Catching Air

Aaaahhh...more Spring Break hanging out.  Bubbles, bikes, kites, hula hoops, playgrounds, soccer, baseball.  Maybe this was why the two Littles were getting along so well that week - we were just relaxing.

In other news, today I ordered a new camera so I will be able to spruce up my blog photography soon (OK, it may take a while for me to figure it out).  Just in time for - say it with me - the infamous Bluebonnet Pictures!  The annual outing that produces moans, complaints, squinty eyes, bug phobias, and general misery.  I am already looking forward to it!

Racing Against Time

Spring Break adventure number two was go-kart racing.  Again, Liam loved it!  He was a natural too - we are in trouble in 8 more years when he gets his license.  Natalie wasn't sure she wanted to do it at first, and her first lap (they did 10) she was puttering along slowly.  Then she caused a little pileup as others tried to go around her, and I was really worried that she would not want to continue.  But the bump seemed to spur her competitive spirit, and she picked up speed.  She was zipping along by the last lap, and had a big smile at the end.  Owen was very interested in it all, but unfortunately for him, he is not tall enough to drive (given his height, it could be a long time before he qualifies!).

Spring Break went speeding by at lightning speed!

Moving On Up

This Spring Break we did a stay-cation instead of going on a trip. It was a great chance to get caught up on things at home, even getting a large portion of the house painted, and also to check out fun activities close to home.  Indoor rock climbing was our first adventure, and it was a hit!  Liam enjoyed it the most out of all of them.  He climbed to the very top of several walls and rang the bell at the top.  It really boosted his confidence, and he kept wanting to climb again and again.  In fact, we are looking into having his birthday party at this place.  The rest of the week I think he asked every day if we were going to go back and climb again.  We thought we would, but we found so many other things to do that we didn't make it back.  I'm wondering if it would be a good Summer Camp idea too, when the weather is too brutally hot for outdoor activities.

Natalie climbed about halfway up, but I think the height made her a little nervous.  Plus we didn't rent the climbing shoes, and those probably would have helped her.  Natalie's shoes are new and kind of big on her - not to mention just BIG when you're trying to fit them onto little rocks.

Owen climbed up quite high, and I think he enjoyed himself.  He liked a swing they had hung from the ceiling even more than the climbing.  He tends to want to use his arms for everything, and not his legs (even swimming - he tries to pull himself through the water with just arm strength), and you really do need to use your feet and legs while climbing a wall.

Still, I think they all had a good time and a feeling of accomplishment at the end. The one issue I had was that we only had two "anchors" (Jim and myself) and three climbers.  Luckily, Owen and Natalie didn't mind taking turns and were mostly well behaved.  Our first Spring Break adventure was definitely a success!

That Irish Luck

Always a favorite holiday around our house, St. Patrick's Day.  We had some green treats, some green drinks, and green clothes.  I'm not sure if Owen's Irish luck was changed by wearing his green jersey backward.  He said he wanted to be able to see the #8. 

I will go ahead and pat myself on the back for painting those microscopic nails of Natalie's with shamrocks (and does anyone else think her toe looks like a finger?).  I am by no means an expert nail painter.  I think I probably didn't paint my own nails until after college.  Well, maybe I wasn't quite that old, but I don't do it very often.  I think Natalie was happy with my holiday painting job though, and if she's happy then I'm happy (more to come on that later).

And yes, if you are wondering, I DID jinx the Natalie/Owen relationship by posting how well they were getting along.  They did great during Spring Break, but this week has been another story.  It is always harder when Jim travels - they both move immediately into attention-grabbing mode with me.  I think they panic with the knowledge that there is only one parent and three children and they pull out all the stops to make sure I notice them.  And oh, I've noticed them.  They have been bugging one another mercilessly.  At one point today, as they were screaming at each other over something silly, I stopped them and tried to cut through the silliness.  I tried to get them to acknowledge that even though they bug each other sometimes, the important thing is that they are family and they love each other.  I asked Owen to tell Natalie he loves her, which he did.  But when I asked Natalie to tell Owen she loves him, she looked me right in the eye with an icy stare and said, "I don't know what to tell you.  I can't say it."  Ouch.  Girlfriend knows how to get the most bang for her buck with cruelty. (And let me go ahead and put a digital Post-It on this, because I know in about 6 or 7 years, if not sooner,  I will be the one reeling from a comment like that directed toward me).  I really don't believe that she even believes it for a minute.  I think she just wants to get a reaction.  sigh... 

