Present tense Harper

I want to document a few things about Harper at seven years, ten months.

**She just weighed herself (after eating two tortillas stuffed with avocado for lunch) (my kids love to weigh themselves on my scale. Hudson refers to it as "gaining my weight" even though he rarely has actually gained any) and she weighs 47 pounds.

**She loves frogs, and was ecstatic to find this little fellow when we went to pick strawberries on Monday:

 **She has, currently, two young gentlemen who have expressed interest in marrying her. Mr. TS, when asked by his mom what qualities had guided his choice, cited her extensive knowledge of "Star Wars" (especially useful since he himself has not seen "Star Wars.") He has already chosen the vehicle they are going to own: a large duelie (doolie?) truck with plenty of room in back for their many children. Mr. NG is the other suitor. I don't know the exact details of his interest, but I suspect it has to do with their shared love of Legos. Yesterday at school, it was discovered that his younger brother had proposed to Helena earlier, to which Harper replied, "That's weird, because (Mr. NG) wants to marry me, and now (Mr. BG) wants to marry Helena!" Her cheeks turned quite red as she said this aloud, which surprised me. She is rarely self-conscious or embarrassed. She later told me that Mr. NG had first proposed months ago at Oil Ranch, "while they were walking across a field." I thought it was especially dear that Mr. NG, upon discovering that Harper was going to have to sit out the first 10 minutes of playground time yesterday (because of an earlier infraction involving extemely loud protestations about having her hair brushed before we left the house) pulled up a chair near her and sat quietly waiting for her to be available. Let the record state that I would love either set of in-laws. Let the record also state that Harper has, on more than one occasion, declared to me that she is planning to live by herself when she is a grown up, with only her pet stingrays and horses to keep her company. Children, she has told me, are TOO MUCH WORK. I do hope she changes her mind at some point. Having the grandrays over for holidays seems like it might be a touch smelly.

**She is an artist.  A couple of Saturdays ago, she spent several hours doing many variations of these horse silhouettes with her watercolors. Then she got my camera at the butterfly center on Monday, and got several really nice shots with the auto focus:


**She still loves writing stories. This year's entry for the PBS Kids Writing Contest:

**She definitely has an artistic temperament to go along with all of this creativity. It is a daily struggle for both of us. I see this expression several times a day:


**She loves programming this little robot she got for Christmas. It seems to be based on the TRS-80 computer I used in Mr. Charles' Gifted and Talented class back in 1983, but now that she's finally figured out how to do it, she delights in watching it roll around. This morning, she realized how to program its headlights, which pleased her.

**She is, at this moment, sewing a gray, fleece tank top for one of her stuffed stingrays. "For summer," I heard her muttering as she threaded her needle.

**A few weeks ago, she decided to spend a big chunk of the money she had saved on a ripstick. Do you know what these are? I didn't. It's kind of like a skateboard, but it has only two wheels. And they WOBBLE. Apparently, it is supposed to simulate snowboarding. The husband got on it the first day and almost broke his wrist within the first 30 seconds. Harper is making slow, steady progress. She is determined to take it to church and show her friends Pablo and Marco that she can do it. I was trying to help her the week she got it, and we fell over on the sidewalk in such a tangle that it took a few minutes to sort ourselves out. She is also intent on mastering the pogo stick she got for Christmas. She's up to 10 continuous bounces, I think.

**She is reading (to herself) The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit. We are reading Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfield out loud.

**As much as she likes writing for pleasure, she does not enjoy our writing schoolwork. She bristles at the suggestion that her own creative spelling and punctuation are somehow not exactly standard. She does enjoy math work, most of the time. Getting started is usually met with sighs and groans, however.

That is plenty. I need to go check on the tank top endeavor. 

