Spring, Summer, Snow

We have had really peculiar weather recently as these before and after shots show. In the first, Wren is enjoying a popsicle last week. It was 78 degrees in the afternoon and we wore sunblock, hats and t-shirts in the garden.



The second picture was taken this evening. Wren is surveying the "doh!" [snow] from the front porch. You can also see the poor little spring flowers I planted last week, their tags snowed over and one of Frost's little "guys" [another of Wren's new words] lying forgotten under the slush.





Josh has dusted off the firelogs in the basement and we are having a nice warm fire while the spring snow accumulates. According to our local paper this weather is atypical and we should have record low temperatures and fresh powder snow on the passes tomorrow.

Random Daddy Sightings

Now that Wren can speak a bit I am able to understand his squeals more easily. This morning, we were playing in The Minivan in the Swanson's Nursery parking lot when Wren starting pointing and squeaking out the window. He was saying "dada, dada, dada" with some urgency. I looked up from my novel [which I carry at all times because Wren insists on play-driving the minivan rather than getting directly into his seat] and saw that he was pointing at a bald-headed guy in a great long-sleeved t-shirt and gray jeans. Apparently, Wren thought he was Joshua because of the head.

Since the man kept walking Wren changed to "buh bye" and resumed playing with the control panel.

I tried to explain to Wren that this guy had way bigger shoulders than Joshua. I mean, he looked like a discus thrower in that department, but perhaps that is not something babies notice.

Uh oh. I hear thumping from the bedroom. Wren has woken and is throwing books.

The Attack of the Preposition

This morning, Wren is walking around the house with a pair of spoons putting them up on things "Up, up" and then putting them on the floor and saying "down, down". Sometimes he climbs on a chair and says "up" and then gets "down down". I made a pile of folded sheets to put in the laundry cupboard and he climbed up on the pile "up" and then "down" about ten times.

He also does "ope" and "ut, ut" with drawers in which animals hide or spoons are secreted. Doors can also ope' and 'ut with the added drama of slamming and getting locked in.

I am following the prepositional olympics with my [second] mug of instant coffee and two slices of toast. These are the paths of least resistance after a long broken night of Wren with a fever and a board meeting than finished after 10pm

Still, I am loving the daylight starting earlier.

Throwupitis #3

You probably missed Throwupitis #1 and #2 because I didn't write them. Something about too much soap and getting sore fingers from hand washing and laundering bedding. Last Friday Frost had a whole night of vomiting. He was very limp on Saturday and languid on Sunday but is now recovered. On Monday Joshua came down with the disease and spent the night avoiding throwing up and feverish.

Wren followed.

Last night Wren threw up and was feverish. He is having many short naps today and refusing solids. It is at times like this that I am glad I am still nursing. All he wants to do is nurse and is very happy doing so.

I am eating extra to make up for their calorific deficiencies. Today I had egg and turkey ham on toast for breakfast, then yoghurt with honey and walnuts, then I fed a squirrel some walnuts, then I had half an orange pecan pastry and then (lunch) salad with chocolate pudding for desert.

I think it is all the nursing Wren is doing . I am just starved. The other explanation is that I am about to have a growth spurt. Lets just stick with the first approach.

Follow that giant burger!

The 4 kids are in the minivan on I5 over the ship canal bridge. A long delivery truck passes us in the lane to the left. Joshua notices it has a huge cheese and bacon burger on it and points it out to Frost.

Joshua: "Yuuum"
Frost: "No, yuck! I hate bacon"
Eve chimes in from the back "Is that the burger with pineapple in it?"
Joshua: No, its got cheese.
Frost: I know what that is... its the new breakfast croissant from Jack in a Box.
Eve: I think its that one with pineapple in.
Joshua: Yuck!
Frost: That is gross, did you say yum?
Joshua: No, I said YUCK
Eve: I said Yuck too.

The truck pulls away.

Joshua: The burger is escaping.
Frost: Follow that giant burger! I want Jack in a Box!!

I am afraid, very afraid. We need to hide the remote.

Seeds of Compassion

The Dalai Lama is in town. This morning Frost is at Children's Day at Key Arena, an event with the Dalai Lama especially for children. It is set up as part of the broader Seeds of Compassion week. It was wonderful to see all the buses lining up to drop the school-kids off. I think Ariadne might be there too because I saw the Evergreen bus.

Anyway, I dropped the kids of this morning in the fabulous almost-new minivan. I had 4 kids in the back with complete ease and amenity. I am tongue in cheek though you wouldn't know it but hey, what's not to love about mini-vanning once you relinquish the idea of yourself as someone groovy in a 60's citroen. Its like wearing big white underwear, like using your free time to watch TV, like giving up on asking your husband to help with housework. We all fall from grace into something different, or perhaps we fall from intention into grace.