Why you should probably hold a protest if I mention moving to your area.

You may never again mail a package without having to stand in line and deal with disgruntled postal workers and the 40,000 people in line who brought in their packages and yet forgot to bring the address to which it needs to be sent.

Anyway, with my own hopes of avoiding such issues, I planned to mail the packages I was sending from a post office I know that has a kiosk thingy where you weigh it and stamp it yourself and put it in a little barrel thingy and lift the lever and poof your package has now disappeared into the postal realm.

So I was childless for the evening and thought that the best time to do such an errand was before picking up anyone else and after my lovely dinner I headed in that direction.

I weighed each of my packages, and paid for the stamps - one which was $2 less than the other and even though the more expensive one was smaller and lighter and supposedly traveling by the same priority mail...so confusing. One thing asked me for it's size and the other didn't and whatever, the whole ordeal was fine. It asked me to make sure my package would fit in the barrel thingy and I set it in there. It did indeed fit, so I went on about purchasing my stamp.

Upon completion of the transaction, I put some extra tape on my package, because it said I had to cover any and all "other" markings. Then I placed the larger of the two packages in the barrel and lifted the lever. And the lever would not come back down. I jiggled it and whacked on it. I yelled "Curse you, Perry the Platypus!!!" Aaaaand. Nothing. I looked around, I asked my fellow late comers if they were mailing packages. They were not. I said "Good, because I think I just broke the post office, and I'm leaving before someone who is mailing a package comes after me."

Monthly Newsletter #50

Dear Landon,

This month has been one of your funniest months yet. You unintentionally do things that make me laugh. Like when I asked you to close the shutter and first you peeked out the window. Then you turned around and said “Mommy! You are not going to believe what I just saw!” Wide eyed and completely amazed, you described the same snowflake lights that the lady across the street has put out every year.

You amaze me completely with your outgoing attitude. Everyone you meet is a friend, you speak to adults without any hesitation, you ask questions – good questions – of speakers in front of large groups of people. These are things I still have trouble with today – I am so glad you don’t have the same problem.

I took you ice skating this month, after we got back from New York. You had wanted to do it at Rockefeller Center, but we didn’t have time really. You discovered that ice skating is not nearly as easy as they make it look on TV. I discovered that it wasn’t nearly as hard as I remember it being 20 years ago when I clung to the wall like a poster. Oh and possibly, the skates have gotten better, much more ankle support.

You also went on your very first Girl Scout camping trip. And loved it. You haven’t stopped talking much about how you need to be a boy scout – of course, they don’t start cub scouts until first grade, so it will be a while, you may just have to enjoy being a tag-a-long to Girl Scout trips for a while.

I also just want to mention this, because I’m almost positive that it will disappear and I want it recorded for posterity’s sake. When asked if you want white or wheat bread…you pick wheat – of your own volition. And when there is cheese? You want real cheddar cheese, no processed cheese slices – unless they are in your grilled cheese sandwich, and actually you still prefer the real cheese in those too. Given a choice between fries and apples? You pick apples way more often than you pick fries.

On to the things we need to work on. Please stop bursting into tears every 10 seconds. Seriously, if I decide to leave you in the car for the 30 seconds it will take me to get money out of the ATM from which I can SEE YOU, is not an assault on you. Also, when I shut a door that you had planned on shutting yourself – not a reason to cry. And while we’re at it, crust on your sandwich or sandwich cut in the “wrong” shape – also not reasons for complete meltdowns. Enough with the drama queen (king) antics. GAH!!!

Also, if you tell me you don’t want breakfast and then I drive all the way to the school to drop you off and we pull into the parking lot and then you announce you want McDonalds. I am not amused. It is not a perfect plan to spend more time with Mommy and maybe she’ll forget to drop me off at school.

And finally, the last thing (I know there are a lot this month), please stop pretending like you don’t know the routines we have. When you get in the car you have to get in your seat and put your seat belt on. I mean really, it’s not a surprise, it’s not a new thing, it’s the same thing we do every time we get in the car. Just like everyday when I drop you off at school, you can be assured that I will return to pick you up, I’ve never stayed at school with you, there’s no reason to ask me to do that, it won’t happen and it just makes us both start our day off badly.

All in all not a bad month, and I’m looking forward to Christmas too.

Love,

Mama

Sometimes the only way to get your frustrations out is to gripe about them on a public forum of some kind. Possibly a blog.

