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Presentation is Everything

When I want my family to get along, or share, or go on a hike or even, for Otter, go to disney world or the beach (anything new).  Presentation matters.  The tone of voice, the timing, the angle of the sun, the current comfort level of everyone involved, the bribes; I try to make it like a purple iced cupcake with pretty pink roses.

School morning wake-ups are one of these opportunities to start off right.  I try so hard to be light and helpful and tickle and carry, when really I think they should get up by them selves by golly and let me fix their lunches.  But the kinder I am the better their days (and mine) will be.  The current trick is to wake them up with a question, “do you want me to make cream of wheat for breakfast? Do you want your clothes on the heater? Do you want the green pants or the blue jeans?”  The clothes on the heater is very important.

My ability to put everyone involved in a foul mood is unparalleled.  If I can control my mood and smile instead of yelling when Tucker Mac won’t put his day clothes on, we’ll be on time and maybe even early.

When we went to take T-Macaroni to school yesterday LW was sooo sloow.  I tried all my normal tricks, I stop until she see’s me, then I say, “you can’t get meee.”  She scuffed her foot on the ground and looked at a brown flower.  I was getting cold and Big Dan was getting bored, I tried again, I got behind her and pretended to chase her, “you’d better run, rrrharrr.”  That didn’t work either.  My next attempt was to run ahead and look back, bending over to put my head between my legs, usually she looves this.  Not this time.  It was time for threats.  “Wrenny, would you like to ride that bike or ride on my shoulders?”  “Bike”  “Then go, come on” I say trying to make my voice go up like I’m still playing, but really, I’m not.  I plead a little.  “Come on Louisa, I know you want to ride the bike, make it go”  Still, we’ve moved 30 feet in 10 minutes and I’m getting cold and Dan’s getting bored and I really don’t like it when they do exactly the opposite of what I say.  So I finally say, “so sad” and pick her up and put her on my shoulders to carry her home.  Later that day 4 people tell me how they heard Wrenny cry soo hard outside their house this morning.

Sometimes with Otter it takes days of preparation and talk about an upcoming event.  Occasionally, if I know he’s going to love it after the event is over, the best strategy is to throw it at him as we walk in the door or make him go.  Last year when presented with something new, Otter’s fits were unbelievable and kinda scary.

Tucker Mac can almost always be bought with the promise of a movie, candy or building a fire.  Louisa Wren just comes along, game for anything.  Except I better not jinx us, she’s about to get to *that age*.  Yesterday she threw a fit about going to the bar fork because we were in a hurry and she couldn’t ride her bike.  Tucker Mac started throwing scary mean fits at around 3.  Can you believe she’s almost 3?

Bruders

Another Day

A mouthful and a smile.

I love snow, especially catching the first flakes on my tongue.  But getting the sun and warmth this week is a treat.  Not quite warm enough for a 7 am bike ride to school but this afternoon would have been great.  The bus is close and both boys are on it.  Having young Tucker Mac on the bus is sort sad and also neat.  He loves it and I get a longer day, but he’s so little and sweet that I hate to watch him go and yet I’m so proud when I pick him up.

Today is Warm

… and beautiful, the snow is all but gone and I’ve got work in the garden.  I’m in the middle of replanting some asparagus.  On Saturday we went skiing, Otter and Dan had the best time of all.

Dan did like the snow, but he found a dead elk and spent the most of the trip gnawing on a leg while we looked for him.

Otter blows me away with how strong he is.

He went up this hill laughing and falling and getting back up.

Halloween

The boys love Star Wars right now.

Otter is not Luke.  He’s very clear on that, he is Obe Wan Kenobe from the first movie.

The making of Artoo

We were going to go through the costume box and pull something out for Wrenny, but she saw Tucker Mac’s R2D2 and decided that’s what she was going to do, too.  *But* five minutes before we left, they dug through the box of costumes and Tucker Mac wanted to be a pirate, spiderman and R2D2. And Wrenny wanted to be a penguin, dragon R2D2&3/4.  Wrenny was a penguin under her Artoo and that was good because the Artoo costume had a strategic design flaw, she could only get get the sucker tantalizingly close to her mouth before the foam would block her tongue.

We couldn’t find all our many trick or treat bags and plastic pumpkin bins, so the boys found their Cars Easter baskets that Papa and Duck sent them a few years ago.

Robot arms

Maybe a Warbler

It’s still cold today.  The boys are singing songs and playing “Rebel Base” pretend games in their bedroom.  They’ve forgotten the words to the song they want to sing and are making up a new one to the same tune.  But they are being very LOUD and sister is trying to sleep.

We’re all excited for Halloween, Tucker Mac got us decorated long ago.  Hopefully there will be pictures to come.

Conferences

Here’s my boy (in his new jacket).  I spent the morning a little worried about parent teacher conferences.  This afternoon was the day.  2 for Otter and 1 for Tucker Mac.  Louisa Wren and Otter went to all of them with me and they were angels, Otter read book after book to Wrenny and if she got bored he would find a toy.

I think I’ll brag a little – Otter is great at math! He’s in the advanced program for reading (it’s all the npr we listen to).  He’s kind to his classmates and teacher.  Whew.  He’s doing okay socially.  I didn’t mess him up too badly with the homeschooling.

Tucker Mac is also kind, he’s got friends, and he’s excited to learn.  Mrs. M says she loves that he always holds her hand.

Whew. Yay! Good news!

First Snow of the Year

We woke up in winter and it’s still coming.  Peter scrapped 3 inches off the car after an hour at the doctor this morning.  I love snow, I don’t get tired of it.  I stay inside more, but I still love it.

Waking the brothers up for school this morning was fun and easy.  I sang the snow song, “guess what … it’s snowing, it’s snowing snowing snowing snowing snowing, it’s snowing, it’s snowing” and they looked out and magically jumped up and out of bed with smiles.  They went straight to the heaters, where we pile up their clothes, and looked out until it was time to walk in it to catch the bus.  Meanwhile we looked for snow boots and gloves.

Wrenny’s first few snow moments were sad, when she fell on her face because she snuck out without us.  But then we suited up and went out to throw snowballs at the dogs and walk in, like 3 inches.

While I thought Dan would be super excited to play in snow, because he’s a Tibetan mastiff.  Tibet, the country with the really tall mountains and all the snow.  But he was stuck on the porch, afraid to walk on the cold white stuff.  When the call of nature finally did get him off the porch, he wasn’t thrilled.  He picked his feet up with each step and sort of poo poo-ed it.  I don’t know if snow is going to be his thing.  I guess he better like it a little, or he’s in for a depressing winter.  Peter’s already planning his first ski trip with OUR SNOW DOG.  Mary Mac, this dog better like the snow or I want my money back.

Bloomers

Wrenny opened a package of, um, we’ll say, bloomers, last week and she has loved choosing a different pair each day (or hour) and getting them wet or worse.  Peter calls parenthood (and dog ownership) mostly just poop management.

 

Something to Look at

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