Straightened Up a Bit.



Scarfing

This video has been everywhere this week, and when I saw it a few days ago, I was of course impressed- it's fun, creative, useful, you want to watch it over and over because it's cool and because it's instructional.  The companion tutorials are also really great and helpful.

I wouldn't normally have shared it beyond facebook, but, it has been so fun for the girls, I wanted to remember it.  Last night I showed them the main video (below) and they were instantly like, I have to get a scarf and try this. Which they all did (we have a lot of scarves).

They ended up working through every single tutorial, and to exemplify how great of a teacher she is, my 8, 6, and 5 year old could do almost all of them without help.

Update

So, an update, on this day three of life-after-school-started.

Everything is extremely simple.  The school routine, life at home with Hudson, all of it.

The girls (of course) love their new school.  No one is surprised at that-  we've been excited and prepared for it for months.

Hudson doesn't mind being home with me at all- he loves it.  He's feeling very grown up, and loves having the school room, the CD player, the cats, the dogs, the toys, the books, the colored pencils, the paintbrushes, the puzzles, me, and the Wii all to himself.  At his core, he's very sweet and relational- he loves to talk to me all day, about everything, but that's nice- otherwise the house would get a little lonely.  He's never, ever, done anything (besides sleep) alone, and while he does love it when his sisters come home, he really likes this change.

Speaking of after school, I really get excited to pick up the girls and hear all about their day.  They are home by three, and we've got plenty of time to snack, play, read, and etc. before dinnertime at 6:30, so in many ways life doesn't feel that different to them.  They were all amazed at how little actual work they do at school, they're making lots of friends, they all have superstar teachers, and think their packed lunches are the bee's knees (though Patie was impressed that they serve corn dogs at school). 

When sibling conflict is eliminated, parenting becomes a breeze.  Amen?

We now have a LOT of "free space" in our day, since it's just H and me.  So, we are still exploring all that can mean-  everything is just so much simpler when a) I only have one child and b) I'm not in charge of teaching four children anymore.  We have always had tons of time in our day to be creative, to play, etc, but now I've got so much more flexibility in just about everything (running errands, etc) with such a free schedule. 

Today we dropped the girls off, got all of our groceries for the week, came home, and had everything put away by 9 AM.  Now we're spending the morning listening to The Decemberists, making focaccia, finishing some work I needed to do, and also we ate a tangelo.  Next we might go to the park or maybe paint like yesterday, who knows.  It's not bad.

Trimming

I took the girls to get their hair cut this afternoon with our friend Katie.

Lily requested a shorter hair cut and she wanted bangs (so her hair wouldn't be in her face so much at school).

She absolutely LOVES it.  She's told me over and over how much she likes it, and that she feels pretty and cute and "a little bit funky".

Grace opted for a shorter cut too, which really surprised me, but I'm glad she went for it- I love how her curls bounce up with a shorter cut.

Patie DOUBLE surprised me by saying she wanted exactly what Grace got (except she had Katie blow dry it a bit, so it's a different style today).

And Hudson?  He just waited around for them to be done.

Girls' Trip 2011

The girls and I took a trip to MSP last weekend.  We did the same thing last year, except Daddy came along.  This year we made it just us.  Jim and Hudson stayed home and did guy stuff.

It was 100% lovely.  Just relaxed time together, a great drive, with the girls reading books to themselves or out loud to one another most of the time, and just talking for the rest. Grace navigated the GPS and we made sure to take our time everywhere we went, because that was the point.  We ate girl food, took the Impala, not the Voyager, I drank a lot of coffee and didn't lug the Canon with me, we swam at the hotel pool, and we had plenty of time to try out every single thing at Ikea.  Of course we wrapped up with a stop at American Girl, with long-saved money in Velcro wallets ready to spend on things that have been debated, long-considered, and long-awaited for from worn out catalogs.  We spent two hours in the store with Jane, our very sweet and accommodating personal shopper, and left thrilled.



It was not one of those vacations that leave me feeling a need for a vacation from my vacation before I get back to real life.  It was actually really relaxing.

It's a nice little tradition- just a little time to get away before school starts. 

A Little Bit Punk Rock

Lily.  Oh, Lily.  You have to be in this family to really get what I'm talking about. 

This kid is our wild. card.

Her personality is so out of the box, words fail me to get it right for you.

But she is one quirky girl.

I knew something was up when, after two fair haired delicate baby girls, Lily showed up after a very difficult delivery with a FULL head of dark brown hair.  Just to be different.

Since then, it's all fallen out, and came in line with her sisters' shade-  but it's straight baby, because she couldn't possibly conform all the way.

She loves COLOR, and wacky outfits, and reason has never won her over- she creates realities in her mind, and it's basically impossible to change it once it's made up.  She says and does the most random things, with a Galifianakis-like quality that can leave us in stitches with laughter, or can bring us to tears (that's usually me, or one of her sibs, and it's a daily rollercoaster we ride together).