Ten books for Tuesday

As we all know, my attempts at any sort of serial blogging have failed miserably. But I am going to attempt to blog more regularly (again) and I also realized my list of library books is becoming unwieldy.  I thought I might highlight the ten best books we've enjoyed each week. On Tuesdays because of my obvious love for alliteration (see also: The Names of My Children). On our library list in the sidebar, I put an asterisk to recommend the book if any of us particularly enjoyed it, even if it isn't destined to become a great classic. On this list I will try to give a little more information. I think years from now I will enjoy looking back to read which books were delighting us at particular times. So, here we go! Ten Books for Tuesday!!

1. Building Our House by Jonathan Bean

This book is SUCH a treasure I went back to the blog that recommended it in order to thank her (Orange Marmalade--fantastic resource). It is based on Bean's own childhood in which his parents bought a field and built their own house. The idea of homesteading is a very appealing one, so I was characteristically teary-eyed by the time we got to the end, and I so loved the author's note at the end, which closed with, "Of course, a homestead would not be complete without a large garden, fruit trees, pets, woodland, and a stream flowing through mysterious marshland. Add to that the wise love of two parents, the companionship of three sisters, and a practically lived faith, and it's hard for me to think of a better place to have grown up." RUN to the library and check this out. Or buy it even.

2. The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon by Jaqueline Davies, illustrated by Melissa Sweet

I've mentioned this one before. We all like it. I love how patient Audubon had to be in order to discover what he did about the birds of America.  I also love how intent he was on mastering his craft. He would gather up his drawings at the end of each year (on his birthday) and burn them! "He hoped that some day he would make drawings worth keeping."

3. My First Little House Books: Dance at Grandpa's illustrated by Renee Graef

These adaptations from the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder are really sweet and well illustrated. I get them for Helena now, but the older kids always stop what they are doing and come listen too.

4. When You Were small by Sara O'Leary, illustrated by Julie Morstad

Every night, Henry asks his father for a story about when he was small. " When you were small we let you sleep in one of my slippers. The left one. You used a fuzzy wash cloth for a blanket and a tea bag for a pillow." The illustrations are perfection. All three kids enjoy this one.

5. The Biggest Bear by Lynd Ward

This won the Caldecott Medal in 1952. Johny Orchard is a little boy who lives on an apple orchard, but dreams of hunting bears. Then he finds a baby bear, and instead of shooting it, he brings it home. Sweetness and mayhem ensues. Hudson particularly liked the drawings of Johny with his rifle. There was a moment when I thought things were going to go the way of Old Yeller (or Abraham and Isaac). But they don't.  It may be a little too tidy in the end, but I am okay with that for now.

6. Peter and the North Wind retold by Freya Littledale, illustrated by Troy Howell

Helena asked for this one every day after she found it on our shelf. She was a little scared of the North Wind (white beard, crazy hair, creepy white eyes) but I think she liked feeling a little scared. She also really enjoys the comeuppance Peter is able to exact on the unscrupulous innkeeper in the end.

7. Monet Paints a Day by Julie Danneberg, illustrated by Caitlin Heimerl

Monet and his canvas get washed into the sea because the painter, in his intense focus, does not notice the tide coming in. The illustrations are terrific, and I liked the little facts and biographical tid-bits included on each page.

 8. The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton

 This is one of my absolute favorites and I am always so happy when someone pulls it off the shelf for a re-read. It dovetails nicely with Building Our House, actually: "She was a pretty Little House and she was strong and well built. The man who built her so well said, 'This Little House shall never be sold for gold or silver and she will live to see our great-great-grand children's great-great grandchildren living in her.'" Doesn't that make you want to go buy a field and build a house on it??

 9. Hooray for Spring! by Kazuo Iwamura

 A cute tale (translated from Japanese) of three squirrel siblings trying to figure out what to feed the baby bird they happen upon. My kids love stories about animals acting like people. And the illustrations are adorable.

 10. People by Peter Spier

 This book invites all sorts of philosophical discussions, so it's best not to read it before bed. I loved that after we looked at it one morning this week (the kids particularly enjoying the page on which there are examples of many different written languages) we went to the post office to mail something, and the lady who works there, whom I've visited with before, and who I knew was a Coptic Christian from Egypt, wrote Harper's name in Coptic and Arabic for her.

