This and That (May 2014)

"A bug!  Schmash it!"

The sugar ants are back in our apartment now that the weather is (finally) somewhat warm.  Sarah has gone from scared of the tiny ants (always insisting that I come and "schmash" it) to being somewhat interested in them.  Nathan, on the other hand, has started collecting...

He also considerately labeled the container for us.  There are usually 2-5 ants crawing around inside trying desperately to find the way out (there is one, though we're not sure where the lapse in the defenses is located).

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There was a local election this past Tuesday and beginning a couple days beforehand there were campaigners holding signs in the triangle outside our window.  Nathan immediately grabbed paper and copied down the words on the signs (Nancy Daly and Ben Franco were the two names), then we found some popsicle sticks to turn his papers into his own campaign signs.

Sarah, per usual, wanted to do what her brother was doing, however she requested that I put her name on her sign.  I guess she wanted to be a write-in candidate.  Her first foray into politics?  Time will only tell!

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Sarah lately has been saying "I want do this wif my hair" while grabbing her hair to the back of her head.  We finally gave the ponytail a try with moderate success.  She definitely has enough length in the back, but all her hair in the front and around the sides don't make it back into the holder.  It looked good for about 5 minutes then everything around her face starting falling down. 

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Brian had a call shift on Saturday, so the kids and I were trying to fill the day.  We headed to the park after naps, but after a few minutes Nathan said "Mom! *exasperated sigh*  We forgot to bring a picnic lunch!"  (Side note: I have just begun a campaign in our house to help us all to remember to be kinder to one another.  "Kind words, kind voice, kind actions" is the new motto I'm going to drill into our heads).  We had talked about having a picnic sometime soon in the park, however there had been no mention of it anytime Saturday.  But I went with it - we scootered home, packed some food, and were quickly back for dinner and lots more playing. 

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Nathan helping Sarah button her cardigan before church on Sunday morning.  Isn't that the sweetest?!

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Brian and I are on a new mission to actually have the kids do physical activity at the park, as opposed to their usual preference of sitting in the sand or sitting on the swings.  So here were our activities the other day...

Nathan first choice, thought of all on his own, was his fishing net and a small, bouncy soccer ball so that he could play "lacrosse".  We had watched some boys practicing the night of our picnic.  Though the mechanics didn't work perfectly, there was some tossing and running around accomplished. 

After a while, Nathan decided to join Sarah and me kicking around some soccer balls.  Considering that we haven't kicked the ball around with the kids for months (or maybe since NC??), both had some serious skills!  Nathan had lots of powerful kicks...

... and Sarah was doing some impressive dribbling. 

Our other favorite park activity these days is climbing high on the apparatus.  Nathan likes to climb up and perch himself on a vantage point so he can keep an eye on everything else going on at the park.  Sarah will climb up and down, and up and down, and up and down, and...

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Almost every time we're on escalators (which is a lot around Boston), the kids do this...

Nathan is so conscientious, always wanting to make sure Sarah's safe.  It gets me every time!