PreK

Who started attending a preschool co-op? This guy. I'll be honest: he doesn't need the school part of it at all. At all. Colors and shapes? Please. Do you want them in Spanish or English? Jude lives for octagons. Counting is a breeze. He stops me numerous times each day to explain what letter a word starts with and which other words rhyme with that word. His current conquest is alliteration. He is three. Academia, meet your match. 

Now let's talk social skills, shall we? When I was a kid, I would do anything to disappear when forced into a group of people I didn't know. This is why I spent recesses during my entire semester of kindergarten with my hat pulled over my eyes. Actually, that was so the kids playing tag couldn't see me. I don't think it worked. The point is that I was born socially awkward and, though I've learned to fake it under duress, I'll die socially awkward. Kris meets me there. Our daughter is some strange Aphrodite who basks in the reciprocal adulation of the masses. Our son? He's a cagey soul with a lethal stink eye who saves himself for the last ten minutes of the pool party, having an absolute blast once all of the other kids have removed their pruney bodies and he's got the whole place to himself. We understand him better.

And that's where preschool comes in. We want him to develop the confidence to exist (dare I say thrive?) without coasting on Eden's social coattails or hiding in my arms. To learn to advocate for himself. To learn to endure his initial shyness and open himself up to friendship. To be a little bit better at that than we are.  

Good luck, Jude.  And don't worry: We can still hide out at home, alone, the other five days of the week!   

Kinder

Tomorrow, Eden starts kindergarten.  But is she ready?

I'd say this picture about covers it...

She's the jumping out of her skin kind of excited. As we watched the big kids get on the bus this morning, she was sure that they were headed to paradise. She just can't wait to meet all of her new friends.

Eden picked out her first day outfit weeks ago, and has had her backpack packed since the first day of August. When we talk about our day during bedtime, she often tells me that staring at her backpack was one of her favorite parts. This kid has a serious crush on kindergarten.

Let's hope it lasts. I'm pretty sure that hugging trees and identifying the birds at our backyard feeder aren't part of the curriculum. As long as she gets to hug the class pet turtle, I suppose it might work out.

Jude and I are going to miss her so much that it hurts. I feel a little like I'll spend tomorrow wandering around the house like Jerry Seinfeld after the Soup Nazi has spoken. "No Eden for you!"

 This face. Who could help but love this face? She's going to be amazing.

Beginning

A month ago, we left Louisiana.  I've been a little surprised at just how much I miss it.  Like, I didn't expect to take it so personally that the grocery store here doesn't sell a single "Slap Ya Mama" product.  Where, oh where, have all the Cajuns gone?

We made such good friends there too.  Eden sometimes cries about how much she wishes she could have them all over to play.  Jude often packs a bag and tells me he's headed to Shreveport.  I just mope in silence and swear to never make another friend again as long as I live.

In truth, we're doing fine.  Ohio is beautiful and full of such nice people.  Our neighbors have welcomed us with open arms. In the evenings we head outside so the kids can ride their bikes with their friends two doors down.  It's actually shady and cool enough to do that here!  Plus, no venomous snakes. Loving the absence of snakes.

The move wasn't without a few bobbles.  We spent two weeks living on base, and then another week and half camping out in our empty house.  In spite of the fact that Susan Bell's moving service didn't come bail us out this time, our main living areas are all unpacked. One round of the flu, one round of strep, and a good case of food poisoning (thanks, Cracker Barrel!) haven't stopped us. Life here is beginning.

After all, we're together.  We have ice cream and bubbles. What more is there, really? Team Bell, doing this thing.

P.S. How about that Ohio Mama Barber strike?  It's really taking a toll! Maybe one day Jude can loose the shag...

Louisiana: (n.) a French word meaning one big flood plain

This week our area got between 15"-18" of rain.  That's a LOT of water.  At one point during the night, the thunder was so continuous that I couldn't ever gauge how far away it was by counting between strike and roll. It never got quiet enough.

