Sickies again...

I apologize for my complete failure to acknowledge several birthdays.  We called Dad a day early, I was so discombobulated.  I didn't even email Dave and Terry to wish them a happy day.  Reagan puked about 10 times between 5 am Friday night and 3 am Saturday last weekend.  The rest of this week she has been still clearly, um, having some stomach issues.  She is also cranky, not napping normally (of course, that may be due to the fact that she is still nursing, and I have resorted to caffeine to counteract worse-than-normal sleep deprivation), and prone to instant meltdown.

Molly threw up last night about 2:00 am.  She hasn't been sick since then, but she hasn't had anything but saltines and water, either. Ben was concerned last night, saying, "I hope the boys don't start getting sick too."  My response?  I think I'd rather they get sick now than have them get sick a week from now.  Hopefully, they won't get it at all.

New to the Language...

You know, if you think about it, the kids really are "new to the language." Here are some of the best things I've heard of late. These are words and phrases they use regularly, BTW, not just an occasional slip.

"Dad crims my nails." (Molly)

"I filled a base for the flowers, but then I realized there was too much water." (Molly)

"I want a juicebock." (Molly-- I suppose this might be singular for juice box?)

"Juicebock" is also a "Jukebox."

...And "mailbock" is a mailbox. (Molly and Reagan)

"She annoys me out of heck." (Killian--yeah, I told you about this one already, but it just cracks me up).

"Is this Opera?" (otherwise known as Oprah) (Molly)

Cillarenda (AKA, Cinderella) (Molly and Liam)

Yew Nork (New York) (Liam and Molly)

Flashlike = flashlight (Reagan)

We walked to the school today to drop off a check for tickets for Killian's upcoming field trip. On the way home, I asked Reagan, "Are you tired?"

She answered, singing, "No, no, no, I not tide-red."

"That fish is eating allergy(algae)." I think they've all said this at one time or another...

Spring Break

It's spring break here. Ben's brother Jacob is visiting, and we're all hanging around and having fun.  Ben took the week off from work.  Yesterday the big kids and Ben and Jacob went to see Monsters vs. Aliens at the I-max in 3-D.  It was declared to be the best movie ever.  We've also watched a few movies here, played lots of video games, and when it's been reasonably warm outside, everybody's ventured out.  One afternoon, for a game of wiffle ball in the back, today to work on a raised bed, and this afternoon, Ben and Jacob have taken the big kids off to the school yard to fly kites.  I think they're hoping to make a trip to the creek this week, but I don't know whether the weather is going to cooperate...

In addition to the bed, we've accomplished a few tasks--I made curtains for the boys' room and made some headway in Molly's room.   Most exciting, of course, is the raised bed frame that Ben and Jacob put together today.  They used plans from The Urban Homestead. It has hardware cloth underneath to keep out critters, and pvc pipes attached on the side to hold more pvc later for a covered bed if we should desire.  Now, we just need to fill it. ;)

I also finished some little pencil rolls for the kids' Easter baskets.  The kids seem to prefer colored pencil to crayon most of the time.  Now they can take them on the go.

And, this afternoon while Reagan napped and Molly played with her friend across the street, I dyed some silk hankies with Kool-Aid for Reagan's Easter basket.  She has a funny fascination with handkerchiefs.  That's them in the dye up top.  The colors look a little off in the second pic, but they came out nicely.  Now we might have to teach the kids to juggle them or something. 

Kids...

Ben sent me an email on Thursday to report this conversation:

The kids were talking about how they were going to wake up Jacob.

Killian: I'll turn my DS light on his face.

Liam: I'll slap him with bacon, that will wake him up.

Liam Conal

Age: 7 years, 10 months

Hobbies and Interests:Science, bugs, video games.

Most Likely to:

*Make you smile

*be quiet

*want to "show" you a video game

*draw, paint, or otherwise create a work of art

*talk to babies

*read I-Spy books

*share little-known facts about animals or insects

*crack an off-color joke (er, I think he has his dad's sense of humor) ;)

*play outside

* miss his brother

*give unexpected hugs

Least Likely to:

*put his clothes down the laundry chute 

*eat ketchup

*want to shut off the video games

*care that his clothes are on backwards

Sometimes in Trouble for:

*leaving clothes on the floor (see above).

Likely Future Career:

Scientist

My Favorite Things about Liam:

*when he was a tiny baby, he would reach his arms around my neck and hold on.  

*his sense of humor (if sometimes inappropriate)

*his enjoyment of art

*he's very kind and helpful with Reagan

*he's very loving

*he's very smart

*his smile

*his siblings truly seem to be his friends and he (usually) enjoys spending time with them

Good Reports

The boys' teachers had wonderful things to say at conferences.  I have to say, we have been so blessed when it comes to teachers.  

Things they say...

OK, perhaps some of these are inappropriate, but so stinking funny.

Killian: "She annoys me out of heck."

Molly: "What is that?" (I was crocheting).

Mom: "Easter grass."

Molly:  "Easter ASS?"

Mom: "No, Easter grass."

Molly: "You said, 'Easter ass."  (Mind you, she wasn't being smart or suggesting I was saying something "bad," just stating what she thought were the facts).

Liam: "I want to put the Jello in alphabetical order."

Liam and Killian have been writing notes to each other, sometimes clues, sometimes jokes.  Liam wrote to Killian, "When I am through with you, all that will be left is a bum."  Then he drew a bum.  *SIGH*