Tea Time

A new post for Growing Great

Pictures

My camera is broken.  It took a long fall and I’m debating whether to fix it or upgrade.  In the meantime our phones have been an easy replacement, as they are always with us.  We have been out and about and here are some pictures:







This next picture is one for documentation.  It was Wednesday, October 24, 2012.  My 29th birthday.  I kicked the kids outside to give myself a little quiet time while folding laundry and watching a recorded reality show.  Soon a screaming was heard, one that I instantly could tell was a scream that meant pain.  I rolled my eyes and went to see what damage, from whom, was had.  My little guy was the one screaming that Max had bit him.  I couldn’t see at this point and as I got closer I was met with this ugly site:

Indeed, Max did bite him.  Hard.  In Max’s defense, Zane apparently bit him first and this was a retaliation bite.  Oh, being a Mother is filled with much excitement! 

He’s 2!!!

October 19th has come and gone and that means our little man is 2!!!!  Zane is obscenely loud, extremely loving, and a big talker.  He doesn’t like having his picture taken, yelling at me, “stop mommy!  No more pictures!”  the moment I aim a camera in his direction.  He loves and admires his siblings, but is very quick to tattle on them and play the innocent youngest card to his advantage.  Multiple times a day I will hear him scream at me, “Max (or Violette or Well) hit/pushed/kicked me!”.  Most of the time it is a fabrication and what happened was a toy was taken from him.  He gives great soberly kisses and enthusiastic hugs.  He’s a lover of pizza, chocolate milk, goldfish crackers, breast milk and oatmeal!  “Snuggle me” is a phase uttered (demanded in a loud voice) at the most inconvenient times along with the phrase, “More boob Mommy, please!”.  That last one is a crowd pleaser and makes most people giggle as I quickly divert his attention and save nursing for only at home. 

The pacifier and addiction to breast milk continue on.  As with the other children I will allow the pacifier to be used for a few more short months and then begin the ritual of the Great Fuffa Fairy swooping down to take them for babies who need them and leaving a sweet toy behind.  It’s worked three times before and shall do the trick one more time.  Sigh.  As far as nursing goes, my initial goal, when he was a newborn was to go until one year, then it was eighteen months, then two years, now I will continue on until he and I are both ready to end it.  I cherish our snuggle time before bedtime and naps, and despise the many night time demands. 
  
For Z Man’s birthday we had Grandpa Roehrig & Grandpa and Grandma Goodhue over!  Let it be noted that the last time all three Grandparents were in the same room was almost eight years ago at our wedding.  That was the first time they met each other too.  So, this was a BIG BIG deal.  All the children were extremely excited and couldn’t wait for the big day.  Cake and three Grandparents is huge!!  It was a lot of fun and I believe that the kids had some major enjoyment.  Many smiles were had on this special day!

 

Zane loved his cake, a tractor one, per his request.  We had to take the tractor off as soon as he saw it, but at least we got one picture in before the whining!

After cake my parents headed back to TC in the early afternoon.  Although the time went by quickly, it was such a wonderful way to celebrate Zane turning 2.  And for the record, both Grandpa’s said they would watch the children together for a weekend, once Zane was potty trained.  Tom and I will be cashing in on that one for sure!!!! 
Happy Birthday Zane Michael.  You are an amazing child!!

Autumn Is Upon Us

The leaves have reached peak color around our area.  It seems to be more vibrant this year, reds are deeper, the oranges resemble ripened pumpkins, and the yellows shine brightly.  As I drive, we point out the trees, competing to see who can find the brightest colored tree.  We find one on the left side, then the right, it’s surrounding us, these awesome colors are truly beautiful. 

As the leaves change color the county showers their inhabitants with an abundance of festivals and activities to take part it.  As we spend more years in here, my love for Lenawee grows.  It’s a pretty awesome place to live (TC has it beat, still!). 

