Summer is fun!

It's been far too long since I've update our doin's.... It's been a really really nice summer so far. We've only had one pretty intense week of heat and otherwise the weather's been completely amazing!

I had an au pair meeting mid-June and it was a potluck picnic at the lake with a mini soccer tournament running along side. It was a very pleasant afternoon, surprisingly. The au pairs seemed to really enjoy and that makes such a difference in these work-things lately!

Father's Day was quite fun. We drove out the Lego Fest in Wheeling and this was our first adventure there. It was a great fest. Pretty amazing creations. Only have a couple pix b/c camera batteries died just as we got there. But it was a fun family day, rounded out by stopping off to visit Grandpa for awhile and dinner out that was Seringe's pick. (YES! ALL of those are made from legos!!!)

That week following, we enjoyed a beach day with the Evanston homeschoolers, and an art class with a group of friends, a pool visit with Grandpa (and of course and ice cream stop!), a court date against the previous building owners (which is such a long story in and of itself... but at least they were charged for the violations!), playdate with friends, park day with Evanston group, playing with friends, (my) lucky parents' tea, rounded out by the latest drama.......

So yesterday I get a call from a family early in the AM saying that they have had suspicions for some time, and now confirmed (by witnessing) their au pair having an affair with their married man next door! I needed to pull her... she ended up with us, and really was not at all remorseful regarding anything that was going on, and was quite unappreciative for us housing her and feeding her... Ugh... could go on and on, but the smoking outside our door and cigarette smoke leaking into our place was the last straw for me. She ended up on a flight home tonight, and not a moment too soon.... I'm sure the details make this a very juicy gossip story! ; )

This week is play, play and more play! The weather's been perfect. Couldn't ask for more! Now only if Shea would sleep some more at night, life would be grand!

This weekend we are visiting Kenosha again for the 4th of July. Figured it be fun to swim in the hotel and check out the area some more before making the big decision! The move would be mostly dependent on my income/current job. My project is done and lokoing to get that on the market this week and start marketing like a mad woman. If the income can be generated there, I can also start working on the other couple of ideas I have mulling. It would be exciting to turn a new leaf and venture a new living space! We will see what life has in store for us!

Happy 4th of July!

Jarjusey's Royal Kingdom

Dahlia: "Mommy?"

Me: Yes?

Dahlia: I am no longer calling myself the Queen.

Me: Oh really? Why not?

Dahlia: Well... I'm a princess! You are the Queen.

Me: Ahhh. OK!

Dahlia: And Shea is the prince, and Kaidin is the king..... and..... daddy...... is the guard of the princess!

Man... she cracks me up.

D's first tooth.... lost!

So Friday we were backing up to head to Kenosha for the night (2 days) and on the way we stopped off for lunch.... D bit into her sandwich and sowwy, her first tooth came out! Of course it had been quite loose prior. She'd been working that thing pretty hard before then. She was even having trouble eating that afternoon, but nevertheless.... out it came.

Kenosha was a blast. It's very much our speed and very heavy thought is being weighed here on whether we will make the move up there. We're having a hell of a time with our living situation at present. Our landlord has screwed us royally. In the smallest nutshell I can sum it up in, mainly b/c it's not worth drudging.... the landlord is a broke looser who did not pay the gas bill. Our hot water was shut off. The new landlord has not actually signed on the dotted line yet and sale is not complete. Meantime, no hot water, some convenient vandal let themselves into the boiler room (with a key) to break a pipe down there and create some damage to the hot water heater and then walk out and lock the door behind themselves. We have our suspicions, but despite the police stating this as a crime scene, they won't listen to us. Meanwhile, we are stuck in a lease to a looser who can't even pay our gas bill, AND probably will never return our deposit. And if the new landlord decides to actually complete sale and fix the problem, it's probably just to take over and convert to condo's so we'd need to move anyway. Regardless, we are pretty sure a move is in the extremely near future.... faster than what we had intended. That's a bit stressful, but maybe just needed to happen this fast b/c we were waiting out our lease anyway and really feeling ready to move regardless of all of this mess.

So we were up in Kenosha to explore as a possibility as a home to move to and shockingly really loved it. It's really our pace, and just seems like a really nice place to plant ourselves for awhile. We will have to see how this all pans out... This week we will know what will happen with the water situation and who will take over ownership and just how much time we will have to move. The more time the better b/c I don't want to have to pack up a family of 5 in a haste b/c of this horrible situation, and not really feel comfortable with where we're going.

We will see. Life is an incredible journey.

Dear Dahlia

Happy 5th Birthday my precious princess.... spitting image of myself. You were born to me to teach me so much of who I am and so much of who I was not allowed to be. You are an amazing young lady with a heart larger than most I know at wise old ages. It's because of you that I have learned so much about myself at this age, and as your mommy. You make me want to be a better mommy each and every day! Your gumption and ability to just be who you are is admirable. You are a precious, tough girl. You have a warm personality and a spark that sets my mind a miss! You can push my buttons till I want to rip my head off, and yet I understand you exactly and know exactly who you are! You are an amazing wonder in my life and I love, cherrish and respect you in every aspect of your being, personality, soul and spirit. Happy happy birthday you awesome gal!

