Josiah, Poet and Teacher Extraordinaire

It has been hot, hot, hot here.  Even though the thermostat says mid-90s, it feels like a 110° sauna outside.  The kids are always wanting to ride bikes, but after 20/30 minutes of doing that, they're just drenched in sweat.  So, this week I gave the boys the big water guns that we found at Costco.  I gave them two rules.  1-Don't shoot the water in each other's faces.  2- Don't aim towards the neighbor's windows (after observing that very action).

Rule #1....broken:

Unfortunately, I should have had three rules.  3- DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT make a mud pit at the edge of our patio slab.  I didn't think I had to say this particular rule since it has been made abundantly clear on many an occasion.  I had been blissfully inside, hanging out with Caroline, getting things done, feeling everything was right as I heard the boys playing with their water guns.  And then, I noticed, it had gotten a lot quieter out there.  So, I glanced out the window and saw the boys covered head to toe in mud.  Oh my word.  I was not a happy camper.  Not even an inkling of, "take a picture, it'll be cute later."  Usually, I am not too upset by muddy, dirty kids.  It was the where they had made the mud.  Again.

Mid-week, Josiah wanted to teach Henry his school lessons for the day.  They started school at 7:30 a.m.  By 8:45 a.m., Josiah claimed that he had finished both Henry's and his lessons.  That's when the school administrator called herself in to double check the work.  When Josiah was done with Henry, he said, "He really likes me as a teacher.  I think I'm going to have to teach him pre-K and Kindergarten and you can take over for first grade."    Huh.  Is that what you think?  (I think I just did teach him pre-K!)

As if Josiah's confidence needed any more boosting.  He spent some time this week writing poetry.  It wasn't anything I had assigned to him.  He just felt that creative spirit and wrote six poems.  The first one was:

"Nature Poem

Roses are red

Violets are blue

Josiah is cute

I love you

you do too

you too for sue

A poem by Josiah"  

There were others about animals:

"(Blue Jay Blue Jay)

I love you Jay

you don't say

A Josiah poem"

And his final one, again showed his high self-esteem:

"Josiah is cute

Josiah is awesome

he is the guest of honor

A Josiah poem"

Although, I'd much rather he have a healthy dose of confidence than to walk around unsure of himself.  We'll just have to maybe teach him to tone it down a bit.    

They spent Friday doing school in their Waldo outfits.  They've been pretending to be Woof, Waldo's dog, for the past couple of days.  Henry comes downstairs in the mornings on his hands and knees barking.  I'm thinking this cannot last too long as it has got to be painful with their bony knees on our wood floors.  

Josiah Woof

Henry Woof

This weekend, we went to an Ikea store.  With three kids.  Todd had to remind them that it wasn't the Children's Museum after they had sat in just about every chair being sold.  They liked them all and couldn't wait for us to fill our house with chairs.  (We were there for cups.)

Josiah liked to open all the kitchen cabinets and drawers in the Kitchen section as well.  We did eat at their cafe, which was great.  I got my $1.99 kids' cups that I'd been looking for.  Todd got some funnels, which made him happy.  He's been looking for them ever since we left the last house.  Henry says he wants to go back to "Icky" for his birthday.  

Josiah has been wanting to branch out a little bit more.  When he's done riding bikes, he says he's going to take a walk.  So, off he goes down the street, crosses the street, and walks around our cul-de-sac.  Just to do it on his own makes him feel like he's the man.  He's swinging his arms and legs big as he walks.

He also told the hair stylist how he wanted his hair cut.  "I like it spiked up in front."

The kids are all excited for the 4th of July tomorrow.  Last year Todd said he heard fireworks for a good 8 hours straight, so we should have plenty of fireworks to watch.
And one last picture of a cutie: