scenes from the circus: summertime

Clearly, posting has been spotty around here lately. What, exactly, have we been doing that keeps us so busy that we can't even post a few measly photographs? Well, life. We did take a fun-filled, two-week trip to Illinois last month (and I promise I'll get around to posting that eventually), but otherwise, it's just the busy-ness of everyday that gets in the way of typing here. Our days are full of reading and playing and learning and errand running and laundry and when things calm down around here (read: during naptime or the evening) I'm ready to sleep just like the kids. Of course, I'm probably the only person that's surprised that a largely pregnant woman with three children under five can't get as much done as she'd like.

But, without further ado, some scenes from our circus:

I recently noticed that someone had seen fit to rearrange our mishmash of commissary and farmer's market fruit into a more, well, aesthetically pleasing arrangement.

Just imagine if they could move furniture. Who knows what our house would look like?

:: :: :: ::

I suppose I should qualify that last statement. The children can move furniture. All the children.

A few days ago I'd made lunch and was carrying it out to the girls, who were eating at the picnic table in the backyard. While I was getting the girls settled, John David snuck into the kitchen, pushed a chair up to the counter, and hauled himself onto it. Here's what he found on the counter:

(That's peanut butter and honey for Kathleen, peanut butter and jelly for Madeline, and cream cheese and jelly for John David.  I don't normally make three different lunches, but I was feeling generous that day.  John David must have sensed that.)

And here's how I found him:

He tried to drink the jam.  Nice. Of course, I suppose I should be happy I didn't find him sucking on the industrial-sized honey bottle.

:: :: :: ::

I'm 31 and a half weeks pregnant with Flash. All seems to be going well (though he's measuring big -- 34cm at 31 weeks!), but this fourth pregnancy is catching up with me. More than ever before, it seems I have "pregnancy brain." And I don't just forget things; I really forget things! One day after swimming lessons I apparently re-dressed Madeline in a dress and panties without ever taking off her swimming suit bottom. In a cooperative mood, Madeline never mentioned my oversight. I only discovered it when I picked her up at naptime and found her little rear rather damp. Sorry, little girl!

And one afternoon I looked down when we were out and saw this:

John David's shoes were on the wrong feet. Now, this often happens with Madeline; she frequently mixes up her shoes. But I put Indy's shoes on! Whoops!

:: :: :: ::

Here's how Kathleen dressed herself for swimming lessons a few weeks ago. "Mom," she exclaimed, "No one will know it's me! I'm all hidden!" And now she knows what incognito means.

(The crowd at swimming lessons got a real kick out her attire. Only a few people said anything, but there were lots of chuckles.)

:: :: :: ::

My frazzled moments aren't isolated to instances when the children are getting dressed.  One Sunday, the kids and I went to service alone (Jim had an obligation for school).  Our church meets at a junior high school, and though we park near the babies' nursery (for easy last-minute drop-off!), where we park is actually comparatively far from where we fellowship after service.  On that particular Sunday, I gathered everyone up after fellowship and we walked to the car.  When we were just a few yards from the car, I realized that we were missing a backpack, so we turned and walked back to the fellowship area.

With help from one of Kathleen's little friends, we quickly found the backpack and headed back to the car.  My little people were hot and a little whiny, and we were all anxious to get home for some lunch and (more importantly to me, at least) some naps.  I was buckling John David into his car seat when Kathleen pointed out that we were missing her "everyday cup" -- that is, the water bottle we use for her, well, everyday.  Reluctant to abandon yet another cup/bottle (they're not cheap and no matter the vigilance, they seem to disappear), I knew we'd have to go back again.  I felt on the verge of tears until Madeline intervened.

"Hohww-eee God," she intoned in a loud, serious voice, "Only You can help us."

Her prayer sort of lost steam after that, but it did its job.  I finished loading everyone in the car, drove around the front of the building, snatched the cup (without unloading the crew), and headed home.

Out of the mouths of babes.

:: :: :: ::

Early on in our swimming lesson adventure, Jim and I were talking with Kathleen about what she was learning and what she liked.  She quickly and enthusiastically told us that her favorite part was when she went under the water and came right back up.

She paused, looked slightly perplexed and then said, "You know what that's called?"

And Jim and I said that indeed we did -- that was called a bob.

"No" she replied, "it's called a bub.  My teacher calls it a bub."

Jim and I had to turn away from her to avoid laughing out loud because her Russian-born instructor's pronunciation of the word bob sounded exactly like bub!  (Since she's now had three different swimming instructors, she knows it's called a bob.  But you certainly couldn't have convinced her of that then!)

