Christmas 2013

It came without packages, (some were shipped late)

It came without sweets, (due to a restricted diet for allergy testing, it really did come without any traditional sweets.

It came without warning.   Ok.. so it came the correct day and that really should be warning enough... but it seemed to sneak up on me.

It came very simply... and it was perfect!

We had a great Christmas ... once we convinced the kids to go back to sleep until at least 6:30.

Caleb and Patrick both worked Christmas eve and we watched It's a Wonderful Life in it's entirety.  I don't remember ever seeing it entirely before.  It's much longer than I remember, but I like it.  We toyed with the idea of attending a Christmas Mass, but we were outvoted this year by sleeping kids.  I can't remember carrying sleeping children to bed on Christmas Eve before... usually we're waiting for them to fall asleep.

Memorable moments from our Christmas season:

*Whittaker opening his stocking and nonchalantly taking each thing out, looking at it with a smile and setting it aside to pull out something else until... The flat rubik's cube he had asked Santa for... "he bringed it.. FINALLY.  I been waiting and waiting."  Then he reached in and pulled out a can of olives.  He tossed the rubik's cube and did a victory dance and asked if he could open it and put them on his fingers and eat now!?  (next year... a stocking full of canned goods)

*Emerson finally realizing that the stuffed stocking at the foot of his bed wasn't just another stuffed animal, but had snacks and toys inside.  He devoured his orange and his fruit snacks and began begging others for theirs, although the light up bouncy ball and the toy iphone were definite distractions.

*(not all memorable moments bring back fond memories)  As we went upstairs to continue Christmas morning we were greeted by cat vomit at the top of the stairs.  The kids waited on the stairs as daddy cleaned it up and I changed Emerson's diaper.  As I changed the diaper, Figaro (cat), hopped into the box of clean diapers and proceeded to act like he was in a litter box... pooping in a diaper... ewww.. gross!  Not a Christmas tradition hopefully.  Apparently the kitty door was locked!

*Whittaker noticed as we came into the living room the plate we had set 'out for Santa'.  The cookies were all gone except one and the carrots were gone and the milk was mostly gone.  He began ranting. "I not like Christmas.  I HATE Santa.  He ate my cookies!"  Even the gnawed carrot on the front porch didn't ease the loss of the cookies he had set out in the living room the night before.

*Miles trying not to let it show that Christmas at age 12 was turning out to be blah (clothes, shoes, gloves, back pack, ... until I managed to 'find' one last gift hiding....    oh... just a box of new rubik's cubes... he was busy for the next week.

*Duncan exclaiming.."I got everything I wanted and more... (He had asked for a new winter coat, and a watch)  he received 2 coats and a watch as well as a few fun items he was genuinely surprised and pleased with, including fun new socks for his sock collection.

*Sarah, giving me quizzical looks each time she opened a pair of boots.  (She had helped me order the pair she wanted.  (She didn't know that I had finally asked her to do that because I had been looking all month and picked up a few pair and each time I would drop hints, it would be evident that they weren't what she was asking for.  So she ended up with 4 pair of boots she didn't ask for and the pair that she did.

*Caleb preparing his first turkey dinner.  He had received one from work so we called it Caleb's turkey and told him to prepare it.  He did a fine job, remembering to massage and dance with the bird as is the tradition.

*Making the gingerbread house with the kids the next day after we'd started coming down with the flu.  By boxing day there were 4 down.  Whittaker was burning up and still had some residual croup coughing, but he kept telling daddy where to put frosting and candies.... until.. he coughed and he coughed and he blew the barn down!  The darn thing collapsed.  He burst into tears and was crying and begging... "Please, don't give it to the chickens!"

*Learning to play the new game Settlers of Cataan... and then not stopping for a week straight.

*Jim's gifts to the kids. priceless... "One of those new fangled dialing phones you put on a desk and it's attached with a cord for the talking and listening part.  and a box of packing poppers.

*adorable matching shirts from Paige... Emerson loves his... Whittaker loves his new socks Paige!  Everyone who sees them comments on socks with capes.. Awesome!

*Visiting with Santa.  I often wonder what Santa's think after listening to children come up to him all evening telling him what they want.  From detailed long lists, to needful requests like a winter coat to telling him something vague like, 'a toy'.


