Wanna See Something?

We had some time to play at the playground after picking up Joe at school, so Joe raced over and asked Clara and Ted, "You wanna see something I can do all by myself?!"  Joe then went to the monkey bars with the middle rung that's elevated that used to require Ted to spot him and help move him up to that rung.  Well Joe had figured out how to swing himself and reach up to the rung without any help. He was very proud of himself and Ted and Clara were very impressed. He tried it again later and slipped off a few times, but he kept brushing off the wood chips and trying again until he got it. Ted was very proud of his determination.

A Face to Break Your Heart | A Morning Gone Wrong

Brigade, look at this forlorn little face.  Doesn't it just break your heart?  Ted texted it to Julie this morning with the message, "Daddy did ponies!  Slightly askew."  Ted has many, many strong suits, but pony-making isn't one of them.  But Birdie wasn't really crying because Ted did the ponies this morning.

Now last Tuesday, Clara petulantly told Julie that she wanted to pick out her own underwear.  Julie--who had selected everything for Clara to put on her body except her underwear--told Clara that would be just wonderful.  And Clara screeched, "I want to pick out my underwear!"  Uh huh.  So do it.

This Tuesday, today, Clara told Julie she wanted Julie to select her underwear.  So Julie did.  Clara then proceeded to throw her underwear at Julie, making what sort of statement we can really only imagine; perhaps:  "I am three and I can throw my underwear at you if I want to!  So there!"  Julie was certainly irritated, but she kept her cool and calmly told Clara that if she couldn't get herself dressed by the time breakfast was done being served downstairs, then she wouldn't be having any, and that she--Julie--certainly wasn't going to let Clara hijack her--Julie's--whole morning.  So there.  By the time Julie was ready for the day, Birdie was wrestling with her pants and wailing, "I can't do it!  I can't do it!"  Julie told Clara she could certainly ask for help by saying, "I need help please."  But Birdie looked right at Julie and wailed, "I can't do it!"  So Julie gave Birdie a kiss, told Birdie she loved her and would see her on the flip, and walked downstairs.  (Julie couldn't do it either.)

Not long after that, Julie trudged out the door, sad that she'd left Birdie bawling, and sad that she'd left the boys with the Birdie bawling.  Her only comfort was that she'd kept her cool.  The bawling did not abate of course, since Birdie was not served breakfast.  Ted reports there was consternation related to socks and shoes--historically tremendous flash points both.  Ted kept his cool until it was Shoe Time.  Then, he lost his temper.  Voices were raised, doors were slammed.  But eventually, all of the White Housers made it to school and work.

We have said it here before many a time: it is hard to be three.  It is hard to live with someone who is three.

Later this afternoon, while the Birds were walking to Joe's school to pick him up, Julie told Clara that she was sad that she didn't get to do Clara's ponies today.  Clara said, "Yeah, Mommy left early.  I was sad."  Julie knew that "leaving early" were the only words Clara had for how Julie had left and that the more important words Clara had said were "I was sad."  So Julie said that maybe tomorrow, Birdie could get dressed more quickly, and then Mommy could do ponies before Mommy left.  Birdie agreed.  The Birds relayed their plan at dinner.  Ted said he would try not to lose his temper.  Birdie reiterated that he would "keep it in."

So that's the plan.  Here's to a brighter tomorrow.

I Know That Already

As we may have reported here before, these days, Joe will respond to approximately 50% of the things he is told with, "I know that already."  We live with a know-it-all.  It is charming only because he is five.

This past Sunday, Julie and Joe were over at Graham and Connor's house for a play date, and the three boys were tearing about in their track pants and long-sleeved tees looking all boy in a way that was just so endearing because, of course, Julie and Sara have been watching their boys play and tear around for a little over five years now--five years that have gone by in a blink.

Joe was standing at the threshold of the hallway leading to Graham and Connor's rooms when Julie, caught up in how wonderful and fleeting it's all been, said, "Pal, I love you."  Joe just looked at her and walked off down the hall.  That's when Julie and Sara heard, "I know that already."

Advanced Reading

Joe has been doing a great job with his reading. He happily settles into a chair, or plops down on the floor, or lies in his bed to read his books. This morning found him reading upside down for a little extra challenge. Dr. Seuss would be proud.

He can read on the floor. 

He can read by the door. 

He can read in his bed. 

He can read on his head. 

Faith

Julie was rearranging some things in her closet on Saturday, some of which were laying out on the bed when Joe bounded into the room and flung himself on the bed.  He proceeded to go through the garments he found there including the dress Julie wore to his baptism.  Joe referred to it as a shirt and when Julie corrected him, she added that she'd worn it to his baptism. Of course Joe wanted to know what a baptism is. Julie told him that it is a ceremony in which one joins some religions, which are formal expressions of faith.  Well of course he asked what faith is.

Now Fans, we've fielded questions on death so this wasn't our first Big Talk, but admittedly, we haven't yet had occasion to have that many. We have nevertheless noticed that it's good to have thought about Big Talk Topics in advance since they tend to come up when one is, you know, rearranging a closet on a Saturday afternoon.

And faith! How to explain it in a way that a five-year-old would understand that it's what makes you decide to take another turn at bat after you've been pitched a curve ball? To love! To have children! To take all kinds of leaps in life.  And that you've got to keep the faith.  Got to keep the faith that all things work together for good.

Julie was ready to talk about faith.  We don't get to church every week, but there was a week we did when Father Dale (who is awesome) spoke about faith.  He likened it to Rainer Maria Rilke's swan and the ease with which it glides, an ease which is only apparent, because underneath the water, its feet are beating away like mad.  Father Dale's point was that you work your faith so it can buoy you up, so you can glide, and you can't see it, but you know it's there.  Julie felt like that was as perfect a definition of faith as she was likely to ever get, and it stuck with her.  So she made the swan a duck, borrowed the rest, and told Joe: "That's faith."  And boy did she feel proud.  (Nailed it!)

And Joe said, "Like fake food?"

No.

And Julie said, "No, Joe.  No.  Faith.  Not fake. Nothing like fake."

Maybe she should have gone with the baseball metaphor.  (Can't use that for the Sex Talk after all.  All wrong.)