Fall Funnies

Henry met me after school one day with the news that he intended to wear a tuxedo with a bow tie and slicked back hair for his school picture.  I said we didn't own a bow time, and he reminded me that he once found and tried on the the one that Daddy wore in his wedding.  He told me he could make it super small to fit his neck.  A neighbor heard us and whispered that her son had a bow tie Henry could borrow.  They delivered two options, and Henry set off to his closet to select an ensemble.  He chose khaki pants with navy dogs embroidered on them, which I call his Doggy Pants. He wore a chambray tie with a blue plaid shirt under a navy sport coat.  He looked dapper.  Evelyn gave him trouble about his decision, and he got nervous the morning of Picture Day.  I talked to him about being an individual, and he proceeded with his plan.  I can't wait to see his photo!

I spoke with a woman yesterday with five grown children.  When her three-year-old son started preschool she was asked to stay after school to speak with the teacher about something her little boy had said.  When asked to say the magic word before receiving the snack, the student said to the nun who was his teacher, "You're thin. You're beautiful, and I'll love you forever!"  This was shocking to the teachers, but it made perfect sense to the mother.  She taught her little boy those magic words.  I shared the story with Henry at bedtime.  This morning, as he combed his hair for school, he said, "Mommy, you're fit, you're beautiful, and I'll love you forever!"  He's so sweet.  I liked the change he made in the statement, as having strong, healthy bodies is our emphasis.

He's also witty.  On a recent drive with the family, we got behind a large group of very slow bikers going uphill.  Robbie said, "What kind of biking group is this?"  I jumped on him.  "At least they are outside on a beautiful day getting some exercise!"  Henry chimed in, "Yeah, Dad.  At least they're not lying on the sofa looking up trees."  Robbie has been on a multi-week, too many hours of iPad time to count, research effort for the perfect shade trees to plant in our backyard.  Robbie's tree hunt has been a joke in our family lately.

The big girls baked a from scratch, three-layer, vanilla/carrot cake/chocolate cake for Uncle Ryan's 39th birthday dinner last weekend.  Evelyn interviewed him on his likes, then they selected recipes and baked/decorated for three hours on a Sunday.  Everyone loved it.  They have developed a wonderful reputation for their baking skills.  I'm so proud of them.  Evelyn said, "Baking is my joy."  I used to joke with friends that baking muffins for my kids always made me feel like a better mom.

Vivian has been providing her 1st grade teacher with an endless vase of garden Zinnias.  When the flowers die, Vivian brings home the empty vase, takes scissors to the garden, clips away, and arranges another bouquet.  She's such a sweetie.  She gets to try a gymnastics class soon, and she is ecstatic.  She's the only child not in an organized activity.  All day school has taken a toll on her after-school mood and energy level.

Our fall Saturdays are now packed with 5th and 8th grade cross-country meets for the big girls (they each placed top 10 in their last races), 2nd grade flag football for Henry (which he LOVES), and a first season of soccer for Miss Evelyn.  Her improvement from novice to an aggressive and more knowledgeable soccer player after only three games has amazed us.  Grandpa Mike is helping coach cross country, so that has been wonderful.  He went to a Royals game with Robbie and the big girls last night with great tickets Robbie was given by a friend.  They had fun.

Pickle Stick's Life of Luxury

"Ev, you should be able to wear that jersey your whole life!", Henry just told his sister.  She came home from school with a soccer jersey so huge that it hangs out of her shorts when tucked into them.  It fits me.  The kicker is that it even fits her dad!!  This morning, at age 10 and in the 5th grade, Evelyn will have her first soccer game.  It rained a lot last night, so I hope the fields are ok.  She's excited because after being inspired by the story of the KC Royals lucky streak after discovering a praying mantis in their dugout, she obtained one for her new team.

Evelyn is my little thinker.  She searched online and found an insect seller.  The cost of purchasing a praying mantis was rather significant.  The shipping alone was $8.99.  I went through my usual rationalization with her..."That doesn't seem like a good value."  She was undeterred.  She wrote me a letter.

Please Consider

The reason I should get a praying mantis:

* It would make me happy.
* It would make my team happy.
* It would give the company some business.
* It would help our garden.
* It has very good reviews. (on Amazon)
* It had a 5-star rating.
* It is super cute.

