15 Minutes

I think I have about 15 minutes or so left in "Return of the Jedi" before the Natives become restless again. 
The laundry is done, house is picked up, floors are vacuumed, Christmas tree is down and Caroline got some of her CCD project done today (2 parts left).  I ran 8 this morning (74 minutes!) and did a re-do of Mass with Sam.  Jim is at work.  The kids have tomorrow off. 
I have no idea what is for dinner, but someone mentioned a chocolate pudding pie and I think that sounds just brilliant. 
The Patriots game is on the radio and I'm sure people all over New England are hearing the hooves of the Fourth Horseman.  Not being a Patriots fan, I can't say I mind. 
Barring a crazy comeback, which has happened before (anybody remember The Comeback?), I think I'll hear this song playing. 

The kids have been a handful recently.  A majority of nights, I crawl into bed at 8:30 feeling like I've been on a three day bender. 
We had Nate's school conference this past week.  I fully expected to be advised to hold him back a year in school, but he received a whole-hearted recommendation to go to Pre-K next year.  I'm still not sold that holding him back a year wouldn't be the best thing.  I hope I'm not being selfish and wanting to hold him home because I'm here, but I just don't feel that he is as academically advanced as either Sam or Caroline were at the same age.  I see how challenging Kindergarten and Second Grade are for them and want to put Nate in a position to succeed.  Because of the school cut-off dates, he will be one of the very youngest kids in his class if he goes as scheduled.  Being one of the youngest myself, I don't see that as a beneficial thing for Nate.  We'll see how he does.  Recently, the bugger has been asking to be read to quite frequently and is picking up sheets of paper and writing a lot.  He brought me a paper this morning covered with the letter N, A, T and E.  There was a random happy face in the middle and I asked him about it, "Is that a smiley face, Nate?"  "No, Mama!  It's a paramecium."
Oh, right.  My mistake.   Every 3 year old draws parameciums.  Silly me. 

Sam is gearing up for the Science Fair at school.  He wants to do a project on Triceratops.  Seems like we just can't escape those dinosaurs.  He's excited about it, though.  We has it all planned out to go to the Smithsonian and get his picture taken with the triceratops skull.   His reading is getting so much better.  He was able to do a reading in Children's Liturgy recently.  He is also starting to require less supervision to write in his Homework Journal.  I can write a question down, and if he's in the right mood, will sit and write out an appropriate answer.  The hand writing still needs improving, but it's a big step in the right direction.  He is obsessed with all things Star Wars.  Today we were standing in Mass and I noticed he was holding the Mass cheat sheet like it was a blaster.  Never thought I would have to say, "Sam - it's not a blaster.  Put it down," in church...

Caroline is also into all things Star Wars, too.  She gravitates so much towards female characters and there are so few appropriate female characters in movies.  Makes it tough.  Luckily, Santa brought her a bunch of Marvel female superheros.  Miss Marvel is her favorite.  It helps, but is not a solution. 
She is reading "A Wrinkle in Time" and likes it a lot.  Maybe she can write a book with a strong, moral young lady as the hero someday...

Benjamin is a riot.  He does not like to sleep in his pack-n-play.  He likes to sleep between Mama and Dada.  He is less than a quiet sleeper and is an athletic dreamer, so this poses a problem.  I am miserable when woken up out of a sleep - so mid-night awakenings do not bring out the best in me.  Other than sleeping, the Munchkin is talking up a storm.  A lot of babbling, still - but sometimes the words come out so clearly that it's startling.  He and Nate were putting together a puzzle on Friday afternoon and every time that Nate got a piece right, Benjamin would stand up and throw his hands over his head while yelling, "DID IT!!!".  Nate got frustrated at Ben's close proximity to the portion of the puzzle he was working on and pushed Ben over.  Ben got right up, got in Nate's face and said, "Poor form, Nate.  Poor form."  I couldn't discipline because I was expending all my energy stifling my laughter.  Benjamin is mischievous.   We'll be looking for one of his siblings sneakers or a book and he'll find it and run to throw it in the bathtub.  This is less than ideal, especially when the tub is full.  He continues to *love* his pacifiers and he hides them in areas around the house.  When he finds a new one, he'll walk up to it, take the binky out of his mouth and replace it with the one he has found - carefully replacing the binky in the hiding place.  We estimate he has about 5 binks hidden somewhere around here. 

It's almost 6pm, so I should be figuring out what is for dinner.  Cheerios sound tempting. 

We'll catch up with some pictures off my camera...

Belly up, Benjamin. 

Because what *else* can you use plastic fish for besides dancing and drumming?

The kids love the Gems & Minerals section at the Museum of Natural History.  They're after my heart. 

Our obligatory family picture in front of the Herkimer Diamond exhibit. 

A neat picture of Sam sitting on the stairs in the National Customs Office. 

Posing with their new rosaries from Miss Sue.  They can actually sit through a rosary and the ask to do it again the next day.  Who knew?!?!

Crazy Nate