Lots of changes at the Pig House! Mostly, though, its the Pigs themselves that are a changin’…

Emmett, seemingly without effort, went from training wheels to no training wheels to a Razor scooter in the span of two days. He’s a speed demon on the mean streets of Olympia, who–together with his crew–spreads cheer wherever he goes. His hair has been newly dreaded (although the locs can’t be seen under his helmet) and he’s lost his first tooth! (The tooth fairy brought him books which he loved, but he was upset he didn’t get to keep his tooth.) He assembles 7-12 year old Lego sets by himself and calls himself a Master Builder. His smile is contagious and he tells everyone, “You are my best friend.” Emmett is love incarnate.

Tessa is busting out with her reading and writing skills. She mostly enjoys writing letters to family members about Barbie (Grandma Betty got her started) and Barbie’s clothes. While choosing to be girly when working on her penmanship, Tessa gets a little more rough and tough in her reading choices. Her favorites are Berenstain Bears, Rescue Bots, and her Highlights magazine. Recently, Grandma Cheryl wrote Tessa a letter and she read the entire thing out loud by herself. On bike rides, Tessa enjoys enjoyment. The only thing keeping her from graduating to riding a two-wheeler is the fact that her hands are generally clasping flowers and sticks (it’s a real challenge keeping her from pulling every neighbor’s planted blooms) and her gaze is most often directed at whatever she’s most recently passed. She is firmly rooted in the present. Ride on, my friend.

Asher is a dancing machine. He can’t help but move when he hears music, even if its just a little shoulder dance. We aren’t sure if he got this from Emmett or if its an inherent love they share, but those boys just have to move. While Emmett’s dancing is explosive and wild, Asher’s movements originate from his hips. Either way, they are much alike. Asher and Riley made up a game they love to play–monster tag. They growl and chase each other. Oftentimes occurring before bedtime, Asher hides in the tent under Riley’s bed and lunges out at him with a smile plastered on his face and a low growl in the back of his throat. But if its quiet time for the Pigs, Tessa is Asher’s current snuggle choice. He pushes her over (none too gently either), pins her down with his chunky little body, and then he lays his head on her chest and grins. Wonderful.

Riley is both the house imp and helper, in equal measures. He will hide Emmett’s bunny deep down in a toy bin while helping to clean up the front room. He will talk about not leaving anyone out of snuggling in Mom and Dad’s bed while yelling that everyone takes up too much space. He shares all his snacks while he hoards books. He helps with anything related to the baby while inciting a screaming Tessa to wake the sleeping baby. He is a mystery wrapped in a enigma wrapped in a vest. His eyes crackle with light. Just make sure to check whether it is sass or sweetness illuminating them.

Never a dull moment here..

Pigs, Ho!

Daddo, my feelings feel happy when you stay home.
–Tessa

Uh-oh.
–Asher, after smacking Dad in the face with a spoon

Daddo, you should put all of these things away.
–Riley, about Dad’s “organized” work area

I’m AJ and this is Blaze.
–Emmett, when mounting his bike (referring to the monster truck Blaze and his rider, AJ)

Mom, when I grow up, I want to buy the house right next to you.
–Tessa

I was playing with a bug outside, and then I made it dead.
–Tessa

Mommy, do you want to suck on my bunny’s ear? It’s tasty.
–Emmett

Daddy, you are my best friend.
–Emmett

When I grow up, I want to be an army man like Daddy.
–Riley

That’s not fair! It’s my turn to play with Asher. You have to share him.
–Riley

I’ll share him to you in a minute when he’s done snuggling me.
–Tessa

Spring has sprung! In a land where there is darkness but no snow, we are looking forward to the changes that come with the lengthening days. But first, we recall with gratitude events of the rainy winter. Emmett and Riley outgrew their toddler beds and (probably belatedly) moved into big kid beds. Both boys picked out tent beds–a low loft with a canopy covered bed on top and and tent below. They’ve been a great hit with all four pigs. Tessa earnestly looks forward to when she will be big enough for her own tent bed. Not yet, little pig!

A bout of sickness moved though the house (again!) and even took down first our nanny and then her brother, so that Daddy stayed home to take care of us when Mom was sick and then she was flying solo when he went back to work. We loved having him home, and we told him that we intend for him to be able to stay home with us all the time and never have to go back to work. He loves being with us, so it will be a win-win (times four pigs).

