Go Tell The Rhody Garden The Old Gray Goose Has Hatched

There's yet another garden inside our city limits, and it's full of rhododendrons. And even when the rhododendrons aren't in bloom, which is roughly fifty weeks out of the year, it's still a lovely place to visit. Trails of discovery, man-made waterfalls, bridges, and ducks and geese a-plenty.

The kids and I met up with my friend and her three boys, smack dab in the middle of the day in the middle of the week. The place was a ghost town, complete with six little shriekers running around and scaring the already frazzled moms.

My friend was thoughtful enough to bring baggies of animal food, one for each child to feed the ducks and geese. The Suz was quick to use up her food within ten seconds of entering the garden. Ziggy used his in moderation, and the Campers saved most of his and then doled it out to those who deserved it, meaning, those who used their first batch responsibly. I don't know where he gets these crazy ideas; I blame it on the Pa.

*COUGH COUGH*

We also saw some eggs that had recently hatched a duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, GOOSE!! Okay, I don't really know which one, I'm a bit clueless, but it was the egg of one of those animals. Zig The Animal Lover would have liked to take the empty shell home to love it and hug it and call it "George." Meanwhile, Suz In All Her Delicateness was attempting to stomp on said shell.

Before we left the garden, all three of my kids had gotten their feet soaking wet, and Campers went so far as to fall in the water up to his waist. I must be half-numb because this sort of thing feels normal--expected even. I suppose once the kids are grown I'll have to resort to pushing Pa in the pond just for old times' sake.

Enjoy the rhodys.

 

Swim Lessons, Spring Break Week

"Will you put my eyes up?"

That's what the Suz asked me the first day of her very first swim lessons. She has watched her brothers ("buth-urrs") head off to lessons many, many times and she was so. super. excited to get in the pool, on her own, in her very own class, with her very own teacher and her very own swimming suit and her very own towel and her very own goggles ("eyes") that she can wear on the top of her head if she wants to. 

Our local pool provides free swimming lessons each year during Spring Break, I believe in an attempt to train their new instructors for the summer season. I was able to get all three kids in their own classes, and all at the same time. *pats self on back*

Campers needed the week of practice, and it helped. He seemed much less scared of the deep end this time around, and rarely clung to the edge of the pool at all. Here he is jumping into nine feet of water:

He was pretty proud of that jump.

Ziggy moved up to the level of class where he learned how to side-breathe and do arm circles. Unfortunately, he ended up in a class of mostly "big kids" (not shown below) who tended to push the Zig out of the way and call him "little." That was pretty hard on my incredibly tender-hearted little boy, but it was a good lesson for him in how to make the best of a not-so-great situation. 

And to add to the saga (after all, see blog title, "SAGA"), Ziggy was not feeling well on the last day of class (the "fun" day), and after just five or so minutes in the water, I saw him huddling in the corner of the pool, shivering and looking 872% miserable. I finally put two and two together and asked if he was feeling sick and cold and wanted out of the pool--and yes, he did, so I spent the rest of that class with a soaking wet sick boy on my lap. Fortunately a couple of towels and my ever-present fleece got him warm, and he got the rest of the day off of school. So, a nice trade for having a miserable cold.

And now to the girl. Goodness sakes, I will never stop being amazed at who she is. I grew up being a mouse of a child, afraid of water and people but having a particular affinity for cheese. Anyway, each time I looked across the pool at her, she was smiling, participating, and in general, having the time of her life. She's getting old enough now that she can behave in a class and actually get something out of it, so I hope to find more things like this for her in the future.

All in all, it was a good experience and a nice break from the norm. I left the house four days in a row, in the morning NO LESS, and it didn't kill me (though I've not been this exhausted in quite a while). Yay, homebody, introverted me! Oops, I mean, yay for fun and free lessons!!!

Friends Are Friends Are Friends

My fears are abated. My faith is restored. Seems my boys actually have social skills. What, with home schooling, they are For Sure And For Certain to become Ingrown Introverts.

