Summertime Fun

I remember those days when "summer schedule" revolved around outdoor concerts and wine in the parks; mojito nights on roof top patios; long, after dinner strolls at sunset; sleeping in... Lots of sleeping in because I was a teacher, and I got the summer off, and I didn't have any children to wake me. 😌

Now, years later, our summer revolves around Evie's schedule.
 It's all about her camps, her activities, her playdates.
The boys just tag along for the ride and get shuffled here and there to pick her up and drop her off.

However, they seem perfectly happy and enjoy just being included in the ride. So, while Evie is out and about doing her thing, the boys and I have spent these gorgeous summer mornings exploring, digging, and playing.

And, most importantly, swinging.

They love to swing.
They could swing
      and swing
           and swing.

 During those long mornings at the park when I am pushing all three of them ("higher...higher...higher!!") I've started to use those moments to speak into them who I know they are and can be.

With every push, I say something along the lines of,
James, you are happy. 
     Caleb,You are kind. 
            Levi, You are smart.
You are all so special and loved." 

They love it.
 They smile and giggle, and I know these beautiful words of truth are penetrating their souls.
It's simple.
It adds more meaning to the moments on the swing.
And it adds even more purpose to my activity.
I've been trying to incorporate more intentional, positive affirmations into my time with them.
I'm taking my full time job of being a parent more seriously these days as I've witnessed the immense power words have. One word-one tone- can completely build up or completely discourage.

 

The kids are all so different, yet I know who they can become.

Even how they wake in the morning  gives me insight into who they are and what I need to speak to gently guide them.

Caleb will greet each day exclaiming that the sun is up and it is day! He is joyful, dancing and enthusiastic about being alive.

James, on the other hand, literally rolls out of bed onto the floor wrapped up in a big knot of messy blankets, groaning.

His eyes are tightly closed and he is angry and disappointed it is time to get out of bed. Usually some snuggles and some soft blankets get him out of his morning funk.

Levi is unpredictable. He's not super joyful ,but not a total grump. He is influenced largely by the moods of those around him, especially those of his sister.

And then there is Evie.
 She should be incredibly thrilled to wake each day.
After all, her day is filled with friends, field trips (and face paint).

To end the school year, Evie's class put on a little circus performance, something in which they prepared for and rehearsed for months. Evie was very excited about it.

 It was a big culminating activity, and the school even had a professional face painter come  paint all the kids' faces for the show.

She was a surfing monkey in the circus

On the day of the show, John, Kennedy and all the brothers were there to cheer her on.
However, the minute she got on stage, she completely froze.
Like deer in head lights froze.
All the other smiling kids were singing the practiced songs and enthusiastically dancing around the stage. She literally just stood there doing nothing with a blank look on her face.
 John and I didn't know how to react.
 Part of us was annoyed. Was she doing this on purpose?
Part of us felt sorry for her. Poor thing is totally nervous.
                      But mostly, we were perplexed.

Fast forward to a month later. Fourth of July! This year was just the best Fourth of July we ever had with the kids.

Lake Oswego parade

 After a day of parades, we ended the night at our neighborhood party.  Everyone was in the spirit of merriment, dancing to the live music, eating BBQ, drinking Sangria, and socializing.... And then there was Evie! 
When she heard the 70s dance music coming from the stage, she seemed to not be able to help herself; she moved right in front of the stage, and danced her little heart out with total abandon. I mean, John and I stood there in complete awe.
Was this the little girl totally frozen on stage just a month ago? 

Now she danced, uncaring of what anyone thought around her. She seemed to be loving every minute. She was hot, sweaty and would come over to us every ten minutes or so, red faced and in desperate need of water.
So, we let her dance!
And we danced!
The boys danced!
and we had such a wonderful time!
I never saw the kids so sticky, greasy, and grimy as they were by the end of the day on the Fourth of July.

