I was uploading vacation pictures and I started laughing so hard when these came up:
A Many Family Blog
Showing posts with label August Many. Show all posts
Showing posts with label August Many. Show all posts
2/23/12
Funny Action Shots
3/17/11
Much to Say?
I haven't had much to say. Or maybe I've had a lot to say and no time to say it. Maybe I've just felt like being quiet this winter. I guess it all just depends on the day.
Today? I have a few words.
The days have been filled with work at Hazel's school. I almost typed in "the kids school" but had to remind myself that August is now in MIDDLE SCHOOL! So, yes, working at Hazel's school almost everyday. I'm pretty tired, but it's been good for me to be busy. The play for her school is in full swing right now as well. Hazel is an Oompa Loompa along with many other 3rd graders. We have 95 students who are involved in our play this year. Yup. 95. The credit all goes to Heather Hawkins. She's doing such an amazing job with these kids. There are afternoons when I sit in my little corner doing paperwork and emailing all the families and I look up and think that by this time in the day I would have no patience for all these kids. And even on days when I know that she is tired and wishes she was taking a nap on her couch, that woman is directing these kids like it's the only thing she's got going on.
She's pretty amazing.
In reality? She's acting in a show at ArtsWest, directing our elementary school play AND directing a middle school play. Oh, and she's the mother of 2. Really inspiring.
Hmmm, didn't really start out thinking I was going to sing the praises of Heather, but, there you have it.
Hazel's play is April 8 and 9. Let me know if you want to go. I'm filling out the ticket order this weekend.
In other news? August is a preteen. Annnnddd, that's not so fun.
Recent quotes include, "I don't want to touch anything that belongs to YOU!" and well, do I really have to give you anymore? Meh, this too shall pass.
Today? I have a few words.
The days have been filled with work at Hazel's school. I almost typed in "the kids school" but had to remind myself that August is now in MIDDLE SCHOOL! So, yes, working at Hazel's school almost everyday. I'm pretty tired, but it's been good for me to be busy. The play for her school is in full swing right now as well. Hazel is an Oompa Loompa along with many other 3rd graders. We have 95 students who are involved in our play this year. Yup. 95. The credit all goes to Heather Hawkins. She's doing such an amazing job with these kids. There are afternoons when I sit in my little corner doing paperwork and emailing all the families and I look up and think that by this time in the day I would have no patience for all these kids. And even on days when I know that she is tired and wishes she was taking a nap on her couch, that woman is directing these kids like it's the only thing she's got going on.
She's pretty amazing.
In reality? She's acting in a show at ArtsWest, directing our elementary school play AND directing a middle school play. Oh, and she's the mother of 2. Really inspiring.
Hmmm, didn't really start out thinking I was going to sing the praises of Heather, but, there you have it.
Hazel's play is April 8 and 9. Let me know if you want to go. I'm filling out the ticket order this weekend.
In other news? August is a preteen. Annnnddd, that's not so fun.
Recent quotes include, "I don't want to touch anything that belongs to YOU!" and well, do I really have to give you anymore? Meh, this too shall pass.
1/1/11
It's the Small Things
This video doesn't seem like much but it's pretty special. You see, August and Hazel have a pretty typical sibling relationship. They fight, they tease, they bug, they yell and generally get on each others nerves. But today we were walking through the mall before dinner, I was holding Hazel's hand when I noticed that August was holding her hand too.
I didn't want to draw attention to it for fear that the hand holding session would come to an abrupt stop, so I pulled out the handy phone and tried to capture it.
I think by this point August was squeezing her hand a bit and she was actually asking him to stop, but before that? They were just walking through the mall holding hands. I loved every minute of it.
I didn't want to draw attention to it for fear that the hand holding session would come to an abrupt stop, so I pulled out the handy phone and tried to capture it.
I think by this point August was squeezing her hand a bit and she was actually asking him to stop, but before that? They were just walking through the mall holding hands. I loved every minute of it.
10/18/10
Photographs
I finally got around to getting pictures taken of the kids!
I would highly recommend our friend Monica Wilkinson if your family is in need of some updated pictures. Take a look around her website...holy COW! Looking at her newborn pictures makes me want to have one just so she can snap some shots!
