Summer is Here!

Summer has arrived, and I know this because:

1. 1. Archer is done with school
2. 2. The pool is open
3. 3. I smelled it... Sunscreen, Sweat, Melted Icecream running down their faces (ok maybe I just saw that last one, not smelled it)

They're sticky and dirty and they both already have playtime bruises, the bottoms of their feet are perpetually black from running without shoes, and they are already tan! Thanks to yard work and pool work and bike riding, they've got a great start on the summer. I can't wait to see what adventures come our way in the next three months!

PS - Remember this? Has it already been two years since I wrote this?

http://archerandshelly.blogspot.com/2007/05/summer-is-here.html

Graduation

Archer has graduated from 4K. I'm one of those people who scorns these kinds of things. A kid graduating from Pre-Kindergarten to Regular-Kindergarten? Come ON! Seriously!

Now that I've got that out of the way, my son has graduated. I nearly cried as I sat there and watched him singing with his class, then walk across the stage and receive his diploma, then endure the emotional slide show of pictures from throughout the year. My boy has graduated! That was Wednesday. The official last day of school was Thursday and that's when it hit me. I won't be coming back to this school. I won't see Archer's teacher ever again (she's retiring, this is her last year). My boy survived riding the bus, going into the world on his own and learning to write his name, know his address and phone number, and countless other things. My boy is getting so tall I hardly think he can only be a little 5 year old boy. Actually, he's NOT a little 5 year old boy anymore, he's growing up and its going too fast. Some days I forget he's so young, I expect so much of him. But I do think my expectations are in-line with what he's capable of acheiving. Yes, I expect a lot. But I know he can do it.

He's learned independence, self-control, following the rules in the classroom and respecting his classmates and teachers. He's learned writing and knows all the letters and numbers, days of the week and seasons and I could go on. He's made friends. He's not so little anymore.

Way to go Archer, I'm so proud of you!

To see a few pics, click here...
http://seafar199.blogspot.com

Look to the Lord and His Strength

Its been awhile. Hi everyone! On one hand there have been big changes, and on the other hand its all just the regular daily family stuff.

So here's the rundown. I'm a stay-at-home mom now, maybe short-term or maybe not. For now I'm loving it, its up to God how long it lasts. We're just finishing up Spring Break and its back to the regular schedule tomorrow. Somehow I've managed to maintain a normal schedule and keep the kids entertained, with something a little different planned for each day. Mondays Shelly and I run errands. Tuesdays I join Archer's class for a little while in the morning, other days we have friends over or go visit friends. We're keeping busy with bike rides thanks to Mom and Dad and their handy trailer for Shelly to ride.

Archer's doing fantastic on his two-wheeler without training wheels. On the day of our 7.5 mile ride he had his first major spill. I didn't see it happen but heard the cry and looked over to see him in a heap on the ground under his bike. The scrape under his chin and on his hand are now scabbing over nicely. When it happened he said he'd never ride again. But he loves it too much to quit. In fact, he talks about it constantly.

Shelly's counting to ten, singing lots of songs and coming up with her own games to play without big brother. She's definitely becoming more independent. Her latest favorite is lining up pillows on the floor and then lying a doll on each and wrapping them up in blankets. She fights nap time and bed time harder than ever by coming up with more and more ways to call me back into her room. She wants her socks on, then off, the blankets on, then off. Her baby doll in her crib, tossed out of her crib, on and on. After it goes on for a few minutes I ignore her calls and simply go in my room to read.

We're making progress and then we're not, two steps forward and one back. Three forward and one back. I think its all rolling along predictably and then they throw bumps into the road. I should know better than to expect them to just go along with it all without testing, pushing, looking for the loophole that might be there. They're not sitting still, so why do I think I can? A beautiful, wonderful, interesting challenge that God keeps putting in front of me. And keeps giving me the patience, endurance, energy, and love to make it to the end of the day. Each and every day. Sometimes one minute at a time.

Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.
~1 Chronicles 16:11

Made That Way

Last night Archer and I were cataloging his scrapes and bruises from a visit to the playground earlier in the day. He showed me his scuffed shin and then I asked about a spot on his knee that looked like a bruise. He said "Don't look at that. Its just a red spot. I was made with it." And then he added, "God just made me with it." I'm pretty sure God didn't make him with it, I don't think I'd ever seen that particular bruise before. But it made me happy to know that Archer was clear on who made him.

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you...
- Jeremiah 1:5

Christmas '08

It was a success, with lots of great gifts and even better than gifts - time spent with family. Thanks to everyone who gave to our family, thanks for joining us at our home for Christmas Eve and thanks for hosting on Christmas Day. The kids are fully enjoying the new toys and have already broken some of it, which I guess is good because it means they're playing with it lots.

Lick Me

Last night Shelly kept repeating something that sounded like "lick me." I'm pretty sure that's not what she intended to say but I had no idea what she was talking about and so... I licked her. First her leg, then her arm, then her cheek. And then Archer said "Do it to me! Lick me!" So I did. And of course, what's the logical progression of this game? "Mom, can I lick you?" Not wanting to be a hypocrite, I agreed. "Eewww!!!" We spent the next few hours wrestling around on the floor, giving horsey rides, and piling on top of each other in general chaos. It felt so good to just be silly with them and not worry about homework, or chores, or whatever. Thanks for the fun, kids!