Apparently Natalie does not remember the other day in the car when Owen was recalling that someone in preschool was "not being nice."  As Owen tells it, he and his friend, one of his best friends actually, were arguing over who was "the goodest."  Owen lamented that his friend "told me that HE was the goodest, and I was the baddest. But I'm not the baddest, I'm the GOODEST!"  I'm not entirely sure what that even means.  But Natalie jumped right in without a moment of hesitation, saying, "Owen, listen to me.  If anyone at school tells you something mean like that again, you tell them that I'M going to come to school with you.  And I'm going to whack them in the face."  Yes, I'm raising a sweet, sugar and spice girl.  Or a rattlesnake in disguise.  Sometimes I'm not sure which.  Owen was quite impressed by her declaration (of love?  or bravado?), and said, "Yeah!  Punch 'em in the face!"  Can I just skip merrily back to the days when I thought nothing but rainbows and butterflies flew around my children in a dazzling band of light and innocence?  Please? Still...I was secretly happy to hear her sticking up for him, even if only hypothetically and in a bloodlust kind of way.  

Now pass me one of those green beers, and I'll rename our clan the Fighting Irish!

Take Me Out To The...

Lovely Spring weather.
Relaxing Spring Break.
Warm Spring evenings with baseball practice for Liam and playground play for the other two.
Priceless.

Closer and Closer

Now you know I shouldn't even post this because in all likelihood I will jinx myself.  Perhaps it is a little more maturity on the part of the no-longer-a-toddler boy, or a softening of the you-stole-my-mother-and-I-may-never-forgive-you girl, but I have been catching more and more instances of these two being nice to one another.  Hallelujah!  It is certainly sweet to see.  Even more so when they don't realize I'm watching and they have some great imaginary scene set together.  Now, to be honest, it still probably only works when Natalie is directing the show and Owen is at her bidding.  But hey, the boy is getting some good husband training.  (I kid, I kid...)

I don't know if I mentioned that last Spring I switched from a PC to a Mac.  I haven't loved it, although I want to love it.  I haven't spent enough time learning how Mac "things" work, I suppose.  But one thing on my Mac that I have loved is the PhotoBooth application.  It's really just a way to use the built-in camera to take pictures or video.  I love that the kids can do it on their own, and sometimes I'll come back to my Mac and find the funniest things recorded.  Love, love, love it.  I will try to attach a video here.  Natalie turned the computer around so that it faced the kitchen, then turned on iTunes (so there is an odd music change halfway through).  She got out the yoga mats and told Owen they were going to exercise.  He does pretty well following along with her choreography.  That is a good thing, because I have other video of them shoving each other out of the picture when he wasn't following her direction quite so well.  I'm not sure a ballet teacher at the Bolshoi would be as strict as Natalie about following her choreography.   In any case, I find the video precious.  PhotoBooth is really meant more for pictures or still video, rather than jumping around, so it's not that clear.  But the fun between brother and sister is crystal clear.

Defining Good

Definition of a Good Friend:  
Giving your friend the boxing gloves while you go bare-fisted.  
Owen happily made this deal with the 5 yr old son of one of Jim's baseball acquaintances visiting the house.  The kids were going at it like gangbusters until I realized what they were playing.  It was kind of sweet, that Owen willingly gave the older boy the gloves.  My money was still on Owen.  I wasn't the only one - realizing what the boys were doing, the other boy's father told him, "Don't box with Owen - you'll get whooped!"  Ahh, his reputation precedes him.

Definition of a Good Daughter:
Buying lunch in the cafeteria even when you'd rather pack, because then Mom won't have to pack any school lunches that night.
Natalie knows how excited I get if Liam and Natalie both buy from the cafeteria on a Thursday.  If they do it on Friday, I still have to pack a lunch for Owen (he goes M/W/F to preschool).  But on a Thursday, it means I have Wed night free from packing lunches!  I know, how long does it take to pack a few lunches.  It's just one of those really tedious chores.  Natalie started to tell me she wanted to pack last week, but then she asked, "Is Liam buying tomorrow?  I'll buy too, because then you won't have to pack anything." I couldn't have been happier with a dozen roses.

Definition of a Good Son: 
Running in the door after school, he throws down his backpack and asks, "Can I go pull some more weeds, Mom?"
Liam discovered the joys of weed pulling with the Weed Hound, a stick-like contraption that pokes, twists, and yanks out weeds.  He couldn't get enough.  He worked in that yard for three days straight until not a weed could be found.