Creative Bones

I have mentioned this before, but I never thought of myself as being creative. Doing the photo challenge helped me to begin to believe that I might just have a creative bone or two in my body. Now, Bud on the other hand-- I think he has 206 creative bones. Plus, I'm pretty sure he bleeds and sweats creativity. 


All of my kids are creative, but Bud seems to live and breathe it. I mean, he never really gets bored. When my other kids are complaining that there's nothing to do, Bud's just doing stuff. 


Almost every day after school (and after he does his homework), Bud heads to the basement, turns on music, and starts to make books. They are getting more and more elaborate and fantastic. I don't have a picture of one (shocker, I know), but you can take my word for it. They can be a bit confusing to read, especially his last 6 chapter effort, but he is only five. The amount of time and focus he puts into the projects is amazing.


Then, today, Bud came upstairs to show me his new idea for a business venture. 

He didn't ask me how to spell anything, and I was impressed that he even used the apostrophe correctly. I had a feeling he'd do something like this someday-- ever since he used the toy drill on me as a hair dryer.


What I'm most looking forward to, though, is the album Bud's working on. To say that he lives for music is an understatement. He is already starting to correct his Dad on titles and track numbers of songs, and can even tell us what year some albums were recorded. I guess that's what happens when you give an obsessed, reading 5 year old access to iTunes.


Bud has written 10 songs for his album so far. Almost finished, you're thinking? Ummmm.... no. According to him, his album is going to have 90 songs. The crazy part is, I have heard Bud sing his songs multiple times and they vary hardly at all from the first time he performed them for me. He is actually writing songs and remembering them! It's nuts. 


These are the titles of the first 10 songs Bud's written. (Now, I can't guarantee they'll be in this order on the actual album-- you know how those record people can be.)


Indian War Whoop
In the Tambourine
Cat
Go Go Grape
Silent
Home of the Magazine
It's Because Things Don't Wanna Change
Crayons in a House
Tick Tock Make Your Own Clock
You Know Where You're Sewin'


I really can't decide which song is my favorite because they're all so good. I can't wait until Bud's album comes out!

Sorry to Disappoint

I hated to disappoint Big today, but it just had to be done. There was no helping it, really. I mean, someone had to tell him that his favorite planet isn't really called Penis. 

The Sheep

Big and I were driving home from a store today and passed a field that is normally full of sheep. 

Me: "Look, Big, the sheep are all gone. Where do you think they went?"

Big: "Maybe their farmer took them for a walk."

Me: "Maybe."

Big: "Or maybe their farmer took them for a jog."

Me (with a picture of headband-wearing, jogging sheep in my head): "Hmmm... ya think?"

Big: "Or maybe their farmer took them FISHING!"

Me: "Do you really think sheep can hold fishing poles?"

Big: "Of course they can. Sheep can do anything."

Of course they can. 

Still in Love

I was a little worried when Big didn't really pick up a basketball all summer. I thought, perhaps, that their love affair was over. Thank goodness I was wrong. What Big doesn't have is a love affair with high temperatures and the sun. Just like his mom and dad. So, now that the temperatures have cooled a bit, especially in the mornings, Big has picked up a ball again. 

I know this next shot is blurry, but I just love his hair--

He dribbles and shoots, and shoots and dribbles...

...and pauses to check on a little piece of rough skin on his finger...

...and to make sure his band aid is still on his foot...

...and he talks. A lot.

But that's okay, because I take a lot of pictures. Not that you can tell or anything.


It was pretty easy for me to get an answer to my question of whether Big still loves basketball-- all I had to do was look at his face.

Gotta love that kid.

The Walk

I was bound and determined to resume some sort of exercise this week, so I decided that this morning Big and I would take a walk. Well, him in the stroller and me walking. I've pretty much been exercise free since the kids started school and tennis became a no-go. 


Big was excited to be going on the walk-- which probably accounts for how things went. The kid talked non-stop for the entire 30 minutes. Non-stop. I could hardly get a word in edgewise. It went a little something like this:


Big (as he eyes some bushes lining the street): "What do you think is going to come out of those bushes? Some ducks?"