(Hey, I just report it like I hear it.)

But it's not like these kids don't have two strikes against them already, with both the Ma and the Pa avoiding social situations like the plague.

We like people. We do.

Especially the ones on TV.

So about those kids!

In Pa's regularly scheduled weekend outing to the parks around town, it is becoming more common for Campers and Zig to Make Friends and Create Games and Have Fun With Humanoids Outside Our Family Unit.

I mean, shocking!

So here they are with another such child, submitted as proof:

Well, but it appears Zig has to take a break from the crowd and pray to the playground gods:

And it looks like the Campers has to withdraw as well, for some much-needed "alone" and "thinking" time:

I figure a 23:1 ratio is good. 23 hours a day alone, 1 hour with people.

Oh wait. That's my need.

"Let's have three (four) kids," she says. "Who needs peace and quiet?" she says.

Lazy Days And Sundays

It's pretty normal that on weekends, I will spend the afternoon at home with Sleeping Sister Susie (ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh) while Pa takes the boys out and about.

So here they are at a park:

Playing between a couple of big trees:

Digging in the dirt, of course:

And showing Batman a stick.

Lazy days and Sundays. Can't get much better than that.

Park Parade

Well, there's this scrumptious shot of my girl on a swing:

And her neighbor-friend Nah-Nah on the one nearby:

Zig and Campers were so pleased because they each had a baby to push in the swing, instead of having to share Sister Susie.

[Oh! Won't that be great when they each have a sister to pester push around dote on full time?]

You might notice in the previous pictures that Suz and Nah-Nah were dressed appropriately for the day. Zig? In his short-sleeved Batman shirt, that is ever-present and out for show.

I stand corrected! He does own a coat!

Boys were trying to wrestle a rock out of the ground.

Meanwhile, Nah-Nah was trying to wrestle the hat off of dear Susie's head:

Sneerrrrrrrkkkkk.

It's Beginning To Feel A Lot Like...Springtime

Well, if you can get past the gray hairs that are so prominently displayed on my head, you might notice that I am outside! In January! With only a fleece-type coat!

Surely this cannot be winter.

But let's back up a bit.

Around 11:00 a.m. today, I noticed a glow coming through the windows.

"WHATEVER COULD IT BE?!?!?!?" I asked myself.

"WHAT IS THAT BRIGHT ORB IN THE SKY??" I questioned.

Oh! It's the sun! Breaking through all the grayness!

So then my heart filled with glee (which as my kids will tell you--happens about once a year, when the house is spotless and the bills are paid and everyone is healthy and Mars lines up with Jupiter, JUST HOW I LIKE IT), and I went around the house sing-songing, "We must take a walk! We must take a walk to the park!"

So while the kids were dilly-dallying through their lunch, I headed to the computer to read through the hordes of blog comments that come my way each day.

If you think I'm a bit sarcastic, you're half right.

I'm a LOT sarcastic.

But where was I.

Oh, upstairs.

Soon I hear the Zig walking up the stairs saying, "Ma, I couldn't make it to the potty in time."

And it wasn't any "number one" I was seeing stained all over the lightly-colored-carpeted stairs as he step-step-stepped his way to help. Yep, it was the Good Stuff.

Good enough for Sister Susie to make her way up the stairs behind the Zig, touching the brown spots and tasting as she went.

I don't make this stuff up, I promise.

So eighteen gazillion hours later, AFTER THE SUN HAD GONE BEHIND THE CLOUDS, and I had given Zig his second bath of the day and cleaned the carpets and consoled the Campers and sanitized Sister's mouth, (OF WHICH NONE OF THIS I AM BITTER ABOUT), we headed outside.

Because We Were Going To Enjoy This Weather Whether We Wanted To Or Not.

Fine moods we were in, the lot of us.

Oh, but the rambling, it has got to stop! Okay, Ma, back to business.

So here's the Campers. Climbing like a little six-year-old skinny grade-school monkey.

