The Kids

We've got a frost on the ground this morning, and though there is still some work to be done in the house before we start on the insulation, I am going to use the kids as an excuse to stay inside until it warms up a bit out there.

Last week the kids were on fall break, so we took a trip to the zoo. Here is a picture of Z next to a kangaroo:

Zivah is still as sweet as ever. She is really enjoying kindergarten, and wakes up every morning with a smile on her face. Okay, so that's not entirely accurate. Sometimes, when I am recalling her from somewhere deep in La-La Land, her eyes open with a "where am I now" look, but as soon as her brain kicks into consciousness, the daze turns into joyful anticipation.

The other day, Chris was sitting (slouching) on the couch, when Zivah decided to run over to give him a hug. She pulled up short before reaching him, however, and said, giggling, "I thought I was going to punch you in the balls!" It was hard to tell whether she was taken by sudden consideration or temptation.

There must be something about second grade that turns kids into grumpy, little, monsters in the morning. Finley was pretty hard to deal with in the mornings in grades two and three. Thankfully, she is doing better this year, since Joe is taking his turn at being difficult. He gets upset if I try to help him, and he gets upset if I try to leave him alone to do things in his own time. What really gets me is that his grouchy mood starts to lift about halfway through the car ride to school.

In spite of the fits he's been giving me, I have to admit the kid is smart. Take the other day for example. I don't remember what was happening, but Joe wasn't exactly being a model son. I asked him to come to me so we could have a chat. "No," he told me defiantly. I could feel that last straw breaking. "Don't tell me 'no'," I said. "Do you want a spank?" At which point he burst out laughing. Instantly realizing my semantical error, I had to laugh, too. The little punk...

At least he is holding onto some innocence. He asked us the other day what the "s" word was. "What do you think it is?" we returned. "Either 'stupid' or 'shut up'," he guessed.

I have to admire Joe's determination and focus. The kids have a little area they call "The Nature Club." On nice days, they spend time sweeping the rocks clear of leaves and dirt and picking up sticks. They decided that a nearly-dead cedar tree had to go, so they got a little (dull) hatchet from the shop and Joe set to work. I took a few hours over a period of two days, but he did it. He chopped down the 2-3" diameter scrub tree, then proudly dragged it up to the house to show me.

It appears some of the talks I've had with Finley are starting to pay off. We've discussed how owning animals (horses in particular) can be a lot of work, and that we need to know that she will be willing to do the work necessary if she is to own one. Yesterday, Finley and Joe took it upon themselves to muck out the stable where the calves sleep at night.

It is pretty obvious Finley's desire for a horse is not waning. She wants to start accumulating the things she'll need for a horse, so bought a grooming brush last week. Since then, she has groomed whatever animal she can get her hands on: one neighbor's donkeys, another neighbor's horses, and our calves. Here is pic from her lesson last week, where the focus was on communication with the horse from the ground.

I could ramble on about how Joe started selling his toys to his sisters and I had to step in so he wouldn't rip them off, or how Finley offered to pay for Joe's pack of gum, or how Z remembers to pray for Joe whenever he's hurt, but I'd better lay off for now and get to work.