We Love Aunt Claire

After finishing Charlie & the Chocolate Factory last weekend, Josiah spent all of Monday acting out scenes from the book.  He dressed up as Willy Wonka (basically he wore Caroline's purple jacket since Willy Wonka wore purple).  Henry was Charlie.  I was Grandpa Joe.  Henry and I would be invited into the chocolate factory and then after winding through the house, we'd make it to the big open area where everything was edible with the chocolate river.  Caroline, not understanding how this whole acting thing works, kept stepping into the chocolate river.  So, then I'd switch from Grandpa Joe to Augustus Gloop's mom and pretend Caroline was Augustus going up the pipe.  She was more fun to play than Grandpa Joe anyway.  At least I got to work on my fake German accent.

I spent the first two thirds of Tuesday answering the endless loop of the following questions, "When is Aunt Claire going to get here?" and "Is Aunt Claire here?"  and "Cwaire, Cwaire" (with pointing out the window).  In the weekend that she was gone, Caroline somehow switched from calling her Momma to calling her Cwaire, which is much cuter anyway (and slightly less confusing).  We got to take her out to Hippo Ice for dessert.  They puree fruits/chocolate/coffee, freeze them in huge blocks, and then put them under a shave ice machine and shave off the fruit/coffee/chocolate.  Todd, Claire, and I really enjoy it.  Caroline wouldn't touch it, Henry ate a bunch and then said he didn't like it, and Josiah barely ate any because he didn't like the texture.  Too "fluffy."

We got to spend time at the park before Claire had to leave on Wednesday afternoon.  It was a beautiful day and I thought it would make a lovely picture.  This was the best we got.  Apparently the kids didn't understand that it was a beautiful day and the potential existed to make a lovely picture.

The weather here really has been beautiful lately.  Low 80s most days and the mosquitoes haven't come back yet.  I've made the kids walk to the library twice this week just to take advantage of it.  Although, really, they don't walk much of it at all.  All 3 of them climb onto some part of the stroller and I push 100 pounds of children to the library and back.  Really, I don't mind it, though, because if they walk then the walk itself can be incredibly slow.

Claire helped the boys start their circular globe puzzle, but had to leave before it was finished.  After finishing it, I took a picture to show her and as soon as the photo had been taken, Henry accidentally let go of the puzzle globe, and we all watched it roll off the table and crash to the floor.  Only half of it fell apart; I enjoyed putting it back together so we could show Todd when he got home.  Thank you Ms. Kathryn for the puzzle.  It was a lot of fun putting it together.  I'll be on the hunt for more 3D puzzles in the future.

From the moment Claire left on Wednesday, the kids have been talking about when she's going to come back.  We're on that endless loop now.  Josiah and Henry both said they are going to move to Boston when they grow up so they can be closer to her.

Josiah is still doing an amazing job with his Awana verses.  This past Wednesday, he said 5 verses.  He is flying through this book in a few months rather than a year, he is so motivated.  He is also learning the hard lesson of delayed gratification.  He has earned quite a few patches and jewels at this point, but they do not have all of them in stock at the church, so he hasn't received any as of yet.  It is a very difficult lesson to learn because he LOVES his Awana vests and the bling that decorates them.

Josiah is also working on his Memory Master for his CC work.  The kids have the opportunity to test to see if they have memorized everything from the entire year's lessons.  Josiah, being that it is his first year, has definitely not memorized everything, but he is working on doing just his history sentences.  It is good practice for him to have to say them all in front of his parents (individually), his CC tutor, as well as the CC director.  He pretty much knows them except he forgets a couple of dates on some of them.

Hopefully Josiah will find all of his memory work fulfilling, because on the way to the store with him yesterday he said, "You make our life so difficult."  That's always a blessing to hear.  Upon further inquiry, he is upset that I am making him and Henry buy a new umbrella to replace the one they decimated.  Really, I am asking for $2.50 each to buy a $5 umbrella.  Although, Josiah's on the hook for a new grabber as well since he destroyed that.  He kept hitting it on the driveway and I warned him to stop and that he'd break it.  He did not heed my warnings and now it's broken.  He seems to not mind buying that since he can get a fancy one that lights up.

This is a little girl who has two older brothers. Ninja turtle mask and castle Lego set.

It is hard to believe that Easter is next week already.  Hopefully next week will go better than last night when Caroline joined us at midnight and proceeded to revisit her dinner from midnight to 2:45 a.m.  She woke up this morning asking to eat and drink right away as if she had not just had this horrible night.  Then during the day today Josiah has been moaning that he doesn't feel well.  We couldn't tell if it was a ploy to get me to let him watch TV (that he had gotten taken away) or if he really didn't feel well.  When he didn't eat his Papa John's pizza tonight, we knew he really didn't feel well and an hour later he had a fever of 102.9.  I'm praying his is a fever only and not another night of a stomach bug.  He already told me he won't be able to do school for a few days.  He has amazing insight into the future.  At least we'll be able to finish our Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle book.