Love, Mommy

We had an amazing birthday celebration! Started last week with a gathering of friends at Wagner Farm. Everyone brought their own family picnic's and we brought yummy chocolate/chocolate cupcakes. The kids had a true blast running around in the amazing weather, and just as we were wrapping up the day, it started to drizzle. The weather could not have cooperated any better! It was an awesome day. Dahlia even said "this was the best birthday ever!" ; )

That evening we met Grandpa and Aunt Jess at Baker's Square for dinner. That was a fun and mellow gathering. She had a blast. Enjoyed company of A. Jess who's been living in CA lately, so this was an extra special visit/person to celebrate. And of course Grandpa... she truly loves her Grandpa. That was super nice.

The day of her actual b-day (May 31st) we had a fun brunch with Grandma at Leona's. Gathered for yummy food. Grandma enjoyed sitting next to her and they had a nice time. Shea was a little tired of restaurants by this point, so poor Seringe was doing a lot of juggling in and out of the restaurant and actually trying to get some food in the belly, but we all had a really nice time. 

Fortunately after brunch Shea fell asleep which made the next activity easier to accomplish.... pottery painting. This was a new thing for Dahlia and she loved it just as much as (if not more than) I thought she would! It was really fun. Kaidin painted something as well. That was really nice for Dahlia to see him enjoy something she liked so much. They've been butting heads the last couple of weeks, so for him to be that invested in her b-day was really really special. They had fun and Seringe and I had fun helping paint as well. It was really nice.

Back home she opened a slew of presents from all of us. I have no clue how I accumulated as many presents as I did, but she made out this year! ; ) But she sure did appreciate every single second and every single gift. And of course.... chocolate/chocolate cake to top off the whole celebration! 

Yea! We LOVE birthdays!!!!

As tough as that girl is, she's just a softy at heart. 

We love you Dahlia!

Ugh

This week has been off to a rough start and I'd be glad if that's all that's in store for me. I'd love to know that all of Dahlia's b-day plans go off without a hitch, and that the worst is done. Monday Dahlia was sure she could scale a slippery wet shower wall by grabbing onto a bar on the wall overhead. Sure enough, too slippery to shimmy her way up and on the way down gashed her right knee on this sharp porceline (from the broken soap holder on the wall)! Ugh.... 

Off to the ER, where I was less than thrilled with the staff there. Even with me prefacing (to the staff) the fact that she was totally petrified to be there b/c we had been there before and the staff that treated us were pretty not-kid-friendly.... they still sucked. I can't say enough and the story is too long for me to produce this late a night, but had she not needed so many stitches, I'd have walked out with her at one point. Was not the best time... at all. She's doing well. Recovering with 6 stitches in the most inconvenient part of the leg. Right at the bend. So we've already had a few mild bleeding episodes b/c she gains just the slightest bit of mobility and she's off running and jumping around as if nothing ever happened. So she's banged it. Last night I was certain she popped a stitch or two, but all turned out OK. Today she's had a bit of swelling and I'm holding my breath that it's gone down by tomorrow AM, or I'm taking her in to the pediatrician to check on everything (particularly worried about infection). Hopefully a night without major wraps on her leg will bring that swelling down. I'm hopeful since she does not seem phased by most of this. 

Then today the car was swiped in the CVS parking lot. Man was I ticked. I just can't envision people feeling kosher with themselves for have putting a 1.5-2 foot dent in someone's car door and then driving off like that. Filed a police report but the CVS survielence is not so great, so there's really no hope on that end. We were not in the store for more than 20 min.... it's just so annoying.

Of course after all of that we did the b-day balloon shopping. An annual tradition we do for each of the kids birthdays. They get to go to Evanston's Hallmark and pick out a bunch of balloons for themselves. They have high-float which helps the balloons last forever, so even 5-6 weeks from now she'll still be celebrating! They do a great job. We had tested out a couple other places for balloons. Yes, they were cheaper, but man... they were cheaper. Hallmark is worth the quality AND the squirt of high-float. The kids just love this tradition! Good times.

Tomorrow Seringe is home from work! YEA!

Starts with me getting to sleep in later! Then I will bake some cupcakes with the Big D.... and then Seringe is also letting me escape to Starbucks to do some writing! So excited about that. Going to soak up this day b/c I rarely get to have that much time for me, aside from him being around for a full day at random! A huge treat!

Friday starts off the celebration for Dahlia. We will be meeting friends at Wagner Farm for the afternoon, later dinner with Grandpa and Aunt Jess (who is in town)! Sunday is her actual birthday and we are taking her (immediate us) to the paint-your-own-pottery-type place, and later out to dinner with Grandma! Busy weekend ahead! But should be lot's of fun!

