Sarah 5th Birthday Opens Gifts

Thanks To Grandma And Grandpa For The Gifts!

Sarah's New Word

... is "ginormous". She says "everyone" uses it, and uses it to describe anything big.

A Place For Pirates

The scene: A park in NY state wine country, next to an ice cream stand:

Sarah (talking in low voice): Papa - can I ask you something in private?

Papa: Sure!

Sarah (low voice): Is this a place where pirates come?

Papa: I don't know ... Why?

Sarah (low voice): Because I saw some people wearing one of those things like a pirate. (moves hand over head to suggest a headwrap)

Later, we go over to the headwrap-wearing biker guy.

Papa: My daughter asked me if this was a place where pirates come, since she saw people wearing pirate-like clothes.

Sarah (eyes wide, to biker): Not you! Not you!

Sarah Talking To Really Nice Biker Guy, Who Was Taking A Picture
Of Stephen's Ice Cream Face To Send To His Sister

Stephen's Ice Cream Face

First Day Of School!

Both kids were ready for school and wearing their backpacks one hour early.

Sarah and Stephen came down the stairs, smiling.

Sarah: I'm so excited!

Stephen: I so excited!

Outside The School Before We Walked In

We took them in and sat with them for breakfast.

A 3rd-grade girl sat down by us at the table and struck up conversation, assuring us that she had had Stephen's teacher previously and that she was "really nice." (All of the kids that we saw seemed happy, well-behaved, and having fun.)

At Breakfast. Stephen Looking A Bit Tired.
Girl Was Across The Table

When the time came to go with their teachers, both separated well. The teacher took Stephen by the hand, and he looked up at her with big, trusting eyes. Sarah was biting her nails and looked nervous, even as excited as she was. Nobody cried, not even Mama (surprising).

Sarah Nibbling Her Nails

After school:

Papa: Stephen, what did you do today at school?

Stephen: I play, and play, and play, and play ... And they give us DINNER!

Mama: What did you eat?

Stephen: Two cookies. Two cookies, and cheese.

Going To Ohio!

We are excited to be able to go visit Ohio and see Grandma and Grandpa, Uncle Bo and some friends.

It's been up around 116F in Scottsdale for several weeks now and the Ohio summer beckons, too. Grandma told us to pack sweatshirts because it's been kind of chilly!

We have a big list of things that we want to do when we are in town, but none more important than spend time with Grandma and Grandpa. Grandpa is now 73 or so and has lived longer than anyone in his recent family heritage, and we always worry about what visit will be his last. But we are hopeful that his recent heart device will help him live many years to come.

Spider

It's raining out and Papa, Sarah, and Stephen step outside to enjoy some light raindrops.

Stephen: Why the spider no coming out? Where the spider?

(Referring, of course, to the Itsy Bitsy Spider song.)

Too Sweet

Papa: I think made this a little bit too sweet ...

Sarah (incredulous): I never found anything too sweet ever!

Gym

Mama likes to jog to the gym.

The gym is about 3 miles away.

Then she does a workout.

Then she jogs back home.

Did I mention that she gets up at 5am to do this?

A Boy Named Charlie Brown

I was upstairs studying when I heard the uproarious laughter of children. I went downstairs and Sarah and Stephen were watching A Boy Named Charlie Brown, the first full-length Peanuts movie.

Charlie Brown was pitching, and every time the ball got hit it flew by him and made him fall down and all his clothes fly off. And every time it made the kids laugh so hard.

Stephen: Papa, Papa! Sit down! Watch this! This funny!

Drawing And Spelling

Sarah was sitting at the lunch table, drawing on her dry-erase placemat.

She drew a very convincing banana with yellow and black marker, then wrote BNANA next to it.

Then she drew a red tomato and wrote TMATO.

Next she drew a bunch of grapes, looking several times at a bunch of grapes sitting on the table.

Then she slowly wrote GRAP while sounding out each letter: Guh. Guh. Rrr. Rrr. Aye. Aye. Aye. Puh. Puh.

Then Mama corrected her spellings, and Sarah erased the pictures before I could get a photo.

Santa Claus

Sarah: Papa, how does Santa really get into the house? Why does he come down the chimney?

(Sarah and Stephen look at each other, both laugh)

Papa: Well, because he comes at night when everybody is asleep, so that is the way that he can get inside.

Sarah: When we go to Grandma and Grandpa's house I'm going to tell Grandma to stay up late with me so we can see Santa!

Papa: OK ....

Bee Sting

Sarah got stung by a honeybee while swimming at the pool. I rushed her to the house and put baking soda and water on the sting, then washed it with soap and water, and put a band-aid on it. At first I thought it was a yellowjacket, since I had seen one in the area earlier, but she was lucky.