 

 

Oh look!  A blog!

 

For two days I've been looking at this weird hold on the checking account for some kind of construction company, for $0.01.  I called and asked them about it and the lady read to me exactly what I have on my screen.  Yes, I know it says that, it's what it says on my screen, but I was hoping you could do something about it.  Nope, not until it clears your account.  Yes, but it says "construction" and we all know that means $1,000s and I don't want to deal with that AFTER it passes.  Nothing can be done until it clears your account.

 

But I also got home yesterday to a call from the same bank, re: my allowance account and some fraudulent activity.  Like $300 for shoes, $200 for sporting goods, another $200 for shoes...I guess they recognized that a person who buys shoes exactly once every 2 or 3 years is probably not going to go out and buy $500 worth of shoes and they caught and declined those charges (not to mention the fact that I do not live in New England.)  What they failed to catch was the $40 in gas at a gas station in New York.  But it was still pending, so they couldn't do anything about it.  I kept getting told that over and over again.  Nothing can be done until it clears your account.

 

I went in at lunch to get a new debit card, since mine was frozen post the shoe shopping spree and subsequent non-authorization of said shoe shopping spree.  I even told that lady what was going on and she looked it up and said there was nothing that could be done until it cleared my account.

 

Well it cleared my account.  So I called.  And was told I had to go in to a branch and fill out a dispute form.  WHY DIDN'T THEY GIVE ME THE DISPUTE FORM WHILE I WAS THERE!?  I could have filled it out once it cleared and mailed it in.  GGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

 

Luckily the construction one didn't clear.  So there's that.

 

 

What does your car antenna do?

Landon:  Mommy?  What's that thing that hangs off the side of the car and goes like this [stretches arm out straight in front of him and lifts it up and down a few times]

 

Me:  The antenna?

 

Landon:  Oh!  So the car can feel where it's going!  Like a crab!

 

Me:  [stifling laughter]  No, sweetie, it's for the radio so the sound comes in clearly, but I do like your explanation better!

 

Monthly Newsletter #49

Dear Landon,

Wow, this month went by fast! I actually didn’t even get the pictures up from last month before I was supposed to be writing this letter to you. Oops! We did so much this month that it’s hard to narrow it down to just a few to talk about.

October was such a nice month weather wise, that every time a festival or something came up, I agreed to go. We went to Greekfest – which was mostly about eating for me, and mostly about jumping in moonwalks for you.

We went to the Renaissance festival, which I’m not sure you appreciated as much as you might when you’re a little bit older, but it did help you settle on being a knight for Halloween.

We went to Dewberry Farms – I thought they’d have a better pumpkin selection being a pumpkin patch and all, but the games were awesome, and we’re totally going back every year for as long as you will agree to go.

We also went to Zoo Boo. Honestly, the Halloween stuff the zoo was up to was mediocre at best, but we did manage to see their dinosaur exhibit. It put the one in Bastrop to shame. And I’m beginning to think we need a membership. I just found out that they got new Rhinos this week for their new African exhibit.

But honestly all of those were just the beginning. You took your first vacation. We went to New Jersey and New York and visited my Great Aunt Mary Lou. We took Grandma and Grandpa Logan and Great Grandma Rowland. Mary Lou’s parrot, Pedro, just adored you. Every morning we would get up and if you didn’t go in the room where he was right away he would just keep saying “HELLO!!” until you came in and talked to him.

Our original purpose in going to New York was because you did a study on sky scrapers, and wanted to go to the top of a really tall building and look out the window. In preparation for the trip I bought you a digital camera it’s not an expensive one, although it supposedly will take better pictures than the one I was using previously. I also bought myself one, but then on Sunday during our trip I fell on the beach trying to avoid a wave and managed to drop it in the water. No worries, I now have a new camera and two of everything else that came with it. Also, I now have the extra warranty plan. You didn’t take too many pictures, but you did take some pretty good ones of some geese in the park by Mary Lou’s house.

We went to a bunch of the usual touristy stuff. State of Liberty, Ground Zero, Central Park, Central Park Zoo, Coney Island (although closed for the season) and the New York Aquarium. We had a great time and I hope to take you back again one day when you’re a little older and we can see a Broadway show, and see some more of the city.

I remember only bits and pieces of the trip I took to New York when I was your age, so I’m not all that hopeful that you’ll remember the whole trip, but I do want you to remember some of it anyway.

