Dinner Conversations

Momma: Eli, slow down. You've almost eaten your whole wrap already and we haven't even said the prayer yet.

--- a few minutes later ---

Rylan: Why does this salad taste like barf?

Momma: It doesn't taste like barf.

Rylan: Yes, it does.

Eli: How do you know what barf tastes like? Do you eat your barf?

Rylan: Yes, I do. I throw up a little in my mouth and then I swallow it back down.

--- a few minutes later ---

Cole: I'm not going to eat my wrap, but the salad is really good.

The Baby

A couple weeks ago as part of my duties on the PTA, I had to be at the boys' school all morning to help out with some weeding and landscaping on the school grounds, and I decided to take Rylan with me. I packed a survival bag with the Kindle, iphone, coloring books and crayons, snacks, etc., assuming that he would spend an hour entertaining himself at a picnic table before I'd have to whip out my back-up plan of running him over to Michael's work. Instead, the morning went like this:

Rylan says...

(following me around the school grounds) "What kind of tree is that? What are you doing? Why are you putting mulch on it? Who planted that tree there? Who are those guys with the wheelbarrows?"

(to a guy with a wheelbarrow) "What's your name? My name is Rylan. I expect you to remember that. I'll remember your name. What does your shirt say? What's that? You make computers? My dad works on computers."

(to a random lady) "Look at this bug I found. Now look at this caterpillar I found. The caterpillar and the bug are fighting. Have you seen any worms? Tell me if you find a worm. Ooooh, that's a big fat worm. Do you want to hold my worm?"

(to the guy with the wheelbarrow as he walked past) "Hi, Bob. See I remembered your name. Do you remember my name?"

For three hours!

**********

Later that same week, Rylan had his five-year-old well check-up, aka kindergarten shots day, aka "It will be over in a minute and then I'll buy you a treat" day.

After chatting with the doctor about macaroni and cheese with ketchup versus macaroni and cheese without ketchup, Rylan laid down on the table like a brave boy for his shots. Somehow, we ended up with the slowest nurse in the world, so by the fourth shot, Rylan was screaming as if we were slowly torturing him to death, and I was on the verge of tears myself.

We both deserved a cookie.

***********

I have very strict opinions about movies and age appropriateness, which can make movie-watching as a family a bit of a challenge. Tonight, the four oldest members of the Peters Family Band wanted to finish watching a movie that I did not deem appropriate for the baby of the family, so we stuck Rylan in the master bedroom with the computer while the rest of us settled on the couch in the livingroom.

Just before the movie started, I peeked in on Rylan, who was contentedly playing Wild Kratts games while blaring Jimmy Eat World from the computer speakers.

Oh, how I love this boy!

Chess with Daddy

Michael and Cole have a perpetual game of chess going. 

The board is set up on one of our ottomans, a new part of our livingroom decor.

Cole moves a piece before school. 

Michael takes his move when he gets home from work. 

Cole checks the board before bedtime.
And so on and so forth until somebody wins.

And then the game starts all over again.

Music Lessons: Boy

BOY OFFICIAL

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The mountains are calling and I must go

Spring Break

I think I owe everyone an apology. I wrote this post about how much better March is than February and ended up cursing the month of March. I should have kept my mouth shut. Instead, we got to spend a month that is typically jacket weather bundled up in our winter coats while shaking our fists at the gloomy grey skies. Spring break could not come fast enough.

Two out of every three years, we head north for spring break to the Shenandoah Valley where we have a timeshare at a resort called Massanutten. This year's vacation included a trip to a rescue zoo in Luray, Virginia. Rylan has been big into animals lately - Wild Kratts is his favorite show, but he also enjoys watching the Jeff Corwin Experience - so I thought he'd enjoy seeing some animals up close and in person.

This wallaby had a joey in her pouch. It was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen; I could have watched it all day.

Most of our vacation was spent resting, but we also got in a bit of outdoor time, soaking up the beautiful mountain view in the Shenandoah Valley. And of course, the highlight of our trip was the indoor waterpark, which gets better and better the older the kids get. Michael, Rylan, and me on Peak Splash = Most Fun Ever!

Easter Egg-stravaganza

Our neighbor arranged a little Easter egg hunt down on the greenway. She asked if Cole and Eli would be participating: "When do kids get too old for Easter egg hunts?"

I replied, "Never, as long as it involves candy."

Truth be told, my kids have never participated in an Easter egg hunt before, so there's no way Cole and Eli could have outgrown the novelty yet. My family's Easter tradition was that the Easter bunny would hide candy all over our house (the actual candy, not plastic eggs filled with candy), and I always thought it was the greatest thing ever because every year around June, someone would stumble upon a foil-wrapped chocolate egg that had been missed. Plus, if my choice is between celebrating Easter with my immediate family while lounging on the couch in my pajamas versus celebrating Easter with a bunch of strangers while stressing out over my big kids knocking down little toddlers in an attempt to get the most candy...it's not much of a choice, is it?

But since I like this neighbor, we decided to join the hunt this year, and boy was I proud of Cole for kindly sharing his hoard with the littler kids. Plus since they already had baskets full of candy, the Easter Bunny didn't need to come this year, which made Sunday morning before church a lot less stressful.