Summer time

It seems I've developed an every-five month schedule to my writing.  Each time I regret the funny stories I've lost because I haven't kept up with my journaling.  Poor Jonah, classic third child with half the photos and half the memories recorded.

He is now rounding the bend and hitting the homestretch towards becoming 4. This is mingled with pride and sadness on my part.  He is my last baby and so each milestone is the last time we'll celebrate it for a while.  Just this week, his mouth began to form the L sound, which until now has come out like a W sound.  It is funny to watch his little tongue trip on it and spread each word out as he forms that sound. I love it and hate it.  Because I loved it when he told me he wuved me. He is growing up.

In another way, we are pushing him onward in ways we didn't with the other two.  He is starting K4 preschool in the Fall at Geneva so that I can volunteer there 3 days a week.  I'll be there in the same buildings with him and yet I feel like I'm sending him off so young (the other two were home until they were almost 7)

But exciting things are happening at our school and we are thrilled to be a part of it.  We've gotten a wonderful interim headmaster, a new facility and some great new teachers.

Joseph...oh, that kid goes through funny phases.  I often say Jacob is my heart baby and Joseph is my soul baby.  He thinks deeply (so deeply that he forgets half of what he is told within minutes because he is daydreaming) about things and enters in and out of deeply obsessive phases. Last year it was Dolphin Tale and Winter the dolphin. Now its baseball cards and all things Yankees.  Its hilarious how one-track his mind becomes.

Jacob is growing like a weed and wanting so badly to be grown up and then wanting so badly to be little.  He is going to sleep away camp for the first time this coming week and he is flying to NJ solo for the first time. He is excited beyond sleeping about NJ. But the reality of his departure for camp tomorrow afternoon has brought some hesitation. It'll be interesting to see how it goes.  He tends to chicken out of things when the time comes and if we succeed in pushing him past that fear, he ends up loving the thing he was so fearful of.

As usual, here are some of the funny things they've said recently:

Last week, Jacob moved part of nest that a bird built in our garage.  

"I didn't realize it was a nest until the bird flew back in and really gave me the stink eye!"




Jacob's morning pearl from a few days ago: ya know how Shakespeare said, "let me compare thee to a Summer's day"...well, I don't think you want to say that to anyone who loves in Florida!

"they're snug enough that they stay up but flexible enough that they don't nag" ...Jacob on the virtues of new underpants.


I often lament the starving people in North Korea because I recently read "Nothing to Envy" which I highly recommend. So my boys really hear it when they don't want to eat their dinner. This is some context for the following:

Joseph: "I'm so hungry I could eat as much as a starving Asian and TWICE as much as an Asian Minor!"


We met sweet new neighbors last month and we are really excited to get to know them. This sentiment was quadrupled when the boys learned that the Mr. has coached baseball for a long time and has a pitching machine! "Things are going to get fun around here!" - Joseph.
Because its been a real dud.


"But mom! When you shoot it, you feel so triumphant!"  Jacob, growing too fond of his Airsoft gun. 


Upon returning home from a dinner, Jacob reported to me that his handling of Jonah's bad attitude tonight entailed a graphic description of what happens when one lives a life of grumpiness "your skin wrinkles, you dry up, your hair falls out and then your toes fall off and then your nose and then..." etc.
Effective? Well, apparently it turned the grump to laughter and made the babysitter willing to return.


You know you are in for an interesting day when the first words uttered by your sweet, lovable 3-year old, upon waking are, "you wanna smell my armpit?"


Jonah: Watch out, mom! That truck will squash you like a pig!
Those figures of speech will getcha every time.




Jonah: "I love you a wittle bit, mom but I don't wike when your hair is falling down."
It's important to always be open to constructive criticism


Jonah: "wet's weave the brudders at school cuz they kiss and punch me."


Jacob " you know, mom, there is a LOT of debatement about Joan of Ark! I'm with the people who think she was a little cooky."


Jonah: "I wike hugs, mama. Saaweezen me tight!"


Me: "I'm so hungry I could eat a house." Jonah: "oh mudder! That would be yucky for you. Silly mom."


When Jonah is wanting something, he always says, "let's go to the pooter dot com!"


Jonah likes to tell us "we are losing time" when we are out and about and he wants to get back home.


Tucking Jonah in one night I said "let's pray for Daddy as we miss him tonight." He patted my cheek and said "oh honey, don't worry about it. He'll be home in two minutes."



As the big boys bickered over opening a window Jonah shouted, " just stop! If a spider bit you, you'd need a bandaid!"
Thankfully his random cry did bring a pause.


Dinner table randoms:

Jacob: "it's good to teach really little kids about Christ...in case they get kidnapped by a pagan family a little later...loving God will already be sunk in"

After this convo, my Joseph pipes in with his dinnertime thoughts: "yeah, I'm saving my money til I have a fortune. Like $5 or $11."


I called Jonah a goober. He told me I was a bigger goober but it came out 'gibber boober.' How long will this be a running joke in our house?




My happy 3 year old tries to score a juice box by claiming "it will feel me better!"


Joseph: "I disagree with Mrs. Smith on several cursive letter formings."

Joseph: "Mom, can we get some beverages?" Me: "beverages??" Him: "Yeah, it's a plural word."


As we were discussing whether we liked a particular breakfast joint nearby that is owned by Christians, Jacob's assessment: "well, I don't see how you can be Godly when you serve margarine..."


Things I learned today:

From Joseph: "Mom, did you know that Ben Franklin wanted our national bird to be the turkey instead of the bald eagle?" Me: "No, I didn't know that...must be because we're all a bunch of turkeys. haha." J, not getting my joke: "No...I'm pretty sure it was because turkeys taste better."

From Jacob: "There is no better way to butter a man up than to feed him a big, juicy steak." (upon hearing steaks were on the dinner menu because dad had invited one of his employees over for dinner)