The Leprechaun

Once Thair was a rainbow. The rainbow is majakl. The rainbow could mke leprechauns. The leprechauns were crazy. They put orange juice in their coffee. It wus silly.

By Archer

(Honestly, putting orange juice in coffee DOES sound a little crazy!)

If My Teeth Could Talk

If my teeth could talk They would say brush us. and they would say do not eat a lot of shigr [sugar].

By Archer

Shelly's Story

Once there was four houses far away but I could not see them far away. And there was three of the people in that town that meeted us. And we were so little, they were so ginormous, I could not see their heads.

Once there was a little alligator that was so small, that WE were so small...

That it was not scary. It was NICE. We went on a walk with the alligator. And we went on a at home after we took a walk.

The End.

(Illustrated by Shelly, dictated by Shelly and written down by Mom)

My Helpers

Today...

Shelly:   Mom, can I vaccuum for a little bit?

Me:        Of course, Shelly, go right ahead.
Miss C: Me helper too! Me helper?

We've been babysitting Miss C for the last three days and the competition to be my helper has been refreshing. Cause normally when Shelly would decline to help, if Miss C wants to help then Shelly's right in there too, not wanting to miss out on the action. More on that later, Miss C is about to wake up from nap time so I've gotta run!

Lion Stories

On Saturday night we slept at Tim and Penny's and I had a little flashback to a time when Leah and I were kids and sleeping together in her room. We were staying up giggling and talking until Tim called up the steps that it was time to be quiet and go to sleep. On Saturday I heard my sister and my daughter laying in bed in that very same room, giggling and talking late into the night. The house where my mother grew up, where I felt at home and spent many hours laughing and playing has now entered into my children's lives and I hope they have as many fond memories of that place as I have.

Earlier in the day I had shared a story with David about something I thought was a memory but also seemed so crazy that it was more likely a story I had made up. He convinced me to share it with my aunts, uncles and Grandpa when we got to Grandpa's house. So, feeling really self-conscious that I had this tall tale to share, I dove in.

When we were kids, and all gathered at Grandpa's house, Matt told me about a guy who lived somewhere nearby who had a lion. He also had some other exotic animals, like maybe a monkey or something, but the part that really stuck in my mind was the lion. And Matt said that we were going to see the lion that very day. (Matt is six months older than me and way cooler and I always believed everything he told me.) Then, Aunt Patti and my mom took us to the house but the guy wasn't home. And that's where my memory/tall tale ends. I don't remember if we actually saw the lion or any other animals. But I've kept this story alive in my memory for years, twenty or more years of wondering if that really happened and how could that possibly be true? I finally spilled the beans to David and then to my family, thinking I must sound crazy. And then someone said, "I know what she's talking about. Grandpa, do you remember?" And I looked at Grandpa, who had a smile on his face and said, "Yeah I know exactly what she's talking about."

WHAT?

The lion story is TRUE??? It turns out it wasn't a lion. It was a cougar. Or perhaps a bobcat (the aunts and uncles had differing memories on that detail). There were no other animals. But Dad told me that he had a classmate who had a monkey, so maybe the stories got joined up in my mind. I laughed so hard that I cried as my aunts and uncles then started sharing their stories of the guy with the cougar. Or bobcat. I could NOT believe that my crazy story turned out to actually be real! Aunt Patti and Mom remembered going to visit and the guy not being home. And whatever happened to the giant cat? The guy let it go. Or it ran away. Or it drowned in the pool. Wow. We put that question to rest, finally, the question of whether someone out in the country would have a pet lion and our mothers would actually take us to see it. Yes, someone would, and yes, they would.

Grandpa Glenn

Yesterday we visited Grandma Marian. Or Nana, as the kids call her. It was a nice visit, the kids played outside most of the time and explored the yard, the gardens, the little treasures that can be found all over. A stick. Tulips poking through the ground. A flower bed made from an old metal bed frame. A horseshoe. Everywhere were signs of Grandpa's work, his endless pursuit of improving the place where he lived and ensuring that Grandma would be well taken care of. He was ever-busy tending his homestead. Yesterday we visited and for the first time Grandpa wasn't there. He wasn't there to tell us of the newest project he had completed, his next project to start, and his plans for taking us fishing on the Mississippi once things warmed up.

A week ago today Grandpa Glenn stepped out of our lives.

He leaves behind a hole in the family picture that cannot be filled. He leaves a legacy in his children, one of hard work, independence and creativity. I saw in his eyes each time he was with them, my Grandpa's pride in his sons. Whether or not they admit it, they are their father's sons. They are hard working. They take pride in their children. They are creative and independent. They forge ahead and when times get tough, they work harder.

