April Showers (with hail and a tornado or two)

Well, the tornado season started off with a bang. We got hit with some hail and wind, but fortunately the actual tornado hit about 6 miles north of us. Spring weather always keeps us on our toes out here. In fact, I honestly don't think I've had a complete night of sleep this month. That's not entirely due to thunderstorms though--teething, nightmares, growing pains, shadows, etc. And my mom says I'll miss these days...Ha! :) (Okay, okay, there are a lot of things I'll miss about this stage, but sleep deprivation is not one of them...)

Jared finally got his wish and bought a Wii! He lucked out at Walmart one Saturday night at 11:45 pm, although I don't think he would have had a problem with a midnight (Sunday) purchase either :) We have actually had a lot of fun with it, and the kids are hilarious playing some of the games. And chances are, if the kids have ever met you they have created your "mii" (avatar or digital persona). No worries, it probably looks nothing like you :)

This month we spent a lot of time outdoors. I pruned our entire backyard--trees, bushes, everything. It is still amazing to me that something I could have finished in a day (pre-kids), now takes me the better part of a month (post-kids). We planted some flowers, watermelon and pumpkins (thanks Mammaw!) and hopefully they will last this time. Brandt killed our last try at a garden running his dump truck over everything. I think they will, the kids have been really good at watering and watching them every day. And Tatum has discovered the wonderful taste of sidewalk chalk. As soon as I turn my head she shoves in a mouthful. Kaia and Brandt also went to the circus, which they loved. Kaia is quite obsessed with the tigers she saw there. She is always pretending to be one. It's a little weird to me sometimes--like when I ask her if she wants some more milk and she growls at me... We also went to the art festival and the medieval fair and Kaia got to ride an elephant! Brandt said no thanks. And I had to try a turkey leg!

As for an update on the kids, Kaia signed up for kindergarten this month. I think she is excited but a little apprehensive. She'll do great--she is SO ready for school. I'm going to miss her though. She is the greatest little helper. She also lost her top teeth. She is the only kid I know who will pull her own teeth out voluntarily. No fanfare. She always shows up with a wad of toilet paper in her mouth saying, "Look Mom! I got another tooth!" With every one.

Brandt has been obsessed with yellow leaves lately. Everywhere we go if he finds a yellow leaf, he collects it "for the caterpillars." Somehow he got the idea that caterpillars love yellow leaves, and only yellow leaves. So the cup holder by his car seat in the van is full of dead, yellow leaves he has collected to feed the caterpillars. Unfortunately, everytime he finds a caterpillar he usually loses it or accidentally drops and steps on it before he can get it to the yellow leaves. When he finally gets them both together one of these days I'm sure it will be all he hoped for! ;)

Also, Brandt's musical tastes have really taken a nosedive, or blossomed depending on your partiality. We were driving and AC/DC came on. Their music is fine, but once they start "singing" (if you can call it that) I lose interest, so I changed the station.

Brandt: Mom, why did you turn it?

Me: Because I don't really like that song.

Brandt: But Mom, that was Thunderstruck!

I don't know when or where, but apparently Daddy thinks age three is the perfect time to start introducing some of the finer things in life...like AC/DC. I brought it up later that evening, and he calls it "culture." Oh well, at least it's not Michael Bolton...

Tatum has been really into books this month, which is refreshing. She's never been a lap baby--she's way too busy--but lately she will grab some books, throw them at me (literally) and just sit in my lap and read with me. I love it! She also loves to put things in the strangest places. I can't tell you how many times I have found a shoe in a drawer or books in the kitchen cabinets. I was making dinner one night and my cell phone rang. I looked and looked and finally found it at the bottom of the kitchen trash. Lucky it rang before the trash was taken out! She also loves to throw toys or toothbrushes in the toilet while her older sibs are using it. She's pretty quick about it too. As Kaia would say, "Nasty!"

One more mommy moment...

Last week I was making dinner. Kaia and Brandt were "playing" with Tatum and putting her in laundry baskets and an empty garbage can, or covering her with blankets. Tatum had had a long day anyways (cutting two molars), and was trying to let them know with her screaming and crying she didn't want to play their games anymore. I came in three times, telling them to leave her alone, but the crying just got louder and louder. I had enough and sent Kaia and Brandt to their room until dinner was in the oven, scooped up Tatum and carried her in the kitchen with me. A minute later Kaia comes walking meekly in and asks me how to spell "sorry." Another minute later she comes in and asks me how to spell the word "want." I start feeling a little tender-hearted and am thinking to myself, "She is so sweet. She is writing me a little note to say how sorry she is for ganging up on her sister." So I finish the lasagna and put it in the oven and go to tell them they can come out. Kaia has posted the note on the door,

"Mommy, sorry we do not want you to come in."

Ouch! .............................................Actually I was cracking up :)

Apparently now Brandt has decided notes are a better way of communicating with me. Yesterday he asked me for a piece of paper. I say sure and ask him what for, and he says to write me a note. Then he asks, "How do you spell 'Don't put me in timeout' ?" Love it.