Breakfast of Champions

Yep, that's right- the ultimate Breakfast of Champions pictured here. This is AW's usual breakfast fare and it consists of: Captain Crunch (peanut butter, of course) Life Fruity Cheerios (just as good as Froot Loops, but actually healthy!) Oatmeal Squares Shredded Wheat (honey nut) Honey Nut Cheerios Every morning he gets up and rattles off his list of preferred cereals for that day, and if we don't get it right, he's sure to notice! He's such a little character, that AW!

The Birds

Oh, I was so thrilled the other day when I went out front and discovered about 50 of these absolutely beautiful birds in our tree! They are called Cedar Waxwings and I have wanted to see one for years. This is the bird whose picture in my bird book is, well, magnetic to me. Whenever I open that book, I find myself drawn to the Cedar Waxwing photo. And here they were! Right in my front yard! Stopping for a quick visit on their migration northward. I felt honored. Over the past few years, I have slowly increased my bird seed offerings until this year, with hubby's help, I now have several different types of feeders-all placed right in front of my living room window. All four of us get a real kick out of watching for different birds to appear. We have spent hours this spring just observing and learning about the different birds. We've seen spats, feeding, calling, singing, nesting- even mating! So far this spring we have identified Robins, Mourning Doves (one pair and one interloper), House Finches, House Sparrows, Common Grackles, White-Crowned Sparrows, American Goldfinches, Cedar Waxwings, a Flicker, a Blue Jay, a Ringneck Dove, Starlings and one as-of-yet unidentified bird. A picture of which is right here: Can anyone identify this bird for me? I originally thought it was a goldfinch, but after zooming in on my photo, I no longer think it is. I am really enjoying sharing my love of nature with my two boys. It brings me great joy to see them get excited about seeing the different birds. I hope to instill a total respect and general sense of awe in my children where nature is concerned.

I think "Congratulations" are in order...

Hubby was recently nominated a “Distinguished Scholar” by one of his professors! We are all very proud of him. Not only has he worked hard on his schooling, but he has accomplished this while caring for two little girls as well as his own two boys. Plus, he’s been working from home to help make ends meet. He is quite the man! Here are some examples of what his professor wrote about him on his nomination form: “His essays were high quality in various ways, but he excelled in adding descriptive detail that made the essays come alive.” “He sometimes struggled getting started with an essay because he knew that each piece of writing would require a huge effort on his part. He loved the process and the end product, and he wanted to make sure that the topic was one that would lead to a worthwhile result. I am confident that he uses that same attitude in any task he undertakes.” “He has had experiences in his life that allow him to speak to others about overcoming life’s difficulties.” J, you rock!!!

Angry AW

AW is a very stubborn, often easily upset little two year old. The smallest things can set him off, and he can really get angry. Like, for instance, if you pull the plug on the bathtub drain when he wants to do it. Major meltdown time! On top of his fits, he also regularly tells us that we are “bad”, or says he doesn’t like us when he is angry. Something I thought wouldn’t start for another year or two- I guess it is due to hearing his big brother… Anyway, the other night, I fixed the wrong food for dinner. Apparently he didn’t want the usual mac-n-cheese that I prepared. He got very upset, started crying and burst into the common “mommy, you are bad” tirade. This night, however, he was extra upset and was left searching for a harsher word to call me: “mommy, you are…. (long pause) you’re a… (thinking terribly hard) a… GENIUS! You are a genius mommy and you are bad.” Now, how can you not crack a snicker at that one?!?

HL's New Game

Several months ago, HL saw a LEGO brand chess set in one of his coveted magazines (which he carries around till they’re in tatters, by the way). This sparked a great interest in chess for him. Unfortunately, none of us had ever played chess and we figured it was a little much for him to learn anyway, so we just pretended to play it with him. Have you ever tried to play a complicated game with a four year old who is constantly changing the rules on you? No? Well, it’s not frustrating at all, oh no, not one teensy bit. Ha! Well, at my family’s celebration the day before Easter, HL’s Uncle sat down and taught him chess. HL caught on right away and picked it up without issue. And, he even won his very first game!! That’s right, he beat his Uncle C! Okay, to be fair I must tell you that he, of course, had help from not only his uncle, but also his two aunts… And, we kinda let him win so that he would enjoy the game. But anyway, the point is that he learned the game of chess. The next day, we went down to celebrate Easter with Hubby’s side of the family where there are lots of kids HL’s age that he loves to play with. But this holiday, instead of running amok with his buddies and joining in the revelry of four-year-old games, I found him here: watching two of his much older cousins playing a game of chess. When they finished, he convinced me to try a game (my very first). It was fun! Of course, he won. Again. (With his daddy’s help.) Watching him play chess makes me very proud. He excels at paying attention to what may happen based on the choices he makes. He is careful to think through his moves to make sure that they don’t put him in jeopardy. It seems chess is a game of consequences, and is teaching my son to think ahead. A skill that I believe to be very important in life.