Fall also equals playoff baseball.  Maximilian experienced his first Tiger’s Baseball game.  Row 19, behind the home plate made for a pretty cool first game vantage point!  My four year old boy thoroughly enjoyed his one on one time with Daddy and this noteworthy first. 

 

 

Tiger’s won.  Max ate and ate and ate and had a lot of fun.  Tom realized quickly the best way to keep a fidgety four year old content was to keep handing him food.  Max was okay with that!  They made it through the whole game and Noelle can’t wait for her turn to head to a game!

Fall festivals are all around us.  We’ve gone to a few this year.  Children are older and it’s easier to get up and go.  Noelle loves to go, Max tags along and is great as long as we promise to buy him something, Violette complains the most not content with much of anything, and Zane fights the restraints of a stroller, wanting to be a free man.  It’s great family fun.  Cough.  We plunge through, making the most of it all.  Ignoring complaints, buying lots of elephant ears, keeping focused on moving and not dwelling too long at one craft booth.  We’re making memories!

  

   

A much anticipated train ride field trip for Thursday School happened this week.  We all were able to go (minus Noelle and Tom) and had a great time.  Who doesn’t love a train ride through the beautiful trees?  It was windy and chilly, but the children did not care and insisted on riding in the open train car.  The train moved slow, but it was a ride to remember! 

 

Parks, we’ve been visiting them.  There are a lot around our area and it’s a great break in our day to drive to one for an hour.  I’m really really good at breaking up monotony now! 

 

School at home continues on.  Violette has become very good at handwriting, but not so good at following directions given by Mom.  The best and most efficient learning is through play.  So we play a lot!  I find myself having to force the chores to be set aside and engage is true play with the children.  I dread it always, but then after an hour I loved every minute.  If only the house cleaned itself!

 

There’s a quick update!  Next up is Zane’s 2nd birthday and my 29th (gasp, I’m frickin’ old!!), then Halloween.  We’ll continue to crunch leaves under our feet, spy vibrant trees, and spend lots of time playing, learning, and growing!

Catch Up Time

Every time I sit down to write an update I seem to get distracted by PTO things, or MOPS, or Lenawee Great Start.  Clearly I took on a lot this school year and my beloved blog has been suffering.  So this post will be long with a lot of pictures, but I’m updating and making sure those important and/or fun happenings are being documented and cemented in cyber history.

My handsome, difficult, loveable, and magnificent Max started Thursday School recently.  This is a great program, developed many years ago by Preschool Homeschooling mom’s that wanted their children to get one day a week of structure.  Children do need to learn to follow directions, line up, etc. to get ready for their Kindergarten year.  It’s just enough time to get these little munchkins used to eating lunch, being in a typical classroom and around a teacher, that Kindergarten will be a great  transition next fall.  Max was BEYOND excited and a few weeks ago we headed to the Open House.  Max loved the classroom and set up, and I left feeling like I was making a good decision keeping him home most days, but letting him fly free on Thursday’s. 

 

When the 13th, the true first day, came he was ready.  Ready, yes, but many mentions of his stomach feeling weird and a bunch of apprehension was surfacing.  Noelle was kind, telling him before she left for school, that is was okay to be nervous and he would have fun and the funny stomach feeling would go away.  She was sympathetic and warm and Max needed that comfort from his big sister! 

  

As I walked him in, his hand was moist and his grip strong.  My boy was very nervous.  I stopped on our walk in, turned to him and got down on my knees.  I look into his warm, brown eyes and told him I was so proud of him and that he would have a great time.  I also reminded him that I would be there to pick him up when school was over.  He coyly smiled and threw his arms around my neck and really, I mean really, hugged me.  We continued to walk in.  He easily found his coat hook and put his backpack there.  It was deliberate and confident.  We were early so I was able to capture a few pictures of him in class. 

I gave him one last hug and he waved bye.  There were no tears!  My heart swelled with pride at his confidence and strength.  I was so thankful that he was not crying, as I’m not sure I could handle it with another child! 