Because Halloween fell in the middle of our trip, we also went trick or treating while we were there. The police department shut down the street one block from Mary Lou’s house, and nearly everyone on the street participated in the festivities. They started super early, in Texas we don’t start trick or treating until dusk. There were people already out at 2pm in New Jersey. I felt a little out of place, since I wasn’t carrying a glass of wine, but everyone LOVED your knight in shining armor costume – and you really hammed it up for them.

We did learn a few lessons from this trip. 1) I over packed. Not only was our suitcase over packed, our carry-on was over packed. 2) Some planes have the cigarette lighter style plugs for electronic devices. It would have been nice to know that for your DVD player. 3) Cameras hardly ever recover from dips in the ocean. 4) Maps, both general and detailed are good to have on hand, in case, say, you’re headed to leave for the airport and the exit you’re supposed to take is blocked for some reason and you need to find an alternate route.

I hope this was a memorable trip for you, at least in the short term, and a few stick with you longer term. I hope to take you on lots more vacations.

As far as your personal developments, you have become extra lovey this month, lots of extra smooches without asking. Your Phineas and Ferb obsession continues, and I may be encouraging it, because that show is full of awesome.

Love,
Mama

Um, back from New York.

Monthly Newsletter not quite written yet, but I did finally add those pictures to the last one.

Honestly, it will be at least Monday before you should look for a new one.

Monthly Newsletter #48

Dear Landon,

You’re four. You’re awesome. And I love you with all of my heart. I couldn’t have asked for a better child. Well, maybe I could have, but I doubt I would have gotten one. You are a very reasonable 4 year old.

This month, we went to my company’s weekend retreat in Bastrop. I had done a little bit of research about the area and decided on a few things I wanted to do and a few things you might want to do, besides the resort activities they had available. I paid for an extra night there, and I am so glad I did. It was a long drive with just the two of us, but I had gone by the library and borrowed a bunch of books on CD for you to listen to as we drove there. You climbed in the car when I picked you up from school that afternoon and just about peed yourself with excitement over the books. You prefer the kind that has a book you can turn the pages and look at the pictures, so I only got that kind. You are very concerned about being on the correct page and occasionally would ask for me to make sure you were on the right page.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that I think you are in the very beginning stages of reading. When I ask if you can read, you tell me “no.” You say it is because you don’t know all the words (if that’s your definition, I’m pretty sure that most of the world is illiterate – I just tried reading a book a few weeks ago in which I had to keep a dictionary nearby and used it 20 times in the first chapter, because I didn’t know that many words.) But when I ask you what certain words are, you can sound out the small ones and are generally right.

We spent a lot of time at the “beach” pool at the resort on Saturday morning and you made friends with a few kids and a couple of grown-ups – a huge change from the kid who wouldn’t dare to move when encountering a stranger just 2 years ago. I am so proud of you and how far you’ve come. We then tried to ride the bikes, but the ones your size needed a few adjustments for height and the training wheels were set for a kid who is about to get rid of them, so that didn’t last long (maybe next year). You took it in stride, there was no fit over the fact that we had to think of something else to do, you just said “Ok, let’s go see the dinosaurs then.”

So we ventured off the resort to see the dinosaurs at Dino Park. The place was really neat and they had all kinds of fun stuff to see and do. Not Disney World by any means, but fun none the less. The dinosaurs are constructed to be life size, so I was just imagining what it was like to be driving behind the truck carrying the Triceratops when they first got it. I bought you a fandex of dinosaurs before we went and we looked up each one – not important to know their details or anything, just to make sure that dinosaur was in our book. You were only afraid of the Tyrannosaurus Rex. The visit resurged an interest in Dinosaur Train, so it’s nice that it coincided with a few new episodes as well.

But nothing can compare to your new found love: Phineas and Ferb. The resort only had a few channels and the only really kid oriented one was Disney. And we discovered Phineas and Ferb. And you are in LOVE with that show.

I have to admit this was kind of a test run of a short vacation for us. And I have to say, I can’t wait to take you to New York now. I think it’s going to be awesome.

Your birthday party was the best ever I think. Moonbounce, swimming, the food, the sheer number of people – people who came all say they had a great time. In fact, I’m thinking we’re going to need a moonbounce for Thanksgiving. Just because it would be totally awesome. I’m also not sure now how to top the cake for next year, but I’m sure we’ll think of something.

