Bone-crunchers

Though the boys occasionally complain of boredom, they’re rarely actually bored around the house.  Between the backyard, the toys (that I keep stepping on) and each other, they generally keep busy running, smacking, and building, and our home rarely lacks for excitement.  You might not have known that, though, if you’d been around late Thursday afternoon, as I was preparing dinner for the oven.  “DAD!!” shouted Manny, when Gabriel walked thru the door: “We’re having MEAT ON THE BONE!!”

I was roasting a chicken for dinner.

I’m surprised that the energy and excitement in our house didn’t cause some sort of combustion, to be honest.  And I wish that I could put into words how enamored the boys were with the idea and reality of tearing flesh from the bone with their "sharp canine teeth!"  As soon as he found out that I would be roasting a chicken, the day before the meal, Jonah told me numerous times how he wanted to crack the bones with his teeth and suck out the marrow.  Yes, for real.  Manny exclaimed, “Look! Blood!” during dinner when he did actually gnaw a bone apart and discovered the spongy red layer inside.  I had to tell him that I couldn’t look, because it would probably make me ill.  In true boy form, his excitement remained undiminished.  Jonah told me (as he often does when he enjoys dinner, I must admit) that the roast chicken was “the best dinner” I’ve EVER made.

I love these boys’ enthusiasm.  I love that a roast chicken, and its accompanying bone-crunching, is a highlight of the week.  Would that I had their enthusiasm and energy for life's small pleasures, even if said small pleasure is "just" MEAT ON THE BONE!! 

Body paint

A couple months ago, in the middle of a "great moms do fun things with their kids!" tizzy, I got out the ol' finger paints to do hand- and footprint paintings with the elder two boys. It was actually quite a bit of fun, and I'm sure that many of us know that unless a moment of fun is documented on digital camera, it never actually happened, right? I'd forgotten my camera upstairs, so I left the boys (briefly!) to get it. By the time I returned, the painting of small body parts had degenerated (or evolved?) into nearly full body painting. Like lightning, these kids!

Sand in our toes

Someone I know recently commented that there is no place like Michigan during the summer -- so true! We visited Grand Rapids a bit before summer arrived, on Memorial Day weekend, but the weather was great and the effect was pretty much the same. Ah, Michigan...Just shy of 7 months.

Few things are cuter than chubby little baby feet, except for the chubby little baby himself.

It's always a hike from the car to the beach, and one can't be expected to make that journey again just because a little boy's hat was left in the car. My sister was nice enough to let Jonah wear her hat. I like to think that he looks hip, not that he looks like an almost 4 year old boy in a woman's hat. J's man enough to pull it off. Right? Right? Jonah loves, LOVES "rhinoculars." Apparently Kara and I broke this pair of my dad's when we were kids, so by dad wasn't too bothered when Jonah dropped them in the sand as he ran off in pursuit of something more interesting than close-up looks at the surf.

Iohan loves the water so much that he was barely phased by the cold May water. He stayed in it with Gangee till his chubby little feet turned purple, brave soul. He's a stoic one at this young age, undoubtedly learned from living with two crazy older brothers.

As often happens, Manny finished the day without pants. I don't think that any of us really knows why this was the case -- Manny was wearing trunks, then, suddenly, he wasn't. The child is a living cartoon and has no shame, two of the many reasons we love him so much. Our lives are incredibly brightened by Manny. Yes, by Manny and his glowing white buns.

Wha...?!?!?

Hate to say it, kid, but that's really not your best face.

Independence

This is what independence looks like. A pickle, mustard and "cheese product" slapped on a piece of bread.

Last week, when asked what he wanted for lunch, Jonah refused to answer (not uncommon). I turned to Manny, who answered, "Mac 'n' cheese." When Jonah found out what was on the menu, though, he just about lost it; he was eating no mac 'n' cheese, thank you very much. I told him, "Fine, child, you can make your own lunch." He did. He opened the fridge, placed everything he needed on the counter and assembled the sandwich himself, then ate it happily. (Unfortunately, we were out of both deli turkey and hamburger pickles, so Jonah was stuck with a meatless, pickle-speared sandwich.) While I don't want my child eating pickle and cheese product sandwich every day, there is something amazing and satisfying in seeing him do something all by himself. Jonah was at least a little proud of himself, too, I think. He still relies on me so much and is sometimes a real "Mama's boy," crying when I leave the house to go to the YMCA or run an errand without him. Insignificant though it may seem, Jonah making his own sandwich is one of the ways in which I see him becoming his own little man, separating himself from me and from complete dependence. Bittersweet, it's true, but necessary and important. And, really, there wasn't any mac 'n' cheese left by the time Manny was done with it, so it was a good thing that Jonah had another plan in motion.

