Winter slip-n-slide

Baby, it's been cold outside!  With temps hovering in the -15 to +5 range (that's before wind chill) for a few days, we spent most of our time indoors.  However, the boys did venture out a few times to have fun in the snow.  They didn't take my suggestions to build a snow man or a snow cave (too boring, they said...whatever), but they did want to go sledding.

The first day Zach hit the slopes at Cottonwood Park with his buddies, Nick and Eli.  They had a grand time in the 0-degree weather.  Zach said he was hot.

The next day, Zach, Tyler, and Gavin all went to Candleflower Park (in our neighborhood), since there is a big hill sloping down behind it through "green space."  That's in quotation marks because, while the area is open and has a walking path weaving through it, it can hardly qualify as green, even during the summer.  Anyway, they had fun there for a while, but Gavin wasn't satisfied.  So Zach and Tyler manned the fort and I took Gavin to Cottonwood.  I didn't take many pictures, since flying through the snow and holding a camera aren't super compatible.  We had lots of fun together, even though it was colder (like -5...brrr...).

'

We spent about an hour at the park and were the last people to leave before sundown.  This was our favorite hill, since it didn't have a chain-link fence to avoid at the bottom.  We learned the hard way, when I slid right through/under the fence, that maybe the other hill we braved wasn't the best choice.

We had a few crashes and lumps and bumps by the time we went home, but sledding was still a fun way to close our afternoon.

Zackie Chan and the band

Our family is charting new territory: middle school.

Last week we attended the middle school band's instrument selection event (say that ten times fast).  Zach would like to join the 6th grade band, but only as a drummer.  Fortunately for him, the two years of piano lessons I have forced upon him paid off; that much piano experience is required for playing in the percussion section.  Zach did a great job with his mini audition.  Garry and I were pleased to be able to tell the band director that Zach is a good boy and a great student.  The director said he needs kids like that in percussion because they sit in the very back of the band room and have weapons in their hands.  (Nice.)

So, with visions of weapons in his hands, I took Zach to the high school band's end-of-year concert.  The top band played with the Air Force Academy band (correct me if I'm wrong, local friends), and the concert was fantastic.  Afterward, a young man in our ward gave us a tour of the band room and showed him every drum, cymbal, and noise maker there.  Zach got a better idea of what fun things happen in the percussion section.  It was great.  I'm looking forward to the adventure ahead (trying not to think about the noise) and so is Zach (he can't wait to make noise).

In other Zachary news, he has given himself a new moniker: Zackie Chan.  I'm not sure what the name means (he's never seen a Jackie Chan movie...), but he writes it on all of his school papers, notebooks, and things at home.  Whatever his name, we are proud of our boy.

Profile of a child

Gavin

Oh, this boy.  He is equal parts burst-your-heart charming and exasperating.  Despite his recent escapades (examples here and here), however, Gavin has begun to exhibit some maturity and gentleness that I really enjoy.  He is SUPER independent, obsessed with the outdoors, mindful of others and their needs, cheerful, and creative.  For example, when I couldn't paint Lexi's toenails at the exact moment she requested it, Gavin stepped in.  He actually did a fantastic job.

Gavin loves to take care of Kate.  He knows how to get her out of her crib (!), he tries to change her diapers (!), he takes her places like the green space behind our house and the front yard (!), and he plays with her in his room and on top of the boys' bunk beds (!).

Lexi

Oh, this girl!!  Lexi is three and a half, and as such, is a whiny, needy little princess.  She is darling, to be sure, but she definitely tests my patience and my ability to stick to my guns. Lexi often wears down my resolve to ignore her demands.  She is fiercely independent at times, but at others requires my constant presence and attention.

We recently began using sticker charts to help her eliminate two difficult behaviors: getting in our bed at night and having potty accidents six times a day.  It has worked like a charm!  Lexi loves putting stickers on her chart so much that we might be making a trip to the dollar store pretty soon.  I am thrilled.  It's totally worth a dollar (and a public outing) to eliminate some hazardous waste clean-up every day.

Lexi is always singing a song and doing a dance (usually ballet style).  She often requests that I play music just so she can dance.  I probably ought to pursue dance lessons for her!

Tyler

Tyler is a helpful, happy soul...except when his brothers are involved.  Aside from the inevitable drama that ensues during mealtime, in conjunction with electronic devices, and in the car, Tyler is quite agreeable.  He is really enjoying the cub scout program through church and had a really fun pack meeting this week.

He is very responsible about his homework and is doing very well in school.  I love to hear him read out loud and hear the expression in his voice.  His talent for conveying a similar expression in writing is beginning to emerge.  It's the best!  Tyler is so affectionate and loves to give me hugs.  I worry sometimes about his intense emotions (the apple doesn't fall far from the mother tree), but hope they translate into passion and success down the road.  Below is a self-portrait Tyler drew (we got a free set of stickers that I scanned), and a sample of his writing.

Kate

Miss Kate is a whirlwind of activity.  She reminds me a lot of Gavin: always exploring, testing, trying, climbing, escaping, and laughing.  Church is quite difficult, as we attend during her afternoon nap time.  Kate is a roly-poly ball of energy and charm.  I suppose I have a tender spot for Kate, but I just think she is so beautiful and wonderful.  But clearly she won't stand still for a picture.