Evelyn is super cute.  I encouraged her to search her yard for an insect pet.  I researched the life span, and explained that adults only live 3 to 6 months.  "Three to six months!!!  That's long!"  She wanted one, and she was willing to foot the bill.  She ran a pop-up flower stand with bouquets from our garden this summer, and she has had some babysitting jobs helping Olivia.  Plus, she saves the portion of spending money that is reserved when grandparents send birthday money.  I decided, well, what can it hurt?  I told her that insects are very fragile, and I expressed concern that the praying mantis could be accidentally killed by Henry.  "Mom, if it dies that will teach me a lesson about wasting money."  I was sold.  Ev was ecstatic.

My poor gal ran a fever over 102 this week, and she was home sick from school when the special delivery arrived.  She pulled out all sorts of praying mantis habitat items, coconut fibers (We still don't know what they are.), greenery, leaves, and a jar of live flies.

This new Overlease pet, Pickle Stick, has been a total hit.  I found the kids in the loft with Vivian's Pet PAWlace.  The praying mantis was in the golden sparkle swing and got to climb on the palace slide.  They said he rode the fake plastic giraffe.  They even put him in a Loving Family doll house double stroller and wheeled him across the carpet.  This morning he was on the the mini iPad screen, and he appeared to be moving through a Minecraft "world".  Pretty hilarious!  He eats live fruit flies, which is pretty disgusting.  They recorded him and put him in a Video Star movie, complete with effects and music.  He also got to climb a hot pink Eiffel Tower that I brought home from Paris.  He is living the high life.

Evelyn intends to take him to her soccer game.  We'll see how much luck he brings to the girls.  Thus far, he has brought joy to these children.

Birthday Wishes and Creative Expression

Today is Henry's 8th birthday.  Evelyn and Vivian were talking about how much they want a dog.  Evelyn shared that she wished for a dog on her birthday in April.  She said she wishes that every birthday!  She asked Viv if that was her wish too.  Her response was awesome!  "No, I wished to fly.  That's what I always wish."  Oh, that is a good one.

This morning Henry opened an astronaut costume.  He really wanted a helmet too, so he got out our packing tape and fashioned our globe topped plastic lettuce keeper into a space helmet, complete with  mask.  He and Viv posed together, and I think it may end up being a favorite pic of their sibling friendship.  Over the weekend he marked her forehead with a cross similar to what we Catholics receive on Ash Wednesday.  He used green pool cue chalk.  I love the impulsive creativity.

The First Day of School - Mommy's New Normal

Wednesday, August 24, 2016 - Today is BIG!  Robbie and I just walked our four children to the first day of school.  Mr. Steve, the crossing guard, commented on how much the children have grown over the summer.  The big girls went into the gym to wait with their friends for the bell, declining a photo by the classroon door with the new grade-level teachers.  We walked Vivian to her 1st grade classroom with Mrs. Ledom, and I was hit with emotion.  My baby will be at school all day with her older siblings this year, and the tears started rolling.  I tried to control myself for sweet, happy Vivian's sake, but along the tears rolled.  She's in fine hands, but I will miss her something fierce.  Our time together last year during half-day kindergarten was so special.  We'd walk home for lunch hand-in-hand with birds singing.  We'd meet friends for picnic park lunches.  We spent a lot of time snuggled up with storybooks.  She was my little companion on the necessary errand outings.  Even at home as I prepped dinner or completed household tasks, she'd play in her joyful way.  I think sometimes she relished the quiet while the older siblings were at school.

Henry has grown a lot this summer, and he has a short haircut like Robbie.  He looked so handsome, my little man, in his glasses, brand new running shoes and school uniform today.  He was a little shy with his teacher, Mrs. Thomas, but he showed his good heart.  Yesterday, we made banana oat appleasauce muffins together, and he greeted her with the homemade treat in the classroom.  He's a good boy.

So here I am after a lovely summer with my children.  The house is so quiet.  I feel kind of sad and weapy, but only because I miss my children.  At this point it is easy to romanticize having them all under the roof.  I can forget about how they fought over certain island chairs or complained about the chores that were required of them this summer.

