Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Jove



Our Jove turned six two days ago and in celebration of all that makes him unique (and copying a blogging friend), I want to share with all of you the special things about Jove. It is an exciting time of new friendships and experiences and lots of accomplishments.

We had Jove's birthday party at one of our favorite nature centers and Jove got to pick the animals for the wildlife show, no fuzzy chinchillas here, all reptiles except for the tarantula.


Jove loves....

Getting dirty: Jove can play with sand or dirt for hours making balls, digging canals or building up earthen walls, redirecting the flow of water through the yard, mixing in plant parts or side walk chalk dust for special mixes.


To watch wildlife: Sometimes I will peer back through the kitchen window and Jove is down at ground level watching an insect. He collects bugs for his permanent collection, he identifies birds, raises butterflies, he catches snakes and builds houses for them. One book that he chooses for storytime is an illustrated encyclopedia of life on Earth. He embodies the concept of a sense of wonder about nature.



Talking/socializing: Jove is a talker (wonder where he gets that from...). He makes friends easily and gets along and plays with children of all ages. He is confident and will often be the leader of the shenanigans in a group of kids.


Being "Crazy:" Jupiter is pretty fearless and I am not. Jove says I need to come over the crazy side of the family. He rides his bike fast, climbs rocks and trees and then jumps off and gets cuts and scrapes and doesn't blink. I can only imagine what he'll want to do in ten years


Cakes and other sweets: We usually only have cake at birthdays and minimal junk food in the house, so when Jove gets a piece of cake at a party he savors it. He'll sit enraptured by his cake while other kids run around. He licks the plate clean...


I feel so lucky to have such a fun spirited and adventurous little boy as my son.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

exhale

Many times over the past few weeks I have thought of witty blog entries or status updates, but I have had no time to write them. I don't really have the time now, but I am sitting down to exhale.

Our house is on the market and we should start showings in the next few days. We are so excited to sell and move onto more land and to a little less hustle and bustle. Getting the house cleaned up, emptied out and repaired everywhere has been keeping us very busy. This house has not ever been so neat and tidy since we have lived here.

We are also in the throes of the end of the school year: both ours and the kids. The kids definitely are having more fun with their parties and such and us with our state science exams. We finish the end of next week.

Our good friends who live in Virginia stayed with us last week and it was so fun to be all together again. My mother-in-law left yesterday and Jup leaves tomorrow for a very important family wedding in DR that I wish we could all go to. My parents come next weekend to celebrate Jove's 6th birthday.

Certainly the two biggest developments around here that are both a couple of months old at this point is that Miranda is potty trained and Jove is reading books on his own. After 6 years (with a month break) of changing diapers, I felt like uncorking champagne when Miranda became a big girl. Jove is a super-reader and we have started keeping track of all the books he reads independently (30 so far) and he says once he has read 100 he wants to have a cake to celebrate.
Yay for peeing and reading all by yourself!!