A backlog of stories

I've been lax writing about the children. Please accept my apologies. Also, don't expect it to get better, because I have discovered with three days completely to myself I have lots and lots to do. That gets in the way of writing about the kids.

The picture above portrays all three doing their favorite activity and their newly discovered playplace--the library. I'm not unhappy about the expanded play area as when Finwe is home with just me, he sits beside the desk playing with legos, train tracks, or colors. I can accomplish a few things using the computer while he still gets attention. Nice. Not so nice when we have to pick up the teeny tiny blocks so that I don't step on them with my perpetually bare feet. I'll learn, though.

All of the kids love building with the smaller blocks. We've had a set of the larger Lego blocks since Inwe reached the age of 1. They still use the big ones, too. I suspect one day I'll buy a set of K'nex with an entire rollercoaster ringing the desk.

If you say their names together, they make an action hero.

Last week, I managed to bring Finwe with me to the beach once. The rest of the time, my mother spoiled him mercilessly, but as she also taught him valuable skills and required him to say please, I will allow her to keep Finwe other times.

The reason for leaving him behind was that four equally-abled children are easier to parent than four plus one who needs much more attention or he'll cause some calamity. That sentence is unfair to Finwe, but nearly three-year-olds are not to be trusted.

Cirdan, who has labled even four-year-olds as babies, took Finwe under his wing. He taught him about the monster trucks (I tried not to cringe. My boy will not like monster trucks. Got it? Good. Not NASCAR, either. You remember that, people.), pointed out the things on the beach to the younger boy, and totally taught him to jump into the pool without a mommy to catch him. Water wings were on his arms. Right there. On. His. Arms.

We ate dinner there. Finwe next to Cirdan. Our own Tom Clancy hero, split into two. That is something I also miss about our neighbors in C'ville. That Cirdan and Finwe would have dug a trench between the yards for some reason. Phill and I would have supplied the shovels just to see Mr. MaddJones cringe, but in a nice, neighborly fashion.

While we love New Orleans, there is no substitute for friends made in the beginning, when the children still suckled. Any idiosyncracies are viewed as part of that kid, whether it be shyness, drama, a tendency to shove, or the spark of mischief glittering in their eyes. We'll build other friendships here. Sure. Yet, hmm. There are those that shall remain gold.

Let The Pool Begin

The last days of school are upon us. Larien finishes tomorrow. Inwe has a few half-days left, but she's pretty much done as well for the year of 2007-2008.

As I review this school year, I am both elated and saddened. Elated that we found a comfortable place with good academics for the girls and for Finwe for the next two years of pre-school. I am saddened because the girls effectively lost a year of education. I hear some of the moms say things like, "I can't believe my baby is going to be a first grader." To that, I have nothing to say. Inwe was in first grade. The move, and strict adherence to age policy, changed that for her. I have no elation that she's completed kindergarten. Neither do I have excitement that Larien will be in pre-K beginning mid-August. I wonder if I will feel this for all the years, this loss of opportunity.

Yet, I don't dwell on it as I know this problem is mine to own and to keep within around the children. Inwe is age-matched with quite a few girls and shows excellence in both reading in math. She's not well co-ordinated, but neither is her father. Larien, while not well-matched in her current group, will have girls closer to her age in the fall. As usual, I will use the summer as a way to learn reading and more mathematics as we splash in the neighborhood pool we joined.

As we'll be outside quite a bit staving off the heat of summer in the deep South, I won't have much time to blog. I'll attempt at photo taking, but imagine yourself as the mom of three at a pool. Cameras don't mix well. Still, my goal will be to post swimming or jumping or something photos at least once a week. As other moments arise, I will write about it. Certainly, I will document the visit of the fabulous T next week. The girls rub their hands in glee each time I remind them of her visit.

Please accept my advance apology for less writing these next few months.

Swimming

We've found a place for swimming lessons. It's in warm, salt water pools situated in a warehouse down by the riverside. My children were so happy to see a pool again that none of them displayed any nerves about swimming or jumping in the water with complete strangers. The next morning, Larien asked, "Is it Tuesday, yet?" She really wants to return. Inwe is holding her classroom mascots, Ruby and Squeaker. Both are crawfish.

Trip to the Aquarium Inspires

As quick as we could after arriving in New Orleans, we bought a membership to the Audubon Institute, which has a zoo and an aquarium in the city. For $144, we can visit the zoo and the aquarium whenever the fancy strikes us and we can bring an extra person.

Already, we've been to the zoo twice as a family. Honestly, we visited one day just to eat the gumbo at the Louisiana swamp part of the facility. Good, good stuff. Hot. Good. Mmmmmm.

