A Good Mother Would

Good mothers take their children to public libraries.  Woo-hoo!  check.  Lookin' good.  Good mothers take their children to story time at libraries.  I get points for trying...  But the boys just weren't diggin' the scene.  They weren't buying what that old bird was selling.  They didn't like the smell of the funk she was layin' down.  (too weird?  sorry.)

So what have we got so far?  A good mother would go to the library.  check.  A good mother would try to go to story time.  check.  A good mother would check that her children are checking out age appropriate literature from said library after said story time.   Ummm...

The children's section at the library was a complete madhouse.  A complete.  freaking.  circus.  WAAAY too many little cuties.  Way too many.  It wouldn't really be a big deal, I like lots of little cuties... but sweet Baby Harry is in that fun loving phase where he isn't content unless he is running or trying to shove something up his nose.  Sometimes both.  So library time went something like this.  Where's Lucas?  There he is.  Animal reference section.  Of course.  Where he always is. Where is Max?  Ah, yes.  Right behind Lucas.  Where he always is.  Harry?  running running running.  drinking fountain!  ooh!  computer wires!  What happens if I pull this?  running running running.  ooh, a book.  huh.  I bet I can step on it.  running running running.  drinking fountain again!  wheee!


"You get three books boys.  No, Lucas.  You do not get seven.  I see the two books you have hiding in your shirt.  Only three.  Only three. No.  Not five.  We will come back, I promise.  No.  Not four.  Three.  Max.  Three?  Three.  Great.  Let's hit it."

A good mother would have checked the books that her children had picked out from the library before they were checked out.  But Harry was stealing pencils from other library patrons and trying to pull wires out of computers.  So we really needed to bail.  Somehow between the confusion of keeping Harrison out of the drinking fountain and rescuing would be stolen books out from under Lucas's various articles of clothing, I didn't even glance at the boys' books until we got home.  Lucas came home with exactly what I would have expected.  Animals Around the World.  Wild Animals in Captivity. and, What Can We Do About Endangered Animals?  Classic, six year old Lucas.  Max, however...  Max somehow brought home the three most boring, and most obscure childrens' books in the entire world.  The first dedicated to the planet Mercury (in his defense, Max thought he was getting a Star Wars book); the second, a weird graphic collection of Chinese Mythology;  and the third, a children's book on Geothermal Energy!  Yes!  Geothermal Energy!  With an exclamation point!  In fact, there were LOTS of exclamation points!

He's four.  Next time maybe he will get a little bit of help in choosing his library books.  Or maybe not. Because Harry likes drinking fountains.  And computer cords.  And running.

A Strange Coincidence

So...  Have I ever mentioned on this blog that my boys like the zoo?  Well, they do.  More than your kids like the zoo.  So there.  I win.  Give me all your pennies.

As a point of interest, this camel is named Lucas.  Which is a strange coincidence, because the bear; most of the lemurs; half of the flamingos; a couple of penguins; the goats from the petting zoo; the biggest chimpanzee; and the sloth from the rain forest exhibit; are also named Lucas.  Betcha didn't know that.  In case you were wondering, the animals that are not named Lucas are named Max.  Which is also a strange coincidence.

Because I'm Cool

So, you've seen this.  Right?  Unless you are my Mom, you've seen this.  If you are my Mom, or if you haven't seen this for some inexplicable reason, stop what you are doing and watch it.  But, you might not want to be in a crowd.  If you are anything like me, you will sit with a stupid smile plastered to your kisser and tears streaming down your face.  And then you will watch it again.  And cry some more.  And then watch it again.  More tears.  And then you will think about it for days and days.  And maybe get a little teary when you think of it.

But here's something you may not know.  In the video, the guy with the fluffy hair in the beginning?  That's my friend Ammon from high school.  And the amazingly beautiful woman in the red dress?  That is his wife Gina.  That's right.  You know what this means.  It means that

I.  Am.  Incredibly.  Cool.  

I'm practically famous.  I've practically gone viral.  I know.  You are really impressed.  But really, you're practically famous now too!  Because, you know me.  You are, if you are reading this blog, probably related to me.  So how cool does that make you?  You've practically gone viral!  You are so.  Cool.

