Up and Running

After a long hiatus, I've restarted my blog at a new location:

http://frontporchgirl.tumblr.com/

No promises, but I'm hoping to get back into it again with a fresh start.

Confessional

Ezra has the same first grade teacher that Irene had. The other day, Mr. Knepp met my eyes and said, "Well, he's certainly not his sister."

Irene sat quietly through first grade and did everything she was supposed to do. She scored high and made a very best friend, with whom she giggled on recess.

Ezra is a very smart kid as well. But if he doesn't feel like coloring he'll just scribble to get it done fast or he weighs the consequences and chooses to make jokes in the back of the room.

I love both of these children dearly but it's just so cool the that they are so different.

Every night when I tuck them into bed, Irene tells me about what she's going to do the next day and looks at her weather clock to figure out the right kind of outfit.

When you say good night to Ez, he gives you a crazy embarrassed grin and starts confessing things from his day.

Here's the way it went tonight:

Ez: Mom, Chazz says that he doesn't like me.
Me: Well make a crazy face and tell Chazz that you really like him.

He thought that was hilarious.

Then. I could tell the Chazz story was a lead in to something bigger.

Ez: Mom, today in gym class my teacher got mad at me for showing Michael how to make arm and leg farts.

There wasn't much need to explain my disappointment here because by the look on his face, I knew he knew it wasn't such a good idea. He looked relieved to have told me and I told him how happy I was that he shares with me. We hugged and I left his room feeling even more in love with that kid.

In Good Hands

Sending your children to school every day takes a lot of trust.

I choose to stay home with our kids to guide them and raise them. But once they go to school, you realize that they spend a huge bulk of their time with someone else.

Thankfully, we've scored some pretty awesome teachers so far. I was reminded of this as I watched Irene's teacher's eyes well up with tears on the last day.

We are so grateful that Irene and Ezra were both in such loving, good hands.

Carrot Chop

I rarely get Ezra to want to help with cooking. But when he does, it's with gusto.

He loves peeling and chopping carrots.

I have to step back and stop myself from squashing his enthusiasm. Clearly, it becomes an enormous mess. But along with that, he gains some enormous confidence.

An Apology

Ezra's a pretty sweet kid at school. However, the other day his teacher emailed me and told me that he got a "yellow light" for trying to make people laugh by smacking another friend on the butt. Apparently that's not cool in school.

When he got home I asked him about his day and he acted like nothing had happened. I tried to give him some time to open up to me but he clearly wanted to hide it. Finally after my pressing he burst into tears and just sobbed in my arms for about 30 minutes.

I held him and assured him that I loved him and that I loved that he was funny but that we needed to keep some funniness at home.

Then I had him write a letter to his teacher apologizing. Definitely one of those moments that in a weird way makes you love your kid even more.

Irene's Paper Flowers

In the bleak midwinter, I was craving some signs of life.

Desperately, I flung open the front door and darted back into our woods and found some broken branches that just seemed to whisper potential.

I got an idea to make some paper flowers and was about to do it when Irene came along and completely took over the craft. I wasn't sure at first if she could pull off my vision but she totally got into it and with each little blossom my heart seemed to leap.

The photo is quite terrible. You'll have to trust me that they're quite exquisite.

Back in time

I love writing and reflecting on life around here. I have not been making time for it. This is more for me but if you are one of my few readers, forgive the huge leap back in time. I'm going back through photos and trying to record some history before it's long forgotten.

May Fete

Each May, our school has a big carnival. It's all kinds of terrible and awesome rolled into one big day.

Thankfully, the sun came out from long hiding and we were able to slop through muddy hay without even carrying an umbrella.

Unfortunately, Irene wasn't feeling well. Ezra was very into winning tickets that could buy you useless garbage. But guess who enjoyed it the most...no big surprise...crazy Tobias.

If he had his way, we would have stayed and ridden every gross and rickety ride until the sun set.

So glad he chose to ride the toothy monkey, perfectly appropriate.

Patience

People that know me well know that I have little patience.

This rhubarb is here to show all those people that I have grown a bit in this department.

Two years ago, I decided I wanted rhubarb but knew that I wouldn't be able to harvest it for a long time. So, two gardening seasons passed where I watered this guy and watched him grow. I was very tempted to snap a stalk but I let him be.

This was my year to harvest and whooo hooooo. He is delicious.

Ezra and I celebrated our first crop by making a strawberry rhubarb crisp that knocked my socks off. And while I'm at my goo goo fest, can I just say that the stalks of this plant are simply magical. They have a shiny, almost shimmery red that no car could ever replicate. Downright heavenly.