Thoughtful

The best bouquets are unsolicited, and often come in fistfuls.

$2.50

If happiness can be bought, it should be spent on play-doh.

Babies!

While talking about all the family members that we'll see in the next few weeks-

A- We'll meet Finn!

L- And Juniper!

N- And Baby Pennnnnnnyyy!!!  I love baby Penny!  I can't wait to pet her!

E- Noah, you can't pet her!  She's not a dog!

M- That's right, but you can stroke her head.

N, gasps- No!  I don't want to hurt her!

M- It doesn't hurt.  I'll show you.

(I pick him up and he flinches when I reach out to touch his head.)

M- See?  I'm stroking your head.  It's soft.

N- Oh!  I thought it hurt!

M- You thought I was going to strike you?

N- Yeah... I can't wait to stroke Baby Penny!!

Wrapping Up July

Shaking cream into butter, dab-style.

I never thought we'd do this- 

but boy did the kids have fun getting their cow-stumes ready!

These four girls have had lots of happy days together.

I looked back one day and saw a really big boy sitting where my baby used to sit.

We ate dinner at Zombie Burger, and Leah was very comforting to Noah.  "Just don't look up!"

Iowa bucket list item- check!  We attended a wedding reception at Reimen Gardens up at ISU, and got to wander around the beautiful gardens.  

It wasn't exactly Thanksgiving Point, or even Lauritzen Gardens in Omaha, but there was the world's largest gnome!

And some really impressive trash sculptures. 

 And the sunset was beautiful, 

 and Jason and I were there together.  

We don't see a whole lot of him these days.

 Leah got her own library card!

 And Adam has entered a whole new world, 

one that he clearly identifies with.

 

Emma has been taking on the monkey bars like a real monkey.

We also went to a super fun pioneer day ward activity, spent a morning at the jumping place, celebrated a few birthdays that need their own posts and spent countless hours at the pool...
and we can't forget our attempt at listening to Jazz in July in the park.  We lasted for 1.5 songs.

And we can hardly believe July is over.  

Good-bye to our last solid month of summer.  

It was a great one.

Nerd

A completely adorable nerd, that is.

Kindergarten Conversations

Mama, I don't want to go to kindergarten.

Why not?

What if there are bullies?  What if the bully follows me around?  What if I don't have any friends?  What if I have too many friends?  What if I don't know how to do anything?

Just be nice to everyone and they'll be nice to you.  If a bully follows you then walk over to your teacher.  They'll teach you everything you need to know.  How to line up for lunch, how to be quiet in the halls, where to sit, how to use your locker.

And how to write??

Yes.

And how to read??

Yes.

But I will miss you so much!

I'll come visit you at kindergarten.

Every day?

No, but sometimes.  And I'll always be here when you get home.

Okay, but don't do anything fun without me.  Don't go to the animal shelter without me!

We won't.

And don't make ginger cookies.  Ginger cookies are my favorite.

I won't (I never have...).  But I might make chocolate chip cookies.  Those are my favorite.

Just save some for me.

We will.

I'll miss you so much!  And I'll never ever forget you ever, even when I grow up and move away I'll always remember you because you're my best mommy.

*****

We've been having these conversations for about six months now.  Mostly they make me smile because I can't take time just yet to weep over the fact that my baby girl is headed to kindergarten, which is basically the beginning of the end.  My naptime snugglebuns!  My fearless little lady.

(We were both faking- we've been weaning from naps since May, but man did we have a good run!)

But Emma is going to be amazing, even if she doesn't realize it yet.  I'm not worried.  Her disposition is to assume that she won't like something, until she realizes for herself that she does.  Not unlike dinner every single night, or the fact that I made coffee cake the other morning for the first time in years (which she can't quite remember but is sure she doesn't like), or our recent trip to a cool new sprayground.  She's skeptical, she's critical, and she delivers a mean side eye, then she embraces it with her whole heart and soul, takes it by the horns and makes it her own.

I'm finding myself grateful that Emma doesn't quite have a grasp on reading or writing yet.  A combination of her fear of all the unknown of kindergarten coupled with an insistence that she already knows everything and thereby sees no need to go to school (a common complaint from Leah when she was the same age) would surely be disastrous.  Instead we're both viewing school as somewhat of a necessary evil with the potential for some serious fun as well.  

"Like clay!"

That was the silver lining for today.  We'll keep working on it over the next month, and hopefully by the time school starts she'll be ready to take it on.

(And dare I predict, since Emma is my first child to worry so, so much about school, that she will also be the first one to fake sick or need regularly scheduled mental health days to help get her through the years.  Adam and Leah haven't figured those excuses out yet- like it or not, they just diligently march off to school 180 times a year.)

And just like at the sprayground, Emma's got the support and company of her siblings at school too!  Thank goodness for a big brother and sister to show her the way.

Glimpses

It's so interesting to see the world through the eyes of our children.

 That's Daddy and Emma up there in the canoe.

 Emma can't read yet, so the label doesn't apply, but this is a great family portrait!

 This is our garden, with great detail down to the blueberry bush, the strawberries, and the raspberries.  And her flowers, of course.

 By Adam, the interesting detail here is the ceiling fan.  One day years ago we camped in our living room.  Back when we had a smaller tent, I suppose.

 Yay!  This was a good one.

 According to Leah too.  An excellent likeness of Epcot.

Favorite pet... only pet... he was a good one!

The Best Neighborhood

In the event that we ever move and somehow forget, I need to take a post to record just how much we love where we live.  Starting with the fact that we can still see corn out our windows.

But it's more than that.  From the annual block party where adults gather and eat and catch up and the kids run around in their swimsuits, playing baseball and riding bikes all night long-

-until the fire truck shows up and lets the kids climb all over it, that is-

to the park across the street where we can practice riding a two-wheeler without the fear of falling (which she didn't do, not even once).

From the fantastic foursome of stay-at-home families that have become some of our favorite friends over the years- 

to being able to bike to the library, the pool, or the nearby All-City play day, where Leah showcased her baton talents, we played over-sized games, climbed on tractors and posed begrudgingly next to what was clearly not the real Tinkerbelle, according to Emma. 

 We also joined up with some neighbor friends to go canoeing and rock climbing.  Thanks to our neighbors, Adam was able to do both.   

 Look at me!  Canoeing with three kids and taking a selfie like a boss.  Ha!

 As most summer nights are, this one seemed perfectly perfect.

Whether it's just because we live in Iowa (the place frequently confused with heaven) or just because we are immensely blessed... or because it's not wintertime... we are enjoying an awfully good life here!

Perks

According to Adam, the worst part about turning 8 is that you can't ride in the cart anymore (although he sure tried to squeeze his 90th percentile legs in there, he only lasted long enough to take a picture). 

 According to Emma, turning 6 means there's still plenty of time to be carted around.

Childhood is the most beautiful 

of all life's seasons. 

Playing with Grandma

While I was in Utah, the kids got to spend a whole lot of time with Grandma!

I think they had a great time.

 They made homemade gummy bears!

 Which were clearly a hit.  

They also made rock candy, truffles, lollipops, and more.  I think she brought a candy-making kit with her, and that kept the kids busy for days.

 It was ridiculously hot while she was here, but they still braved the outdoors several times- climbing trees, playing at the park, and a few trips to the pool.  

It was hard to say good-bye, but easier than usual since we'll get to see her in just a few weeks in Utah.  We're so glad she came!