Day two's harvest. Wm helped me pick them and had a great time finding the red ones and plucking them off the vine. He is really growing to love eating strawberries fresh from the garden! It was his before bed snack tonight.
It was well up into the 90's today and we were all HOT. We spent nearly all day outside too! We washed both our cars, installed Wm's big kid booster seats, ran through the sprinkler, had a water gun battle, weeded the garden, and picked our first crop of strawberries! Steve mowed the lawn and I biked to CVS. Needless to say, we were all VERY sweaty by dinner time. Wm had the time of his life, though, and kept saying, "this is such a good day...isn't this a good day?" It even improved when Suzanne came over for dinner and brought chocolate chip cookies! I could get behind more Mondays like this.
Wm preparing for battle with his super soaker
Sprinkler attack!
Wm throws his hands up in the air sometimes, singin' "eh oh!"
And last, but certainly not least, the first bounty we harvested from the garden (minus about half a dozen I ate en route to the kitchen)...
Wm was SO excited about the strawberries! He even ate 5 of them at dinner!! He kept saying, "I want more garden strawberries!" He was super impressed that he had helped grow them. I hope this carries over and he will eat garden peas, garden carrots, garden broccoli...
Today was Wm's baby chick hatching party at school. I was forced to go stag since Steve didn't want to come (some lame excuse about electricians coming to work he had to meet...) Then, of course, Wm ditched me the minute we walked in, so I was left to make awkward conversation with the other weird parents. But the baby chicks were super cute! And Wm managed to spill bright blue gogurt all over his shirt within 30 seconds of being handed the tube, which is always fun. They took a REALLY cute picture of Wm with the baby chicks, I am waiting to get my hands on it!
In other news, my garden is growing beautifully!! I think all the rain has really made things spring up. In fact, some strawberries are nearly ready to pick (and there are zillions of them)!
From back to front: snow peas, onions, zucchini, yellow squash, green peppers, Mr. Wm
roma tomatoes, carrots (which are there, but tiny, so it's hard to see 'em), broccoli, Mr. Wm
Strawberry patch! & Willie showing off one nearly ripe strawberry
The forecast calls for sun and warmth all weekend! FINALLY! And for the long weekend too!!! We are heading up North to visit Grandma and Papa, so it should be a nice drive. Wm is really looking forward to the visit - he keeps asking when we get to leave. I told him tomorrow morning, first thing, and he goes, "WOW! I better go play Xbox now...you know Grandma and Papa don't have one. I need to get my playing in NOW!" Luckily, Friday is Unlimited Lego Star Wars night on the Xbox, so he can play all the way until bedtime. Which he does. Every week.
1. I told Wm a joke, and when he sat there and stared at me, I assumed he didn't get it - so I started to explain it to him. He held up his hand, and interrupts me, and goes, "I got it. It just wasn't 'laugh out loud' funny." To which, Steve says something about farts and Wm laughed so hard he turned red and nearly choked. The goes, "now THAT is laugh out loud funny."
2. While eating pizza for dinner, Wm tosses his pizza onto his plate, throws his hands into the air, and loudly asks, "who the frak DOESN'T like pizza???"
First, we got Wm all signed up for latchkey! Apparently it fills up and there can be a waitlist, so we decided to get his butt in there to be on the safe side. And we managed to get him in! Really, latchkey is the least favorite option, but Steve and I are pretty glad we have the safety net. First choice is for me to flex my work schedule so that Wm can avoid all after school care. Second choice is the Kids Club (and is free, but Steve and I give back by volunteering for 1 hour/month). Last choice is regular 'ole latchkey. But Kid's Club registration is in July and fills up super fast, so we didn't want to count on that! So...Wm is now officially Latchkey Kid.
