Forecasting

(Zane: "My mbrelala!")

This winter Vanessa has put her unique meteorology skills to work. She checks out the weather map on our local weather station and insists "It'll be partly snowy and partly grassy today." When these announcements began, I tried to take the opportunity to explain what the green actually means. But she wasn't having it, because she was for sure she had it figured out.

"So if the white is snow, and the green is grass, what is the pink?", she asked last week when we were watching the weather before school.

I replied, "What do you think the pink means?"

"I don't have a clue. Just tell me!", she begged.

In the same way we can't change the weather, I can't change her moments of adamancy.
There are many factors to consider as to why she is the way she is when she is, some known and some unknown, mainly innocent and harmless. So since my job isn't to change her, and as we do with rainy and blah days, we take adamant moments in stride and attempt to embrace the fun and innocence in each.

how hard it is to change yourself and you'll understand what little chance you have in trying to change others. - See more at: http://www.searchquotes.com/search/Trying_To_Change_Others/#sthash.fwaHDuJW.dpuf

Consider how hard it is to change yourself and you'll understand what little chance you have in trying to change others. - See more at: http://www.searchquotes.com/search/Trying_To_Change_Others/#sthash.fwaHDuJW.dpuf

Consider how hard it is to change yourself and you'll understand what little chance you have in trying to change others. - See more at: http://www.searchquotes.com/search/Trying_To_Change_Others/#sthash.fwaHDuJW.dpuf

Consider how hard it is to change yourself and you'll understand what little chance you have in trying to change others. - See more at: http://www.searchquotes.com/search/Trying_To_Change_Others/#sthash.fwaHDuJW.dpuf

Make Tracks

To somewhere . . .

Magnified

With her, everything is magnified.

A Day at the Park

Not every day is like a day at the park, but Monday sure was, and we needed it.

Zane practiced pumping his legs to go higher, just like his sister. When he grew tired, he requested "Poosh!"

"Ook! Adow!" [Look! Shadow!]

"Wat me!" [Watch me!]

Going around and around was okay this day.

 

Moments like these will allow us to hang in there for a few more months.

Terminator Exterminator

It's that time of year: exterminating carpenter ants when they try to sneak into our house after the yard becomes extremely saturated. Zane will smash them with Daddy's shoes or with tissues. On this day, on our way out the door, he regrettably used his pirate boot. The ant was stuck and Zane was paralyzed until Mommy cleaned off the terminated ant.

Zane thinks these pictures are hilarious, so please laugh!

Lovey-Dovey

Sending our love in many ways!

"Lalaloopsy or Ninjago?"

Well I'd like to give a Barbie Valentine to one friend. Then I'd like to give another My Little Pony. I really want Ninjago but want Star Wars to share with friends because they will like that.

"Woah . . . you have to choose one. Your Valentine should be something you like and want to share with all of your friends."

"Oh . . . okay . . . I want to give Ninjago cards. But what about the girls who want something girly?"

"I'm sure they will get plenty of girly things, so you should choose what you really like this time."

She's often thinking of others and enjoys making others happy. I love that about her!

 

And as I mentioned in an earlier post, I love that Zane repeats I love you over and over and over and over . . .

These two make me feel extra lovey-dovey.

Moneygram

Vanessa was pumped about the arrival of a package full of Campbell soup labels and Box Tops. She was eager to trim and prep them to take to school. 

"Mom! Look at all this money! It sure is a lot of money for my school. Don't you think?" 

It's hard to imagine that these little things add up, but they do, and our school is extremely grateful. I'm thankful Vanessa values the task. And we're thankful for thoughtful relatives and for all the little and big things they do.

Transforming

It's been more than meets the eye this week. This week has been full of battles as we transform from one thing to the next. I'm thankful it's balancing again.

 

Zane is a pro in the office. While I join new forces to begin a new battle with  the development of educational materials, he's developing a master plan to end the evil forces of the Decepticons.

Rite of Passage XX

A lot of times I will have pictures backlogged on the blog to post every couple days -- I fell behind with transitions galore. One significant transition was Vanessa losing her first tooth. Many can imagine that this was hyped to the greatest extent. Who would expect less from my Vaness?!

First it started with an upper front tooth moving ever so slightly from the force of a five-year-old's grip. It was about a month or so ago. She went to school talking with everyone about the possibility of losing this tooth. Kids compared with imaginary stories -- "I already lost 8 and the Tooth Fairy gave me $20!" was just one story from a classmate. :) I vaguely remember being excited about the loss of my first tooth. Really, though, I only remember the dread of losing my teeth. Perhaps the inflated excitement was lost for me, being the fourth kid -- I'm not scarred by it but just don't remember it going to this level . . . or to even a percentage of Vanessa's level. But again, can I expect less?!

Then, a couple weeks ago, Vanessa took a bite of something and jerked from a sensitivity. She touched her bottom tooth and realized that IT was the tooth that was truly loose. She asked me to feel and to my surprise, it was indeed loose! So once again, we entered school that day showing everyone we came in contact with that Vanessa would indeed lose a tooth soon. Every day she would give an update for all who asked, and even to some who didn't. And she changed her dietary habits to cater to her sensitivity and to encourage the tooth to fall out.

So, Vanessa really wanted this tooth to come out. I'd ask her why -- indeed a rite of passage for her. We would assure her that it would and to let it happen on its own time. Every so often she would take a tissue and trying pulling it. She would beg for us to do it but we'd keep reminding her that it is best to wait. Last Friday she commented that it was make a clicking sound and it must mean it's going to come out any moment. On Sunday, while biting into a donut from Dad's special treats, and while Mommy was trying to push herself out of bed and into the shower for church, Vanessa's first tooth popped out. The excitement stormed through the house, . . . to church, . . . through the afternoon, . . . through the evening, . . . into the night, . . . and into the week.

She went through all the steps on Sunday to prepare for the Tooth Fairy's visit. And it was important to get to school on Monday to receive her certificate. (It felt sort of like a graduation ceremony!)

Mission X

Eating dots and pounding ghosts. He has her back.