From the Circus Tent

Hotels and Toast

2009-05-22T09:21:00.000-07:00

Overheard at Cheese's soccer game last night between a friends 4 year old and The Do(our 3 year old son).

Little Girl: "I am moving to Kansas this week. We get to drive for a loooong time and stay in a hotel. Mommy said I could sleep on the couch bed and it will be very comfortable. Isn't that cool?"

The Do: "Yeah, that's cool. We can make toast in our toaster."

Little Girl: "Cool"

And then they went off to find sticks together.

How I wish I could have followed that train of thought...I Love that little guy.

Spring!

2009-04-27T12:21:00.003-07:00

Spring is here and our front porch shows it!

These are just a few of the flowers we have on our front porch this year. We also have a small container garden in the back...we have already eaten 4 or 5 strawberries. Gotta love spring!

Happiness is...

2009-02-17T12:51:00.000-08:00

A Non-Newtonian liquid.
(and a Daddy who loves chemistry. Thank you, Mr. Myers)

Saying Goodbye

2009-02-15T10:43:00.001-08:00

This week we learned more about an aspect of military life that isn't so great: saying goodbye to dear friends, again. The kids have been blessed with great friends at our last 2 bases and saying goodbye just gets harder as they get older. Oh the questions that Mommy isn't great at answering...And more goodbyes are coming in the next 2 weeks.

But as we have said goodbye, it is a great opportunity to learn that when we don't live close to family, God often gives us very good friends instead. We just have to be brave, pray for them, and go find them(not an easy thing for my girls to do).

Scmemms is already praying for the bravery to approach kids to find more friends and has decided (on the advice of the very wise 12 year old, KK, who just left)that she'll start her search at church. She is also praying that Bee Charmer and KK find good friends in their new town, too.

Cheese is praying that I will send her to their new town to live with them or that we will all move to the same place soon. On the off chance that doesn't work, she said going to NC to live with our friends there would be great, too. Just one more example at how unique my girls are!

The Do misses his friend, but at 3, isn't quite as affected by the change. He gets upset when he can't go play, but to him it's like Big J. is on some long vacation at a hotel. I am enjoying the simplicity of this, it won't be there in a few more years.

I am missing the knock on the door in the afternoon and the general chaos that insues as my kids clean up and finsh their work so they can go outside and play. Happy chaos is a great thing.

So, to the B family....we miss you. And to the V's in NC...we still miss you. And know that I(mama) am HORRIBLE at keeping in touch...I mean the worst about it, so don't be offended. I am thinking of you and want to talk to you, but my flighty tendencies are currently winning the "be a good friend" battle. I'll work in it.

A Complete Thought...

2009-02-13T10:11:00.001-08:00

Oh, how I miss having complete thoughts today.

I don't know where they all went(my thoughts), but they are so scattered even the kids are looking at me like I'm whacko. And they are used to my shenenigans.

If anyone finds the other half of my brain, please bring it to me. I'll be the mom wandering aimlessly, saying, "I know there is something I should be doing..."

Happiness is...

2009-01-22T10:50:00.000-08:00

Having a sibling who is a superhero, too.

Long Live the Imagination!!

2009-01-15T19:54:00.000-08:00

Those of you who know me, know I am not a forwarding email, sign every petition in the world kind of girl, but this one is important. It is about the safety of our childrens' toys. The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, an act that would require 3rd party testing on ALL TOYS sold in the U.S. On the surface, this sounds great, but what about the toys my kids love the most? The natural, wooden toys from those small, but fabulous online retailers, the playsilks, that great knitted food? Yes, those are included. I have recieved no less than 4 emails from my favorite online toy retailers saying Feb. 9th(when this is enacted) they stop selling those toys and, for some, this means closing their doors, unless the language is changed to allow small business owners and handmade toy makers some room. This will mean many jobs will be lost and, also some great European Toymakers will no longer be selling toys on the US market.

Oh, this also includes clothes and will affect any sellers on ebay, craigslist, those who make toys for craft fairs, etc. Seriously, in an effort to make toys safe this act seems to have doomed my kids to plastic junk made in China whether I like it or not(OK, so it's not all junk...you know what I mean).
Please check out this link and sign the petition if you agree. Thanks for taking time to save my childrens' imaginations from noisy, non-imaginative things.

http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/

My List

2009-01-13T20:55:00.000-08:00

I have officially started a list entitled "Things I Never Thought I'd Say". A few things currently on that list are:
"No, we don't wash our friends with grass."
and "Do not use the force on your sister."

Everyday it grows(some much, much, more than others). We'll keep you posted.

Busy, Busy, Busy...

2008-12-17T19:28:00.000-08:00

It has been awhile since our last post. We have been busy with life and getting ready for Christmas.