The only thing that’s developed this month that I could do without is the materialism that developed from watching commercials. Previous to Phineas and Ferb we got most of your shows from PBS, or PBS Sprout – which for all intents and purposes is commercial free. Disney, which is home to Phineas and Ferb, is not. So I now spend a lot of time saying, “No, No we can’t buy that.” Or, “We’ll see, maybe it could be one of your prizes for earning stickers.”

All in all, excellent work, keep it up.

Love,

Mama

Raising a Grown-up

Occasionally you will hear my mother say something to the effect of "Kristine's been a grown-up since she was 4."

 

I never really quite got what she meant until this morning.

 

We were running a little later than normal and I suggested breakfast in the drive thru at Mickey D's.  Also I needed gas, so he could eat it while I pumped gas and then we'd go to school.

 

I discovered roughly two weeks ago that if I hold onto the beloved chocolate milk until he was done eating, then he's more likely to eat and not fill up on chocolate milk.

 

Well, he ate his sausage Mc*Griddle and was finishing it up as I parked in front of the school but hadn't gotten to the chocolate milk yet.  I asked him if he wanted the chocolate milk or if he wanted me to bring it with me when I came to get him this afternoon.

 

He said "Bring it wif you this afternoon....but Mommy?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Don't forget to take it in to work wif you, so it doesn't get hot, okay?"

 

"Ok, I'll take it in and put it in the fridge at work."

 

"Ok, good."

Conversations at the water cooler.

You might want to put your water down before reading this one.

 

"Are you taking all our water?" 

 

As I fill my 2 quart pitcher to make tea for the day.  "You do realize is comes from the tap, right?"

 

"Yeah, but isn't something like only 3% of the water in the world drinkable?"

 

"If I'm not mistaken, it all gets recycled at some point anyway, right?"

 

"I guess, the cycle of water.  Yeah, but let's not talk about that."

 

I'm guessing he knew where I was headed with that, but let this be a lesson to you, you should probably shouldn't argue water consumption with someone who knows about how waste water treatment plants work and that odds are 3 or 4 people already drank this water once anyway. 

 

As my environmental prof said "Ivory may be 99.4% pure...but sewage is actually better than 99.4% pure water, so think about that.  And the closer you are to the equator, the more likely you're drinking something someone else already did."

So this week has been fun...

NOT.

 

Between apprehending a burglar on the street on Sunday evening, and coming home to a dog crate full of puke and poop last night, thinking that the lady I had ordered books from was coming also, since she sent me a card that said she'd be there on 9/13 and I believe yesterday was 9/13 - but she never showed, which was okay, since I was busy with the cleaning and trying to get the horrid smell out of the house anyway...can I just say how much I'm looking forward to what today has in mind for me?  And also maybe I should win some kind of award for the longest sentence ever.

 

************

 

Oh sure, you want to know about the burglar, right?

 

At roughly 8 pm Sunday night I got a knock on the door.  I had trouble getting out the door due to the barking dogs to ask what was going on, and the guy was waving at me and shaking his hand like a phone.  When I finally got out there he yelled to me to call the cops.  I heard another man yelling something about "YOU WERE IN MY CAR IN MY GARAGE!!!"

 

So I called 911, for I kid you not, the 8th time in my life.

 

1 - watched a guy fly out the windshield of the box truck he was driving after it hit the concrete barrier, then watched the truck bounce around a little and hit him as he laid over the concrete barrier,

2 - guy stops in the right lane of the freeway to chit chat with people on the side of the road, turns his car off, in the dark no lights, IN THE LANE, street race behind him hits his car, (1& 2 happened over the same weekend)

3 - my own car accident where woman left car in neutral to fill up gas then was surprised when it rolled down hill into the street into my car as I drove by,

4 - boy runs stop sign into side of my truck,

5 - woman driving drunk pulls into oncoming traffic at intersection to wait for light to change to turn left, then proceeds to rear end another car a little while later as wells as a few very close side swipes,

6 - cow loose on road (why yes I do live in Texas),

7 - kids on the street looking in cars suspiciously (get off my lawn!!),

and now, 8 - burglar.

