Firsts

Again we were gifted with free tickets (this time thanks to Oma) to another amusement park called Knott's Berry Farm. In a nutshell Knott's has Camp Snoopy with a few dinky rides for small children and a ton of ginormous, insanely awesome, roller coasters. Eric and I politely took turns riding these with Sara and Zac. Luke happily rode along in his stroller just happy to be with the group and then there was Claire. Let's just say that Knott's is not a place for a 5 year old who actually likes roller coasters. She wasn't tall enough for any of them! It was so sad! But she and Luke did get on a few fun rides and overall the day was great.

The best part was having Sara along with us. She is always helpful and unbelievably tolerant of the constant attention from her siblings. She turned 13 on the 11th and her maturity is way beyond that. We nicknamed her Sara Texterson for the trip. Apparently we took 3 other people along for the day. She texts when she walks, in line, in the car, and when she is eating. It's amazing though how she can still stay involved in the conversation. A true gift. This trip to Knott's marked a milestone for Sara. Her first upside down roller coaster!

It took lots of convincing but she did it. I must point out that as roller coasters go, the silver bullet is incredible!

Rookies

I'd say 99.9% of our friends are the proud holders of a Disneyland season pass. They go for the day, for lunch, after school, for dinner, or just for a parade. Not Eric and me. We went once when we were dating and approximately 3 times since. So when free tickets were handed our way, we couldn't resist. The Christmas decorations are unbelievable and seeing things through Luke's eyes for his first trip are moments to never forget. It was truly a spectacular day! I do need to note a few things we learned: Make sure your stroller has appropriate storage space for the 15 sweatshirts and water bottles, take a second stroller for the dramatic female 5-year old and for more storage space, pack a lunch and/or dinner to save yourself $200, bring blankets for warmth and to save your spot for the parade, fast passes are the only way to ride rides, charge your cell phone prior to entering the park, bring a camera if said cell phone battery dies, and finally, don't leave the car overhead light on all day because your battery will die. Thankfully Disneyland is a well oiled machine and we had our battery jumped and running in less than 20 minutes. The kids were home and in bed by 8:00. A perfect day.

Writer

At Zac's conference the other day Mrs. Felton told me that Zac has developed a "writer's voice." I think this is what she meant by that. I found this in his backpack on a piece of scratch paper. I think that means he did this during his free time. Awesome.

Proud Mom

Recently my sister-in-law wrote a blog entry I could really relate to. Sometimes, especially lately, I find it difficult to see "the bright side." If you know me well, this is very out of my character. In fact, knowing that I am acting out of character only frustrates me more.

Today I woke up with a head ache and began the inner negative talk. You know like, "Of course I have a head ache," and "Why should I have one good day this week?" and "Poor me."

I know. So drama!

After I dropped the kids off at school I went for a haircut where my hairdresser spoiled me with a head and neck massage. Seeing some light. I went to Target and decided to use the Starbucks gift card withering away in my purse for some peppermint hot chocolate to sip while I shopped. Light getting brighter. Went home to have lunch delivered by my parents and even had time to clean the house a bit. Even brighter now. Then I headed to Condit to pick up the kids and attend their parent conferences. Claire got a glowing report with a perfect report card (if you exclude the "P" for progress under "self control." It's genetic.) Now I'm smiling as I walk. We move on to Zac's conference where he gets his best report yet and I'm told how kind and helpful he is to his friends. As a reward I took the kids to the very strategically planned for sucker parents like me book fair. The kids each picked a book.

Love this!

We left to pick up Luke in time to witness him leading a group of friends around the playground in an intense game of scream and chase. Pass the sunglasses, the brightness has returned.

Thankful for Me

I am not often very impressed with myself, but for Zac's birthday this year I was awesome. Birthdays always stress me out because I worry about money, time, and the worst part, the guest list. So I did a lot of self coaching, told myself to "Chill out, he's only 8" and made some decisions. Only boys, only 7, at our house, legos. It was great! One box of legos for each kid, pizza, cake, presents and done! 2 hours of fun. It was perfect for an 8 year old boy like on other.

I also managed to be team parent for both Zac and Claire's soccer teams this year. I admit, I didn't quite think that one through. But with Eric's help, we pulled it off. We finished this weekend with two games that, thankfully, didn't overlap, and two team parties. I was gifted with flowers and a Starbucks gift card. A girl always enjoys flowers!

