Country in the City

Kids are happier when they have a project, usually its a craft, or a new video game.  In my kid's case, its decorating a tree with old whiskey bottles.   Between our neighbors fence and the train track that lies behind it, is an awesome "forest" for my boys to explore, "do construction", and stay busy.  This is what happens after 50 years of grass clipping pile up and you don't cut down the trees that seed in the spring.  The forest is more like 4 gnarly trees and a homeless shelter.  I say this because a few years back there was some homeless guy that was hanging out there, then there are the random kids that come with their refreshments and what not.  Hence the collection of whiskey bottles my boys were able to convert into art.

I repeatedly thanked the neighbors for allowing my boys to go and play back there.  We truly have the sweetest neighbors.  A pair of 80-somethings that are like an extra set of grandparents to me and my children.  Jack lovingly found a flat-as-a-pancake mouse and showed it to us and our neighbor Vern, and would have chased Ella around the yard with it if not for me.  The boys spent over 5 hours rearranging old concrete, branches, grass clipping, and who knows what else.  The bath water was dirty tonight, and completely worth it!  I only hope they spend many more hours being boys beyond the fence.

Guitar Guru

The boys love messing around on an old acoustic guitar we have around the house.  This is obviously not it.  But neither of the boys had any real interest in doing anything beyond stretching the strings.  That is until a few days ago when Jack said he wanted to really learn how.  I told him all he had to do was ask.  For some reason he was too shy, so I told Lewis he wanted to learn. 

It didn't take long.  I think it was sometime that same day they were downstairs learning his first chord.  Its a little bit of a stretch for Jack's fingers, but he has been practicing his strumming and a few chords.  The best part is they get to spend real time together, and every dad loves to teach his son about what he loves to do.

Muddy Mess...Again

Maybe they are part pig, or its a good way to ward off mosquitos and sunburn, but my boys just can't stay out of the mud.  I have a sneaky suspission its usually Jack's idea. 

I must say, they are getting better at this.  I don't really mind that they make a mess of themselves, just as long as it isn't all over everything else.  The rule is they have to be hose washed before they can clean up in the bath.  There is NO way they are going inside like THAT!  On this occasion, the mess was on themselves, besides a few muddy foot prints on the driveway.

Jack is willing to take the consequence of his fun, but Will, he doesn't like the cold water at all.  He sat next to the fence for about 15 minutes before he got so sick the mosquitos that the cold water no longer looked as bad.  Plus, he didn't want to sleep outside. 

Pedal Pull Piston Cup!

Yesterday was summer.  It just felt like summer.  Okay, after the clouds blew out and the humidity rose, it felt like summer.  We spent the day hopping from event to event, but in a casual way.  We enjoyed lots of time with friends, time we don't normally get. 

We were also able to take a few hours and head over to Hartford's Jubilee days.  We've never been over to it since we are usually celebrating Czech days down in Lewis' hometown of Tabor.  They were holding a tractor pull for the kids so our aim was to arrive a little before 2.  Lewis had done it as a kid and so had my sister, and they had both won their divisions when they competed so the pressure was on!  No, not really, its just fun to expose your kids to the "home town culture". 

We signed the boys up for their respective ages.  The four year olds were up first and Will was the second to last to pull.  I think it was somewhere around 21 feet that he had pulled and the next one was at 18!  He won!!!  I guess its not really that big of a surprise, taking in account the general size of him.  He was all smiles, and didn't really know how to react.  This was the first time he had been able to compete in anything, I hope he doesn't think its always this easy to come out on top.

Jack was up against some stiff competition and ended up at third place.  He gave excuse after excuse as to why he didn't win.  I felt bad that he didn't come home with anything, but we reinforced the fact that everyone has their own talents.  The other boys in his class were just bigger, but he could probably run faster. 

The fact that Will had won and Jack hadn't must have sunk in on the way home, because Will began parading his trophy in front of his brother.  He didn't say a word, he didn't have to.  Jack was not impressed.

After our day was over and Will was getting ready to head into bed, he stopped and asked his dad "Are you happy I won my trophy?"  Lewis replied "yes!"  Will continued "Dad, would you still love me if I didn't win it?"  "OF Course!"  Lewis encouraged.

