loof toof

Billie has been looking forward to age 6 for a long time, not for any normal reason (why would Billie do anything ordinary?!) but because she wants mo' money in her piggy bank via the tooth fairy. Promptly a week after turning six she has worked a tooth loose and is THRILLED...like, this is way better than a Nimbus 2000! She's devised a plan to eat corn on the cob tomorrow "because sometimes, if you're six, when you're eating corn on the cob your tooth suddenly pops out!!"
And, just in case you were wondering what's up in the latest of our relentless adventures as Prof. McGonigall, Hermione, Harry, and Neville Longbottom (Sloane plays Neville, because he's hopeless at getting anything right and requires constant supervision). (I know how this is probably one of the things you're always thinking about...the Solley's who attend all their regular museum trips; this week to view all the Bible story paintings, playgrounds, a science musical at the library, story time and the grocery store, in character). As we came into Chapter 10 of book 3 (beware of chapter 10 and beyond!!!) things get especially creepy with goblins that suck the soul right out of you so that you wander the earth as an empty shell until death and Harry replaying the moment of his parents murder in his head hearing his Mom scream "Have mercy! Save Harry and take me!!" perpetually...i mean...sheesh! There's only so much a protective mom can take!! I like my children safe in their little bubble of emotional well-being where no one ever dies and the biggest problem one can imagine is losing the privilege of choosing a new library book that day. Yes, the imaginary world of wizards is very fun and exciting but I think we'll take a break for now.
I made calculated moves to steer us elsewhere as I read the remaining chapters without emphasis and changing "Harry was filled with so much rage he wanted to kill" to "Harry was really REALLY mad." Right now we are reading: A Series of Unfortunate Events, The BFG, and Captain Underpants (3 chapter books all at once) and our listening ears are tuned to Winnie the Pooh audio books at night so that we can think of all the silly, happy doings at Pooh corner as we fall asleep. I have had to fend off requests for book 4 but the kids are totally caught up in the BFG by Roald Dahl and I think the Lemony Snicket stuff has a lot of the weird, creepiness of Hogwarts...hopefully with less of the death/fear factor. If all else fails I can get the video of Unfortunate Events and that's sure to peak their interest.
Of course, every book we read is about a kid with no parents...what IS up with that as a theme in children's literature?!
I have to admit...I'm a little worried that both kids will learn to read major words next week just so that they can start on book 4. Billie did make that tooth loose by sheer willpower. What can a 6 year old not accomplish when she sets her mind to it?
I promise next time I'll write something at least slightly interesting and not just kid stuff. really, i'm not a total loser...i do stuff...like knitting...and also picking up shoes off the floor, and knitting outside, and learning how to knit and I build forts too.

Nannou fun

We had a great time with Nannou here. Billie turned up the brattiness for a few days and that was met by no less than 3 gifts per day. Billie: "Jackson! Stop it...you're the rudest boy ever and never touch my new strawberry shortcake doll without asking me!!" Jackson: "Thanks for the power ranger Nannou...can we go get ice cream?" Nannou: "yes!" Billie: "Fine. But I'm having Strawberry and I'm not even going to share any of it with you Jackson...NOT EVEN A BITE!" Nannou: "okay, let's go and then I've got another suprise for you after we have ice cream...I got you each new videos, we can watch them this afternoon while Mom is at her ultrasound." Billie: "Well, we're watching MY choice first!"
Okay...this isn't an exact recorded conversation...but this would not be an exaggeration of the spoiling or of Billie's 'tude.
So, apart from Billie we all had a WONDERFUL time with Nannou visiting. As for my ultrasound...we are not finding out if sprout is a boy or a girl. More motivation to push in the delivery room. But...while we're on the subject...I would put my money on boy...I've got a feeling and I'm putting it in writing. It is important to note here that I thought Sloane was a boy too, but I didn't feel this strongly about it. The ultrasound tech, who said he "could have done my Mom's ultrasound when I was in her tummy" (when I blurted out my age in defense of being 'too young' to have my 4th kid). Really, things are getting silly now...I thought I had a lot of comments when I would go out with the 3 of them. Seriously, the comments are getting a little outrageous...the other day at the library, a man asked me "Are you mormon?"

