Super Hero Friends

M is for Maggie

Television

Ben loves tv. 

He loves it more than food.  He loves it more than his bike.  He loves it more than Legos.

His viewing choices are mostly limited to PBS and Playhouse Disney.  He doesn't watch a lot of tv (in my opnion) but I still worry that he watches too much.

The other day Ben asked Chris, "Do you know what the Aurora Borealis is?"

Chris, who was curious about what Ben would say, replied, "What?"

"Well," said Ben. "It's a light show in Minnesota near the Northern Lights."

"Huh," said Chris.  "Where did you learn that?"

"Oh from Dinosaur Train," was Ben's reply.

I guess we underestimated the ability of television to fill Ben's brain with random facts.

Maybe he has a future as a Jeopardy champion.

More Lions, Tigers, and Bears

I was pretending to be a lion (you know, roaring and such).  Maggie was amused...for a short time.

Maggie (very seriously):  Mommy no say "roar."

Me:  Okay.  What should I say instead?
Maggie:  Mommy say, "I love you."

Me:  I love you Mags.

Lions, Tigers and Bears

Last week Ben's friend, Paul, came over to our house before preschool.

His mom dropped him off and we ushered him inside, where Sadie welcomed him excitedly.

Me:  Paul, are you okay with dogs?

Paul:  Yeah, we have one.

Maggie:  I like dogs!  But my daddy does not like bears.

Cate

I always thought that Ben would be the first of my children to break a bone.

I was wrong.

Yesterday at the end-of-the-year Kindergarten picnic Cate fell from the monkey bars and landed on her wrist.  We headed to the ER and, sure enough, her wrist is fractured. 

She's in a cast up to her shoulder and is particularly disappointed that she will not be able to swim.  And, since it's her right arm, there are many other things that she will not be able to (easily) do this summer.

Luckily she is fiercely independent and I'm sure she'll up and and running (literally) in no time.

Poor girl.

Drawing on the Table

Now this is the kind of drawing on the table that I can wholeheartedly endorse:  three kids talking, laughing and drawing together before school.

Ben's Last Day of Preschool

Ben celebrated his last day of preschool on Friday.  He'll be back for another year in the fall but was quite pleased that his last day included lots of extra play time outside with his friends AND a "buffet" filled with popsicles, brownies, cookies and cupcakes).

(Since junk food is expressly forbidden at his school this was an especially welcome treat).

Cate made him a "Congratulations" sash before school.
(Ben said, "Thanks Cate. I'm going to keep it 'til I'm a grown-up.")

 Eating cookies on the playground with his fellow partner in crime

With his excellent (and patient!) teachers, Lisa and Sloane

Adventures in Portuguese Living

Chris and I recently spent eight days in Portugal.  We spent most of the trip in Nazare, a coastal town north of Lisbon, and the second half of the trip we were in Lisbon, where we met up with my brother, Mike, who is in graduate school in the UK.

It was a great trip although it was hard to leave the kids.  I'd never left them for that long and was a little worried about being so physically far away.

Cate, in particular, was very sad when we left---probably because she was the only one of the three to really comprehend how long eight days was!

We returned home and found that our babysitter had kept a written record of what the kids did while we were gone. 

I'm not sure if she even knows I have this blog but if we leave the kids again I might have to ask her to be a "guest blogger" for me! I was thrilled that she did this as it gave me a glimpse into what they did while we were gone.

My favorite thing I did with Evelyn was...
Cate:  Dairy Queen, Dan's Short Stop, and going to Regina
Ben:  Going to DQ and Dan's Short Stop
Maggie:  Regina!

My favorite song I listened to was...
Cate:  Baby! by Justin Bieber
Ben:  Bennie and the Jets
(note from Evelyn:  I'm sure "Party Rock Anthem" is a close second...)
Maggie (dancing): Baby! Baby!

My favorite thing I did with Grandma was...
Cate: When she hided the Tic-Tacs for us
Ben: Sewing and Tic-Tacs and washing bikes
Maggie:  Sewing and camping

My favorite thing I did with Grandpa was...
Cate: When he bringed the Jimmy Jack's home and when we went on the hike.
Ben:  Me too.
Maggie:  When he put me to bed

My favorite food was...
Cate:  Hamburgers!
Ben:  French fries!
Maggie:  Not a hot dog.

My favorite activity I did was...
Cate:  Sprinkler!
Ben:  Sewing, sprinkler
Maggie:  Meeting the other Evelyn

I would tell my Mommy and Daddy...
Cate:  I love you!
Ben: I love you Mommy and Daddy!
Maggie:  Miss you!

