Evan,

This morning you had daddy get you a cup of water at 5 and were back in bed with us at 6. I was the peanut butter in the sandwich and you rubbed my back periodically. When daddy went to shower, I moved from being the middle of the sandwich to taking over his side of the bed on my stomach. You rolled to your side and propped your legs on me like a pair of scissors.

...shortly after came Madalyn and I was a sandwich again. You said to us, "I don't feel good, I'm hungry." Madalyn answered, "Evan, you can't eat if you don't feel good."

"That is SO RUDE!" you protested. "I can TOO eat!"

Shortly after you were throwing up just a bit... daddy said you were just congested and gagged is all, and I guess he was right because not long after you were begging to please go to school.

Having already celebrated with your party, I completely forgot it was your birthday today until I got Aunt Julie's prayer for you in my inbox while you ate breakfast. It's true. I confess. Some mother. (I tell you what, when you're in high school and I won't let you go to a party or you really want a dog or something, just remind me of today and permission granted, okay?)

SO! The moment I realized, I rushed into the kitchen and told you that today was your real birthday, and happy birthday to you.

You smiled, pleased with yourself for being five.

Shortly after we remembered we had homework to do (I'ma lready training you in the art of procrastination,) and began searching in magazines for items starting with the letter 'i'. Of all letters, "I" is a toughy. We weren't too creative: ice, icing, island, and interesting (a dog made out of broccoli... who doesn't find that interesting... or at the very least, peculiar.)

Then we ran in Publix on the way to school and got some really cool multi-colored cupcakes with stars on them and a number 5 candle. Your friends saw you across the parking lot when we arrived and said "there's Evan! Let's go see Evan!" We told them it was your real birthday and I watched your chest puff up a bit. "Happy birthday!" said Ethan.

Your teachers were very pleased to have cupcakes and promised to save one for the little sister who stood by the door in patriotic attire, waiting to go to her class, and feeling a bit left out on the cake.

When I drove away I thanked God for your school. It's been such a great way to start the school world. You are so happy there and it's so wonderful to know you are well cared-for and well-taught.

I love how you love to learn. I love how you want to build a rocket and go to space, how you want dolphins to pull you in the ocean on waterskis, (when you're 6 or 7,) and how you asked this morning if you could ride on a horse and carriage sometime soon. I love how you are unique; intense, sensitive, creative with a capital "C". You amaze me a hundred ways every day.

I love how you care for your brother and sister. Just last night you went to bed in Madalyn's bed, and she threw her arm around you while I searched for blankies and cups. That's how it is. She rubs you and loves on you, and you smile and receive it. Sometimes you hug her back in a firm embrace and I worry your little necks might snap, so tight is the hug.

You are everything a boy should be: passionate, tender-hearted, wild, intelligent, and usually covered in dirt from head to toe. With your arrival five years ago, I learned the true definition of "blessing." As your name proclaims, you are nothing short from a gift of God.

Love, love, love,

Mommy xoxoxo

Labels: birthdays, Evan

Labels: Evan, parenting, school, siblings

Yesterday was Evan and Madalyn's Open House and it went fine; uneventful (which is always good.) He is in pre-school for four days a week, and Madalyn in Mom's Day Off for 2 days a week. But after the Open House, after Madalyn requested a peanut butter and honey sandwich, she refused to eat it. I knew something wasn't right. She sat and stared, then pouted and whimpered.

"What's wrong, sweetie," I asked.

"Mommy, I'm a little bit jealous."

She learned that word in association to Tinker Belle's feelings toward Wendy. "Jealous. Do you mean nervous?" I asked.

"Yeah. I'm a little bit nervous."

"About school?"

She started crying at just the mention of it. We cuddled and rocked and Evan and I both assured her she would love school, but I wondered how it would pan out this morning...

Last night she even said she needed to be tucked into bed because she had to go to school in the morning and it seemed the anticipation was killing her and she wanted to get it over with already. All the way to school she asked how long it would take and if we were there yet and so on... she was the only one of the three that hated to be left in the nursery as a baby. The only way they got her to stay was by showing her sparkly things; jewels on a bracelet or sequins on a shoe...