 

As it turns out the suspect had already gone through one of the cars parked on the street and proceeded to go into the man on the end of the street's garage (smart choice dude, that guy's a lawyer) and was pilfering through his car when he caught him.  He chased him through several backyards and 2-3 other men and a couple dogs on the street joined the chase.  They caught him in front of my house and stood watch over him while waiting on the police, football linebacker style.  He gave up at some point and sat on the curb.

 

The police put him in the car within about a minute of arriving and then moved the investigation down to the end of the street where the garage portion of the crime took place.

 

I went out shortly after that to talk to the neighbors.  Nearly everyone on that end of the street had come out by then.  At that point we discovered that other cars may have been involved and everyone went around checking their stuff, and discussing how we should really lock our walk-in garage doors.  And the police said there had been several burglaries on another nearby street - maybe it's the same guy.

 

And that was the end of it, except for the whole unsettling feeling of violation, which I'm sure will fade with time. 

 

The good points however, are:  1) they caught the guy.  2) our neighbors are apparently vigilant enough and care enough to help a neighbor in need.  3) that guy didn't have a gun, and no one was shot.  4) After the initial knock, Scarlett did her job as protector, knowing something was going on, sat in the foyer and guarded the door until the police got there.  She barked occasionally and I even tried to kennel her to calm her down, but she refused to move until she thought everything was cool again.  (Fiona hid somewhere. And Landon sat on the bed watching a movie, unaware of anything.)

 

************

 

Well, dog puke doesn't sound all that exciting now.  Just annoying.  Plus I had to put the crate back together this morning and I dropped half of it on the top of my foot and have a huge bruise forming as we speak.  Also I believe Scarlett was better this morning, she was able to hold down food, which she couldn't do last night or I would have dropped her at the vet's office this morning.

Monthly Newsletter #47

Dear Landon,

I don’t know that I can pin point anything specific you’ve done this month developmentally. I know you’re beginning to sound out small words, and recognize the letters that words begin with, so that’s pretty cool. You’ve begun to realize that a plan we make is not for right now and not necessarily for tomorrow, but somewhere in the future. Plans to go to New York. Plans for your birthday party, etc.

I am trying to involve you in decision making, because it’s a skill you need. I’m catching a bit of flack for letting you decide where we go on vacation from some people, but honestly? It’s your vacation too. You have proven to be an excellent decision maker for things like hot dogs vs. pizza at your birthday party (hot dogs) or whether should see the Statue of Liberty, and Coney Island while in New York (yes).

You have proven to not be such a great decision maker when it comes to clothes. Just this morning I sent you off to school wearing the same shirt you wore yesterday – picking battles and all that. On the bright side, you are getting yourself dressed. However, I was a little concerned when you threw the shirt I had picked out for you out of the closet and closed the door this morning. When you came out you were proudly wearing yesterday’s shirt. Granted, it was not stained or visibly dirty, and it did match the shorts I had picked out, but still, the principle of the thing. After a brief kerfuffle I gave in, but I told you that under no circumstances would you be wearing it again tomorrow – and you agreed to those terms.

You recently discovered my cowboy boots in my closet and have been wearing them around the house every chance you get. Occasionally announcing a need for a lasso or a vest to complete your ensemble.

You are still having a bit of trouble with change. Your Sunday school class changed from one room to another, and I could not BELIEVE the fit you threw. Under no circumstances were you about to walk into a new classroom, how dare I even suggest such a thing?! You chose to play with the babies in the nursery instead. It took me a week of explaining that it was the same class, just a different room, and that this new room might even have some cool stuff to do in it that the old room didn’t have. And you STILL threw a fit about not being in the “right” class. You did however, make it through the class and decided that it was a pretty fun class after all.

You continue to amaze me, and complete strangers with your sense of boundaries. While standing in line for hamburgers and hot dogs at a playground dedication you ran loose around the building. I had given you no instruction as to where you were and weren’t allowed to be, but knew you’d always come back. I do count my blessings that you have those innate boundaries and will not wander too far, I probably would have already lost any other child that I know if they were mine.

As the summer ends and we pick back up with the school year, you’ve asked to be enrolled in a sports class at school. We had originally planned to enroll you in a music class, but when I looked up what you’d be learning in that class…well – I’m not impressed, you pretty much could move on to the 6-8 year old class if only you knew how to read – as you’ve mastered all the skills they talk about teaching the 4-5 year olds. So maybe in a year or so I’ll be able to find a one on one piano teacher for you. Not that I needed any other encouragement than you wanting to do it, but it is half the price of the music lessons and during school hours, which means I don’t have to take you anywhere. Anyway, I signed you up for the sports stuff beginning this week. I hope it’s all you dreamed of.

