My children started biking to school in the beginning of April. Elijah had bought them some chains with coded locks and the kids started thinking about taking their biking ventures to higher schemes. Traveling to school by bike sounded like a perfect undertaking. Elijah made them practice biking together in a line while carrying backpacks, locking and unlocking their locks, and waiting on each other. It took a week to convince Elijah that the kids were ready, but after that there was nothing I could do to stop them. We say a prayer every morning, but other than that I have to trust in the Lord and the ability of my children. Needless to say, they have loved it!
We finally planted our garden. I say finally because we have been wanting to plant it since March, but the weather has been very fickle and unpredictable. Elijah planted a lot of corn, bush beans, okra, and tomatoes. My garden consisted of several kinds of herbs, watermelon, cucumber, zucchini, green onions, spinach, fennel, eggplants, and sunflowers. We also planted wildflowers around the trees for enjoyment. Elijah's plants have already sprouted, but mine don't seem to have woken up yet. I'm concerned that maybe I've covered them with too much dirt. I'll give them a couple more weeks and if nothing comes out, I'll plant some plants instead of seeds. But for now, let's hope that with enough sun, water and love our garden will bloom.
April was very warm, and the kids played outside a lot. They played all sorts of sports (basketball, soccer, baseball, catch, tag, rope climbing, tree climbing, wrestling, running, biking, etc.) Charlton also enjoyed relaxing in the hammock during all hours of the day.
And what better way to end a hot day but by digging into cold slices of watermelon.
The children have enjoyed each other's company using quiet time in various ways such as by having picnics, playing limitless board games, and our favorite past time, reading.
April also brought a lot of great musicals and plays in our area. Between six of us, and with me accompanying them each, we attended five shows, and that doesn't include the movies Elijah and I went to see. The musical highlight of the month, however, was attending an amazing production of the Broadway hit The Sound of Music. I had already planned to attend it with my friends, but I had also promised James to take him to see it. I asked Elijah if he would go with him, and them two had a great time. I enjoyed my girls night out with my friends as well.
Gillian loved going on a date with me, eating out, and seeing a production of Into the Woods; Charlton enjoyed reading and then watching a production of Jack and the Beanstalk; Jefferson had already seen Singing in the Rain, so he had to be pleased with a show that his own class put on. He also had several play dates with his best friends, so he didn't feel that bad.
I'm having such great time with each of my kids, and although I can't live in New York City at the moment, I can bring some of its cultural taste to my kids by taking them to great musicals and plays available in our area. And they are loving it too!
Jefferson's Cub Scout group had their Pinewood Derby this month. Jefferson designed his own model (a sportster with blue paint and a black hood scoop), received some help in cutting it, and worked on sanding and painting it all on his own. Elijah guided him along every step, but it was Jefferson who had the ideas and did the work. For his worthy effort, he received an award for best craftsmanship. I felt he really deserved it, and I was very proud of him. In this picture, Jefferson's car is the fifth one from the right.
James is just about dying to be attend Cub Scouts and be with Jefferson. He got a bit jealous of dad spending more time with Jefferson helping him work on myriads of creative projects culminating with the Pinewood Derby, so he kept coming up with ideas of his own to do with Elijah. His favorite project with dad was making slingshots from the twigs that Elijah brought back from Georgia a few weeks ago. Needless to say, James was in cloud nine to have dad all to himself. The picture below says it all.
Jefferson turned 9 on April 20th. He had a wonderful celebration with family and friends. Early in the morning, Elijah and James went to get doughnuts and start Jefferson's birthday just right. And then a bit later, Jefferson had a party with all of his best friends and siblings. This year he had expressed a desire to have his party at a lazer tag arena, and that's what we did. The party package included several games, pizzas, drinks, and clean up afterward. This sounded like a win-win situation, so we decided that was a great idea. Jefferson truly had a good time surrounded by family and friends.
When we got home, he opened presents, and then spent the rest of the afternoon playing with them. He built a Lego model of the Big Ben, a gift from his grandparents, in less than twenty minutes, and a fun erector model that was part of our gift to him kept him busy for a while. Jefferson is such an amazing individual. He is good, bright, and thoughtful. He truly makes me want to be a better mother. I love you Jefferson!
Activity Days girls and their leaders organized a fabulous dinner for Mothers and Daughters. The theme was Hawaiian, and we all dressed in Hawaiian style, ate delicious Hawaiian food, played Hawaiian games, and my sweet Gillian and their friends danced a little pretty dance for us moms. I can't believe how much Gillian has grown these past few months. I love her sweet spirit, spunky personality, and her purity of heart. I'm so blessed to be Gillian's mother!
Speaking of being a mother, I've loved my mother's presence since she came on April 23nd. She has helped me take care of the laundry, cook delicious meals, and above all helping with babysitting so Elijah and I could really enjoy our Fridays. The children have enjoyed engaging mom by playing Monopoly, Dominoes, and lots of other card games. Charlton has loved having a grandma nearby and getting all the attention he wants. I'm so glad she is going to be with us for a while.
And that, friends, it's just a smidgen of our life in April. Let's hope that with my mother here, I will find more time to blog regularly. Till then, enjoy May!
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