A few days later at the pool...

Sarah: You know what I learned? Bees like to go by flowers and by water! So that's why the bee was here that stung me!

Speaking of the pool, Stephen and Sarah have been learning to put their faces under the water and hold their breath a bit. Both of them have swum the length of the pool several times (using floaties on their arms still.)

Roll Call

Teacher Kerri: Stephen.

Stephen (deep voice): Here!

Teacher Kerri (to Mama): Every day he uses a different voice to answer roll call.

Boys

Sarah: Sometimes I see boys with bracelets and earrings and I'm like (makes face). But they have like brown skin. And they have lipstick but it doesn't look good.

Sad Movies

Sarah (very serious face): Papa, why do some grown-ups like to watch sad movies?

Papa (explains)

Sarah: Marlenne likes to watch movies where people die and she thinks it's funny. But I don't think it's funny, I think it's sad. Marlenne says I can see that movie because she says it's boring for me.

Wheels On The Bus

Stephen (singing from back seat of car): Wheels on the bus go round and round, wheels on the bus go round and round...

Stephen: I like that song! Cuz I little!

Pool Drawing

Sarah's drawing from this morning. On the right are Papa and Stephen. Papa is telling Stephen not to jump into the water, but Stephen still wants to jump into the water.

On the left, Mama and Sarah. Sarah is pointing to a spaceship that is visible next to her head.

On both sides, Sarah says that there are other people there who are not visible because they are behind Mama and Papa.

Sarah: I made this drawing in Mama's book so that she can always remember me!

Fart

Sarah (low voice): Do you smell some fart?

Papa: No, why, who farted?

Sarah: That fat lady over there! (Points to a big lady across the room)

I Like Everybody

Sarah: I like everybody! ...Except fat people.

Papa: Sarah! That's not very nice.

Sarah: I like everybody! ...Except not nice people.

Monkeys and Alligators

Stephen was playing with a big sticker poster of different landscapes, and chose one appropriate for monkeys. He then got out the monkey stickers and was looking for alligator stickers.

Stephen: Where's the alligators? Where's the alligators?

Mama: Honey, I don't think we have any alligators.

Stephen (keeps looking, finds alligators)

Stephen (singing): Five little monkeys, sitting in a tree! Saying Mr. Alligator, you can't catch me! (Alligators then eats monkeys)

Garden

The Arizona heat means a couple of things. One, the garden gets started early. Two, the heat can stun plants, which have been looking a bit wilted.

The First Tomatoes Of The Season

Trying To Shield The Garden From The Heat

Favorite Thing

Sarah sees Mama looking sad and approaches her, touching her gently.

Sarah: Mama, do you know what my favorite thing about you is?

Mama (heart melting): What sweetheart?

Sarah: When you give me candies!

Love You

Mama was feeling sad, remembering Tata who died six years ago today.

Sarah: Mama, don't be sad! There are people who still care about you. Like Angela, Allison, and Abigail. They love you!

(Those are Sarah's friends back in Ohio.)

President

Sarah: I want to be a nurse when I grow up, or a doctor. I know all about the different jobs. They told us about it at my school. Nurses, doctors, fire engine. Or maybe I can be the person in charge of the world. What is the name for that? I forget.

Papa: You mean the president of the United States? That person is probably the person who is most the person in charge of the world.

Sarah: Yeah! That person! I want to be that person when I grow up! Can I be the president? What do I need to do?

Papa: Yes, you will have to work very hard for a long time and then maybe you can be president.

Sarah: No, then I don't want to do that. I want to be a nurse.

First ER Visit

Stephen Laughing At Emergency Room

Stephen's New Cast

Broken ankle (fibula) and big toe bone growth plate. Stephen was playing and jumping when he suddenly started crying. We took him to the ER and they confirmed that he broke his foot in two places, although not too seriously. We'll have to follow up with another doctor on Monday and get a more permanent cast. He has not slowed down at all and wanted to keep walking on it even before he got is padded cast put on.

That night, Stephen started crying for the first time. He had fallen asleep in the car and got put to bed without dinner. He woke up and was crying that his foot hurt. It took us several minutes before we convinced him to eat something, but once he started, he kept going until he felt better, and then went happily to sleep.

Trash

While climbing up on the toilet in order to reach the sink, Stephen slipped and fell off, landing with his butt right in the bathroom trash can, with arms and legs sticking up in the air.

Stephen: I wanna do that again!

Career Choices

Sarah: Daddy, why do you want to be a nurse? Why don't you want to be a person that sells ice cream?

Poopoo

Stephen: Sarah! Sarah! You wanna come see my poopoo?

