One of the drawbacks of being really busy
and not using that as an excuse not to exercise is that I fall behind on other things. Like updating our blog. Rest assured that there has been plenty going on with the Wilcox household, and while another drawback of being constantly on the move is that there is less picture taking, there are still plenty of memorable highlights from the last month or so.
Mother's Day: It wouldn't be Mother's Day without the token school-made trinkets, cards and hand-made terrarium. But it was the
very original tomato snowman that Blake insisted upon giving me that made it memorable. That, and the feeling of being very loved. (Okay, so it's a little odd, but it's SO Blake. And kudos to Brian for believing in Blake's vision and helping him execute it).
Garrett's First School Performance: Every year at Open House at school they have the kindergartners sing a few songs on stage for the parents. Well, at least all the
other parents got to watch...Brian and I were too busy chasing the unrestrained twins around the auditorium. This is also the same reason I didn't get any good pictures of Garrett on stage...but it's just as well. Despite his enormous personality and lack of volume control at home, Garrett gets very shy on stage and spent most of the time chewing on his shirt collar. You would have thought all those hours practicing in the shower would have boosted his confidence...
Blake's Class Field Trip: Another day at the zoo, but this time it wasn't my house or the classroom- it was the
real zoo! It was a fun day spent looking at all the exotic creatures and learning something new. For instance, did you know that a polar bear's favorite food is a carrot? And, yes, we got to see polar bears "plunge" and elephants spew water. In fact, most of the animals were especially active as our bus wound around the park. But as a chaperon of three boys, the real highlight (
for them) was seeing the Reptile House (with every creepy kind of snake and reptile you never hope to meet) and the Insect Exhibit with the much-more-tolerable ant farms and bee hives. But best of all, it was a quality day spent with one of my
favorite students (far right).
Cubs, Tigers and Wolves: After his first year as a Tiger Cub, Blake was officially promoted to a Wolf Cub. Blake is a great match for Boy Scouts (except for the whole painting-on-the-face-thing) and has been earning patches faster than Grandma can sew them on (which, come to find out, is somewhat of a science). As Blake finishes out his first year, Garrett gears up to join as a Tiger Cub this summer, and then officially this fall, with Brian as his den leader. I couldn't be more proud of my boys! (second from the left)
School Carnival: I don't mind volunteering for field trips and helping teachers in the classroom- in fact, I enjoy it! I feel it's a privilege and my responsibility to be involved in the institution where my kids spend most of their time. But anyone who's ventured down the path of school volunteering can tell you that before you know it you will be chairing, running or organizing something significant. And while I've managed to resist that to some degree, I'm always amazed at how many parents don't really care. As for my family...the boys care, maybe too much. They expect that whatever I do for one class, I will do for the other. So while I didn't have to organize the school carnival (other than filling shifts), I did have to work the class booth. For BOTH classes. Still, I enjoyed seeing the proud look on the boys' faces when they saw me working. What I will remember most, however, was watching Garrett anxiously count and save his carnival tickets...and wait in long lines...to buy junk food. He played a few games, but to him the real prizes were the cookies and soda. I guess we know where that apple fell from...
Cans for Critters: As part of the reward for collecting and recycling cans through Cub Scouts, the boys (and Brian) were treated to a day at the Wild Animal Park. (I know, it's only May and we've already done all the "summer stuff"...) They got to go to an exclusive bird show, tour the park and be with friends and fellow Tiger Cubs.
But the best part, if you ask Garrett, was the five or so Lorikeets that sat on his arm and drank sugar water from the cup he was holding. For the kid who loves birds, it is something he will never forget.
50th Anniversary Party: Like I said, May was a busy month. Another first for the boys...going to a "grown up" party to celebrate their Great Aunt Joyce & Uncle Gene's 50th Wedding Anniversary. And while the boys couldn't help but whine and complain about the car ride (5 hours to Palm Springs? Who can blame them?), getting dressed up and just about everything else, what they didn't expect was...to have fun. Garrett channeled his inner party animal and danced the night away....literally. Hard to believe we're talking about the same boy who stood on stage just weeks earlier, nervously chewing on this shirt. Blake had fun too. Turns out, they have decided that "grown up" parties aren't so bad.
I don't know who was more entertained...Garrett, his cousin Emmie, or the party guests.
Swimming like fish: Since Brian wanted to actually have complete conversations and catch up with family members, I opted to stay home with the babies and bring them up on Sunday for some visiting and time in the pool. This was their first experience in the swimming pool, as it's quite a production. At first they hesitated, but after half an hour or so (and once the boys stopped "showing off" and splashing the babies with their cannon balls) they decided they liked it! And we were reminded that two year olds lack impulse control and telling them to WALK around the pool makes them want to RUN! Definitely a two-person (or more) job. Now if I could just convince Ella to take off the goggles...
Memorial Day: The month ended on a high note with Memorial Day. We carried on our annual tradition of planting flowers in the front yard, hanging the flag and talking to the boys about the holiday. This is the unofficial beginning of summer at our house. Which of course included hot dogs and burgers and some fun time spent outside. But the best part was...just being a family.
Of course, for the boys, there's no way of knowing for sure what they will really remember. For Blake, it might be his hikes with Dad.
For Garrett it might be building 500+ piece Lego sets designed for 8+ year olds...all by himself!
Sometimes it's the contrived moments for which we carefully plan...and sometimes it's the simple, unexpected moments of pure joy that remind us that what's truly important.