Little artist

Finger-paint project. Hee, hee, my hands are dirty.

Ha ha, really dirty!

You want me to what? Look at you? Look at the camera?

No way, lady.

Pup

Manny carelessly tossed Pup on the bathroom floor and left him there. I found the poor stray leaning on one haunch, propped on his foreleg, staring morosely at our cabinet, one ear perked up as he waited for his errant master to come back and reclaim him. Poor Pup can't actually walk by himself, you know.

Ham

This child knows when the camera is on him.

Hammy Manny

Yes, Manny's a pretty happy kid. Why do you ask?

Precocious quote of the day

Gabriel: Jonah, it's time to read a story before bed.
Jonah: No, Dada, I want to keep playing instead.
G: Jonah, it's fine if you keep playing, but then we won't be able to read a story before bed.
J: It's okay, Dad.
G: Are you sure? If you keep playing, no story.
J: It's okay, Dad. I had my chance.

"I had my chance"! I find this infinitely amusing. Those words are an echo straight from Mama: "Jonah, you had your chance to do X, but you chose to do Y instead." Jonah did, of course, suggest reading a story once playtime was over, but really didn't make a fuss before heading to bed. Apparently, he meant what he said and wasn't just delaying (Jonah is a master delayer.) *sigh* I'm away from my kids so seldom but always manage to feel that I miss the really good stuff. Oh, well. I had my chance.

Bird watching

Last night, Jonah sat down next to Gabriel on the loveseat, with his hands behind his head, just how his Dada was sitting. I pointed this out to Gabriel.

G: Oh, hi, parrot.

J: Hi, parrot.

G: Jonah, are you the parrot?

(slight pause)

J: Squawk!

Silly baby!

This kid never listens to his mother.





Which Manny do you find the most silly?

The love affair continues

After I stayed in Michigan with the boys for two weeks following my sister's wedding, my parents were generous enough to let us take their car to Chicago, in order to travel back to Michigan three weeks later for Gabe's 10-year high school reunion (ask him how THAT went sometime!). On our first car-enabled weekend in the city we drove far, far out of the city to Union, Illinois to visit the Illinois Railway Museum. It was, I think it's safe to say, Jonah's dream museum, and we had fun taking a train ride and a trolley ride and wandering around the huge buildings full of retired engines and cars. Driving back down the Kennedy, of which the Blue Line train runs straight down the middle, Jonah was looking (and looking and looking) for the "choo-choo." Before I watched this, I was pretty sure that he said, "Where are you, choo-choo?" at least 60 times; now that I've watched it again, I'm guessing that he asked after the train at least 80 times. We never said he wasn't persistent!
Here we're boarding the train for a "fun" 40-minute ride. Actually, it wasn't that bad (good thing Jonah really loves trains!), but in retrospect, I think that this wasn't the best use of our time. I take full responsibility for this idea.
Jonah correctly idenitified this engine as a diesel; I, on the other hand, had to ask my dad if he was correct. Jonah loves to spend time with Dada.Manny, lookin' cute on the way home. He's such a trouper.

I thought he was saying "Big bear"

We promise you, he came up with this on his own.

We were heading back from my sister's wedding reception, and Jonah was tired and cranky. We had stopped at Meijer for some, um, refreshment, and Jonah decided that he needed some, too, after a long, hard day (which was, incidentally, his birthday). Happy Birthday, son. (And, no, we didn't open anything in the car!)

(Hey, Katie, that's the Raffi CD playing in the background. Have I told you that it's Jonah's favorite? Especially "Baby Boo-ga". Thank you!)

No batteries required

I'm thrilled -- THRILLED -- that both my sons are so easily entertained: one by measuring, one by being measured. What will they think of next?