She's as sassy as she is lovely.  She's sweet and spicy- and neither is in short supply.

So, my point.  Last week.

The kids can wear pretty much whatever they want at home.

Last week I took this shot of Lily while she was getting her snack at 4 PM.  She'd been wearing this since breakfast...

I sent it to Jim at work.  He responded back, "Destined for roller derby!!! All she needs is some tattoos and a black eye."

I laughed, we chatted about it a bit.

But then on Saturday the kids spent the afternoon roller blading at the park, and as Lily was busy cutting it up Jim joked about it again- then said "Seriously, I think it would be perfect for her."

I considered it.  And wholeheartedly agreed.

When she is determined to do something, her mind is set. 

It's almost impossible to hurt Lily's feelings, and she's never once in her life felt truly terrible about hitting someone.

She is extremely smart, and was born a master at strategy and manipulation.

She does not give a rip what anyone thinks of her- it doesn't even occur to her that she should care.

She'll try just about anything- as long as it's on her terms.

She has all the qualities she'd need to take huge hits- and dish them right back out- then leave it all on the track.

This girl has attitude. And a whole lot of inner-rebel.  Moonlighting as a Roller Derby chick might be the perfect outlet for her.

I'm always calling her my little Punk, because, well, she's just got a Punk Rock way of doing things.

We'd be her biggest fans.

8.

Grace turned 8 last Saturday.  On one hand, it seems unbelievable that she could be 8 already, and on the other, it seems like she should be even older.  She's so mature, so serious, so tall- and seems so very grown up.

But she's still our little girl, and I'm struggling to hang on to that as I watch her hurry up and turn into a lovely young lady.

We fitted her for a new pair of roller blades on her birthday, at Scheels.

Scheels has a giant set of escalators.  I have been terrified of escalators since I was a small child.  I absolutely hate them.  Something about the automated way they run, there's no control, and the thought of tripping and falling down, smashing my face on their hard sharp metal edges.... Chills.

I try to never say things like this in front of my kids- don't want to handicap their blossoming minds with unnecessary fears.

Grade did, of course, desire to take the stairs, though, like me.  The other kids were totally disappointed.  On the way down, Jim rode the escalator with three thrilled Kochs, and Grace and I, again, took the long way.  It's healthier, really.  Right??

On the way down, she looked up at me and said, "I don't like escalators because I feel like I'm going to trip and fall on my face."

I gave a hearty, "AMEN, SISTER.  THAT IS A TOTALLY VALID CONCERN.  YOU TAKE THE STAIRS, BABY."

Jim and I laugh about it all the time- it is crazy how much that girl is just like me. 

Here are some shots from your birthday, Grace-  Love you.

May the Fourth Be With You

We were about to leave the house.

I grabbed a quick shot of Hudson to commemorate Star Wars Day.

But then I thought I should grab a shot of Patie to document a little unapproved scissor work she did on Monday. 

Patie really almost never does anything wrong, but she has a weakness for scissors.  Cutting her hair.  Without asking.  She's done it three times in the last year- hasn't fallen to temptation since last March.  We JUST THIS MONTH could get all of her hair back into a ponytail without clipping the short stuff back...and she did it again. 

You can see a picture of where her bangs were a year ago in April here.  Basically, we're back where we started, plus a little more lost.  I had just finished getting it all back as best I could, or I would have let it show more for the picture.

Even she doesn't fully know why she does it.... It's just one of those inexplicable things kids do that baffle their parents.  We all agree every time she does it, it's a huge mistake.  The front of her hair is now about an inch long- you can see a little falling down in front-  I'm able, with coaxing and hairspray, to get the front to blend in a little with the rest of her hair...  She cried, I cried, and all Jim could say was, "It could have been worse."  Oh, and, "Sometimes kids are going to do things that just don't make any sense."

Moving on.

So by then I'd snapped half my kids- so why not get them all? 

Sweet Dreams.

I found myself cuddled up on the couch with all three of my girls on a chilly night last week, watching Tangled. 

Well, see, the girls bought the DVD, then we found ourselves watching it about 5 times that first week.

But there we were, all watching, and enjoying, Tangled.

During the song, I've Got a Dream,




I asked the girls what their dreams were.

They thought about it.  Actually, really thought about it.

Then Grace said, "I've always wanted to work with birds, you know, like know how to take care of them and have them land on your finger and stuff."

I told her that was a wonderful dream.

Lily, who did not really understand the concept of having a dream, in this context, said usually the only dreams she remembers are bad ones.  Moving on.

Later, after Patience had really had time to think about it, she said, "Well, I'd really like to be a children's librarian someday."

Talk about sweet dreams.

Just for fun...

