Together Time

We are a family that spends a lot of time together.
That has a lot to do with the fact that JC and I feel strongly about the importance of family unity. A real, solid family unity based on real, solid things and not simply snapshots over the course of time or empty traditions. Real family relationships built on all the good stuff. Brought into play in our lives by time together.
I am very serious about that.
But I also realize it has a lot to do with the fact that there aren't a lot of other players in the game at this point. We don't have to make rules about when we can play with friends or when it is time for just family. Because the kids aren't at a point where that is an issue. We don't have to figure out how to pick and choose our family activities because, at this point, we just don't have many. At this phase of our lives, together time is kind of a constant.
Nevertheless.
For all the reasons it exists, deliberate or not, family time is a fun time.

We chase.
Outdoors whenever possible.

We splash.
Very much outdoors whenever possible.

We wrestle.

We play sports.
This is a new development. We are still learning.

Particularly about how to be a good sport when we are not as skilled, YET, as we would like to be. And how not to throw tantrums every time we miss the basket.
This is where a little talk from Dad about sports and games and their place in our lives comes in.

We are getting the hang of it.
(Notice James in the background still upset)

Good thing he tried again.

We build things.

Lately, we have been building a lot in the garden. Bethany was using the scraps to create her own little something.

We relax with a movie at the end of a long hot day of building.
(I am collapsed in the bean bag and Bethany is brushing my hair. So nice.)

We steal Mom's camera while she is zonked out on the bean bag at the end of a long day.

We make our way up these concrete steps several times a day.
To make sure we're not missing anything in the backyard.
Sometimes as pirates.

We swing.
While we still can.
It is getting hot, you know. And pretty soon, by 8am every day, those swings will be too hot to touch.
It is a sad reality.
Swing, Ben, swing to your heart's content while you still can!

It is great to spend so much time together as a family. It feels like such a blessing. I feel crazy busy most of the time, but it is more about trying to stay on top of things around here and keep everyone's needs met. The scrambling that happens out in the world doesn't permeate our home and I love it that way. We look forward to years ahead, with deliberate effort to be very selective in what we involve ourselves in, what we make a part of our lives, attempting to maintain the kind of life flow we enjoy at this point in time.
Things are kind of crazy out there. And a lot of it is good crazy! But we know that the very best busy and the very best crazy will always happen within the walls of our own home!
I can't wait to see what it looks like in five years!
(I also can't wait to see what it looks like this summer...the chore charts are coming out BIG TIME. I am already starting to prep the kids with jobs here and there but...they have school and preschool and they need plenty of time to play. Once the summer rolls around, we will have lots of time to work AND play. It's going to be GOOD.)

A Super Birthday

We have been watching a lot of home videos lately. So much, in fact, that I find myself constantly in a state of surprise at how grown up the kids are. I get used to viewing them as fuzzy-haired, falsetto-voiced toddlers that when I take a good look around following a trip down memory lane, I no longer recognize these creatures who are my children.
When did she lose her baby face?
When did his voice change? Is that supposed to happen yet?
When did he stop teetering over as he walked and all his teeth come in?
Anyway...it is a sad state of affairs.
Though...not really. We sleep through the night more often than not now and I don't have to change any diapers.
Who knew change could have a silver lining?
Plus...I like our kids. Though maybe not darling in the exact same way, the more they grow, the more they are just super fun kids who are pretty cool to hang around with.
Anyway...again...
another one of these ever-growing kids had a birthday!

James reached the milestone known as FIVE YEARS OLD.

It was momentous.

First of all, he had preschool on his birthday which is, of course, the quick road to celebrity in his age group. It was a big day for Mr. James.
Though, at the start of the day, his voice sounded as if squeezing through a swollen throat so I kept asking him if his throat hurt.
"My throat doesn't hurt on my birthday."
Oh, okay.

After preschool, since it was his fifth birthday, Mom and Dad took him out for lunch. Just the three of us. It is always so fun to get them 2 on 1! It's just a different dynamic and it's fun to have here and there. With Bethany, we started the tradition of The Rainforest Cafe for the fifth birthday. It is the perfect age for them to enjoy the fun environment without being scared of it!

Here, James leads Daddy through the parking lot toward the restaurant.
Excited!

Our first encounter was with the snake!
Oooh...

Then he discovered the aquarium. It stopped him in his tracks!

Then he took a nice long look.
It can be rather terrifying...I mean mesmerizing...

With Dad's help, our five year old figured out what he wanted to order.
Not that he would proceed to eat any of it.
Much more important things to do.

But I am not complaining, given the level of joy he gathered from his surroundings!