But as soon as we arrived and she saw a bunch of kids running around outside, she was in her element and just fine. She almost ran in the classroom without kissing me, I said, "wait! Give me a kiss, be good."

"I will," she said with attitude, like 'aren't I always' and her teacher laughed and parroted her.

Evan ran right in... the day couldn't have come fast enough for him. He couldn't wait to play on the big playground this year. When I walked back past his door after dropping his sister off, he smirked at me like "I know, I'm so cool- totally in my comfort zone- you go on and have your day, mom..."

And so I did.

It was weird to get into the car with just Jack. Funny how your first rocks your world at the time, and yet now I'm a free woman with just one.

We attended a "Boo Hoo Brunch" at Stephanie's where Jack was both intrigued and traumatized by the dog, where Jack made sure to remind me just HOW overdue he was for a nap, just HOW cruel I was for making him skip it.

We went to Walmart where he pitched a screeching screaming fit until I quit talking to his father so he could play with my cellphone. We dropped off the groceries and he slept while I put him from the car, to the crib, back to the car again. Phew.

Mom's Day Off passes QUICKLY, let me tell you.

I got Madalyn first. She was short a red hairbow that I found tucked in her cubby and she immediately helped herself to the treasure box of candy after watching Evan do it for an entire year. Her teachers said she was BUSY. She was, apparently, into everything, wanted to "pet" the class fish who DID NOT want to be pet by the squawky toddler thumping his bowl. But the teacher laughed and assured me she was fine. She was Evan's teacher last year, so I didn't fuss on about it, I took her at her word and told her to keep her line. :)

We picked up Evan who was dismayed to find out that the preschool class no longer picks from a treasure box because they are too old and mature for such trifle rewards.

My personal favorite part of the day was listening to Evan and Madalyn chatter on about their days and ask each other questions the ENTIRE car ride home until we pulled into the driveway. What's in your lunch, Madalyn? What did you eat first, Madalyn? What was in your lunch, Evan? Did you go to the playground, Evan? Excuse me, Madalyn, um, did you get to pick out of the treasure box?

The following is the information I was able to obtain on the way home, which I have already emailed with friends and gotten their info... we figure exchanging it, we just may get a good idea of how their days really went:

From Evan:

Played Legos with a kid named Fred, colored a pic of himself, and Madalyn and Jack but didn’t have time to draw Jacks’ legs and would have to finish them at home. Played hide n seek on the playground with Ethan. Greyson was a night monster that Evan and Aubrey and Jacob were hiding from and also trying to put in jail for 20 years to break the spell (Evan created the game.) Matthew got a time-out, didn’t remember why. Ate all is lunch. First his sandwich, then his applesauce, then his Teddy Grahams. The day went very fast even though he did not get to move up to the bigger kid playground as hoped.

Jack with no legs, Evan and Madalyn :)

Madalyn: Played with Sydney. Sydney pee pee’ed in her pants and it got all over the slide. Played cars with Aaron. Nodded that yes there were, in fact, two Sydney’s and two Madalyn’s in her class. Went pee pee on potty but chose NOT to wipe… will try to choose TO wipe next time. Favorite thing was lunchtime. Did not watch a movie but listened to music about cleaning up.

Since then, this also in from Stephanie and Dana:

Stephanie:

Ethan said he played with the cars and that no one played with him. I told him that maybe next time he needs to go ask a friend to come play with him if wants to play with someone. He told me he couldn’t do that this time because he didn’t want anyone to play with the cars when he walked away…..

YES, Sydney pee pee’ed on the slide. I knew as soon as I went to pick her up and saw her in purple pants that I had never seen before. Ms. Sandy laughed since I actually had a ‘just in case’ bag for Sydney this morning and forgot to give it to her so now she has it….. I’m perplexed by how Sydney can stay dry all night and then have accidents during the day but I know she’ll get it soon…..very, VERY soon would be nice J Sydney said her favorite part was playing on the playground.

That’s pretty much all I got… with all the papers Ethan brought home, it looks like they kept them BUSY! What smart teachers.

Dana:

I love hearing the different perspectives kids have of the SAME classroom. Fun.

Aaron: I asked him if he read the note I put in his lunchbox, and he told me, yes, it said: "Thank you ms. Sandi for my gold fish snack". That is NOT what the note said....it said, have a great day at school Aaron. Love Mommy.