What I really need you to work on this month is our drop offs. We are having some issues with drop offs in the morning again. I’m not sure what really changed, I have even tried going back to bribing you with stickers and a prize when you fill your chart with 10 stickers. You say you know I am always coming back to get you, and I know you are fine by the time I turn the corner in the hall, so what gives?

Love,

Mama

Hmmm

Am I the only person who has trouble knowing what to do with myself with a contractor in the house?

 

I don’t want to follow them around like I don’t trust them, but I also don’t want to be unavailable if they have questions…

 

In other new – AC went on strike yesterday.  Unacceptable in 100° weather.

 

Also – newsletter is typed…on my office computer…so – look for it on Tuesday.

Preparation

I may live to regret this, but I let my 4 year old decide our vacation destination this year.  He studied skyscrapers for a week in school and he asked to go to New York.  He asked because he wanted to go up in a tall building in an elevator and look out the window.  I told him we could do that in Houston, but we'd go to New York.  And so it is planned.  We're going to New York.

 

A couple Fridays ago I took him to downtown Houston.  We rode the light rail to the stop closest to the JP Morgan Chase Building.  We got off with a map in our hand and walked like tourists through down town Houston (I'm not sure Houston actually gets a lot of tourists, but between the picture taking and the map, we certainly played the part.)  We rode up to the sky lobby on the 60th floor.

 

He was mostly impressed by the pool on the roof of one of the buildings (I'm pretty sure it was a hotel, but I didn't confirm) and the echo of the mostly tiled sky lobby.

 

Now that we've done that, and I've paid for the tickets to New York...he tells me that he was under the impression that there was a building named "New York."  But he is excited that we'll be going to the Statue of Liberty and the Central Park Zoo (a la Madagascar, although disappointed that the animals will probably not speak English) and in general the idea of Coney Island.  And the whole idea that there is a train like the light rail that goes under ground...well, that's just silly, how would we be able to get on it?

Not Really Sure I Want to Know

Exactly how the Pets are recycled.  They're not in my water, are they?

 

Of all the things/signs I've noticed lately that made me miss blogging, this is about the only one I can post without seemingly trying to be crude.  (Um, I thought lude meant the same thing, but apparently it is only a slang term for a Quaalude - which I also just learned is not spelled "quaylude"...why I should blog more often, I am learning every time I post something.)

 

 

Monthly Newsletter #46

Dear Landon,

This month has been nothing, if not action packed. Between the parties and the circus and having your favorite 14 month old stay with us for a while – let’s just say we’re doing okay. Actually having the baby at the house made things amazingly easier. You love him and play with him and want to set a good example for him, which even made getting out of the house in the morning and drop offs at school easier.

You have had a sudden bout of materialism. I’m not sure where it came from, but in the big box store the other day you started mentioning all the things on the shelves that we “don’t have at home” and that we should buy. I told you that we can’t buy everything just because we don’t have it. And you said “well, WHY NOT?!?!?” And I pulled out some good old standby parenting sayings I had no idea were in there like “because I said so.” And “because I’m not made of money.”

You have started problem solving fairly well on your own. I tried to get you to think about how things are done and why for exactly this reason, and I love that it’s blossoming in you. Although you have started making the meanest face (scrunched nose, squinty eyes, “UGH”) when I won’t let you carry out some of your solutions – balancing yourself on top of a pile of pillow on top of a wobbly barstool is hardly my idea of safe.

I don’t know where you’re picking up your new words these days , but “Holy Gosh” has made an appearance more than once. I know we’ve been working on perspective and also perforation. And now when you catch on that something has change without your consent, you say “wait a minute!” while you think about what just happened.

A month or so ago I bought 2 very large buckets, I bought them as holding stations for things to go upstairs and things to go downstairs. You, found the red one most appealing and promptly dumped the contents on the floor and began sneaking around the house underneath it, like some sort of cartoon character might do with a bush. You tell me you are “sneaking me.” You have also mentioned while wearing the bucket that your name is Mr. Bucket – “Bucky” for short.

