Life on our corner

Jonah had a blast this Saturday with Uncle Joel learning all about fish and fishing!  What a lucky boy.  Uncle Colin and Aunt Auburn have promised a squirrel hunting trip later this summer.  Oh boy!

Last week Friday we had an ice cream party around here to celebrate a big accomplishment...we finished Jonah's kindergarten curriculum!  We started in July because I didn't know how much time we would take off after Elise was born, but as it turned out we didn't take off much time at all and now we are done!  So far homeschooling has been a good experience for us.  Sure there were many times that Jonah lacked concentration or a good attitude so I would send him outside to run a few laps and then come back in and get back to it.  (Um, truth be told there were a few days in there were I lacked concentration or a good attitude too!)  We started doing school in the morning, but then when Reuben dropped his morning nap we switched to the afternoon.  I never liked the math with our program so we did our own.  We have learned a few tricks as we have gone along.  My goals for the year were simple: teach Jonah his letter sounds, numbers and not co...

Everyone has been talking about the wildlife exhibit at Merle Hay Mall so I loaded up my crew for a field trip after naps yesterday!  (As I was loading them in I thought "I am either the coolest mom or the craziest!")  It was really neat!  The kids got to see wolves, foxes a wild cat and got to pet a black bear cub,  baby wild cat, skunk and baby opossum!  I am pleased to report that while it was a little tricky with Reuben in the stroller (it was so hard for him to see the animals in the cages so I had to let him out and he can't be trusted!) the trip was a success!  The pictures are not very good because I was wrestling a toddler and wearing a baby, but I thought that I should share!

At approximately 5:30 yesterday evening a fatal accident occurred in our house on the corner.  The nearly 20 year old piano served faithfully until it met its untimely death at the hands of a 5 year old.  Sources say that the piano bench was  knocked over severing the pianos three foot pedals damaging the piano both physically and electrically. The boy is being charged as a minor and was released on his own recognizance after pleading guilty to involuntary man slaughter and is being placed on probation. Funeral services are being arranged.  The family asks that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the "Baby Grand for Jordan" fund.

Probably 6 months ago Audrey asked me if she could get her ears pierced.  I said we could talk to Daddy, but I am sure that if she stopped sucking her thumb and paci he would let her.  She gave me a look like "Got me there, Mom cuz we both know that isn't happening!"  Audrey has a deep need to suck something to go to sleep.  It started with her thumb, and we did get her switched to a pacifier just to get her to stop sucking her thumb (so many germs!)  She has tried to stop sucking but it would last all of three seconds she would ask "How am I going to sleep?  What am I going to suck?"  We always felt like we were asking her to sleep with her eyes open.  Many times if she lost her paci in her sleep in her thumb would go with her even knowing.  But last week Monday at nap time she willingly gave me her paci and asked me to tape up her thumbs.  She has been working so hard.  Running downstairs after her nap and asking me...

I bundled up the little two for Reuben's two year and Elise's 2 month check ups.  Here's is how it rounded out... Reuben was 33 squared, he was almost 33 pounds and 33.25 inches.  Puts him at the top of the charts for weight and closer to the bottom for height.  Any surprise there?  I was surprised to look back and see that Jonah was 33 pounds at his two year too, but he was 35 inches, not quite so compact!  We talked a little about the dairy thing. Reuben is back off after we concluded that our experiment failed.  I know that nutritionally he is fine without milk and that it is just inconvenient for me.  It could be worse. Elise is a peanut!  I knew she was small but at 10 lbs 14 ounces she is only in the 3 percentile!  A quick glance at Miss Audrey she was only 10-9 but 2 inches shorter (but to honest I never had much faith in Mary Greeley's measuring techniques of infants.  I think that one kid that "shrunk" between appointment...

We are learning to tell time around here but had to take a break to change a diaper.  Elise was so happy I had to grab the camera! The camera flash made her a little wide eyed, but she was having a great time!