We began our Thanksgiving celebration with school parties at Condit on Friday. Claire's class were the controversial Native Americans while with the other classes were the equally controversial Pilgrims. RoRo joined me to see and hear (yes you could here her over everyone) Claire sing, then move to the playground to give a "Pilgrim" a handmade necklace and enjoy a peaceful meal together. Mom and I hung out long enough to appear helpful then ditched the "feast" to have one of our own at Euro Cafe. I came back in time for Zac's pie party. When I walked in I immediately noticed he was the only kid who tucked his napkin in his shirt like a bib. Gotta love him! The parents and teachers got a kick out of it. Of course he loves the attention. I have no idea where he gets that from!?

Sunday we enjoyed our annual meal at church. I happily overate as I plan to do the entire week, guilt free. I thought I should document that for when, come Monday, I am crying when I can't button my favorite jeans. :)

Halloween

A few of my favorite Halloween moments for 2011:

Eric and I started off the holiday at a grown-ups only party. We laughed so hard our stomachs hurt! Our costumes were fun and easy. I had to show the kids a YouTube video so they would know who we were. I felt old! I also wondered what I ever liked about Popeye the Sailor Man. It was creepy!

We opted out of the dramatic pumpkin patch adventure and went back to our neighborhood parking lot patch. We were the only people there, we took Porsche, Zac jumped on a bouncer, the kids picked a pumpkin, we took some photos, they each got a piece of candy and we left. 20 minutes tops. The "Butch" in me loved it! I know you are jealous Mark. ;)

We went home to carve. Zac ran the show, Claire helped, and Luke refused to touch the thing. He kept signing "all done" and made the yucky face. It worked out well!

Zac was first to show off his costume at his Halloween piano recital. He played Witches Rock dressed as Luigi. Well done Zac!

Sunday the kids dressed up for church and we hit the Early Childhood Center's Spooktacular afterward. More fun and photo opportunities with Luke's school pals and the Tucker cousins.

Finally Monday came and somehow I got the kids all dressed for their school parties, including myself for mine. I was done with Halloween by 9:00 a.m. (Thanks Butch and RoRo for being a Condit parent that day!) But trick-or-treating commenced at sundown. We cruised our neighborhood intent on getting the kids to bed on time to spare all of the poor teachers who had to teach them the following day. Zac gets the prize for etiquette (no walking on lawns, back up from the door, don't grab, say "thank you."). He was very frustrated with the non-etiquette displayed by his siblings. It's got to be tough to be the oldest. I wouldn't know. :) Claire gets the prize for being the proudest of herself because she felt pretty darn awesome in the almost inappropriate bunny costume. I must document that I am not, at this point, concerned about her self esteem! Finally, Luke gets the prize for being SO FLIPPING CUTE! He ran the entire time to keep up with his siblings, his light-up Toy Story boots flashing all the way, and by the sixth house he finally attempted to say "Trick-or-Treat!" It was darn clear and it made my night!

The kids were showered and in bed by 8:00. Yup. I am proud of that! :)

New Start

September brought many new beginnings for the Tucker Clan. Claire learned to ride her bike without training wheels. I didn't have the patience for her but thankfully Eric did. The kids began their new classes with ease. It was more of a shock to my system and our child care providers, aka Butch and RoRo.

Luke began speech therapy and has been diagnosed as "severely delayed." Severe is my new least favorite word. Somehow between soccer, piano, ballet, and an Orf music class, we squeeze in the 3, 1-hour sessions of speech and play therapy a week. I am hoping that this early intervention will work miracles by April! :/

I have a new principal at Vista who is young and full of new ideas. It is exciting but challenging. It feels a bit like my first year of teaching without all of the scariness! Eric began his third year at Claremont High and I am please to say is doing great. He is a site representative for the teachers union so he can keep us in the know about our shaky future in education. To be continued...

So if all of this isn't enough we decided to add her to our schedule.


Porsche, 3 months

The kids and Eric started working on me a few weeks ago. I caved way earlier then I intended. But I am so glad. So far she is amazingly sweet, smart, and just good!

All Done

I am not very motivated to write anything exciting here. Not to say my posts are ever very exciting but, you know what I mean. I just think the picture of Luke on the potty is getting old.

