Mom Remembers

* I started ripping up the linoleum in the kitchen--only to learn that there were three more layers of flooring underneath that needed to come up as well!  I called in reinforcements and the original kitchen floor has now been revealed.  I'll do some heavy duty cleaning next week and it will be ready for new vinyl. * Soren played cello in the orchestra at the World Arts Festival.  His favorite piece was Kabuki Dance. * Carl made a pineapple upside-down cake for Sven's birthday. * Sven turned six!  The next day, he cut his chin on the coffee table and had to go to urgent care. * Leif cleaned the whole house with Windex.  He was pretending that it was "Living Spray". * Richard got used to walking with two good legs after having his cast removed last week.  For the first few days, he didn't bend at the knee on his recently-liberated leg and it gave him a limp.  Now, though, he walks normally.

* I thoroughly enjoyed reading Skyward. * Soren beat Megaman 1 without dying. * Carl was swamped with art homework.  His teacher assigned him 5 mini-paintings, 30 gradients, and 1 shading. * Sven finished reading the Frog and Toad  treasury. * Leif talked a lot about wanting to make a friend. * Richard got to listen to lots and lots of read-a-louds.

* I took the boys and their friends, the Commarelos, to see LEGO Movie 2. * Soren passed the sacrament for the first time. * Carl had 2 cook-offs with Sara Foster. * Sven's 100th day party was postponed because of snow days.  He enjoyed staying home and being Leif's "teacher." * Leif learned to cut paper snowflakes. * Richard got a buckle fracture in his right leg.

It feels like Leif just barely turned three--but now he is four!  It feels like he grew up while my back was turned.  He is a light and a joy in our family, living with gusto in the midst of adversity.  Here are the things we did so celebrate him: 1. A few days prior to his birthday, Leif went to primary for the first time!  We sang "Feliz Cumpleanos." 2. He opened presents before his big brothers went to school.  I gave him a book of nursery rhymes, Uncle Brinton sent a ten pound bag of starburst (?!?!?!), and my mom sent giant cardboard bricks.  Carl assembled the bricks, which were used both for building super-tall towers and for pretending to be Block Man from Megaman 11.   3. I took him to MOPS and when the workers heard it was his birthday, they gave him a gift!  It was a game called Racoon Rumpus, which he and I played later that afternoon.  He won.  The workers at MOPS also taught him about Martin Luther King, Jr, which I thought was an interesting choice f

* I hired someone to take the carpet out of our living room and spent the rest of the week scraping gunk off the hardwood. * Soren requested a class change for P.E. and it was granted.  Hooray for kids solving their own problems! * Carl presented his city planning project at school and got 3rd place for his design. * Sven kissed China on the playground. * Leif turned 4!  His favorite birthday present was probably the ten-pound bag of Starburst from Uncle Brinton. * Richard got a bad cold and was very cranky at the end of the week.

* I drove the kids back from Christmas vacation in Kentucky and unpacked, which included re-organizing the toy closet with all their new stuff. * Soren started reading The Giver  in school. * Carl met up with Coleman at the mall in Ashland; they spent half the time on the playground and half the time shopping at Game Stop. * Sven lost his first tooth. * Leif enjoyed listening to "The Book with No Pictures." * Richard emptied out the bathroom cabinets and wandered around the house with my headbands around his neck like necklaces.