Rusty Truck

My dad has an old beater of a truck, everyone needs a farm truck in rural America.  That is exactly what it is, rusted out, falling apart, and my boys favorite part of visiting grandma and grandpa's house.  It doesn't take long before they are begging for a ride.  One time they had the little vent windows open and drove through a huge mud puddle.  They came home with mud on their faces, and big smiles too. 

So in honor of the famous rides in Grandpa's truck, I wrote them a poem, fittingly titled "Rusty Truck".

My grandpa has a rusty truck
And that's just what we call it,

Whenever we go visit it
we have to ride inside it.

We drive down all the bumpy roads
And stir up all the gravel,

It doesn't matter where we go
We simply want to travel.

Its always an adventure when
We crawl into the seat,

We never know quiet where we'll go
Or who we'll stop to meet.

I love my grandpa and his truck
Some day it will be gone,

But until that day I'll rid with him
And pray they both run strong.

By: Sarah McCarthy
Date: 9-19-2010

Here's the Proof

For some reason, Will has again begun to wet his pants.  He just waits too long and then ends up "leaking" and needing to change his clothes.  Needless to say this is getting irritating.  I just did laundry yesterday, but with 4 changes of clothes in one day, it needs to be done again.  Grrr. 

After the forth accident of the day, I went back to my tactic for tackling the problem the first time, locking him in the bathroom.  (Its more like a prolonged time out in the hallway.)  Will was sitting in the hallway while I was putting some stuff away in Ella's room, when he approached me and said, "Sorry for peeing in my pants."  "I know" I replied, "but you're still in time-out".   Will came back a few seconds later; "you know mom, I learned about forgiveness at church."  Then a pause, "you're supposed say 'I forgive you'. You are supposed to forgive when you are mad at someone."  Oh Geeze!  I'm so glad he is learning about this stuff, maybe he'll remember what the bathroom is for too.  I'll tell his Sunday school teacher to teach him about that.


                         ******************************************************

On Sunday the boys went for a bike ride and I had a chance to get in the garden and divide up some day lilies that  had begun to over run my front flower bed.  When the boys returned, Jack was questioning about the plants, asking if it was a bulb.  (He has been learning about plants in science)  I said, "its not really a bulb, its more like a fat part on a root."  "Oh", Jack said, "Its a, ummm" as he tapped his head, you could tell he was thinking hard, "Its a Corum!"  I looked over at Lewis with a look of questioning.  Neither of us had ever heard the term, but we didn't say anything, even if it sounded mad up to us.

Then yesterday I was looking up plants for my shady spot by the garage, and I came across different varietis of bulbs, and you'll never guess, Corum was a type of bulb.  But really, it was more of a fat root.  Hahaha!  Wow, my boys can pay attention.

Jack's Derby Car 2011

I can't believe I didn't write anything about Jack's Cub Scout Derby Car!  Jack and his dad worked really hard to make it unique.  They knew it wouldn't be very fast, but it sure is something to be proud of.  The boys were able to cut it our at Grandma's, and they sanded it at home together.  Jack painted the primer and initial coat of black, and I added the details.  It was nice and bright, and then we added the graphite to the wheels.  This added a "rat rod" patina, that we decided would be easier to keep then try to sand, repaint, and risk messing it all up.  He didn't place, no surprise, but he got lots of compliments.  Isn't it cool?

April 19, 2011

I am so bad on keeping track of our life.  I guess since I'm living it everyday I fail to see the urgency in catching each memory, not realizing that this reality will some day fade, and I'll be wishing for dirty windows and pee stained carpet.  Okay, maybe not the filth, but the love, laughter, hugs, and kisses will certinally be missed.

Just last night our house was full of noise.  So much so that Lewis and I could not even carry on a conversation.  Ella was running around the living room with a play microphone singning all kinds of things, and nothing that we can even understand.  But, the sound alone, of her voice is enough to lift any spirit.  Unless it is a spirit that seeks quiet.  Those people do not come to our house.  Jack was trying to get Lewis to wrestle with him, and Will, well, Will was telling another story.  That seems to be all that boy does anymore.  He is a talking machine.  He will start with a story, and I'll tell him I have to leave the room for a second, and he doesn't even pause and wait for my return.  He just keeps talking.  At least I know I'm never alone.  I often wonder what it will be like when all of them are in school.   Its so much more subdued with only one of them in school, I can about imagine what it will be like with Will gone for 7 hours.  Luckily, I don't have to worry about that for another year.

We've been putting Ella to bed in her "big girl" bed for the last few weeks, until last night anyway.  She has begun fighting her bedtime.  First I just thought she wasn't tired, so I let her stay up until 7:30, instead of the usual 7 pm bedtime.  Then it was 8, the same time the boys go to bed.  But the last few nights, she still cries and screams when we put her in.  I refuse to let her stay up any later than that, so last night I turned her crib around (her front rail comes off to make a toddler bed) so she couldn't escape and let her scream it out.  She is a red head!

Jack didn't like this tactic.  He told me to go in there and give her what she wanted so she would be happy.  I then proceeded to ask him if we gave into him earlier that evening when he was pouting because we wouldn't buy him a shirt with a skelaton on it.  "no" he said.  "Right, we don't reward fits in this house" I told him.  He just loves that little girl so much, he hates to see her unhappy or hurt in anyway.  But it wasn't mayb 10 minutes and she was out.  So, until she can stay put like a good little girl, I guess its back in the cage for her.

 I feel like I have so many stories about Ella latley, but its just because she is changing so rapidly. She recently got boxes of clothes from a dear friend and we have been having fun playing dress up. Well, sometimes. She doesn't really like getting dressed these days, so its more like a wresteling match and we'll see what we can get on her for the day. But here we were having fun and put some fun tights on her head. She thought it was great!

Here is a picture of Will and Ella eating lunch today.  Ella wouldn't sit in her regular spot, she had to be a big girl and sit on the bench by Will.  She also has been drinking out of a regular cup, and not spilling.  But I do require her to stay in the kitchen, and there is only ever water in it.