It was a good summer.  We grew a garden, and the girls had a flower bouquet business.  The children were all on a swim team, and we experienced many swim meets with kiddos on pre-competitive and competitive teams.  Everyone enjoyed many baseball games watching Henry's team win a seaon and a tournament.  We vacationed to Michigan with family and spent each day at the Lake Michigan beach.  We climbed amazing sand dunes and took a canoe trip on a river.  We took Aunt Dana from Dallas to the Steamboat Arabia Museum in Kansas City, which was amazing.  The chldren had a lot of sleepovers, movie outings and pool time with the grandparents, who moved here in May to be close to us.  They road crazy fast go-carts in Branson.  Henry and Vivian went off the high dive at the city pool for the first time this summer with friends.  We spent time with cousins and saw old friends from out-of-state.  It was a good summer.

Now, a new chapter begins for me, the mother.  With the children in school from 8 am to 3:30 pm daily, I will need to adjust.  For the moment, since they naturally are dismissed before noon on this first day, I am going to relax in the quiet for a bit.  I'll even read some Dr. Zhivago during the DAY!  Maybe I'll even stay awake!  The next few months will afford me an opportunity to reflect on how to contribute to the community around me in a rewarding and meaningful way.  I can tackle a few necessary organization type home projects without feeling like I am ignoring my children. I've had little ones underfoot for over 13 years, so I can take a breather if I need one.  When school is dismissed, I will greet my children with joy in my heart, and we will take off with after school activities like piano, cross-country, soccer for Evelyn, and flag football and fall baseball for Henry.

My favorite prayer comes to mind, we said it on the way to school this morning, and I think it may be my mantra as I adjust...
"May today there be peace within.  May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be..."

Spring Days - Park and Farm Adventures

We have had some gorgeous weather in Kansas City lately, and the kids have taken full advantage of it.  We arrived at our favorite hidden gem of a park recently, and I spied some tiny tots on the play equipment.  I said to Henry, "Now, you can't run around like a bull in a china cabinet, Son.  There are little kids here."  We had a lot of fun.  As we left hours later, Henry said, "See!  I told you I wasn't a buffalo in a cage in China!!"  The big girls and I got a big laugh out of that, and Henry got a lesson in word expressions.  We spent another morning at the same park with two families of friends, and the girls and I got to hold baby Evelyn.  Olivia upstaged me by getting the sweet baby to fall asleep in HER arms.  The sunshine felt amazing, and the temperature was perfect.  The children played for hours.

Yesterday we spent the day at a friend's family farm where eleven children and three moms got to kayak, canoe, hike, and fish.  It was a very pretty day, but quite windy.  During lunch we heard a loud bang, and it was discoverd that the 4'+ wide door to the storage area under the deck had slammed shut, bending the iron bar to jam the door stuck.  The moms were trying to figure out how to get the enormous door open when we had very little space to work in the area near the latch.  I suggested we remove the door from its hinges.  Tools were obtained, and we set about banging hinge pins and loosening bolts that obstructed the pin removal.  The door was HEAVY, so we used 2x4s as levers to position the door as needed.  Three of us were at work, and it was like any unexpected predicament...nothing went smoothly with the fix.  At one point during all of this, a young boy started crying loudly.  His mother was stuck inside the shed with just her sad face peeking out to the boy who needed a hug.  Next, a boy appeared with a triple fish hook stuck in the top of his shoe and laces.  As the mother, who shall remain nameless, struggled with a giant door and stuck pin hinges, he announced matter-of-factly that he had also peed himself in the course of his fishing adventure.  Mothers stifled their laughter.  Moments later children on the deck started yelling that they had caught a big catfish.  Of course, the hook was huge and stuck in the fish's mouth and cheek.  I ran down to the dock with pliers and decided there was no way I was going to mess with that gross fish.  I suggested Evelyn take charge, and she tried.  Soon, all of the kids surrounded that poor fish.  Nobody could dislodge the hook.  Finally, a 12-year-old girl sent the newly lip pierced fish on his way after cutting the fishing line.  One of the kids asked if leaving a hook in a fish would hurt, and we commented on how lucky we are that fish can't scream in pain.  During this a little boy approached me asking for help removing burrs from his shorts too.  We moms laughed and laughed at the string of events that were all crammed into the minutes that we had to deal with the three woman shed door job.  We fixed the door's latch and rehung it good as new, and no moms or children were crushed in the process.  Success!