Ringleader has been engrossed in putting on plays in her room for us. With the help of Tightrope Walker as the bouncer/ticket taker. Yes, we are charged to go upstairs and watch a play in our own home. 25 cents is a small price to pay for creativity. And it was worth far more than that in just entertainment alone. The latest production was a puppet show of a fable that the sisters wrote together entitled: The Whale, The Swan and The Feather. Awesome.

Ringleader takes acting/theatre lessons in January. Think she'll like it?

The girls also start piano lessons in January. They are so excited. Tightrope Walker already plays tunes by ear on the piano rather well. Today she figured out half of The Doxology by herself.

It has also SNOWED!!! A first for the youngest two. It melts by the next day, but we are out by 8:00am in it making snow angels and snowmen(they can only gather so much snow with 1 inch on the ground, so it was lots of smaller ones). All with carrot noses and raisin eyes.

Lion Tamer was even a snake in the snow and followed rabbit tracks to scare up the poor thing and see for himself how fast rabbits run.

This year we are traveling 21 hours to see Grandma for Christmas. All they talk about is sledding and snowball fights and hot chocolate at Grandma's house. Oh, and if Santa will know where to bring their presents.

Today's question was "Mom, when I have a baby, will you give me Santa's phone number? Is that how it works?" Precious.

Oh, and we have fish! And a snail named Herbert. There is Bubbles, the bubble-eyed goldfish; Goldie, the goldfish; Harry, the algae eater; and 2 Hatchetfish named Molley and Carrie Nation(get it?? I still giggle at myself of that one). That's our life at the Big Top.

Superman and Daddy introducing the

new fish to their tank.

The Battle

2008-11-19T10:46:00.000-08:00

Our house is currently ground zero for Operation Runny Nose. And this morning, while doing battle with the green stuff coming out of noses(Yuck) and the coughing, I noticed that fever and pink eye have joined the fight against my sanity....so far my sanity is winning(I think...maybe I should ask my husband, then again, maybe not).
After the call to the pediatrician's office, up the the stairs I go, to change the sheets and kill anything that has to be seen through a microscope and this is what I saw...

I think we'll win this one.

DARN!! I pushed publish early!

2008-11-08T20:25:00.000-08:00

Please read previous entry...I pushed the publish button too early and then couldn't figure out how to move my pics around!

Above: Remnants of small village. 400 small rooms for approximately 100 people. Tightrope Walkers dream: An archealogical dig! She aspires to work on the unexcavated village in the park.

How much I have missed fall!

It really was THAT close

The Long Home-you can see all the holes where the ceiling beams were....this goes on for several hundred yards.

The Kiva-about 12 feet deep. This one was big, each village had it's own smaller Kiva.

They want one in the backyard now.

Left: A replica of the original fronts of the cliff dwellings.

Don't forget to read the previous blog about our trip!!

Look where you live

2008-11-08T19:31:00.001-08:00

That is a phrase I use a lot, "Look where you live!" Especially since in the last year we have lived in 3 different states. All being quite different. And when you have a daughter(Ringleader) who flat out DOES NOT like change, you gotta think of something or those lemons will rot faster than you can get the juicer out. So, I've gone to the aforementioned phrase. Well, I wasn't sure it was doing any good until today.

Today we went to Bandelier National Monument and after a few hours of hiking, DH and I were discussing whether to try and make the hike to the water falls or quit while we were ahead(no one losing their marbles). We decided to try it... Well, as we are going up the trail, Tightrope Walker(the daughter who sees change as an adventure quite easily) came up, grabbed my hand and, as she bounced from rock to rock said "Mom, I Love this!! Look where we live!"

Oh how my heart melted...I did something right. Woo hoo!!

We didn't get to see the falls, we decided it was dangerously close to breakdown time and turned around early. All made it down the trail with their marbles still intact. Another family victory!

We had such a great time and will definitely be going back. We got to see the inside of cave dwellings, the remnant of village, a kiva(a big round, underground room where all village decisions, ceremonies, etc... were held), and some cool petroglyphs.

There were Native American there doing traditional dances and baking bred in huge outdoor ovens. It was cool. Here are several pictures. Now you can all "Look where we live!"

The things you find while cleaning.

2008-11-07T19:21:00.000-08:00

Tonight Ringleader asked to help me reorganize the kitchen cabinets (something I keep saying I need to do). So, we dove in and got 1/2 of them done quite quickly. She was a big help. And it was the easy half. Tomorrow we tackle the super messy half.

While we were cleaning, I found these in my cabinets....EEEK!!!!

Someone's in the kitchen with.....

2008-11-03T17:11:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago we tried our hand at bread baking(something I've never done without a Bread Machine). I turned out great and was A LOT easier than I thought it would be. Even with all my helpers! And the girls were so very proud of themselves. Ringleader even commented, in her most grown up voice "Mom, we should do this all the time, I'm sure it's less expensive." My ever practical child.

