He held out his hands again.
I tapped the top of his head. "I am bigger, and you are littler. I am Ba, and you are Ryan."
He came right next to me. "OK. Stop please." I stopped. He put his little foot next to mine. He looked caught out.
"See? Your foot is smaller. You are Ryan."
"No way!" He ran ahead and stopped near the dog. "Make him stand still please." I had the dog stand still. "See?" He put his foot next to Croydon's. "My foot is bigger. I am Mister Ba!" He danced ahead of me. "I am big and I can do anything and I can cross the street all by myself!"
"Not yet," I tell him. "you still need my hand."
He considered this as we approached a busier street. "OK," he said at last. He took my hand. We crossed the street. Halfway across he grinned at me. "I am holding your hand. I am Ba and you are Ryan."
"I am holding your hand."
"No no no! I am holding your hand." We walk another block. "How long until we get home?"
"Only three more blocks. Do you want to jump up and be my backpack guy?"
"OK Ba."
"I thought you were Ba."
"No. I decided that you're big enough to be Ba." I pulled him onto my back. We walked toward home. "Ba?"
"What love?"
"Will you always be my Ba?"
"Yup. Will you always be my Ryan?"
"Uh-huh. You can have your hat now."
We donned some warm jackets and set off. He skipped along next to me offering me his theories about why the birds were being so noisy. I have to admit that I never considered that they were complaining because it was much early to go to bed. I also never thought that they might be having dinner and telling each other what they did during the day. I suggested that they might be saying good night to each other, but Ryan explained that birds only say good night after the sunlight is completely gone.
Ryan wanted to walk through the school parking lot and along a curving street toward the park. I don't generally walk along that street because the trees and bushes aren't well maintained. He pointed out the sidewalks were not clean and that "whoever works in these buildings needs to have a clean up day because all the garbage lying around is rude." I couldn't agree more. He suggested we pick it up as we walk, but soon realized taht there was more garbage than we could carry and that there aren't any rubbish bins in which to put the trash we had picked up.
After a few blocks, a couple turned from a side street onto the street we walking along. "Shhhh," Ryan told me, "See those guys up there? Those guys are spies for real."
"Really? How can you tell?"
"Because Ba, they're wearing blue shirts and dark pants. All the spies wear that."
"Oh, OK. How do you know that's what spies wear?"
"Because I'm a spy!" You can't argue with that.
The couple turned off, and we turned back toward the house. Ryan announced that he was cold. He wouldn't wear a hat or gloves when we left the house,so this didn't surprise me. "Would you like my hat?" What a silly questions. About a block later he was wearing my gloves as well.
He held out his hands, my gloves dangling off them, and announced, "I am Mister Ba."
I laughed. "You are Ryan and I am Ba."
"No sir. You are wrong. You are Ryan, and I am Ba. See?" He held out his hands again.
I tapped the top of his head. "I am bigger, and you are littler. I am Ba, and you are Ryan."
He came right next to me. "OK. Stop please." I stopped. He put his little foot next to mine. He looked caught out.
"See? Your foot is smaller. You are Ryan."
"No way!" He ran ahead and stopped near the dog. "Make him stand still please." I had the dog stand still. "See?" He put his foot next to Croydon's. "My foot is bigger. I am Mister Ba!" He danced ahead of me. "I am big and I can do anything and I can cross the street all by myself!"
"Not yet," I tell him. "you still need my hand."
He considered this as we approached a busier street. "OK," he said at last. He took my hand. We crossed the street. Halfway across he grinned at me. "I am holding your hand. I am Ba and you are Ryan."
"I am holding your hand."
"No no no! I am holding your hand." We walk another block. "How long until we get home?"
"Only three more blocks. Do you want to jump up and be my backpack guy?"
"OK Ba."
"I thought you were Ba."
"No. I decided that you're big enough to be Ba." I pulled him onto my back. We walked toward home. "Ba?"
"What love?"
"Will you always be my Ba?"
"Yup. Will you always be my Ryan?"
"Uh-huh. You can have your hat now."
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Cupcakes on a Tuesday
Tuesday's are typically our busiest day. Ryan has gymnastics at 9:30am. Ethan has home school Kung Fu 11:00am. While Ethan is in Kung Fu, Ryan plays with the other kids who aren't taking Kung Fu. Esther and I get to string beads and talk with the other mommies. After Kung Fu, we usually have a play date with other people from the class. Then Ethan has his gymnastics class at 4:00pm.
Today, after Kung Fu, we and Stephanie went to a fabric store in Cheshire and spent far too much money on fabric for three table cloths and some fabric we're not sure how we're going to use. Probably it'll be kitchen curtains. After that we got to go home and be in the house for a while. It felt decadent since we don't usually go home in the middle of a Tuesday. I got to make cupcakes with Ryan. Ryan loves making things with my big blue friend (AKA a Kitchen Aid). He wanted to make cookies as well, but after walking the dog and cleaning up from cupcakes it was time to make dinner.
It's going to rain tomorrow, and we're going to have a rain day and stay in the house. I see cookies in our Wednesday.