This past week, we took a trip to the aquarium where we walked under a tank and through a tank. We strolled along the Mississippi River, petted a snake, an alligator, one baby nurse shark, and many friendly (and barb-less) stingrays. The children marveled at the sea horses and the different medusae in artfully arranged black tanks.

Both Larien and Inwe used the day's inspiration to create art. Inwe chose a fish book. Larien, a tableau, part of which I used for the new banner.

Bleck

In a Yellow Glowing Wood

Inwe, Larien, Finwe, and White Dragon take a short rest on boulders in a stream at the bottom of Rose River Fire Road in the Shenandoah National Park. Finwe sits, enthralled, by the gurgling water.

Annual Halloween Project

Could She Have Found a Love?

When we hike, Larien fills the air with laments. "I'm too tired. I can't walk. This is too hard." We aren't even hiking uphill most of the time. She'll even whine while we travel downhill.

However, at the beach, she found her stride. Phill took the girls walking along the beach each day. Once he carried Larien on his shoulders, but for most of the walks she skipped and ran along the beach. The pools left by the receding tide were her favorite splashing places.

I understand how she feels at the beach. I feel free when near the ocean. New Orleans will be good for at least two of us.

Wanna Play in the Dirt

As our house is on the market and is so clean you could eat off the floors, walls, and furniture, we are attempting to keep it that way. When the girls (and sometimes the boy) are at school, this isn't difficult. The weekends, however, present difficulty. The kids like to play.

We have worked years to have independent children, sometimes to our detriment. An example: Inwe and Larien decided to make banana splits, except they mashed the banana beyond recognition, topped it with a drop of ice cream, and drowned it in chocolate sauce (low sugar, I'll have you know!). As they made and ate this interesting concoction, much of it smeared onto the counters, floors, and sink. Clean up was time-consuming.

Phill and I decided that a hike was just the family activity necessary. The drive to the mountains and specific trail can take an hour or more. The hike lasts at least two hours as children are slow, as are the parents hiking uphill with kids on their backs (Larien is a total wimp and must ride). White Dragon also accompanied us, which adds to the controlled chaos of frazzled nerves and pouting five-year-olds who want to hold the leash but shouldn't when we cross a road.


We chose a hike that is only a mile long but is relatively steep. Along Skyline Drive that is a rarity as many of the hikes are down first and up when you are fatigued. Inwe did well as she had White Dragon pulling her. We made the summit, enjoyed the spectacular views, and visited with the many canines at the top. When it was time to leave, Finwe, released from his perch upon my back, resolutely said, "Wanna play in the dirt." I let him.


Cleaning the bathtub after he was clean again was time consuming.


The moral of this story: Kids make messes. Cleaning is never ending. Now, suck up and do it.

On Top of the Appalachians

Rock Climbing

Who Needs Sleep?

This past Friday, Inwe and Larien hosted their first sleep over with our neighbor, Idril. The plan worked well because I had signed out Idril from daycare each day so that she could have swim lessons with Larien. Friday was a short lesson as we only had to finish the class from Thursday that was interrupted by a thunder storm. Idril came home with us, ate dinner, got a bath, and borrowed one of Inwe's gowns. The borrowing wasn't because she didn't have one from home; girls like doing things like that.

The night progressed incredibly well. Swallowtail, the terrapin/tortoise/turtle, entertained us by emerging from her burrow to chow on the strawberry in her food tray. (I have no idea if it is a girl. To the kids, she's s girl. I don't argue. I don't have any data.) The girls giggled, colored, played with the headlamps my mother sent this summer, and finally decided on a place to sleep--the sun room floor.

Maybe my neighbors were nervous. Phill and I weren't. The creature in our household who had nerves about the sleeping arrangement was White Dragon. At bedtime she displayed her nervousness by refusing to follow us upstairs. We strongly encouraged her to follow us where she protested not being able to sleep with the girls by huffing all night. Pitiful creature. Who knew a good night sleep for her required sleeping on Inwe's bed?

Hat Decoration

These two have been bothering me about decorating foam visors for months. Yesterday, I caved and bought a few supplies. Here's what they did.


What you can't see is that they decorated the inside as well. Those pictures just looked odd.

Shhhhh!

By 2008, New Orleans will be our new home.

Inwe: She's still not that excited about it, although she wavers. The idea of being closer to family (say 3 hours in any direction except due west and south) gets her interested. She has worries, which I am sure to write about in the days to follow.

Larien: The idea that Aunt Maverick is a mere 1 1/2 movies away is enough to convince her that this will be good for us.

