THIRTY-EIGHT

We did an art project one morning. The kids made feather masks that they absolutely couldn't see out of because of all the feathers. :)

We got an advance copy of Matthew's book this week! It was so fun to look through and see in person. You can still preorder his book. thisisnotamaze.com It comes out around Thanksgiving. 

Sweet sibling snuggles with cinnamon-cardamom buns and hot chocolate. They both insisted upon using tea cups... The cups survived unscathed. 

This scene brought to you by Theo pooping on the toilet. His prize is being able to play with Matthew's elaborate lego cars. 

So much lego love. 

During a fun trip to Bass Pro shop. Vera worked all week to earn a little bird that made noise when she squeezed it. She was so happy to be able to finally retrieve it. 

Quotes:

Uncle Jacob came to visit. While he was holding Theo, Theo stroked Jacob's mustache and looked confused. Then he started stroking Jacob's eyebrows and then pointing to the mustache. He was trying to figure out why a third eyebrow was growing on Uncle Jacob's lip. Haha.

"This biscuit is going to be an animal. And WOW the jelly is perfect for the BLOOD!!"

"I'm a horsey who poked an animal and now the blood is dripping out it it!"

"My egg is running! It almost looks like my egg is having yellow diarrhea."

"The Mater on the bus says 'Mater done, Mater done, Mater done.'"

"I'm not cute! I'm delicious!"

Vera -"Is this scary music?"
Matthew- "No, this is Pink Floyd."

THIRTY-SEVEN

Vera brought home her Preschool class photo on Tuesday. She looks so much like I did when I was little it was really almost overwhelming. She looked so big and so small and I immediately teared up. I'm not very sentimental about babies, I guess it's the preschool years that really get me worked up. 

 2017 week thirty-seven

It was a weekend of Pure Americana down here in Texas. We started it off by trying a new (to us) barbecue place with some good friends. 

It did  not disappoint. 

Then a swimming birthday party for some other friends with pizza and cake and Matthew catching a really giant lizard. It was so big I thought it was a wild bearded dragon or a decorative lizard initially. The kids got a real big kick out of petting him. Mr. Matthew Animal Man was the hero of the party, until the cake was cut. :) 

Then to round it all off we went to a local festival and got our faces painted, lemonade, fried mac and cheese and our fill of all the little kid rides. 

Theodore feels uncertain about the Dumbo ride. 

While Vera specifically requested to sit alone so she could be so brave. 

My little bug.

Vera and Theo rode a little roller coaster without me. Vera did not like it. Theo looked terrified the whole time. 

We stopped to enjoy some really fun stilt performers. The parasol covered vehicle in the back was playing music and zipping around wildly. It was a lot of fun. 

The BIG lemonade please. (To prevent the big heat stroke I guess.) 

Quotes

"I'm going to have a robot and his name will be Expiration." (All I could think was "Exterminate!")

"Why do we ALWAYS have to listen to Hamilton?" (Everyone in my family [Matt and Theo and the dog just think it, Vera actually voices this distress cry] to me every time.)

"Theo, do you want to play Australians? You can be the master. He wears weird shorts. Ok let's go!" I have no idea on this one really.

Matt -"V, I love how curious you are. You're so interested in things and when you grow up you're going to make the world better.
V- "Papa, your voice is stinky."

V -"Mama, can you feel it when I kick your seat?"
Me- "Yes and I don't like it. Please keep your feet off my seat."
V- "Why don't you like  being kicked?"

A Grandfather addressing Vera at a birthday party,
GP -"What are you drawing in this notebook?"
V -"I'm making a calendar."
GP -"Wow. I don't know what to say. You know what a calendar is...?"

Talking about the roller coaster
V- "I never want to do that again. I'm never coming back. I was too nervous and that is JUST not for me."

THIRTY-SIX

Vera started Preschool on Tuesday. She was so brave and excited and so happy. 

2017 week thirty-six

I bit back tears dropping her off. She just looked so small. The next day when she didn't go to school she was really disappointed. And on Thursday when she came home, the first thing she said was, "Mama, I smiled all day." 

Self portrait. A girl and her giraffe. 

I didn't take many photos this week because I spent every waking moment chattering away in contended bliss with one of the dearest and best friends I have ever had. I cried when she left. She could have stayed another week and I wouldn't have run out of things to say to her. And I still probably would have cried when she left. Come back soon my lovely Lauren. 

Farewell dinner of grilled pork chops, zucchini, and homemade garlic potato chips, with fresh bottled wild Texas grape juice. Lauren and I made a dozen jars of grape jelly and a handful of bottles of grape juice. 

Those. Feet. Matthew fixed the garage door opener and a pile of powdered grease fell onto the garage floor. Kids always know of the precise place to step. 

And that hair. Pizza pool party with the cousins. The pool was too cold to swim. So it was mostly a pizza party near the pool. 

It was a canning heavy week this week. Homemade canned salsa. 

