The last few days have been for socializing. On Saturday we invited Ronnie and Frank Maier and their girls, and Dana Ellis and her family over for a small pot luck dinner. We have also become friends with a local homeschooling family with 2 girls and invited them too. We had a GREAT time. Good food, good wine, good friends. I couldn’t ask for anything more. And when Milo came up the stairs and exclaimed, “We have new fwends!”, my heart couldn’t have been happier. He’s really been missing friends. He isn’t quite old enough to put his finger on who he misses for friends, but he knows he was missing playmates and companionship. He’s even put aside his aversion to girls and is enjoying our new friends Layla and Mia. Dana brought us some of her famous coffee, She’s roasts and sells at farmer’s markets in her area, and it’s really good! Even TJ who doesn’t really discern different coffee much , was surprised how delicious it was.
It was Layla’s birthday last night and they all invited us to an artisan ice cream shop called Full Tilt. I’m a basic vanilla gal and enjoyed mine with rainbow sprinkles of course! TJ tried the mexican chocolate which has a deep chocolatey flavor with a hint of cinnamon. They also carry Ube (a sort of sweet potato), Horchata, and Memphis King which is peanut butter, banana, and chocolate covered bacon! They’ll even let you create a flavor if you have your birthday party there! I can only imagine what *my* kids would pick! In addition to the ice cream they serve local beer, sometimes host local bands, and is home to a slew of vintage pinball and video games which I think they rotate out on occasion. The kids had a blast and I was thrilled to see arcade games that cost a quarter to play! Just like old times! The guy working at the counter, which I’m pretty sure was the owner, was also really friendly with us and the kids. That’s also important to me. I can’t count how many times we’ve gone somewhere and the employees treat the kids like a nuisance. I love when my boys can interact with with people in the community. It’s so important for them to see how the world works. Through meeting others around us they learn about so many different things. We all can’t wait to go back!
He is quiet sometimes,
and introspective at other times,
definitely the leader of the pack,
he is brilliant and wild,
I Love You Milo. Happy Birthday!
Surprise!!!
My brother and sister (twins 16) Gabrielle and Garth
I don’t know where the time went. I can barely believe it’s true! My sweet baby, Phoenix Shane is one!
I still don’t have my laptop back. I’ve been reduced, once again, to using the deathly slow and confusing Mac. I shouldn’t even capitalize it, it’s more like a mac. You know the mac commercials… the ones that say mac’s “just work”? Well, they don’t. Not even close. This thing sucks. I don’t even know why people love macs so much. I think it’s a marketing thing. Mac has an ingenius marketing plan.You want to know one of the big differences I’ve noticed about unschoolers? When we get together and we want to talk about a particularly rough moment or tough time, the focus stays on ourselves. We don’t sit around and complain about the kids and how they don’t listen, we talk about how we can be better parents. How we can connect with the kids more and be more understanding and helpful. I like that.
Milo took this photo. Don’t they look great? G-Ma is 88! That’s my dad. Yes ladies… he’s STILL single!
Just look at his sweet little face the day he was born.
This is one of my favorite photos. Even though Milo was my biggest baby of the three boys, he grew very slowly in his early months. He barely hit the doctor’s charts at the 4th percentile. This picture describes to me what a silly little peanut he always was. Those skinny little legs and those funny expressions he always made (and still makes) are embedded in my mind.
Oh that hair! Being a red head seems to be like having your own little club. People go out of their way to come over and comment on “her” red hair. Milo has been called a girl 90% of the tiem since I can remember. He doesn’t seem to mind much.
Milo LOVES his big brother. He can’t get enough of Skylar. He is lucky to have a big brother who loves him just as much. They are a unique pair to be 6 years apart and but so close in brotherly love.
He’s a wild man. He’s a boy in every stereotype you can imagine. He loves poop and pee and mud and boogers and pretending to vomit and video games and destroying things and power rangers and heavy metal. He has a temper that would scare a grown man. He has an intelligence that would scare a teacher.
He’s never really been quite the same since his accident. It changed him an awful lot. Not only is it so hard to be 3, but it’s hard to have a broken leg, and a new baby brother all at the same time. I think he felt cheated. now when he gets hurt, he gets mad and doesn’t want to be touched or held or anything. He just steams for awhile and then comes back to play.
Today is Skylar’s 10th birthday. That’s Skylar just minutes after he was born. We’re in the double digits and he isn’t letting me forget it. It’s not that he’s saying anything about it. It’s just that he’s acting all ten-ish. I’ve said recently that Skylar has been changing an an awful lot this year. He’s really matured quite a bit. Well, a very noticeable bit. He’s always been his own person, but he just seems more so this year. Know what I mean? It’s so hard to put into words.
This just isn’t a face you say no to!
I think when he went to Kindergarten he blew them all away. He sure is a unique kid. I consider myself lucky to have had the public school experience with him. Not only do I know what it’s like, but HE knows what it’s like. I am sure he’ll want to try again someday. I’ll treasure every moment I have with him now.
He just never seemed to get any older! Or bigger! He’s been wearing the same swim trunks for 3 years! He is finally outgrowing them. and just this year his pants are all too short. He started calling me “mom” instead of mommy. I’m so accustomed to hearing “mommy” I sometimes don’t hear that he is talking to me.
Skylar: kind, friendly, gentle, fun, creative, loveable, bright, curious, and seriously darn handsome if I do say so myself.
