Oh Lollipop

Ben's Book of the Week

Ben's pick this week is: Going to Sleep on the Farm by Wendy Cheyette Lewison. This one has been his favorite since he was a baby.

Ben's review:

This book is wonderful. I love it. I want everyone to know about this book. I really like to see the pictures of the farm, the owl, and everything in this book. Some things I just don't like to read, so I read this one instead. Well, my mom reads it.

This book is about the animals on the farm. They were all going to sleep. They all sleep differently. The owl was not going to sleep, it was awake. Chickens sit and sleep, horses stand up and sleep, and pigs pile up to sleep.

Additional comments by Emanuel:

It's beautiful.

Soccer!

What is more fun than watching 4-year-olds play soccer? Ben (yellow shirt with orange hoodie underneath) played well today. He has a great team and an awesome coach!

A Visual Lenten Lesson

Early in the Lenten season, one of the activities we did with our local Catholic homeschooling group was to make a crown of thorns for each family. The children filled their wreaths with toothpicks, to represent the thorns on Christ's crown. Then, all during Lent as they made sacrifices and performed acts of mercy, they were able to remove a thorn from the crown and replace it with a flower. The goal is to have a wreath of flowers by Easter. The boys have been so excited doing their good deeds and sacrifices all during Lent to fill in the wreath. We've had lots of sharing and room cleaning these last few weeks.

Ben's Book of the Week

Benedict's first ever pick for Book of the Week is...

Creating Clever Castles and Cars from Boxes and Other Stuff by Mari Rutz Mitchell

Ben's review:

I really like it because it shows me how to make so many things. We made a pirate ship and it was so fun to play in. Lots and lots of fun. Me and my uncles are saving milk jugs to make an igloo! I also want to make a sub in the bathtub.

Additional comments by Emanuel:

I want to make all the stuff!

A Spooooky Story by Emanuel

One day mom and dad and Ben and Isabel and Emanuel were walking in the woods. Then we found a smarshmallow and it went "wiggle, wiggle." We opened the smarshmallow bag and the smarshmallows jumped out of the bushes and said "BOO!" Was that spooooooky?

The Cutest Kids

Yes, I said it! They are. I love being their Mommy.

Easter Sugar Cookie House

Ever since decorating graham cracker houses on Christmas the boys have been hooked. Emanuel even wanted a cookie house instead of a cake for his birthday. Today we were at Target looking for Easter cookie cutters when the boys spotted it... an Easter Cookie House kit!
"Please, mom and dad, can we buy it? Please?" Dad said yes, and Emanuel got to hold it. He spent the rest of the shopping trip waxing on about the virtues of this cookie house and how thankful he was to have it. It's nice to have thankful kids!

For mom and dad, the virtue of the cookie house was as an incentive. They cleaned their room so well and quickly, lunch went by without a hitch (and without seconds and thirds, which NEVER happens), and they even cleaned up after themselves without being told more than once!

Who needs a bathroom

when you've got the great outdoors and an audience?

At a playdate today, the kids were happily playing outside in the backyard while the moms chatted inside.

Everything was going so nicely until someone standing by a window said, "Your son is going to the bathroom out there." Then she turned and looked at ME.

I turned around... no one was behind me.

"Mine?"

"Yes, yours"

I ran outdoors in time to see Emanuel with his pants down around his ankles, chest puffed out proudly, and a crowd of kids standing around watching him. He turned and saw me.

"Mom! I went potty! I'm all done now" Then up went his pants and off he went to continue playing.

I'm wondering if I've prayed for humility recently and forgotten. This seems to have been "Humiliate Mommy as Much as Possible Week."

Benedict's Point of View

A few months ago, Benedict picked up our digital camera and started flashing away. The kid's a natural. At 4 he can work the camera better than I can. He takes a lot of self portraits. There are usually many shots of his lego creations, and many other very random things. It is always interesting to look at his pictures, just to see what he sees and take in life from his point of view. Or to see his little brother doing something that makes me think, "Where were the adults when this picture was taken?" Here are a few examples.