The Monkey Eating a Banana

It's time for yet another story about Avery. Lately, you never know what is going to come out of his mouth!

While loading up the van yesterday, a construction worker working on the house next door was standing at the end of our driveway enjoying a banana. He was short, had brown hair, and tanned skin. I was juggling a baby and all the other things I seem to need to load in the car to go anywhere. I was distracted, but soon snapped out of it when I realized what Avery was saying very loudly,"I see a monkey eating a banana! I see a monkey eating a banana!" As there was no monkey, I realized he thought our little construction friend was a monkey. Horrified, that I too saw a slight resemblence, I shushed Avery in hopes that he had not heard. I quickly got in the van and left.

The van is not necessarily a place of refuge from Avery's mouth. We had to make a Burger King run today (yes we do that every now and then) because we were running late for Alton's guitar lesson as usual. While at the window waiting for our food Avery said of the lady working the window, "That old lady!" Yikes! I turned and gave Avery a be quiet stare and once again hoped that the comment was not heard by the recipient.

Okay, a quick Aubie update. He has good things coming in his mouth; two teeth to be exact. I just spotted them today. My last baby is growing up too fast!

I Want Your Comments

Here is an interesting little video series I watched recently. I would love to know what other people's take on it is. Watch it and then come back and comment!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXcdo0kDhtc&feature=PlayList&p=3DD93625F1C78B1F&index=0&playnext=1

You Be Robin

I was really hoping Avery would skip the whole super hero fascination thing, but as of about two weeks ago. He's started exhibiting all the signs and symptoms that I have already been through with Alton. I will say it was amusing the other day when he strutted into the library wearinghis Bibleman cape and all the librarians started pointing and giggling. Librarians giggling...that's not something you see everyday.

Most days he is Batman; which of course makes me Robin. Avery is the kind of kid that doesn't enjoy playing on his own. Since we're all home together each day he exhausts Alton and Alayna and so it often leaves me as a playmate. Not a real good choice considering how much I have to do to keep our lives running (notice I didn't say running smoothly). Anyway, I have learned that instead of putting him off saying I am busy, it is much easier to just go along with his game while multi-tasking. He will run up to me and say, "I am Batman. You be Robin." "Okay, what is our mission?" The mission most often involves "Puming" bad guys which is the word around our house for firing a large and dangerous weapon. I believe Avery coined it. Anyway, I will usually drop whatever I'm holding (unless it's Aubie) and take a couple of laps around the house "puming" with him. Then I tell him to go on the next mission alone while I "man the controls." In Mommy language that means get a few more things done while staying in one place. He is fine with this and off he goes.

I guess it's not all super heros. He often refers to me as R2D2. I don't play this role as well as Robin apparently because whenever I try to imitate R2D2 noises, he tells me to "Stop that!" Often he calls me clone Mommy. I always think to myself that we could use some clone mommies around this house. I think a lot more would get done and I could spend more time "puming."

Goodbye Faithful Lizzie Puppy

Almost 7 years ago, you showed up at our door. We weren't looking for a dog, we had two cats, but you quickly won our hearts and became one of the family as if you always had been.

Obedient, smart, energetic, great with the kids. We couldn't have asked for a better dog.

Lizzie we'll always remember how fun it was to take you on hikes and camping; how you could scale rocks with the best of them. We'll remember how high you could jump, how crazy you'd act when reunited with us after a trip, and what a loud bark you had. I'll always remember all the runs we had together and that a two year old Alayna once said that you had chocolate eyes.

We're sorry we failed you; that we didn't know the consequences of over-vaccination and the ridiculous cycle that follows. I explained to the kids that you were in heaven now with a brand new body. When I was little at church camp one year, the speaker said that our pets wouldn't be in heaven. I didn't care for that guy ever since. We'll believe you're up there whether it's true or not and that you're happy and not suffering anymore. We love you and we won't forget you...

Not Your Ordinary 3 Year Old

Avery demonstrates how to enjoy your birthday cake in one big bite!

