Finn Stories

We have been working a little bit on Finn's letters and word, in a very nonchalant style. He recognizes most letters and their sounds, but has only ever put them together in his name until recently. Last Saturday he was filling out some Valentine's for friends, and I took the opportunity to help him sound out the names instead of just telling him the letters (except in a few same-sound-made-by-different-letters and silent-letter cases, both of which are found in the name Caroline). So, this Thursday, while at the library, I decided he was at the point where he could start sounding out written words. We haven't really tried this much yet, but he is finally starting to really take an interest in being able to read on his own, which is crucial, I think, to really becoming proficient. Learning to read is so painstaking and slow that one must be keen on the idea to pursue it longer than one lesson. I picked up a Level 1 book on Captain America and tonight we read through it. At the end of our first read-through, he was pretty regularly sounding out or recognizing on sight

a
is
it
in
and
& Steve

Mike was particularly impressed. I wrote them all down on a card and told him that we can add some more words, I was sure, by the time we took the book back next Thursday. He was getting a little tired at the end, but he was pleased to see how many words he could learn in one sitting.

Speaking of the library, ours has been closed for weeks--since the end of January--because of some silica dust that was getting in through the windows while men were pointing the building. They thought it would be fine, but it finally got so bad, they moved story time to the Y, then they eventually closed altogether after consulting with the Occ. Health and Safety Dept. at the lab. They just reopened this Wednesday and Thursday was our first day back. They informed me and my friends, since we had children, that the downstairs was inaccessible as they were still cleaning down their, so we would have to go to the YWCA or the library's bookstore on either side of the library to use the bathroom. Sure enough, about 40 minutes before we were to leave, Finn said he had to go.

"Get your boots on, then. Petya! Come get your boots on."
"No! I don't want to go. I'll just hold it."
"No, Buddy, you're not going to hold it. We're not leaving, we just have to go outside to use the bathroom because the one here is closed right now."

Still, he was reluctant to get his boots and jacket on because he was worried we wouldn't come back. I picked Petya up and we headed out. As I turned the corner around the snowbank to head to the YW, I realized Finn wasn't following me. I turned back and saw him standing at the bottom of the steps to the library.

"Finn! C'mon! I thought you had to go!" He looked up at me, startled. Then I realized--oh dear. "No, man, no! We're going into the next building to go!" I saw his head bob a bit while he tucked it back in and he ran to catch up with me. On our way back I saw a nice little zig-zag in the snow, because, hey, if you have to pee in the snow, you may as well have some fun with it.

Digging

We have over a foot of snow in the yard, plus a nice-sized bank from the plow man. And everyone knows what that means in the Watkins' home:

Snow forts. Mike went out and finished building up a nice mound, and while the kids slid down one side, Mike dug out on the other. Honestly, he enjoys making them more than the kids do. They talked about camping in it tonight, but it's supposed to get around 15, not to mention the freezing fog we're supposed to get, so Mike decided against it. But we are loving the snow. We're supposed to get another storm tomorrow, and another possibly mid-week.

Snow Day

This morning was a storm warning for the state. They canceled the schools, people stayed in. Blah, blah, blah. At 9:45 the kids and I met up with friends at a trail for a hike. We were out for more than an hour and a half (hiking with kids...) and saw nothing. We got home, brought in some wood, checked on the chickens. Nothing. We had hot chocolate. Ate lunch. Nothing. Finally, right when I put Petya down for a nap and Madie and Finn went down to watch something, it started coming. Not fast and heavy, but wicked swirly. The chickens disappeared into their coop. They hate the snow. 

When the kids came back up, Madie wanted to go outside to play in the storm, so they bundled up and headed out. Even P. They stayed out there--P shouting for a push from the seat of a tricycle she insisted they bring out from the garage--and played for about an hour. When they did come in, it was with P screaming because of her frozen fingers and Madie and Finn acting like they've never cleaned up the sleds in their lives. So, nothing new.

Petya screamed and climbed out of the tub when she put her fingers in. I tried to make her wait so I could rub them a little warmer to keep them from burning, but she insisted on getting in. Eventually she calmed and sat in the warm water with her hands pressed to the floor of the tub for a good five minutes before she started to play around in there. Poor girly.

I hung the last of the Valentine's garlands we made. A couple weeks ago we made felt hearts and strung them up for Family Night. This past Tuesday, I taught a short lesson on loving our family and we wrote things we loved about each other on paper hearts, and I strung those up as well. They're cute. I love Finn's laugh. I love Madie's laugh too--her witch's cackle. I love Petya's singing. The girl really has an ear for music. She will start humming tunes I don't even realize she's heard very often--yesterday it was "Come, Thou Fount." She also hums/sings the "Imperial March," "Frosty The Snowman," "Jingle Bells," and "Follow the Prophet."

It's been a long week--the evenings have been particularly difficult without Mike to relieve me a little. Not to mention, my mood isn't usually fabulous when I'm pregnant. That being said, despite Madie's vocalizations, I feel I have been very patient with the kids for the most part. Especially considering a snow day and a delayed start. I explained to Madie on more than one occasion that I was not angry with her all the time--which is her view--but that I don't like repeating myself; which is a repeat of almost every day of my life since I've had a talking child in my house. But Mike comes home tomorrow. He may not recognize the 50-year-old banshee running the house, but I will certainly recognize him. 

Shrek Review

Mike is out of town for a few days at a training, so I brought the kids with me to a rehearsal for Shrek: The Musical, in which I play the "wicked" witch. I was a little nervous since we had let them stay up to watch the Super Bowl the previous night--we got home around 11--and I knew we would be at least 45 minutes past their bedtime going to rehearsal, but it was important that I be there, so we went. I had them dress in pajamas, so all we would have to do brush teeth and use the toilet once more before hitting the sack. 