We are very close to the end of summer here. Soccer has resumed, Eric and I have begun to reclaim our class rooms, and the happy summer mommy I once was is fading. Sara already started 7th grade, Zac will begin 2nd, and Claire-bear starts Kindergarten! OH and we can't forget that Luke J. will be in the Busy Bee's starting September. We already stopped by for a visit and used their toddler sized potty. He thought that was great! He had to wave at them as we left.

So good-bye summer! You weren't too hot or too busy, just good. Looking forward to a new school year!

Holding Strong

We have completed week 1 of operation potty train Luke. I wish I could say it has been a complete success but #2 has proven to be a challenge. If we turn our back for one second he decides he should just let it go. On the floor. Ewwww! But he's got the main idea and gets pretty excited to check out every public restroom available. Here is a pic of Eric this morning, working hard to promote a poop! Note the Clorox and baby wipes in arms reach.



My past experience is what is keeping me sane because I know that soon (hopefully REALLY soon) he will get it. Right?

Dallas

It's been one day since our return from Dallas, Texas. I think we have finally recovered from what I would call a whirlwind, extremely hot, family excursion.
Thanks to my Aunt Mary, my entire family was able to gather together in Dallas to honor my cousin James and his new family for their one year wedding anniversary. I saw some cousins for the first time in 11 years. Too long! The trip was packed with family events from a barbecue, a formal reception, to a baptism then brunch. I don't feel like I was able to talk with and enjoy any of these people enough. But I'm not sure if any amount of time would be enough. I absolutely LOVE being with my Kansas and Texas clan!

Some highlights include an evening walk with the kids in 100+ degree weather. You can tell by the red faces how hot it was!



The roof top pool at the Hilton provided hours of entertainment for everyone. The adults especially enjoyed the phone you picked up and magically drinks would arrive. Here is Luke and Thomas enjoying a shade break by the window. You can see how high up the pool is.



Serious cousin bonding time for my and Mark's kids. So much so that tears were shed by one 7 year old who shall remain nameless. I watched Andrew sulk down the hallway with his head bowed upon saying good bye. Ugh! Heartbreaking!



We got to dress up for the occasion. Something my family almost never does. In fact, my boys wore ties for the first time! Highlight of this evening was the dance show our kids put on. Zac and Andrew paired up, Thomas and Claire did some sort of slam dance routine, and Luke just wanted to feel the music alone. And wow did he feel it! You had to be there. It was hysterical! We (Susan and I) were also smart enough to cut it short and call it a night so perhaps the adults could enjoy the live music and the dance floor as well!







We managed a quick tour of Dallas that included a stroll through Dealey Plaza where JFK was shot, a drive through Butch's Alma Mater, SMU, and a hilarious glass elevator ride for the kids. Eric took this pic when we thought we were going to go up in this building. But for security reasons we couldn't. The elevator wasn't quite as high, but I assure you I am not complaining!



It's hard to pick a favorite part of the trip, but seeing my twin cousin, lovingly nick-named MC (Middle Claire), takes a top spot!

Connections

Zac and I had a play date the other day with a small group of his friends from school and their moms. I too have become friends with these women and enjoy them all so much. That night I lay awake "solving the problems of the world" as my mom would say. It was then that it occurred to me how rich, unique, and special these relationships are. We all have the obvious in common: our kids, their siblings, school, soccer, etc. We talk about our husbands, clothes, and the T.V. shows we watch. The usual girlie chit chat. But what's even more obvious that I never quite realized before is how different we are. The host is Peruvian and speaks Spanish. Another is Chinese, speaks Mandarin, and was raised in New Zealand. My closest friend of the group is Hawaiian and married to a Japanese man. Then the other woman is middle eastern who speaks Arabic. Then there's me! (Wow I need to learn another language.) I have gotten to know these women over a 2 year period and not once have I thought about how amazingly cool this mosaic is.

Now I have made other connections with moms and dads at Zac's school that will always remain what I call "surface" friendships. On the 4th of July I had this conversation with a fellow school mom during Claremont's Memorial Park celebration. After small talk about how our summer has been going I asked if they were going to the 4th of July parade?

Mom: No. It just keeps getting weirder and weirder every year.

Me: (Head tilted with a quizzical look.) Really? (Knowing what was coming but hoping to not hear it.)

Mom: Yeah. Those liberals you know, they just...(eyes rolling and a giggle).

Me: (A smart ass giggle) Yeah. Those liberals!

Surface relationship sealed!

Now those of you who know me well are thinking, "Maria! Just because she isn't a liberal doesn't mean you can't be friends." And I agree. (Although admittedly I really like a good progressive. ;)) It's just that it was assumed that I would jump on board with her bigoted comment. We may look alike, but that doesn't mean we think alike!

So Far

Quick summer catch up...

Father's day was spent at Peterson Automotive Museum. Dad and Eric were in heaven. I chased Luke.



We saw an advanced screening of Car's 2. Here is what Luke did until dad picked him up. Guess he wasn't quite ready for his first movie.



Swimming lessons commenced. Zac was the youngest in his class with kids up to 11 and 12 years old. I am so proud of him. He worked so hard! They had to swim for 30 minutes without stopping, do all of the various strokes including butterfly, and perform some life saving tasks. It was a little painful to watch. But he was a champ. Claire passed level 2...again. We don't need to push Claire. She is happy taking things slow! I must say, her teacher was especially amazing this session! ;)



A little inside joke among the poolside moms. She even lied about her age. She told him she was 6!


This picture I had to post because Zac is standing over my shoulder and asked me too. It is pretty cute.

Every summer I am reminded how hard it is to be a stay at home parent. I so admire all of the mom's who can do it without complete emotional break downs on a daily basis. Although I appreciate this time with my kids and I am doing my best to savor each moment, I am struggling to hold on to what little sanity I have left. And it's only July 1st. Ugh!

Consideration

Last time Sara visited I thought she was ignoring me when I came into her bedroom asking her a question and she was clearly awake not answering me. I began to get angry but as I got close to her I realized she had her earphones in and was listening to her ipod. My bad.

This visit she was considerate enough to think of me so I wouldn't be offended.

I love the developing sense of humor that comes with maturity. Awesome!

First Recital

Claire was busy this week. Saturday afternoon she had her first ballet recital, the Ragdoll Wedding. Somehow I was named "class coordinator" which is HI-larious for those of you who know me well. Part of this job entailed coordinating a basket for the raffle. With some advice from the nice mom's in the class and my mom, I braved Wal-mart and created a "family fun night" basket that wasn't really a basket because I filled up a popcorn bowl with movie tickets, DVD's, a few games, popcorn, and candy. It cost $93 total and with 10 kids in the class I thought it was perfect. Until of course I dropped it off and set in down next to baskets the size of a toilet. Another flash back to college when I would proudly hang my hard work on the wall and then the rest of the class would show up and suddenly I wasn't so proud. (I got a C in that class by the way. Who get's a C in art???!) Oh well. It was my first attempt and a young kid ended up winning it so I figure he was excited.

Anyway, I spent the recital back stage with Claire which was really fun actually. I loved helping all the little girls and boys stay pretty and mildy calm. Claire was just so anxious to get out on that stage. And when she did it was adorable! She was all smiles and I was on the side of the stage all tears. We, I mean she, can't wait to do it again next year!

Thank you to:
Lisa for teaching me how to put Claire's hair in a bun.
Mom for going an hour early to save seats.
Diana for going to the photo shoot and buying the pictures.
Eric for braving a 2 1/2 hour show with the remaining 3 kids!

The Graduate

Claire Elizabeth was a super star today at her graduation from the Early Childhood Center. I was far more prepared this time after experiencing Zac's in 2008. So sorry to all those first borns out there. I am more relaxed with each child. It's great!

Thanks to dad, who stopped by the church early to save 8 seats, we had a great view. Lisa, Allie, and Zoe came as well as Sara. Zac giggled through the http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifwhole show and screamed loud when Claire went up to the microphone to announce that she can clean her room all by herself. (Hmmm. I haven't witnessed this amazing skill!) Luke was transfixed and sat still in my lap the entire time. Butch and RoRo also enjoyed the performance that ended with RoRo crying along with every other grandparent. It was hilarious!




Now I know that I am extremely bias but Claire was really good! She knew every word to every poem and song and projected her voice beautifully. They did a dance to a song by Happy Crowd and I'm telling you, she rocked out! The teachers told me afterword that she always did it right, but with the audience today she really went all out. That's my girl!



Almost every picture we took was blurry but Eric did get one video of Brown Bear, Brown Bear with sign language. Enjoy!

A Glimpse

Yesterday was Memorial Day. I admit that I have been a little out of it lately with all of the end of the school year happenings that when I drove to church on Sunday and noticed a few houses with flags waving I thought to myself, "Wow, they are decorating really early for the 4th!" Maybe I shouldn't have admitted that. But it's so me!

I got up early yesterday and Luke and I went to Target for two things. This was the first.


Just a glimpse of his future as soon as I have a week to kill. He was pretty excited but I'm not sure he is ready for what's to come.

The second thing we got was this.



It really wasn't that warm and the kids were purple. Actually purple! But they had a blast. The cousins came over later and joined in the fun. I hope this is just a small taste of a fun summer to come!

"My Tooth!"

It was about 2 weeks ago when I happened to notice that Claire had a permanent tooth at about complete development on her bottom row. Sorry second child! I was further stunned to realize her baby tooth in front was extremely loose! Sorry again oh middle child! Sure enough after lots of Claire drama and tears it fell out while eating ice cream. Yes, it was THAT loose! She was thrilled and surprised at how painless it was. The tooth fairy was not confident in his skills to retrieve a tooth from a very light sleeper, but he was successful. She is very proud and will show any and everyone her missing tooth.

Bus 1997 - 2011

13 1/2 years ago I rescued Bus who had already been rescued from sure death. A friend of mine worked at Stater Bros. and while throwing out trash heard a faint scratching sound. Sure enough 3 female puppies, still wet from birth, were thrown away in a box. He found a home for all three girls. One home being that of a friend of mine who happened to live in a house with 5 other guys all around 20 years old. NOT the best place for a tiny puppy. After the boys bottle fed her and she grew to be a fluffy ball of busy-ness, the cuteness wore off and no one had time for her. But I did! Then I met Eric. All in the same week.

She was literally a puff ball of energy. She could jump to your eye level and run faster than any dog I knew. She pulled me on roller blades and my bike. She love to climb rocks with us at Big Bear and go exploring. She even climbed our tree in the back yard. She chased birds every day and had her fair share of possum hunting. She escaped over our 6 foot fence a few times, cruised the neighborhood a few more. But she always came home. She was very devoted! And she could bark. A lot! One of my favorite memories is when Eric bought her a gigantic bone that really was bigger than her. She loved it so much she didn't want to put it down. But she still had to bark. She would be up in the window with the bone in her mouth basically blowing air out around the bone in an attempt to bark. It gives me a giggle to think of it.

I think Bus loved our kids a little more than she simply tolerated them. Especially Luke. He would hug her just a little to hard every day and she would just look at me as if to say, "HELP!" We always said she tried hard to fight the Chow within. They aren't known for their sweet dispositions.

Bus has been a part of every moment in my life with Eric. When we broke up, got back together, moved in together, got married, welcomed Sara into our lives, experienced two other dogs, college, new jobs, and the birth of Zachary, Claire, and Luke.

She was an easy dog in the sense that she never demanded much. She was always healthy, never smelled, and barely shed. As dogs go I think she was pretty awesome.

A few weeks ago she did start to smell and her hair began falling out in chunks. She started drinking excessively and eating less. We dreaded what was to come. Sure enough she had a tumor on her tongue. I should have known when her watch dogging stopped. She couldn't bark without pain.

Thursday night I looked at her and thanked her for being such a "good dog." Eric took her to the vet the next day and stayed with her to the end.

It's pretty quiet without her. Even with the kids running around. We keep thinking we hear her or see her running in the yard. But we also feel a sense of peace because she was in pain and she isn't anymore.

Eric came home with orange roses in honor of our orange doggy. The kids helped plant it in our back yard and Zac made a cross. We may not always be here but hopefully the roses will just like Bus' spirit.

Pure Joy

Luke J.'s birthday celebration began early in the morning when he and I came out of the bedroom to be genuinely surprised by two kids hiding around the corner. For all our birthdays I decorate the kid's chair with a special sign and a balloon. Well, I dropped the ball on this one Luke. Sorry. But fortunately I have a very sensitive and creative 7 year old who did it for me, completely on his own, before we all woke up. He even included Claire by allowing her to color on one spot. So generous of him! ;)



We continued the celebration at Corona Del Mar State Beach. It was a beautiful day with lots of digging, burying, shell collecting, tide pool perusing, and Aunt Michy-B time!

For dinner we dug up a gift certificate to Olive Garden and enjoyed an over priced, delicious meal where we also found out they do NOT sing for birthdays but we were welcome to purchase dessert.