When time came to pick him up I was talking with another mom and felt a tapping on my leg.  I looked down and saw the BIGGEST smile on his face!  He hugged me fiercely and said he had a GREAT DAY!  The teacher told me he was on the top of his game, completing with ease the day’s tasks.  He’ll flourish and soar in this great program, I just know it.  Insert big sign of relief!

Last weekend we decided to head over to Cabela’s to break up a lazy Sunday.  The fish, and taxidermy captured all their attention.  For the first time, in many many years, we left the stroller at home and let all the children walk.  This was big for us.  I actually shed many tears over this milestone, as it keeps hitting me, we are almost out of the baby phase of our lives.  Next we’ll be done with diapers, sippy cups, and diaper bags.   On the plus side, that also means tantrums will subside and a new found freedom will take the diaper bag’s place.  We’ll be able to make a rash decision, with minimal packing, to head somewhere and have a family adventure.  This dries my tears and gives me excitement for our future.

We’ve been hanging around at home, enjoying the beautiful weather.  We’ve discovered lately that our Zane is a little daredevil.  He’ll climb and follow the other three in whatever they do.  I’ll discover him yelling for help at the monkey bars, just about to try and reach for the first rung.  Disaster is mere moments away.  I am never far away and have been able to catch him before he falls each time.  It amazes me the courage the younger children posses.  They admire their older siblings and want to be like them in every way.

It has been an idea, bounced back and forth, over the summer, but we finally had a little camp out.  The nights had dropped to a perfect 45-50 degree range, but we have no sleeping bags.  After momentarily crushing the children’s hopes for a backyard campout, we made up for it by setting up the large tent in the basement.  We roasted marshmallows and made s’mores as the evening wound down and the darkness began to fall.  Hands were cleaned off from their sticky mess and blankets, comforters, and many stuffed animals were thrown down the stairs.  The children bounced around the tent, shrieking with delight and laughter.  Tom and I glanced at each others, sending a “what are we getting our selves into, they are never going to go to sleep” look to each other.  Zane kept saying, “me camp too” over and over as I ignored it, not wanting to disappoint my little man.  After some Christmas lights strategically hung to cast just the right amount of light and ward off any scary basement creatures, they all settled in.  We told stories and giggled.  A kiss and hug was given to each child and we crept upstairs.  Tom and I placed bets on who and when the first child would come up.  Zane was nursed asleep and left put in his own bed.  Max, Noelle, and Violette did fall asleep with minimal talking and giggles.  Much to our surprise, we never heard from them at all that night.  The morning came with the same happiness that they fell asleep with.  We heard the little pitter patter of feet up the stairs nice and early, but we were thankful it was 6:30am and not 2am.  The tent will again be pulled out due to it’s great success!

 

The coolness is just starting to become permanent and with it will bring, hay rides, apple picking, long walks, Zane’s 2nd Birthday, and countless Fall memories.  It’s a favorite time of year for a lot of people, including this Roehrig family!

 

Some Stories:

*Max ran up to me with his eyes wide and a gigantic smile plastered on his face.  He whips up his shirt and loudly says, “Look Mom, I have muscle boobies now!  Quick, call Uncle!”. 

*For the first time last week, Noelle went out for the bus, by herself.  As I began to step outside with her she puts her hand up and says, “I’ve got this Mom, you don’t have to walk me down anymore.  I love you.”

*Talking about when the children grow up Violette tells me, “I want to be a Princess with long hair like Rapunzel, and have lots of boys give me presents”.  Uh-oh…

*Zane brings a Princess gown to me, “Me be a Princess.  Please put it on Zane.”  I do and he proudly says, “I handsome” then throws on a polar bear cap and twirls around.

*The children are into Rock & Roll music, stating their favorite band is Metallica.  If something comes on that isn’t Rock and Roll enough for them they say, “This isn’t rockin’ enough.  We want to rock harder!”.  Zane will dance saying, “I rock”.  Totally Tom influencing them!