Recent Lowdown o' Pix

So I've updated on lot's of this, but here are some great pix just recently uploaded to the computer (or should I say "finally" ; )

Mayor Dayley's Kids and Kites Festival!

Children's Museum of Immigration of the Swedish American Museum:

First Tennis Attempts!

Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture

Lately

I'm getting a little frustrated. I need to get a particular project done and feeling like I have no time to truly work on it. Granted, I've enjoyed every second not working on it, so it's hard to be that frustrated, yet I'd love to actually accomplish it and not finding the time to do so, aside from staying up till 1am every night doin' so, and this is just not cutting it anymore. I need *some* sleep!!!

Anyhoo-- lives been so much fun lately... of course. After Shea's birthday celebration we went to the Mayor Dayley's Kids and Kites Fest with Seringe. That was super fun. Had our kite at the end of it's line a full 300 ft in the air. Beautiful down there by the lakefront!

I had 2 days where I was able to have date-days with each of the older two. They really have seemed to need more of that one-on-one lately. And I can recognize that they have been feeling more independent than they'd like to be right now. So trying to adjust that a bit more. (Part of that is me trying to get a bit of work done during the day, but I recognize their need for me to be fully present and less independent during that time.... ahhh.... finding balance!)

Last week we had a few playdates and EHE park day, before Shea got a fever-type sick. Then he was better and we had a couple playdates, a trip to the Children's Museum of Immigration that was super fun, but glad it was free ; ) . And then we picked up rackets at the thrift store and Kaidin's really been interested in tennis lately! He's really liked the sport and interested in lessons, which is pretty fun. We had an impromptu tennis date and lunch with Grandpa last week before our EHE park day. And even dragged Seringe out to play tennis this past weekend. 

This of course, is in between Shea getting sick again, this time with a cold. Poor guy. He's been hit hard in the last 2 weeks. Part of me thinks it has to do with the amount of solids he's eaten on/since his b-day and how that may have made his immune quite low (less breastmilk).... but that's a proud nursing-mama's philosophy. At least now, he's on the mends and everyone seems to be doing well.

I had one of my frustrating "maybe school would be a good thing" days.... That usually passes quite quickly. But I was at witts end today. I had thought a nice bike ride would help us, and I really truly wanted them to ride in the trailer so I could haul a long distance and get a good work out, but K and D were sure they wanted to ride their own bikes. UGH. Sign for disaster. K has the tendency to not watch where he's going and runs into a lot of things. D tends to use the tip of her sandals to stop.... ruining the pair of shoes we just bought about a week or two ago.... that were intended to last the whole summer. In doing this, she also got her foot cut under and twisted in her one and only training wheel.... ugh... I was sure we were not going to escape the ER today.

Anyhow... today ended up much better. I'm up late doing the writing project and really hoping I can stay on my personally scheduled goal. I want to complete the project by the 1st and have it up and running and selling. With only 2 weeks left I will be grateful to have the project done and editing the first week of June and selling soon after. 

Tomorrow we have a museum date with Grandma. We are visiting the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture. We'll seee how that goes. I'm excited about the adventure with the kids. We will even sample to ethnic food as well.....

This reminds me that Facebook brought about an unexpected 'friend'.... a distand cousin on my mom's side found me and man, she is the family historian! She's sent me some cool family tree info and pix. It's been fun hearing from her!

Dahlia's b-day is next week! Random thought there... she is very excited, and I swear she's grown a couple inches for the occassion.... ; )

Time to get reading/writin'! 

G'nite.

Happy Birthday Boober

It's official... a full 12 months has past and he's a full year old! I truly can't fathom how this year just flew right by us. It feels like just yesterday that I was stressing about the colicy-ness of his first 2 months, and then watching him cruise around by 4 months, and waddling around by 11 months. He's just a super cool dude. No joke. He's completely his own person with an amazing personality. So incredibly sweet and tolerant, loving and playful. You know each baby has given me a gift in my life as a mother. Taught be valuable life lessons as mother. And for this I am just so entirely grateful, lucky and blessed for each of their presence in my life. Shea's gift to me was teaching me to 'let go' and 'give up' and 'relax'!!! I call him my little tornado. He flies through this house inquisitive about absolutely everything. And as much as I love to have things kind kept up and in some sort of 'order', with Shea in our lives this is impossible. And I have just had to learn to be OK with this. Our home is always a mess, and I have had to deep breath through that and just let it go. Life is far more enjoyable when I don't worry about this stuff, and man.... it feels really good. Aside, he has taught me to never take anything (at all) for granted. I constantly joke that with him, I feel like a first time mom all over again. I even joked with our pediatrician the other day that people may not even realize that he is my third baby! He has been a whole new adventure and it's been a wild ride. He is such a little blessing.

