boys of the summer

While school is still in session and it is not technically summer, you'd never know it around here: boys and bugs. Some days Logan and Michael try with every fiber to save a worm on the sidewalk or, as in yesterday's case, a caterpillar. Logan walked home from school so gently and slowly with one cupped in his hand yesterday it warmed my heart. Here, we have the neighborhood boys trying to light an ant on fire with a magnifying glass. Or maybe this was when Michael was trying to smash it with a hammer.

Relay for Pre-K

Michael's preschool class held a relay to raise money for next year's class... kind of a legacy thing. There were stations based on Eric Carle's Very Hungry Caterpillar. Events included hopscotch, hoola-hooping, taking a lap in a chalk track, and singing the ABC's. After each event was complete, the kids got bracelets(the rubber kind from Oriental Trading). They could repeat the course as many times as they liked. Some of the kids had bracelets going up their entire arms.

At the very end, near clean-up time, Michael decided that it was safe and okay to try to participate. Until this time, he sat on the sidewalk by himself, just watching. I was manning a booth, so I couldn't spend too much time trying to talk him into being a part of it.

"Wow, Mommy, this is fun! I guess I'm not scared anymore." Good, Michael because it's over now. Let's go eat hotdogs. And of course, I forgot to take a picture of the Hungry Caterpillar I made from cupcakes. Just like the Eric Carle cover. Go online... looks just like that one.

Can't believe it took us all these years to do this. Here's the finished fence, and we are loving the private life. Caused quite a stir at church on Sunday... one guy even walked down the alley DURING the sermon to check it out. Not kidding. Those Norwegians.

We spent some of Memorial weekend at Opa's (Oma is in Germany for a month) enjoying the gorgeous view of the sound from his deck. Sailboats and eagles.. no whales unfortunately. But plenty of fun water gun blasting.Michael came down with a fever that ended this morning. You know it's bad when he stays in my bed instead of roasting hotdogs on our firepit with the neighbor kids.

And in an hour, we get to go get his last DTaP shot. Joy! Nothing Cold Stone Creamery can't fix. Good thing I have a gift card.

my own private idaho(backyard)

We've lived in our house for 10 1/2 years and are finally getting a privacy fence in our backyard. Brian wants to block out unsightly neighbors'yards/weeds, and I want to still have a garden, so we compromised on something we hope will let enough light in but still give us a shield from passersby.

Keith the builder is back at work, and boy are we glad. Brian thought he could do it with his brother, but when it came down to time, it was worth it to have Keith come and do it right.

costumes

Michael Patrick is rarely just Michael. He is usually donning one costume or another and more often than not, has taken on another persona... Jean Valjean, Javert, Darth Vader, and most recently, Mr. Mistoffelees or the Rum Tum Tugger (both from Cats). When I asked him today who he was, he, in his casual Michael way, replied, "Bibleman, Mommy" and went on to slay the bad guys.

Talent Show

While I was visiting friends and family in NJ, Logan decided to sign up for his school's talent show. Upon my return home, he proudly announced he was going to play the piano in his talent show. While I was thrilled, I was also puzzled. So far, piano has been a struggle at best, WWIII at its worst. I thought I'd be the one who would have to bribe him into anything performance-based.

So we picked out a song I thought would sound complicated(two hands, chords, etc) but that he could manage, and he did it. Among 12 year olds girls singing Taylor Swift and classmates dancing to rap, he wowed the audience with his "Little Indian Brave". I'm pretty sure he wasn't even nervous. Brian and I, however, did not breathe until the song was finished... not kidding.

After confessing to several friends and family that my soon-to-be 5 year old wanted a Les Miserable themed birthday party, complete with a barricade cake and parade of rebels singing Do You Hear the People Sing, I was encouraged, persuaded, and ordered to start a blog. Thus the birth of thehanramans.