Month: May 2023
We have had some major events at our house recently. Ben has finally decided to give up his sippy cups. When he made that announcement the rest of the family jumped on it and we said a quick goodbye to them. Thankfully Ben hasn’t expressed any regret but his milk consumption has gone down significantly.
The other major change is we sold Ben’s learning tower. We bought it when we moved into this house and it has been wonderful. It added an extra seat to our kitchen island. The best part was its stability. Ben has always been a climber and it was pretty impossible to tip. The last month or so, Ben has refused to use his tower and instead been using one of the stools. I rarely have all four kids around the island at the same time so it hasn’t been an issue.
You might ask why Ben is holding an ice pack to his tongue. Let me tell you why. It’s Sunday morning and inevitably somebody needed something ironed. I set up the ironing board and iron in the living room and was doing a few touch ups. I walked away for a minute and heard a scream. I turned around to find Ben yelling and dancing around. He quickly explained that he LICKED THE IRON and now his tongue hurt. As I was laughing (because…he LICKED AN IRON), I suggested an ice pack might help.
We still aren’t sure why he decided licking the iron was something he wanted to try, but it seems like a very typical Ben thing to do.
Ben decided a few weeks ago to write to Santa Clause. I have no idea why he decided May would be a good time to write, but he vividly remembered that both he and Kaitlyn got a response in December. He drew pictures and asked me to write words. I was so glad that the request was somewhat reasonable – a picture of Santa with Rudolph. I was also somewhat hoping that he wouldn’t demand the letter be mailed. However, later that day, Ben brought me an envelope already addressed. I love his determination and helped him put it in the mailbox.
Now I had to figure out a way to make Santa reply. During the December month, the USPS takes care of the replies for me. I didn’t even begin to think they would respond in May. I had Wade grab the envelope from the mailbox on his way to church that evening while I decided how best to “reply.”
Ben asked daily if there was a letter in the mailbox for him. I finally found a perfect picture and had it printed. I found blank letterhead and printed a letter. Then I decided a letter from the North Pole needed a Christmas stamp.
This is the one year I bought “winter” stamps instead of Christmas stamps so I didn’t have the right thing. I went to the post office, where everyone knows Ben. The lady told me they return their holiday stamps after Christmas. But she did give me her cell phone number and told me she might have some at home. I checked in with her the next day and she had checked her house and with all her friends, but no luck. I posted on our local Facebook free site and had a stamp within 30 minutes.
Ben asked today about a reply and I told him we should check the mail. He carried his letter and picture around all day long!
Today was Ben’s last day of preschool. I find it hilarious that they end almost a month before the big kids get out, but that’s the way it is. We took some pictures before school and then it was time for a quick nap before the graduation ceremony and party!
Here is a comparison of the first day and last day of school:
Ben started the day with kindergarten screening for next year. We went to the elementary school where he played games with several teachers. Then he got to hug a stuffed Waddles and sign his name to a certificate.
Then we drove straight to a local trail for a hike. Ben spent the day gathering some favorite rocks to bring home.
Kaitlyn has always loved these “I am” books and now she can read them to herself. She’s got quite a few but she added even more to her birthday list.
This year we were a little more prepared for FunFair. We started planning earlier. We had more volunteers. Then a week before we realized it was going to rain on Saturday. That has obviously happened in years past, but not often. It means most of our activities have to move inside or be under tents. It also means our attendance is unpredictable. We did our best in planning ahead and adjusting as needed.
We had about an hour of overcast weather. Then it started pouring. I was impressed by the people that ran between the building and the tents. I was more impressed by the people that stood in line to ride the ponies in the rain or throw a ball for the dunk tank in the rain. Wade was a true hero and parked cars in the rain for the entire day. Most everyone else was under a tent or at least able to trade out or go home after an hour or two.
My favorite take home was definitely the pretend mustaches. Ben seemed to really love his too. I found him wearing it in his sleep when I went to check on him before I went to bed.
This is the second year I have been co-treasurer for our elementary school Parent-Teacher group (PTG). For the most part, it isn’t a lot of work. I write a lot of checks, visit the bank quite a bit, and deal with a few things here and there. The entire board works really well together and we all work hard when we have an event. FunFair is one of our bigger events and my entire family gets roped into helping. FunFair is tomorrow.
Last night most of my family did some form of baking. I made a chocolate cake and Granny’s coffee cake for Musical cakes. Kaitlyn made a red velvet cake for Musical cakes. For the bake sale, we made monster cookies (me), chocolate chip cinnamon crinkles (Teague), rice krispies with m&ms (me), and chocolate dipped pretzels (Alex).
Today, the board and a few volunteers met at the school at 4pm to begin setup. Before too long, Wade showed up with all the kids and most everyone went straight to work. (The exception being Ben.)