His latest achievements.... well, I mentioned the walking thing. He's cruisin' everywhere and just loves that he's mobile with his big bro and sis. He's quite the music lover and really gets his groove on when he hears a tune or beat that gets his hiney wiggling. He's so an on-the-go kinda guy.... loves and adventure, the outdoors, car ride, park, etc. He almost never naps and next-to-never is easy to persuade to sleep (I'm just shocked that a 12 month old could easily go without a nap in any random given day). He started eating very very early and since seems to have slowed up on the solid foods and loves nursing more. I have to admit that I was worried he'd stop nursing pretty early on b/c the food-thing was pretty serious for while. Hmmm.... he says a few 'starts' of words, but mostly if prompted and not really intentionally. If asked he'll give you a 'ba' for bada (nursing) and then 'ma' for mommy... occassionally he'll bust out a "eye" which is both hi and bye! ; ) Way too cute. Four teeth on top, two teeth on the bottom, and lot's of bumby suggestions that more are ready to poke out really soon. 

B-day was spent at home this time around. Grandpa came over and played during the day, fed him a nice lunch and blew out a b-day candle. And then Grandma came later in the evening for dinner and another b-day cake/candle. It was a really nice day and he really got into it. The "happy birthday" song was playing on some TV show the other day and he stopped everything to run and check it out. He seemed certain he was going to hear his name and listened quite intently, even had the little boogy sway going on. 

We love you Boober. You are the coolest little man around!

The April Run Down....

So the weather is finally shapping up to be more like Spring and we thoroughly enjoyed today's 80 degree weather down at the beach with some friends. It's been busy the last few weeks, and I'm just gonna do the Jarjusey run-down on everything that has been and comin' up!

Since last checkin' in, we had Kaidin's 1st b-day party invite (and party) to a friends home all on his own! First time he's done this type of thing on his own! He did great. Ironically, Dahlia was really upset about not being invited b/c she plays with this boy just as much as Kaidin and all the other kids invited, so she was quite bummed about the lack of invite... I have to admit I felt is was pretty crummy she was not invited, but what's a empathetic mama to do in this case? At any rate, K went and D and I had a special girls date. We had a blast.... K did not. D did not feel so bad after that! ; )

A couple days after that Uncle Phil was in town helping dad out on some computer jobs he had... so we were so happy and lucky to sneak in a visit with him. He spent the day with us and fed him some of his favorite dinner. Kids were so happy to see him!

I had my annual dermatologist check-up. Skin cancer runs on my dad's side of the family. Two years ago I had a yucky "pre" cancerous spot on the underside of my breast that got lopped off, and last year I never made it to an annual check up b/c I had just has Shea... So this year I got on top of things and went, and fortunately, everything looks great. That's always a nice relief visit!

Just two days after a visit from U. Phil, we were very surprisingly visited by Uncle Paul... my youngest brother. He swung by b/c he was doing the UPS route very near to our place in E. Rogers Park. So he decided to stop in for a surprise visit. It was amazing that the starts allinged this way. Not only were we originally not planning on being home that day, but he just never stops by to begin with! Last I saw him was long before this past Christmas. So that was a great-welcomed shocker. He seems like he's doing pretty good, which is always a good thing for U. Paul!

We mailed on park day one day to head down to the nature museum. We had not been in such a long time and it's free on Thursdays, so we opted to check it out. But you all know, there's just not a ton to do at this place. It's fun, lovely and great to do when you have not been in a long time, but the excitment tends to end with in a couple hours. Friends of ours happened to make it down to the zoo that day as well, so we met them over there and had a blast. The kids were just so excited to play together that we mostly hung out in the gardens and played. We did make it into the zoo later on, but at that point the zoo was nearly closing... We 'closed the zoo'! It was a very nice spring-like day!

Then it was Grandpa's b-day and we took him out to celebrate. We started with a small hike through the River Trail Nature Center, and rounded that out with a huge lunch at Sweet Tomatoes. One of our favorites.... He was thrilled with his 'new' phone.... our old Razr hand-me-down which worked just perfectly by slipping in his sim card. Yea!

We had a family trip one Saturday down to the Big Run Wolf Ranch. Wow, the ride there was less than pleasurable. Mr. Shea was not very appreciative of that long hike. I sorta thought we were in a good place to do an hour in the car, but he was just in that not-so-happy spot of the day when he wanted to nurse and sleep. We stopped a number of times for him, but man that was rough. Sort of ruffled my feathers for the day, but the ranch was great. Kids had fun. Lot's of cool animals. Ride home was a dream in comparison! He fell asleep early an stayed asleep all the way to the beach when the older two got to hang out and dig in the sand. Later that evening said goodbye to good friends over a pizza dinner. They were moving to Portland in just two days following that evening. So sad to see them go!

Then was Grandma's b-day. She came out to our place and went to our last homeschool storytime session at the library with us. It was great to see her experience a part of the homeschooling stuff and get a taste of the community we hang with. We then took her out to lunch (at K's favorite spot! ; ) but it was fun nonetheless. She seemed to enjoy her lunch, dessert and pressents. We had a really nice time with her.