 Wow. That is long. Maybe next week I will make it Two on Tuesday!

Interview with Helena Jane, age 4

1. Helena, at what age does a person become a grown-up? (Hudson: TWENTY-FOUR! me: Hudson, this is Helena's interview. Do you need to go inside?)

"Um..Twenty-four?" (me: Tell me what YOU think--is that what you think?) I see the moon!"

2. Yes, I also see the moon. Should we move inside, maybe? No? Okay, next question: If you could be invisible for a day, what would you do?

"I would hide from monsters and the princesses and the queens would save me from the monsters."

3. What is something that makes our family special?

"Stories with Grandmother and Grandfather."


4. Are you a good friend?

"Yes. Friends play with my Playmobil set and put my costumes on."

5. How would the world be different if animals could talk?

"I see an airplane! I want to watch it. (lots of silliness ensues here) (me: Okay, what animals would you want to talk TO?) A pig and a deer. A turtle and a frog."

6. What is the best thing about being a kid? The worst thing?

"Being princesses with Hannah and Rachel. I like everyone in the world. (me: and the worst thing?) Being in your pocket because it is too dark. I don't want to go in your pocket. It is too noisy.." (at this point we had to stop the interview and move inside because the big kids were laughing uproariously at her answers which was causing her to totally lose focus.)


7. Where is your favorite place in the world?

"The butterfly museum. Because it has butterflies in it and those are my favorite animals. And pigs.."

8. If you could give one present to every child in the world, what would it be?

"A Star Wars movie to Hudson. Um, a doughnut! A toy doughnut with a kid. I will give them a Lego Jesus. Jesus likes playing with Legos. (me: Does Jesus like Legos? I did not know that.) He told me. He is far away."

9. What are 5 words that describe you?

I like princesses and I look like a princess. Curly hair, blue eyes. I like princesses.

10. If you could invent something, what would it be?

"A princess. It would be a princess. Now can I watch it?"


11. If you could make one rule that everyone in the world had to follow, what would it be?

"I don't know. Your rules and Daddy's rules."

12. What is your favorite:

--Color? purple and pink

--Smell? roses

--Food? pasta

--Book? princesses books, ballet books

--Activity? play with my Playmobil

--Sound? Luke and Princess Leia sounds

--Animal?  Pigs and seals


13. What does Daddy like to do?

"Play with Legos and watch Mario."


14. What does Mommy like to do?

"Do schoolwork and read books and watch t.v. and read the newspaper like Han Solo. And drink coffee.."


15. What is your favorite thing to play with?

"My ballet (buh-way) doll."
 
16. What do you MOST want to do?

Watch t.v. and listen to music and play and have my lunch..

17. What would you like to write a book about?

"Maybe write a princess book to you and Han Solo.."

18. What is your favorite thing to wear?

"My yellow dress with that strawberry shirt. And my heart shirt!"

19. Describe what you look like:

"Um, a flower? Orange hair? Golden hair? Curly hair. Tall? Blue eyes?"


20. What are you looking forward to this year?

"Camping, I guess?" (Daddy was standing behind me feeding her this answer.)
 

Helena is FOUR years old!

And one month. But the reason I haven't been able to blog is because I wanted to post her birthday interview before I did anything else. Then there were technology complications. And so now she is practically five but I will post this remembrance of four anyway.

This little lady is a delight about 95% of the time. She wakes up early, gets dressed in ensembles that are sometimes really cute, and sometimes not. Then she plays in her room. Then she goes to the kitchen to get her vitamin. Then she brings me a vitamin in bed. Then I eat my vitamin, we convince Sasha to unburrow from the covers, and we head to the kitchen. Helena eats a gigantic breakfast. This morning it was a waffle, some granola, some kefir, and an oatmeal muffin. Then she asks what we are going to do. She likes to go and do, but she is also usually content to be at home. She loves costumes, and got three new ones on her birthday: a monkey, because for months she had been saying the only thing she wanted for her birthday was " a BROWN costume," a Degas-inspired tutu (which she enjoys wearing on her head) to go along with a new ballet book, and Sleeping Beauty.

