my guys

Well I just had quite a laugh this evening.  We went and got our Christmas tree before the kids went to bed and as I watched the two boys running around torturing each other on and off I felt for a moment that I was in the movie Christmas Story...Asher in his puffy coat toddling around the trees happily as could be just like Randy when he can't put his arms down in his snowsuit on the way to school.  I really love that movie, so for some reason it tickled my funny bone to feel like the mom dealing with boy antics.  Then, when we got home I realized it is really something special to have these brothers.  We've enjoyed past Christmas seasons with Owen, but to watch the two together plowing through the box of ornaments, pulling out each one with glee and either excitedly babbling about it or saying 'Mommy, Daddy, look at THIS one!'  It is something special to have a bigger family this year, and to have a watched a relationship, equal parts sweet and rocky, develop between our two special and unique boys.  They get so excited about the rituals, and so we do too.  It's so much fun to experience life with them...nothing like it!!

Speaking of holidays, we joined the List family and some of their friends for a terrific Thanksgiving.  Owen and Asher LOVE going to their house.  There is nothing better, as far as Owen is concerned...older kids who like to pay him attention and play with him on his terms, and who don't threaten his turf.  He gets so excited to see them.  Asher fell in love with Ben the high school senior, and shortly into the afternoon decided he preferred Ben holding him to mommy (Ben is a LOT less boring than mommy).  Ben came over to drop him off, his arms a bit tired from the 25lbs.  Asher would not have it!!  Another time, Ben looked tired of holding him and I said, 'You don't have to hold him all night Ben, just set him down and he can run around.'  Ben replied, 'I tried that a few times, and he just puts up his arms and starts whining!'  To which Nancy replied, 'Ben, this is what it's like to have a BABY!!!  24/7.  He's yours, all night.  See what it's really like!"  So I got a nice break and Ben got an education ;)  Owen's Thanksgiving funny was that I had checked out library books on Tgiving and in one of them, it said that the Indians brought cookies to the first Thanksgiving (really??).  So Owen got it in his head that there had to be cookies.  He was so insistent and excited about it.  How can you tell a kid no, when he's excited to act out what he's learned from the book?  So, on top of 3 pies, I made cookies!  And here's a pie you've never heard of...banoffee.  I stole the idea from a friend whose husband grew up with it just because I was intrigued...it's very different.  The way I made it:  Graham crust, boil 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk for 3+ hrs, spread one can's worth of the caramelized product in the crust, add a layer of diced banana, spread the other can, top with whipped cream and dust with cocoa powder.  It is *seriously* sweet.  But I have to say, it's tasty.  Still, I think it was a one-time pie for us.

When does it become rude to brag on your child?  Owen may be getting old enough that I'm treading on the boundary.  But I will not restrain myself yet.  Owen is now begging for at least one reading lesson a day, sometimes he wants two!  Crazy!  Today he read this (lesson 24):  a rat is in a sack.  that rat is not sad.  Now, I can't help but be impressed.  He is really getting it.  He does some hard work to read through those, but every day it clicks a little more and he reads it a little easier and faster.  Reuel has been able to sit thru the last few with us and it's fun to watch him be proud of his achievements.  Now he's picking words out of books left and right when we read to him, and he'll try to sound out anything he can!  Fun.  The book we're using is Teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons, and was recommended by some homeschooling friends.

Homeschooling.  Public schooling.  School system quality.  Influence of school. Cost of private schools.  Sigh!  Things that are constantly on my mind these days!!  Another time...