We then took a new adventure down to the National Mexican Museum down on 18th. Fun! On the way we stopped off to visit friends who just moved to Humboldt Park last summer and we had yet to see their new place. After a shortish visit there, headed to this new (for us) museum and checked out what they had there. It was a great little adventure and have to say the kids did great with doing something new! (Esp. Kaidin, as he is my somewhat close-minded fella! But even he enjoyed it!)

The day immediately following that we were intended to head to the Museum of Science and Industry, but the night before (upon our return from the Mexican Museum) Dahlia had graced us with a nice little incident that just about put me over the edge. Not something that would have normally, but I guess I'd been feeling a bit busy and stretched that this incident really tore at me. She was jumping on the couch, lost her footing, fell and cushioned her fall with her two front teeth landing on Shea's forehead of steal. No telling how this baby escaped injury here while Dahlia's two front teeth were knocked wabbly.... and a split open bottom lip, but that's what happened. So a try "all the way" down to the MSI felt like a real lot to me... And fortunately the kids did not mind hanging at home and spending the afternoon at the park... so that's what we did!

Followed by a good 5-ish hour park day the following day with the homeschool group.... and rounding up the list of the month (or at least since I last updated.... ) Today we did some volunteer work for Miseracordia! We did the Misercordia Candy Days where we stood on the corner in front of Whole Foods in Evanston and collected money for the charity. I was quite proud how great they did. Kaidin made it a full hour before falling into his close-minded-shut-down mode, and Dahlia nearly the full 2 hours! They did great and had fun. And it was great doing our first volunteer thing together. We talked about other projects we could do together to help people in need. So I look forward to that in the near future.

After that of course, we HAD to head to the beach! It was 80 today and we met up with people there, spending most of the day and early evening... coming home with a sunburn.... felt good to get that much fresh air!

Work has been pretty quiet for me this month so it's been good for me in many respects. More time to putz around the net and create new projects for myself. Less time to be on the net as well and with the kids playing and just enjoying the days! And really realizing where I am at with this job and the major changes that need to happen in the next few months. Quickly and whole-heartedly. Eager for change and excited about my business prospects.

Tomorrow we are headed to Serpent Safari with friends that we don't see all that often. Next week holds just as busy... with Shea's FIRST BIRTHDAY ending the week! Updates and that amazing year with Mr. Boober to come. It's surreal to even think that it's been a full year already!

Run Noel!

So these pix are just hilarious... the story behind these... Shea wanted to hurl our hamster, Noel, across the room! ; )

He seems to be the one that is most keen on our hamster, Noel, who was a gift from Grandpa for Christmas. He goes up to the cage frequently to check on her and say hello to her. He clearly is 'talking' about her and to her everyday. He's probably the one keeping that poor thing alive! ; ) Just kidding... we do take good care of her.

At any rate, I wanted to clean the cage one afternoon and put Noel in her exercise ball. Oh man, Shea goes bonkers with this thing. He clearly knows she's in there and is dying to get his hands on her. He will chase her around the house trying to do so as well! And this particular day, he caught her... and... was ready to HURL her across the room. He just so desperately wanted to "throw the ball"!!! It was hilarious. Dahlia was trying to 'help' (poor Noel, from a heart attack) but Shea was giving her the evil eye.... "why are you touching my ball"?!?

To funny....

This one is sheer.... "HELP, she's taking my ball!"

No Training Wheels

So last weekend we took the kids over to the park. Kaidin was fueled b/c a few of his friends had been talking about riding w/o training wheels, and Dahlia... well... she just wants to keep up with everyone. So we rode over there, took the wheels off and let them go at it. I was really kinda afraid that Dahlia would get it in seconds and leave Kaidin in the dust, wallowing in self-pitty and total distress that he had not accomplished it... put that did not happen.

Kaidin only needed a few good guidance pushes with daddy behind him and he was off and running, phew.... This video clip is something I just have to chuckle at. It's the "classic" thing you'd expect, but what I just love about it.... eventhough I was laughing, and he totally just ran into a tree.... he just got right back up and mastered it before we left the park that day.... Something we don't always anticipate from Kaidin! So this was such a huge, pleasant surprise. It rolled right off his shoulders and he mustered on.

Dahlia on the other hand, go quite furious. She was trying desperately to keep up but the balancing thing was not working for her yet. She wanted the training wheels back on after a bit, but one remained quite loose. What we figured a to take that loose one off and let her cruise hat way. She does feel the balance-thing every once in awhile and hopefully she gets where she wants to be. It was so funny b/c at our penpal group this week, she wanted to tell her penpal that she could ride her bike with "just one training wheel".... ; )

Jedi Knight

So the play went off with out a hitch. They did such a fabulous job on everything. Busy trying to edit a dvd for prosperity... somehow I get myself hooked into projects I don't have time in a day for! But it will be so great when it's completed. Tons of video and photos to go through. Some of which have been posted to Facebook as well. Kaidin did such a wonderful job on his first-ever performance. When we first arrived at the place he was saying he as hungry, then not hungry, then his stomach just felt "so weird"... First time he's ever had that sensation... pretty cool. I could tell the first couple of times on stage he was nervous, and then after the first few applauces, he was on fire. He was comfortable and really really enjoyed it. It was hard not to tear over seeing my baby up there! ; ) Ahh... the little "youngling"....