Only a true party can cause this much dirt

Waiting for candy 

Still waiting for candy

Earlier in the day,  we decorated our own bikes and wagons and participated in our neighborhood tradition of parading through our streets. John pulled Caleb and James in the wagon.  Caleb, after seeing a drumming group in the parade earlier in the morning, decided he was going to bring his little drum along and bang it  as we proceeded down the street.
 He did get many cheers, which only fueled his passion.

 I am always so excited about this parade tradition until we hit about half way through the mile loop around our street in the oppressive July heat of 4 pm.

Too hot

Our celebrating continued at a neighbor friend's cul de sac where we lit smoke bombs and sparklers to the delight of all our children.
We then finished the evening rockin out at the neighborhood party.

We are in the thick of summer now.
School is a distant memory.

Last day photo

We've been doing a lot of outings as a family on the weekends, like train shows, train rides and train parks!

Never too many trains! 

There has been a fair share of cheeseburgers and ice cream too!

A Plan to Not have a Plan

The following blog entry will be published in the Tualatin Newspaper in August:😄

I have a confession to make: Summers make me nervous.

I haven’t always felt this way; but since having four young kids, I shutter at the thought of having completely open days for weeks and weeks. 

So cute and innocent, right?!!

In my former life, aka before kids,  I was a teacher, so naturally I thrive on some semblance of plan and practice. I love the rhythms of school, activity and routine. Summers are without that cadence or vision; I spend many evenings scanning the internet for free kid-friendly events around town, anything to pass these long, hot, unstructured expanses of time.

Most of the time, my attempt at filling the day with structure turns out  differently than how I pictured and planned it in my mind. 

Crafts fall apart; cookie batter ends up everywhere; sticky bubble bottles overturned; I end up disappointed and irritated, still trying to figure out what to do with my kids. 

Recently, I had an afternoon with my three sons. We ended up at our favorite local park, Tualatin Community Park, otherwise known as “the train park” by my locomotive obsessed boys. 

They request this particular park a lot, mostly due to the exciting possibility that a train might pass through. Flashing gates, a blaring train whistle and the rumble of the the steel tracks  is just about the most exhilarating event that my boys could witness in an afternoon. 

On this beautiful day, the boys and I wandered around as they waited for a train to pass through. In the meantime, they discovered big branches and sticks, dug holes in dirt piles, and marveled at forest inhabitants. 

Show me your muscles!

We had no plan or objective,  but my boys seemed to be amused, and the anticipation of a train whistle was all they needed to contently wander this park. 

We soon found our way over to the boat launch. On a nice day there is a lot of action on this steep decline into the water. My boys were fascinated by the variety of kayaks, inner tubes, floating devices, dogs (and even a drone!) that entered and exited the water from this spot. They waved to all the people, and we all made small talk on this pleasant afternoon. 

Looking at the sky (and then at my phone) I wondered anxiously how I was going to fill this day. 

My boys began poking at the water with big sticks, totally captivated by the ripples they created.  Pulling up seaweed on the tips of their sticks, they excitedly exclaimed that they caught a fish! 

Getting deeper...

They giggled when their toes touched the cool water of the river; gaining confidence, they bravely ventured closer and closer to its edge. 

Muddy waters...

One of my sons reached down and from the beneath the murky water yanked up a big mound of muddy gravel.  

As his discovery dripped through his fingers, he turned around, beamed at me proudly and exclaimed, “Look Mom, sand mud!” 

Mud and more mud

The “sand mud” soon became mud balls, which soon became a mud tower, and suddenly my boys were hip deep in the Tualatin river, completely enchanted by their world around them. 

River fun

My first responsible reasonable mothering instinct was to halt this messy playtime and encourage them to do something less muddy and wet. However, something in me today felt at ease and delighted in what I was witnessing. 

I didn’t stop them as they began to take off their sandals. I stood amused as they began to build mud castles on the bank. 