*Attending Christmas concerts.  Handels' Messiah sing along.  (Whittaker and Emerson, slept on the floor), also the Sterling singers concert that Patrick and Caleb perform in.

*Christmas bowling.  I have discovered that bowling is not my forte.  I think I'll remain a spectator from now on.  Cooper insists that I bowl 'nova's'... that would be when you only knock one pin down with each roll.  I regularly knocked only one down so when anyone else bowled that way, they would come back to the seats shaking their heads and saying, "I bowled a 'nova'".

*The church nativity.  Cooper rocked his part as narrator.  Whittaker acquiesced to wearing a shepherd costume and finally agreed not to skewer his sheep on his staff.  Duncan was the tallest wise man and was pleased to carry in a gift of gold coins.  We had been to the bank and picked up the golden dollar coins because 'authentic' props make everything perfect.  The most work was the stable, which I decided needed to be painted the night before.  We forgot to turn out the main lights and plug in the star but the nativity went well anyway.

*Boys and cats disappearing under the Christmas tree

*Exercises by the light of the Christmas tree

A Whitty Cooperism Remark

Whittakanese:  it's an easier language to understand than say Jawa which is loosely based on the smell of the speaker at the time. ~'Cooper'

Whittaker was asking to have a piece of yarn tied around his waist and kept repeating,
"I be like a penguin.  Tie it like a penguin."

I had no clue what he was referring to.  I tried to tie the yarn so that it held down his arms 'like a penguin... then tried tying his legs together, 'like a penguin'.  However, both those were incorrect.  Cooper offered to help saying, "I think I can understand 'Whittakanese' better than you."

He managed to discuss with Whittaker the finer points of tying like a penguin and determined that he wanted a karate belt like the penguins on Club Penguin.  It was at this point that he announced the ease of understanding Whittakanese over Jawa.

I apparently don't speak either very well.

Brace yourself

 After almost 3 years of brackets, wires and elastics, restrictions from crunchy and chewy foods, we now have....

STRAIGHT TEETH!

Cooperism: Clean up

Cooper is on the chore rotation here.  Currently his jobs include, feeding the cats, collecting the eggs and sweeping the kitchen. 

This morning after Emerson had breakfast, Cooper walked in and began shaking his head.  He reached for the broom and dustpan and began sweeping up the cereal that was now all over the kitchen. 

Muttering, "Youngster's these days.  Good thing they're adorable, but they sure can make a mess."

Leaving our mark

The oven had a glitch this evening and needed to have the reset button pushed to reboot the electrical in the display panel.  To do this the oven had to be slid out of it's spot.  It revealed a forgotten moment in our history. 

We decided that an updating was necessary while it was available.  Besides Cooper was quite taken with the idea of approved wall writing!  (He wrote, "Anonny'mouse' was here.  Coop ate with him.  Cheese was yummy.")

Fort Noble

Channa brought over a bag of old fitted sheets.  Apparently she knew we would need them.  Perhaps not what she thought we needed them for....

Fort Noble withstood repeated attacks from Emerson.  A rip roaring Othello tournament.  And multiple 'big people' invasions. (It was just so inviting) 

.............However it could not withstand cleaning day. 

Cooperisms : Papparazzi

"I think I can relate to famous people dealing with the Papparazzi now.  It's like standing with a piece of bread, surrounded by hungry, angry geese!"

Brown Apple Juice

Growing up, we would sometimes spend the day at work with my dad.  He worked in a research lab on the campus of the University.  I never completely knew what he did, nor ever understood it.  I think I ended up telling everyone he was inventing a nuclear physics bomb or something. 

None of that really mattered. 

What mattered was 



.................. lunch time. 

More specifically a drink.  We probably had a packed lunch from home but Dad would take us to get some brown apple juice.  We always called it that.  "Brown Apple Juice".  And there was just something incredible about it. 

It's been close to three decades since then. 

They say the sense of smell and taste invoke memories better than any other sense.  I have 7 apple trees in my back yard.  I have made close to 1000 quarts of apple sauce and 600 quarts of pie slices and 100 quarts of juice since moving to this home 7 years ago.  We've taken advantage of the bounteous harvests.  This year, Caleb took a bucket of our apples to a gentleman's home in the neighbourhood.  This older gentleman had been telling Caleb about a press that he had made. 

We typically steam our apples in a juicer to extract the juice.  We also drink hot cider for about a month.  Can't get enough.  It's delicious. 

