Mom Remembers

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,...

* 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.