Swim Fun

The kids just started the third session of their homeschool swim class. Sometimes I swim laps during their lesson and then play with Sophie while the boys play with their friend Caleb. The boys love to build rafts out of floating mats and paddle around.

Curtains Away!

Last night when James said goodnight to Sophie, she asked him to say the nursery rhyme "Little Miss Muffet." He obliged and as he was leaving, Sophie stuck the fabric of her bed tent in her mouth and said, "Look Daddy, I'm eating my curtains away too!" (curds and whey)

Alcohol!

Yesterday, I took the kids to the doctor for Matthew and Sophie's 7 and 5 year well-child check-ups. Sophie had to get her 5 year old booster shots -- three of them. The nurse had a plastic disc with little plastic points all over it and a cut-out area for the needle. She put the disc on Sophie's arm and the points distracted Sophie from the needle poke. I've never seen that before! It worked! The booster stung, because the medication itself stings, but Sophie was brave and didn't cry at all. She was enjoying the nice nurse and later told me that she didn't want the nurse to know what she looks like when she cries.

During the vaccination process, the nurse explained to Sophie that she would wipe her arm with an alcohol wipe. Sophie exclaimed in a shocked voice, "ALCOHOL!!" ...At the recent birthday party the kids attended, some kids were chanting some little rhyme about "...baby's drinking alcohol!" I told our kids to stop repeating it and had to explain why it wouldn't be good or funny for a baby to drink alcohol. This incident might explain, however, why Sophie calls egg nog "eggohol" and her reaction to the nurse's statement. I laughed!

Recent Birthday Party/ Game Day

The kids were recently invited to a costume/birthday party/ game day attended by 17 kids total. Here they are dressed up and ready to go:

The birthday boy:

Little party girls:

Six warriors:

Playing "Duck, Duck, Goose":

Playing "Set":

The kids also enjoyed whacking a pinata!

One of the moms who attended the party has ideas for two other group activities. She wants to host a tea at her house in December when she will bring out her fine china and teach the kids about manners. (As I have reminded Evan lately, "If you don't mind your manners, someone else will.") She also had the idea of a "Junior Toastmasters" get-together where the kids will recite a verse or poem or read a selection aloud for each other. I volunteered to host that activity on November 30th.