We are trying to wean Kate from her binky, which has been my crutch for a little too long. Eliminating it during the day (except at the YMCA child watch and when I'm tired) has led to all kinds of babbling and singing that I just adore.  We are working on lots of words and ASL signs and animal sounds.  My favorites are "oof off" for a barking dog, the sign for "cereal," and the long-awaited "mama" that really means "mama."  Kate has a great wave, and offers vigorous nodding and head shaking when she means yes and no.  Kate continues to adore Hopscotch and is great about going to bed.  I'm pretty sure a sticker chart wouldn't eliminate her occasional night waking.

Zach

Zach is definitely a tween.  I love his hair right now: a bit longer and swept to the side, but still short over the ears and in back.  He tosses his head to the side 100 times a day so his hair sweeps in just the place.  So cute...er...handsome.  Zach is developing his own style and establishing his identity.  He really enjoys listening to audio books on his purple mp3 player, and his favorite evening activity is playing board games with Dad and Tyler.  He has an innate sense for strategy.

Lately Zach has been quite cheerful and cooperative, except for before school, which continues to be a dramatic time.  He doesn't love school, and getting him to work hard for his 5th grade teacher, Mr. Boerman, has been a challenge.  He has no problem performing for his TAG teacher, however, so I'm including a sample of his work below.

'

I am so proud of Zach for shouldering the extra work load with his math class and two schools.  He's a trooper.  Soon we will begin the decision-making process for which middle school he will attend.  I can't believe we are in the middle school stage of life!

Some days I still can't believe that Garry and I have five fantastic children.  Five?  Really? We must be the luckiest parents on earth.

Snips and snails and puppy dog tails

Zach and his buddy Trace spent a couple hours this afternoon catching lizards at the neighborhood park.  In the middle of their adventure they came home to show us their Mason jar prey: two tiny reptiles.  

Just before it was time to come home, I walked over to the park to capture pictures of the hunt.  When the clock demanded the boys' return, they had trapped six lizards in all.

After a morning full of kids fighting over video games and TV, I was so happy to see the boys doing things boys should do: roaming the great outdoors and getting dirty until dinner time.

Pinterest: Bartle style

About a month ago, I found simple project on Pinterest that I thought Gavin and Lexi would enjoy. I've had the {cheap!} supplies for several weeks and finally broke them out today.

The idea, found here, is to drop colored vinegar into a dish with baking soda.  The vinegar fizzes in the baking soda and leaves a bright spot. The lady who posted the idea said her two-year-old was busy with this activity for an hour, and her four-year-old for two hours. Even though I didn't expect THAT level of interest from my kids, I thought it was worth a shot.

The beginning was fairly promising.  Lexi was ecstatic as she made the chemical reaction on her own for the first time (working the dropper took practice).

But when the newness wore off (three minutes in), there was lots of fighting over droppers and colors.  Apparently six between the two of them wasn't enough.

After about half an hour, the fun factor was definitely diminishing.  But the kids (and I) stuck with it a bit longer, and then we ran to pick up Zach and Tyler at a friend's house.

When we got back, the big boys immediately started playing with the vinegar and baking soda.  That quickly turned into a huge mess.  Spoonfuls of baking soda went into cups of vinegar, producing an exciting volcano effect.  Then cups of vinegar went into dishes of baking soda.  

This was all fun and good until the kids spilled on the wood floor and left a big pink spot that I am still trying to remove two hours later.

Yep, that's how we roll.

Late summer experiment

Sometime in late summer (we can't remember exactly when, but it was definitely before Kate was born), Garry and the boys planted sunflower seeds in the backyard flower bed. It had been on our summer bucket list, but somehow the simple activity never materialized. Garry just decided one day that we'd see how they grew during what remained of the warm weather.  We were all pleasantly surprised!

Zach was the most excited about this project, and he took responsibility for watering them nearly every day.  The sunflowers grew really fast!  This is a photo from September 4.

We haven't grown much in that flower bed, but the sunflowers showed a real pattern that had never been apparent before: one side of the bed gets a lot more sunlight than the other half!  It was funny to see how much taller the plants were on the west side versus the east side.  The discrepancy grew more pronounced over time.  On October 7, this was their status.  They grew a lot in a month, and were so healthy and lush at this point.  They were just on the cusp of blooming, too.

The next day, this happened:

SNOW!  What a bummer!  We were so sad for our pretty flowers!  The snow came two days before Kate's blessing.  While our family was here, we watched as the snow melted and wondered how the flowers would fare.  By Monday the weather was warming up nicely, so my mom and brother and I organized a rescue mission.  We used some string to help the flowers stand up again, hoping that the extra support would help the battered plants regain their strength.

The sunflowers definitely rebounded, but they were never quite the same.  Over the last few weeks we have had several overnight temperatures at or below freezing, and the poor plants have suffered.  Even though it was about 75 degrees today, we are expecting more snow on Wednesday.  This afternoon I took pictures of the happy blooms, since this is probably the height of their glory.

Overall, growing sunflowers was lots of fun!  We all enjoying seeing their rapid growth and transformation during the last couple of months.  Next summer we'll have to plant them earlier so we can enjoy them even longer!

...

Today's joys:

*Finally meeting with an attorney to set up a will and trust (a task that has been nagging

  me for years)

*Remembering with fondness my college roommate, Jennifer Jayne, who died 11 years

  ago today

*Coaxing smiles and belly laughs from my darling baby

*Enjoying an unexpected phone call from a dear friend

*Taking a nap