Okay, true.  I have only seen Ammon a hand full of times since high school.  And I have never met his wife.  But I can't take my eyes off of her when I watch this.  Over and over again.  Stupid grin.  Tears.  I can't take my eyes off of Gina.  So I feel like I know her.  We're practically best friends.  We're famous now.  Going viral together can really bring two people together.

Don't worry, Gentle Reader.  I won't let my newfound fame change me.  Much.

Dudes

A couple of weeks ago, I had my first senior photo session ev-ah.  I was excited about doing something new, but I was also a little nervous.  Because he is a dude.  And there is a delicate balance when photographing dudes.  (Not little dudes, they're easy.  I mean big dudes.)  You want them to look cool, but not too cool, easy-not-trying-too-hard, and somehow not like one of these guys.

It's a delicate balance, I tell ya.

But Mason is ridiculously good looking...  Like this guy...

And he was willing to do any crazy thing I told him to.  Like, Wear a suit and bring a ukulele.  So I think it all worked out.

 What are they putting in those school lunches?  I am certain, quite certain that my friends and I were NOT this cool in high school.

Nope.  Not that cool.

 I'm still not that cool.

Buzz Lightyear and the Poodle. And the Worm.

Saturday morning came much earlier than we would have liked.  Partly because we had tilapia for dinner the night before.  Which meant that Lucas and Max didn't eat dinner.  Which meant that they were very hungry by 6:45 the next morning.  Which meant that Mommy and Daddy were very awake by 6:45 the next morning.  So, it was partly because of a tilapia dinner.  But it was also partly because Lucas lost another tooth on Friday afternoon.  And it is a known fact among wee ones that that any night when someone is going to sneak into your house, (either to fill your stocking that is hung by the chimney with care; leave you chocolate bunny rabbits and marshmallow chicks;  or steal your teeth and leave you money) is not a night for good sleeping.  But I'll tell you more about Lucas and the tooth fairy tomorrow.  That story deserves it's own post, boy howdy.

So, we had an early morning.  Waffles.  Then a walk.  Max was sent upstairs to get dressed, for even though our boys wear their pajamas every moment that we are at home, we do make them wear real clothes when we leave the house.  Yes, even for a walk around the neighborhood.  I know what you are thinking.  We.  are.  so.  uptown.

This is how Max came downstairs.  Dressed for a walk.

Whatevs, dude.  Whatevs.

Overheard conversation on our walk.  Lucas to a worm, right after he dropped it back in the road where he found it.
ahem.
I'm gonna miss you, Worm.  Go. Go back to your family.  I love you, worm.  I'm really gonna miss you.  Go.  Go dig in some dirt.
As a side note, I think that work was dead.  Ummm....  Lucas didn't know that.  I didn't think it was necessary to tell him.

Violin Practice

This is what violin practice always looks like at our house.  I tried to lay down the law.  Make an edict.  A "No Brothers in the Room" when we are practicing proclamation.  As you can see...  Didn't take.  At all.  They like to help.  Little brothers are supportive like that.

Hammock Time

Hammock.  Max.  Mommy.  Crabapples.  Books.  Nice way to spend the afternoon.  We stretch out in the dappled shade and try not to swing out of the hammock and onto the grass.  We examine crabapples and ladybugs.  We giggle and hug.  Look at pictures and make up voices for the characters in our book.  I love being his mom.

This picture cracks me up.  We both look so serious.  Max is serious about getting a picture of his crabapple, and I'm serious about working my iPhone at arms length.  I'm not get good at it.  It takes a serious face.

Crabapple.

A good book.

A goofy pair.  I like having a four year old as one of my best friends in the whole wide world.

linking up today with Embrace the Camera.