Another Week Gone...

Ah yes, another week gone. WHO AM I KIDDING? I haven't updated you for a month! But you're still here, so let's just carry on and pretend like everything is normal, 'kay? Speaking of normal, there was the usual:

Grace choking hugging Mark

Mark bailing before anyone else could "love" on him

"Mark, if you spill that... I won't tell anyone. Hee."

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Mark: "You think she knows we're the ones flinging
blueberry yogurt on the floor?"
Grace: "Just act natural. I've been doing this for years

and she hasn't caught on yet!"

We had LOTS of fun at birthday parties, dressing up for Halloween, and cooking in the kitchen. First we cooked dinner with a little help from DeeDee:

She made bacon wrapped scallops. No, I'm not kidding.
And I'm not sharing either.

Then we cooked, er, made dessert:

"We're pretty good at this stirring stuff!"

"We're pretty good at the tasting part too!"

Proof this child is related to me.
(In case it was needed.)

I'm fairly certain I'll be passing the meal making chores to the kids any day now... Don't worry about them eating to much sugar though. We're pretty tight with the candy around here:

"Aargh Matey! Hand over yer candy and we'll
spare ya the plank!"

AREN'T THEY ADORABLE?!?! (So I'm a little biased. Sue me.)

"Ya see this stash o' candy little lady? That's how
we pirates get it done."

"Hey! How did you get more than me?"
"Face it matey, I'm older and wiser...
I've done this before ya know!"

Our little pirates terrorized the neighborhood demanding loot from anyone who would open their doors. Grace had a ball, and Mark caught on pretty quickly. At one point, we chatted with the neighbors too long and I looked down to find Mark had stolen a Tootsie Pop from his container and was gnawing through the paper! Those pirates are tough cookies!

That weekend we hosted John's 5th birthday party (and Uncle Kevin's 40th, but he said not to tell anyone so shhhh...). We visited the local bounce house hangout and Grace had a ball:

After one slide with mommy...

Grace was ready to win the race!
(Happy Birthday Cousin John!)

She also rocked the house with her drum solo.

Mark had fun too, but he was a little distracted:

Decisions, decisions...

"They said there was gonna be cake. There's cake right??"

Afterward, we came home to the festivities and Mark made sure to keep us on track:

"The pizza was great, but there's still
gonna be cake right? Cake?"

I didn't actually get a photo of the cake eating mess, but rest assured - there was cake. Grace and Mark were very excited that Auntie Kim also left a birthday balloon for each of them. They are very fond of "boons", and fought over them ALL WEEK. Thanks Auntie Kim!!!

Once all the guests had said their goodbyes, we ate dinner and settled in to watch the new DVD release: Cars 2. Auntie Kim had taken Grace and the cousins to see it at the theater months ago. It was Grace's first (and so far, only) movie at the theater. Daddy was anxious to check it out for himself since Grace was the only one who'd seen it. Turns out, Grace is still the only one who's seen it...

Seriously. I couldn't make this stuff up.

Remember Tuesday's post about how kids do goofy things because, well, they're kids? Turns out it's not that hard to get pictures if you really try:

Mornin' Markie.
Here's proof this child is also related
to me. (In case it was needed.)

Banana, telescope, leftover spy
glass from her pirate days... you decide.

Yeah, daddy helped with this one. Mark kept them on
for two hours. And cried when I took them off.

I hope your week was filled with a new way of seeing things, and that you weren't overrun by pirates tryin' to steal your loot! We are hosting Thanksgiving at our house this year, and I'm looking forward to celebrating all we have to be thankful for as a family. Oh, and pie.

"See ya soon!"

That's What YOU Think

My kids do not think like I do. (Shocking, I know.)

Rumor has it this will continue well into adolescence. It's been said that even when they finally acheive adulthood and some form of maturity... they may still think differently than I do. (I assure you I will do my best to prevent that from happening.)

Um, this is not exactly what I meant when I said,
"Lay down and go to sleep!"

At what point do they begin to think like adults? At what stage do they look at a bookcase and cease to think that climbing it would be fun? When do they realize that drinking the water from the tub they just peed in is actually NOT a good idea? And don't even get me started about scissors.

No, children certainly do not think like we do. They have a wonderful sense of seeing the world only as it is presently. They do not look to the past, and they cannot look to the future. They see items and circumstances only as they are now. Which is their gift.

"I think I need a hat in the next size down..."

I look at our pots and pans reminding me of meals that need to be made, dishes that need to be washed, and meal planning that has yet to be done. My children see clanging cymbals, containers for trucks, and sometimes - hats. Whatever they happen to need in that moment, the objects around them can serve the purpose. They are not restrained with rules of how things are to be "used", what they are "for" and how they "work".