Friday night we had the family over for hot dogs (Luke's favorite) and dirt cake (cake that looks like dirt but tastes like heaven). The cousins had a wonderful time playing in the gorgeous weather we are currently enjoying.

We are thinking this video could win some sort of award. Not only for Luke's role in it, but the adults in the background. You may need to listen twice. Some background: I had been singing Happy Birthday to Luke all day and every time he would shake his head and grab at me to stop. It was funny. But this is even funnier!



The night ended with gift opening which was perhaps the most delightful experience for me. Here's a kid who doesn't talk at all but uses sounds and an inflection in his voice to communicate exactly what he is feeling. He opened every gift with a loud "aaahhhh",a huge smile, and a proud showing of the present in hand. Luke spends the majority of his life at least a little bit sick. I think a runny nose and a cough is the norm for him. But you would never know based on his personality. He emits a pure joy from him that is much more contagious than any of his illnesses. These last 2 years have been exhausting, a huge learning curve, but most definitely blessed.

Growing Up!

In preparation for Luke's big day on Thursday, he's turning 2, we did this.







He took his first nap afterword in his "big boy" bed. It went great! I am hoping and praying that the potty will soon be just as exciting!

*I changed my blog background to look birthday celebration-ish since April brings a ridiculous amount of birthdays in this family. I know it's a tad obnoxious but I'm in that kind of mood.:)

Woops!

Our intention was to take a little off the back. But when your baby responds to haircuts similar to the way a cat does to a bath,



the little off the back turns out like this.

It's About Time!

I can't miss the opportunity to post about Zac's latest achievement since the main point of this blog is to document our lives, or as my sister-in-law puts it, a virtual baby book.

Some background- Zac's track record at Condit Elementary hasn't been that great. In Kindergarten he visited the principal a couple of times and then again at the beginning of first grade. I love Condit, but honestly they are extremely strict. I promise that I am not excusing his behavior but let me give you one example. After lunch he took a spork from the cafeteria out recess and was using it as a sling shot with some friends. I know! Totally creative! ;) Then the kicker was that it was "all his idea." I know! He's a leader! Anyway, his report cards were glowing except for the citizenship category and he missed a Popsicle party because he had 2 tickets and only kids with 1 ticket or less got to go. The worst was when he told me that he just wasn't one of those kids who gets awards. UGH! So you can imagine my surprise and utter delight when we received a letter from Condit letting us know that our son was selected to receive the "Soaring Condor Award" that means he has gone above and beyond in both citizenship as well as academics. On top of that his teacher has been raving about his change in behavior and we received a stunning report card. Relief as well as pride are only two of the ways I feel about this! Way to go Zac!

Cheating

I have been in a such a funk since Mark, Susan, Andrew, and Thomas left. We had such a great visit and when reality hit Thursday morning I wasn't quite prepared. I think today the light is beginning to shine again. I'm sure my husband and all near me will be grateful! When we went to my parent's house last night for dinner, Luke walked back to the bedrooms (that are cleaned of all Henderson visit evidence) putting out his hands, palms up, as if to ask, "Where'd they go?"

Yes I am feeling less crummy but, I am still going to cheat and provide a link to the best recap of our time spent together. I will add that I am so touched by the immediate connection my kids have with Andrew and Thomas every time we see them. It broke my heart to see Zac cry upon saying good bye. Claire is just wondering when we are going to move to Kansas and have a house with stairs. Oh and she wants to see the dog that licks a lot! Maybe someday, although Andrew told us we really shouldn't move to Kansas because there is "way more to do in California!"



Griffith Park is still way fun when it's closed!

Can't Wait

I am skipping ahead here but this is too good not to share immediately. Mark, Susan, Andrew, and Thomas are here. The fun has begun!

Free Entertainment

Ours neighbors across the street are adding on to their house. We are on week two of construction with the street lined with trucks and lots of workers milling around, not to mention the Porto potty in the front yard that Zac finds quite amusing. Rather than a nuisance, this has worked in our favor. It has provided my children with hours of free entertainment.


I finally got sick of standing in the doorway with Luke when the front loader was digging and dumping and thought I should just get him a chair. He sat there for at least 30 minutes.




Here they are today before school watching Claire's favorite choice of truck, the mixer.

My only irritation to this is that Luke now periodically goes to the front door with a toy truck in hand crying "Out!" All. Day.

But I do feel this is better than what he has been trying to bring in the house lately.