Ben and Hannah

 A big project on the deck right now is the attempt to become a sunflower grower.  We will see how this pans out, it might just be for my sanctification.  On Friday night, Hannah, Ben, Dave and I were attacking the tedious work of laying the landscaping paper, cutting holes in it and planting the sunflowers in each small hole.  (This was before we realised that the landscaping paper was doubled and we would have to undo almost all of our work the next morning in order to amend the situation; hence, the sanctification.)

Hannah remarked, "When I was 13, Aunt Julie told me that everyone wants to be a saint at that age.  I decided to prove her wrong, that this wasn't a passing fancy."

Ben responded, "Then why haven't you joined a convent?"

Hannah answered, "Because I haven't heard a call."

Ben quickly replied, "Have you turned on the ringer?"  Touche.  

More things to remember

 In May, Sarah, Ben and I took Simon to Ottawa for the March for Life.  Simon willingly followed along despite a sea of legs around him and no understanding of what we were doing for the day.  About halfway through the walk through downtown Ottawa, Simon asked, "When are we going home?  Are we walking there?" The sweetness and trust of a three-year-old.  He gripped my hand tightly throughout the entire experience - an island of security within a sea of unfamiliarity.

The funny thing about the day was that when we arrived and found a very sketchy, dark and dank underground parking garage, Simon immediately had to pee.  So, I told him to pee against the wall of the garage just ahead of the car.  He willingly obeyed,  When we arrived back at the garage at end of day, he once again needed to relieve his bladder and peed in the exact same spot.  In his beautiful innocence, he probably believes we came to Ottawa for the day simply for him to pee in an underground parking garage.

Matthew recently got to compete in the intra-school floor hockey championship.  I took him aside before he left for school and warned him that he mustn't cry if things don't go his way.  He quickly responded, "Oh, Mrs. Cherry says that if we cry, we get a penalty."  A teacher who knows her audience well!

Shortly after the British student, John McCowan, left to go back home for the summer, John's sister, Jacinta, was over and sitting with us around the bonfire.  Mathew was cuddled in her lap and gazing at her face with love.  He suddenly remarked:  "You look a little like John."  Jacinta replied, 'That's because John is my brother."  Matthew with a little shock said, "He is?  I thought he wanted to marry you!"

And a little funny stuff:

Isaac was pretending to choke Simon and Simon cried out, "I'm not ready to die!"

I left a bottle of Advil out on the bathroom counter  and thought, this will be the one time that I don't put something away and a little person gets into it.  Sure enough, i arrived back to find a red Advil crushed and obviously spat out of a little mouth.  I approached Simon about it and he cried out, "Am I going to die?"

And the last Simonism for today:

Simon has a little girlfriend at church, an 18-month-old redhead called Isabella.  She is very forward and insists on hugging him when she arrives at mass while exclaiming either Boy!  or Nose!  Simon is determined that he will marry her one day.

"When I am married to Isabella, we will live in her little house."

"On the farm or in town?" I asked.

"On the farm because farm is better," he replied.

"Why?"  I queried.  "Because you are on farm, " he responded while breaking his mother's heart just a little.

Things to Remember

 A dump of things the kids have said that I don't want to forget:

Simon upon waking up after Matthew and being told that Ben had departed after Spring Break:  "No, Benny is sleeping."

Realising that Ben is actually gone back to college:  "Oh, I so sad."  I understand, little man.

Isaac:  "I woke up this morning and felt that something was wrong with the room.  Ben was gone."

At the end of February, Simon discovered some cedar mulch hiding underneath the snow at the base of the garage:  "  Mommy, Mommy!  I found tummer (summer) under the toe (snow)!"  How delightful to still be so young that every season is a surprise.  And what a wonderful testimony to the resilience and optimism of a three-year-old who keeps finding joy without the understanding that winter is not eternal.

The irony of Simon's map that he obsessed over for a week:  it's always lost.

Sarah wearing a penguin facial mask and genuinely scaring Matthew and Simon.

On the way home from mass, we spotted Mattea walking home alone.  Isaac was astonished that Jacob would let his girlfriend walk home unaccompanied. 

Isaac:  "I'd walk my girl home.  I wouldn't want to miss a minute with her."

Joe:  "C'mon, Isaac.  You'd leave her if a cow was in trouble."

Isaac:  "  No, I wouldn't!  I'd bring her with me.  The more hands the better."

Simon discovered a ladybug recently in his bedroom:  "Mare!  Mare!  There's something in our room what is red and black and walks!"

Simon asked me for a colouring sheet to be printed while I was typing this post. I told him to just wait.  He said, "Why does everybody say that, Just wait!  Just wait!  Just wait!"

And for things that touch my heart:  Joe inviting Matthew to walk up the mountain with him and have a bonfire.

Recently, Matthew got to go with Dave and Isaac to the annual farm show near Ottawa.  So sweet to see him bridging the gap between little boy and the men.