Oh well

The dress was perfect, the porch was beautiful, the boy was super cute. And yet, this was the best picture I could catch.

New Garden

I like the way my new garden turned out!

Two light bulbs

- We started checking out a different encyclopedia from the library every week, based on which letter is the "Letter of the Week" at Laura's school. I know its dorky, but its been fun. Laura talks about atoms (specifically, she loves to say that "ADam is full of aToms" and she knows that electrons run around crazy on the outside of the protons and neutrons) and I've learned that an aardvark is like an anteater. This week is "B" week: Borneo, Boston, blackholes, etc. Jim just eats up the information and I think he enjoys reading it with her much more than storybooks. Oh boy, we're nerdy.

-A friend recommended Raising your Spirited Child by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka as a helpful source of parenting information. There are several different traits that are strong in "spirited" children, i.e. intensity, persistence, adaptability, energy levels, etc. I've decided that my kids don't rank too high in most of the groups, except for intensity. But I have gained a lot from the chapter on introverts and extraverts. Jim and I believe we have one of each (can you guess which is which?) and I really think I understand them better after reading this chapter. I hope I can put this knowledge to some good use. I just read it tonight, so I'll have to let you know later if it was all hogwash and didn't change a thing, or if it solved all our problems and we're happy as can be, or if it is somewhere in the middle. (But I should say, for the record, that my energy level and interest in parenting has been much higher this week than last week and that has made all the difference in our days, so we're not really starting off all that bad here. But there's always a little room for improvement!)

A girl and a hose

Weird and wonderful kids

LOUD

My house is LOUD.

My daughter never stops talking or singing. If we're not having a conversation, or she's not singing, then she is pretending and trying to engage me in that pretend. (We've set aside a specific time each day for her to have "pretend time" with my undivided attention. Otherwise, she has to share my brain with Adam and whatever household task I might be trying to accomplish.)

My son is intense, demanding, ear-splitting loud, whatever you want to call it. Whatever he wants, he wants it NOW and will announce it over and over until he gets it or a "no" answer, at which time, the meltdown begins. Don't get me wrong, there are happy happy times here in this house. But his particularly sharp voice can quickly raise the stress level and then send the 3 of us into a downward spiral that never ends good. I should have expected this when I started noticing his painful, sharp squawking sound that would set me off at the drop of a hat when he was a small baby. I can just feel my whole body tensing up at the thought of that squawk.

So, how to bring everything down a notch? How to keep it together, at least most of the time? How to remember that I'm the adult? How to teach them that we don't all have to talk a degree louder than each other to be heard? Today, I kept myself mostly under control and tried whispering everything for a while. It worked nicely, but I really have to be on the ball for that one. Distraction often works. Going outside. And dancing time with music also brings us all back to our senses. Also, just giving in and realizing when they need a "noisy time" and letting us all get it out at once. Musical instruments are helpful for "noisy time". So is stomping. Its helpful to have several weapons in your arsenal.

IGH weekend

This was a complete Inver Grove Heights weekend. It wasn't intentional, it just sort of worked out that way.

Friday, we stopped by Aunt Emma's in IGH to say "Hi!" and bring her a thank you cookie for coming with us to the waterpark this summer so that Adam could play in the sand while Laura and I played in the water (wow, what a long sentence. probably a run-on). While driving around, I glanced at a sign about a pancake breakfast at the South St Paul airport on Saturday.

Saturday, we drove to IGH to check out the sign again to make sure I read it right, and it said the breakfast was actually Sunday. So we had breakfast at a McD's in IGH with a cool playground. Then we went to Gertens (also in IGH), just for the fun of it. We spent about 45 minutes there and left with 2 plants and some apple cider. Home next, for planting and then Adam's nap. Jim replaced a bathtub drain plug while Laura and I cleaned out the car to get ready for the busy busy fall we have planned (more later). I think we ended up ordering pizza for dinner, so I guess that wasn't in IGH.

Sunday, we went to the pancake breakfast at the South St Paul airport (technically not IGH, but close enough for an Eaganite). That was fun! Free rides for 8-12 year olds, so alas we just had to watch the flights since we were all either too old or too young. Then, we headed to the St Paul Cathedral since we had missed Mass in Eagan. This was also not in IGH, and can't even pretend to be in IGH, but it wasn't in Eagan. Lunch at Saigon, also in St. Paul. YUM! Best meal that I've had there. Home again for Adam's nap, again. Then we headed to a cool playground in (you guessed it) IGH that the kids and I wanted to show Jim. And dinner at Baja Sol (also in IGH).

It turns out that this weekend is IGH Days. We spent all that time there, but missed the fireworks, fishing contest, parade, etc. Next year!

Sigh. I realized that I didn't cook even one meal this weekend - including breakfast. Oops.

And in case you just need a picture, here you go:

video game facts

Here are the facts:

1. I don't like video games.

2. I didn't want a gaming system in the house. We don't need to encourage violence or provide more opportunities for any of us to be sedentary.

3. We bought a Wii system last year. (I was totally on board with this. I'm full of contradictions, how about you?)

4. I bought Jim Super Mario Galaxy 2 for his birthday this year (early June).

5. Last night, with Jim's help as "Power Star", I beat the game, earning 242 "stars".

6. I estimate that I played about 75% of the evenings between early June and yesterday.

7. I need to do some serious cardio.

Water painting

As we start autumn, and its only 64 degrees out right now, I am remembering the stifling heat of a few weeks ago. I wouldn't say that I am remembering it fondly, but I am remembering it. We beat the heat by "painting" the deck and the house with water.

And then, eventually, they painted the kids too.

You might notice that I was taking the pictures from inside, in the air conditioning. Seriously, it was hot out there. I figured the kids needed some toughing up.

Train ride - 3 months ago?

Train!

Back in June, we went on a train ride by the St. Croix. It was about an hour and half through pretty scenery. Good stuff!

RIP Henry

Henry, the fish, passed away yesterday. Sincerely, it was a sad occasion for Jim and me. Henry hatched in our tank, survived the hungry adults, and outlived many, many less hardy fish. He was a trooper that toughed out the terrible water we had before we started getting the good stuff. He's made it through several long vacations when we were out of town for almost 2 weeks. He was a good fish.

P.S. Henry, I'm sorry that Reddy ate your tail after you died.

Camels - good swimmers?

Have you ever seen camels in the water? Seemed a strange sight.

Musicals

Jim and I ventured out after dark! It was spectacular. And we also enjoyed the musical Wicked.

Michelle asked me how I got Jim to join me for a musical. I told her that I asked him when would be a good day for me to go see it (thinking he would stay with the kids), and he set me straight that he was going with me. He's a man of great depth, I tell you. And I love it.

The show was spectacular. Vicki Noon played Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West - she's the green one) and her voice totally blew us away. Her voice was so powerful and clear. She made the show for me. I haven't stopped singing Defying Gravity in my mind since we saw it.

We both liked the 1st half better than the 2nd, so I wouldn't say this was the absolute best show I've ever seen. I think my top picks are The Lion King and Rent. I think Les Miserables, Wicked and Fiddler on the Roof are my next favorites, and Chicago and Phantom of the Opera after that. I hate to put Phantom so low, but I think I built it up so much in my mind that it could never have met my expectations. I definitely did enjoy it, but I wouldn't say that it moved me as much as the others.

I can't remember any more that I've seen. I wonder what I'm leaving out? Do you have any favorites that we should see?

September resolutions

I formally announce that I will no longer view driving time as phone time.

I also formally announce that I will lose weight.

I also formally announce that I will spend 30 minutes each day pretending with Laura, giving the game my full attention during that time.