Sunday morning Vera woke up in a decidedly October-y mood. First she cried when we told her it wasn't close to Christmas, then she was consoled by the prospect of wearing her bone pajamas and bone socks. She felt even better after snuggling up on the couch with Matthew and watching an old episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark? 

On National Grandparents Day we visited Great Grandma Hatch. Vera read a book to Grandma before we joined the festivities. 

The Cole Family did balloons and face painting and spin art. And my kids took full advantage of all three. 

Quotes:

After a walk (wherein it was cool enough to wear a sweater) Vera stripped off her sweater and exultantly sighed, "Ah, my arms are LIBERTY!"

"There is a girl in my class and her name is Addison. I'm going to pretend my name is Baddison."

My children look beautiful.

My children look crazed.

THIRTY-FIVE

One night on our way home we saw a little lemonade stand. We stopped to buy some and the kids were so excited. 

2017 week thirty-five

I love to find Vera's little drawings around the house. I love to see how her details are improving. This is a drawing of Elsa. 

Cute Theodore at dinner. 

Cute Theodore in the garden. 

Snack in the box. 

Why I have to sweep 3x a day. This fell out of Vera's pants and then she promptly stepped in it and spread it around. 

Every morning this week we've woken up to evidence of fairy frolics and feasts popping up all over our grass. Theo harvested a cup full of mushrooms and set up his little fairy table and chairs and fed them some breakfast. 

Saturday night my dear sweet Lauren came to visit, and she brought her beautiful boy. 

Sunday morning breakfast on the back porch. Croissants, pear cake, bacon, fresh fruit and juice, and delicious comte cheese. 

Quotes:

Vera needed to use the toilet. When she came out I asked her if she had washed her hands. She had not. I picked her up and rested her (naked) bun on my thigh and washed her hands at the sink. Suddenly I could smell it. Everywhere. She had not thoroughly wiped and now I had it all over my dress.
Me - "AH, you got poop! POOP on me!"
Vera -"Whoops. Sorry."
Me - "That is hardly enough of an apology. 'Whoops'."

Vera- "Is Papa coming home?"
Me -"Yep, he left work and now he's on his way home."
Vera -"On his way to death. On his way to death. On his way to death, death, death."

Vera -"Mama, your hair looks... pretty. I was going to say something rude but then I stopped myself and said something kind!"
Me -"But if you don't think that's true then you're just telling me a lie. Just don't say anything if you think you want to say something rude."

"Mama, I know why you're feeling grumpy. It's probably because you're on fire."

"I'm going to name Giraffe 'Smithereens Egads.' I think that's a good and cute name."

"This kind of butterfly is called an annoyid and you have to be really gentle and quiet because they're a little bit shy of people."

"These are my plants but I have to trim the flowers off because snakes slither past them and touch them with their tongues and that makes them poison but then I pick the flowers off and trim them and fry them in butter then I can eat them and plant the seeds for Christmas trees." An example of the nonsense narratives Veronica is delivering all day.

"Egg-corns" - acorns
"Pine corns" -pine cones

Theodore says, "Ow Car" = Lightning McQueen "Go" = Moana "Deet dee" = Frida "Wee-oh" = Frog "Guys" = Legos "Cup" = Wake up "Hoofs" = shoes

THIRTY-FOUR

Theodore has reached a really compatible playmate age for Veronica. Stumbling upon them quietly and happily playing together is a fulfilling little pleasure.

2017 week thirty-four

My backyard under the eclipse. Notice the leaves' shadows. 

Because of the hurricane on the coast it's felt like a tropical jungle at our house. The kids spend so much more time outside when there are mud puddles and dirt to thrash around in. I've all but given up trying to keep up with the dirt and sand that's in every crack of floorboard and meshed to their scalps. 

To Do: Eat Breakfast. Disrobe. Busily work transporting water and sand around the yard. 

A portrait of a "Snaffy Waffy Giraffy" by Veronica

At a friends birthday party you can never be too fancy. 

Even when you lose a fingernail, your polish game needs to be on point. 

Quotes:

"Theodore, do you want to be Moana and I can be Elena? Mom we're making a Disney channel. Do you know what a Disney channel is? It's where a girl and a boy choose the people they want to be and they sing all the songs. Kids just like to make Disney channels."

V- "May I sniff your book?"
Me -"If you must."
V -"Hmm. Your book smells a little difficult."

"NOOOOO! NOOOO! AHHHHHHH! NOOOOOO!" -Vera trying to escape Matthew torturing her with his bad morning breath. 

"I am NOTHING!" -Vera angry that she had to let Theodore take a turn sitting on my lap while we watched our Sunday animal documentary. This is a big deal (or at least she thinks so) because the entire time we watch an animal documentary she tells us on repeat which new animal she is going to be. "I'm going to be a cheetah,ok?" "I'm going to be a mama deer, ok?" 

Vera- "Theodore I'm going to be laying on you if you don't move."
Theo- "No!" and he doesn't move