9/28/10
Tired 6th Grader
I think August is feeling the effect of having to wake up at 7:00 each morning. He has his own alarm, which really has saved our relationship, and takes a shower every day. Poor kid has somehow received his father's ability to take super long showers and has to set an additional alarm in the bathroom so he knows when his 10 minutes are up.
This morning I couldn't help but notice that he was dragging a bit more than usual. Last night we picked Trey up from the airport and didn't get home until 10:00pm. I think the kids now understand why we keep their bedtime between 8 and 9.
Speaking of Trey, he spend the weekend in LA so he could see a few shows and came home so sick! He's got that body ache and headache and he just wants to sleep. We're keeping him away from everybody so that it doesn't make it's way through the family.
The kids and I all got our flu shots the other day...well, I got my flu shot and the kids cried and generally threw a fit until the nurse happily suggested that they get the nasal mist. August has always had a hard time with shots, but Hazel? She's been so brave every time...except this time.
But I'm hoping having had the immunizations, we'll be set for a healthy winter.
9/1/10
August Many
Did I ever tell you about the time when August was quite into super heroes? He still likes them, mind you, but this was when he was nuts over them. Talked about them all the time. Created new heroes on a daily basis. The kid was obsessed!
There is this restaurant we used to go to pretty often out here called Blue Star. Wonderful brunches, always long lines on Sunday, you know the kind of place...every city has one like it. Anyway, we would go there and of course, while we waited, August would talk about super heroes. What his favorite power was, who the strongest of the strong was, you get the picture. When suddenly he stopped talking and just went slack-jawed. I followed his line of vision and saw the bus boy. Wondering what was wrong I tapped August on the shoulder and asked. He continued to stare and said that the bus boy looked like someone.
Let me pause here and remind you that I have played many tricks on my poor son. There was the Mommy Dot- where a dot would appear when he lied and only a mom could see it. (He spent years covering his forehead whenever he told a lie.) There was also the time when I told him that whenever he steps on ants the bees are notified and they'd come after the person who killed the ant. (Totally believed me.) We won't mention the Tooth Fairy, he figured that one out when she kept forgetting to put money under his pillow.
Back to Blue Star. I took a good look at the bus boy and though that he did look like someone. He looked like Tobey Maguire.
By this time we were in our seats and I too kept sneaking peaks at our man Tobey when I looked back at August and whispered, "Oh my GOSH! I know who that IS! It's SPIDERMAN!"
August's eyes widened and...he believed me. Bought it hook, line and sinker. He wondered what Peter Parker was doing in Seattle and I told him that he must have needed to get away to conceal his secret identity. That he got the job at Blue Star pretty easily and can be a regular person until his Spider Senses went off, then he could slip out the back door and no one would ever know.
For months we kept going back to Blue Star and August would always stare at "Peter Parker". Even felt sorry for him at times. Finally one brunch, August went up to use the bathroom and we called "Peter" over to the table and explained that our son thought he was a super hero, Spiderman to be exact. That we all agreed, he did look a bit like Tobey Maguire, surely other people told him that. Nope. We were the first.
After chatting for a while we asked if he would consider playing along. He loved the idea and when August came back from the bathroom "Peter" quietly came up to our table and started talking to August. Thanking him for keeping his identity a secret.
I watched my little boy turn all shades of red while his eyes widened, he agreed to continue to keep the secret.
August has come a long way since those days. He thinks twice before believing EVERYTHING I tell him. But he's still pretty trusting.
He's about to be a sixth grader. Starts a new school next Wednesday. I've been watching my friends on Facebook post pictures of their kids on their way to school. Many of them lament days gone by when their children were younger.
I am not lamenting those days. I enjoyed August so much when he was a baby. Enjoyed him as a toddler and a little kid. But I am so excited for my son to become more independent. Can't wait for him to feel that he can make his own way and be his own person. Next Wednesday is the start of all that.
We cleaned out his room a few weeks ago. Worked on getting rid of the little kid stuff and replaced them with band posters and such. The huge bin full of his super hero action figures was pulled out of his closet. He sat in the hallway and looked at each one. Asked us if we remembered when he did this or that with this guy. Took some time to pose each one. And then informed us that he wasn't going to get rid of these.