I didn’t stop them because I suddenly realized that this was in fact the plan I needed. 

They were absolutely absorbed in their little piece of earth, exploring, enjoying and creating. 

My boys reminded me of something on this day; the world is simply fascinating, more fascinating than an organized craft time at my kitchen table. 

Embracing now that we have fully committed to an afternoon of river water and mud, I simply sat back and took in every marvelous muddy moment. 

This summer, I am learning that the best things in life often times are  unplanned….and messy!

Letting go of my expectations and simply living in the moment made me realize that life’s best memories can happen in between the plans.

 That afternoon by the Tualatin river, watching my sons’ delight, turned out to be one of my best days with them. 

Yes, we were dirty, and stinky; my van still smells like swamp water!  But driving home that day I looked in my rearview mirror at three giggling, partially naked boys who were very very happy. 

Changing like the Seasons

I love seeing my kids play. I love hearing my kids play.
I love the giggles, locomotive sounds and shouts of direction and joy coming from those little bodies.
My soul is happy.

I have to say, as summer approaches, I'm not feeling the absolute dread and panic that I've felt previously.

The first summer, the boys were babies, sleeping and fussing and needing bottles around the clock. I also had two year old Evie who was restless and needed to get out and away from her crying, all consuming brothers.
Luckily we had Amanda who help me keep up with all the demands of keeping four children under two alive and happy.
That summer was an absolute blur as I tried to adjust to my new life and juggling three babies and a very difficult toddler.

The next summer was a small disaster. James still couldn't walk, and the other two were just beginning to toddle around. Parks were a nightmare. Scraped knees were an everyday occurrence.
Amanda accompanied me everywhere and still we could hardly keep up. Evie was frustrated a lot because all our attention was on her barely walking brothers and keeping them out of harms way.

Now last summer, things were a teeny tiny bit more manageable. The boys were stable in their walking but I still didn't trust them to fully listen and obey me. There was a big difference from the beginning of the summer to the end. By the end, I could kinda sorta be ok with them being in the yard with just me watching them. Still, someone was always crying it seemed, and I wouldn't dare leave them unattended or leave the safe premise of my house with them alone.

THIS SUMMER, things are already different. The boys are three and their jump in maturity and what I am able to do with them is significant. They talk. They listen. They play and can do a lot and enjoy a lot. Dare I say it...it's manageable?!
 I went to a friends house the other day for dinner and suddenly, the three boys were off exploring the house with the other boy, and Evie was outside with her friend;
 I was left ALONE with my friend and a glass of red wine. Wh, wh WHAT?!!

I can do whole days alone with them, and I don't go insane.
I took them sandal shopping solo in a store and they behaved and it was a success!
I can take the kids out by myself and feel confident (except when they all have to go to the bathroom at the same time)
I see life changing. I'm not trying to keep my head above water. I'm starting to tread....dare I say even doggie paddle forward a bit?!?
I'm really enjoying the little people they are.

Now don't get me wrong, the gleeful sounds of playful laughter are also mixed with quite a lot of fighting, and arguing and mean words.

Last week my it was my birthday and mothers day. An exact quote from John that morning as we loaded into the mini van to go to church: "Don't yell in your Mother's face today. It's mothers day and her birthday."😬

Evie is becoming quite the helper.
She volunteered to scrub my filthy patio cushions and lined them up in the sun to dry so we could use them.

She graduated from her Awanas class, singing her "cubbies song" and proudly earning her ribbon.

She even learned how to ride a bike without her training wheels!

My kids are growing up!
Summer is around the corner.
And for once, I can be excited about summer and the possibilities and the memories we will make with the kids and the family.

Diapers no more!

John and I popped open a really nice bottle of wine the other night. We had something to celebrate.
We are done with diapers!!!!!!
Even as I write those words, I still can't believe its true.
Done
with
d i a p e r s. 

We disassembled the changing tables that crowded our family room and bedroom.
And we toasted.
 I never thought this day would come.