All of a Sudden

It seems like overnight Shelly's vocabulary has expanded and she's even talking in short sentances now. Instead of saying "dee dee" for thank you, she actually says "thank you." And the sentance she says that I can hear very clearly in my head when I think about it is "Hit me. Ah da." Ah da is her way of saying Archer. Sometimes he really did something to her and sometimes not. Its getting tougher for me to know what really happened since they each have their own versions of the stories. Yes, Shelly, not even 2 yet, has her own version!

She's such a sweetheart, she lets me kiss and cuddle her (when she's not too busy with something else) and she comes running to the door when I get home from work. Sometimes she even ASKS me to put her in bed so she can go to sleep! Of course, she also has her share of frustration and naughty moments. She gets so upset when we can't understand her. I try very hard to get her to show me or repeat herself but sometimes she can't even cooperate, she's so frustrated. "No!" she shouts and refuses to talk any more. And if I tell her she can't have something or to stop doing something she shouts "baby!" and hits me! Then she gets a time out. She hates this and will apologize immediatley, her time outs never last longer than 5 seconds.

Its so exciting to watch her learning all these big new things every day, talking more and trying to repeat the things we say. Yaay Shelly!

Winter Wonderland

Last night the kids and I ventured out to the driveway to attempt some shovelling. Once the kids got out of the protection of the garage and into the wind things started going downhill pretty quickly. I gave up shovelling and decided to try to entertain them by getting out the sleds. I put Shelly in a sled and the plan was to take her around to the side of the house out of the wind. Archer wanted to pull her. We only got as far as the edge of the driveway before one mitten, two boots and a hat flew out, and the girl bailed, leaning over until she tipped out of the sled and into the slush. And that's how our first sledding adventure of the season ended. I order Archer to retrieve Shelly's boots, mitten and hat and we all went inside for hot chocolate and marshmallows. Or in Shelly's case, marshmallows with a tiny bit of hot chocolate.

Guest Post by Grandpa

Mom and Dad were kind enough to take the kids for a sleepover so David and I could get some Christmas decorating done without help from the little elves. This is what Dad wrote about the weekend.

We didn't have time to talk on the kid-transfer, but I wanted to let you know that Archer and Shelly done you proud. Saturday we went to the craft fair at Whitnall High School. There were hundreds of vendors selling all kinds of baubles, trinkets, candies and other assorted junk; all of it within easy reach of a child. We walked for 30-40 minutes through this mass of people and vendors and the kids just followed peacefully along never once reaching for, or grabbing anything! Archer peacefully was singing jingle bells most of this time. We did buy them a popcorn as a treat for being so good.(which grandma had the sense to get a second bag so they wouldn't argue over who should hold the bag.)

In the evening we went to the Hales Corners tree lighting at 6 p.m. It was freezing outside and the kids hung in there through 2 full songs by the band before Archer (because he had no snow pants) said that he was getting cold. Both Shelly's boots had fallen off, so we went inside where there were quite a few parents and grandparents who had brought their kids in. We had to wait half an hour for the program to move inside, then they sat through another half hour of story time, then they peacefully stood in line to see Santa for another half hour. (We had taken a bell with us and the reader asked Archer to ring his bell when we got to the right spot in the story of The Polar Express) No problems at all. All of this with tables piled with cookies within easy reach. We allowed them one cookie when they were first brought out and they never said another word about getting another one! All that waiting and temptation and they just stood quietly, nice job Mom & Dad.

Archer said this was his first visit with Santa. You should know that he asked for a fire truck. Shelly allowed Grandma to move close to Santa, but she wouldn't go to him, she asked for a dolly. (someone forgot their camera in the scramble to get hats, mittens, coats, boots, etc. all loaded and off to the library, sorry) Archer told me when we got home that he knew that wasn't the real Santa. I asked him if he thinks this Santa will call the real one and tell him what all the kids asked for. He said yes, he thought he would. They were so good we let them have a second cookie on the way out.

I won't go into all our activities here at home but some of the other highlights included landing paper airplanes in the Christmas tree, kung fu panda jumping in piles of pillows, crash bandicoot with boxes in the basement, grandpa giving a ticket to Archer for making the Christmas lights blink too fast and putting tape all over grandpa while grandma was wrapping presents. I woke up with 3 pieces of tape still on my sweatshirt this morning. ummmm.... Life is good. Hope you had a nice weekend, we sure did.

Love
Grandpa

Melodies

Shelly's really started talking a lot within the last month, she makes the sounds and though the words aren't always clear, if you listen for the melody you can understand the meaning. Archer often says "I gotta tell you someting." And Shelly now says the phrase, understood only by those who have heard it a million times from Archer. The song is the same though the sound is slightly different. And then there are words that are so clear there's no denying her meaning. Mine! I do it! I make it! Wait! Up we go... peas. Beebee. (That means baby.) And let's not forget the best one of all - NO!

We saw the miracle of language with Archer and now we get to watch it happening all over again, in her own unique way. Those sweet young voices sound like music and I'll miss them when they're gone, all grown up.