Cozy scenes

Sometimes lessons stick and sometimes they just don't. The lesson about not calling for mom across the house or yard if it's not an emergency is a particularly difficult one. And even if we used glue to get the kids to stay in their chairs at meal time, they would probably just walk off with the chairs attached. But somehow Benjamin has somehow managed to hold onto the rather difficult lesson that sometimes hard things are more fun than easy things. He will repeat this to himself when we are working on something hard. Not that he is always able to stick to it, but the idea is there and it seems to appeal to him. 

A long hike is one of those hard-but-fun things

The lesson about effort is one that I am constantly learning as an adult, of course, too. And maybe as I get older, I'm more selective about where I want to put my effort--what challenges I want to take on. Hosting a big meal at our house is a challenge that both Jb and I find really gratifying.  Although it is a lot of work, we have grown to really enjoy hosting Thanksgiving in our home, which we've done for the last three years. At the end of Thanksgiving day, around 11 at night, after pie, games, and a still-pretty-messy kitchen, JB concluded that it went well and that we did a good job of making it seem effortless. I just about collapsed on the floor. 

But it's true. We are getting better at all the planning ahead that needs to happen to make food from scratch and still enjoy the day. It also helps that Rosa (Eliza's Friday babysitter) and her husband have joined us each time--Rosa contributes mightily to the Thanksgiving feast. This year we were so happy to welcome Heidi, a friend from grad school, and her family and a few college students. 

And now, here are some cozy scenes that did not involve a lot of planning, forethought, or effort. Or maybe they are just seemingly without effort. It's actually a least-favorite chore to keep the couch in the next photo in an even semi-respectable state of clean : )  And think of all the work Ben has done in the last year to be able to curl up on the couch by himself with a chapter book (I know!). I do also have to plan ahead to get books like that from our weekly(ish) trip to the library. 

And even the kind of play that Eliza and Ben are doing below--painting, building with blocks, pretend with a box--are a work of the imagination as it interacts with things in their world. At the Montessori school Ben goes to, things that look like toys--lots of blocks and interactive materials--are very deliberately called "works." Good preparation, I hope, for finding gratification in the much harder challenges that they are sure to face as they grow. 

I love Eliza's face when she is focusing on her work.

Focused on her work again.
It was so sunny and quiet on this particular afternoon while Ben was at school.

Blocks are still some of her favorite toys (works?). 

Halloween Superheroes

Princess Batgirl and Superman-who-couldn't-be-bothered-to-get-in-full-costume
(and who also happens to have only one front tooth) 

Here's what makes Halloween great around here. The kids get to go trick-or-treating in the dorms at Baylor a week before halloween and they LOVE it. We stop at their favorite tree and swing on the big tree swings, and then 6 floors of family-deprived college students doting on their slapdash costumes and filling their buckets with candy.

Why? Because we're fun. 

And then ACTUAL halloween gets to be more of an afterthought. We can dress up, go around to the few houses within walking distance that give out candy, and then hang out on our front porch giving out candy. I think Ben likes the giving out candy part just as much as going door-to-door.

We went around our block with our neighbors. These are the girls that
gave Eliza the princess dress she's wearing--they think she's really cute.

One of these things is not like the others.

Eliza loves wearing her costume...

...all the time, in different combinations 

Ben's 6th Birthday

M&M cake for birthday party at Lion's park 

What a joy to be able to sit down and reflect on my boy at age 6. All of a sudden he's a kindergartner, blossoming into a social creature, showing glimmers of leadership and a genuine desire to serve others. I honestly did not think I would be saying any of those things at this time last year. 

I brought cupcakes for Benjamin's class at school on his birthday and he was so excited to introduce me to ALL of the kids in his class and they really seemed to rally around him. He has made a special friend in the little girl sitting behind him on the roller coaster in the picture below. It sounds like their friendship revolves around collecting "treasures" on the playground together--I find all sorts of delightful surprises in his pockets these days : ) 

At his birthday party this year, JB and I marveled at how he lead the kids around the little amusement park and tried to connect at different times with each of the friends. He's just growing up. 

Still happy--this did not last long. 

A friend of mine shared with me that she has enjoyed watching Benjamin in kids club (a Wednesday night church program) find real joy in serving others and help organize everyone (!) during snack time. I saw this recently when he had a bunch of kids up in his tree house and got everyone organized for a snack--he really took charge! He does appreciate a sense of order and might even be learning how to help make it happen.  He has always loved spending time with me emptying the dishwasher and folding clothes or other little household chores (something I notice particularly now that I have a second child who does not seem as naturally inclined toward spending time with me in this way : ) 

Everyone else loved this little roller coaster. 

We've known ever since Benjamin was 3.5 and cried over the not wanting things to change that he is a sensitive soul. Lately, this has turned into missing people before they are even gone. If you are reading this blog post, he has mostly likely done this regarding you. Here's a poem that Ben connected with when he was 3; we return to it often. From Arnold Lobel's Whiskers and Rhymes, a favorite in our home. 

There was an old woman of long ago

Who went about her mending. 

She sewed the wind against the clouds 

To stop the trees from bending. 

She stitched the sun to the highest hill 

To hold the day from ending. 

Her thimble and threads were close at hand

For needlework and quilting, 

For sewing gardens to the sky

To keep the blooms from wilting,

For lacing the land to the crescent moon

To save the world from tilting. 

A special birthday present from grandmommy

Birthday lunch with family--fish tacos! 

Taking training wheels off--we're working on it! 

New rhythms, new joys

A few things we like about adjusting to the school year: 

Benjamin comes home from school feeling energized and creative 

Sibling time is no longer taken for granted

After-school train

Special time with Eliza Jane while Benjamin is at school 

A girl and her fairy garden 

A fairy-princess and her eyebrows.

Friday nights are special 

The best place ever--Kiddieland! 

And the freedom of Saturday morning is never taken for granted 

Saturday morning reading 

Waco Art Festival, a beloved annual tradition 

I LOVE SATURDAY MORNING! 

First weeks of school

I'm finding myself with a little extra time on my hands this morning. Ben started kindergarten last week, so he's out the door by 7:30 and Eliza Jane is still getting her beauty sleep--she needs to be at school by 9, but I'll have to wake her up. 

It's taking a while to get into a rhythm of this new schedule. We are trying to fit a lot into our mornings and that means waking up early, trying to fit in our workouts, helping Ben get ready, making lunches and getting ready for work. If it weren't for the workouts, we'd be doing ok. But we really want to exercise! I am happy to run in our neighborhood, but if I go any earlier than 6:30 it's too dark but also need to leave before 6:45 so I can be home with miss E when JB leaves with Ben. Honestly, it has not happened for me yet, but I still have hope. Tomorrow?? 

dance class--Eliza on the far right 

Eliza has a little dance class that we've been fitting in one morning a week before school too. She is one happy girl out there moving to the music. I love that she is having fun, learning about dance from around the world, getting instruction, and I don't have to worry about costumes. Win! 

digging for fossils after school 

We are all thankful for Grandmommy's visit last week to ease the transition to school: after school treats from the tiger bag, special time with Eliza Jane before her school started, and extra time for me to get my classes at Baylor started on the right foot. 

Cicada hunt before leaving for school 

Benjamin looks forward to his outside time with daddy if he gets ready early enough before school. So far the transition to school seems to be going well enough for Benjamin. There have been a few tears, but I think overall it's going about as well as we can expect. His one complaint after the first day of school was that he didn't get to read enough books : )   

Eliza and I joined Benjamin for lunch yesterday at his school and I was surprised and pleased to see how animated he was and excited to tell me about what he was doing in school that day. It's a little harder to get him to talk about school in the afternoon; we're finding creative ways to get him to talk about it though. And we are modifying our expectations about how much a 5 year old is really going to be able to convey about his day. The fact is, it's a hard transition for us as parents knowing that he is in a world for 8 hours a day that we are just not as privy to as we'd like to be.

Ben does the Lemon Squeeze

The lemon squeeze part here at the end is a lot harder for us grown ups than wee Ben. 

A boy in his element 

Loving every minute 

Got a little tired near the end. After almost 2 hours. 

But not too tired. Had to "save Grandpa from the bad magician." 

So happy to show my little guy this fun hike. 

Mission accomplished. 

Tower at the top.

The next week we took Grandmommy and
Grand dad to Mohonk too. 

We all hiked to the Lily Pond 

And some went on to the tower. Poor mom and grand mommy had to go back
to have iced tea and sit on the front porch : ) 

Top of the world 

Loves being with her grandmommy