Dancing.There is constant dancing. Perhaps this year there might be some lessons, though she has picked up quite a bit from books and a DVD that came with one of her books. "Look Mommy, at my pas de chat!" she says. Here is the pas de chat birthday cake masterpiece:


She is a little wisp of a girl--just 32 pounds. I don't know her height, but people comment that she is tall. Then they comment about her hair.

She still takes a 2-3 hour nap each afternoon, though lately she wakes up cranky and clingy and sometimes she will burst into tears if, for example, I tell her I won't be able to sit in the rocking chair and hold her for 30 minutes while she sorts herself out because I need to get dinner started or fold a load of clothes. I believe this was taken post-nap. I call it "Surly Fairy":


Her favorite book is probably this really beautiful, origami pop-up book of The Twelve Days of Christmas. We just read it tonight and she can sing the entire thing. The eleven dancing ladies in a music box are her favorite.

At the rodeo last week, she repeatedly (and loudly) asked if a man next to us had a baby in his tummy. She also loved climbing on the tractors and petting the baby goats and llamas and lambs.

Things are gradually getting better in her relationship with the big kids. I think in another 6 months there will be great harmony. And less tattling and bursting into tears over light sabers etc. I will confess that there is usually one moment of extreme discord each day in which I consider getting a light saber myself  and just taking them all out in one fell swoop. The Darth Vader Defense, I'll call it.

I think the interview will have to wait until tomorrow because I need to transcribe it from the video camera and 'tis late..

Olympian in the high school meet

There was an article in the Wall Street Journal a couple of months ago about Missy Franklin, swimming prodigy and winner of many gold medals during last summer's Olympics. Miss Franklin is still in high school (because she is just 17, after all) and is, consequently, still swimming for her high school swim team as an amateur athlete. The article detailed how UNFAIR some of the kids, coaches, and parents at her rival schools are finding this. There were lots of quotes heavy on the whining. This seems significant to me--emblematic of our "everyone gets a trophy" mentality. I think if I had a kid swimming against Missy Franklin, my advice would be to get in her wake and swim as much like she does as you possibly can. You'll still come in second, but at least you will be better than you probably would have been otherwise.

 Then last night we had a little family time around the Monopoly game, and Harper had acquired Boardwalk and Park Place. She bought three houses (after adding up the total in her head--triple digit numbers! Singapore Math, I'm sorry I had begun to doubt you!) and was sitting pretty. Until the Daddy got three hotels, and I got all 4 railroads, AND she had a few unlucky rolls. Watching the tears well up in her previously glowing eyes when she realized she was bankrupt made me realize something: it is NOT easy to watch your children face disappointment. I confess that I felt a little less judge-y about those parents in the Missy Franklin article at that moment. I also realize that losing well at Monopoly is an important life skill. Although when I came back from putting Helena in the bath, the Daddy had had mercy and had bailed her out a little. I guess it's like playing Monopoly with Sasha and Malia.

We all went to the dentist this morning. It was Hudson's first ever visit, and Harper's second. A little late (very like us when it comes to all things medical) to the preventative care, but thankfully, they were both cavity free. I am not. My mouth is going to have to be Dealt With in quadrants over several months, though none of it is very serious. Does anyone else think getting the x-rays is the worst part?? Maybe I just have a delicate palate.

 I just finished a popular best seller that had TWO unreliable narrators. This has vexed me ever since 10th grade and The Great Gatsby. I believed Nick Carraway. If I ever write a book, my narrator will be trustworthy.

 I still can't do Helena's birthday interview because the video camera memory is full, and the Husband has been too crazy busy to track down the hard drive.

 I'm reading For the Children's Sake: Foundations of Education for Home and School by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay and it is a delightful reminder of why we are schooling the way we are. Which is timely, because I have been a little weary of things lately. Possibly because I finally went to the doctor on Friday and it turns out that post-flu I have developed a couple of different -itises. I am currently on four different pharmaceuticals, and am finally beginning to feel myself again. Only now poor Helena has a fever. AGAIN.