And Ziggy, swinging to his little heart's content.

But we can't all be happy at the same time, goodness sake, I'd die of shock.

"GET ME OUT OF THIS STROLLER, YOU NINNY OF A MOTHER!!!"

At least that's what it looked like she was saying.

And this is our life, in the Winter Wonderland.

That looks a whole lot like spring.

Rapidos!

Had fun playing at Mount Tabor today. Here the boys are, making their Ma seasick just watching them go around, and around, and around.

I was so proud of my boys as they played together so well, and Campers did such a great job of making sure that the merry-go-round was going slow enough for Ziggy to get on without getting hurt. I mean really, it does a mother's heart good to see them living in unity.

Now at home, well, that is a much different story. But we don't need to get into the Weapons Of Mass Destruction that they choose to use on one another; no, I'll save that for another day.

While I listened to the bunch of kids on the merry-go-round (not all shown in this picture), it sure was neat to hear all the languages being spoken. English, Russian, Spanish. I had to smile when Campers was the "runner" and the girl sitting on top hollered out "Rapidos!!" (fast!) And even though the kids couldn't understand one another, they still had a great time. Playground Talk equals "Fun" in any language. It was a beautiful thing, and a beautiful day to boot.

Pa took lots of scenic, lovely pictures, but yer all just gonna have to wait for him to get them posted on his blog. He is One Incredibly Talented Photographer, and I wouldn't want to steal his thunder. Nor could I do his pictures justice. Although, it would be nice if he could do a regular photoshop-liposuction each time I appear 'in film.' Well, that's something for him to aspire to.

Just Needed A Place With No Walls

No kidding, Campers and I ran to the park this afternoon--we had that much cooped up energy. (The babes got a swift ride in the double stroller.) Course, we had to call in for a couple of oxygen tanks, but at least we burned a calorie or two in the trip.

Here the boys are, running towards the playground:

And Zig, who likes to spin and spin and spin, even past the point where I am too dizzy to watch:

And rock:

And I just thought this was a nice shot of the tree, and the ghost child in the blue swing, and the two boys who made it to the playground much sooner than me. You see, I was still gasping for air. But I could take pictures, yes I could.

See, I Got Her Out Of The Stroller. Okay, Once!

Sister Susie giggles with glee whenever she is swinging. She has always loved movement, so roller coasters here she comes.

And there Ziggy is on the left, telling me to push him higher and faster and more more more. And Campers was off to my right, in a big kid swing saying, "Don't push me too high, Mom, I don't want to fall out."

Predictable...

Enjoying The Evergreens

Still amazed at what large fir trees grow in this region. Here Ziggy is, holding one of them up.

Because It's FUN To Watch Kids Fall

Well here's something the likes of such I've never seen.

Campers is walking across the plank, all the while Ziggy is spinning the top bar in circles. All I can figure is that the Spinner is trying to get the Walker to fall off the bar. Sounds like Fun Playground Equipment to me!

But the boys tended to hover in the "Spinner" position versus the "Walker" spot. Mmm-hmmm. They could dish it out but they couldn't take it.

But I will say, there was something rather enjoyably sadistic about watching the whole gig play out.

And that's the kind of love I have to share with you this glorious day.

It's So Spectacular Having Two Boys

And here they are playing together, racing down the slide and all over the playground and generally having a good time.

These last two days have been especially nice, and I just keep telling myself that Sunny and Seventies is the Norm. It's cheap therapy, really, this self-talk.

So anyhoo, we have taken advantage of the sun and done some play time and walk time through a park in our neighborhood. And the boys play so well together and it's such a great thing that they have each other (and Sister too). Because they will be therapy for each other when we're done being Ma and Pa to them. [grin]

I'll Take One Wide Open Space To Go, Please

Found another park today, not too far from home. Two boys I know have waaaaaaaay too much energy to stay inside. So off to the park we went, in the middle of the day, for a nice long recess.