There is this restaurant we used to go to pretty often out here called Blue Star. Wonderful brunches, always long lines on Sunday, you know the kind of place...every city has one like it. Anyway, we would go there and of course, while we waited, August would talk about super heroes. What his favorite power was, who the strongest of the strong was, you get the picture. When suddenly he stopped talking and just went slack-jawed. I followed his line of vision and saw the bus boy. Wondering what was wrong I tapped August on the shoulder and asked. He continued to stare and said that the bus boy looked like someone.
Let me pause here and remind you that I have played many tricks on my poor son. There was the Mommy Dot- where a dot would appear when he lied and only a mom could see it. (He spent years covering his forehead whenever he told a lie.) There was also the time when I told him that whenever he steps on ants the bees are notified and they'd come after the person who killed the ant. (Totally believed me.) We won't mention the Tooth Fairy, he figured that one out when she kept forgetting to put money under his pillow.
Back to Blue Star. I took a good look at the bus boy and though that he did look like someone. He looked like Tobey Maguire.
By this time we were in our seats and I too kept sneaking peaks at our man Tobey when I looked back at August and whispered, "Oh my GOSH! I know who that IS! It's SPIDERMAN!"
August's eyes widened and...he believed me. Bought it hook, line and sinker. He wondered what Peter Parker was doing in Seattle and I told him that he must have needed to get away to conceal his secret identity. That he got the job at Blue Star pretty easily and can be a regular person until his Spider Senses went off, then he could slip out the back door and no one would ever know.
For months we kept going back to Blue Star and August would always stare at "Peter Parker". Even felt sorry for him at times. Finally one brunch, August went up to use the bathroom and we called "Peter" over to the table and explained that our son thought he was a super hero, Spiderman to be exact. That we all agreed, he did look a bit like Tobey Maguire, surely other people told him that. Nope. We were the first.
After chatting for a while we asked if he would consider playing along. He loved the idea and when August came back from the bathroom "Peter" quietly came up to our table and started talking to August. Thanking him for keeping his identity a secret.
I watched my little boy turn all shades of red while his eyes widened, he agreed to continue to keep the secret.
August has come a long way since those days. He thinks twice before believing EVERYTHING I tell him. But he's still pretty trusting.
He's about to be a sixth grader. Starts a new school next Wednesday. I've been watching my friends on Facebook post pictures of their kids on their way to school. Many of them lament days gone by when their children were younger.
I am not lamenting those days. I enjoyed August so much when he was a baby. Enjoyed him as a toddler and a little kid. But I am so excited for my son to become more independent. Can't wait for him to feel that he can make his own way and be his own person. Next Wednesday is the start of all that.
We cleaned out his room a few weeks ago. Worked on getting rid of the little kid stuff and replaced them with band posters and such. The huge bin full of his super hero action figures was pulled out of his closet. He sat in the hallway and looked at each one. Asked us if we remembered when he did this or that with this guy. Took some time to pose each one. And then informed us that he wasn't going to get rid of these.
7/28/10
International Fountain
After looking around for free things to do in and around Seattle I re-found the International Fountain at the Seattle Center. We've walked by it in the past but we've never spent much time there. I invited our wonderful backyard neighbors and we all loaded into their 3rd row vehicle (man I can't wait to get one!) and headed down town for the afternoon.
Between the two families the kids had a great time. We packed snacks and let them graze as they saw fit while Monica and I sat and talked in the sun.
One of the many benefits of doing things with Monica is that she's a photographer. We're not talking a mom with a camera kind of photographer, we're talking a woman who can take great pictures. Check out her website if you're looking for some really nice photos. She snapped some shots of our little outing today as well:
After spending the afternoon together, the girls went to our other neighbor's house to check on their most recent project. Today the guy was making a salad bowl. Yup. They needed a salad bowl so he went out in the backyard and made one. No joke. These are the same neighbors who have chickens. They are selling 2 of their chickens along with a really nice chicken coop if you're in the market...just a thought.
I believe this is one of the chickens they are selling.
After all the running around August and Emma went with our youth group to hang out in Lake Washington till 10:00. They came home super tired.
And now? I'm sitting on the couch with a cool breeze blowing through our screen door while I watch Top Chef and write this blog. All is quiet in the Many house.
Tomorrow? We are going to see Shakespeare in the park in Lynnwood. But that's not till the evening. Think we'll take it easy during the day.