Sarah: No! Nobody wants to see your poopoo!

Stephen: Marlenne! You wanna come see my poopoo?

Marlenne: No, I don't want to go see your poopoo Stephen.

Stephen: Why?

Marlenne: Because it's stinky and yucky! Do you want to see my poopoo?

Stephen: Yes!

Marlenne: Why?

Stephen: To see how pretty!

Memorial Day in Chardon

Every year there is a special Memorial Day ceremony in Chardon to honor and remember war heroes who have fought for our American freedom. The Pilgrim Brass play songs, someone recites the Gettysburg Address, and the veterans stand to be honored. When I was little I think that there were still a few WWI vets, but now even the number of WWII vets is dwindling.

Chardon Courthouse on the Square
(Tree in Front Has Historical Significance)

Flag Flying On Square in Front of Fire Station

Bed

It's early in the morning, and Sarah is lying down on her mattress at the foot of our bed. We are still trying to sleep. Stephen enters the bedroom.

Sarah: Stephen, come lie down here with me in my bed!

Stephen: I lie down here on the floor.

Sarah: Look, there's no peepee in my bed!

Stephen: Oh!

(Stephen then lies down with Sarah on her bed.)

Nursing

Papa is getting ready to study nursing, and is often out studying as he taking time-consuming prerequisite classes at the local community college.

Stephen: I don't want you to be a nurse!

Papa: Why, Stephen?

Stephen: I want you stay at home all day and be Papa!

(Repeated daily. Sarah shares the same sentiment.)

Stephen Learning How To Dribble A Basketball

Sarah And Stephen Fly A Kite

The kids' first time flying kites. Wind was a tiny bit low but we had fun.

Grandpa Playing In The Rube Band!

Grandpa helped recover and save the old Rube Band bandwagon that was in danger of being destroyed, and managed to have it ready and placed in the Chardon Maple Festival parade with just a few weeks notice. Here he is. (We think he is the one behind the trumpet player in the blue shirt.)

Fighting

Papa: Stephen, why are you so happy and why is Sarah crying?

Stephen (running away): I love you! Bye!

The Tri-Sarah-Tops

 The kids discovered their favorite dinosaur the first time they heard of the triceratops.

Papa: ... triceratops ...

Stephen: Sawah?

And so was born the tri-sarah-tops.

Both kids instantly recognize the trisarahtops. For example, yesterday at the Arizona Museum of Natural History, where we went for Free Day.

Stephen loved the rocks there (last time we bought a bag of shiny rocks for the kids to share) and Mama looked dubiously at the painting of the hairy pre-human primate woman from 4.4 million years ago.

Easter Eggs

On Easter Mama hid some Easter eggs that Grandma so kindly sent us in the mail, and filled them with chocolate M&M's and jelly beans that Grandma also sent.

The kids had a blast looking for the eggs in Sarah and Stephen's room.

A couple of days later, Mama did it again, and a few days after that, we had Sarah hide eggs for Stephen, and then Stephen hide eggs for Sarah.

Grandma also sent some very nice clothing for the kids that I will try to photograph soon.

Tying Shoes

Sarah came home from preschool the other day and told me she learned how to tie her shoes. She then proceeded to untie my shoes and then successfully tie them again.

Happy Birthday Uncle Bo!

Happy 40th Uncle Bo! And Happy 450th, Wm. Shakespeare! But mostly, Happy Birthday Uncle Bo!

Or, as Sarah might have said when she was counting just a few weeks ago, happy thirty-tenth.

Is it true that the whole city of Chardon is having a weekend-long block party up on the square to celebrate with you?

Remember those ads in the local paper that used to say, Lordy, Lordy, Look Who's Forty!

And when forty seemed really old?

It doesn't seem so old any more, does it!

While we're remembering, how many times have you remembered today the times when someone would call you early in the morning, sing Happy Birthday to you over the phone, and then ask you to come up and open or close a window?

Anyways, Happy Birthday and Happy Engagement.

Fat

Sarah: Bris, where are you going?

Bris: To the gym, because look, I'm fat!

Sarah (brow furrows): You're not fat. You're OLD!

Bris: Haha OK Sarah!

Teacher Conferences

Mama and Papa were talking with Teacher Sasha while Sarah played nearby.

Sarah (comes over): Teacher, my papa went poopoo naked!

Sarah's Computer

Sarah made herself her own computer. This is a combination of Papa's Chromebook laptop and her desktop computer in her classroom.

Sarah Working At Her Computer

Look Closely & You Can See: Keys,
Keypad, Arrow Cursor, Program Icons,
Touchpad, Desktop Picture,
Hand Icon, & Number Pad

Garden Drawing

Sarah drew this picture of Grandma and Grandpa's garden. When you know where to look, you can see the shovel, watermelon, and other vegetables.