Caleb was gone an hour and a half.  He returned with 7 jars of brown liquid. 

One sip. 

I was transported. 

I was about 10 years old, on the university campus, drinking 'brown apple juice.'

It was even better than I could have imagined and definitely surpassed what I had remembered.  In looking back on the last 7 years I've missed out.  I should have been cold pressing.  Our cider pales... quite literally... in comparison. 

TEN on 11/12/13

A momentous occasion!  Cooper turned TEN!!  on 11/12/13.  We should have been on top of it.  We could have made him open his gifts at 2:15... in military time he could have celebrated his 10 on 11/12/13 at 14:15... but that might have been taking things a little too far.

We had a fun day. They boys completed the first Harry Potter book the night before so much of our day took on a Harry theme. 

I had made a rice pudding as our breakfast treat the night before, however...  I went to bed before I took it out of the oven and forgot about it.  When I finally remembered around midnight it was a bit crisp.  They did not complain. 

 

The boys played outside while we set up the platform 9 3/4 station and decorated a birthday chair. 

We were sorted by the sorting hat.  Duncan and Caleb were assigned to Hufflepuff.  Cooper did everything in his power to rig the game so that he could be assigned to Slytherin.  He was successful.  He claims that the shield with a snake is just too awesome not to be a part of.

The spontaneous afternoon activity was a definite hit!  Bowling was especially fun with pseudonyms.  Except Whittaker, because when we were typing in "Long in the Tooth Walrus", he corrected us emphatically that his name isn't spelled like that.   It was a close game at the end, but somehow I miraculously pulled ahead at the last minute.  (I'm in complete earnestness here.  I bowled every frame my best from beginning to end.  How the end was so much better than my beginning I have NO idea!)

The birthday was not complete.  We returned home to find Sarah's magic.  A scrumptious Spaghetti dinner followed by a movie.  Not just any movie.... Yes.. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. 

We enjoyed popcorn of course and a fabulous DARK chocolate cake with Tapioca pudding.  We even had the chocolatey smiles to prove it!

As cooper put it earlier in the day. 
 ~"A successful decade has been completed... Soo, how do you  like me now?"

We like you enough to keep you around for another decade Coopster. 

(I'm very proud of you also.  This has been a week of difficult adjustments for you and MANY restrictions and you were very mature about it all.  It will all be worth it!)

Cooperism: Dental upgrade

Dental appointment for Duncan, Whittaker and Emerson.  Cooper had to tag along. 

The appointment went as well as can be expected with Duncan getting two fillings, Whittaker who was glued to the TV in the ceiling and Emerson who doesn't like to let anyone in his mouth since he's cutting three molars. 

After everyone was assessed, cleaned and given the ok to go, the Dentist turned and handed Cooper a toothbrush saying, "Here you go buddy.  You can always use another toothbrush!"

Once we were in the car, Cooper commented, "It's a good thing the dentist offered me a new toothbrush.  How did he know that it was time for my old one to take retirement, hit the road, it had seen it's best days?  It's time for a fresh youngster to take its' place.  They both came from the same dentist office so I expect great things from this new brush."

Sometimes I wonder if I should drive while he is speaking... I just never know what he'll say and it typically leaves me perplexed. 

I did respond with, "You won't know if it's any good as a brush unless you use it every day until you return to the dentist.  I'm sure he'd LOVE to hear your report on the toothbrushes abilities."

Costume Sensations

I had a tough time caring too much about Halloween this year.  I just didn't have the usual excitement for costume ideas nor the making of any ideas that the kidlets came up with.

Sarah had an idea back in August and she began early and made her own costume.  But the boys weren't narrowed down to anything until just before the first of the costume events occurred.  

The only one that we had come up with any advance thought was the Curious George and hte man in the yellow hat.  I even went out and paid $2.00 for that great yellow shirt!  Whittaker as a monkey I knew had to be really simple.  He wouldn't keep it on and that had to be considered.  He wore his winter monkey hat and my brown fleece.  He refused to wear the brown pants.  He removed his costume within 5 minutes of the party starting.

About an hour before the party, I was panicing for some costume ideas.  With anything we could find around the house we made a shoulder angel costume for Emerson and Patrick.  Oddly enough, unless Emerson stayed on Patrick's shoulder all evening he simply looked like we dressed him in a sweet little angel costume.  And with a skirt no less! He even had wings which caused him to spin in circles as he tried desperately to see them over his shoulder.  

