Kidbits

 Get it? Tidbits about the Kids?  Hahaha.  Sometimes I crack myself up.  Okay scratch that.  I crack myself up ALL the time.  Which is a good thing, because if I weren't laughing so much I would most certainly be crying.  :)   Here is a brief installment of the latest little nuggets of information and anecdotes about the kids. 

 {I found a bunch of head shots on the camera that the kids must have taken several months ago.  Everyone was represented but Jane, so I had to make do with one of her from yesterday.  The rest, however, are pure comic gold.  Enjoy!}

Alex --

Our superhero-in-training is still going strong on the whole superhero front.  It kind of reminds me of when my baby brother, Jacob, was a toddler and had a whole "Three Little Pigs" obsession going on for quite some time.  We're talking everything in his little life at that time revolved around this story -- he wanted to hear it morning, noon, and night; he drew picture after picture of the straw, the stick, and the brick house; and at one point he took to tucking a dishtowel into the back of his pants to be his tail as the Big Bad Wolf.  Ironically, this phase eventually gave way to a Spiderman phase, and I'm pretty sure that was the phase he was in when Scott and I first got married.  Well, Alex just can't get enough of his superheroes.  He's partial to superman {at least most days}, but he also spreads the love to Batman, Robin, Spiderman, Batgirl, Wonder Woman, and sometimes even the Green Lantern.  Hahaha.  Today at naptime when I was tucking him in he told me I could be the "scary Wonder Woman" and he would be the "scary Batman."  Hahahaha.  I would love to know what goes on in that little head of his.  I know I'm part of the problem, though, seeing as to how I totally feed the addiction.  Added to his collection of Little People superheroes, he now has a Superman Lego key chain {it was supposed to be a present from the "pluggie fairy" in exchange for taking the pluggie away} and lots and lots of superhero undies.  Yep.  You read that right.  Lover Boy has a penchant for Target trips -- it's his favorite errand to run -- and the last two times we've gone, he's begged and pleaded for the underwear he spied in the kid section.  I just had to give in.  Even though we're not even potty-training yet!  I'm hoping that being so excited to WEAR said underwear when the time comes will ease the difficulties of my least favorite kid task of all time.  And even if it doesn't, the sight of him carrying around all his superhero undies is the most hilarious and adorable thing of all time.  Oh the life of a fifth-born!  Hahaha.

Jane --
And then there's Jane, who has matriculated into the Grace school of creativity and is constantly leaving artistic messes in her wake.  Just this morning she "decorated" her bedroom and the front stairs with almost an entire roll of toilet paper.  I'm pretty sure Grace was actually the one to give her the idea, but she sure seized upon it with gusto.  On the media front, we've gone an entire day now without watching "Frozen" and almost a whole day without listening to the soundtrack in the car!  {Quite an accomplishment, let me tell you.}  I caved at the very end of the day, though, when we were driving home from a friend's house and she meekly asked if I was still sick of listening to the "Frozen" songs.  After a sad little inquiry like that, how could I possibly NOT put it on for her sake??  Her favorite song of all is track #10, which is the Demi Lovato version of "Let it Go.  Her perpetual request is made all the more hilarious by the fact that each and EVERY time she asks for it, she calls it the "Devi Morato one."  Each and every time!  Hahaha. 

{Hahahahahaha.}

Sophie --
Something you might not know about Sophie is that she has almost superhuman strength when it comes to resisting a time out in her room.  You wouldn't think it by looking at her -- you know, since she weighs scarcely more than a baby kitten when it's dripping wet -- but she is STRONG.  Just try and pry her out of a chair or drag her up the stairs.  She locks on with her hands, her legs, and even her feet as she tries to stay firmly rooted in her spot.  She is one scrappy little bear cat, I tell you.  As I dragged her up the stairs this weekend to put her in her room for hitting Jane, I seriously had to laugh as I watched her reach out with her FEET to grip onto the banister as I hauled her up the stairs.  And she was creating some serious drag!  I had to use a lot more muscle than you would think to get her to the top.  Is it crazy to say that at moment's like that I'm kind of proud and in awe of her tenacity and will to succeed?  With a personality like that, this chick is going to go far!  Hahahaha. 

Grace --
In a swift change of heart,  Grace informed me this morning that she's really excited to meet her new counselor next week.  Good to know, Grace.  Good to know.  Hahaha.  Unfortunately, Ethan is the opposite of excited for HIS meeting with her next week, but I'm hoping he'll have come around to it by the time we are driving to our appointment.  Now that we're finally "settled" in to our new surroundings, I've managed to get on top of the main item on my to-do list for the last several months, and I've found a counselor to help with the behavioral issues we've been having at home, primarily with the older two children.  I mean, we get that they're spirited and all, but we've reached the point where we feel like outside help would be rather...helpful.  Haha.  Especially since I think that perhaps there is a touch of ADD/ADHD at play with the both of them.  Grace is easily the most distractible child of all time, and sitting down to do homework with her is seriously the slowest and most painful chore of all time.  Seriously.  Last night alone just about did me in.  In other news, Grace has actually been trying her hardest this month to be on her best behavior and as responsible as possible ever since I let the kids know that I am willing to let them earn a chance for a trial run at having a dog.  And since Grace's life dream is to own one, she's responded to the call far better than anyone else in the house has.  My only two problems now are 1.) finding a dog to have for a "trial run," and 2.) convincing the kids after the trial run is over that it has proven that we're not ready to own one for real.  Hahaha.

{In all her excitement over getting a dog, Grace has been arranging all of her dog junks into family groupings.  These are "the Golds."  Several other "families" are not pictured.  Hahaha.}

{Hahahahahaha.  Oh how I love him.}

Ethan --
There is nothing more ironic than being driven crazy by the constant playing of a church hymn, but that's where we're at here with Ethan, folks.  After suggesting to him that he give "I Stand All Amazed" a try using the simplified arrangement that was in the Friend magazine this month, he has been plunking away at the piano during every spare second -- and non-spare second -- since then.  He especially likes to play at top volume during such critical times as chore time, bed time, getting ready for school time, and really any other time where there is already WAY too much commotion and noise going on.  On a positive note, I am actually really impressed and proud of him for figuring it out on his own, seeing as to how he hasn't taken any "real" piano lessons since a brief stint towards the end of the 3rd grade.  It's a little eerie how closely he's been following my own piano playing trajectory.  At this rate, I told him he should be prepping to be asked to play at church sometime this summer!  Hahaha.


And there you have it, folks -- a peak into the psyches of my psychos.  I mean children.  Hahahaha.  Goodnight and have a pleasant tomorrow!