This month was also Zoey’s 3rd birthday. We went to her party and upon seeing her tree house birthday cake, you declared you would need one of those for your birthday party, except you wanted monkeys on yours. To which I turned to your Aunt Kathleen and said “you’re hired.”

We went to the circus this month for the first time. We went early and were able to look at some of the animals prior to the show. You would not get within 10 feet of the fence of any of them except the baby zebra and miniature horses. I have to admit it saved us from being sprayed by a tiger – some people were not so lucky. You also were okay with the clowns, but had no desire to participate up close and personal with them, you preferred to watch from a distance. All in all you had a good time, and I spent too much money – so, it was a pretty normal outing.

I also took you to a movie. It wasn't your first movie, because I let the Day Care handle that, but since you said you were well behaved for it, I took you to see Toy Story 3. You really liked it, and the whole idea of movies in general, so I guess we'll start seeing one every once in a while in the actual theater now.

This month they started up a new Sunday School class at the church for 3 and 4 year olds. And we tried it. For someone who complained about them “not even reading a story” in the nursery, I had an awfully hard time convincing you to go in the new class. However, when I went to pick you up, you were all grins. Apparently in that hour you watched a short movie, made a door hanger, had a snack, and made a small book, and I’m not sure what the blank construction paper accompanied by the envelope with picture cutouts was about, but you certainly liked it. I don’t know why you won’t believe me when I tell you I think you’ll like something. Probably just stubborn. I have no clue where you might get that from. Nope, no clue at all.

Love,

Mama

Monthly Newsletter #45

Dear Landon,

Generally when I start a newsletter I look back at last month’s so that I don’t repeat stuff I already said and I have kind of a cutoff from that to where I should begin this time. I don’t have that luxury today as I write this newsletter 3 days late from a network run by people who don’t want me to blog, but work. GAH!

So this month you have begun your stand up routine in earnest. You are collecting jokes. Some of them are good. (“Why do chickens sit on eggs?” “Because they don’t have chairs!” or “Why do swordfish have swords?” “Because they don’t have guns!”) Some are not. (“What did the big mountain say to the smaller mountain?” “Get a medium mountain!!” [And you replace mountain with just about any other noun and you repeat the joke incessantly.]) I love watching you develop a sense of humor.

Your school also came to its senses and evened out the classes, you are now in a class of eight kids. You have more one on one attention. They dropped the homework for the summer (THANK GOD!) and you are doing two week long units on various “extreme” places like the arctic, the rainforest, or caves. All of this is keeping you much more interested in going to school and having a good time and much less interested in figuring out a way to get out of it. I think your new teacher is also a big part of that. Although she’s a little bit stricter, she’s much more interactive, so I’m hoping that this new found enthusiasm will continue through the school year.

You went on your very first field trip ever. At first you told me you didn’t want to go. You had to be talked into going to school that day. But when I picked you up I got all kinds of details out of you that day. You knew what color your seatbelt was, what color your teacher’s seat belt was, the texture of the potato chips you ate (bumpy, or for those of us who remember “Rrrruffles have rrridges.”) You are STILL talking about the park you went to and how awesome it was and which bus you rode in. Today you are on your second field trip. They took you to the movies. They are very brave. You have never been quiet while watching TV or a movie, in fact you are the opposite of quiet when watching a movie. But I told you that if things go well today and you have fun, that we will pick another movie and go see that together.

For the fourth of July this year we went to Grandma and Grandpa Logan’s Lake house. We had fireworks two nights in a row. You do not like how loud they are, but we found ear plugs for you and you relaxed enough to enjoy them. On the second night after a full day of playing in the lake and running around with no nap – you fell asleep less than 40 feet from where fireworks were being set off. You have to be seriously tired to fall asleep while fireworks are going off that close to you.

You have also developed a habit of taking my camera from me. You actually take some interesting pictures. Much better than the ones you took of Shane and Elizabeth’s wedding. In fact I’m thinking of getting you your own camera. Or better yet, giving you mine and getting me a better one – I haven’t done it yet, because the rational person in me can’t reconcile the fact that you would then as a 3 year old be in possession of a $150 camera (granted, it’s not worth $150 now, but it was when I bought it.)

There’s not a lot to work on this month. Partially because you’re in my favorite age right now, and partially because I’m letting a lot of stuff slide due to my being overwhelmed with work. So keep up the good stuff, and know that the stuff I’m letting you slide on will probably come back to bite you in the butt one day.

Love,
Mama