Lately

So we've been really been in a good place lately... Things going well, feeling good. Of course we have our minor woes.... one of which I am having a hard time with is Shea and his nighttime nursing and restlessness issues, which I am hopefully is revolving around teething. But over the last several nights we've been testing the waters of me sleeping elsewhere (as a pediatrician suggestion)... not next to him at night and he tends to sleep a 'bit' better. But I have to say, it just plain sucks. I hate not sleeping next to my baby. I hate having to get up and go to him when it's nursing time. It feels unnatural and just plain exhausting. Seringe does not think it has anything to do with me and says that he will just get over it.... it is by far our worst sleeper of the three. So it's probably something we just have to deal with and eventually he'll finally sleep! Or at least hope so!



The other is Kaidin and his inability to be flexible with others needs or desires. Prime example is when Dahlia and I would love to do an activity one day and he is so totally opposed to the idea that it causes havoc in all of our lives. I have tried relentlessly to talk this out with him and sort of negotiate to the point that "hey we do this stuff with you when you need/want, how about giving it a chance and then we can ... ". But this is not something he wants to hear. And I am trying endlessly to understand that. Everyone's needs here are different. As a mama it's easier for me to put mine on the back-burner for now. But also as a mama, I struggle with Dahlia having to put her's on the back-burner. She's the one I wonder about her growing needs, passions, interests, hobbies, etc. etc.. She's spent SO long following suit to her brother, and that was great for them and their relationship... but now she's growing and trying to figure out "her thing", and I want to support that so desperately. If she's showing interest in somethin' I want to support her exploration, just as Kaidin has gotten throughout his growing and development. But desperately struggle with Kaidin's inability to go along or be supportive of that process as it's blossoming. I do gather that he's going through his own thing as well.... so this too can be temporary and passing.



Ah.... so Kaidin's BIG (FIRST) show is this weekend. He's doing the Circus/MacSith performance on Sunday and SO excited about the whole thing. It's been an amazing process... this entire class. I have seen him grow into this totally new person. I was trying to explain to someone the other day... "I truly feel like I am getting to know this brand new little man... it's remarkable". The class, and maybe just natural growth and development that comes along with being 7... and Kaidin... but he's just become someone I could not have ever imagined. Remarkable, whitty, comical... a performer. Not what I would have ever thought of my little lap-sittin-mama's boy who'd never give anyone time of day when he was just 2 yrs old! Ah.... motherhood. It's a remarkable ride if you can relax and enjoy even the hardest moments.


His passions for Bionicles even subsided a bit. He told me on his 7th b-day that he really feels seven.... but more accurately said "I feel different. Like a big kid. I'm seven now but really I think I'm 12". He's a boy so eager to grow up I am so not sure how or where that came from, but he's just so eager to be a BIG kid. Dahlia certainly has not come to that point yet.


So... looking and feeling the goodness and how I feel like we are in a great place right now. I think that may be because the process of deschooling has been really good for me lately. I feel like as much as we grow to trust the process for our kids, we also grow to trust ourselves. Lately I have had a couple inquiries about us and our unschooling life choices, and really has brought to my attention how much more comfortable I am feeling about our life path... Looking back since the very beginning when I did not even realize that I was going to be homeschooling in the first place, and now feeling quite comfortable not only unschooling, but life learning and/or radically doing so. The people who have posed those questions to me lately have really forced me to step back and look at it more deeply. And wow, it's just felt really really good to feel I am so incredibly comfortable with where our family is right now that I feel far (FAR) less pressured by what everyone else around us is up to and doing. (Explaining that may take me far more time than my eyes can manage to stay open for, so I'm going to leave it at that.... )


SO... it was a family choice that instead of signing up for more classes this Spring we were going on a museum tour. We are going to 1-2 places a week, depending on free days and distances, and going to check out several new places that we've never been to before. Greatly looking forward to it. Will be a fun filled 2 months before (hopefully) summer weather hits and we are on the beaches, parks and pools. Of course, there are 2 class options for us, if they actually do happen. Kaidin may be doing a 4-5 week circus class... Dahlia may be doing a 4 week art class. All depends on if the classes actually run. But if not, we have our museum stops along the way.