This costume was inevitable.  I knew someday my scar skulled boy would eventually turn it into some form of Halloween costume.  His version of Frankenstein was fabulous.  He even read the cliff notes version of Mary Shelly's 'Frankenstein', just to get into character.  Other than the neck buttons, we found everything around the house... yes in that last hour while I was also creating a shoulder angel.

Cooper had insisted for the month that he would be handing out treats on Halloween and therefore did NOT require a costume.  However, he didn't take into account, Halloween costume parties.  So once again, with only minutes to spare before our second costume party of the season, we put together, Indianna "Cooper" Jones.  The best part was creating his facial hair.  It changed his entire look.

Caleb had to work the evening of the second costume party, so Patrick stepped in to play the part of the man in the yellow hat.  However, Whittaker had moved on.  In searching for costumes for the other boys, he discovered that we had.... 

a SUPERMAN outfit in his size.  He was willing to wear this costume for the entire evening.  Actually he was willing to wear this costume every day and sometimes nights for over a week!  It made the man in the yellow hat costume a little out of place so I insisted that he at least arrive as a monkey and then in true Clark Kent fashion he could remove his outer clothing and be Superman!

I didn't feel like I could walk around with a shoulder angel all evening, so Emerson needed a new plan.  With about 15 minutes until it was time to leave I decided to go with an idea that I saw a friend post about.  I must admit... the chippendales costume was the simplest, but when I suggested all the boys wear it, I received dagger like stares.  

I really need my head examined or a shoulder angel to hop up and sit on my shoulder, but.... if you think the photo above was a bit odd for me to pull off....

... In my moments of insanity before leaving, I decided that every chippendales dancer needed a showgirl.  So I dug deep and found an inner showgirl in me.

Now what was wrong with this costume for EITHER of the parties.   I hadn't taken the time to pull out our actual costume bins until the morning of Halloween.  It would have been so much simpler and adorable to have dressed him as a clown!  He spent Halloween as a clown, running around town doing errands and even going to a Dr. appt for Caleb's thumb (which is healing nicely).  He didn't even balk at the wig.  I didn't press my luck and try the red nose!

After eating in the clown suit, Trick or Treating required a change of outfit once again.  He made a sweet little frog.  He was cozy also. 

My Trick or Treating crew!  Caleb had to work and Sarah stayed home to hand out treats.  (She says it was boring because not many kids ventured down to the end of the dead end circle)

Duncan???   only pictured in the Trick or Treat photo.  I know.  He opted to wear the Superman costume each time we went out all season.  Each time he declared, 

"I'll think about what I want to be later, for now I'll just wear this."  

Proof you shouldn't procrastinate halloween costume decisions.  He was Superman.  Of course, so was Whittaker, and with only one cape, Duncan graciously allowed Whittaker to wear it.

You might think since Sarah spent 2 months working on her Lady Guinevere costume and made it herself and she wore it to two events that I would have a much more stunning photo of her.   But alas, I only have one of her in the background of Emerson's photos, where she is judging the musical chairs game with the music guy.  

Next year I vow to be more on top of the costume situation.  In fact I suddenly have lots of ideas... I better send myself a dated reminder so I don't have to panic and think of them again.

Ready or not

Whittaker and I have different opinions on what it means to be ready to leave for church, and what appropriate attire for the weather would be.

I must admit that there are many mornings that I think I should just let him wear the outfit, than have to spend energy and time to wrestle and fight him into appropriate clothing.

Chickens in my bed

Imagine driving down your street when you see a neighbours 4 year old boy dressed as Super man without shoes on, knocking on his own door.  Alone.  Early in the morning.  No one else appears to be home.

Fortunately for me, a friend and neighbour saw exactly that!  I had left for carpool but had Caleb at home with the sleeping boys.  Caleb was on the living room couch so that he'd hear the boys wake up.  Apparently that plan is flawed.

After I returned home I talked to Whittaker about what happened.  He said,

"I chickens in your bed."

"I not find anyone."

"I not know the password to the house."

Translation needed???

It made perfect sense to me.
After a few more questions and some deciphering.