We are progressing amazingly through our school, doing a lot of science lately. We learned about matter, weather, and seasons, and Tessa has proved a natural with science, picking it up faster than anyone else. Keep it up, Sweet T! Riley, on the other hand, is our resident mathematician. He excels at addition, and he’s proud of his skill. As should he be. Emmett continues to read words we never knew he learned (headdresses?), while smiling shyly at our recognition of his aptitude. So cute.

And all the while, Asher keeps growing. He loves mimicking everybody. He dances like Emmett. He plays in the sand like Riley. He wrestles like Tessa, which is to say he launches himself at people and holds on tightly as they fall to the ground. He repeats everyone equally well. Yelling, “Tessa, stop!” like Riley. Or, “Emmett, don’t!” like Tessa. He says, “I’m done,” when finished eating. He’s smiley and soft and huggable and a big ball of love. We fight over him often, not wanting to share our time with our wonderful baby.

We are each unique and amazing, contributing to a balanced group where each contribution is appreciated. And Legos are the glue that hold it all together…

With love,
Four Fantastic Pigs

“Isaac, no!”
–Asher

“But Pluto isn’t a planet anymore. Daddy says so.”
–Tessa, after hearing the planets listed

“He’s my boy!”
–Emmett, about Asher

“Thank you.”
–Asher, when handed a snack

“I’d like to go inside that church to see if I feel any closer to God.”
–Tessa, while passing a church, after learning in school that churches are where people go to feel close to God

“Mommy, I like this hotel-house.”
–Emmett, at the Portland hotel we stayed at for Tessa’s birthday

“Look, Daddy! I’m shaping myself!”
–Tessa, while picking up a kettlebell

“Did you have an older daughter that you got rid of because she made bad decisions?”
–Tessa, who also said “oh, good” when Mom told her no

“You have a lot of children.”
–The cleaning lady, responding to Mom saying she felt tired

“Your choices upset me, Mommy. I am very upset.”
–Tessa

“Mommy, Baby is making bad decisions. I think its time he goes to his room.”
–Riley

“Look, Mommy! I’m awesome!”
–Emmett, pointing to the character Emmet on his Lego Movie t-shirt (the song for which is titled Everything is Awesome)

“I’m making good choices. I get iPad time. And candy. And Legos.”
–Emmett, overestimating his privileges earned

A quick note on the holidays and Emmett’s birthday party. We got TONS of gifts. So many that we started to believe that every day we woke up was another present-receiving opportunity. We got Legos, crafts, pajamas, books, science experiments, dolls, art projects and supplies, engineering projects, wrist watches and clothes. (And rumor is that some gifts got delayed in the mail, so we still have some coming. Score!) We loved to be back in Colorado, seeing family and friends, and generally showing off. We got to see (and play in) snow. We hit up the museums and parks and hiking trails we loved and now miss. And then we came home for more presents. Wonderful month.

“Choose Butt-mode, Riley.”
–Tessa, while advising Riley on how to play the Rescue Bots Transformer game on their Leappad. She meant Bot-mode. But unfortunately, all the kids mis-heard and misunderstood the term.

“No.”
–Asher, while doing almost everything. Its his favorite new word. He’s embraced it in a way the other kids never did. Perhaps he’s setting boundaries with rowdy and slightly out-of-control older siblings.

“I don’t like you anymore. I’m going to rent a car and go to Colorado.”
–Riley, while angry that Dad wouldn’t let him put a toy into the cart while shopping

“I’m going to steal your keys while you are asleep and take your car to Colorado. And you can’t stop me.”
–Tessa, equally angry, circumventing the obvious obstacle of getting to the rental car place

“Mama, they are brown like me! And like Asher!”
–Emmett, who’s just now recognizing that there are a lot of people out there who share his luminous skin color

“Look Mama, we match.”
–Emmett, hugging Asher to him in the tub

“We got Doritos, a football cookie, chocolate milk, potato chips. And we got to play games on the Leappad and Nook the entire time.”
–Riley, enumerating the myriad bribes employed by Mom and Dad to keep him quiet while flying

“Presents! Presents!”
–Emmett and Riley, every time the doorbell rings, believing the UPS or FedEx man has brought something for them

