Random Fun Times and Reflections on Quiet

Aunt Heather and Uncle Justin bought Lucy a kit of science experiments (she calls them "science experiences") for her birthday, and Daniel and the kids have been slowly working through them since the summer.  It's so fun how excited the kids get when it's time to do a "science experience."  Oliver hadn't been that into them, until tonight -- he was one of the kids, just taking it all in. 



This was an "underwater color-changing volcano" experiment.  Elliot kept saying afterward, "Me wike that 'cano!" 



All three kids are all into scooters, tricycles, and bikes now.  Elliot loves his tricycle.  It's his favorite. 



Oliver loves Elliot's scooter and rides it about as much as Elliot does, these days.



He needs some help to really go very far, but he's definitely getting there, in terms of balance.

This was the moment Oliver realized Daddy was home.  Happy, happy boy. 



We've all been sick lately.  There are a couple things going around -- ours have been mostly stomach-related, though today Elliot's had fever and runny nose.



I peeked in on Lucy's quiet time today to find her decorating our wall with stickers.  She loves stickers.



The kids continue to wake earlier than we'd like -- sometime between 5:45 and 6:45.  I've decided that as long as they're waking up that early, we might as well benefit from a longer evening -- so some nights we've actually gotten them sleeping in their beds before the sun is down. 



It is an amazing feeling -- let me tell you.  Like you've discovered the secrets of the universe. 



I think--as with each other pregnancy toward the end--I'm beginning to really treasure quiet moments.  I wonder if this is common in other pregnant women.  I find myself grabbing my camera more often when it's quiet, wanting to capture the moment and make it last.  Or retreating to the chair in my room, just to sit in the quiet.  I wonder if there is some part of my pregnant brain that knows the quiet won't last much longer. 


Now that I'm thinking about it, I actually recall telling people toward the end of my pregnancy with Lucy that I was okay being pregnant -- that it was nice to "have her in there and quiet."  And that was back before we had 3 munchkins running around!



Oliver turned into a little dare-devil/adrenaline-junkie this past week.  He loves jumping from the ottoman to the couch, and today's new trick was running from our bedroom doorway to our bed, smacking into the bed repeatedly, with his whole body, yelling the whole time.  Elliot said of this new trick, "Cool, Oliver!" 



Did I tell you how much this kid adores shoes?  If he had to go live on a deserted island and could only bring two things, they would be his bottle and his shoes.