The first 45 minutes was mopping up some sloppy dancing and singing, but then we went through the entire first act. I moved the kids to the front row and they ended up sitting next to the man playing Donkey. I introduced them, told them he worked at the lab Dad did, said he played Donkey and was hilarious--they didn't care. They avoided eye-contact and Finn wouldn't sit in the seat next to him (which, at the time, was the only one available) so he sat on the floor until Jon was called up on stage.

Madie said she found me to be funny. She got a kick out of my whiny Brooklyn accent. My only competition, according to her, was when Fiona enters for the first time, smashing Shrek behind a (currently imaginary) storybook page, and says, "Welcome to Fiona: The Musical! Let's talk about me!" while kicking a heel up behind her.

Finn thought that was funny as well, but, like I had promised him, nothing held a candle to Jon Wood as Donkey. The man is hilarious. And he and Shrek have great chemistry.

"Did you like it, Finn?"

Finn's got a great laugh. It's a contagious, hearty chuckle. And when he gets going, there's no inoculation. He laughed so hard through every scene with Donkey, the cast that was sitting in the seats couldn't stop laughing either. Some people have asked that I bring him to every show to encourage any lack-luster audiences.

On the way home, he asked me if I knew of any "plays with just four-year olds." 

"You mean plays four-year olds can be in, or plays that only have four-year olds?" 

He meant the latter.

"Well, I don't think we're likely to find any plays with strictly four-year olds in it, but when you're a little older, I would love for you to do a play if you're still interested." 

Acadia Community Theater actually does usually allow children of any age to participate in their shows--this is a notable exception, you have to be in at least 3rd grade, simply because of the amount of work we need to get through in the amount of time we have. But rehearsals regularly go until 8 pm, and later during Hell Week, so I didn't let Madie start until she was 6. I don't know if Finn will be ready by then--lack of sleep is a much bigger factor in his moods than it is in Madie's--but I do hope he'll keep an interest. For right now, he's just really excited to see the play in April.

Old Man Pants

My kids love to take ridiculous pictures. 

Finn got a hearty laugh out of these. 

Sacrament Meeting Drawings

It's been a remarkably warm winter here in Bar Harbor, we've enjoyed it some, but really we just want a heap of snow to play in. The kids have been alternatively whining about the lack of snow and wishing they could live in Arizona. ?? 

Sacrament meeting art by Finn.

^^I'll give everyone three guesses to figure out what movie Finn is obsessed with right now.^^

I finally finished Madie's Christmas mittens. I had finished on before Christmas, but wasn't able to get the second done. So I started on it afterward, stayed up late one night to get it as close to done as possible, and just as I was laying down at 2:30 am, I realized, I hadn't left a hole for the thumb. UGGGHHHH. Literally everything I stayed up for that night had to be pulled out. That's what I get for working tired, I guess. After I finished knitting them, Madie asked to have them fleece lined, but by then I was working on a shower gift for a friend's baby. Finally last night I finished the gift and the linings for Madie's mittens. And as happy as Madie is, she's not as happy as I am to be done.

Finn, Nellie, Elvis, and I enjoyed a stroll through the woods on a warm, 48 degree day a few weeks back.

Finn calls this his "woodman's jacket."

I love living in a small town. And winter is really the best time here, when the tourists clear out. No driving in circles for a parking spot, no crush of people in the aisles, and no long lines for anything. The kids love the fish counter the best. And the man working on this particular day is the absolute nicest. I was waiting at the deli for the worker to finish slicing some meats and cheeses, and P went over to watch the lobsters float lethargically in their tank. The man saw her and took one out for her to touch and look at--they often do when asked, but she never even had to. Finn ran over to check it out too. He kept them occupied for a good five minutes while I finished by deli order.

Christmas

It was a great Christmas, New Years, and season in our home. Here are a few highlights. 

There is nothing quite like sitting in front of the wood stove after a bath, with your feet kicked up on Elvis' side in the nude. I'll just leave that one right there...

We all went to the annual JAX Holiday Party. The kids were looking forward to this for weeks!

On a Sunday afternoon, Finn and I walked to Lakewood to check out the ice. We saw hundreds of fish through the ice, tracked dog and deer prints, and spotted some nests high up in some trees. We assume they were eagle nests. Finn loved walking on the ice and throwing rocks to hear the cool noise it made (cue the 1970's spaceship sound effects). 

At one point, we had enough snow to make a small snow cave. We haven't had that much snow since, unfortunately. The kids got to play in it for one evening at least. 

Christmas morning was a blast. We loved watching the kids open their presents. We headed to Grammy Haskins later that day for some fun in Dover. 

Madie holding up a stuffy. 

Petya was a big fan of Uncle Seth, as he coddled her and let her eat whatever was in front of her. Such as this huge cut of ham. 

The lunch crew, enjoying a post-Christmas lunch. 

A few days after Christmas, we went for a walk in downtown, and had brunch at Chocolatte. The kids have been taking up playing chess lately, and were pretty excited when they saw the chess board sitting there. 

This day was particularly warm, and we enjoyed some sunshine on the deck with our workbooks. 

No comment necessary. 

Since New Years Day was on Sunday, we couldn't do our traditional polar bear plunge on New Years Day, in honor of the Sabbath. Instead, our group met on Monday and plunged then. Finn almost plunged with me, but backed out at the last minute. It's a quick process, and he had commented that he wanted to dig in the sand...not sure he was clear on what we were doing at Sand Beach.

After Sand Beach, we took the Dauk Family to Monument Cove in Acadia to show them around. It was an absolutely perfect day. Sun, warmth, and fun scrambling on rocks.