:: :: :: ::

John David's a busy little guy.  He's happiest when he's running or climbing or whatnot.  In fact, when we're out strangers often make unsolicited comments like, "He's a busy!" or "He doesn't stop, does he?" or "You'll have your hands full!"  (All those statements are true, by the way.  Very true.)  And for a while, we had a really hard time getting him to sit still long enough to eat a meal. More accurately, he wouldn't sit long enough for anyone else to be able to eat a decent meal -- it seemed that no sooner than we'd strapped him into his high chair, he'd be wailing to be let out.  He was somehow getting enough nutrition to keep up his chunky toddler physique, but he was doing it in well under five minutes!

Lately, though, we've been having almost peaceful meals.  It turns out, the child will eat almost anything if you give him a fork.  Dinner's then a slightly more time-consuming game, which he loves.  And some nights even mom gets to eat sitting down!

a splash

We've been making a bit of splash this summer.  Not around this blog, obviously, but at swimming lessons, at least.

We dove into swimming lessons at the end of June.  The lessons were recommended by dear friends and took place at their community swimming pool.  To our girls' delight, they and their best friend were enrolled in the same session.  (At least for the first two sessions.  We got split up by the third session.  But the first two were such fun!)

Our girls had never taken swimming lessons before, so they started at the very beginning.  They loved it.  Well, to be fair, Madeline wasn't completely sold on the idea at first.  She'd never been to a class without one of us before, so it was a bit of an adjustment.  Fortunately, Madeline loved her instructor, a Russian exchange student called Natalia.  And she warmed up to the water just as she warmed up to Natalia.  In no time at all she was kicking and splashing and jumping and floating.

Madeline stayed in the first level for all three sessions, but Kathleen moved up after the first.  Consequently, Kathleen had a number of different instructors.  Fortunately her love for the water has little to do with her teacher.  She also seems to think that he swimming skills have little to do with her teacher.  She would try to "learn more swimming" when she was supposed to be hanging on to the wall. (The teachers earned their money with her!)  I guess all the kicking and "arm-circling" and jumping and diving wasn't enough...

And on the off chance you were concerned about John David feeling left out, since he was too small for these lessons, let me assure you that he did not suffer.  (Mommy and me lessons are offered at a separate time and we couldn't swing every day childcare for the girls, so Indy will have to wait until he's older...)  We'd hang out, watching the girls in the water, reading books, playing with a toy car, blowing bubbles, and eating snacks.  When all those diversions would fail, I'd go ahead and stick him in the baby pool. He didn't seem to mind.

And occasionally, when even the water wouldn't hold his attention, he'd rearrange the deck furniture. The child knows no limits.

Lessons finished up just yesterday, and we celebrated with a special lunch out. We're sad to see the end of swimming (let's not talk about summer ending, okay?), but we're excited for all that's coming this fall -- dance lessons (for the girls, not John David!), a new brother, and even school.

a mini vacation: at the park

We really lucked out with our mini vacation. We had a great room (two rooms and two bathrooms, which meant that even Indy got his own space.  A bathroom, but still). We loved the beach. And the kids loved the park.

We developed a bit of a morning routine. Indy would wake early, and Jim and took turns running with our not-so-quiet boy in the jogger while the girls continued to sleep. Then the girls would wake and we'd all get ready. Eventually everyone would be presentable and we'd head to breakfast. Once the kids had had their fill of pancakes and bacon and fruit and yogurt (they didn't discover the fruit loops until the last day), we'd grab a to-go cup of coffee and take a walk to the park.

We had only to walk a few blocks (though it didn't even seem that far, since we followed a nice trail along the beachfront) to get to the park. We had no idea what a great park it would be.

We could tell as we approached that our little people would be pleased -- we spied swings and slides and a giant turtle.

It wasn't until we walked around to the other side of the park and looked back that we could really appreciate its clever design. Two pirate ships! And a dragon!

The girls were really excited about the dragon. It was a perfect element -- Jim and the girls had been reading My Father's Dragon. They couldn't get enough of the book (in fact, they finished it on the second day of our trip) or the dragon at the park.

The slides and swings were -- as always -- a hit with our little people.  But there were these fun, new-to-us spinny things that the kids simply couldn't resist.  Everyone had a turn.  (They had similar things that had actual seats; even mom and dad tried those out.  They had us laughing out loud.)

Coming off one side of the larger pirate ship was a rocky ledge.  The girls called it "a plank" and insisted on walking it.  And, obviously, jumping off the end.

Since we didn't let Indy walk the plank, he simply tried to climb up alone.  I think this photo captures the chaos of our crew at a park... jumping, climbing, lovely chaos.

Not surprisingly, the park was our last stop before heading home.  I wonder if there's some sort of database we can search when we decide to take another vacation so that we can narrow our destinations to those with great parks!