Everyone was covered in flour and the most fun was had by kneading it and of course gathering up the flour and playing in it. Flour makes fabulous snow on the kitchen counter, and the floor, and your clothes, and your brother... We will definitely be doing that more. After I get off our pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins kick...say, springish...maybe.

Today it is COLD here, stew is in the crockpot...I love crockpots..at 9:30 this morning dinner was done. And the house smells "warm and cozy." Maybe some bread would be perfect for dinner.

Oh, I took a vote...pumpkin bread wins. What good children.

Laundry is Done

2008-10-25T10:41:00.000-07:00

Who needs toys when there are perfectly good laundry baskets?

We did it....barely!

2008-10-22T19:11:00.000-07:00

The Duke City Marathon

Our first marathon complete! It was painful/hard/fun all at the same time.

We are already tentatively planning our next one. At sea level.

Thank you to everyone who supported us along the way, we couldn't have done it without you!

The pictures aren't in order, but you get the idea!

Running it in with Daddy

My girls...finishing with me. Beans came too!

All Done!

Before...it was early and cold. Perfect for running!

See my running skirt? I'd love it(and yes, I would marry it if I could).

Team Osprey Marathoners

(and our little trainers)

Happiness is....

2008-10-16T10:15:00.001-07:00

sharing a fort with your sister.

He's 3!

2008-10-15T10:28:00.000-07:00

And he wanted a Yoda Cake!

It took 2 days and more fondant than I want to make again, but his "Yoda face" and that smile made it all worth it.

Why Homeschool?

2008-10-13T13:34:00.001-07:00

Can you do your spelling while lying on the table? The eldest would never THINK to do this, but my lovely unconventional middle child does best in unconventional places.
I know, what about manners? Well, if you were over for tea, it wouldn't be allowed, she'd have to go to the pantry to do her work. Yes, pantry. She set it up so she can be alone to work when she gets too "disdistracted" by her siblings.

As Close As We Got

2008-10-11T16:16:00.000-07:00

Balloon Fiesta 2008 was cancelled today because of high winds. A bummer, but we got to see a few crews, whose balloons were out, put their balloons away. The field is great and had it been better weather we were sitting in the middle of the special shapes(not on purpose). We still had a good time walking around and talking to crews. Some have trading cards and the kids loved getting those. And of course, no good early outing in NM is without fantastic breakfast burritos! Love 'em! The weather here is steadily getting worse, so next year we'll try again. All in all not a total bust, since it was yucky weather and we were all up at 5am that meant wonderful afernoon naps and football for all!

Pics of Camp

2008-10-11T15:59:00.001-07:00

Here are my campgirls-make that campkids, Lion tamer decided to join the today. The one on the bottom is of Tightrope Walker and Lion Tamer making tarts. Just because it is a camp doesn't mean you can't have gourmet food! The other picture is of the Circus and their two very good friends KK and BeeCharmer. These two are credited with teaching TRW how to catch bees-I kid you not-and breaking Ring Leader of her "bugs are icky" stage. I owe them so much.

My Campgirls

2008-10-07T20:10:00.000-07:00

Ring Leader and Tightrope Walker have joined two friends down the block to make a camp next to their house. I'll try to post some pics soon. These 4 have divided the "chores" equally, work together to keep the camp neat(as neat as a dirt floor, open air camp can be), gather food(grasshoppers, leaves, dragonflies, mud and the occasional bee)and other general upkeep to to structure. They have built shelves and decorated it with varied flowering plants from our yards.
I love that they can play outside and create like this, but I also wonder, what's this chore stuff? Why do you have to wait until I tell your friends you can't play outside until you finish your chores to do them? And then rush out to do your 2nd set of the day? I have decided to take this as a compliment. We have taught them something about work and working together. I hope that's it.
It's great to have them come in for dinner dirty, tired, happy, hungry and eager to share their plans for "camp" tomorrow. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Welcome

2008-09-30T12:47:00.000-07:00

Hello to all of you whom I just figured out how to invite. I am a not blog savvy yet. Any suggestions, comments, etc. would be helpful. I have limited this only to those who are invited, so if any of you want family pics posted or anything else let us know and we'll do that. My goal is to do this weekly, please note: that is a goal, not an entered contract nor is it a promise.
Hope you enjoy our blog!!

We've Gone Hi-Tech...or just caved to the pressure

2008-07-25T20:44:00.000-07:00

Holy Cow,our family has finally done it. We have joined the masses and started a family blog(as if all of cyberspace has been holding its collective breathe).
This is for all of you who have ever said, "Man, they are SOOO BAD at keeping in touch." To all of you: Yes, we know.
So, without any further ado, here is our blog: From the Circus Tent!
First, the cast: Dad and Mom, they are in responsible for the Three Ring Circus(or so we've been told), then comes Ring Leader, the oldest who fancies herself in charge of the other two. They are Tightrope walker, who enjoys walking thin lines and Lion Tamer, who just can't resist tempting fate.
Well, that's us in a ummm...tent? Stay tuned for more!