Story from the backseat.

As we were driving Graham to school yesterday, Gabriella said, "Quiet! I want to tell a story!" Here it is:

"One day, I was walking through the grass, and I saw a lion. The lion came and bite my head and my hair, but my face was safe. I run away and jump, and the lion eats my head."

Then she laughed hysterically.

As I am half-gagging at the imagery she just produced, I was still somewhat proud of her because

a) She told her first story ever.
b) It wasn't about princesses.

So let's hope she becomes a famous writer someday and I can point back to that morning, hopefully with relief that she's not writing about people being eaten by wild animals.

Wisdom from the backseat.

Gabriella: I going to be a ballerina when I grow up 'cause I a girl!
Chase: I'm going to be a race car. Mommy, what are you going to be?
Me: I'm going to be a mommy.
Chase: No, you have to BE something.

Graham's Hay Rake

Dose of Random Pictures

At Will's company picnic this year, the boys got to shoot bottle rockets and Gabriella had her face painted.

I came upstairs one day to find Chase and Graham having a tea party.

Sometimes we see the occasional forest creature in our backyard. Here was a fox, wandering around at lunchtime.

Homemade playdough is fun.

Bike Day

Chase had Bike Day at preschool on Wednesday. It was a rough morning anyway, so I let him choose which bike to take. I fully expected him to take his normal tricycle. Granted, he has some trouble riding it, and I did hit it with the van once, so one of its tires is bent.

However, that's not the bike Chase picked. He chose Pinto, the noseless worm toy salvaged by our neighbor from a "free" pile in someone's front yard.

Gabriella named it Pinto and is particularly fond of feeding it pretend carrots through the hole in his face. Chase decided Pinto was a better choice than a tricycle.

I actually found myself glad that Chase didn't care that his bike was different from everyone else's and that other kids might find it weird. But I also found myself glad that nobody else was around when I dropped it off and picked it up. :D

Preschool!

Today was the first day of preschool for both Graham and Chase.

 

Chase asked for one extra hug and then walked right in. Graham had a hard time letting go of his daddy. All the teachers said they did great and the boys each said they were well-behaved. 

Later, however, Chase said his teacher told him he needed to sit down. Then Graham said his teacher told him the same thing. They also said they didn't learn anything. This could be an interesting year.

Oh, dear.

I'm trying to teach our kids to hold hands as they cross streets and parking lots. This doesn't always work.

Me: Kids, grab on to someone's hand. Here we go!
Chase: I don't wanna hold hands!
Me: Chase, you have to hold hands when we cross the street.
Chase (folds his hands together): I hold my own hand.

In other news, Gabriella has been referring to me as her "big mama."