Me (thinking he actually wanted an answer): "Well, I don't..."


Big: "No, probably not ducks, but maybe some rocks.. or bees. Bees might come out of those bushes. Or maybe a dog. Why are those sprinklers getting the street wet? They shouldn't be getting the street wet. Those sprinklers need to be fixed. Look, a truck! Does it have a trailer hitch? Nope, no trailer hitch. I sure wish it had a trailer hitch. I like trucks with trailer hitches. Hey! But that truck has a trailer hitch! And its bed is open. I wonder what they're going to haul in there. Maybe some tools or branches or something."


Me (I manage to sneak a little in): "I don't know."


Big (suddenly slapping his hand over his nose): "What is that smell I smell? Is it from the dirt? Or the mountain? Or is it the dirt on the mountain? Or maybe that flower? No, I think it's the grass. Or that tree. Or maybe that bug in the tree. Oh, look! A truck with a trailer hitch and it's hauling a trailer!"


Me: "Yup."


Big: "Are we going on the path with all the pinecones? I like going this way. Hey, where are all the pinecones? Someone must have swept them up. Maybe a worker guy. I like worker guys. And worker trucks. 


Me: "Yeah, I know."


I was like that the whole time. Seriously.


I decided after 30 minutes to call it quits. My body was a bit tired, but my brain was exhausted!

Only a Real Guy

The kids decided to paint their nails yesterday. For safety's sake, I make them go outside to do it. (We're talking the safety of upholstery and surfaces here. I mean, two of the people involved are wiggly boys!) 

Only a real guy can boss his older siblings around while he sits in only Bob the Builder underwear and gets his toenails painted pink. A real guy's guy.

You can tell this guy's guy had a bit of a hard time holding still. Absolutely gorgeous!

Uncorked

I feel a little bit as though keeping the secret of being pregnant kind of kept me from blogging on a regular basis. As though keeping one thing bottled up kept the cork on everything else in my life, too. Although, when you're sick and tired from being pregnant it pretty much is your life. 


Lest you think from my last post that we aren't happy about this baby, let me just tell you that you're wrong. While it was a little bit of a shock to find out I was pregnant, we are getting more and more excited every day. I may have thought I was done, but I've been wrong before. That is why we live where we do, why I once painted a room pink and am the proud (yet in denial) owner of a minivan. I'm getting used to it. 


Rophone adapted to the idea of having another child very quickly. Almost immediately upon seeing the positive pregnancy test he thought of something wonderful that comes with having a baby-- "Well, at least your boobs will get bigger." I really appreciate that he can see how great this will be. 


We're really leaning toward thinking this one is a girl, but, as I've said, I've been wrong before. We'll get the official word near the end of October or so. Pen and Ginger are really hoping for a baby sister to dress up and coddle. This poor child in my womb has no idea of the life-as-a-living-doll that awaits her when she comes out. If this baby ends up being a boy, I may have a mutiny on my hands. 


Big continues to be excited to be a big brother (as is Bud), but is still struggling with some internal battle of being three. He alternates between yelling at me and hitting me, to then cuddling with me and telling me he "wants to be my snuggle-bunny forever". Poor kid. Hopefully he'll have it all figured out by the time the baby comes so it won't end up being worse. I guess we'll see.


I'm due the first week of March, which is a ways off, so it looks like we'll all have a little more time to figure things out before the baby comes. A really good thing, since we really need it. 

Why Gloating is Bad

Some of you may recall this post here. You know, the one where I give Big a lecture about gloating and how it's not nice to do. 

And then you may recall this post here. You know, the one where I crow about being in The Land of the Diaper-Free and gloat maybe just a little bit? Yeah, that one.

I was right when I told Big that gloating isn't nice. And you know what else is true about gloating? It always comes back to bite you in the butt. Sometimes hard.

Maybe you've figured out where this is going. No? Let me spell it out for you...

I-M  P-R-E-G-N-A-N-T!

Holy crap.

Now let that be a lesson to you.