As is apparently tradition, the waiters brought him a special dessert and sang to him.
This was his reaction.
My children are just...my children. They hate attention being drawn to them in public.
James is the least like this, but he is still somewhat like this.

But no child of mine will be found complaining about new toys purchased to celebrate a birthday!
James found the perfect little set of jungle animals in about one and a half minutes.
When we took Bethany, she wandered the store for about half an hour, changing her mind every three minutes. No joke.
The contrast was so amusing to me.

Goodbye Mr. Elephant! My brother will be here to see you next year!
(My brain just exploded, by the way, at that concept.)

Once home, James got right to sharing his new toys with his siblings. They had been lucky enough to hang out with Grandma Trudie for the past couple of hours.
James is really fantastic at sharing these days. He, of course, has his moments, but he really has a soft heart and is in a phase right now where he does not mind showing it. I love it.

We proceeded with the rest of our afternoon...a little rest time...a little outside playtime...then came the time we were all waiting for! Since Aunt Monica was still in town on break from school (barely...she left like, a week later), James had made a special request for a cake. And changed that request like, ten times. But, eventually, he settled on exactly what he wanted.

Wolverine.

Excellent choice, my son.
(Please don't forget that we are a superhero nerd family. It just is such a fun thing to be into with them at this phase.)

This is always the best.
The great reveal.

I realize this picture is all askew, but it must be shared.
The faces of the receiver and the creator.
Awe and Happiness.

Want to know why his face held awe?
Take a look...
Wolverine Cake.
Complete with claws.
I hope claws is the right word. I am new to this game. I don't know if it's like when I get antlers and horns mixed up when I am talking to JC. The nerve, right?
But sorry, this is not about me.
Once again...
Wolverine Cake.

After we all spent a while staring at it, James stuck some candles in. (He insisted on doing it himself...probably because he knew both his mother and his aunt would spend too much time deciding on the proper location of the candles...)

And he blew them out!
(Well before there was any concern about the claws catching on fire.)

Which is a good thing because those claws were put to good use, thanks to the help of Daddy.

Yesss.

This is an awful picture...blurry for some reason...oh yeah, because I don't actually know how to work a camera...but I thought it was really cute when he went to check himself out with his claws.

After a few minutes, the claws were replaced with the birthday crown he had acquired at preschool. Because, after all, a birthday crown does not get in the way of eating birthday cake.

Which came next.

In the final installment of the day, it was time for family gifts.
His gift from Mom and Dad was waiting for him outside. Dad had put it together with some help from Uncle Austin (since Daddy has a broken thumb) not long before.
Down the stairs he went...

Ben acted as a guide, beckoning us closer!

And finally, he discovered his new basketball hoop!

He was pretty darn excited. He gave it a shot.
Woohoo!

Ben helped Dad see how high we could make it.
Good, it will be of use for years to come!

Or...he could use it at that height now apparently.

I turned around to see Bethany helping out with the garbage we had left behind.

We played around outside for a bit and then it was time for gifts from his siblings!
They had gone the action figure route this year.

We had stuff ranging from transformers (which are actually quite hard to transform if you ask me!) to Thor and beyond.

Daddy explains important information on Captain America to a very captive audience.

This is..weird.

Bumblebee!

Enthralled.

Then, in an effort to combine the birthday experience, we took the action figures outside to play some basketball. It was a fun time for all. Super and regular-type.

So...that is our little boy's fifth birthday. And he loves that he is five. He brings it up whenever he finds is applicable! Which is...in most conversations! He is really growing up so much! Not only is he becoming more centered when it comes to his emotions (does anyone remember the royal fits he used to throw??), he is really understanding and expressing so much. I have always been inclined to coddle him a little because he has always been so sensitive and easily frustrated and that always kind of ruled him. But now it's like he has the same desire to accomplish and understand and yet he has this patience and ability to just...experience something without having to conquer it. It catches me off guard sometimes and I realize that it is probably time to take a step back! He really is growing big and strong in body, mind, and spirit. One of my favorite things about him in recent months is the way he says goodbye. When JC or I leave the house, he always shouts out, "Goodbye! I love you! Have a good day! And remember - - if you get scared or see any bad guys, call for Jesus!" Haha it cracks me up. But it is definitely representative of his perspective. He often thinks and talks about what Jesus would say or do in any given situation and uses that as his guide. I love it. He adds so much to our family.
We are lucky to have him.
Hooray for James, the birthday boy!
...He's five years old...
(I just thought he might like me to remind you of that one more time.)

Oh, and in case you are wondering, his throat "didn't hurt" all day. Next morning, he woke up with a sore throat, fever, and achy body.
The power of the mind.