Reality check

We’re still alive but busy packing (for me) and with a new job (for Tyler). But, really quickly, I have to share a little conversation I had with Henry on the way back from Fernley where we purchased some packing supplies (yep, there’s nothing in Lovelock!) Henry: Have I been good enough today? Me: What do you mean? Henry: Am I going to heaven or to hell? I’m a little shocked but I give him a little lesson on the atonement: Jesus died on the cross so that if we try hard enough to be good, get baptized… then we can go to heaven even though we’re not perfect. Then Henry says: Dad’s going to heaven because he’s really cool. Me: I agree. Dad is a very good person. Henry: Are you going to heaven with Dad? So Dad goes to heaven but Mom, according to Henry that’s not so sure. I guess I’ll have try harder to keep my temper in check (even if Henry is unpacking a box I just finished), try harder to be nice (even if Henry has been pestering his sister all day long and my patience is running out), try harder to be cheerful (even though I’m really tired because I pack all day and watch and feed and entertain children all day long)… But those are only excuses, Henry really is a good boy, he just has his moments like all kids do and packing and moving has never brought the best out of a five-year-old. So, I will try harder so that Henry will think I’m as cool as Dad (and so that I’ll go to heaven.) This is an old photo of Henry (23 months) that I found while going through pictures and since this entry really is about Henry (or one of his many Henry-isms) I decided to post this super cute picture of baby Henry.

"Look twin eggs!"

This morning, as I was making breakfast, Henry was supervising the making of his morning meal’s favorite part: the eggs. As I broke the second egg into the pan, Henry exclaimed “look twins!” and sure enough there were two yolks in a single egg. It was pretty cool but what was even better was Henry’s reaction. He marveled at the novelty of the sight and the idea that chickens too could have twins. He was excited to have a new found piece of knowledge. He was anxious to share his discovery, right after “look twins!” he said “you have to take a picture” and then he ran to share the news with his dad. The “twins” definitely made his day and I came to the realization that children are often happier than adults because they take time to wonder at little things. Adults, and by adults I mean me, often tend to worry only about the big things; a clean house, balanced meals, church callings fulfilled, paperwork done….but children take time to notice that the blossoms on one specific tree are purple whereas the other trees have pink blossoms (I hadn’t noticed), they notice if the register lady gave me a Canadian dime (a novelty), they notice if some child on the way to school looks sad (I noticed we were running late), they notice if I haven’t told them I loved them today (I probably notice that I still had a floor to mop, or some ironing to do, or a phone call to make). I am grateful that my children remind me that to be truly happy I need to stop and smell the roses.

Sorry about the fuzzy picture. The hot pan kept fogging up the camera lens and I didn't have time to focus. This is the best shot I got.

Easter Fun

We had a great Easter this year. Tyler went on a great bike ride with Leif. Christelle had lots of retail therapy which produce lots of new clothes for the kids. Olivia and Henry got lots of playtime with cousins and a great Easter egg hunt. Thanks to all those who helped us achieve a great weekend.

Egg drop

Every year, during the week before Easter Sunday, the first graders at Lovelock elementary do an egg drop. Each child has to put a raw egg in a ziploc and then package it the way they want as long as the finished package will not exceed 7x7x7. The package doesn’t have to be square; it just cannot be longer than 7 inches in any place. The goal is for the egg to be intact after it as been chucked in the air from the announcer box and landed on the track around the football field (the track is gravel and not that even, we’re a small town after all). Olivia and Tyler worked really hard on the thing. The ziplocked egg was wrapped in toilet paper and then placed in a bigger zippy. This second zippy was wrapped in more toilet paper (almost a whole roll to be exact) and then the whole thing was covered in duct tape. They had built a prototype and thrown it and that one had survived, so they were pretty pleased with their design. However there was one downside to their design, the package looked like a soccer ball and of course Henry had to kick it around this morning. He knew he wasn’t supposed to touch it, but he’s 5 and a boy, he couldn’t help it. (For those of you who want to know, he got in big trouble. 25 minutes in the naughty corner with a promise that he was going to bed first and that if the egg was broken Daddy would probably want a say in some more punishment.) Anyway, the egg made it fine, Olivia was ecstatic and Henry very relieved. The principal tossing Olivia's egg.

