Brackets and Lotteries

In their PJ's watching basketball.

We are in the midst of March Madness. I love the NCAA tournament mostly because the unpredictable happens and so basketball idiots like me can actually have a competitive bracket. It makes my life interesting in March anyway. Corwin has started watching TV and will park himself on our step which, due to the strangeness of our family room, is the up-front and center spot for TV watching.



Oh yes, Wally got a skateboard. Corwin, however, loves to commandeer it. Corwin also likes to commandeer Rhianwen's shiny black church shoes. He consistently picks them out out of the plethora of shoes on our shoe rack, and will carry them around the house and leave them various places. Only her black shiny ones, no others. Carrying shoes around isn't strange to me, all my babies have done this, but being so specific about which shoes is strange.


When he's not out practicing his tricks, he aspires to be a doctor. He loves putting his stethoscope around his neck all on his own.

In case you were wondering if my other 2 kids got kidnapped or abducted, nope, they are still here. Can you believe that Alden is learning to write?! Now, I know this is the new norm for 3 year-olds, but he's picked it up really quickly. It's still amazing to me how he is so much more motivated and yet laid back about learning, unlike my girl. He is a happy learner, Rhianwen is a...huffy learner? I haven't figured her out yet, but she will push back big time under perceived pressure. It's like she wants to do it her way, on her time, or not at all. I often want to pull my hair out or eat my shoes when I try to teach her anything, which brings me to the lottery.

We applied to a few charter schools for Rhianwen, but they choose by lottery who gets in. The first lottery is over, and Rhi is something like 262 on the waiting list, so that's out. The Montessori lottery is this week. Then one other. If she doesn't get it to any, we will consider that a call from God to home school. I'm terrified about home schooling for a lot of reasons but won't get into that now since the results are still out.

Montessori method right here at home.

We enjoyed a trip to a family wedding recently. The caterers were a little overwhelmed by all of the babies and kids there. I guess they didn't know it was my hubby's side of family wedding. They had a live band, and Corwin literally could not stay still when they were playing. He'd rise up out of his high chair and nearly levitate over to the dance floor where he'd stomp and spin. We had fun with Robeson, Natalie, and Benjamin. Here Benjamin is pushing Corwin on a ride-on. Corwin and Benjamin enjoyed sharing snacks and toys and fighting over both as well. Ah, cousins.

And I got to see my former college roommate, just briefly, and as you can see, we almost got blown away.

Do you remember wearing the BK crowns? I do! It made me feel so special.

And of course, at this time of year we have to go to Duke Gardens.

At the new fountain.

Wally had to hold on to Corwin's coat just about the entire time we were there b/c he constantly was trying to get into the many pools, ponds, streams, and waterfalls there.

Wally, in defeat.


Yay for ducks!


All pink. It's quite dazzling when she does this. She and Alden love playing dress-up and role-playing. One day the conversation went like this:

Rhianwen (playing the role of mommy) to Alden (role of daddy): "Did you take good care of the little one?".

Alden (confidently): "Yes!", pause. A little more timidly, "Where is the little one???".

They also love to tell "jokes". If you ever are around them when they are doing this, beware. Here are a few to whet your appetites:

Rhianwen's: How can a pea bounce without anything? With its hopadeedooda.

Alden's: How can a flower walk? With its legs.

Alden feeling very important as he helps daddy. Recently, Alden has been praying, "Thank you for myself." It stems from our prayer sticks which are popsicle sticks that have written prayer points. The kids get to pick one at prayer time to use in prayer. So when he gets the one that says Rhianwen, Alden, and Corwin, he'll pray thanking God for Rhianwen, Corwin and
"myself". Have you ever prayed that? Thank you for myself. It actually, if done in the right spirit, is really good thing to do!

Corwin's favorite song is This Little Light of Mine. He is SO adorable. He'll climb up on the hearth at random times during the day, hold up his finger, and start singing. (Sorry about our singing, you'll just have to endure.)


And lastly, when we accuse Alden of being angry, he often defends himself by saying, he's not angry, he's serious. Here he is showing us the difference:

Seriously.