Now, just because we are done with diapers, doesn't mean we are done with dealing with poop. In fact, I'm convinced that it might even be easier to change three diapers than  supervise three potty training boys in a public restroom.
And it's definitely better than changing totally soiled underwear.
 Accidents do happen---a lot;  but,  I fully expect that.
 However, we are not going back.

 

After a particularly hard potty training day, John told me that he thought James wasn't ready yet.
"Nope," I declared, "we are done with diapers. We are never going back. He's going to have to figure it out."
Each day gets better. I'm just so glad we decided not to get the new carpet right after we moved into the house.

And, every person has an audience, whether they want one or not.   Each attempt on the potty includes at least two or three curious spectators, eagerly awaiting to see what was deposited in the pot.
The nightly potty ritual is brutal. Just when you think you are at the end of bedtime routine, someone has to use the potty, which suddenly reminds everyone that they too need to go. 😫😫😫

This is  another exhausting stage of growing up; but, we are trending in the right direction.

*********************************************************************************
Sometimes I get lost in the routine of everyday life. The drive to and from preschool is so programmed in me, I don't even know how I arrive sometimes.

One day passes into the next, and as I pull up to preschool to pick up Evie, I can hear the sounds of laughter from the children playing on the playground. There is always a cluster of giggling, pink clad girls nestled into the single tire swing.

One little girl is pushing with all her might, trying with every ounce of her little body to give everyone else a thrill ride. Heads tilted back, looking at the spinning sky without a care in the world, there is so much laughter I think sometimes they have trouble catching a breath.

There have been so many carefree days under the oak trees that line the preschool playground.
 If those trees could talk, they would tell of the drama and joy surrounding the tire swing each day.

Sometimes in the car ride home after school I hear of the tire swing drama. "Kailyn is the best pusher, but she spun it too fast."
 " Molly got sick"
"Sydney fell off"
 "Lucy and Mila bumped heads but they got an ice pack."
"The teacher said we were swinging too high"
"I wanted to go faster..."
 " We were spinning so fast we couldn't stop laughing..."

As I pulled up to school the other day and spied the girls under the blossoming oak tree, I suddenly felt a type of sadness in my heart.  This innocence, this childhood world of playing together as a preschooler is coming quickly to an end.
Her friends, all the kids in her class, will scatter to different places next year for kindergarten.

Evie is so happy, laughing with her friends. The playground, the world, is still a simple, happy place.
The cliques, bad words, the things they shouldn't know, they are still protected from all that. Elementary school is an introduction to that all. Little by little the real world will seep in.
 My heart sinks when I think about it.

I know it's a part of life, but I want to hang on to her innocence and simplicity forever.
I want her to love the tire swing.

We attended a kindergarten open house for  her school next year. It was filled with small samplings from every classroom: science, music, gym, the library...
Evie looked so big there. She looked like she belonged.

 A kindergartner, an elementary school student!!!!
The teacher leading the activity  asked each child what his/her favorite color was: "pink....purple, blue..pink...pink...pink...." 
When it was Evie's turn, she proclaimed without hesitation, "Gold and silver."

That pretty such sums up our Evie.


As we drove away from the kindergarten experience, I told Evie that she doesn't have to think about kindergarten anymore. I am going to tuck the cute school shirt she was given into a deep drawer until next year.
She's still a preschooler. I want her to bask in this season of being a preschooler because she will never, ever get to be a preschooler again.

Giggle with your preschool friends.
Nestle in that little tire swing as snug as you can be.
Spin fast.
Swing high.
Swing oh so high, Evie.

*********************************************************************************
Here are some photos of some April highlights.

April was filled with Easter events and a visit to the tulip festival.

Making bunny cupcakes with grammie and grandpa

Easter Sunday!

Dressed in Easter best

Egg hunt!

 

Trying to capture a family moment at the tulip fields