Finwe: If he's closer to Mom Mom, who he occasionally calls Pop Pop, he'll be happy. (I kid you not about the Pop Pop. I heard it with my own ears--not someone else's. Are you wiping a tear like me?)

Time Away

Beginning on Tuesday, my family will be traveling. The three elves will stay with my sister, mother, and extended family at my sister's house in Mississippi. Phill and I will be in New Orleans.

You might think that we will be there for some time away from the children, which wouldn't be completely wrong. While we will take advantage of having very loving and capable people caring for our brood, we will be interviewing for a job for the better part of three days. Phill's job--not mine.

Why am I writing this here and not on my personal blog? Phill and I have agreed not to blog about our possible move and reasons for that. Suffice it to say that I trust all of you.

What do the kids think of a possible move to The Big Easy? Inwe would like the proximity to family as would Larien. Finwe? Well, he's just along for the ride currently.

Do we consider this lightly? Absolutely not. I must investigate the resources for me as a mother with three small children in a recovery region. Not only that, the place is sinking. (The link is to a 2006 article, but if you pick up a current copy of National Geographic, read the story about New Orleans.) I do need to make the visit with an open mind as this job would be a huge step up the ladder for Phill. Also, this would probably not be a permanent place for us. We both see us moving to another place, wherever that might be, in seven or ten years.

I know that not many of you comment here, and I understand that. However, if you have a thought you'd like to share, please do. Or email me (hpsarabeth@gmail.com). Just don't mention this on my other blog.

Picnic in the Park

Choo Train

Yesterday, we spent all day at Busch Gardens Europe in Williamsburg. By we I mean my family plus the amazing, go-getter T, our babysitter of five years. This summer will be our swan song with T, who attends college beginning in late August. We are definitely spending plenty of time with her when we go to the amusement park. She parents along with us. Honestly, this kid is awe inspiring. She knows our parenting style, our kids, and enforces our rules with amazing aplomb. Gosh, we'll miss her.

The girls are professional thrill seekers at the park by now. The question mark is always how Finwe will behave. He needed half an hour last time to realize that he could leave a ride to get on another one and that we were not taking him away from the fun when the ride ended. His memory was well honed for this visit. He knew exactly the procedure and never uttered a whine as he left a ride.

Inwe had a few moments when we thought she was broken. Phill refused to get her an eight inch long lollipop in the middle of the day. He has a tradition of allowing the children to buy a toy or candy at the end of our visit; he wasn't completely denying her. Dinner in the Italy section of the park revived her. I also suspect it was Phill's plan of one adult (ARGH! T is an adult now!) to one child for the last few hours of the day. Inwe scored Phill.

The plan was for me to be in charge of Finwe, with T taking the reins of Larien. However, Larien saw a ride called the Katapult, which is a scrambler ride that many of you have seen at county fairs. This one, however, feels more stable than the county rides and really thrills Larien. T, having ridden Dark Kastle with me earlier in the day, wasn't up for another spinning ride. We switched children and separated so that Finwe could enjoy Land of the Dragons.

To Finwe, every roller coaster, people mover, and actual train in the park is a "Choo Train". He watched each roller coaster in the park intently. Oh, he loved watching the big ones whoosh and soar and drop. For Finwe, leaving the park is just as exciting as being in the park. A tram takes loads of people to the distant parking lots. It is the last choo train of the long day. As we got off last night, I told him to say goodbye to the train. He did. He did it again, and again, and again.

In fact, he said goodbye to the choo train for twenty minutes. Finwe's litany of leaving: "Bye bye, choo train. Bye bye."

Jump Jump Jump

Toys R Us had a sale on 8X8 bounce houses. Phill and I decided to buy one as it will fit in our sunroom on a rainy day, it will keep the kids contained as we do minor gardening projects, and it encourages activity.

They love it. The neighbors' kids love it. We have a hit.

This means that a toy purge will happen this week.

An extra set of hands

On Sunday, all of us went to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg for the day. There was one big, huge, amazing addition: T, babysitter extraordinaire.

Finwe rode everything that he could. Larien rode everything that she could and two rides that she probably wasn't supposed to be, but the new pair of Thomas the Tank Engine Sandals gave her that extra inch. Inwe rode everything that she wanted to ride plus two rides that she wasn't so sure about, but well, her younger sister did it so she could, right?

We're tired. We're happy. We're so bringing T again.

The photo pictured is of Da Vinci's Cradle, one of the rides that Larien did. She cajoled T into going wither her and did it again with T, Inwe, and Phill. The ride rocks forwards and back until momentum leads to a complete rotation.