But, whatever.

Then he wanted to know why I didn't pack him applesauce in his lunchbox.....even though I told him THREE times this morning, that we didn't have any applesauce and I'd buy some at the store on Friday. He continued to reinforce, the importance of packing applesauce next time. Point taken.

Aubrey: said she learned about the letter "L" and about places in America...like "North" and the "North Pole"??? Her favorite part of her day was playing on the playground. And she said Ethan pulled her on the playground, and said "Common Aubrey", so she came.

Shannon: Was crying when I picked her up.....her teacher said she had a great day, but got upset when she saw the other moms picking up their kids. So she only cried the last 5 minutes....and she was clutching a chocolate chip cookie in her hand, that her teacher must have used to try to appease her. Then she had another meltdown in the hallway outside of Aarons room, because Aaron got to pick a candy out of the treasure box, and she wanted one. Three minutes, and one tootsie roll later, she was happy as could be. (Note to self: Pick up Aaron first next time, so Shannon doesn't see the treasure chest full of candy that is NOT for her).

-------------------------------------------------------

So, it will be interesting to find out what tomorrow holds... but for now I must go because I have homework to do with my almost five year old. :)

Labels: Evan, Jack, Madalyn, school

Jacky!

You are growing so fast!  Nearly 14 months already!  I'm actually overdue to write your sister and brother a letter, but you're the one changing so quickly that I wanted to jot down a few things about you before you're on to the next phase...

Just now I was chasing you up the stairs.  Whenever the gate's left open, (which is rather frequently in this house,) you climb a few steps and wait, looking over your shoulder to see if you will be scolded or not.  You only enjoy the stairs when chased or scolded.  What IS that about human nature that relishes the forbidden?! 

Oh.  Right.  That incident in the garden.  That whole "curse thing."

Funny how I find it endearing in you, though; the way you wait for me, and snicker and suppress laughter the whole way up as you try to escape.  If I just stand there and watch you, you almost won't go on... there has to be scolding and horror or the stairs lose their power.  I will have to remember this for your future...<insert funny joke about your high school years here>...

Last night you got into the trash and found a coffee filter full of grinds; you pocketed some in your mouth like chewing tobacco and walked around the house for several minutes before I realized.  I thought you would NEVER go to sleep after sucking coffee beans, but your brother and sister wore you out for me, and I'm grateful.

You DO, however, wake up every night at 12.  If we hear you whine daddy says, "Welp, it must be midnight!"  He thinks when the pool pump turns on every night it sets you off.  You usually go back to sleep on your own, though sometimes need a few kind words, a cuddle... and a bottle of milk.

Being the third kid, you're the first to get a bottle in bed... WITH milk.  Getting it away from you now is gonna be a doozy.  (How do you spell doozy?  It's a word I should know as there seem to be a lot of them in my current life.) 

This bottle-thing happened not to get you to stop crying, but because I found myself short on hands so often when it was naptime, and I would just let you hold your own bottle in bed- now I KNOW!  I KNOW what you're thinking: where's the love?  But before you get your diaper in a wad, what you have to understand is that if you had WANTED to cuddle to take your bottle, I would've gladly obliged.  But I found that you would have a few sips, squirm and climb on me and the chair, and just want to get down and go play again.  So in that case, if that was how it was gonna be, to the crib it was!  And I could kill two birds with one stone...but don't you worry your pretty blonde head because we have LOTS of cuddle moments.

For examply, it's VERY okay with you if I brush the hair out of your eyes repeatedly when I've just laid you down with your bottle.  You loooove that.  Your eyes drift closed and open again... you love having your hair rubbed, which is a good thing because I stroke it A LOT.  You'll even bring me a brush and just sit while I brush your hair because you love the way it feels.  This tells me three things: a) you did not get my tender head b) you most likely have your father's great hair, lucky kid and c) I better watch out for any girl who tries to stroke your hair come high school if this is your reaction to it!

You also brush your own hair a lot- very carefully, (as any perfectionist would.)  And you put on sunglasses and hair bands, which is so endearing because the hairbands are always on perfectly and yet you're so completely unaware of gender... and because the sunglasses are always on wrong and backwards and yet you walk around with the heir of Marty on "Back to the Future" sporting a hoverboard.   