And...I won my major award! Steve and my posse (nominator/student Taylor, friend/coworker Mel, friend/coworker Erin, and nominator/coworker/friend Suzanne) all headed to the luncheon today. There turned out to be 7 of us nominated, not 6. Then they called us all up on stage and made us stand there awkwardly as they read stuff about us. Hearing some of the stuff from the other folks, I was pretty sure I wasn't going to win. But I DID! It was pretty exciting! I got a corsage, a very nice plaque, and, apparently, a monetary reward will be in my next paycheck! And, most meaningfully, I got a packet that includes all my letters of nomination. It was AMAZING to read those!! Even now, Steve is in the kitchen whipping up his specialty: city chicken. So I don't even have to cook tonight! Wheeeeee!
The Vice Provost presenting me with my award.
(Notice the disappointed people who didn't win in background...suck it, nerds!)
El Jardin is officially planted!! Steve found the old slab for a garage from god knows when while he started tilling up the dirt. He had to chop it out with an ax. It was intense. But, now both raised beds are in: tilled, filled with organic soil and manure, and seeds/plantlings. From seed, we are growing zucchini, carrots, and snow peas. From plantlings, we are growing roma tomatoes, broccoli, green peppers, yellow squash, and yellow onions. Wm wasn't much help, as he has pretty much lost all interest in the garden. But Suzanne came over and assisted with planting in exchange for some produce bounty when things finally grow! I was going to take a picture of the garden, but realized it's not really interesting right now. Mostly dirt with a few tiny plants sticking out. I'll wait until growth occurs. Now we are just waiting on the rain...
So I'll show this picture of Mr. Purpletongue (still working his way through Easter jelly beans) instead:
Wm and I just got back from the doctor's. He got four shots and didn't even cry! He didn't so much as flinch for shots 1 and 2, was a little put out about #3 and did make The Big Face for shot 4. The nurse was AMAZED at how brave Wm was!! As soon as he was done, he goes, "Was I brave enough to get a chocolate milk shake?" When I told him he definitely was, he hopped off the table and practically dragged me out. The entire car ride to Dairy Queen he kept asking, "was I so brave?" I was VERY impressed with Wm today!!! I expected a few tears or something...but he was a champ! In fact, when we got home (as he's drinking his milkshake, mind you), he said, "this is the best day ever!" I think he would gladly get 4 more shots for another milkshake.
The doctor said Wm is doing great! Her only concern is that when she asked Wm what he ate that was green, he said, "nothing." Which is, sadly, totally true. I try to sneak veggies into him as much as I can...but he is one picky little devil. For some odd reason, he also answered that he doesn't wear a helmet on his bike when she asked, which is a total LIE. So then I looked like a horrible mother. I just sort of stammered around that he really, REALLY, does, I swear! But I think the doctor looked skeptical. She is SO good with Wm and he loves her (so do I!) so he had a great time. He got to play with all her instruments and tell her A LOT about his legos. She was a good sport about the Lego Lecture. And said Wm is in great shape! Though, still a shorty pants; he is in the 10th percentile for height (as he has been since forever). Steve is still holding out hope that he can play goalie.
Wm is now further reaping the benefits of being outrageously good at the doctor by playing Lego Star Wars...again...
I asked Wm what he thought I should grow in the garden he and his dad built for me. His response was apples and mandarin oranges. We had to have a chat about where/how different things grow. When Wm heard that plans included zucchini, carrots, spinach, onions, tomatoes, and other veggie-things, he lost interest. I did point out that we already have 2 apple trees in our backyard!
Wm goes to the doctor tomorrow for his pre-K checkup and shots. I warned him that he is getting A LOT of shots (we put off the last round of shots because it was during the children's Tylenol recall, so he's getting a double dose). But I told him if he's brave we can go out for ice cream afterward. Wm is an ice cream maniac, so now he's really looking forward to that! When I dropped him off at school today, he goes, "is today shot and ice cream day?" I told him it was tomorrow and he goes, "ahhhhh! I wanted it to be today!" Wm is the only kid who looks forward to shots.
I told Steve I wanted raised garden beds for Mother's Day (something he had avoided since we moved in!) So that guilted him into action! And, amazingly, we have had great weather today!! So Steve and Wm have been busy all afternoon making my raised beds...
