We have a tall table in our kitchen. Finny used to run under it with ease as he made his short-cut through the kitchen, but yesterday, that maneuver was not successful. Po Finny.
As he rubbed his head, he wailed indignantly through his tears, "the table is getting lower!"
Oh, don't I wish.
Tonight we went on a family walk along the nature trail. Aaron and I walked while the kids rode their bikes. Finny insists on riding his too small tricycle so his little legs have to work like crazy pistons to keep him going. Seriously, they are just a blur. It is hilariously cute. After we had gone almost 5 kilometers I asked him if his legs were tired. He replied that he was fine. I said, "wow you are tough Finny". To which he replied with an eye-rolling tone in his voice. "well I am sitting on a bike!" Apparently so long as you are in a seated position, you are not exerting.
. Here he is striving to keep up with the sibs.
Oh I so do love 4! Here's the little boy who I had to hold in the pool right up until the end of last Summer because he was too short. He now does running cannon-balls into the pool. Much to his delight and my anxiety. "Don't run, you will slip!" (He did and missed bashing the back of his head on the side of the pool by a fraction of an inch on the way in. Children must be protected by hundreds of angels to survive to adulthood)
He is still the marrying kind. He informed me the other day that his engagement to one of my young women (17 years old and about 5'7) was off because in his words, "when I am 6, she will just be...tall. So I fink I will mawwy you again instead mommy". (Apparently, I will never be tall, and that is the only obstacle standing in the way of our matrimony. Well that and daddy.)
I also love 6..I have a pretty much identical picture of her doing this when she was 5. Also at 4. And I am sure she was the exact same size and has not grown a bit.Right?!
And I love 7 (almost 8)
Especially with the sticking up eyebrow to match the hair here.
And 9 (almost 10!) loving him too, with blue lips to match the towel.
We take this dishevelled shot at this same spot on the trail every year. I believe last year Finny was in the wagon. I will check on that when I am feeling emotionally stronger.
I love that they are riding in birth order here.
But I do not fail to see the symbolism of them riding away from me in said birth order....bwaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh....
And as if the trauma of my growing children is not harrowing enough, my dearly beloved friend Julie.........
upped and ditched us today...
I knew she was a kindred spirit from the first time I heard her speak. She has been a great friend and inspiration to me. I am so proud of her for leaving having done what she set out to do. I love to see a successful full circle. (And far be it for me to say...I told you so). I remember her telling us what she planned to do, then I got to watch her do it, despite the fact that it was rather arduous, and now I get to see her back off into the world for her next adventure.
And yes, that is all very well and lovely but I do not know what will happen if pestilence comes upon our house again in her absence. Or how my children are going to learn the rest of "how to play the piano." Or how we will have a gathering without her. Or really, how life will go on in a plethora of other ways...bwaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh. Really, the whole thing where people leave us. Most unsatisfactory. And I so totally bet that is what our kids are getting ready to do with this whole growing up thing. Bah! Humbug.
Her departure will be hard on us all..
Her departure will be hard on us all..
Here is Nathan, apparently attempting to immobilize her. This reminds me of when you are a mom, trying to leave the house and a small child attaches themself to your ankle. A moment or two after this photo was taken, three strong men removed him on orders of his wife. (That's her hand there). I refrained from a re-enactment of this scene as she drove away today, although I did run screaming after her car and then lay having a tantrum in the church parking lot when she would not stop.
It will just not be the same here without you Jules but we wish you everything good in the world and more.
At least we will always have blogspot.xoxoxox
3 comments:
Can I be gorgeous like you when I grow up?
Holy cow your kids are huge. Finny was still crawling the way I remember him.
I love your adorable kids. These pictures make me smile and sad. Can it be possible time has gone by so fast that they are so big now? I also wanted to say I love your jobs and allowence idea. You are so on top of things.
I can remember being sad, sad, very sad when you left me behind. How blissful the next life will be. For now, I will take comfort in knowing we both live in "O" states raising our kiddos as best we can.
Post a Comment