Milestones

This week has seen a couple of milestones for our younger 2.

Tait figured out how to ride a 2 wheeler, taking off like an expert as soon as his training wheels were removed. More than either of his big brothers, this one seemed like one with his wheels. Inside a week, he was zipping down grassy hills, gravel hills (with daddy biting his tongue and holding his breath the whole time...) and trying out various "tricks." And though I've seen 2 other children arrive at the independence of riding on 2 wheels, it never grows old to see the excitement on a child's face when they realize just. what. they. are. doing! "Look at me! I'm riding a bike!!!" Priceless.

Tola finally started swim lessons, something she's been dying to do for months as she's tagged along to countless sessions for her 3 big brothers. I had promised her she could start just as soon as she was done with pull-ups. Unfortunately, there was a month lag between saying goodbye for good to those diapers-in-disguise and the start of summer lessons. But oh boy was she excited on day 1! Around 8 that morning, she packed her own backpack with a towel, her swim suit, and a water bottle, grabbed her flip-flops, and stood by the door, dressed, pack on back, waiting to go. Her lessons started at 11:30... A little eager. I finally lured her away from the door with an episode of Curious George. Once she was in the water, she was one big grin from start to end. Again, not my first child to start swim lessons. And again, it never grows old...

around the corner

I have to be careful that she doesn't see me, or the game will be up. As long as I watch from around the corner, she'll continue unabashedly, unashamedly. She is holding a pretend conversation on the phone; she is speaking to her daddy, calling him "Chesser." I love listening to the things she says--my own words mirrored back to me. Boy, that's scary, isn't it? How observant she is when I'm least aware of being observed.

She hangs up, grabs some lip balm and smears it on her lips, chin, and cheeks. Then she's back on the phone, calling someone else. She hangs up with "See you later, Alligator!" I laugh from my hiding place. I don't know where she picked that up; I didn't even know she knew that phrase.

I just sit here, around the corner, and watch and listen. Soaking it all in. Because I know--I know because I have a 10-year old who was but a toddler yesterday--I know this time is so short. They really aren't little for very long. That's not a cliche. It's a fact.

Other things await. Fun things, exciting things to be sure. Real phone conversations, real lipstick...And these things? I tremble to know that they are just around the corner.

Figuring it all out

Tola was digging through my bathroom drawer this morning while I was doing my weekly Saturday cleaning.

She held up a tube of lip gloss and asked, "Is dis for your wips or for your toes?"

"That's for your lips. Do you want to try some?"

Next, she pulled out a set of nail clippers. "Dis for clicking your toes. And your fingers, too?"

"Yes, for clipping your fingernails and toenails."

A stick of deodorant came next. "I want some of dis. Is for my shoulder."

"That's your armpit, not your shoulder."

"Oh. Okay... Dat tickles!"

Lotion was next. "Dis so I smell good..."


It went on and on with toiletry after toiletry. I think by the end we had it all sorted out. And I never passed such an enjoyable time scrubbing the toilet and wiping the sink... Children have a way of making everything in life a little more enjoyable.

That much I've got figured out.

Mountain Madness

What?!? Another blog post? Somebody must have suddenly found herself with some free time. Some post-holiday, post-moving extra bit of time on her hands...


I have to admit here that I'm still not used to my husband having time off. For the last few years, that hasn't really happened much. This year, he had the entire week of Christmas off and we had big plans to take the kids to the mountains for some sledding. The weather wasn't cooperating well, though, and several days in a row we chickened out of tackling the outing with subzero and single digit temps. I know. Wimps. Our time outside Alaska made us a little soft.


Finally, Saturday warmed up to double digits so we quickly piled the sleds and snow gear into the back of the van, loaded up the thermos with some hot chocolate, threw together a couple pbj sammies, and headed up the mountain.

Apparently, we weren't the only family with such a great idea. That hill was crazy, yo. His first run down, Ziven decided the top of the run looked ever so enticing.

  After hauling himself to the pinnacle, he proceeded down the slope with so much speed, he flipped head over heels in a spectacular crash. Or so I'm told. Thankfully, I didn't see the actual crash--I was still getting Tola dressed back at the car--but the scratches on his face and his wet hair told me enough.

We all agreed that halfway up, or maybe 3/4, was perhaps smarter, and we made it through the rest of the outing without any further crash-and-burn episodes. Hallelujah!

Mostly I stayed at the bottom of the hill calling out "watch out!" like a madwoman every time a kid came careening down from the top of the hill with zero control over his sled and the direction it was heading--usually toward a couple of kids still trying to get their feet under them and stand up after their own wild ride.

It was pure madness on that mountain. And maybe that's why the kids are so eager to return again. After all, we all need a little madness in our lives ;)