I've got to say- I really love living where we do right now. Having the freedom for the kids to be able to run from one house the other has been so wonderful. It reminds me of when we were young and would spend the whole day outside riding bikes and rollerskating with all the kids in our neighborhood.
Between the two families the kids had a great time. We packed snacks and let them graze as they saw fit while Monica and I sat and talked in the sun.
One of the many benefits of doing things with Monica is that she's a photographer. We're not talking a mom with a camera kind of photographer, we're talking a woman who can take great pictures. Check out her website if you're looking for some really nice photos. She snapped some shots of our little outing today as well:
After spending the afternoon together, the girls went to our other neighbor's house to check on their most recent project. Today the guy was making a salad bowl. Yup. They needed a salad bowl so he went out in the backyard and made one. No joke. These are the same neighbors who have chickens. They are selling 2 of their chickens along with a really nice chicken coop if you're in the market...just a thought.
I believe this is one of the chickens they are selling.
After all the running around August and Emma went with our youth group to hang out in Lake Washington till 10:00. They came home super tired.
And now? I'm sitting on the couch with a cool breeze blowing through our screen door while I watch Top Chef and write this blog. All is quiet in the Many house.
Tomorrow? We are going to see Shakespeare in the park in Lynnwood. But that's not till the evening. Think we'll take it easy during the day.
I've got to say- I really love living where we do right now. Having the freedom for the kids to be able to run from one house the other has been so wonderful. It reminds me of when we were young and would spend the whole day outside riding bikes and rollerskating with all the kids in our neighborhood.
7/20/10
A Birthday to Remember
Not sure how this party will be topped! Our friend Jonah was celebrating his 10th and we were on the invite list. How luck are we?
Here's a sneak peak at what we got to do:
Yup! Kangaroos! At the party! Hopping around the yard! And there was a baby Wallaby! It was the softest thing I've ever felt in my whole life.
The kids always love visiting Jonah and we look forward to his birthday parties every year but honestly? Not sure how they are gonna top this one!
I've posted all the pictures to my gallery...feel free to check them out.
Here's a sneak peak at what we got to do:
Yup! Kangaroos! At the party! Hopping around the yard! And there was a baby Wallaby! It was the softest thing I've ever felt in my whole life.
The kids always love visiting Jonah and we look forward to his birthday parties every year but honestly? Not sure how they are gonna top this one!
I've posted all the pictures to my gallery...feel free to check them out.
6/23/10
He Made It!
All the parents agreed that none of us had an official graduation from 5th grade...but here we were watching our 5th graders walk up to their teachers to get a diploma.
Nope, I did not cry. I have to admit that the thought of August going to middle school terrified me last year, but this year, I'm so ready. Ready for him to meet new friends and to have several teachers. I'm ready for all the amazing classes he'll be able to take. And I'm ready for him to have more responsibility.
Nope, I did not cry. I have to admit that the thought of August going to middle school terrified me last year, but this year, I'm so ready. Ready for him to meet new friends and to have several teachers. I'm ready for all the amazing classes he'll be able to take. And I'm ready for him to have more responsibility.
5/9/10
Hootenanny 2010
Wake Up by The Arcade Fire
Featuring
Uncle Justin on Bass
August on Guitar
Trey on Drums
Hazel Lead Vocals
Jen Backup Vocals
2/23/10
LIttle Bit of This
August. Man! He's 11 and already I feel like he's on the roller coaster of change. We just finished up our mid-winter break...thank the Lord! We had no plans so when Hazel came down with a terrible case of strep and August threw up we didn't have to cancel anything!! We also got to enjoy the sun most every day of the break. It was lovely. The house was warm, the dogs were creeping along the floor following the sun patches, just lovely.
August is in 5th grade and in 5th grade comes many things. B.O.? Yup, hit that milestone. Crushes? Well, he won't admit to any but there are plenty of girls who are crushing on him. Flash? What's Flash you ask? Well, it's the health curriculum that our school district teaches the 5th and 6th graders. And August starts his lessons this week. He's been pretty chatty about it, wondering what they'll tell the class and if it will be embarrassing. I've reassured him that the paperwork we've received from the school makes it sound very tame. It's more about what is going on in their bodies than anything else. And they separate the boys from the girls...I think he's glad about that but still feels pretty anxious.
In an effort to lighten his mood about it all we've been singing Flash by Queen and we found the above plaque while we were at the park this past weekend. It's just always on his mind right now.
