A Note From Cal

When we got home from the Y, Calvin ran to write me a note before doing anything else. Here it is:

The outside And the inside

Well thanks, Cal. I'll get right on that.

Food Faces

Sarah Jo got Calvin and Ike these plates for their birthdays. They are a HUGE hit. I love them, too, and get to be creative at every meal. This is their lunch- porkchops (sideburns- aren't they also called "chops?" Haha! I just realized that), ketchup for the nose, pb for the beard, apples for the afro hair and carrots for the eyebrows.

See, Sarah? Look how happy they are!

More Art

Aunt Becky got Cal lots of art stuff for his birthday. Here they are using all the supplies- googly eyes (cal's fave), fuzzy balls, glitter glue and brand new markers (which are always needed because somehow, caps go missing and markers dry out).Cal's monster in progress.

Ike looking sweet (pshh). My chin looks like Jay Leno's here.
Ike's monster with "lotsa eyes."

And then there's Eric. This is what he does everytime something breaks: He takes the whole thing apart, eventually uses super glue on something, puts it back together and- walah! It works! (Sometimes he doesn't even fix it- he just cleans it. But it still ends up working). This time, it's a mini-blender from Aunt Lauren that won't work. And as I write this, I hear the mini-blender working. Eric is a genius.

Pump it Up

This place, Pump it Up, is pretty insane. For $6/child, we can run around on bouncy things for an hour and a half. We don't go much because there are so many free things to do around here, but the kids absolutely love it. We've been twice and both times, I have gotten hurt. Both times have been on the slide.

Here's Ike. He looks terrified, but he totally held his own. Aunt Becky.

There I am right before I toppled to the side and skid my head and knuckle along the crease. I still have the dang rug burn. And it really does burn.

But my kids had fun. Cal's bruise is still there from 9 days ago. I guess I didn't post a picture of that, did I? I took a video but blogger wouldn't post it. I'll try again later.

Beck and the boys during the much-needed snack time. Since my kids are never not hungry. Except at dinner. When I work really hard to make them a nice meal.

A Little Glimpse of Heaven

The house down the street is being lifted up to make the foundation even. There was an incredibly nice southern man driving the digger. He came over to talk to us and asked the boys if they wanted a ride.

Calvin got to stand on the side and watch the digger man pick up dirt and dump it on the pile. He swiveled around lots. Ike got to sit on the man's lap and actually control the digger. Becky and I were joking about his life-long goal being fulfilled. And now what will he do?

The Fort Flip

Priorities at 9am

The Y Story

This was insane, but I'm pretty sure my writing will not do it justice.

A couple weeks ago, I took the kids to the pool at the Y. They LOVE it and are giddy with excitement the entire hour we play. They both jump in the pool from the outside, holding only a noodle to keep them afloat; they both want to be dragged around like a boat; they go down the kiddie slide. It's exhausting, but fun.

We went into the family locker room to get showered and dressed after our swim. I no longer am naked in front of Cal, but try not to make a big deal out of it, so that I don't increase his curiosity. While the boys were in the shower, I quickly scrubbed their naked selves up and then washed myself, while still wearing my bathing suit. They started marching around the shower, yelling "penis! penis! penis!" laughing hysterically. I only let them talk like that in the bathroom, and since we were in a bathroom, of sorts, I let it go and tried to hurry. Then I felt something warm on my leg. I looked down and saw Ike, legs spread, knees bent, hips thrust, peeing on me. I shouted, "ISAAC!" and moved out of the way. Since he didn't keep aiming at me, I didn't scold him, not knowing if the first time was an accident. Again, I just tried to hurry up.

I let the kids continue playing in the shower and I stepped out of it and closed the curtain so I could get changed. Of course, the second I was undressed, Cal peeked out and yelled, "I see her booty!" laughing hysterically, again. Ike looked out and they both started shouting "Booty! Booty! Booty!" I finally stuck my head inside the curtain and said, "If you can't learn to give me privacy, we will NOT come back!" They kept playing and left me alone while I quickly got dressed.

I was ready to get them out and moved the shower curtain back. I found Calvin pumping the foam soap dispenser into Ike's hair. It was completely covering Ike and they were both laughing. The foamy soap was on Ike's hair, all over his face, all over his shoulders and on the floor. He must have pressed it 100 times. I stuck Ike under the shower and demanded that he look up (lots of complaining from him about that) and pulled them both out and got them dressed.

I am taking them swimming again this week and will talk to them about what is acceptable behavior. No soap. No penis talk (only at home, I guess????). No laughing at mom's naked booty. We'll see how it goes.

Halloween Part 2

We went to a church where they had Trunk or Treating outside (a bunch of cars with candy in their trunks) and games inside. Here Cal and Sammy competed to see who could eat the donut on the string first- without their hands. I'm proud to say Cal won. And then he asked what his prize was.

Then Ike and Freddie competed. They both had trouble not using their hands. But had fun trying.

Cal is dancing around, being goofy.

Grandpa and Ike

Halloween Part 1

We went to Minnehaha Falls for part 1 of Trick or Treating. Earlier this year, there was no falls because of the lack of rain. Here it is now!

This is one of the coolest costumes I've ever seen. There are two people in here. The bear would growl at people, sniff their heads, etc. Cal thought it was real at first and I saw many kids jumping away from it. I wish I took a side view picture, too.

Barb is mad here. She wouldn't smile because she was too cold.

Ike on the right.

I think Cal looks funny here. So serious in his banana costume.

Ike got a bunch of new small diggers from the Millers. He wanted to bring one everywhere.

Barb taking a picture of Cal peeing outside (not really in public. Eric and him were hiding).

More presents?

The Millers came this weekend and brought Ike's birthday gifts. Here is the beloved tent.

Oooooooh. Aaaaaaaaaah. A remote-controlled digger.

Dorky, but oh so cute.

New hat.

This was his first present. He was sooooo excited and could barely contain himself. When he opened it and saw that it was clothes, he threw the box aside and ran to get a new one.

Ike

Cuteness courtesy of the Millers. If not for Eric's family, our kids would be naked, cold and ugly.