“Let’s roll to the rescue, Rescue Bots!”
–Tessa, when mounting her bicycle

“We don’t eat animals. Or babies. Or people.”
–Tessa

“No, we don’t eat anything that’s cute.”
–Riley

“Mmmm hmmm.”
–Asher, humming the tune to “Let it Go”

“Lets measure me to see if I got bigger from my growing pains.”
–Riley, after a particularly painful night of growing pains in his legs

“I know who he is! Santa is a dinosaur!”
–Tessa
“No, Tessa. He’s a skeleton.”
–Riley, when they were asked if they wanted to meet Santa at an area tree lighting

“Emmett, where did you put your hooker?”
–Tessa, referring to a hanger

We’ve been responsible for more than ourselves lately. Mom ordered us caterpillars for our butterfly habitat and a tadpole (another one) for our grow-a-frog kit. We loved the caterpillars. 10 tiny ones came in two separate cups in the mail. We watched them double in size every day. It was amazing. They spun silk webs. And the ate and molted. Ate and molted. And ate and molted. Then they attached themselves to the underside of the top and hardened. Before we knew it, they were cocoons.

Meanwhile, our tadpole grew legs with teeny toes. Our new taddy is see through. So, we can watch his heart beat. Its amazing. When he grows into a frog, he’ll stay in the water. He’s not a normal bullfrog (which didn’t fare so well in our aquarium). We are watching every day for his legs to get bigger and for his arms to start to grow too. Once they do, he’ll absorb his tail and start looking more and more like a frog.

Isaac wasn’t lost in all this animal love. We all worked as a team to brush him in the garage. Tessa and Emmett had brushes, Riley had the vacuum to suck up all the hair, and Mommy supervised. Isaac was a very, very good sport. Even when Riley sucked up his ear with the vacuum hose, he just whined as if asking “Is this all truly necessary?” We gave him the okay to jump up after about 10 minutes, at which point he ran into the house and upstairs to hide in a back bedroom. Maybe he wasn’t having as much fun as we were?

Before we knew it, our butterflies emerged from their chrysalis. All of them. They were sneaky about it. We never actually saw them emerging. One second they were all packed into their cocoon, and the next they were stretching their wings and holding on tight to the mesh wall of their habitat. And when we took them outside to let them go free, they didn’t want to leave it. (The uncharacteristically low temperatures might have had something to do with that. But if we didn’t set them free, they’d lay eggs in the house and Mom didn’t want that.) So we held them on the tips of our fingers adding our own heat to that of the weak sunlight, waiting for their wings to warm. When they decided they were ready, they flapped up and away, and we wished them well.

With love,
The Pigs

Hi All!

Checking in again…

Halloween here was fantastic. Riley went as the Transformer Bumblebee, Tessa as Elsa from Frozen, Emmett as Merida from Brave, and Baby as Puss-in-Boots. Pop-pop arrived that afternoon, so he came trick-or-treating with us too. The weather was amazing. No rain and in the 50s. Perfect for making a loop through the neighborhood, which was PACKED with kids.

We started across the street where we saw our friends (who were dressed as Harry Potter and Sherlock Holmes). Emmett’s main goal was to see and speak to as many Elsa’s as he could. We’d recently been at Disney on Ice (where a great time was had by all, except for the scary Disney villain Halloween number), and his focus there was a similar one. On Halloween, he got his wish, as well as branching out a bit with the Disney Princesses. He saw Ariel, Snow White, and Maleficient.

Riley was mainly focused on the candy, and–as such–he was a speedy Transformer trying to hit as many houses as he could. We would have done well tying a bowling ball to his leg, or making him carry Baby. As it was, he had to be asked several times to slow down and wait for his brother and sister.

Tessa mostly wanted to hold Pop-pop’s hand while making the rounds and she fell behind.

Asher took it all in with both looks of wonder and puzzlement.

The candy haul was marvelous. We each got to pick 5 to keep for ourselves. The rest went into a bag that we aren’t even sure still exists. Sometimes candy appears after dinner, or for a special treat. But not often. And never from the same location. So…

We loved having Pop-pop visit again. In addition to Halloween trick-or-treating, Pop-pop joined us as we went hiking in search of Bigfoot, played with all our toys, and had a lights-out dance party. This was something we did nightly at our old house. Its harder to do here, with the size and all, and we ended up breaking a beer bottle–at which point our party was moved upstairs to the loft where no glass exists. (We should say the lights-out dance party is both about music and our bouncy, light-up balls, the latter of which hit and shattered the bottle.)

