Lars in a box

While picking up firewood for a campfire, Josh asked Lars to help him pick up a big heavy log.  Lars says, " I can't.  When I was born, I come out of a box and it said 'fragile'."

Josh says, "Lars you didn't come out of a box you come out of a belly!"

"No" he argued,  "I didn't.  I came out of a box". And it said fragile. "

Chad relayed this conversation to me and in my laughter,  I denied having ever said that to him. For the record,  so did Allen. 

Today, after having cut his sloppy jo in half, he cried and cried, screaming that it was against the 10th commandment to cut food in half. 

The rest of our life is going to be interesting. 

Michigan adventure -the Kenny way!

The first few days of our summer vacation in Michigan has been nice and fairly relaxing. Once the plane got up into the air.  Which wasn't looking good at first. But I digress.

 

After 9 hours of travel we Got into Detroit on a typical rainy night, stopped for Happy meals after mom's obligatory offering up of turkey sandwiches.  (That's a long story - ask me sometime), and headed for Lapeer. Somebody was dumb enough to say we would go past the Palace, and for the next 40 miles, Lars asked about it non stop.  When he finally saw it, he was less than impressed and remained very hungry.

 

Bedtime was easy and all the cousins greeted us warmly the next morning,  despite the mangled hairdos and jet lagged sleeplessness.  Out came the toys. And music. And books. And leftover airplane snacks... all day long.

 

Kenzie and I spilt for a cake decorating class at the library with famous food network star Michelle Bomarito. Fun. Complicated.

 

Met Brian. (Need more page space for that).

 

Went to Meijer (Miss that place).

 

Dad grilled burgers. (Enough said).

 

Had a campfire at Chad's (forgot the marshmallows) and a 4 wheeler tour of the property while the kids swam. 

 

Friday we went to town for an ice cream social on the courthouse lawn and I walked thru the Old Courthouse. Haven't been in there since I performed a play there in April1997. Dad reminisced the old wooden witness stand and remembered his last trial there with The Honorable Norm Bagley to his right and higher up. The kids all played jury in their straihtback chairs.

 

Went to Grandma Greats for pizza and family, shopped the Amish store and now

 am lying in bed enjoying the fresh chocolates with sleeping babes all around me.

Swimming Lessons 101

Swimming lessons have begun here in Bridgeport and it was a busy and exciting morning in our house finding new suits and fluffy towels! 

Because my bike was in the shop, we walked the one mile to the swimming pool. Eden rode her bike & Lars pulled the wagon most of the way, and told me all the reasons he did not need to go to swimming lessons.

Once we got to the pool, and the lifeguards had all their ducks in a row (get it?), he sat on the edge of the water and dangled his feet in. He watched Elia (also in his level 1 class) get in and start bobbing,  he looked across the pool at Eden who was in the middle section, learning to tread water and dive and pretty soon, he slid in the water and joined in the fun. 

At the end of the class, the kids are offered a chance to go off the diving board. The girls skipped on down and jumped off the new board, Lars came to find me and his towel. 

Lars sat on the bench, watching the girls jump in and reminded me of my own rules on swimming;  "Mommy, I don't have to learn to like swimming, I don't have to be a good swimmer, I just have to learn to be safe in the water".

You got it buddy.

We'll see what two weeks in the water does for them all!

Happy Day Elia!

When Elia fell asleep on my lap at 5:00 pm during a church meeting the night before her birthday,  I inwardly groaned that she would be up half the night.

Then it dawned on me; this is the last day Elia will be my 3 year old, cuddling in my arms, three fingers firmly planted in her mouth, sound asleep.

Then I tried not to cry.

Indeed,  she was up half the night.

And just between you and me, I loved every minute of it.

Happy birthday my 4 year old, Elia Clara.

I Love you forever.