Although many of our friends have been evacuated from their homes, we've been just fine. It's been sobering to see that some of the neighborhoods under water are places where we considered buying. I'm forever sold on purchasing the high ground!

Because my church calling makes it my responsibility to help coordinate our congregation's various welfare and disaster relief needs, it's been a very busy week as well. My initial glorious ideas of rainy days spent reading books in our pajamas got smothered under a giant wet blanket. I've spent a lot of time glued to my phone.  A lot of time telling my children to hush and go away. Although I really find value in serving my community, this hasn't been my gold star mother moment. These pictures are to remind me that I do fun stuff with my kids (at least some of the time).

  (Random side note, bathtub crayons are really not that easy to clean off.)

This spring, along with a hoard of weeds large enough to take over Manhattan, our lawn produced several volunteer lettuce plants. Eden came inside a few days ago to announce that she had moved the lettuce back into our garden for safety.  I thought every plant would be dead by morning.

What do I know? Every single plant is thriving!  We sowed a variety of seeds today, as well as placing some flowers to join our valiant lettuce.
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I've always and illogically been a tad superstitious about names.  Notwithstanding a long rap sheet of former students named Angel who were devils, I've somehow clung to the idea that what you name a person can become who they are.  So I guess I'm not really surprised that delightful Eden seems to be the best gardener in the family.  At any rate, I'm glad we could dig in the dirt together today. That's just good, clean family fun.

Princess

Sometimes you're Elsa.

And sometimes you're Elsa every day.  That's currently the case for Jude.

Because why not?  When you're two, the world is your oyster.

Hopefully he changes career paths soon.  I mean, we do not want an emotionally unstable human full of extremely destructive powers running Arendelle.  I feel like we've been there before, and it wasn't good.  Also, you're welcome, High School Jude. The ladies are going to LOVE this post! A princess phase may not last forever, but the internet will: life lesson.

Mr. Hunter

The year that we were married, a puppy was born. Maybe that was a nuisance, an unwelcome and unplanned expense for the people in charge.  Maybe he was from a planned litter, sold to an excited family and loved for a while, before chasing a cat too far and exciting a flurry of "Lost pet!  Please call!" signs.  Maybe he was neglected, abused, and finally abandoned. Who can say?   

We found him at the local no-kill shelter, hungry, desperate, and wary.  He was the only dog not yammering his head off. By the end of the day, we knew that he was the dog we hadn't planned on having.

The shelter called him Hunter.  Ha!  However he spent his formative months, it wasn't learning to do dog things. Barking wasn't the only skill he lacked: when we took Hunter home, he couldn't swim!  A Labrador retriever, terrified of water.  He couldn't track a tennis ball to save his life. There wasn't any hope of him fetching our pheasants (which is fine, since we don't hunt). He needed a whole lot of kibble, reassurance, and love.

His face is now flecked with the white of old age, this dog of ours.  He has been Kris's solace through the stress of two new jobs, two moves, two births, and the beginning of fatherhood.  My balm when all I wanted was a baby to love.  A nonjudgmental companion when I finally had one and embarked on day after day of figuring out how to survive children. He's Eden's co-conspirator and protector, the one who sleeps at the foot of her bed to chase away the shadows.  Jude hugs and kisses Hunter good night, like the dear old friend that he is. To think that all good dogs go to heaven is one thing; I'd be just as satisfied if this one lived forever.

Black and White Ballerina

I have absolutely no idea what makes a good black and white photo.  None at all.  But I decided to practice today (in addition to trying to figure out how to take decently exposed indoor photos with only the windows for light).  I've got a long way to go.  But Eden loves to twirl, so both of us had fun.

One day (at the coincidence of time and money), I want to take a few classes.  For now, practice and internet tutorials will have to suffice. Eden would also like to take a ballet class someday.  For now, a ballet inspired dress from Nona and some silly twirling will do.  Life is grand!