'I checked in your bed.'  He apparently couldn't fine Miles whom he typically sees when he wakes and shares breakfast with while I return from carpool.  (Miles had an early club meeting at school) He didn't find Caleb in his bed, Sarah wasn't in her bed and I wasn't in my bed.

'I not find anyone.'  When he couldn't find anyone in their beds, he naturally looked for the car.  (I wonder why finding Emerson in his crib didn't occur to him as 'finding anyone'???)

'I not know the password to the house.'  When he went to look for the car, the door shut behind him and automatically locked.  We have a keyless entry, so you have to know the code to type in to open the door. He doesn't know the code.  He can not reach the door bell.

He was outside at least 10 minutes according to witnesses.  When his rescuer called me, I was able to suggest the front door by the living room couch where Caleb was sleeping.  All ended well thankfully. Thanks again Ellen and her carpool rescue squad!

I do wonder what he must have said to his rescue squad though.  If he mentioned the chickens in my bed, they might have thought he'd lost his mind!

 To us... talk of chickens is completely natural... so I did check my bed for chickens after my chat with him...

Just in case.

Did you know that if you act like a chicken, they will come closer?

All fall down

"I had nothing to do with it.  I'm telling you just what happened.   I was sitting here pondering the cosmos and the leaves... well they just all fell down."

Wednesday's child

I guess we shouldn't tempt fate.   Caleb and I were discussing the last few Wednesday's of our lives..

Last Wednesday, he crashed the van.

The Wednesday before, he crushed his thumb in a ladder incident.

Two Wednesday's before, Whittaker leapt into a bookshelf resulting in stitches to the head. 

Today Caleb attempted to do nothing but lounge.  I told him he could hide from fate on his own time but today I needed him to start up the propane burner and process a batch of apple butter. 

He singed some hair  off his arm when the flame ignited.

If that wasnt enough.  As he headed down stairs to bed tonight, he slipped on the last 3 steps falling onto his backside, ramming into the wall, knocking a picture frame off the wall,  the glass and getting a tiny cut in his toe. 

He hobbled to bed muttering, and whining... Why? Why?

Problems with a capital P

Pragmatism, Pride and Patrick... I don't think they all start with P as a coincidence. 

I have been referred to as pragmatic numerous times.  I think it is a compliment of sorts. As the steps to take after the car collision unfolded I was faced with procuring transportation while the situation was resolved.  The needs were to have a vehicle to go from point a to point b, with the capability of transporting multiple people at once. 

Fortunately we already owned such a vehicle that would suffice.  However it would require that we register it.  We had already been in the process of preparing it for registration anyway.  Patrick spent the next evening completing all the work on the trooper that would be required so all that was left was to go to the DMV and pay the fees.  A simple task... if you have a way to the DMV that doesn't require you to drive the unregistered vehicle. 

Our insurance provided a rental car.  I called and arranged for a car so I could toodle around and care for details.  It's a long weekend and the only car they had available this morning was not the car I would EVER have selected.  

Because it was the only car available they gave it to me for the rate the insurance was willing to cover.   I found it amusing they thought that was the only reason for hesitation. 

Oh no.  My reasons were many;
-I was too scared to drive it.  

-I didn't want to touch any of the MANY buttons.
-It would not fit my family.
-It would likely cause some tension among the other drivers in my household... since I was the only allowable driver on the contract. 
-It was the sort of vehicle that attracted attention.  I was not interested in attention.

-Because our insurance would pay for it for 30 days, but we didn't need it, I knew I would have a fight on my hands from my kids (including the biggest kid Patrick) when I returned it.
-I simply was not impressed by cars. Even this one.

After I sat down in the driver's seat I became even less excited.  How could I even admit to people that I didn't like it.  It wasn't very comfortable.   It felt like I was sitting on the ground.  I was glad I had walked all the way around it before getting in or I may not have realized how big a nose it had on it that I wasn't accustomed to. 

Oh well. It would do the task I needed it for.

I drove home to take Caleb to work and grab some paperwork.  I discovered some new reasons to dislike the car.

How is it that even my 1 year old seemed excited by this piece of machinery.  I practically had to pry my boys out of the car so I could run my errand.  Sarah pleaded with me to keep it until Monday so I could drive her to school.  I gave them each a ride (except Emerson) to the end of the road and back.   I think we'll have a discussion about pride (bragging... showing off... )  very soon.  