Olivia's teacher, Mrs. Fecht, opening Olivia's package.

Olivia's victory face.

I have asked Olivia’s teacher why they do an egg drop and she said it’s to introduce the kids to physics. Olivia thinks that they do an egg drop because it’s fun to play with eggs!

Girly Girl

Olivia is a girly girl, she’s always been. She loves to dress up (dresses, skirt and “up shoes” being her favorites). She loves to have her nails painted, to wear makeup and of course to have her hair done. Whoever is willing to do her hair is her hero of the moment. For all the reason mentioned above, today she came home from school very excited and announced that tomorrow is Hollywood day at school. She now “has to” dress up, paint her nails and get her hair done. She was/is ( as the nails are now painted and the rollers are in) in heaven.When I was putting the rollers in her hair (which she likes to sleep in!), I remembered I had a similar picture somewhere. I love my o so predictable girly girl.

First sunburn of the year

Yeah, summer is coming! Today (yesterday really since it is now past midnight) was a great sunny day so while Olivia was at a birthday party, I decided to wait for her in the car (with the doors open) so that I could enjoy the day and work in peace and quiet on the baby blanket I’m knitting for my sister’s soon-to-come baby boy. I had a great time and when we got home, Olivia looked at me and said “your arm is all red.” Yep, only the arm on the door side, with a nice farmer tan line and two white marks, one where my watch was and one where my arm was bent due to the knitting. Very glamorous…but who cares, as long as warm weather is just around the corner!

Dear Mom and Dad...I mean Tooth Fairy

As you may know, on February 18th Olivia lost her first baby tooth, but what you probably don’t know is that she has been very vocal about the fact the she, being a big knowledgeable girl, doesn’t believe in the tooth fairy (Santa Claus, Sure, but the tooth fairy… come on!) So the tooth fairy didn’t leave anything under her pillow; she can’t if she doesn’t exist (this really made sense to me at the time). Olivia didn’t say anything so I figured I was in the clear, until a few days ago. I was ready to get into bed when I found a note on my pillow that instructed me to go look under Olivia’s pillow and this is what I found under there: There wasn't anything in the envelope but the back of it told us she knew exactly what she wanted put in the said envelope.

She knew what she wanted and she got it. Tyler and I talked and we decided that it really wasn’t about the Tooth Fairy, believing in her or not, it’s about a little girl losing her first tooth and parents giving her a little money but really saying “Good job you’re becoming a big girl”. She got $5 and it the morning we got the biggest hugs. It was $5 well spent!

Kites

For FHE today, the kids (and Tyler) flew kites for the first time this year. It’s so funny to watch them fly their kites. I for one think that after 5 minutes it’s kind of boring but the kids could do it for hours on end (if it hadn’t gotten so cold), they run, they laugh, they (try to) make cool tricks with their kites or they simply lay down on the grass and admire the picture on the kite. It is so cool to be entertained and to love something so simple and cheap ($3 at Wal-Mart). Tonight there was no fancy game technology, no TV, no bundles of money for an enjoyable time simply the great outdoors, a kite and a little imagination. We heard no whining, only giggles, oohs and ahhs. They had the time of their lives. The kites in action.

Olivia admiring her kite.

As you can see her kite-flying pose hasn't changed much between 2005 and 2009.

Henry loving every minute of it.

Olivia's Barbie kite.

Henry's Spiderman (what else?) kite.

Both my precious kids flying their kites. Isn't great when the outdoors and simple things like kites have as much appeal as the Wii or TV? I love it!

Bath time sibling rivalry and silliness

Almost every time Henry is in the bath he’ll call for me to come see him and I find him in a version of a bubble bath beard. I try to be enthusiastic every time even though bubble bath beards all tend to look the same and every few month I even take a picture because I do like to see him so pleased with himself. (The picture below was taken in September of last year.) But this last time I was in for a surprise and he was more than pleased with himself. He had used Dora’s lifejacket as goggles and thought he was extremely clever. It was definitely worth a picture. I love when my kids use their imagination, come up with a new silliness and are so pleased with it.

Of course, as competitive as she is, Olivia had to top her brother’s bath time performance and decided that adding the colander, which I use as a bath-toys-catcher, as a hat would be perfect. I have really cute kids!