Garden

Mama and the kids have planted a garden in the area in front of our house. Papa got some plant starts from Rio Salado College, and Mama got some very stinky soil from the store to make a small plot.

Included in the garden are two mystery tomatoes (they plant start people got the tomatoes mixed up so they did not know what kind they were), a jalapeno, rattlesnake watermelon, basil, Mexican chili, and chichicolites, a sort of Mexican blue berry, and mother of a thousand children (a small cactus).

Frozen

We were given a DVD of the animated Disney movie Frozen and Sarah has fallen in love with it. She sings the song, "Let it Go," over and over. This morning she was running around the house, waving her arms, and running up the stairs while listening to the song play on Mama's telephone.

Mama (laughing): Papa, in the movie the princess runs up the stairs that she makes out of ice in this part of the song so that is what Sarah is doing.

Papa (raising and waving arms in air): Yayy! Go Sarah!

Sarah (laughing and laughing)

Knock Knock

Papa: Knock knock.

Mama: Knock knock.

Papa: You say, who's there?

Mama: Oh, OK.

Papa: Knock knock.

Mama: Who's there?

Papa: Boo!

Mama (confused)

Papa: You say, Boo, who?

Mama: Boo, who?

Papa: Why are you crying?

Mama (confused)

Papa: That's what people say when they are crying.

Stephen: Me! Me!

Papa: OK, go ahead.

Stephen: Knock, knock!

Papa: Who's there?

Stephen (grinning ear-to-ear): Heyyyyyy!

Pinata

Stephen (lauging): Mama! Pretend you're a pinata!

(Takes wiffleball bat, starts hitting her in the leg)

Stephen: Papa! Let's pretend that you're a pinata!

(Starts hitting Papa in leg with wiffleball bat.)

Papa (takes bat): Stephen! Let's pretend YOU are the pinata!

Stephen (mad): NOOO!

Studying

Papa: I just realized that I am sitting in a McDonalds. Studying nutrition.

Clippers Fan

Papa (at checkout counter, wearing Clippers t-shirt)

Cashier: You a Clippers fan?

Papa: Well, actually I got this shirt as a free giveaway at this place where I used to work. We got to go see the first game when Blake .. What was his name? Is he still playing with them? Yeah? Are the Clippers doing OK this year? We are in season right now? Ok. Well, anyways, the funny thing is that for the first year that my employer was sponsoring the Clippers, I actually thought that they were a farm team for the Lakers! Like, I didn't even realize that they were a real NBA team. So yeah, I don't really follow sports that much, but this was just a free t-shirt that they gave me.

Cashier: So, you always been a Clippers fan?

Papa: Yes.

Baby Ducks!

Looking At Baby Ducks at the Park
Outside the Scottsdale Civic Center Library

Riding Bikes Outside Library

Going Down Stairs With Bikes

Happy Sixth Anniversary!

Accepted Into Montessori!

We just found out that Stephen and Sarah were both accepted into a great Montessori school in the center of Phoenix, called Faith North!

We are very excited because we think it is the best educational opportunity for them, as well as an emotionally healthy place.

Also, there are dozens of kids who want to get into only two openings in the 4-year-old class. So we are feeling exceptionally lucky.

Finally, besides being an excellent school, this is the only free Montessori program in the valley for their age group.

Bus Rides! And the Grand Canyon

We (finally!) took a day trip with the family up to go visit the Grand Canyon. The kids' favorite part, without question, was being able to ride the shuttle bus from view point to view point.

Stephen could hardly contain his excitement when we arrived at the Grand Canyon South Rim Visitors' Center. As we exited the doors, he excitedly burst out, "Bus!"

Also, we got Sarah a pair of handmade Native American dolls that she was looking at at the gift shop, as it was one of the only times so far she has shown any interest in dolls.

Parking

(Dropping kids off to preschool)

Sarah: Papa, if you park here, that means that you have to let us go to the park after school!

Papa: Oh really?

Kids' Party

Non-Birthday Party With Relighting Candles

Pinata That Mama, Sarah & Stephen Made

Stephen's Impression of Santa Claus

Stephen (in deep voice): Ha! Ha! Ha! ... I Santa Claus! ... Ha! Ha! Ha!

The Kids Jumping In A Bounce House

Their New Toy

Then "Sleeping" Outside On Their "Beds"
After We Moved the Bouncer Inside

Sleeping All Night

Bris - Stephen, who was that crying last night? (Note - At early, ungodly hours of the morning)

Papa - Bris, Stephen is learning to sleep all night and not wake up or cry.

Stephen - Right?