A Good Try

With the promise of temperatures in the mid 70s on Wednesday

I decided to plan a big, special, surprise date day for you and I. 

I called around, looked up open and close times, movie showings, 

made reservations, wrote down addresses and even printed a map of our route.

I had big plans. 

Of course, we left an hour later than I'd wanted to, 

only to find that our first park on the schedule was closed. 

So much for calling around to double check.

Oh and I did manage to leave my cell phone at home, 
so we had to go back to pick it up. 

We did drive to a couple of other parks that were duds. 

Finally, we stopped at a super fun park with LOTS of 

school kids playing during their recess. 

We had a lot of fun there. Sliding, swinging, monkeying around 

and snacking on our picnic lunches.

On the way to the next destination, we were in the area 
where I lived for several years growing up. 
So I drove through and showed you the house,
and the old tree (that used to be young and safe) in my friend's backyard 
where we would all climb and hang out in the summer. 

I also showed you the alley next to my old house, 

since we've been talking about alleys lately and you've had a hard time

understanding exactly what they were. 

Then we went to the WLS. 

When we returned to the Jeep to get some money so we could pay

for some corn, I locked the keys and all spares inside. 

We fed the geese while we waited for the locksmith to

come and break into our car for a mere $40. :(

We then returned to the WLS to go on the habi-treck. 

You played on the new playground equipment, and then we walked.

We couldn't WAIT to see the cougar... who was out of the exhibit for training.

"Stop back again soon" said the sign. 

We were really batting 1000. :(

But we made the best of it and took the rest of the trail anyway. 

At least we had the warm sun and each other. 

After the WLS we went to the Bay Beach Park. 

It's huge and always fun. 

We ate some more of our lunches and then played.

You shocked me when you decided it would be fun to jump,

repeatedly, from probably 8-10 feet off the ground! So not like you.

You were being very brave.

We rode the teeter totters. You're finally heavy enough 

to give me SOME weight to work with on your end.

And then we spotted the red swirly thing that you 

used to LOVE when you were little.

I encouraged you to spin down it 

while I laid on the ground and photographed you.

And then I told you to look at me and smile. 

You did...

and you smashed your head on a pole against a platform, 

falling to the ground in agony. 

You grew the biggest egg on the back of your head, 

and we decided to skip the movie, dinner, 

and space night at church that were left on the list, 

and just GO HOME

(before we killed ourselves or someone else!)

And even though the day was covered in unexpected mishaps and obstacles, 

we did not frown, or get angry, or fight. We just kept on keeping on, 

and enjoyed one another and the sunshine. 

We'll have plenty of warm days to try our date day again. 
Prayerfully, we will stay intact the next go! 

Over the Weekend

We saw Sarita off to Hawaii for the week.

Uncle Tony came for a visit.

He and I went to look for the apartment he will be moving to nearby

at the end of the month!!! :)

We set the clocks ahead on hour.

After church and grilling with friends on Sunday 

we bought you your first pair of cowboy boots.

(I'm still not sure why this is so important, 

but apparently it's a big deal when a boy gets his first pair of cowboy boots)

We also finally got you one of those giant styrofoam airplanes 

you've been asking about for over a year. 

You truly had SO much fun with it. 

You and your Daddy flew it all afternoon. 

Then I took Apple for a walk and you joined us...

with your giant airplane.

You were quite a site in your blue jeans, grey shirt, and yellow rain boots,

carrying that big white plane with the dead of pre-spring in your backdrop, 

all the while being followed along by your white dog and her big brown spot.   

At the end of the day, you decided your new plane needed some color. 

It took you a couple of hours Sunday and about an hour Monday to finish it. 

But it looks SO cool customized. 

And it's still in working, well flying order today! 

It's a tough little plane.  

Well worth the $7.

Almost There...

Because of the way we run our school year schedule, 

we have the month of April off. And right now we can not wait to get there!!!  

How do we get through the doldrums of the same thing 

over and over again for weeks on end? 

We throw in a week of "unschooling" here and there. 

I don't believe in the traditional (if you can call it that) style of unschooling, 

but it's the name we've given it when we put our usual studies aside 

and learn the same stuff in a new and different way; 

a little more fun and a little more hands on that usual.  

This week I stumbled across a homeschool blogger who posts free printables 

that she has created for her own kids. 

Since you are all excited about starting your horse ridding lessons, 

and we just bought you your first pair of cowboy boots, 

I thought it would be good to print and use her cowboy pack. 

It is SO cute and fun!  

We're also doing some other activities we found online. 

Like this fun game of sort and search. 

First, you sort and scramble a deck of alphabet cards, 

and lay them out in order on the table. 