Your body.  You are built A LOT like Evan was at your age.  It makes me nostalgic and also filled with joy because I get to experience it again with you- and a little different because you're you, which, not to sound trite, but is so special; your uniqueness.  You have a hollow belly and chunky, solid legs and thick feet.  You smell sweet, you feel sweet- your soft round body in your worn baby pajamas.  <SIGH>  No wonder I am usually getting pregnant again about now... this is when you want to do it all over again because THIS, THIS month is soooo worth it all.

I long to see what you will all be when you grow up; to watch you become who you were created to be; your unique gifts and talents and struggles... I hope I can always see and support your uniqueness.  I hope I never make you into some mold of who I want you to be, but that I would appreciate all you already are and all you are becoming through the grace of God.

I tell you "I love you" and "mama loves you" all day long.  Yesterday you said it back to me as one word: iuhyou!  Everything you say gets an exclamation point on the end.  I don't mean because you've yearned it, I mean because you say everything as an exclamation!  Like it takes you a lot of gusto! just to get it out.  Bye bye to daddy in the mornings is "BAH! BAH!"  The only thing you say softly is "ma-ma-ma" and "dis." (This.)

"Dis?"  you ask and hold up some object... or "This!" as in 'now this, this is what I'm talking about... this has got it goin' on!'  ('And don't even THINK about taking it away from me...')

The other day we heard you on your monitor when Evan and Madalyn were in your room with you and you said, "EH-VAN!  EH-VAN!"  He didn't realize and so you humored us and said it for him again, AND Madalyn PERFECTLY on command but haven't done anything on command since!

Well except for "soooo big!"  You do that when asked, and hold your little chub arms over your head with a smile, then you clap as direction for US to clap in praise for you, so we follow orders and clap and cheer, "yay, Jack!"

You and your brother and sister also put on shows for us in the living room.  Daddy and I sit and you all say "welcome to the show!"  And you do tricks and things and we clap and cheer.  It is PRICELESS how you participate and put yourself on their level.  Evan does some stunt on the couch, then you run touch the couch and turn around and clap at us like, 'yes, that was my trick, you may clap now!'  You spin in circles and get dizzy while they summersault around you and we clap until are hands are red and smile until our faces might crack in two.

Yesterday you watched some hens on a Disney cartoon and you looked over at me and flapped your arms exctiedly saying, "KACK, KACK, KACK!"  Technically, that's a duck.  But close enough!  "Kack, kack!"  we cheered.  "Yes!  A duck says kack, kack!"  Then you smile knowingly like, 'hey these big people are actually beginning to understand what I've been saying all along!  They're getting smarter...'

You also exclaim things like "whoa."  And you blow kisses to me with just your mouth, no hand gesture.  And you say, "tickatickatickaticka" almost by rolling your tongue when you want to play a tickle game...

Oh, and I almost left daddy out!  He walks in the door and you bury your head in his chest, then you lean back and look at him, then nestle in again.  You melt him and he is the sunshine that walks in the door just when it was getting dark outside.

There's so.  much.  more.  But you get the picture.  Most importantly, (ha!) I am your world right now; we have a real love affair going.  One glance from me sends you into blushes and smiles, and BELIEVE ME that's what one glance from you does to me!  I love everything about you; your round, so-blue eyes, your soft hair that curls at your neck, your toothy grin and even your drool!  You.  Are.  Perfect.  Well, as perfect as humans come, anyways.  (While I was writing this very paragraph you decided to hold Evan's Leapster by the pen and give it a good swirl or two in a pee-pee-filled potty.) But then what's a younger brother for?

MUCH love, sweet boy of mine,

Mama xoxo

Today, my mom became famous for the first time since March 1st, 1980.  She made the front page of the St. Louis Post Dispatch. 

The caption of the photo reads:

Here, at the Purple Cow at 11543 Gravois Peggy McDonnell shops for clothes for her children. "I come here every day." she says, adding, "I have adopted and foster children, this is my favorite store."

Here's the photo without the newspaper:

Oh, and I guess she forgot to mention us 6 biological children!  Just kidding.