Note from Evelyn:  Hope you had a great trip!  I've sure they missed you as much as you've missed them.

Special thanks to Evelyn and to my parents for taking such good care of my kids while we were gone!  It's no easy task to care for three little people for 8 days straight but, by all accounts, everything went well.

Castle of St. George, Lisbon

(with storm clouds rolling in)

The Welcome Home Committee

Snowcones!

First snowcones of the season!

Milestone

Today we had lunch at the Saloon, in downtown Iowa City.

We sat at the table and were munching on chips and queso when it hit me.

Today was the first time in SIX years that we simply walked out of the house.

No diapers*.  No wipes.  No sippy cup.



(*Yes, Maggie has basically potty trained herself over the past 3 weeks.  I have not written about it here for fear of jinxing this amazing development).

Mags and Grandpa

Chris just sent me this photo, taken on his phone over Easter weekend.  Clearly it was too good not to post.

Robot Love.

One tin can + a few magnets + beads + yarn + some plastic things + hot glue gun = a robot whose features can be arranged anytime, anywhere.

Genius.

(NOTE:  I can take no credit for this project as Ben completed it at preschool).

Her Brother's Sister

Not content to speed down the Tot Lot roller coaster facing forward, Maggie prefers to launch herself down the chute backwards, typically with outstretched arms, yelling, "I GO VERY FAST!"

Lucky 13

Thirteen days of kindergarten left and Cate is rockin' the knee socks.

Pomp and Circumstance

Last Saturday morning, my dad graduated from college for the second time. 

He received an Associates Degree in Automotive Technology from Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, IA.

The girls and I attended the graduation ceremony and I'm so glad we did. 

I am certainly proud of my dad's willingness to become a student again at age 60.  My dad was a diligent student.  He never missed class and always completed his homework on time. 

For our family, my dad's graduation from the program was a foregone conclusion.  My dad started this program with a Bachelor's degree from Iowa State in hand.  He had time to devote to his studies.  He wasn't hustling to pick his kids up from daycare after class.  His kids were already college graduates.  He wasn't holding down several part-time jobs to cover tuition.  He'd put in 35+ years in the workplace.

Fort Dodge is a blue collar, working class town.  As I looked around the gymnasium on Saturday morning it was immediately clear that for many graduates this day was not necessarily a forgone conclusion.  For many people in that room, walking out with a degree (or even a GED) in hand was a huge accomplishment, given the family and financial pressures that chipped away at the time they could devote to their studies.

And so I realize that I am quite lucky.  I grew up in a household where going to college was an expectation, where the conversation focused on where I would go to college, since not going simply never crossed my mind.  Or my parents'.  

I'm lucky to have grown up in a family that truly believed I could do anything I wanted and were willing to help me figure out how to do it. 

I've known I was lucky for quite some time, but it's always good to be reminded.

Teeny Tiny Pigtails

Miss Maggie demanded pigtails ("just like Cate").

This despite the fact that she barely has enough hair to make this hairstyle work.  Luckily she is cute enough to pull it off.

Six, Going on 26.

I was half asleep when Cate came in this morning and started telling me how she changed her earrings all by herself the night before.


Me: Well, you're six now. That's very grown-up.

Cate:  Yeah, I know.  When can I get my own apartment?

Jack and the Beanstalk

Given that we have a horrible track record of keeping plants alive in our house, I was amazed at how much Cate's bean plant grew in the 2 days since she brought it home from school. 

Me: Wow, Cate.  How big is that bean plant going to get?

Cate (matter-of-factly):  I don't know.  It might be giant so we could climb it if you let us.

At Rest

Me (from the kitchen): Mags, what are you doing?

Maggie:  Oh, just havin' little quiet time.

Finally.

After weeks of wiggling (and begging Chris to please, please, please just pull it) Cate lost her first tooth.

My Favorite Party Pic

My favorite moment at any of my kids' birthday parties is the look on their faces when friends and family sing "Happy Birthday" to them.

Pure joy.

Six!

Cate turned 6 on Sunday, April 29.  We had an action-packed weekend filled with birthday treats at school on Friday, a visit from Grandpa Doug and Grandma Sheila, a party with her friends from school on Saturday, and a low key birthday-day on Sunday (donuts, balloons, scavenger hunt, presents, movie day, and more cake).

Some highlights:

Rainbow cupcakes

Jumping on the trampoline at her Gym Nest birthday party

With two classmates, post-party.  I think Cate looks so grown-up here!

Reading all of her own clues on the traditional birthday morning scavenger hunt

More cake!?!?!

Movie Day!

Happy May Day!