I never want my kids to think that their value is based or linked to what they can do or what they do for me, but I do want them to be able to experience the real feeling of success and accomplishment, the kind you get from actually doing something.  Not just the fake kind you get after "participating".  I guess that is why I'm so excited for Will.  Not even that he won, but that he gets to know what success feels like, and what its like to have your very own "Piston Cup."

June 14 2011

I would say over the last few weeks half of the news and any conversations is tied to the flooding of the Missouri River.  I grew up along the river and I've never had to deal with anything like it is now.  I moved to Northeast Nebraska when I was 10, and spent a lot of time around the Gavin's Point Dam.  I remember thinking it was pretty cool that I could say the word dam, and it not be a bad word.  The fact that a naught word could so easily be used in every day language without being in trouble was pretty cool.  So I guess I shouldn't be so surprised that my boys are just as fascinated with it.

The other day we were eating dinner and having another conversation about the dam.  The boys were going on and on about this and that, using the word over and over in the correct way, so as not to be a bad word.  The reminded us that it wasn't a bad word the way they were using it.  Then as serious as anything, Will looked over at me and said "Mom, there are too dam (damn) words."  Place whichever word makes you laugh more.  Lewis and I were rolling in laughter.  Ah, the simple humor in our children.

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Saturday was a beautiful day, so we took another trip to the park.  Ella has become far more independent that I am comfortable with, but I still try to let her explore.  This was a new park for her, last year she was too small, and she was thrilled with a little wiggling balancing bridge.  She was insistent on doing it herself.  I said to her "Ella, you scare me!"  She stopped turned towards me and replied "ROAR!!!"  She growled, like I asked her to scare me.  Not exactly what I meant, kids are very literal.

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I'd like to share a silly story from each of my kids, but Jack is almost getting too old to be naively funny.  He is becoming to keen on sarcasm and too in tune to the effect on others for the simple things to be funny.  But with a loss of one thing, there is sure to be a gain of another.  Jack's one love, as of now, is skateboarding.  I must say, I'm thrilled.  I'm NOT being sarcastic.  I really do like watching him practice something, fail, and learn to do it the way he wants.  We've been trying to make it over to the skate park once a week.  He is greatful, but always wants more.  I guess I should be glad he has found something to pour his time into.

Marker Mayhem

For the foreseeable future we will not be using markers at our house.  On several occasions Ella has used her arms, legs, and face as a canvas for her art, but more recently Will has gotten in on the act.  Its not so bad when its the arms, its easy to wash off and doesn't really cause problems.  All the same, I've told them they need to use paper, I have the foresight to see a problem coming from such a habit.

Then last week Jack got out the markers and was drawing in his journal(something he needs to do everyday), there was lots of laughter, I was just glad they weren't fighting.  I checked on them and just told them not to draw on themselves, I could see there was already a long mark up Will's arm.  A few minutes later I went back in and see Will butt naked with the creative markings of Jack all over him.  I didn't have the camera at home, but it probably would have been inappropriate anyway.  There was a sunshine around his belly button, marks up and down his legs and arms, it was on the bottom of his feet.  Jack had made some kind of interesting marks streaming from his nipples, and there was even marks on his penis!  I DON'T want to know what they were thinking, its scary inside the brain of a boy. 

If any of you know how washable markers work, you'll know as soon as they get wet, they start to drip.  Since Will had it on the bottom of his foot it started rubbing off onto the carpet, by the way, it was black.  Luckily, since it was washable, Jack had an easy time cleaning it.  Notice how Jack cleaned it.

I usually don't appreciate the hysterics of these situations.  I must say, this time I was able to step back a bit and let myself laugh.  Of course, I didn't let them see that, but I didn't fly off the handle either.  I was able to stay cool and calm.  As small as that may seem to you, this is a victory for me, this is something I have been learning.  Its the small moments in life where we claim the victories.  We often overlook these "little" moments and just think victory is a noticeable and momentous occasion that everyone can see.  As much as those times are, even more so are the ones that no one else will notice.  And luckily, God is always watching and always celebrates these times with me, and I'm sure He is laughing right along with me.