A Hunting We Will Go

I'm amused by how the dynamics in our family are constantly changing. There was a time, if I think really hard, I can remember it was all about Jonah and Ellie. I can recall video clip after video clip of them playing around, being goofy together. Then Charlotte "came of age" and suddenly it was all about Ellie and Char. Best of friends, joined at the hip, staying up 'till 9 pm every night playing hard. Charlotte wouldn't even let Jonah wake her up from her nap today. She wanted Ellie. And Jonah accepted this like it was the most natural thing in the world. So, now that Ellie has gone off to school with Jonah this year, it's been fun to see the shift back towards Jonah and Ellie a little bit. Every day I pick the two of them up from school, they come walking toward me, hand in hand; the way they've been walking from the moment Jonah picks Ellie up from her classroom. Oh my precious...is all I have to say about that.

Then there was this morning. Perhaps you weren't aware, but September 1st is a holiday here in the Valley of the Sun. And in our family it's second only to, say Christmas. I know you're racking your brain trying to come up with something. Give up? Okay. Dove Hunting Season (yes...it's deserving of all those capitals). Don't feel too bad. I wasn't aware myself until a certain abandoned talent resurfaced in my husband, many years after we married (I'm quite certain I would have at least hesitated when Popped the Question had I known about this hidden talent). Needless to say, Jonah is ecstatic about getting to take a school morning off to hunt with Dad. And this year's special because Ellie's four now and can go with the boys. Early this morning as I lay in bed with a few tiny extras, I hear Jonah whispering to Ellie the delights tomorrow's hunt holds for them both. Jonah was giddy with excitement perhaps more for Ellie than himself. "Ellie, I just know you're going to love it!" He told her all about his hunting vest that holds bullets in the front, dead animals in the back. He told her about waking up early, about the different kinds of birds they'll encounter.

It has been fun to see Jonah and Ellie get a little of their alone time back. Meanwhile, Charlotte has gotten to bestow all the hugs and kisses she wants on her baby sister with minimal competition (there's still me!). And I'm so grateful for this time my babies get to be young, carefree and so excited about life. Suddenly I understand the wisdom in "becoming like a child." I could for sure use a little more of that in my life!

I've been neglectful of Hazel. But of course she's just perfect. She could be more perfect if she'd take a nap longer than 30 minutes, but I'm fine settling for perfect. She's so tiny, but so wiry. She does this funny thing when I put her on her knees where she hops up onto her feet. I see yoga in her future. How else do you explain her downward-facing dog at 5 months??

(I'm bummed the pictures are blurry. I'll have to try again soon. )

And finally, here's Charlotte's first day of preschool. She cried the first day, but then came home and threw up that night so I'm thinking it was more being sick than being sad. She now regularly gives me reports on how she's held up in preschool. Today's report: "Today I was happy, Mom! When my tummy hurts, I not going be happy, but when my tummy doesn't hurt, I going be happy!"


P.S. Grandma, the kids thank you for the fun postcards you sent them! Hazel thought the most of them.

Random

Part of what has taken me so long to blog is trying to organize it all. So I decided not to try and instead just get it done.

School and the craziness has begun. Trying to have a good attitude about that. Our California trip was amazing and I'll soon have to post, but meanwhile Jill wrote a sweet post about it here.

Lately I've been chuckling at the funny things the kids come up with.

Char: "Mom, can I please change my name to Ellie?"

Me: (heartstruck) "Why? Charlotte is a beautiful name."

Char: "No it's not. Charlotte is a silly name." (Keep in mind, everything is silly to Char. The girl at the mall who's hair was blue and who's ear had a thorn through it was silly. Sadly, the only comment Charlotte made to her was, "Why isn't your hair purple? I'd like mine purple.")

On to first day of school pictures...

First day in the first grade.

First day of Kindergarten!

Charlotte was not happy to see Ellie go.

Reconciliation.

Child #2 handed over to the public school system.

I think over all Ellie's first day of Kindergarten was a huge success. Well...there was the "Meet the Creature" night where in Ellie's words the teacher was "...kind of freaking me out." Oh yes, and the fact that she was accidentally sent home on the bus the first day of school in place of an Eliza. So maybe it was just a memorable first day of school!

Moving on with the randomness...

Last night the girls' dinner conversation turned to 'What I want to be when I grow up.' Ellie wants to be a "Put cute princess paint on your cheeks and make your hair and put on a dress and put on shoes--I mean slippers, maker." All this in addition to her previous desires to be "...a mom, a hair maker and a ballet teacher." Char's ambitions are no less impressive. She wants to be a "...mommy baby diaper changer." Oh, and a ballet teacher just like Ellie. No surprise there.

Also last night Jonah and I had a "discussion"on why he hasn't gotten the Wii back yet. When I tried to provide him with an explanation he slapped his hands over his ears and exclaimed, "Why don't you just stop this nonsense and give me the Wii back instead!"

Today Jonah redefined The Golden Rule: "I'll be mean to you if you are mean to me."
It's not exactly the way we've taught it at home. And for sure not the way it goes in The Bernstein's Bears: The Golden Rule (courtesy of Chik-fil-A).

Charlotte: Upon waking up from her nap, still laying in bed. "Mommy! Wake. Me. Up!"

I really do love my kids. I can't help it if most of what makes me laugh, makes them cry. That's just the way it is. It could be worse. We could both be crying.