On stage

Dominic has had a couple of activities that have put him up front or "on stage". So I thought I'd combine them. By combining them in one post you might also catch a glimpse of the extra crazy child he'd been this past week. I think I have a little boy in serious need of summer break.

 After receiving his certificate to graduate to the next level.

 I have blown this one up so you can see his expression.
 It cracks me up every time I see it. Crazy boy!

This was a "bad parent" moment for me. But still funny. The slide show was having some issues. So the director called the kids up to share what their favorite honor was for the year while we waited. Dominic wasn't sure which one he liked best so she tried looking at his sash to give him some ideas. Not one new honor had been put on his sash. Sigh! Bad mommy! I'll have to work on that before he starts back in the fall.

 Finally a serious face.

 We were missing about 5-8 kids, but a pretty good picture of our little Adventurer club.

The next day the school went to a nursing home to give a presentation.

These pictures don't show it as well, but he was just as crazy.

 Jumping for a song they were singing.

 Caitlin with her other mommy. 

She begs to go see Miss Leslie and Charlotte every day.

 Making fish faces instead of singing.

 Visiting with the residents.

It's a good thing that school is out next week. 

I'm not sure how long either he or his teacher can stand him. =)

Missing You

Dominic has really been missing his friend Marissa. But in true child form, he is also enjoying life. His grief shows in small and often subtle ways.

Every week he brings home his memory verse paper and we put it on the refrigerator. 

He didn't say anything, but this came home this week.

Today at pick up, his teacher said he saw another little friend who looks, from the back, very similar to Marissa and he briefly thought it was her and called out to her.

As I mentioned in another blog, he has also mentioned to me that these past few weeks have been hard on him because he misses her.

It breaks my heart to see him sad. Yet I'm so thankful for the resiliency of children. They can somehow hold tight to the knowledge that they'll see her again and live in the moment. If that moment has pain they grieve. But if that moment holds joy they can smile and forget the pain.

It's no wonder that Jesus told us to be like little children. They have a connection to life and God that we adults seem to have lost.

"I tell you with certainty, unless you change and become like little children, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven."

Matthew 18:3

Caitlin

My baby girl is growing up.

Just saying. . .

If my children use incorrect grammar or mispronounce words I correct them. But there are some things that are just too cute to correct. Dominic rarely has to be corrected now, but Caitlin is still in that cute mispronouncing stage. Here are a few of my favorites -

flowler = flower

wewember = remember

basgetti = spaghetti

We are having fresh strawberry shortcake tonight. I made the comment that while strawberry shortcake with frozen strawberries was very good, s.s. with fresh strawberries was heavenly.

Dominic doesn't agree.

"No, I think I like my strawberries slobbery."

Piano Recital

Last week Dominic had his first recital. He hasn't really been taking lessons long, but his teacher wanted him to play a couple of pieces with her.

 He played one piece by himself. It was so cute to watch his little feet swing while he played. I think he was more nervous than he admitted.

 All finished.

The video of his last piece.

He's Back!!!

Sometime around the beginning of February, Caitlin lost her Bear-Bear. We tore the house apart and couldn't find him. I'd seen him a few hours before bedtime so was fairly certain he was somewhere in the house. When we couldn't find him those first few days I sort of stopped looking. I had been terrified that we would lose him in Thailand. So I had her start taking a blue elephant she had to bed with her. I talked him up. 

"She's an elephant just like the one you'll be riding in Thailand. So you can take her with you to Thailand." 

She named her Flower Sunshine and seemed mostly okay about losing the bear. She would ask about him, but it was a lot less stressful than I'd anticipated.

The night we returned from Thailand she asked where her Bear-Bear was. By this time we'd written him off for lost. I felt terrible that she was still missing him. She continued for the next few months to ask about him periodically.

Yesterday I was watching two girls for a friend. I was in my bedroom when I hear a shriek -

"BEAR-BEAR!!!"

I KNEW what that meant. Sure enough, one of the little girls (Kelsey) had opened a tiny suitcase that Caitlin rarely uses to find Bear Bear stuffed inside. Poor Kelsey was probably very bewildered because Caitlin was so excited she was almost crying and I threw my arms around her and thanked her about a million times. Caitlin has kept Bear Bear with her every chance she gets.

It's a blurry picture, but it gets the point across about how closely she's holding on to her precious bear.

 He's hanging out in Daddy's helmet while we eat lunch.

Welcome Back Bear-Bear. You were missed!

At the park

A couple of days ago (Sabbath), the Adventurers decided to have a picnic outside at a park. I didn't even know this park existed. It's a cute little park with several great climbing trees.

 

 They were pretending to be parrots in the jungle.

 Rolling down the hill. 

The kids were so itchy that we had to give them baths when we got home.

 I have no idea what this was all about. =)

  Photo courtesy of Kathy Kane.

Photo courtesy of Kathy Kane.

When the tears start it's time to go home.