You can be anything you want to be...

Well, not exactly. We like to think we encourage our children to dream big. We like to think we encourage them to be exactly what they want to be when they grow up. We tell them that God has a plan for them, and hope they don't think WE do.

Daddy took the kids to and from daycare today. (I needed a break from the lab environment and because I had a dentist appointment in the middle of the day, it make it a perfect day to do some reading and writing in a quiet house.)

Andrew declared to Daddy, "I want to ride in a rocket ship".
Daddy, "We'll you could become an astronaut and you could do that one day."
Andrew, "Oh"
Daddy, "What do you think you want to be when you grow up? You could be a fireman, an astronaut, a pilot, a doctor, an engineer..."
Andrew, "I want to be a LION!"

Tell it like it is....

Why? But why? But why?

Like most mothers, this is the question I hear the most from my children. Yes, its tempting to answer "because I said so" or "because that's the way God made it." But, I like to turn these questions into learning experiences. Often I don't know the answer and when thats the case I turn it on my kids, "why do you think?" or "why do you think God made it that way?" But sometimes its fun to let the kids push me to the scientific answer.

On the way home from church Sunday, Samantha said, "Daddy, are there any crayons in the car?"
"No"
"Why not?"
"Because they melt in the hot car."
"Why?"
"Because it gets really hot."
"But why do they melt?"
Mommy steps in, "Because they are made of wax."
"But WHY do they melt?"
Daddy attempts to answer the 4 year old on her terms "Because wax is what candles are made of so if a crayon is made of the same thing it melts when it gets hot."
"But WHY do they melt?"
Mommy giving up on the 4 year old answer, answers simply, "Because when the molecules that make up the crayon get hot they start moving around really fast and that softens the crayon."
Samantha, "Oh, okay."

I guess she got tired. I see some significant challenges in our future.

Independence Day

Nighttime- think fireworks (right on the farm) & shock and awe for all ages

and bedtime reading and snuggles.

Daylight- think eating (homemade ice cream), reading, berry picking, outdoor fun (running, yelling, swimming, t-ball, soccer...)

Good-byes are never easy

I didn't manage to get pictures of everyone...and I will hide this post from my children for a few weeks (if not months). It was not easy saying good bye to our friends (and family) at the childcare. The kids have been transitioning fairly well. Samantha has never questioned going to the new 'school' and has helped Andrew adjust to drop off by reading to him. She did tell me Friday night that she misses her friends from daycare and then last night she misses Mr. K (one of the student helpers at the center). Breaks my heart, but this is for the best! Andrew has been hesitant about his new class and tells me, "I don't want to play with my new friends today". But everyday is better and today he told me that his new teacher put him in a "happy chair" (my suggestion) during transition and that it made him happy and then he gave me high fives. So, we are getting there. Tomorrow we have our first parent activity at the school and I'll get to go make a puppet with Andrew and then listen to a story. Its part of a summer reading program they are doing.