A Big Boy

I was reminded today how grown-up Tjabe is now, and what a typical boy he is.  This morning he played outside, which included "fishing" with a stick in the marsh and catching various "fish" (long soggy wild grasses).  Then we went on a walk around the neighborhood where he rode his two-wheeled, no-training-wheeled bike the whole way without help.  Now he's playing at the kitchen table with Sam's old Cowboys and Indians toys.  And this September he's off to kindergarten...

Pictures Pictures Pictures

Fast asleep...

...and suddenly awake

If she could dress herself every day, this would be it.

Random face-painting they did themselves (Tjabe gave them "sunglasses)

Maggie decided to take a nice wallow in the mud.  It was a few minutes before I discovered her, and a few more minutes before we actually took her out (she was having so much fun!).  She discovered that if  she plopped down on her bottom mud would splatter everywhere, so she was doing this repeatedly and laughing.  It took a while to get all the mud out of her clothes.

Easter Sunday

Pictures

Winter fun

 Reading to one of many babies

Reading to one of the little girls we watch

Dentist

Tjabe went to the dentist for the first time yesterday.  I'm pretty sure it was a great experience for him.  I wasn't actually in the room with him, but I could hear him from the waiting room chatting away with the hygienist and dentist.  Here's the certificate he got - I love the picture they took.

Superbowl Halftime Review

The kids review of the Black-Eyed Peas halftime show: Maggie dancing below, and Tjabe:  "We should get some of those costumes that light up, Mom."

A Rational Mind

The other day I was driving with the kids in the car when we saw one of those big helicopters (the kind with a propeller in front and back) flying - obviously I don't know the technical name.  I asked Tjabe what he thought it was carrying, then suggested that maybe it was carrying some trucks.  "No Mom," he said.  "That wouldn't work.  I'll show you when we get home."

When we got home a few minutes later he sat down at the table with a pen and paper and drew this:

then proceeded to explain it to me (very patronizingly, I might add).

"See Mom, a helicopter is only 6 and a truck is 10, so it wouldn't work to have a truck inside a helicopter.  See, 6 and 10."

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Our whole family was at the gas station and Sam was out pumping gas when I asked him to clean the back window.  We watched him from inside and, as he was scrubbing, Tjabe said, "Wow!  He's really good at that!"  I smiled and agreed, then watched Sam start squigee-ing it, leaving a big streak of dirt.  I let out a little groan, and Tjabe said, in an admonishing voice, "It's okay, Mom.  He's doing a good job." Bless his heart.

What I Just Heard

Tjabe: G[a little girl that he's been playing with], come look at this big poop I just did!
Me: Honey, she doesn't need to see your poop.
T: But she must!  [Pointing G to the toilet] Isn't it great?!