And to make matters worse..... Caleb's drive to work had to have the top down.  The temperature outside, according to the car, was only 50 degrees.  Granted it was a sunny day.  Still not really 'top down' type weather. 

A group of preteen girls saw us in the car and stopped in their tracks.  I heard them say, "you got a new car?", "wow... Is that a 'stang??!!"

As I passed my friends house she and her boys happened to be outside.  The boys were picking up their jaws and I think I may have seen so me drool.  My friend even said, "we should go cruising someplace tonight.   Just us ladies."

Why doesn't anyone else understand.  I want to return this car as soon as it has served it's purpose.  Or is there something I am missing?  I'm telling you there is something about this car that turns perfectly normal people into lunatics!

I drove the 30 minutes to the DMV (just slow back roads), waited over an hour to register the trooper then drove the 30 minutes home again. 

-This car is bright red.

-This car wants to speed.

-This car must be returned.

-This car is like a moving target.

-I got the most unusual looks from people as I drove.

-I have a cold.  I was wearing my big sweater and had my hair in a ponytail, and had box of tissues in the front seat with me.  I think people expected me to be wearing a little black dress.  Stereotypes are evil.

-People also don't tend to let me in their lane or merge... they expect me to speed up and cut them off instead.

Once home I simply waited for Patrick to come home so I could return the car.  I knew if I returned it before he saw it I would have an upset husband on my hands... on the other hand if I didn't return it before he came home I would have a pathetic husband on my hands....

Jim hasn't swung by to visit in about a month.  Why today?  I think he could smell the car.  He stopped by on his own new wheels and stayed to play a game of Yahtzee with the kids.  No one at all was on my side about the car going back.   Oh what to do?

......I have a pathetic husband.

The car will go back tomorrow.

Our blessings are many

This is our mantra.

With a year filled with emergency surgery for emersons collapsing intestines, miles concussion, Whittakers stitches, Calebs broken thumb, a dead computer monitor, a swimming cell phone, the cats broken leg, an ear infection, miles has the worlds most resistant wart gone wild, 4 with pinkeye, 2 rounds with the flu, daddy's speeding ticket, Sarah's collision, Calebs collision which has resulted in the demise of our van .   

We prefer to dwell on how many blessings we still have.  we have a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs , food to eat, employment, a bumper crop of apples, a garden that produced, keen minds, we are all alive and well, okay so perhaps a few of us have a cold but we will overcome that, family, friends a plenty, and good neighbours, love, laughter and an abundance of blessings.  

Cooperism -- waiting.....

We've been in a few waiting rooms lately.  Cooper typically brings a book to read.  When he forget it is torture for everyone there. This morning he forgot to bring a book and he pointed out the only other person waiting in the waiting room..... 

" this is what happens when you have to spend so much time in a waiting room without a book. I feel for you fella."

50 miler

Scouting merit badges aren't just for looks on a sash. Some I think are just for fun, such as the archery, Chess, Fishing and Canoeing. I've been impressed that many of the merit badges introduce the young men to career options they may not have considered or hobbies and interests that they may have never dabbled in otherwise. However, there are some merit badges that take a great deal of effort and perseverance for the boys to earn. Some that stretch their limits both mentally, emotionally and physically. I suppose you could say, I'm coming around to seeing scouting in a new light. Perhaps it isn't all fluff after all.

One of the most physically exerting badges for Caleb was his bicycling badge. He initially thought it would be a fun and simple one to earn over the summer. He learned that instead it would launch him into bicycle history, mechanics and a rigorous training program for his actual cycling portion. There were two, 10 mile rides, two 15 mile rides, two 25 mile rides and then finally the 50 mile ride. He and his counselor actually went on many 15 mile rides throughout the training and he found the 25 mile rides fun and exciting. The 50 mile ride however found him home afterward with shaky legs and a desire to stay at home and in bed for the next 16 hours! He was completely wiped.

He has since been on many shorter rides (10-20 milers), and finds that he enjoys cycling more than he thought he would. He is working on building a new bike and I hope he eventually stops growing so he can fit a bike for more than a year!

An apple a day...

An apple a day keeps the Dr. Away. I guess 30 or 40 buckets in a week does the opposite.  

Maybe Caleb was feeling left out with all our hospital visits this year. Or perhaps just wanted to get out of having to pick any more apples. He got into a fight with the ladder. And it crushed his thumb.