With 5th grade also comes the middle school tours. Things have changed in our district so that now there is only one school your address can go to. Ours happens to be the largest middle school in the STATE! It's bigger than my high school. I thought I'd be freaked out when Trey and I went on the adult tour but I really had no feelings one way or the other. A few days later we toured the building during school hours with August. His eyes were wide the whole time. The programs this school has are pretty impressive. I think he felt inspired as we listened to the student band play...and it actually sounded like music!!The above pictures are of the auditorium. How cool is that? Totally art deco. My sister-in-law would love it!
I mentioned earlier that we've been enjoying a huge sunny streak. It's been glorious. The dog parks have been full to the brim with happy dogs and their owners. After church on Sunday we loaded up the car and spent a good part of the afternoon at one of the bigger off leash parks and then went on a little adventure. This particular park has a huge off leash area that is surrounded by water on one side and an even bigger general park on the other. Hazel and I have spent many hours walking this park while we waited for August to finish up soccer practices and games. We had a wonderful Sunday and I think we were all ready to be healthy and back to our regular routine of going to school and play practice.
2/15/10
Hazel
Hazel is sick.
She complained about a sore throat once or twice on Saturday but she seemed fine. No fever, same energy level. We even met up with friends to see the new Percy Jackson movie and eat burgers. Sunday we ventured out to see Annie at the Paramount. I won't lie, she was pretty sick on Sunday but we gave her some children's Tylenol and she was OK to go tot he show.
Sunday night was rough. She woke up several times crying that her uvula hurt, yes, her uvula. At 6am I called the nurse helpline because she was drooling and unable to swallow. We've called the helpline before and every other time they've talked me down and suggested that we wait until her doctor can fit her in to see her. This morning they wasted no time. The woman on the other line asked if there were 2 adults in the house, she asked if we could both go to urgent care just in case Hazel stops breathing!! And if there was only one adult that I should call an ambulance.
August popped up as soon as I entered his room, threw on some clothes and was at the door. The whole family took Hazel to urgent care.
I was impressed how quickly they took care of Hazel. Once I said she couldn't breath and they saw her drooling they ushered her into a room.
Poor girl went through some throat numbing solution that really was a good idea but didn't work so they put an IV in her and gave her all the medicine that way.
In the end they said it was a terrible case of strep. She's had strep before but it's never been this bad. They gave her a steroid to make the swelling in her throat go down, a pain reliever to help her feel more comfortable (and help her sleep) and more antibiotics than I knew you could give a person.
We came home 2 hours later to a sleepwalking little girl. She slept for 3.5 hours and woke up asking for some food. Right now she's downstairs watching a movie with August.
And August? He's being so sweet to her. He even bought her a little bear that she's been carrying around for the last few days. And? He's delivered some of her Girl Scout Cookies for her...he's such a good big brother.
She complained about a sore throat once or twice on Saturday but she seemed fine. No fever, same energy level. We even met up with friends to see the new Percy Jackson movie and eat burgers. Sunday we ventured out to see Annie at the Paramount. I won't lie, she was pretty sick on Sunday but we gave her some children's Tylenol and she was OK to go tot he show.
Sunday night was rough. She woke up several times crying that her uvula hurt, yes, her uvula. At 6am I called the nurse helpline because she was drooling and unable to swallow. We've called the helpline before and every other time they've talked me down and suggested that we wait until her doctor can fit her in to see her. This morning they wasted no time. The woman on the other line asked if there were 2 adults in the house, she asked if we could both go to urgent care just in case Hazel stops breathing!! And if there was only one adult that I should call an ambulance.
August popped up as soon as I entered his room, threw on some clothes and was at the door. The whole family took Hazel to urgent care.
I was impressed how quickly they took care of Hazel. Once I said she couldn't breath and they saw her drooling they ushered her into a room.
Poor girl went through some throat numbing solution that really was a good idea but didn't work so they put an IV in her and gave her all the medicine that way.
In the end they said it was a terrible case of strep. She's had strep before but it's never been this bad. They gave her a steroid to make the swelling in her throat go down, a pain reliever to help her feel more comfortable (and help her sleep) and more antibiotics than I knew you could give a person.
We came home 2 hours later to a sleepwalking little girl. She slept for 3.5 hours and woke up asking for some food. Right now she's downstairs watching a movie with August.