With the beautiful weather we had today. We couldn't keep ourselves inside. After church and lunch we all retreated to the backyard to enjoy some sunshine. A strange thing occured after about 15 minutes. Avery came down from the woods in our yard and said, "I need a nap." He went in the house. He does this from time to time telling us he is ready for his nap. Rob and I find it strange and delightful that we don't have naptime battles with him.

I watched him take himself into the house and figured Rob would put him down since he had stepped inside. A few minutes later Rob asked me where Avery was. "Didn't you put him down for a nap?" "No" was his response. A few minutes later I went upstairs and Avery was sound asleep in his bed. Wow, that was easy. Now if he will over get over the tantrums that have appeared a week after he turned three...

I just needed a relaxing Bath

Watching the first snow of the winter

Having made it through a day of school (homeschoolers don't get off for snow days), dinner, cleanup, and kids ready for bed, I handed off the baby to Rob and took my flu-ridden body up to my bathroom and locked myself in hoping to seek some relief from my discomfort in a warm bath. It's something I don't do too often truthfully. It's not practical. I don't have the time and it costs a small fortune to fill our bathtub. Tonight however, it was about the most practical thing I could do. Oh yeah, another thing I never do is lock the bathroom door. I don't know why, it usually doesn't bother me with three kids and a husband wandering in and out (Aubie doesn't wander yet). Tonight however, no one was getting in!

I settled down in the hot water and created a concoction of essential oils that I thought would doctor me to put into the water. I was soon relaxing and feeling just a little bit better when the first disturbance began. Alayna was talking in her loud voice. It's the one she uses most. I could hear her out in the hallway railing over something her brother Alton had done to her. Although she was venting to Avery, it was clear she wanted Alton and everyone else to hear her. "Alton is so mean and rude! He doesn't care about anyone's feelings!!" I then heard Avery sympathize in his most concerned tone "Ohhhh..." This followed after her every sentence. By now the two of them had made it to the bathroom door and were trying to get in because apparently Alayna wasn't sure that I heard her. "Mom, why is the door locked? I want in!" "Not right now. I'll be out in a little while, go find Daddy," was my annoyed response. Alton then arrived on the scene and the argument fired up again only this time Avery got involved. I'm sure he was feeling left out and so I heard him say to Alton accusingly, "You hit Alayna in the eye Alton!" This in fact, never occurred and so for a moment there was silence as Alton was probably trying to recall if in fact, he had hit Alayna in the eye and Alayna was probably trying to find a way to use this comment to her advantage. Fortunately, I heard them agree that this had not happened, but the arguement quickly resumed.

As I lay there soaking, I was wondering why my husband, whom I thought I had carefully briefed as to what was to occur during the minimal precious moments I was stealing away locked in the bathroom, was not with these children much less protecting me from the noise pollution outside the locked door. I decided to try calling him, "R-O-B!" This did not bring the aforementioned man whom I am sure knew he was in trouble by now, however it did seem to strike a little fear into the children who quieted down for just a bit until they too realized he was not coming. More noise, more sounds of trying to open the bathroom door. I sighed and sank my head deeper into the water. Perhaps that is why they made my bathtub so deep. They knew I would need to get as far underwater as possible.

A few minutes later, and Rob had casually made it upstairs. The noise subsided as he put the kids to bed. Strangely, with the sudden peace and quiet, I felt restless just laying there. I drained the water and got out feeling like I had at least enough energy to finish what was left of the day. Someday the kids will all be grown and out of the house and I can take all the peaceful baths I want, but I'm not sure that's such a good trade-off.

Beyond Christmas

After a quiet but happy Christmas and New Year's we're settling back into our routine. Rob had a couple of four day weekends over the holidays and so we were finally able to begin some home projects we've wanted to tackle, the biggest one being painting the interior of our home. It's going to take months doing it ourselves, but we have a pretty good system. I do the bulk of the painting and Rob comes back and does the details. He is unbelieveably detailed...