Gettin' out the lumber
Framing them out
Wm putting screws in the pilot holes
Steve showing Wm how to use the drill
The Boys and The Finished Product
One down, one to go! Wm has lost interest and is currently playing with Legos, but Steve is out there drilling away! Next weekend they will be filled with soil and planted.
It has been quite an exciting day!! We went to kindergarten roundup to get Wm registered and we were very impressed!! Wm said "kindergarten is COOL!" and is all excited to go. We got to hear from the principal, the teachers, and a representative from Kids Club. We were super pleased with it all! And we turned in Wm's registration form. But now I have to fill out more paperwork than I even knew excited: release forms, permission forms, emergency contact forms...forms, forms, forms!
Driving back from kindergarten roundup, Wm points to a pedestrian and goes, "that guy has a weird face." So I say, "maybe HE thinks YOU have a weird face." That shut him down. He sat back there chewing on that for a while and then goes, "hmph."
Silly Willie with both legs crammed into one underpant leg hole:
And, big news for me! I got an official letter than I have been nominated for Ohio State's Outstanding Advisor award! I emailed and asked who nominated me and they wrote back and said, "the better question is who DIDN'T nominate you!" Apparently I got 13 letters of nomination from students and faculty! AND, Steve was in on it!!! I guess they needed a copy of my resume and some info - all of which Steve covertly supplied them with, unbeknownst to me! When I told Steve about what the nominees said, he cried (he said he was "proud of me"). Steve is a sensitive one. Along with the 6 other nominees, I will find out if I won at a banquet on May 18. Word on the street is there is a monetary award. VOTE CORY!
Dear William,
I can't believe you are five years old already! It's so interesting how, at the same time, I can hardly remember my life before you were in it and it seems like only yesterday I first held your tiny, fragile body in arms. And when I looked down at your tiny, puckered, Mr. Magoo baby face, I dreamt of how you would be as you grew. Now that you are 5, you are everything I dreamed, and so much more!
You are so funny. And smart. Wicked smart. And wickedly funny. You are kind, and generous, always the best sharer! You are shy, but you never stop talking. You are scared of thunderstorms, but will hang from the rafters. You are a stubborn little Dutchman - you know your own mind. You make me laugh, and you make me cry. I wouldn't have you any other way. You are perfect, just as you are.
Sometimes, when you're sleeping (the only time you're still), your dad and I will sneak into your room and watch you. We can't believe you are ours - and that you came from us. For nearly 10 years, I loved your dad more than anything in the world...then came you, and our family, and my heart, grew to include you. Now both would be incomplete without you!! You and your dad are My Boys. My Favorite Boys. I love you both so much!
So now you're five. And that seems SO BIG! But, really, you are still so small. And have so much more growing to do. I hope you know that you always come number one for me, and for your dad. We always think of you first. I hope that makes you feel secure, instead of spoiled rotten! I wish for you, the knowledge that you are always loved...and cherished. I hope that makes you feel strong enough to be your own man, and chart your own path. To do what you love and find happiness in the small things. When you lived in my belly, I played the song "Simple Man"for you all the time. I would listen to that song and think how it said so beautifully everything I wanted to tell you....
Wm had a great birthday weekend! I made him a chocolate mint cake, Grandma and Papa came to visit, Mimi and Guy brought him a bike (it's real entertaining to watch His Gracefulness try navigated pedaling and steering at the same time), and he has been putting together his lego set all day. A dream come true for Wm! Due to the fact I think I have contracted TB, I will just let the birthday weekend pictures speak for themselves:
There are A LOT more pictures, but Steve needs to upload them from the camera, so it may take a while!
It was well up into the 90's today and we were all HOT. We spent nearly all day outside too! We washed both our cars, installed Wm's big kid booster seats, ran through the sprinkler, had a water gun battle, weeded the garden, and picked our first crop of strawberries! Steve mowed the lawn and I biked to CVS. Needless to say, we were all VERY sweaty by dinner time. Wm had the time of his life, though, and kept saying, "this is such a good day...isn't this a good day?" It even improved when Suzanne came over for dinner and brought chocolate chip cookies! I could get behind more Mondays like this.
