Richelle and I got back last night from my niece and her family's home. Those kids are vastly entertaining!

I read in "Bells on Their Toes" (sequel to "Cheaper by the Dozen") how a person cannot stay with a large family for very long without having something snap unless they themselves are from a large family or they have grown with one. I wouldn't say that five children is a large family, really, but I can see the truth in that statement.

I'm glad I have eleven siblings and four children. If I hadn't, the several conversations at mealtimes (each usually conducted at a higher decibel level than the conversation next-door, so to speak) might have gotten to me. Or dealing with one child crying because he thumped his head following older brother under the bed when another child suddenly becomes lost and frightened under the same bed - having followed older brother...

It was an enjoyable time. Precious snapshots:

~ The three-year-old emphatically declaring she "didn't like spinach!"
"You don't?" her father asked mildly.
"No. I don't like spinach."
"How about trying just a little?" her dad suggested, "Okay?"
"Okay." she agreed happily.
She asked for seconds, then thirds, and became heartbroken when her mom took the last of it.

~ I didn't know it at the time, but the seven-year-old son has some trouble reading. He read the word 'Luke' as 'luck' and I gave a quick lesson on how the 'e' can reach over one letter and thump the vowel on the head to make it say its long name but it can't reach over two letters. A couple of days later, he thanked me for the lesson, saying it helped his reading a lot.

~ The nine-year-old rolling her eyes when I tried to sweet-talk her into setting the table early by calling her "my favorite oldest niece there". She set the table with a smile - seeing through my ploy.

~ The 22-month-old flomping himself to the floor from ill-use and mis-treatment because I dared to offer him a piece of my (large) cookie instead giving him one of his own....but chirking right up when offered half a cookie from the bag.

~ The newborn being her sweet and adorable baby girl self.

Ahh...memories.

Children Are Adorable

I have the privilege this week of spending a few days at the home of my niece and her family to help out after the birth of their fifth child. It's been ten years since I had a toddler and I'd forgotten how entertaining they are.

This morning, the almost-two-year-old toddled over to where I was standing and took my hand in his. As I looked down to see what he wanted, he circled around until he had his mouth against my palm. Then he coughed. After which he nonchalantly walked away.

Later this afternoon, I was playing a 22-month-old version of "pillow fight" with him; he'd bring me the soft couch pillow and back away about six feet, I'd toss the pillow into his tummy, he'd pick it up, and it'd start all over. Well, I got distracted once and caught him off-balance, knocking him over and sending his head against the wall with a solid "thud". I leaped off the couch with comfort in mind but when I picked him up...he giggled.

Another time, the three-and-a-half-year-old came running to her mom in tears and highly indignant because her seven-year-old brother had pushed her. My niece asked several reasons why he might have pushed her but all were hotly denied. She finally asked, "Why would he do that?"
"Because I shut the door on his head," was the honest answer.

This same inquisitive girl "helped" me make supper.
"You are making supper today?" she asked.
"Yep," I answered.
"Why are you making supper?"
"Because your mom and dad are busy."
Her head jerked up, eyes wide, "They are?"

New Refrigerator

One thing led to another and the result is that we have a brand-new side-by-side refrigerator. This is the second new fridge of our marriage, the previous one having been purchased in early 1984. It was rated pretty high on the efficiency scale but with the passing of twenty-five years, that efficiency dropped from "wonderful" to "mediocre" all the way down to "deplorable".

Mike, bless his sweet heart, plumbed it for the water dispenser and ice-maker features even though he hates plumbing. I've learned to remove the children from the room so their hearing isn't damaged from the muttering that rumbles from him while he's working. It took four bath towels, two hand towels and a washcloth, but he successfully plumbed the fridge. He's now like a child on Christmas morning in regards to the ice dispenser.

It was plumbed and in place and we were adjusting the shelves when we hit a snag. The factory puts in little clips to keep the shelves from coming loose during shipping and I couldn't figure out how to remove them. Mike asked to give it a try so I moved out of the way. He fiddled with them for a minute, mentioned that he needed a pair of pliers, and stepped out to get them. As he stepped out, Richelle stepped in. She's accustomed to me asking for her little fingers or skinny arms to reach something or wiggle something loose.

"Richelle," Mike said irritably, reaching for the pliers, "if I can't get it," turning back to the fridge, "You can't get it!"

Pause

"How did you get it?"

Been a while...

November and December are the busiest months of the year for Scouting and Lego Robotics. For example, last week the Lego team met on Monday and Tuesday evenings and then competed most of Saturday; Thursday and Friday evening along with Sunday afternoon were spent doing Girl Scout things. When you toss in Sunday morning worship and Wednesday evening Bible study, you have one very full week!

My Girl Scout co-leader offered to go to the monthly leader's meeting last night that I usually attend. She's now my husband's second favorite person.

Richelle's Lego Robotics team didn't do as well this year as last year. They got high marks in the teamwork and project areas and moderate scores on the competition table but their robot design scored quite low. They used a basic robot design and modified it only slightly. The judges like to see personally designed robots because is shows ingenuity and a good grasp of mechanics.

All in all, they did about what I expected in the robot design area and competition table, a bit better than I expected in the project area, and a lot better in the teamwork area. I'm pleased with their performance and disappointed they aren't advancing to State Competition.

Okay, I'll be a little more truthful...I'm disappointed they aren't going to State Competition but I (and the team parents) are thrilled that the season is over! Had they gone to state, we'd have had six more weeks of meetings.

So I get my Tuesday evenings back; Thursday is the final event for GS for the year; 4-H meetings are two per month again until next September....

Dear Husband is on day shift for six months or so and is happy to be together in the evenings again.