Natural Consequences

 A fun field trip day to the zoo.  The morning dawned... WAY TOO EARLY!  I had been up ALL night with Emerson who had developed croup.  Fortunately one of the best things for croup is to bundle up the child and take him for a drive with windows open in crisp cool weather.  The morning was indeed CRISP and very COOL.  So... we did not postpone the field trip to the zoo.  We bundled him up and off we went.  I'm happy to report that the cool weather and the extra bundling did the trick and he no longer appears to be suffering from croup.

A small set back to getting an early get away was a stubborn streak in Whittaker.  He insisted that it wasn't windy so he didn't need to wear anything but his shorts and t-shirts.  After a time out and a major temper tantrum and both his and my part, I decided to let the natural consequences prevail.  So off we went.  Four of us in long pants, cozy sweaters, coats, hats and mittens, and one of us sporting a summer outfit.

As the trek through the zoo progressed, he whined a lot about how 'he was sooooo freezing'.  I calmly asked if he'd like to put on his pants or his hat etc....  Slowly he acquiesced and was willing to put on a long sleeve shirt.  Then after about 15 minutes, he changed from sandals to socks and shoes.  Then maybe 5 minutes later he wanted his hat.   The zoo, by the way, showed signs that there had been snow there in the night and it was melting, but it was VERY cold. We had been at the zoo for well over an hour before I managed to completely dress him for the day.

Would you believe he almost immediately stopped whining once he was dressed.  I think I only mentioned how nice and comfortable he was now that he was properly dressed about 100 times.

The boys really enjoyed posing with the animals.... well the statues of them.  

At this point in the adventure Cooper began requesting to be able to have a pet to bring home from the zoo.  I agreed that this one would be perfect.  Small, quiet, still, no maintenance.  It wasn't what he had in mind. He apparently been hoping for a monkey..... a golden lion tamarind to be precise.  

The polar bears were playful.

As we walked up to the grizzly bear exhibit, Whittaker, who for the most part had been unimpressed by most of the animals and didn't say much.. (other than whine about it being 'sooo freezing'.), exclaimed, 

"Awww... this one is sooooo cute.  I want to pet it and give it a hug." 

The Grizzly Bear!!

We had to search high and low to find the tiger hiding in his exhibit.  Eventually we found him lounging in the patch of sunlight on the overpass that was built from his exhibit over our heads to his indoor habitat.  Due to the height of the overpass we couldn't get a great look, but we could tell he was quite a large feline specimen.

When we walked into the giraffe house I couldn't help but make a comment to Whittaker.  

"Look, the giraffe must not have listened to his mother.  See, he's standing in the corner.  Do you think he yelled at his mummy when she told him to put on his warm clothes?!"

He stayed in the corner for our entire visit to the giraffe house.  Whittaker left saying, 

"no, no. Bad, giraffe.  Have to do what mummy says."   

(There may have been a mineral salt lick thing hanging in the corner that apparently drips down the wall and the giraffe's tend to stand there and lick the wall.  Like Whittaker would believe that.)

Cooper insisted that a visit to the zoo isn't complete until you visit the small animal building... 'you know where they house the reptiles!'
He's been reading the first Harry Potter books and was a tidge disappointed that he was not a parseltongue. I believe he attempted to speak with every snake in the building.
By the way... he insisted I take the snake photo for his mother!  Something about how she loves a good snake photo, he loves to torment her with snake info and photos.

 Duncan was impressed by all the colourful birds and was eager to find the iguana the zookeeper claimed was hiding somewhere in the exhibit.

Oddly enough, the crocodiles were.... well... boring. Perhaps I would not feel this way if there hadn't been a protective glass between their enclosure and myself.  They really didn't even flinch or appear to breath the whole time we stood and stared at them.

A zoo visit would not be complete without a visit to the gorilla's to see how we measure up. 

And of course pounding on your chest while calling out, "Ahhhhhh, ahhhhh, ahhhhhh"  wouldn't be a bad end to the day either.

(Emerson had fallen asleep by this point in the day so he was no longer included in photographic opportunities.)

A quick update on the Whittaker clothing situation:

Once we arrived in the van to return home from our delightful zoo visit, he refused to get into his seat until he was stripped back down to his shorts and t-shirt once again.  I think I'll take that as a 'Gee, thanks mummy for packing all my warm clothes for me.'