A Wizarding party

A picture says a thousand words and most of them are 'Wah!" on the subject of Daddy getting on the plane to travel for a week (doing work stuff) and missing my Harry Potter 6th birthdayparty!

These picture says "I love my American Girl Doll- Molly, who I've wanted for a year"

This is us making magic wands at my harry potter party- flick and swish!

In potions class, the drinks were experimental (all juic and non-soda, of course). Using droppers to mix until the flavor was just right...or totally gross...depending on your tastes.
It was magical! I wish you all could have been there!

princess gardening

Well, here i am all dolled up; ballet shoes on, a tu tu over my outift and my tiara is in place...what should i do now? go roller skating & plant seeds in the garden and get very muddy? yes! that sounds good!

travel

so, we're back and thank goodness it's 70 degrees and it was homeschooler park day yesterday or we'd do nothing but sit inside and miss Nanna and France. it's not Paris but the playground is free and full of friends. flights and airports all went smoothly with only one low point in desperate parenting when there were NO children's movies available on the 8 hour flight and we let Jackson watch the Ben Stiller film "A Night in the Museum" and Billie paid attention to every detail of "Marie Antoinette" by Sofia Coppola- which is funny and a great flick by the way. Sloane did cry and call out but not for more than 10 seconds at a time (we've never had to do a crying baby on a plane before but i guess it could have been worse). So, like i said, it was fine...up until the very end when Jackson urped up all of the candy, chips, and other usually-forbidden junk food he'd eaten all that day on the shuttle bus between airport terminals as we returned to DC. blech.
And now we're back and I'm reading The Suprising Power of Family Meals, inspired by Pat and the French way of enjoying your meals (less food shoveling, more talking between bites). Dinner time as a family is going to be my new mission (trimester 2 is 'mission mode' and the only 3 month stretches of time in the last 6 years that I'm actually productive and able to complete a project from start to finish that entails more than slathering on sunscreen and packing snacks for the beach).
well, i've got two kids in a wagon waiting for me outside and one in roller skates. we're heading to the library- maybe over a mile away so we'll have to stop for snacks at a less-than-cool-non-patisserie along the way but it's WAY too nice outside to drive!
Here's some Paris memories: us in Monet's garden, reading about Monet's garden, catching ladybugs in Monet's garden, climbing trees in Monet's garden and at Monet's grave.

Well, a diaper change in the Louvre, break-dancer-veiwing and my belly at the Eiffel tower. things are a little crazy in Paris. There's family drama and fun everywhere. Imagine having Bill, grumpy with an achy back, kids who are sometimes hyper and sometimes whiny, frequently loud and running, sloane who is always wanting to walk when it's a good time to be held, and wanting to be held when our arms are tired, then throw in me, with a baby who has to have a pain au chocolat every fifteen minutes when we're on a walk to stave off being as whiny as billie, and has to fill up a water bottle at each stop, (which then leads to a stop at the W.C. every 10 minutes because the baby is pushing on my bladder)- then throw in jet lag and no one sleeping well. Why would there be any drama? don't you just want to invite us to stay with you?!
Well, how we're having so much fun during all this is beyond me...but we're off to the science park today!

the price of fun

visited the Luxembourg gardens yesterday and the kids played on a superfun playground that had and entrance fee and high gates to keep out the rif-raf...it's like the stay-at-home Mom version of a hot spot. it's a swap from the night club life i imagine one would have living in Paris before having kids. the kids love riding the metro, which is how we get around (we even did it without our resident expert yesterday). Nanna Pat is being very gracious about the cheerios and apple bits all over the floor of her elegant Paris apartment. Here's us at the Louvre pyramid and in the Toulieries garden. we've hit up several patisseries in an effort to find something aside from pain au chocolat that the kids are willing to eat (i'm the only one willing to eat anything containing tomatoes). it's a rainy morning now so we slept in, i'm doing laundry (see above photo for how filthy the kids got yesterday at the playground) and catching up on the blog. trying to survive the morning without a walk to the bakery for fresh baked croissants....
really i'm just mentioning laundry and rain in an effort to make you poor readers who aren't in Paris right now feel not so bad about it.
P.S.- i can't figure out how to switch pictures on the new blogger. Sloane has slept with her head back in the hood through most of the exciting sight-seeing, she likes to wake up for the metro rides and snack time. These are swings with the price for a 5 minute ride!!!