Then you go throughout the house finding things 

that start with each sound, placing them below the corresponding letter. 

Here are a few of my favorites that you came up with:

A is for your GIANT airplane all colored and too fun to leave out 

(even though it was a tad big for this game)

U is for UNDERWEAR!

Though, provided for you in such cute boxer form,

so not like you to wear or even think of.

F is for "fact",

which you wrote on a sticky note. 

Yes, you are real, son. 

Real cute and smart.

And this is another game we've done;

building sums.

I lay out a bunch of addition flash cards on the table, 

and you use the sums to built lego creations at each card.

Both of these activities were great for both of us. 

You enjoyed yourself, and they took you a long time

so, I got to do whatever I wanted while you worked on them.

Oh April, you're SO close we can smell it!

the things I walk in on

I just saw this version of the "Keep Calm" sign,

perfect for our home:

I think this is as much your own motto as it is mine.

I walked in on this scene after we did school.

You called it "science". 

I called it sugar, salt, flour, milk, celery, water 

and nearly ALL of the toothpicks in the house on the dinning room table.

??? 

You made almost as many concoctions as you did messes.

The best part was that you actually had a science reader open on the table...

This is like when the dog is chewing something it shouldn't

but keeps a chew toy near just incase a human walks by.

You did an EXCELLENT job cleaning this up 

on your own when you were finished. 

And another picture worthy moment:

I wondered where she was

...that dog you pretend not to like.

A Change of Heart

You didn't want anything to do with it, really. 

But I couldn't bare that my own kid was so uncomfortable with farm life any longer.

So I signed you up. 

On the ride there, yesterday afternoon, you drilled me with questions:

"How many days a week do I have to do this?...

For how many months?...

How many hours each time?...

Do I HAVE to even if I don't like it?"

When we arrived at the stables you were more than hesitant. 

But this wasn't your first rodeo. 

You knew from history that no amount of complaining or arguing 

would get you out of meeting your instructor and the horse she would assign you 

for the coming season of riding lessons. 

Linda was as nice in person as she seemed in our phone conversations 

over the past few months. 

She knew just who you were the second she laid eyes on you, 

and she never once called you Zach the entire night. 

(This is a common name mistake people tend to make when they first meet you… 

welcome to the club, my name is far too often, Laurie.) 

I was pleased to watch you light up a little as we rounded the corner

to see two large horses standing in a row, tethered to the stable walls

for grooming, saddling and bridling.

You were tipped to over-joyed when 

you discovered that the stables were teaming with CATS!

Big, beautiful, curious cats!

You spent some time playing hide-and-seek and making 

BEST friends (as you assured me) with each of them. 

After watching the evening lessons, Miss Linda surprised us

by asking you if you were interested in having a ride!

YOUR FIRST EVER... and I was kind of sure you would decline.  

But you did not. 

You strapped on your safety helmet, 

and strode right out onto the riding rink. 

I could tell you were actually glad to be 

mounting and riding a REAL HORSE!

I was so proud and excited! 

Of course, I hid myself and all my emotion

behind the lens of my camera as I quietly observed. 

You LOVED your guided ride, and you told me 

that you would have liked to ride for LONGER. 

When it was all over, Miss Linda put you to work 

helping to feed the horses. 

On the way home you drilled me with questions:

"Can't I go more that once a week?

What if I want to ride longer than just one hour?

Do I get to go after the summer... like when it's cold?

Will you and Daddy buy me my own horse?"

I guess you changed your mind. 

Party Extension

Our friends, Ben and his daughter Josephine, 
just happen to have the same Birthday as your Mom...

So, although all the Birthday partying was supposed to be 

officially over by Monday morning, 

we had a little plan up our sleeve to tack on an extra day of celebrating. 

After school in the morning we went to their house 
to party some more with Miss Nina, Noah, Jordan, and Josie.

We so enjoyed our visit with them at their new house for the first time 
a couple of weeks ago that we couldn't wait to do it again! 

This time, we brought cupcakes and a gift for Josie. 

You, Noah and Jordan played famously, as usual. 

Miss Nina and I visited while taking turns cuddling with Josie. 

I also took Josie's photograph with her birthday balloons. 

She's always picture ready with her sweet little outfits and fun matching hair bows. 

Not to mention she is the CUTEST LITTLE GIRL WHO EVER LIVED! 

We did plan to leave around 4:30 but after great resistance 

from you and your friends at parting time 

we were invited to stay longer and didn't get out until after 6. 

You still did not want to leave when we did.

I guess we'll just have to get together again soon for more fun.
You won't hear me complaining! ;)