Climbing, hugging, mothering: she's kind of a big deal.

Our days have been packed with all kinds of normal. I know it probably seems like we are hamming up life in this blog and facebook, but truly, it is amazing what we see each day. Hugs between siblings. Doors held open. Gifts of the most precious commodities (Pokemon Cards and the last bite of anything) offered freely.

Despite all this, by evening just about every evening, I am crispy around the edges. I want space to myself and time to browse through my thoughts instead of grasping at thinking anything in any way independent of my function as a mom. The contents of our refrigerator feel like a dinner-making exam, and I don't know the material. Poor Isaac's happy and incessant chatting from the backseat in downtown traffic makes me crazy and I have to ask him to look out the window instead. I'm weary of insignificant tasks burying me in piles of hours. What I need to do is get back on the treadmill more often, because that is where my own personal cleaned out headspace happens best.

Primrose and I both loved Sushi out tonight.
I didn't have to cook and she got to eat
raw fish eggs. Win win!

Our Primrose loves herself some parks and in particular the slides. Today I watched her figure out how to climb a metal and rope ladder designed for older kids to get to a very nice shiny silver one at the Fields Neighborhood Park. One thing Portland does well is adventuresome simple gorgeous parks. We played in the sun among the tasteful plantings and chic modern brushed aluminum fencing between the millionaire flats and the industrial district, watching an impossibly huge red crane constructing a building across the street. I actually didn't notice the crane (easily 100 feet tall) until FangFang pointed it out to me. Do other moms notice they often don't really see a place because they're so busy looking down at tiny humans and counting heads? The boys found another red-headed boy to fly with them on a metal hammock swing, and Isaac finally made it over a tall web of rope he has been trying to conquer for several years.

She can have all my money as long as she's somewhat quiet during Isaac's lesson. 

One of my favorite benefits of this whole homeschool shindig has been the freedom to have mornings like this. It had started with a cello lesson, and went from there to the cello shop that just happens to sit next to the rad park. Honestly, I'd only meant to spend a few minutes there to placate the boys, but it went so well we spent a little over an hour. Everything does take longer with three kids, and it's not just because of the practical aspects. Sometimes it just takes longer to enjoy all three.

This scheme totally worked 98% of the time.
She was trying to sing his cello songs in the car afterward.

Other moms I see seem completely created to go at the pace of their kids. I'm just not like that, and hope I don't give the false impression on this blog that I'm really all that good at this parenting gig. As an impatient person, I try to take all the opportunities I can to slow myself down and notice each of my kids in a given day. It is entirely possible to parent all day long without really seeing my kids for all the tiny unending tasks, and I am the one who misses out when that happens.

I've noticed our daughter is very awake for a 1 year old. I know the more common word there would be "aware" but she is more lively than my boys were at her age and "awake" feels more like what I mean. They've always been pretty smart cookies too, but this kid, she surprises me all the time. She, unlike me, notices everything. She watches kids and adults and then tries to do whatever they did. She remembers multiple steps and understands what you are talking about, often even if it involves words she's probably only heard a few times. Yesterday when dishing out leftovers from a Chinese restaurant for lunch, I asked the boys if they wanted some Egg Drop Soup. She made it quite clear that she would like some, right away please. We have eaten that with her exactly once and nobody said "Soup! SOOOOOUUUUP!!! This is called SOUP!!!" to her. In fact the food was so good and we were all so hungry, we just went about distributing it and making mmmmmm sounds as quickly as we could, like a pile of chubby insects. But she remembered anyway. Stuff like that I find impressive.

Calvin & Hobbes is a favorite of the boys.
Therefor, she has decided she must read it while they have swim lessons.

Yesterday the boys had kind of a rough day and by late afternoon both had had crying fits. They were tired, the barometric pressure was off, I'm a mean mother, a curse was upon them... I dunno why. Primrose went up to them each and gave them a hug, then babbled at them in a gentle approximation of mom-voice. She's just good at things. More specifically, she's good at people. I'll have to wait and see if any of this stuff rubs off on me.