A couple days ago Shelly created a masterpiece, drawings and stickers and hearts and then told me it was for Papa. "Because I really miss him." Grandpa being gone hasn't stopped her from showing her love for him. I look forward to my children getting to know their Papa more throughout the years, as our family continues to tell his stories and share his legacy with the next generation.

My soul is in deep anguish.
How long, Lord, how long?
Turn, Lord, and deliver me;
Save me because of your unfailing love.
~Psalm 6:3-4

Wow! A+!

Today Archer brought home a worksheet covered with stars, and compliments like "Wow!" "A+" and "Great job!" The page even had a smiley face. All provided by... no, not the teacher. Himself. Hey, way to give yourself a pat on the back. Good work Arch!

Puddles

Have you even been walking around your house and stepped in a puddle, then looked up to see if the roof was leaking, or checked under the sink to see where the water was coming from? Yeah, me too. And now its coming from an unstoppable source, one that leaks constantly with no hope for patching, repair, fixing the source of the problem. You've probably guessed by now what I'm talking about. The Baby. Today Shelly started calling him Little Duffett. (No idea where that came from.) Well, Little Duffett is leaving big puddles everywhere as he drools up a storm. Plus my shoulders are always wet where he drools on me. Not sure if its better for the drool to be on me or on the floor. I love you Little Duffett but when are things going to dry up a little?

Elijah: 4 Months

Did you know that a person is never too young to begin the sibling rivalry with his older brother and sister? Shelly says, "Why is he looking at me like that? I want him to stop staring at me! Stop looking at me!" He just gazes at her with his mouth open, wondering what she's talking about. Sometimes he hits and kicks his brother and sister. Its great for him, he's too young to get in trouble for it and too small for his older siblings to retaliate. These moments are very limited, Elijah, take full advantage while you can because soon enough there will be consequences for these behaviors. Enjoy the moments of being too young to get in trouble, its a once in a lifetime opportunity!

Older Brother's Wisdom

Today we had Eli's 4 month doctor visit during which we were treated to three shots. The real treat was the time we spent waiting for the doctor to come in.

Archer and Shelly pretended to be doctors. And they spun around on the stool and then of course investigated the parts underneath. The next thing I know Shelly's holding out hands covered in grease. "Shelly! Why did you touch that?" "Archer told me to." She wasn't tattling, just telling it like it was. I tried so hard not to laugh as I turned to Archer and told him that as the older one, he had a "responsibility to be responsible." Ok, it wasn't eloquent. But I gave him a mini-lecture on not telling her to do stuff that he knew wasn't right. All while trying not to laugh because it was a little funny. He responded to the speech by telling Shelly to jump out this window right here... "Shelly, when your brother tells you to do something you know is wrong..."

Tonight I saw it in action again, the older one telling the younger one what to do. But she ASKED him. Because she didn't know what to decide and so of course she'd ask her older, cooler brother what the right thing was. And that is how we got through reading the "Choose your own adventure" book tonight. David would ask Shelly and she would turn to big brother. "What's the right thing, Archer?" Oh how I pray that when it really counts, he'll give her the right answer, the good advice, the wise council that she needs to hear. And likewise, that she will do the same for him, the way my sister has done for me countless times.

Randomness (Is that a word?)

Today Elijah ate celery. Not really. I stuck a piece of celery in his hand and he accidentally stuck it in his mouth for half a second. On another note...

Today David said to Archer, "Please don't kiss my feet anymore."

Archer's response, "What! I don't want to kiss your FACE!"

(Followed a few seconds later by, "You're SICK!" Which is true, and Archer was trying to avoid the germs, so I guess somehow Archer's logic makes sense.)

Nap Time, Please?

Today I looked at my child and said, "Would you take a nap, please?" I asked very nicely. My request was ignored. And of course I then remembered what two big mistakes I had just made.

#1 - I did not ensure that the child was looking at me when I made the request. The child was busy looking around the room. ALWAYS get the child to look at you while you're talking.

#2 - I ASKED instead of TOLD the child what to do. Children are smart enough to know the difference between a question and a command. ALWAYS command, unless it really is optional.

Being an experienced mom, you'd think I wouldn't make these simple mistakes anymore. Of course, neither of these basic principles would probably work on the child in question anyway, he hasn't had enough training. Three months is just the very beginning, he's still a rookie.

Next topic in his training, "Would you please Do not spit up on me anymore."