Back Yard Fun

Real Smile, originally uploaded by cheryl.

Bubble Boy

"More Bubbles, Please", originally uploaded by cheryl.

So the boys actually convinced me to go outside today. Well, actually their incessant use of the computer convinced me. It's getting a bit ridiculous, the way we let screens occupy them for so much of their day. If you let them, they would stay on the computer playing games all day long. Of course, Mommy likes her computer, too, so maybe she understands. A little. But if it's not the computer, it's the television. They are beyond obsessed at this point. It's like a constant background in our house, and it has to stop.

Warmer weather means less screens and more play. We are so ready for that.

Today we dug our bubbles out of the garage and headed out into the back yard. Xander followed me around saying "Bubbles ... more bubbles ... please!" every five seconds. Literally. If you tried to put the cap back on, the words were already coming out of his mouth.

Even Sawyer expected bubbles the whole time. He would just pick up the bottle and thrust it into my hands. You know, as in, "Here, lady, make yourself useful!" That's what his expression said, anyway.

So, we had bubbles. Lots and lots of bubbles. Because that meant we were all outside. Playing. Enjoying the (sort-of) warm weather. Not watching screens.

P.S. Please ignore the boy's dirty mouth (and sweatshirt). We may or may not have stopped for our daily Frosty after the twins got out of school. In fact, Xander may or may not have started shouting "Choc-late!" as soon as he got into the truck, you know, rather than at least waiting until the Wendy's was in sight. What can I say, he's a Mommy's boy. We like our daily dose of "Choc-late!"

Spring Fever

I Want to Go Outside!, originally uploaded by cheryl.

All of the boys, but especially Sawyer, have been showing signs of Spring fever. We are tired of the cold and wet and snow and ice. We're tired of the house, and quite frankly, each other a lot of the time. We're ready for sunshine and warm weather. Sawyer will even settle for the appearance of these things, as you see in the photo above. It was maybe 45 degrees that day, and he was prepared to go outside in his sweatpants, t-shirts and red Crocs (with no socks, of course).

Unfortunately, he didn't get his way that afternoon. It was a little on the cold side and a lot on the wet (and therefore muddy) side. Plus we were right in the middle of preparing dinner, so it just didn't happen. Poor kid, he was not happy about that at all. We've made it out a few afternoons, but this just wasn't one of them.

But Spring can officially show up any time now. Connor is impatient for baseball to begin again (the twins, not so much). We all miss walking up to the neighborhood park or just spending afternoons in the back yard. Buster also misses walking, but with two ACL surgeries on his back legs, we don't do those in snow or ice or even rain (sorry, puppy)! We're ready to get back outside.

Here's hoping the warm weather comes back and stays back!

Wake Up, Connor, It's Time for School!

It only took a matter of months’ for Connor to be over the adventure of “big kid” school. He went from telling everyone the name of his school and how he was going to be in “big kid” school to complaining about it in every breath he takes.

He hates school. He hates getting up early. He hates homework. He hates sight words. He hates having four (or three or two or even one) more day of school before every weekend. He hates Chinese. He hates work. He hates writing his letters. He hates it all.

Are we seeing a pattern?

Every single morning, I have to practically drag the kid out of bed. It starts with a fun “Wake up, Connor, it’s time for school!” This started out as a little joke we’d talk about at bed time, how I would see him in the morning and tell him this to make him excited about school. He thinks it’s funny at bedtime. Not so much at 6:35 in the morning. His standard response is always a very short, clipped “No!” that doesn’t even sound like his little voice. It’s angry, abrupt and mostly still asleep. He curls himself into a tight ball and burrows deeper under the covers. He complains the light is hurting his eyes and pulls a pillow over his head.

Every. Single. Day.

Clearly, a morning person he is not. And I honestly have no idea where he gets that from. Really.

It takes quite a while to get him up and moving. I’ve even resorted to making him brush his teeth right after he goes to the bathroom, because I can’t be certain he’ll finish breakfast in time to brush his teeth before we have to leave for school. Most days he ends up with dry cereal and unfinished milk in the truck on the way to school. He’s too busy sulking on the couch about being awake early to bother with eating while we’re at home.

Then there’s the issue of his milk. He announced a few weeks back that he doesn’t like white milk – that it’s disgusting. He has proceeded not to drink it at all. He asks for chocolate milk. Then he begs for it. And when he doesn’t get it, he drinks water and complains about not having chocolate milk.

And then he complains again when it’s time to go. He complains about putting on his jacket. He complains about carrying his backpack. He complains about the cold. About the dark. About the rain. About anything and everything he can possibly think of.

But once we start driving, his better nature returns. He’s suddenly Mr. Chatty. He starts talking as though he’s breathing. He asks a thousand questions between our house and school, you know, the 15-minute drive.

Why do you have your lights on? Whose house is that? Why are there trees? What are flowers for? Why does it rain? Why do we have to stop? What’s the traffic light for? Can you walk here? Can cars crash into trees? Into houses? What happens when you crash? Do you flip over? Why is that light flashing? Do you have your seatbelt on? How much further ‘til we get to school? Why can’t I ride the bus? Why don’t brothers start early like I do? Why do brothers still have on their ‘jamas? How come they get to wear their Crocs? Did you remember my Box Tops? What about my library book? Where’s Daddy? Why is he at work? Why is fire school over before my school? How much longer ‘til Spring? How much longer ‘til school’s over? When am I gonna play baseball again? Do you remember that swimming pool with the big slide? How come we haven’t been there in a while? I’ve never been to Poppy John’s (his version of Papa John’s, which he’s confusing with Pizza Hut where his book it certificate gives him a free pan pizza).

And on and on and on ….

And then it’s my turn to be crabby. I’m tired. I’ve been forced to wake up at least one, sometimes three, sleepy boys who need to be forced to go to the bathroom, who need some sort of breakfast and milk, and who need at least shoes and jackets to leave the house.

I, too, am not a morning person. I’d rather have the sulky kid back there than the chatty one. I can’t play one thousand questions at 7 o’clock in the morning. I just can’t.

And so it goes, round and round, every school day. Sigh. Just twelve more years to go, right?

Balloon!

Sensory Heaven, originally uploaded by cheryl.

One more reason our boys love their teachers and their school - balloons! One of the teachers is expecting her first little one soon, and she keeps getting lots of balloons at her baby showers. And because she knows how much our boys LOVE balloons, they keep coming home to our house.

Sawyer actually managed to keep this one away from Xander. He claimed it for his own, and Xander was actually content to let him have it. Perhaps he doesn't like lions.

Special thoughts go out to Mrs. R as she takes time off to welcome her new baby! Sawyer is going to miss you while you're gone!