4.16

Lucy: this girl may ask me everyday for the rest of her life for a sister.  The one gift I don't believe I will ever be able to give her.  But she is a best friend to all of her girl cousins and so I encourage those relationships fiercely.  And they love her fiercely for it.

Max: the king of the group photo.  He was so excited to go to the zoo.  He loves outings.  He has a sensitive spirit but lately that sensitivity has been showing itself in strange new ways.  A lot of resistance and back-talk.  Not my favorite.  I'm trying to love him through it but sometimes it really gets under my skin.  

Logan: completed his skating field trips this week.  He started off falling and crying.  Now he falls, but doesn't cry so much.  And he loves it.  Especially when he has spectators.

Seth: and the zoo was an epic experience.  It wasn't his first trip, but probably the first one that meant anything to him.  He loved it.  Penguins.  Lions.  Hippos.  Meerkats.  Not so much with the gorillas.  He didn't want to get off my lap to see them.  But this photo...this photo was when a common field bird crossed his path while we were walking trying to see more exotic animals.  Probably a species that we could have spotted at any park, anywhere in the city, but it thrilled him to no end to see it at the zoo.

3.16

Lucy: forever creating 'make-work' projects and plans, she has an imagination as large as the world, with the problem solving skills that don't match.  Her newest plan is to bake (anything and everything) and sell the baked goods in order to get money for things...all the things.  She wants to do this with her friend Mady...who is a kindred spirit.  A few probing questions had us realize that she wanted us to front the ingredients...and help with the baking...and I can only imagine that she would sell the items back to us.  The business plan isn't sound, but the cookies and brownies tasted good.


Max: camera shy and electronically addicted.  His latest addiction is in the form of Garfield and Friends...and it makes me smile to see him watching old-school cartoons.


Logan: This boy would 'go' and 'do' all day if I let him, but he is often confined to the limits of his mom and baby brother.  So when an opportunity to go to a UofC vs MRU hockey game presented itself he was bouncing off the walls for hours beforehand.  The game did not disappoint.


Seth: his latest obsession is the broom.  An obsession all of my kids have found...and quickly dropped when it no longer suited their purpose.  Will this child be my cleaner?  My track record says no.  But yesterday while I was making buns I spilt some flour on the floor.  He looked at it with his cheerio 'o' mouth, ran around the island and brought the broom back with him to sweep it up.  He's not very effective yet, but it's definitely the thought that counts.

2.16

Lucy: is the queen of storytelling.  The boys will all ride in the backseat with her just for the opportunity to hear her tell them the plot of the latest book she's read or movie she's watched.  A trip to the library means everyone will pile onto the couch to listen to Lucy read.  Even Seth joins in, although he likes to have his own book to hold.  

Max: is camera shy. Actually, he's camera angry.  He doesn't like his picture taken.  Ever.  So the top of his head while he plays table chess with Lucy is what I have to settle for.  He is a master game player and will challenge any person to any game, any time.  

Logan: had a run in this week. Boy vs bunkbed.  The boy lost and he and I took a trip to urgent care for 5-stitches.  The doctors and nurses all commented on how brave he was and how well he held still. His nickname is beast and he has the highest pain tolerance of all my children.  He cried and cried when it happened, but then it was time to face facts and he sat still to bear it.  Highest pain tolerance, lowest patience level.  

Seth: has been mighty sick all week.  Fever, and fussiness and lethargic.  We finally went to the dr to find he had a major ear infection and the antibiotics seem to be helping.  Thank goodness! 

1.16

Lucy: she loves Christmas and Christmas break.  Any chance to live in her pjs and sleep in until 10.  She's a teenager before her time.  But if she is allowed to sleep till 10 she's happy ALL DAY. 

Max: has partied hard this break and has started the new year with a cough and headache.  Even sledding couldn't bust him out of his funk.  Which tells me it's legit.  

Logan: is also feeling under the weather but couldn't be slowed down.  He's happy to be on break and getting maximum sibling time that is usually interrupted by school.  By the end of the week his hulk attitude needs him to be back in routine.  

Seth: has loved having everyone around and is adapting well to a looser schedule.  And because he's adapting well, I am too. Most days he's yanked out of his bed, shoved into his snowsuit and dragged to some event or another.  But he smiles on.  We even went so far as to let him try jello!  He followed up each bite with delighted 'oohs'.