Here’s an odd problem.  You know those cute shirts that have hoods attached.  They come in two varieties:  The kind zip that up the front and work more like a jacket and the kind that go over the head like a shirt.  They make a great Fall/Winter top.  Especially for a busy, little boy who might not have time to slip on his jacket before heading out into the cold.  Unfortunately, this second kind which goes on smoothly and works well to keep little ones warm has a serious flaw.  They are next to impossible to remove from said busy boy.  More than once I have started to pull one off only to have it get stuck at the point where Brother’s face is completely covered and his arms are pointing straight to the sky.  We pull and tug and Brother yells a muffled, “Help! Help! I stuck!”  After much ado, Brother always escapes but the whole scenario can be avoided with one simple trick.

Put the hood up first!

For more handy dandy tips click on over to Shannon’s place.

If your grandmother visits the United Nations and brings you a shirt like this one ….

it will quickly become your favorite.  Not because you grasp the concept or importance of the United Nations but because the shirt clearly displays a spider web which means, of course, that when you put it on you will immediately become ….

Spider-Man Boy.  Please don’t be too disappointed if it takes a few days for your wall climbing powers to completely develop.

Most Monday’s we visit the library and replenish our book supply.  The children own plenty of books and, because I seem to have little self-control in this area, add to their collection all the time.  Still it is good for us to get out of the house and in the cooler months what better place to go than the library.  Here’s what we chose last week.

The Tenth Good Thing About Barney - Judith Viorst (Barney is a pet cat who has died.  Sweet story and a gentle introduction to little ones on the concept of death.)

Coyote Raid in Cactus Canyon - Jim Arnosky (Sister seems especially drawn to books by this author.  The illustrations are simple but accurate and the story follows suit.)

When Grandma Almost Fell Off the Mountain & Other Stories - Barbara Ann Porte (The title implies this will be a collection of short stories but in fact it is a grandmother’s rambling account of one summer vacation from her childhood.)

Curious George Gets a Medal - H. A. Rey

Imagine You Are a Crocodile - Karen Wallace (Similar tone to the Arnosky story above)

Sector 7 - David Wiesner (no words in this one - excellent illustrations)

Baboon - Kate Banks (good bedtime story)

Enzo the Wonderfish - Cathy Wilcox (Brother didn’t catch the humor here but Sister thought it was a hoot.)

The Ant and the Elephant - Bill Peet (It has a moral… kind of.)

I am hoping to record our choices each week and perhaps get the children to comment on the ones they especially like.  What are you reading with your children?  Have you read any of these?  What did you think?  We welcome your comments.

Begin with a fresh batch of banana nut muffins and a steaming cup of java

Add a bit of spit ’n polish

Surround yourself with worship and friendly theology 

Dinner ’round the table, napkins freshly pressed

Follow with a little resting of the eyes or thoughtful pursuit

An unpopulated park is perfect for a picnic … and tree climbing

**************************************************

Something there is about a crisp, Autumn breeze

rustling treetops

A smattering of applause

rounding the canopy of oaks and pines 

and I in the center drink deeply brilliant hues

of amber and crimson amidst the fading greens

Just prior to our last move (Summer 2007) I thoroughly cleaned out the kitchen cabinets.  I was running short on boxes and didn’t want to move anything I didn’t have to.  Much of what I found ended up in our bellies but this, after some puzzlement, went to the trash … finally. 

If we consider that this toxic stuff usually has an expiration date 4 or 5 years out from the purchase date then we can safely assume that I acquired this box sometime on or before the summer of 2001.  That would be before my first child was born.  That would be four moves ago.  Which means that not only did I pay good money for this container of preservatives I faithfully packed them up and moved them FOUR times.

Inconceivable!

What about you?  Anything scary hiding in your cupboards?

That’s hubby in the middle - from which you may rightly assume I did not take this picture. I love it though because of the light pink tones that lend an air of nostalgia…. and because hubby is so darn cute!

Did You Play?

Did I tell you we went to see Go, Diego, Go - Live?  It was back in July.  I kept meaning to bring it up but little by little the story got pushed to the back of my drafts folder. Ah, well.

It was the first major live production Brother had attended (Will & Sister went to the Ballet only a couple months earlier.) so I was unsure how he would react.  For most of the performance he sat completely still and quiet.  Even when the characters on stage invited a response he remained silent.  Did he like it?  Was he scared?  I couldn’t tell.  After the whole event was over and we were well on our way to the car, Brother finally spoke - a reverent whisper almost - “Let’s do it again, Mama.”

Inspired by the ease in which her first tooth came out (or perhaps by the copy of Super Secret Super Spy the tooth fairy left), Sister pulled out her second baby tooth today.  The first was a bottom front and the incoming tooth could already be seen.  There was no pain and no blood.  The second was a top front which was primarily loose because of a few overly rambunctious wrestling sessions with Dad and Brother.  There was much blood and an unexpected residual throbbing.  Sister was decidedly not pleased with this outcome and I believe has decided not to lose any more teeth.

It might also be worth noting that the above picture was taken by Will.  Sister graciously posed for free while not two minutes before she made me pay two quarters for the privilege of taking a picture that didn’t even turn out well!

It’s her very first one!  It’s been hanging on by a thread (root?) now for a few weeks (yes, weeks!)  The new tooth made an appearance two weeks ago and still the baby tooth lingered… until today!  Of course, this is the same child who would let bandages rot on her skin if the adhesive didn’t fail before that point.  Some people are just really resistant to change.

Get dressed up and put on an outdoor concert for your adoring audience of one (and a cat.)  Make up all your own songs with the exception of a couple of classic ABC and number songs.  Invent dances to go with each tune and take turns being announcer.

Come indoors after your concert and build a rocketship.  Your destinations include Pluto, the rings of Saturn and an errant asteroid determined to smash into Earth.  Be sure to wear helmets as the oxygen in space is somewhat sparse.

Since space exploration can be exhausting be sure to schedule a nap.

After you’ve rested, test several methods for growing salt crystals.  Next time you are in space you may want to explore the effects of zero gravity on crystals.