Also coming up is Shea's first b-day, May 1, and Dahlia's 5th on May 31st! The thought brings tears to my eyes.... I can't go there just yet! ; )

FB

Who would have thunk it... but what you come across on FB is bewildering at times. I joined an unschooling group tonight and the intro to the group was great. Had to copy it for my own personal reference:

"It is absurd and anti-life to be a part of a system that compels you to listen to a stranger reading poetry when you want to learn to construct buildings, or to sit with a stranger discussing the construction of buildings when you want to read poetry."-John Taylor Gatto

"I never have let schooling interfere with my education."Mark Twain

"The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education." Albert Einstein

"My schooling not only failed to teach me what it professed to be teaching, but prevented me from being educated to an extent which infuriates me when I think of all I might have learned at home by myself."George Bernard Shaw

"School days, I believe, are the unhappiest in the whole span of human existence. They are full of dull, unintelligible tasks, new and unpleasant ordinances, and brutal violations of common sense and common decency." H.L. Mencken

"It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education."Albert Einstein

"What does education often do? It makes a straight-cut ditch of a free, meandering brook."Henry David Thoreau

"How is it that little children are so intelligent and men so stupid? It must be education that does it."Alexandre Dumas

"We are students of words; we are shut up in schools, and colleges, and recitation rooms, for ten or fifteen years, and come out at last with a bag of wind, a memory of words, and do not know a thing." Ralph Waldo Emerson

"The founding fathers in their wisdom decided that children were an unnatural strain on parents. So they provided jails called schools, equipped with tortures called education. School is where you go between when your parents can't take you and industry can't take you." John Updike

"I do not believe much in education. Each man ought to be his own model, however frightful that may be." Albert Einstein

"My grandmother wanted me to have an education, so she kept me out of school." Margaret Mead

"I loathed every day and regret every day I spent in school. I like to be taught to read and write and add and then be left alone." Woody Allen

"Nothing that is worth knowing can be taught." Oscar Wilde

"When I think back on all the crap I learned in high school, it's a wonder I can think at all." Paul Simon

"School is the advertising agency which makes you believe that you need the society as it is."Ivan Illich in his book Deschooling Society

"Schools are designed on the assumption that there is a secret to everything in life; that the quality of life depends upon knowing that secret; that secrets can only be known in orderly successions; and that only teachers can properly reveal these secrets. An individual with a schooled mind concieves of the world as a pyramid of classified packages accessable only to those who carry the proper tags."Ivan Illich

"Education is the period during which you are being instructed by somebody you do not know, about something you do not want to know."G K Chesterton

"I hated school so intensely. It interfered with my freedom" Sigrid Undset (Nobel Prize winner)

"The only time my education was interrupted was when I was in school." George Bernard Shaw

"There is nothing on earth intended for innocent people so horrible as a school" George Bernard Shaw (Nobel Prize winner)

"Nothing enrages me more than when people criticize my criticism of school by telling me that schools are not just places to learn maths and spelling, they are places where children learn a vaguely defined thing called socialization. I know. I think schools generally do an effective and terribly damaging job of teaching children to be infantile, dependent, intellectually dishonest, passive and disrespectful to their own developmental capacities." Seymour Papert

"It is much easier to condemn a child than to understand a child." Jiddu Krishnamurti

"One who uses coercion is guilty of deliberate violence. Coercion is inhuman." Gandhi

"I have not the least doubt that school developed in me nothing but what was evil and left the good untouched." Edvard Grieg

"Everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense." Gertrude Stein

"Our aim in education is to give a full life. We owe it to them to initiate an immense number of interests. Life should be all living, and not merely a tedious passing of time; not all doing or all feeling or all thinking - the strain would be too great - but, all living; that is to say, we should be in touch wherever we go, whatever we hear, whatever we see, with some manner of vital interest."Charlotte Mason

"In the end, the secret to learning is so simple: Think only about whatever you love. Follow it, do it, dream about it...and it will hit you: learning was there all the time, happening by itself." Grace Llewellyn

"Drop out of school before your mind rots from exposure to our mundane educational system. Forget about the Senior Prom, go to the library and educate yourself if you've got any guts." - Frank Zappa

"the whole educational and professional training system is a very elaborate filter, which just weeds out people who are too independent, and who think for themselves, and who don't know how to be submissive, and so on -- because they're dysfunctional to the institutions."- Noam Chomsky

Country Mouse, City Mouse

So recently we went to this really cool, fun beekeeping class out at Deerpath Farms. Cool little 'community'... ironically not very community involved. It's a wonderful development that is purposely underdeveloped to give a large sense of surrounded by nature. The home we met at was beautiful and since then I've been doing some contemplating.

First off.... here's the cool class ; )

And then the contemplating...

Well I occassionally feel like a fish out of water. I feel like the country mouse living in the city. And no matter how much I try to be the country mouse, the pressure of the 'nature' of the city is so influential that I don't feel I'm following my heart all that often. And I'm not even sure I know how else to describe that.

The need to go, go, go by most city mice does not mesh well with me. I am very at ease layin' low, movin' slow and enjoying the whole day on one idea. Being this type of personality, I find it excrutiatingly difficult to maintain this desire with the pressures of what all the other mice do around us! And the more I'm coming to this realization, I recognize that our kiddos are kinda much the same way. Not something I would have necessarily noticed had I not really taken ownership of it myself.