And August? He's being so sweet to her. He even bought her a little bear that she's been carrying around for the last few days. And? He's delivered some of her Girl Scout Cookies for her...he's such a good big brother.
1/20/10
Changes
Things are changing around here. Amidst the arguing between August and Hazel and the problems at school we are seeing our son change from a little kid to a *gasp* preteen. He turned 11 back in December and if you've been here a while you'll remember that year 10 wasn't the easiest year for us. Eleven hasn't been a ball of fun either but we're seeing changes.
We've given August an alarm clock. I feel terrible doing this cruel thing as I hate alarm clocks.
The other night we had a few families over from school and one of the dads was telling us that his son (born the same year August was) has an alarm that he sets every weekday. Not only does he get up on his own, but get this: HE TAKES A SHOWER EVERY MORNING!!!! Yes, you read that right...those of you who have sons may know that they generally do not enjoy taking showers. In fact, I'll be telling August to take one tonight and instead of him just complying he will try to tell me that he just took one. At this point I'll remind him that he "just" took one two nights ago and that he smells because he had rollerskating in PE today...he'll finally huff his way to the bathroom where I'll ask him if he brought in clean underwear and I'm sure you can guess what his response will be...
Anyway, can you believe that? A preteen who is self motivated to get up and be ready for the day? Well the alarm clock will go off tomorrow morning at 8:00am. I'm just praying that he crawls out of bed right when it goes off so that I don't have to hear it.
About a week ago August asked if he could start packing his own lunch. This request came after he told me that one of his friends had a Nutella and jelly sandwich in his lunch. I suggested that he probably packed it himself and that his mom had no idea what he was eating. I thought he was joking about wanting to pack his lunch so I didn't bother answering.
Then, at the beginning of this week he asked again. So I let him. The first day he packed an almond butter and jelly sandwich, chips, an orange and a zbar. The second day I suggested he pack a sandwich with meat in it which he did. He's since gone back and forth between almond butter and lunch meat. He always packs a piece of fruit and a bar with is sandwich.
I'm pretty okay with his new found independence.
Next year will be his first year in middle school. Not sure that I'm ready for that, but I am ready for him waking up on his own and packing his own lunch...baby steps, baby steps.
We've given August an alarm clock. I feel terrible doing this cruel thing as I hate alarm clocks.
The other night we had a few families over from school and one of the dads was telling us that his son (born the same year August was) has an alarm that he sets every weekday. Not only does he get up on his own, but get this: HE TAKES A SHOWER EVERY MORNING!!!! Yes, you read that right...those of you who have sons may know that they generally do not enjoy taking showers. In fact, I'll be telling August to take one tonight and instead of him just complying he will try to tell me that he just took one. At this point I'll remind him that he "just" took one two nights ago and that he smells because he had rollerskating in PE today...he'll finally huff his way to the bathroom where I'll ask him if he brought in clean underwear and I'm sure you can guess what his response will be...
Anyway, can you believe that? A preteen who is self motivated to get up and be ready for the day? Well the alarm clock will go off tomorrow morning at 8:00am. I'm just praying that he crawls out of bed right when it goes off so that I don't have to hear it.
About a week ago August asked if he could start packing his own lunch. This request came after he told me that one of his friends had a Nutella and jelly sandwich in his lunch. I suggested that he probably packed it himself and that his mom had no idea what he was eating. I thought he was joking about wanting to pack his lunch so I didn't bother answering.
Then, at the beginning of this week he asked again. So I let him. The first day he packed an almond butter and jelly sandwich, chips, an orange and a zbar. The second day I suggested he pack a sandwich with meat in it which he did. He's since gone back and forth between almond butter and lunch meat. He always packs a piece of fruit and a bar with is sandwich.
I'm pretty okay with his new found independence.
Next year will be his first year in middle school. Not sure that I'm ready for that, but I am ready for him waking up on his own and packing his own lunch...baby steps, baby steps.
12/13/09
Snap Shot
We've seen some cold this winter. No snow, but lots and lots of cold. Hazel woke me up this morning with a sense of awe in her voice, "Mama, mama! I want to show you something! You won't believe it!! Hurry!"
I jumped out of bed and threw on the clothes closest to me. Both Hazel and August were standing outside my door waiting. "What's going on?", I asked.
