Role Reversal Bedtime

We have changed to 1:00 o'clock church (oh joyous). Due to this, Marshall's schedule is thrown totally out of whack. Today he didn't get a nap, so we put him down early for bed. About a half hour later Shep accidentally woke him up. So Marshall's mind and body were acting like he had taken a nap. After several attempts at trying to put him back in his bed we then asked him if he wanted to sleep with Shep. He snuggled up to him, and kept saying "Shep's a baby" and rubbed his back and head, and gave him lots of kisses. He then went on to cover his older brother in pillows. I thought he might eventually fall asleep but soon I heard the noises of a lively farm. Marshall was up and about "mooing" his little heart out playing with the Little People's Farm.

Plan B failed, onto plan C. Aram laid down with Marsh in our bed. After about five minutes of cooperating Marshall thought of a new plan. He thought to turn this into bedtime for Daddy. He tucked him in, gave him kisses and went on to follow our routine with him. He said "SHHH, stay here..." then went to the door and said "I going to shut da door", he opened and shut the door about four times and repeated this several times. On his last time he said, "Stay there, love you, shut da door." That was the end of it, Aram was officially tucked in by his two year old son.

So, here I am at 9:50 p.m. writing on my much neglected blog with the small sounds of two year old gabbing to himself as he lie in his bed. I must note he originally went to bed at 6:00. If he is true to his nap schedule he should fall asleep at about 11:30 tonight (bedtime is about 5 hours after naptime).

Nursury Rhymes

We have been learning nursury rhymes in preschool for the last couple of weeks. Shep loves to retell them to me. He has his own versions of the old classics.

Shep:"This Little Piggy went to the market, this little stayed home, this little piggy had roast pee, this little piggy had none..."-I don't know about you, but roast pee sound pretty nasty to me.

These next ones come from a nursury rhyme book we were reading, I would read part of each rhyme and he would finish them. He was looking at the pictures to find the right words, this is what he came up with.

Me: "It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is..."

Shep: "Laying in his bed."

Me: "Rub-a-dub-dub, Three men in a..."

Shep: "Bucket"

Me: "Little Miss..."

Shep: "Muffin"

Me: "Sat on a..."

Shep: "Tuffer"

I don't think he quite gets the rhyming thing yet.

Hay Jumping

On Saturday we went up to American Heritage West Museum in Wellesville (near Logan).  They were having their Fall Celebration, we had a great time with the kids.  They really got into the hay jumping.  Marshall is a total crazy man, he just went right up to the tallest bail and tried to jump off, luckily Aram had his hand.  You gotta watch that kid like a hawk!

Fabulous Friends-Fabulous Fridays

We have been having so much fun lately with Bode, Raini and Patrice.  We decided that every friday we would have a new adventure.  We started out with a bang at Pineview Reservoir.  We had the beach all the ourselves and you couldn't have asked for a better day.  Marshall was so Marshall, when he wasn't wondering off chasing the birds he just plopped down in sand and laid there for long periods of time.  Bode and Shep had good times playing duck, duck goose, having races down the beach, playing horses on their noodles and playing football with their mommies.  

Next, we went on a hike to Wheeler Creek and ended the day at the Dinosaur Park.  Hiking with kids is all about the journey, not the destination.  

And, just last week we went up to Patrice's cabin with Grandma Knudsen and Grandma Lu Lu.   It's so neat that we now have three generations of friends: Robin and Linda, Patrice and Karri, Shep and Bode and Raini and Marshall.  We had a great time hiking around, throwing big rocks in the river, jumping on the tramp, monkeying around on the playground, and eating lots of yummy food.  

More adventures to come!

Chef Shep

Reading the instructions.

   Making the cake, with Daddy's help.
 The best things in life are all the sweeter 

if you have someone to share them with!

This is the whole reason to make a cake...

licking the bowl.

There aren't many things Shep likes to do more than make a cake.  He suggests that we do it nearly every day.  He actually has become a very proficient cook, I just have to get the ingredients out and supervise and he'll do the rest.  Delicious!

New Family Tradition

In the neighborhood I grew up in there was a man named Martin Peterson (some of you may know him, great guy).  I remember driving past his house every Saturday and no fail he was out in his driveway with his two youngest sons washing his car; rain, shine, snow, or sleet.  When I was a teenager I recall passing them and thinking to myself, "What a drag."  How time and perspective changes things!  Now, here I am ten years later starting the same family tradition.  I can see the value in it for the boys and for the car.  Right now, I'm not so sure they are learning much except that water and dish soap make lots of bubbles and as you can see Marshall has an affinity for bubbles.  

Shep's First Day of School

We are embarking upon a new stage in life, school!  We are starting simple and small.  I am doing a home preschool with Shep and two other boys and their moms.  It's working out great. The moms take turns teaching so it works out that I teach about one week a month.   

We decided that all the moms would attend the first day to help the kids get used to it.  It was kind of a nightmare.  They were all very distraught that we were making them sit and listen instead of letting them go about their usual ways and play with toys.  Shep was really good for about ten minutes then he just stood up and stated "I'm done.", and started walking off, like it was that simple.  Since then, things have really improved.   The boys are hilarious, and are total boys.  Sometimes I have to remind myself that this is their first ever school experience and just to have fun with it.  I have to remind myself of this as I am talking about the letter of the day, and the boys are fixated on saying "poop" and laughing their brains out.   "Focus...Focus."

On the first day I taught I was teaching about our bodies. 

Me: "Neal, what's a part of your body?"

Neal: "MY NOSE"-Neal is very exuberant and everything is a cheer, he said this with gusto and he jumped up and down, waving a fist in the air.  

Me: "Ephraim, what's a part of your body?"

Ephraim: (think James Earl Jones, this kid has the deepest voice you've ever heard a 3 year old have) "My Eyes."

Me: "Shep, how about you?"

Shep: "My tiger!"  Then he planted his two feet and swung one arm across his chest...this is my own child and he is a total mystery to me????

Closing Circle-

Me: "What did we learn about today?"

Neal:  He looks up at me with the sweetest face and simply says "Jesus."

This kid's smart, he has learned that you can never go wrong with that answer.  

I am looking forward to my many adventures with this rowdy bunch of boys, they have a way of making me laugh.