 We got a blender for Christmas and we've been making smoothies. They have all been well received, except for two days ago when I got over zealous with the raw, vegan, sprouts-based protein powder. It was wretched. Helena thought it was delicious, the other two did NOT. I made Harper drink hers because she threw a small fit about it. Then I drank the rest because I can't stand to waste healthy (expensive--raw, vegan, sprouts based protein powder does not come cheap) food. It tasted charred somehow. Like charred, sprouty, bananas covered in flax seed oil and plain Greek yogurt. I'll be sure to post the recipe on Pinterest. You know, I just realized what with my steroid shot and my super unpalatable smoothie intake, maybe I should consider a run at the Tour de France this year.

That is all. Not even a picture to temper the randomness.

Interview with Hudson, who is newly SIX.

I have to be honest that the interview did not go at all well with Hudson this year. He was surly and curt. He was, as they say in law enforcement, a Hostile Witness. Granted, his birthday fell at the end of week one of The Terrible Flu of 2013, and, as birthdays go, things were a little disappointing. The two requests he'd had, in terms of celebrating, were a camping trip with the Daddy, and some bike riding with his pal T, and neither of these things happened because of our protracted recovery. We did go eat at Escalante's, per his request, but none of us had fully regained our appetites, and it all felt a little less-than. Anyway, as you read the interview, realize that I have omitted the, "I don't KNOW!" that he actually gave as his answer on almost every question, before I gently cajoled another out of him.

1. Hudson, at what age does a person become a grown up? 99. Why do you think so? Because it's really old. No. 500!

2. If you could be invisible for a day, what would you do? I guess watch "Star Wars" or play with my Ninja Legos.

3. What is something that makes our family special? Watching "Star Wars"

4. Are you a good friend? NO. Well, I guess I'm a good friend. Because I like Star Wars, I guess.

5. How would the world be different if animals could talk? I don't WANT to talk to animals I want to talk to ALIENS.

6. What is the best thing about being a kid? Playing with Zane (one of his new Ninja Lego guys) and this guy. I forgot what his name is. The worst thing? Not getting to watch "Star Wars" when you say no.

7.Where is your favorite place in the world? Camping. Speaking of camping, WHERE is my knife?

8. If you could give one gift to every child in the world, what would it be? Uh...maybe a book or something? Maybe Trumpet of the Swan?

9. What are five words that describe you? I guess Luke (as in Skywalker), Navy SEALS, brown hair. That is all.

10. If you could invent something, what would it be? A robot or a lightsaber.

11. If you could make one rule that everyone in the world had to follow, what would it be? Bring weapons to school. Why CAN'T we bring weapons to school?? (our homeschool co-op had to make a no weapons rule because last year, so many of the older boys were bringing knives and swords and other weaponry for their presentations, which made playground time a little harrowing.)

12. What is your favorite...
Color? black
Smell? fire
Food? red bell peppers
Book? Star Wars (Lego character encyclopedia)
Activity?? Playing with Legos, bike riding with Daddy
Sound? Star Wars music

13. What does Daddy like to do? I guess watch "Star Wars." And shoot bb guns.

14. What does Mommy like to do? I don't know what you like to do.

15. What makes you special? I guess that I like Legos.

16. What do you MOST want to do? Watch "Star Wars."

17. What would you like to write a book about? Star Wars.

18. What's your favorite thing to wear? I guess my Star Wars shirt.

19.Describe what you look like. I'm a boy with brown curly hair. I am tall. Brown? eyes.

20. What are you looking forward to this year? Playing Mario. THAT'S what I am excited about. This week I am going to play an entire CHUNK of Mario.


So. there it is. Maybe you will remember that last year's interview was heavy on "Cars 2," and this year I obviously could have just skipped the entire interview and typed in "Star Wars" for every answer. Yes, this makes me sigh.

