Month: February 2010

Mr. Rogers thoughts on play:

“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning.

But for children play is serious learning.

Play is really the work of childhood.”

“Play is the beginning of knowledge.”

Play is taken very seriously at our house. I have found that when there is a designated play time, we are all happier.

This day, the sun was shining, and although it wasn’t super warm, it was so great to get on the familiar path that lead us to our neighborhood park.

It is so fun to be here and watch the boys as they take their work of play very seriously.

I wish we could weather, and time like this, so we could play the day away like this everyday.

Are so fun to play with on a beautiful day, that feels so warm, it felt like spring.

They met us on the porch,

and were picked up and held,

and loved for hours, like they hadn’t been all winter long.

What patient little beings they are.

And I never would have guessed how much Clementine and Goose would become such an important part of our lives.

Aparently, there is just as much joy knocking a snow man down, as there is building one up.

(said by Truman).

With a day off of school, and an itch to do something fun, we returned to a favorite place of ours, the Church Museum of Art, Children’s Area. We loaded up in the car, and then Elliot into the stroller,

Recently Tucker and I have been reading ‘Little House on the Prarie’, and so instead of heading right up to the kids area, we started our adventure on the bottom floor which was full of pioneer and early church history artifacts.

It was sure fun to see and explain things to them, they already knew so much, but it was a great experience to talk about things again. After seeing one of the pioneers first sewing machines, Tucker told me nothing could beat seeing that…

So, then it was time to head upstairs, where we played, played, played, until Toph finished up his work and could come and see us.

It is always surprising to me to watch where the children choose to go, with all the different activities to choose from.







The favorites though were the pioneer toys and old testament sling shots.


And Elliot? He love the babies. It was sweet to see him try to feed them a bottle, or should I say bottles.

And a funny other side note, Tucker ‘did not enjoy playing with the babies’, but ‘liked being a doctor’. (his words)

And after the examination of this sweet little thing, I saw the birth certificate.

I noticed the fathers name is Christopher, and the mothers name is Emily, that’s sweet. Then I noticed the age of Toph and I — 55 and 56. Seriously Funny.

We had a great, great, day.

“When you look at life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses.” Joyce Brothers

(this funny picture spontaneously happened, whilst we were trying to get a picture of elliot saying shoes. slowly all the boys kind of filtered in and smiled. Love when things like that happen)

I love recording our family history with our camera.
Sunday Afternoon,

Patrick was in town visiting with us, (we’d had a friend’s wedding celebration the day before)

And the boys were just happily reading comics with Toph.

I love these little moments.
And I especially love the ability to zoom, so I can ignore the rest of this messy/craziness in the room,

And capture this sweetness…

The way a sleeping baby feels in my arms or how, even at the age of one, babies seem to be able to fall asleep anywhere. Even in the car, and just fold up into themselves.

Not the best picture, but the sight still gives me tingles.

A sweet, wonderful feeling.

That this is the beginning of many crazy antics to come.

Elliot’s newest infatuation is the heater vent thingy (what’s the word I am looking for?) Register?

Is that what it’s called…whatever it is, he loves to play here.

He usually first tries to put himself down the vent.

Followed later in the day by his toys.

As long as it’s not food going down there, I think we’re okay! 🙂

* I almost didn’t write this post, because I don’t think my writing skills could do it justice. FOR REALS. * So if you don’t find this funny, sorry it’s due totally and completely to my writing skills, I have been busting a gut, just thinking about it. Wish you could have all been there to experience it with me.*

One day whilst I was cleaning the bathroom, I slightly noticed someone walking, actually pacing, past the bathroom door. (I had my camera, as I had just taken some pictures of sleeping Elliot, I don’t usually keep the camera with me while I clean the bathroom 🙂 ). And when I stopped to look I noticed Tucker thinking and wearing these…

I didn’t stop to ask questions, just looked at him and started snapping pictures. And he just sat there, staring at me, totally A-typical of Tuck, and it seemed kind of silly.

But it got even sillier when suddenly Truman appeared looking like this with a funny expression and even more a-typical body language…

Look at Tucker in the background, are you laughing yet?

I took that picture then started laughing. And I laughed and belly laughed. I still have no idea what they were doing, why both of them, who were playing in different rooms appeared at the same time, and both looked silly. But it was the best laugh I’d had in a long time.

of what his days are filled with. I got to go and take pictures of Tucks classroom at school for their yearbook.

Some of the best advice I got when Tucker entered Kindergarten is to volunteer in his classroom as much as you can. I have never regretted this decision, as it has given me a glimpse of his life, the way the teacher runs her classroom, helped me build a relationship with the teacher as well as the other students in the class.

I love volunteering there, and only wish I could do it and be there more, but also love to get the little glimpses of his daily life. So if you’re new to this world of elementary school, do it, volunteer, you’ll never regret it~