Overall, everybody had a really fun day.  Vivian wore her cowgirl boots.  Henry found all of the mud that the farm had to offer and felt very accomplished after his first solo kayak experience.  He cast with the fishing pole without lodging a hook in the head or eye of anyone else.  Olivia and Evelyn had fun with several friends.  We returned home smelling like the great outdoors and thankful for hot showers and no ticks.

Dirty Bread for All

Last weekend after we sat down in our pew at mass an usher asked Robbie if our family would present the gifts.  After the collections basket is passed, a family carries the water, wine, Eucharistic hosts/bread, and money in a basket to the priest at the front altar.  This used to create unimagineable anxiety for us as parents of toddlers.  Each child wanted to hold something made of crystal containing wine or filled with the bread of Christ.  However, now that the youngest Overlease is five years old, our worries are few.   The children really enjoy this ministry.

We took our places at the back of the church and each child was given something to carry.  As we neared Fr. Storey,  our new pastor, Henry tilted the gold dish of hosts, and the big one that the priest using during the consecration of the gifts tumbled (in what seemed like freeze frame slow motion!!) to the ground.  Before Robbie or I could do a thing, our quick thinking young son snatched it up and put it back into the dish with all of the other small, clean ones.  I was mortified.  We were kind of in the spotlight, as the saying goes, and it was not a good moment in time.  Fr. Storey took it with a grain of salt and a chuckle and told us not to worry about it.  I think he even made a little joke, but it was lost on me in my state of stress.  The big girls realized Henry's error, but Henry seemed to wonder what in the world was wrong with Mommy and Daddy for worrying so much.  Afterall, he picked up what he spilled!  Once back in our seats, I whispered that if the bread ever spills again, he should pick it up and hand it to the priest separately.  Yet again, this story falls into the category of things that I never thought to tell my children not to do.

"When I grow up, I am going to live ALONE!!!!!!!!!!"

Last night I went to a parenting talk on Supporting Positive Behavior.  Many of the women there had very young children and babies.  I was the mother present with the oldest children, and I had been in the moms' group the longest.  As I listened to the struggles described and strategies suggested I was struck by the notion that it really does get easier.  The age of reason makes a huge difference in our success as parents.  Children do reach a point where they do what is right because they know it is right.  However, my days are not filled with smooth sailing.  Last night someone was crying in frustration about elementary school homework, and somehow dirty dishes were again left on the table, rather than being cleared and put into the dishwasher.  Patience is my constant prayer.  Over the weekend Henry had a whole day where he felt totally outnumbered by his sisters.  He was not a happy guy, and he acted out with crying and some screaming.  Robbie and I dealt with this by giving Henry some time to cool off alone in his room.  At one point, he articulated his utter frustration amazingly succinctly.  He made the following declaration with a voice that rose in volume and intensity with each word, "When I grow UP, I am going to live ALONE!!!!!!!!!"  His voice thundered.   We ran into Fr. Larry that evening, and he almost fell over he laughed so hard at that story.  He has two older sisters, so he tells Henry that he prays extra for him, having three.

Vivian is in birthday party planning mode.  She suggested a roller skating party, and I told her that when the sisters did that they were older.  I said that I wasn't sure it would go very well for 5 and 6-year-olds to roller skate.  "Oh, we'd have a falling over party?"

Fun Times with Pete the Cat

Today when I picked up sweet Vivian from half-day kindergarten she excitedly informed me that she is now an official member of Pete the Cat's Shoe Tying Club.  She even received a License to Tie.  If little classmates can't tie their shoes, then they can ask a friend with a license.  Vivian had to demonstrate her shoe tying skills today to receive this recognition.  She's pretty happy!  She's such a big girl now.

Henry got a great book for Christmas (from me) called Pete the Cat's Groovy Guide to Life.  In the book quotes are shared from famous people throughout history.  Henry did not recognize some of the authors.  After reading, "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighitng a hard battle." by Plato, Henry said, "Play-Doh, that's cool."  I said, "No.  Plato.  He was a philosopher."  My son replied with, "Cool, a velociraptor?"  It was like a Who's on First skit.  He did the same velociraptor thing with a Confucius quote.  Henry's favorite quote was by Helen Keller.  "Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light."  I used Wayne Gretzky's, "You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take," on Henry after his decision to try something somewhat scary and new resulted in a really cool opportunity.  I commended him on taking a chance.