"It's snowing...just barely...but it's SNOWING!", shouted Hazel.
August and I looked at each other with a little bit of disbelief. I was contented to play along, but August is the older brother, and that would have taken too much out of him, so he said, "I looked out the front window and I didn't see anything...I think you're seeing things."
Hazel, the drama queen, looked out the front window and sure enough...no snow flakes...her body was pouting before she hit the couch. Knees up, head down, arms wrapped around her legs.
I gave August "the look" and we went to the kitchen to look out the windows. I called Hazel over to ask if these were the windows she was looking through when she saw the snow. "harmpf, yes...but you won't see any...I SAID it was just BARELY snowing!"
August and I sat at our kitchen table. While I was looking out at the frozen persimmon's hanging from their brittle branches I saw one solitary flake.
"Hazel! I saw one!", I shouted.
Hazel unfolded herself and with a disbelieving smile, slowly approached the window.
August, who was looking out the window facing the bare apple tree now suddenly shouted that he saw one too. Hazel was right. It was barely snowing.
The three of us sat, counting the few flakes, enjoying the cold from our warm kitchen where Trey was fixing eggs for breakfast.
12/4/09
My Boy August
Happy Birthday August!I realized, after looking through all my pictures, that I haven't scanned in your baby pics yet...I've really gotta get to that. You were an amazing first born son. You are an amazing big brother and you're turning into a great young man.
Happy 11th to you my son.
I love you.
11/9/09
What We're Reading
My son August was quick to pick up reading. I think once he figured out that letters form words and that words form ideas and that ideas can bring him new worlds...he was hooked. He read through the Harry Potter series book by book. If you asked him about a particular HP book he could tell you each character's story line today. He read the series in 3rd grade. His memory is good.
He's the first born. He's good at reading. He eats books. And best of all? He's excited about reading the books and shares them with me. He will often finish a book and hand it to me saying, "Mommy? You're gonna love this book...do you have time to read it right now?" I love this about him. I love that he wants to talk about the books he's read.
Recently he handed me The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart. I bought the book for him a little while ago but he had a huge stack of 39 Clues and the Percy Jackson series to keep him busy so it took him a while to get to it. He read it in less than a week.
Last week I subbed for the Librarian at the kids school. As it happened, both the kids' classes came to the library that day which was a very nice surprise. August's class came through and were instructed by the teacher that they needed to check a book out for their free reading time. I fielded many questions about what book they should take out. I loved every minute of it. We walked around the library and looked at book after book depending on their interest. It was lovely.
August was one of the last students to grab me for a suggestion. We looked around the library and noticed that he had read most of the current novels so we went to the 'A' section. Avi. Have you read any of his books? He's been around for quite a while. After looking at the school selection we narrowed it down to Crispin.
I read the summery on the cover and he gave out a short laugh and grabbed it from my hand, "Oh, yeah! That's the one I want to read!!"He read it that weekend and brought home another Avi book, this time a graphic novel called City of Light, City of Dark. I'm not kidding, he just walked into the living room and handed it to me saying, "This book is in chapters. I know you're reading a book right now but you should really read the first chapter of this book...you'll love it."
He reminds me of another first born son I know...my big brother Scott. I know that one day August's uncle will be passing books on to him. Books that he's eaten in a weekend, just like August.
10/31/09
Halloween Night
It's Halloween night and the kids are out with Trey trick or treating. I think they were planning on hitting a few neighborhood houses before they drove over to a friend's house to hit their area. I'm holding down the fort for all the trick or treating that will come to our door.
August was a mime again tonight...he's taking his role pretty seriously and has worked out an act for saying "trick or treat"...we'll see how long that lasts.
Hazel was a day of the dead skeleton last night but has decided to just be a plain old skeleton tonight.
I'm the bearded lady...or Trey's beard...you decide.
And Trey, who has been establishing a rather nice assortment of costumes through the years, is a Sumo Wrestler this year.
August was a mime again tonight...he's taking his role pretty seriously and has worked out an act for saying "trick or treat"...we'll see how long that lasts.
Hazel was a day of the dead skeleton last night but has decided to just be a plain old skeleton tonight.
I'm the bearded lady...or Trey's beard...you decide.
And Trey, who has been establishing a rather nice assortment of costumes through the years, is a Sumo Wrestler this year.
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