c'est la vie

we're here and it's WONDERFUL. Pat has this amazing apartment and we can walk to cafes and markets. Yesterday we woke past Noon and did the Eiffel Tower. Bill and Pat are noticing fancy scarves on all the men but I can't get past all the coats and boots. Everyone...EVERYONE has a lovely winter coat (except me, Bill, Pat and the kids). I haven't seen one person in sweatshirts and sweatpants- not one. Not one person without gel in their hair, or some form of hair-do!
I'll try to put up a picture.
i wish we had an airport picture. everyone kept wondering what on earth this family with 3 little kids was doing getting on a long-distance flight. those kids are such good travelers and we did make it with one suitcase, plus two backpacks for carry on.

How do you say 'snow' in French?

Snowy days are FINALLY here and we're loving it. Well, we all are except Sloane who doesn't have a waterproof snow suit (really, we'd only wear it two days before it was outgrown so it doesn't seem worth the shopping and purchasing effort): see photo below of her looking longingly out from her glass prison. We've all been knitting and crocheting up a storm as the snow falls into maybe 5 inches outside. Perfect, powdery, not too cold, not windy, just right for packing snow! Of course, that hasn't stopped us from our usual museum trips, the President's Day Parade, and other exciting events. We were all into George Washington (in addition to book 3 of Harry Potter) for a while. Now we've moved on to pracitcing our "Bonjour", "Sil vous plait", "Merci Beaucoup", and "crepe" (because Bille wants to know how to order pancakes in French). We're talking about the Euro and studying the map. At least we're doing something to get ready for France because it's not like I've started packing or made plans for anyone to watch Minerva...that would be practical.
Can you tell i'm strictly in 'fun' mode with this trip...in denial that it will require any actual planning or work? We're the lightest packers on the planet so packing should be quick and then we'll be on a plane the day after tomorrow! Au revoir for now!


 

part 2 (above part 1)

 

We've got art!

Aunt Elizabeth gave us a painting and I LOVE having it in the house...a sleeping kid is my most favorite thing. It's just a little glimpse of a 3 year old napping, or after dark, you can see every bit of sweetness in their soft skin and relaxed body. Like, i don't feel like i'm that relaxed...even when i'm sleeping. now i get that little dose of relaxed perfection- wild babies at rest, each time i look at it. Ahh...yoga at a glance. Thank you Aunt Elizabeth!
Here's Billie's drama class (some of them) doing a performance. Billie was the vulture...and had the best loud, clear voice of the bunch (maybe there is a reason for her un-reasonable volume). If only she were on stage all day everyday...it would make sense.


Nannou sent the kids silly lollipops that look like fat kissing lips when you eat them. Thanks Nannou (the kids liked that as much as I like our painting). 

goggle heads

this morning Jackson brought his ski-goggled-self into our room (he's the one who wakes up first in our family and usually comes in to read quietly until I or Sloane roust ourselves from slumber) and billie did the same thing (except came downstairs, because we were awake by then) two hours later (she's a late sleeper). a note here: ski goggles AND bed head are not such a good combo... but i think we're finally seeing interest in a subject area that is not of the wizard world (phew!).
We're off to Massachusetts tomorrow mostly to see family but we're all excited about getting in a ski day, too. (when i say 'all' i mean Bill and the kids because I'm staying home with Sloane).
Here are some non-goggle shots to keep within our standard of randomness.
Jackson pictured with Mr. Rizzo.
Billie at the computer in one of her 'creative' ensembles - "I like to be colorful!"
Our best attempt (weak!) at a snowman...consists only of a head and then spending the remainder of the day propping umbrellas about and other unsuccessful ventures in an effort to 'save him' from the sun. Sloane joins the kids for 'reading time'.

quick shots

Sloane learning songs from Jackson, focused on reading, giving eskimo kisses to Dad and looking like the center of the universe that she is. She LOVES my Grandpa's rocking chair!