Anyway.... that pondering has grown expenentially and I think it's now time to take it a bit more seriously. I whole-heartedly feel that I'd rather drive 40-60 minutes to our city mice for the day than to force us country mice into the life(style) of city dwellers. We love to explore and our adventures to the city would be just that. But it's time to fit the round peg into the round hole.

I really like this...

"Children are people we should spend a lot of time listening to, as they see the world through eyes untainted by our baggage." ~ J.A. Wood

Big D

So I just had to post this as well tonight b/c she just totally cracks me up. She's totally clingy to me in absolutely most things we do, but this past weekend I had an au pair meeting at the Ev. Police Department. Four times a year I need to do safety training classes with the au pairs and this year the kind Officer Russ was taking care of the training for me AND giving everyone a tour of the station. So cool.... right?

So Miss D really just wanted to go with me so badly. I think it had to do with a morbid obsession about what really happens at the police station.... It probably comes from my repeated statements that someone's going to think something is desperately wrong with her ( in her high-pitched freak-out moments where nothing soothes her) and they will call the police to come check on her! ; ) Not trying to freak her out, but honestly... sometimes I am just totally sure that I will see a squad car pull up in front of our building b/c the neighbors think I am torchering this child!

Anyway, I totally promised her she could go to this meeting with me and last weekend it finally arrived. I had never seen her so totally outgoing, it was a bit scary! ; ) I kept invisioning her growing up to be a cop.... Officer D....

So, we totally had a blast.... loved it. Check her out;

Happy Happy

Dearest Kaidin,

I want to wish you the happiest 7th birthday one could ever dream...

It was a magical day and memories I know I will never forget. Of course, my life with you has been nothing less than magical. I am honored to be your mother. You were born to me for a very very special reason.... part of which I have discovered as these 7 years has unraveled to me, and part of it I have yet to discover. You are an amazing young man with talents deeper than I would have ever imagined. Your heart encompasses all whom you meet and all that share a part of you. You are a precious soul and know that I love you deeply.

Forever Love,

Mommy

It was a magical week for Kaidin. Monday started with a visit from Grandpa. He joined us on our monthly storytime at the library and then with the amazing weather that day strolled trough downtown Ev. to a favorite restaurant of his for lunch. He loved every second of it, and it was a real special time with G'pa.

Yesterday was a bit more mellow, but only to lead up to out BIG b-day day today! LOT's of friends over to reinact Kaidin's play into a movie!!! Kaidin is writer and director and MAN was that SOOO much fun. What a special day with friends! Pizza, cake, good times had by all!

And a wrap up with dinner with G'ma this evening.... Yet another special event to this amazing day! And presents back home with the 'fam' ! ; )

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIG K-MAN
We love you! ; )

Birthday Coming Up!

So things here feel like they are moving at a very fast pace.... While trying to keep up with everything we are usually up to, there is much more happening as well. Kaidin's show is vast approaching and in the spirit of performing he has written his own play that his friends will be performing in! They will be here for his b-day to make a movie of his play and we are creating costumes, scenery and the like! It's been busy! But just so much fun and exciting.



The whirlwind of it all Dahlia got some wierd stomach bug last Friday. She puked enormously that night and just once more Saturday, so really not that bad. But worse than any of the big kids could ever remember feeling. She has recovered quickly, but you can tell there are times when she's just too scared to eat something. The sweet stuff has no problem going down nicely though! ; )



Other, Dad sent me this cool link and I really really like this. Not only how amazing it plays out forwards and backwards, but the impact the words have. Check THIS out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42E2fAWM6rA

Carpet Disease

So yesterday we were supposed to gather with friends for a playdate, but 2 out of 3 of our crew were quite buggary and with in minutes of me debating whether it was wise of us to go or not I get a call from my friend. She's letting me know that she thinks her youngest has Hand, Foot, Mouth and she's going to take her to the Dr. that afternoon. So easy decision for us to lay-low.

We cruise over to the library to pick up a few movies on the want lists, and drive through the bank. Very hungary and still needing to get to CVS, we drop into a Boston Market for Mac n' Cheese and corn bread.... We scoot over to CVS to pick up some chewable Vit. C and head home. On the way I get a call from my friend, "It's NOT Hand, Foot, Mouth!!!" YEA! Relieved she tells me that it was hives from something she came in contact with. She speculates maybe the shampoo landlord used on the hallway carpets that AM? But who knows.... right? At least it's not HFM!

So day wears on and we do a bunch around home and I'm getting dinner ready. Dahlia comes into the kitchen to ask me "what is it again that Bella has? I can't remember the name". I explain the earlier phone call to her and let her know that it's just an allergic reaction to something and she's ok.

Again, time wears on.... dinner is just about ready and Kaidin and Dahlia are sitting at the table. Kaidin says something about Bella being sick with HFM, and Dahlia says, "NO KAIDIN, she is NOT sick with that. The doctor told her she has Carpet Disease!!!"