No extensive post today … just a few pictures.
Finn utilized one of the boulders in the backyard while he was preparing for some sort of war with Ezra and Bruce.
The boys tried to light bird poop on fire in the driveway. (Lots of smelly smoke, but no flames.)
Family study night.
Fun at Cottage today.
Friday’s warm temperatures lured the boys into some water play in the front yard. They started with the hose and then once they were soaked they decided to try to get the stream going by pouring a bucket of water into it. They forgot they’d made a rock dam at the bottom.
They refilled the bucket but realized it was too heavy to move over to the stream, so they dumped it out on the driveway (which makes me a little crazy).
Toward the end of our after school play date at Loma Alta park this afternoon, Finn came over and asked if I had anything “pretty” because they were having a funeral for a dead bee. As we moms pressed the kids for more information, we learned that some “bad teenagers” had killed the bee.
The kids — Ezra, Finn, Ruby, Chapin, Sydney, Kylee, Jack and Sofia — proceeded to collect flowers, grass, leaves and sticks to surround the bee. Jack’s mom sent this picture of the “ceremony.”
And Ezra took a couple of pictures with my phone.
Just a couple of pictures from today. This afternoon after Ezra got home from school and the boys had a chance to unwind with some Angry Birds and Cut the Rope, I shooed them outside to play while I was making dinner. When I checked on them a little later, they were having a meeting on the lawn. They always gravitate toward the little hill we put in.
Later, when it was time for books before bedtime, I walked in to see them in swim goggles and their LACMA badges.
While I wait to see if I can steal some photos of our housewarming party from my friends who took pictures (since I took none!), I’ll write about the other party we had last weekend — Charlie’s 5th birthday party. Jerri found a company (Best. Party. Ever.) that sends out, in this case, Obi Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker to provide Jedi training for the kids. It was a total blast for the kids and the parents.
About 45 minutes into the party, Obi Wan and Anakin walked up and started asking questions, trying to find Charlie. Ollie gave him up.
After a while, they started in on some Jedi training.
Took a Jedi oath.
And started off on a treasure hunt.
After successfully finding the treasure box, Charlie distributed lightsabers to all the kids.
Then some group training began.
Here are a couple of videos of the instruction.
Then each kid got to have a one-on-one fight with Anakin. Here’s Finn.
Here’s Ezra.
And, finally, here are a few close-up pictures that Carroll took.
Best. Party. Ever.
In addition to penguins and Star Wars, the idea of clubs is a big deal in our house right now. Last week, Ezra and Finn wanted to make lists of their club members — Ezra’s Penguin Club and Finn’s Star Wars Club.
Ezra assigned each of his club members a type of penguin (of course, he kept Emperor for himself). He also added — in correct parentheses — that he’s the boss.
Finn surprised me by writing out his Star Wars list by himself! He asked me how to spell everyone’s name but made all the letters.
He’s not all that concerned about spacing or starting a name on one line and continuing it on the next (see, Ch … arlie) but WOW, he’s writing! By way of translation, his list is Kai, Syd, Charlie, Ollie, Aeden, and Marietta. He added “Papa Bruce” the next day, using both names for him so we would for sure know who he was talking about.
A few pictures from the week …
Meeting on the rocks.
Cookie ‘n milk dunking.
Finn at Cottage practicing his lightsaber technique while wearing his Obi Wan garb (AKA a brown much-too-small sweatshirt he recently discovered in his cubby).
Ezra’s Friendship Day folder full of cards from his classmates.
And the “cards” that he gave out — he also made one for Finn.
And finally, my Friday lunch date with Ezra while Finn was at Cottage. Yoda and Chewbacca came, too.
I got a new Crock Pot on Friday and decided to try my hand at a hearty beef stew today. I have to say, it was delicious!
It was a all-day, all-in-the-family cooking day for us. The boys made bread.
Finn was a little sad that it didn’t take longer to stir.
It came out great.
We even had dessert — cinnamon coffee cake — which was a big hit.
Clearly, we are very happy to have our new kitchen!
Bruce wanted to have a fire tonight, so earlier today he and the boys cleaned out the fireplace. I was in the kitchen and didn’t realize what they were up to, when Ezra came in yelling, “Mommy, come quick! Do you want to communicate through the ash hole?” Needless to say, I had to go see what was going on.
Finn and Bruce took the outside job.
Ezra took the inside job. He was quite thorough, I might add.
I hope Ezra doesn’t get in trouble at school tomorrow when he uses his sharing time to talk about this activity.
Ezra and Finn were playing some sort of game the other day involving Angry Birds, their eggs (yellow cardboard building blocks which are put away in the larger box), and, of course, Ezra’s penguin, Mumble. They put everything in place and then demanded I take a picture.
Today they were pretty excited with the installation of the new grass in the backyard. Ezra was home from school with an ear infection and, apparently, some pretty bad wheezing, neither of which had any effect on his energy level. (He’s on antibiotics and an inhaler to try to clear things up.) As soon as Finn got home from school, the three Moision Jedis took to the backyard.
It’s all fun and games until someone gets hit with the broom.
We took the boys to have dim sum in Chinatown over the weekend — something Ezra got to do a while back and he hasn’t stopped talking about it since. He couldn’t wait for Finn to try it. I had my doubts that my finicky four (and three-quarters) year-old would even take a bite, but he surprised me!
Ezra, of course, loved it again.
And they had a great time riding on the Metro as an added bonus.
They’ve also been enjoying the new chalkboard in the kitchen, as well as Bruce’s Star Wars drawings. It’s all Star Wars, all the time around here lately.
Last but not least, a couple of days ago they hunkered down in the dry pond in the front yard with a potato gun and some lightsabers.
A few shots from the weekend. Our Saturday morning snuggle time turned into a stuffed animal fest.
Later, the boys took the Magna-Tiles out to the front porch to build an airport for their paper airplanes (one of Ezra’s many obsessions).
Then came Water War.
Then the birds made an encore performance.
On Sunday we couldn’t take it any longer and because the cabinet guys were done with the kitchen we disassembled Camp Moision and put most of our stuff away in the new kitchen. Finn helped by cleaning all the shelves.
The boys and I went out to lunch today and they insisted on bringing in a couple of their favorite birds.
The boys are in love with the pathways in the front yard. They ride and/or run around them every single day. Up until this week they would fight over the Skuut bike and neither really wanted to ride his regular two-wheeler. I think the one slightly tighter turn was intimidating for them and since the Skuut is lower to the ground they felt more comfortable. But this week, first Ezra and then Finn figured out how to negotiate the curve, so now the Skuut has been, once again, cast off. I think it had everything to do with the fact that it had a flat tire and they were forced to figure out how to make it work with their other bikes.
Today was all about the projects. Bruce started making the new chalkboard for the kitchen.
It’s coming together nicely and may even be done tomorrow.
The boys “helped out” in the yard …
… when they weren’t chatting with the guys. Here’s Finn with his bestie, Victor.
I’m pretty sure Finn was telling him about Angry Birds.
And we met with Laramee to pick out plants for the front yard. He has a nursery at his house (and also a great garden) so there is lots to choose from there. I had to sneak this picture because Bruce and Laramee are nearly twins.
Actually, they don’t really look that much alike, but their styles and mannerisms are so similar that the kids and I have all mistaken Laramee for Bruce when he’s been wandering around the yard.