Today, after Kung Fu, we and Stephanie went to a fabric store in Cheshire and spent far too much money on fabric for three table cloths and some fabric we're not sure how we're going to use. Probably it'll be kitchen curtains. After that we got to go home and be in the house for a while. It felt decadent since we don't usually go home in the middle of a Tuesday. I got to make cupcakes with Ryan. Ryan loves making things with my big blue friend (AKA a Kitchen Aid). He wanted to make cookies as well, but after walking the dog and cleaning up from cupcakes it was time to make dinner.
It's going to rain tomorrow, and we're going to have a rain day and stay in the house. I see cookies in our Wednesday.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
New Adventures
Today we met up with some new friends at Imagination Nation. It was wonderful. Five moms, 7 boys, and lots of room to explore and play. We've never had an all boy play date before. It was fun to see them all play together, separate, form groups, change groups, and come together again. As if that weren't enough, we all got ice cream at the end.
After that we went over to the Manross Library for their Superhero Academy. Ethan had a blast there at the program, and Ryan had fun playing with the younger kids. There were lots of wonderful home school moms, so we got time to be with adults. I wonder if this program will push our spy games over in favor of superhero ones. I doubt it, but I do think there might be a super-spy in our future.
After that we went over to the Manross Library for their Superhero Academy. Ethan had a blast there at the program, and Ryan had fun playing with the younger kids. There were lots of wonderful home school moms, so we got time to be with adults. I wonder if this program will push our spy games over in favor of superhero ones. I doubt it, but I do think there might be a super-spy in our future.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Spy Tracks
We had scheduled things for today, but decided to have a rain day instead. Ethan and Ryan wanted to earn some money by shoveling sleet this morning, so we let Ethan do the front walk and Ryan do the back steps. Ethan did a great job. Ryan did an interesting one. I'm not sure that he was ever actually on the back steps except to use them as an entrance and egress, but I know he was all over the rest of the yard.
I discovered today that post-it notes are also integral to being a spy. I came into the kitchen this morning to find a trail of post-its across the floor. When I asked why they were there, I was told they were "spy tracks". Apparently spies leave post-it tracks when footprints are unavailable. Luckily Ryan left actual footprints in the yard as they are self-cleaning unlike post-its.
I discovered today that post-it notes are also integral to being a spy. I came into the kitchen this morning to find a trail of post-its across the floor. When I asked why they were there, I was told they were "spy tracks". Apparently spies leave post-it tracks when footprints are unavailable. Luckily Ryan left actual footprints in the yard as they are self-cleaning unlike post-its.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
It's all about the gadgets
Ethan and Ryan have decided that being spies is the coolest adventure in the world. Ryan has a spy for longer than Ethan. He has a real spy id card that he got in the mail from a mysterious place called Spy Headquarters. It has his name, spy number (12345), and picture. Ethan really wants one to come in the mail for him. I told him that I thought one would come one day soon.
Being a spy involves having a briefcase, a magnifying glass, a fake mustache, and a pen and paper. It has optional componants like fingerprint ink and fingerprint dust. In Ryan's case it involves following people if they are "auspicious" (acting suspiciously) and making booby traps to catch bad guy spies who sneak into his room. For Ethan it involves many calls in code on a cell phone and writing secret notes that change in meaning depending on who is reading them. They both use clever disguises which they assemble from the dress-up box. Today a very short repair guy walked through the house assuring me that his bright blue hard hard and purple shawl proved that he was "nothing to be concerned about." In fact, he was just "checking on things to make sure nothing was, um, broken."
They've been tracking where the grown-ups go by using the magnifying glass to find footprints on the floors, and today they guessed who drank the water by comparing fingerprints they lifted off a glass with the ones everyone put on a piece of paper. I have no idea what's in store for tomorrow, but I do know that even though Ryan really really wants an Aston-Martin with a revolving license plate and a steel bar that comes out of the center of the each tire to knock other spy cars off the road buying one is not on tomorrow's agenda.
Being a spy involves having a briefcase, a magnifying glass, a fake mustache, and a pen and paper. It has optional componants like fingerprint ink and fingerprint dust. In Ryan's case it involves following people if they are "auspicious" (acting suspiciously) and making booby traps to catch bad guy spies who sneak into his room. For Ethan it involves many calls in code on a cell phone and writing secret notes that change in meaning depending on who is reading them. They both use clever disguises which they assemble from the dress-up box. Today a very short repair guy walked through the house assuring me that his bright blue hard hard and purple shawl proved that he was "nothing to be concerned about." In fact, he was just "checking on things to make sure nothing was, um, broken."
They've been tracking where the grown-ups go by using the magnifying glass to find footprints on the floors, and today they guessed who drank the water by comparing fingerprints they lifted off a glass with the ones everyone put on a piece of paper. I have no idea what's in store for tomorrow, but I do know that even though Ryan really really wants an Aston-Martin with a revolving license plate and a steel bar that comes out of the center of the each tire to knock other spy cars off the road buying one is not on tomorrow's agenda.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)