We’ve started swimming at a new pool (jury’s out on that one) and rock climbing classes at the Y (which we love almost as much as playing in the human Habitrail located in the next room over). We’ve got a few trips planned: one to a hotel for Thanksgiving (we LOVE hotels, and this one is on the Hood Canal and has a tree lighting the first night we’ll be there) and a tentative trip home to Colorado for a short time just before Christmas. We’ve high hopes for both.

For now, most of our school-at-home consists of a lot of dramatic play. Like hours of pretending we are pirates or princesses. We’ve totally taken our Arts and Crafts to the next level too. Painting and coloring and drawing. Playing with kinetic sand, play dough, Shrinky Dinks, and yarn. And we are spending a lot of time outside. We’ve discovered a few new waterfall parks, and we like to pretend there is a dragon that lives in the bottom of the river there. So we are very sneaky…

Check back next month. So far, s’all good.

Love,
The Pigs

Hi all!

Just a quick note to say that we are doing fantastic. Tessa and Riley did wonderful at the dentist, everyone had some school field trips that were great, and we’ve been busy as a family going places and playing. Riley had a ton of fun at his birthday party, Grandma Cheryl was here for that, and we are all still busy playing with his presents. We are so excited for Halloween on Friday, and we are going to Disney on Ice later today. Fantastic!

Something new that we all voted on is we’ve chosen to do school at home with Mommy again this year. We are a tight knit crew, and we’d rather all be together than be apart. We are like the Super Friends. Strong individually. Unstoppable as a team. Individually we were all making good headway in school and activities. But we know that we are capable of so much more! So we are going to go at it together. Even Baby is excited.

Check back soon for updates on Disney on Ice, Halloween, Pop-pop’s visit, and all our new at-home school activities (we’re most looking forward to Shrinky Dinks, knitting, and making our own chalk board with chalk board paint), not to mention all the time we now have for at-home school field trips! Yay!

Hope you guys are all as happy as we are!
The Pigs

PS Asher is a little parrot. He repeats everything. If you say ‘Asher,’ he’ll say ‘A-sur.’ If you say, ‘night, night,” he’ll say ‘ni-ni.” He even pecks and bites like a baby birdie. Ow!

Craziness has entered the Pig household, and Asher’s caught the bug. He’s not sleeping, he’s refusing his bottle, and his attitude has suffered. But no one is immune. Let’s run down a list of the worst cases of Attitude-itis, shall wel?

Asher screams when not allowed to suck on cell phones (and most other times he doens’t get his way), and he bats away spoonfuls of food when its not to his liking, saying “Uh,oh.” But he’s yet to demonstrate good behavior on less sleep or an aptitude with sippy cups. (He is taking a few steps, now. And we are hoping he’ll be walking by Halloween.)

Emmett taken to yelling “Poopy pants” when he doesn’t getting his way, which, incidentally, is a bit better than Tessa who growls. None of us are sure where either learned their technique. And Riley is demanding, instead of asking nicely, often repeating himself until gets what he wants. (“More milk,” he’ll yell while sitting on the couch watching TV. “Get it, now. Please.”)

Riley and Tessa have also been fighting over the brushes. That’s right. Hair brushes. Riley’s growing his hair out and they both love to brush their hair. They especially like how soft the boar’s bristle brush makes their hair. Riley’s taken to sleeping with it, so that he can brush his hair whenever it gets messy. On the way to school one morning, Riley even told Mom that he didn’t want the wind to mess up his soft hair.

And, it was bound to happen. Tessa’s forthrightness has passed clear into Mean Girl territory. She’s been telling people, “I don’t like you.” Or she’ll say, “Sometimes I like you, but you’re not my friend.” Only slightly better is, “Mama, sometimes I like you and sometimes I like Daddy.” We are working on teaching her that with great power, comes great responsibility. Stay tuned.

Overall, these past few weeks have been good, with a few bumps. We are all looking forward to Halloween. The kids are entering a Pumpkin Decorating contest at their school. Each has their costume already. And all can’t wait til Pop-pop comes back into town to help then trick-or-treat. We may even put up some scary decorations outside.

Check back early next month, when we can report on Riley’s birthday, Halloween, Grandma Cheryl and Pop-pop’s visits, and a few trips to the dentist.

Later,
The Pigs