The imagination of a child is an amazing miracle. The world around them is still pliable. They can bend any object to serve the purpose at hand. The rigid structure of adulthood has not pierced their thoughts, inhibiting them from licking peanut butter off the table or turning couch cushions into forts. Responsibility and knowledge don't weigh on them, preventing them from enjoying dirt, water, food and bugs.

Mud Pie. It's no longer just for dessert!

They don't care if they get dirty. They don't have to care. That's what we're here for. So, as I walk around the house and find things that are a little "off", I have begun to take pictures. (Shocking, I know.) Reminders that their vision of the world around them is so different from my own...

Please join me on a short but fascinating trip into the minds of my children. But please, no questions - I have no idea what they were thinking.

"Whaddya mean pockets aren't made to hold dirt?
It works perfectly!"

"Who needs pancakes? Or a shirt? Or the ability
to actually twist open the cap?"

"But every time I took one bag out, another
popped up in it's place! Isn't that how
the game works?"

Swim suit or new headwear? She's such a
fashion trendsetter.

Why yes, that is a kitchen sink filled to the brim.
Why yes, that is my daughter drinking straight from it.
Why yes, that is my son scooping water oblivious to
how abnormal this entire situtation is...

You see: Iced Tea Pot
They see: Stuffed Animal Sleeping Quarters

Oh, like you haven't found your keys hanging from
holes in the walls at your house. Right.
(How the holes got there is another story...)

*No Caption Needed* (Ha!)

"Hey mom! What's in-hi-bition?"

"It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"How come adults have no idea how fun this room is?"

You see: Laundry Basket
She sees: Chair. Or Train. (Depends on the day.)

Speaking of trains... why bother with the plastic one
when you can invent your own?

I love the reminders that my children definitely do NOT think the way I do. On second thought, I take back my earlier statement. Maybe I won't do my best to teach them how to think like me. Maybe I'll even learn a little something from them.

Another Week Gone...

I took very few pictures this week. Don't worry, I'm not ill or anything.

We did a lot of the usual; running errands, playing in the backyard, even went out of town to visit some friends yesterday. Thinking about my post today, I decided to pull out the camera this morning so the Grands wouldn't go into withdrawal for lack of pictures. But a funny thing happened on the way to the backyard...

Today I didn't take pictures for the Grands, or for my readers, or even for my children (seeing as how this has become their virtual baby books). Today I took pictures for me. Actually, for the future me.

Outside it was seventy two degrees with a light breeze. The sky was a beautiful blue, with wispy clouds that made you nostalgic for a park, a blanket, and time to just reflect. I found myself reflecting on my children as they played on the swings, dug in the dirt (naturally), and shared (or stole, depending on where you were standing) the tricycle. I listened as Grace let her imagination spill out of her mouth, telling Mark about her cooking. She rushed to make pancakes as Mark happily brought dirt to the table for her to cook with.

The weather and innocence of play combined to make me feel nostalgic for what was playing out right before my eyes. I was watching Grace and Mark through the eyes of the future - knowing that mornings like this would be what I would miss.

For my future self, to help you remember:

When Mark was small enough to sit on your belly
and squeal with delight as you rocked him back and forth...

When Grace would literally jump on your back
in the hopes of a horsie ride...

When she brought to your attention the
smallest things that you would pass by...

When she concentrated so hard on making
the perfect mud pancakes...

When she showed such pride in herself for what
she had made (despite any fashion faux paus
her mother committed with her clothing)...

When, despite the joy it would bring to your kids,  you decided
to save the life of a snail by keeping its hiding place a secret...

Knowing the kids would make other discoveries, like
the worm in the grass only a toddler would see...

Yes, they will grow up. But somehow, they just keep
getting better.

And on another day, when the sky is blue and
the clouds beg for reflection, you will
have your memories.

Awwwww.... quit yer snifflin'. Next week they'll be throwing rocks into the toilets, lauching blueberry yogurt onto the windows and eating the dirt pancakes. Trust me.

Since today was actually a pleasure, and I'm in a pretty good (albeit nostalgic) mood, I thought I'd share yet another first. The kids got haircuts. Grace is a pro, and had no problems in the chair:

"Yes, as a matter of fact I AM the star of the Sunshine blog!"

A little pampering to make sure I look fabulous for the camera...

Mark, on the other hand, was a bit less enthusiastic, as this was his first cut...

"I was saving that hair!"

"C'mon people! It took me 16 months just to grow
the hair I've got!!"

Okay, time to pull out the big guns. I don't think there is a man on the planet who cannot be sated with just a small bit of television or video games. My son is proof:

"Ooooohhh! Look! An iPhone! Go ahead
lady, do whatever you want."

Mark is actually watching himself
through the phone's camera.
(Apparently he finds himself as entertaining as we do!)

I hope your week didn't completely pass you by. Take some time to just sit back and watch your loved ones. Young or old, God has really created some amazing people! Have fun this week and if you can't find anyone around worth watching, you can always use the camera on your phone to watch yourself. Mark swears it's pretty enteraining.