A few other observations of this boy:
1. He wears socks 23 hours and 55 minutes out of every day. He strips them off before his shower, and puts on a new pair as soon as he has dried off his feet.
2. He only weighs 35 pounds.
3. But he's athletic. He picks up new Tae-kwon-do moves the first time. He can do a wheelie on his bike. He does all sorts of fanciness with his light sabers. He can dribble a basketball very well. And he jumps from VERY high things and lands like a cat.
4. He prefers shorts, even when it's chilly out. He also rarely leaves the house without his braided paracord belt, from which he hangs his knife and his light saber.
5. He plays with Legos for hours every day.
6. He loves to snuggle right next to me when I read aloud. If he hears someone reading, he will always stop what he is doing and go listen.
7. We have slowly worked through Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons this year, and he is on lesson 78.
8. He can write fairly neatly for a lefty.
9. He doesn't ever eat much (see #2) and if he doesn't like what we are having for dinner, he will get sad about it and start talking about how maybe he will just throw all of his toys IN THE TRASH.
10. He makes friends easily. He shares readily.
11. He plays well with both sisters. Most of the time.
12. He thinks Harper is the funniest human being EVER.
13. He doesn't drum nearly as much as he used to. Which, honestly, makes me simultaneously relieved and sad.
14. He loves having his back scratched at bedtime.
15. Turtles are his favorite animal.
16. He is always ecstatic to see the Daddy walk through the door. As lovely as we are, it can't be easy being around all of the ladies all the day long.




17. He quit taking an afternoon nap about 8 months ago. He usually sleeps 11 hours at night. The blue blanket is still quite necessary. As is the thumb. Though I think he is considering quitting. Just like he was last year.

I made some of my signature Homeliest Cupcakes Ever. Can you guess what they are?

I'm alive again.

Well, that was a break. We've all been better for about a week now, for which I am exceedingly thankful. We had Hudson's sixth birthday, then Helena's fourth a week later, and I will be posting the birthday interviews this week at some point. Meanwhile, I wanted to make sure I left evidence of Saturday night. We spent the weekend with the Grandparents Pate. They have season tickets to the Lamar University Cardinals basketball games. We went with them, and Harper and Hudson got invited to participate in a Sports Clips sponsored dance competition during one of the time-outs in the first quarter. Hudson thought he probably did NOT want to participate, until the sweet student volunteer recruiting kids told him there was a PRIZE involved. "WHAT is the prize?" Hudson queried, still very much on the fence. Harper decided she would definitely do it, so Hudson decided to go along. The guy told them they would be dancing to a song called Gang Man  or Nan or something or other, and was met with blank stares from my kids, and also from me.  I thought about suggesting that we could definitely boogie down to our timeline song, from the beginning of recorded history up to Prince Henry Founds School of Navigation, and that we knew the sign language, and that it would take approximately 15 minutes, but instead there was 30 seconds of this:

 

 Just before they walked out, Hudson thought he probably and most decidedly did NOT want to participate. He definitely did NOT want to play one of the guitars. I convinced him he could go out with his pirate do-rag and do some tae-kwon-do, and guess what? Little man WON the dance off!! The prize was a large thermos cooler WITH a straw, a Sports Clips t-shirt (size adult XL which we passed on to Grandfather Pate), a piece of beef jerky (also given to Grandfather Pate), a tube of men's shave gel (given to the Daddy) and a FREE haircut! Harper and the other boy (his name was Johny) got a pair of Lamar University sunglasses and a lanyard necklace thing. I'm not sure the judging had any sort of objective criteria, considering Johny, as you can see from the photos, had some MOVES (look at him all Michael Jackson on his toes in the second photo!), and Harper, who did her ($500) cartwheel in the midst of her impressive choreography, actually performed better than Hudson. All I can figure is that they decided Hudson was the one most in need of a free haircut.

Anyway, it kind of felt like one of those moments Donald Miller talks about in one of his books when the family jumps off the dock into the water just to make things memorable. Dancing like no one is watching in front of a crowd of a thousand people definitely counts as a memory, I think.  I will be back soon. Maybe tomorrow.