Lily

You are very sweet.  And also quite spicy. I think it's appropriate that you have a cinnamon-sprinkling of freckles across your nose.  Your hair is as independent as you are- and it's almost always in your face. You are almost 5, and you don't let us forget it.

The Face.

We were playing outside, and you started telling me a story about a mouse you saw come out of it's hole in the ground- it was brown.

I had my camera in my hand, so I shot picture after picture of you telling me all about it.

As always, your hands moved with your mouth as you talked, animated and excited.  You get that from me.

This face, Grace- this is your "story face".

...And Everything Nice

Baking solo for the very. first. time.

Pippen and Pate

Someone out there is going to think this is gross....

Patie Cakes

I call her that.   Patie, I mean.  I call her Patie Cakes.  Every day or so.  Because people don't know just from reading, if you don't know us, you know, in real life, it's Patie.  Like Katie.  With a "P".

So here's what happened a couple of days before Patie's birthday.

Mom: "What kind of cake do you want for your birthday, Patie Belle?"
(I call her that, too, btw.  She has a lot of names.  That one actually really makes sense- her name is Patience Isobel.)

Patience: "I want cupcakes- with sprinkles."

Mom: "Whatever you want, birthday girl!"

So we made marble cupcakes with vanilla butter cream and lots of sprinkles.

And on her birthday morning, as we stood at the counter finishing up the cakes, I say, "Patie, these were a really good idea."

And she says, "I knew they would be easier for you to make than a cake."

I gasped a little in surprise, "Patie!  You can pick whatever you want for your birthday!  Mommy doesn't mind making you a bigger cake."

She replies, nonchalant, "It's OK.  I like cupcakes, and I haven't had any for a while."

No biggie. 

That's Patie.

6.

Patience you are velvet
and strong.
You are selfless and
determined.

You are a head of curls, a
Little nose
And a sweet expression.

You can't wait to be a Mom. You
Talk and imagine about it
All the time.

You put others before
Yourself so easily,
But you hold a quiet, firm confidence
And carry yourself tall.

You have reached the age of
Self Awareness and
Now try very hard to control how
You look in photographs, like
Grace does. 
So Cheesy Little Kid smiles are nearly
Gone and you've reached the age of the
Awkward Smile or
The Serious Face in an attempt to
Look older and in control of
How you look. Which breaks my
Heart a little but, you have to
Grow up.

You read voraciously. Everything
You can get your hands on.
Afternoons are you wrapped
In your pink blanket like
A cape,
On your belly, propped on elbows,
Feet in the air and a
Cat by your side.
Chapter by chapter you're
All caught up in it.

And every day you give
Me a reason to stop and
Stare at you.

We love you Patience.
Happy Birthday Pinky Pie.

Love,
Mom

Grace's Faces

Nostalgic.

Grace and Patie made this banner in 2008.  And here it is in 2009, and this year,

And last year, they made this neat book, which follows the Mayflower pilgrimage, through the group's first two years- in their own words and illustrations.

I look forward to putting them out year after year after year.

And though they are relatively "new" traditions, they already fill me with nostalgia.

Happy Thanksgiving.

My Little Women.

I've been spending

lots of my downtime

reading this book

and eating clementines.

I'm amazed when I read this

as an adult

and a mother.

Because I love it for all

the same reasons but

in so many new ways as well.

And my heart gets warm when

I consider that I now definitely have one

"Meg", one "Beth", and one "Amy" of my very own.

Bygone.

While we were back at Jim's parents' house last month I took the girls to a Laura Ingalls Wilder museum in Walnut Grove, MN. 

Grace is reading the Little House books this year at our Homeschool Coop.  We now own the series, but I haven't read them since I was in elementary school.  Grace was excited to see Plum Creek, and all of us had fun experiencing the museum- which is really like a tiny interactive "village".

There's a small church (the girls loved this the best and we played in there the longest).  There were pews and a pulpit to stand behind, etc.  It was fun.

The other favorite was the school house.  I know this is all about Laura Ingalls Wilder, but, I, for one, was having major Anne of Green Gables nostalgia flashes.  Frankly, though the Little House books are a part of my regional heritage, they do not hold a candle to my love for Prince Edward Island.  And, my girls are being brought up right on a healthy diet of Avonlea.  I digress.  Back to the school house...

There are neat old things everywhere- Grace had a great time pointing out things from the books.

I don't know what this is.

There were several scenes brought to life from the books.



The girls had a blast trying on tons of outfits.

And then, because of course you exit through the gift shop, we saw a huge selection of clothes etc. for our American Girls.  Since they were right out in the car... the girls dropped big allowance bucks.  We finished up in the store, went out to the van, and traded trendy modern clothes for outfits from a bygone era.  It was fun.  The gift shop lady correctly thought my girls were absolutely adorable.

So THEN, though we'd already been there for 2 hours, we went BACK in through the entrance and Daisy, Emily, and Charlotte went to church, 

and of course school.