Week: somewhere around 23

It is so hilarious to be here, at home this afternoon, listening to the epic battle that the lads are having with their friend over. It is a constant dialogue of rules, more intense and complicated than I've heard Dungeons and Dragons can be.

'Guys' can be hypnotized, but also unhypnotized (I think by killing the skeleton, removing a bone and using its magical properties to unhypnotize its victims); stolen; the 3-headed dog (the much feared Cerberus) can only die if he's shot through all three heads at once; and in the end, both teams won because one guy through another guy into the magic fire.

2014: 11 of 52 Boys

Huxley! ~ You scored your first goal with your new indoor soccer team! Hoorah! I was even there to see it! You got High Fives from your team mates as you lightly jogged back down the field and the smile on your face showed such satisfaction and accomplishment. That will be burned in my memory forever. ~ You couldn’t stand seeing the can of pineapple chunks in the front of the pantry, so you took it upon yourself to rearrange the three shelves of food. ~ “Did you know, when I’m older, I’m going to be President? But not of Tokyo.” You informed Dashiell matter-of-factly, as if you saw a glimpse into the future. Let me just say, you’d be an awesome, relaxed and very fair President. ~ Your last ski lesson at Notchview, your group was the last to return for the afternoon and you nearly missed out on the potluck! But what an amazing few hours you had, managing the hills, staying warm, always moving! (And you took to skate skiing like a duck to water.

Dashiell! ~ You scored two goals in your soccer game that Cameron and Bekka were watching! Cameron had requested you score three goals, but dang if two isn't really impressive anyway! ~ Cameron gifted you with his remaining Five Inch Guys and accompanying siege tower, prison, etc. Many battles have since been fought! ~ Your last ski lesson at Notchview, you’ve really taken to skate skiing and looks like you’ll be doing that exclusively next winter. ~ We all took a day off (work and school) to go into Boston for the day. A squished trip in the truck with (Timber!) too plenty of Top 40 music. We went to the New England Aquarium and over to the North End for pastries and lunch (you tried an amazing salad with feta and cold cuts. ~ Maple breakfast on Saturday, you went back for seconds and then thirds for those breakfast sausages!

2014: 5 of 52 Boys

~ Family breakfast out to Green Bean. We got the cherry table, in the back, by the window, plenty of room. ~ You brought out the jokingly hated book at the breakfast joint and made Daddy read it, that joke never gets old.

2014: 4 of 52 Boys

Huxley!
~ Magic show, complete with a curtain (blanket) that your brother operated for dramatic effect.
~ A play date you've been waiting for, you were thrilled that we finally got our act together enough to have your friend over.

~ We made homemade playdough. It was tough to stir as it thickened, but so fun.

~ You used the playdough to re-enact the beach scene from ‘Gullivers Travels’ (the 1940’s animated version) and you tied down Gulliver with dental floss and surrounded him with soldiers.

~ Swinging inside in your pajamas, pushing yourself around on the ottoman while hanging upside down.

Dashiell!

~ A lazy MLK day of reading Huxley’s newly acquired Donald Duck book, while sitting in your pajamas. You ate something chocolate.

~ A morning of goofy faces, so I could practice using my new camera lens. Thank you, love!

2014: 3 of 52 Boys

Dashiell! ~ Really? Rooting for the 49er's when you could be rooting for the Seattle Seahawks to make it to their first ever Super Bowl?! Child, we need to have a talk.< ~ "It's an outrage!" is now your catch phrase. When you discovered the orange cheddar had a whisp of white cheddar on your nachos, what we thought would be one seriously upset kid, turned into a moment that had us all laughing. Your comic timing is really coming into its own. ~ A friend showed you how the 'record' function works on the keyboard and your interest is piqued! ~ Halloween idea: Harpo. Need: curly blond wig, trenchcoat with belt - we already have the horn. You need to keep working on your comic miming abilities. We'll get there!

Huxley! ~ Halloween costume idea: Groucho for Huxley! Must keep my eyes open for: suit/trench coat, toy cigar, glasses, other Marx Brothers paraphernalia. ~ We made playdough together, so glad you thought of it, out of the blue! After all that hard work stirring, you had the vision to re-create the Lilliputian beach scene from Gulliver's Travels with your five inch guy, plastic animals (and dinos), using dental floss in place of rope, to hold down Gulliver. Brilliant! ~ Lack of snow, sent us far into the Berkshires to cross country ski at Canterbury Farm in Becket. And MAN did you just take off like a crazed snow otter zipping hither and thither, not caring at all about how darned cold it was. ~ Another trip to the pediatrician, when you twisted your knee cross country skiing. (Luckily you stopped limping after only a couple of days and the pain didn't last long!)

2014: 2 of 52 Boys

Dashiell!
~ Yeah, you've been having to do more chores to make up for lost privileges. Mostly it's cleaning dishes. But I have learned that you hate sweeping and thought it was fun to clean the toilet.
~ You started a Wednesday afternoon soccer clinic that you really enjoy.
~ Turns out your night of fever and chills must have been related to your Strep Throat. I took you in to the pediatrician only after Huxley was diagnosed with it. At least it didn't turn into Scarlet Fever this time!

Huxley!
~ You slipped in the melting ice field in front of your school. Despite being drenched you happily accompanied your friend for a playdate.
~ We gave Carcasonne a try. The last of the Christmas presents to be tried out. It was fun, but we didn't get to finish it as we slowly cracked open the rules.
~ You remembered not to slam the door when you were frustrated with something. Yeah!

2014: 1 of 52 Boys

 Dashiell!
~ On the first Friday of the New Year (and a snow day from school) you gladly helped Daddy with his Friday morning chores: helping take trash and recycling to the dump and shoveling more snow. Of course that was after our snowstorm chocolate chip pancakes.
~ You brought home an amazing selection of books from your school library on Ancient Egyptians and Ancient Civilizations. Huxley can't keep his nose out of the latter!
~ Homemade sushi for dinner? You pretty much demanded it, having never had my homemade sushi before. And despite my protests, it wasn't as difficult as I remembered. Not only that, with your first bite, you were smitten by it. Note to self: avocado roll goes down much better for you than carrot!
~ Our family is now in full swing of trying to help you ease out of your quick temper. It's not easy for anybody, but we're all determined to work together to make our home as peaceful as possible. We can do it: two steps forward, but we also have to remember that can also mean the occasional one step backwards.

Huxley!
~ You scored your first soccer goal since you started playing and the smile on your face spoke volumes on your skyrocketing happiness!
~ It has been a struggle to get you to read chapter books at your level. I started reading Harry Potter books to you and Dashiell back in October and I got through two of them. But this week, you chose the third Harry Potter book to read by yourself at school and I couldn't have been more proud of you! You also checked the book out so we could continue our 'out loud' reading together.
~ Photomontage! You made Jess a photomontage birthday card: a dinosaur eating a guy's head. And a cyclops for your own notebook. Such focus!
~ And you were the first person out there to shovel snow during our last snow storm. What a helper!