A boy and his toys

Greyson turns 4 today.  (He turned 3 a year ago too, despite never getting a post up about it.  It's hard when your birthday is in the middle of your mom's annual blogging slump...)  I can't believe how much he's grown in the past year and how wonderful he is.... most of the time, I can't keep my mom-pride from beaming when he is around.  I am holding on to these days when he will still sit close and hold my hand.   He's loving pre-school and "hot pizza" (rather than the cold pizza that Mom likes).  He is VERY observant (always has been), which comes in handy for his mom and sister who are NOT.   He helps us find the things that we have misplaced all the time.  He is very smart and has a problem solving mind ("mom, what happens when the money is all used up?").  Yes, he's also a boundary pusher and forgets/ignores the "house rules" often, but he is as cute as a button and keeps me laughing and smiling.  What more can I ask of a 4-yr-old, right?

And man!  Did Greyson hit the toy JACKPOT this year!  It is amazing!  He has enough to keep him busy for days (months) on end!  He is set for those long inside winter days, for which I am very grateful!!  And he loves ALL of them!  The Batman stuff, the Buzz Lightyear, the Thomas train bridge, the marble tracks, the toy cars, the glowdoodle, the ninja motorcycle, and the monopoly junior game..... WOW, like I said, JACKPOT!  As for the toy quota in our house though - it looks like an old toy purge is in the cards.  I think the toys are overtaking the house!

There will be pictures added later.  Right now, it almost trick-or-treat time and that waits for nothing!

Unexpected

I decided we would clean the bathroom as a three-some (mom and kids) and after telling Madelyn that her part of cleaning the bathroom was the toilet. It was her first time and, of course, she balked.  I took a moment to show her the finer points of toilet cleaning and then went to work on cleaning the tub with Greyson.  After a minute, here's our converastion -

Madelyn:  "Mom, I like cleaning the toilet.  Can I do it every time?" 
Me: "Yes, of course." 
Madelyn:  "Mom, is lunch soon?"
Me: "yes, but we have to finish cleaning the bathroom first."
Madelyn: "good, I'm gonna clean the toilet again."

I turn away before she catches my shocked look.... It WILL be nice to not have to clean a toilet  for awhile.

Rock Wall Fun

Today, we did something REALLY fun! We went indoor rock climbing with some friends. It went even better than I thought it would. Ben enjoyed it and claimed his forearms to be jello at the end. We couldn't keep Madelyn's feet on the ground. Greyson struggled a little with the weight of all the equipment but loved every bit of what he could do, especially the "bouldering". And I wish I had taken it up as a hobby a long time ago. What fun! Thanks, Spencer and Marjorie, for being our hosts for the day!

{this moment}

A Friday ritual inspired by Soulemama. A single photo - and maybe a few words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Have a great weekend!

Greyson - Momma = Happy Boy

Over the summer, Greyson and Madelyn both had a chance to spend 4weeks of 4 days a week, 2 hours a day at a daycamp where they got to spend time with other kids, making crafts, and doing special activities like swimming and puppet shows. Madelyn loved it from the get-go but Greyson... not so much. He was almost inconsolable for the first week, the second week he was very unhappy as I left, and the third week he was finally ready to have fun! I was only slightly surprised whenever all this happened because with exception of Sunday School and the gym we go to, he and I had been pretty inseparable for about 2.5 years at that point. And even though I questioned my decision to make him endure this adversity in his little life, I persisted for exactly this reason - that he would enjoy his first day of preschool! And I'm happy to report - HE DID GREATLY! I'm so excited for him. He has embarked on a new adventure of learning so many things - making new friends, walking in line, being respectful of authority, to love God... and that life can be had without Mom around too... as for that last one, I'm a little sad for me, but so excited for Greyson!!

Greyson couldn't contain his excitement as we were leaving for preschool! So excited!
OH, and here's a video to capture the moments just after too....

Last Summer Trip to Como

A video of one of our FREE carousel rides...


And now for pictures - ENJOY!

Beautiful eyes....

Ben's hair in little boy blonde

laughing with the seals

got to see the polar bears this time.  amazing new exhibit.

penguins - "waddle, waddle"

We love summer trips to Como Park. Since summer seems to be wrapping up for the year, we were happy to get our last zoo trip in before it got too chilly. Seeing the orangutans playing in their yard and the seals in their moat was so much fun. Getting to see the polar bears pacing in their new home was a treat as well. This last trip Madelyn had to miss since she started school, but no worries. We will be back to Como Park again and again. The Como Conservatory is a beautiful, flower-filled place to visit during the winter when everything is hiberating under the snow. Expect those pictures this winter!