Lannin's Stamps

Lanie got a goody bag from a birthday party the other day that she was very excited about.  Two of the items in it were little stamps.  She loves the stamps, but particularly putting them on herself, constantly, including on her face.
I was trying to type out a retirement speech yesterday when Vivian yelled, "Mom! Lanie stamped her face again!" 
Which is ironic, because I distinctly remember finding an infant Lanie lying on the couch with butterfly stamps on her face.  Vivian was standing nearby with the stamp and when I asked her why she had stamped her sister she answered, "so it could match her outfit."

Looking appropriately contrite.

But that was fake, it's funny.

I bought fortune cookies at the grocery store and appropriately this was Lanie's fortune last night.

Jack's Adventure

Jack went on a long adventure yesterday when we all left the house. We went to get ice-cream and I dropped Sam and Chris back off at the house to take the girls onto the park. When they got in, the kitchen door was open and Jack was no where to be found.

I arrived back from the park to find our neighbor pacing up and down the street looking for Jack. Chris and Sam were out combing the neighborhood, so I put a cranky Lanie in the stroller and set out with her and Vivian.  Of course by that time Jack was long gone. We checked various areas he might explore, including the park where dogs go to play.

Lanie whimpered occasionally, "I want my Jack.  I want to see him."
Vivian plodded along calling for him and asked sporadic questions and made observations.
"So maybe he'll come back today.  Maybe tomorrow."
"Or maybe we should just get a different dog. What do you think?"
She did point several times across a busy street and said, "we should check over there."
One side of the street is the town we live in, the other side of the street is the neighboring town.
We continued on our way and I explained that we were not getting a different dog.

Eventually everyone returned home and Chris made dinner while the children made Lost Dog signs.  I contacted a few people in the neighborhood to see if they had seen him or knew of anyone who had. I posted on a town Facebook page.  No success. After dinner I called our town police department, but they had no reports of a found dog. After a moment, I called the police department of the neighboring town. They had a report of a dog that had been found who matched Jack's description.  The people who had found him brought him in and Chris and two of the kids went to pick him up. I did have a few thoughts that perhaps this was not the same dog, but they came home with Jack. Who was not perturbed by being out with another family for hours.  Nor had he been particularly impressed to be picked up by Chris and the kids. They were relieved to have him home.

Vivian's sign.

A rock in the garden Vivian drew for Jack.

Our paving stone that is now decorated for Jack.

Since then he has made every possible attempt to leave the house again.

Vivian's Garden Outfit

Vivian helped me plant some Hostas that my mom brought over.  This is what she did with the leaves that fell off.

As oppose to Kate Middleton's recent spread of her children frolicking in their gardens.

Lanie's Hair Wash

Lanie is insisting on doing most things herself these days, including washing her hair.  Which isn't always the most efficient process.

To Sleep or Not to Sleep- Sleeping Arrangements V

I went up to bed early last night and found Lanie was not in her bed.  I looked in my bed and Sam's bed and she wasn't in either.  Just as I was about to panic I found her in a ball in her rocking chair (where she had told me she had tried "to nap the other day, but didn't fit").
So I put her in her bed and tucked her in.

Sleeping on the rocking chair.

At 3:30 am I woke up because I heard something scampering (mice!) and went to the bathroom.  I walked by Lanie's room and she was clearly not in her bed.  I checked the rocking chair and Sam's bed, my bed and then went downstairs.  This time she was curled up on the couch with Jack.  I went to tuck her in and she popped up and said, "oh hi mom!"
The kid needs a microchip.

Hangman

One game that the kids like to play while we are waiting now is Hangman.  It's great to pass the time, especially in a restaurant, except when Vivian wants to set up the board.

Sam is usually fine and can create a board and guess the letters.  Vivian is great at guessing letters and occasionally guesses a word or phrase.  Lanie just likes to think she is participating and usually guessing numbers instead of letters.
However, when Vivian has to set up a phrase (which she insists on doing, with zero help), it usually doesn't work because she hasn't drawn enough lines or has misspelled the word, and she will inevitably end up frustrated and under the table or ripping up her paper.  Or both.

The game usually goes something like,
Sam: "guess a letter Viv."
Viv: "H"
Sam: "no, start with a vowel."
Vivian: "ok, A."
Sam: "good, good. There are two As.  Lanie, your turn, guess a letter."
Lanie: "Ok. 6!"
Vivian: "No Lanie, that's a number!"
Lanie: "Yes."
Sam: "Ok, it's fine, A=1, B=2, C=3, so Lanie guessed F. Good job Lanie! There's an F!"
Lanie: "Yes, 12."
And so on. Until Vivian, overwhelmed with hunger or frustration will ball up her paper, yell and disappear under the table unless there is a quick intervention.

Sam's Foot

Something happened to Sam's foot a couple of weekends ago during a soccer game.  Unless they go down and are immobile, I have a hard time knowing how serious an injury is.  He was complaining of pain but walking and playing on it, and we iced, wrapped, elevated, etc.  When he had soccer again and was limping during the game and asked to play goal, then cried afterwards because of the pain, I took him to the doctor.
Which took a really, really long time.  Lanie came with us and was unbelievably good and patient, and fascinated. She only lost it once, when she decided she had to use the bathroom, while we waited 35 minutes for them to retrieve the right size crutches from orthopedics downstairs (where I still had to make an appointment, but was closed by the time we left!).  She lay outside the bathroom and refused to move, which was a little inconvenient for other people trying to walk by.  But if I had picked her up she would have had a tantrum.  So I watched her squirm on the dirty, germy floor and tried not to care.  After an appointment, x-rays, meeting with the pediatrician again, and waiting for an air brace, we had been there for a long time.
The doctor put him on crutches for a few days pending the appointment with orthopedics, hoping that would resolve the issue, as nothing was visible in the x-rays.

His foot that appears perfectly normal to me.

Passing time at the doctor, being a helpful brother.

Crutches at school, where there is now a "crutches club." The poor teachers.

Yesterday, Lanie had her annual physical, which I told her about.
"Oh," she said, "I go to the doctor?"
"Yes," I told her, "just like Sam. And remember how the doctor was gentle, and Sam didn't cry?"
"Yes," she replied.
"So Lanie won't cry!" I told her.
"Oh. Yes." she told me, "I'll go to the doctor."
"That's right," I said, "the doctor will look at your eyes and your nose, and your mouth!"
"And my belly!" she said.
"Yes!" I told her, "and you won't cry.  You will cooperate. Like Sam."
"And my art!" she said.  "The doctor will listen to my art!"
"Yes, the doctor will listen to your heart."
"But first," she told me, "I will go to soccer!"
"Nope," I said, "you won't go to soccer. First you will go to Samantha's, second you will go to the doctor."
"Hmmm..." she said, "no, I will go to soccer and then to the doctor's."
"No," I said, "you are not getting hurt at soccer.  You are going to the doctor's because you are healthy."
"Okay," she said. And limped away.

Update: Off crutches and gradual release back to no walking without the air brace.  Everyone is relieved, particularly the school nurse and teacher.  I got a lecture about his level of activity on crutches when I picked up yesterday.
And an email the first day.

Vivian's Room

The kids have been rearranging their rooms lately, I'm not sure why.  It's mostly happened when I'm not home.
Yesterday Vivian decided to redo the entrance to her room as well as the interior furniture arrangement.  Now you can only enter through a tunnel.

There is also a pillow fort beneath the loft bed.