Category: Kids & Cute Stories

Aidan’s teacher said she told him he had to be nice, because she was using all her energy dealing with him and she was getting soooooo tired. (Trying to be funny, to loosen him up.) And he looked her dead in the eye and said, “Not my problem.”

(Not that Grandpa approves mind you.)

… makes you feel one-tenth as good as it does me, you’ll have a great day, too.

Jill reports on three-year-old Reidie:

Reid just woke up. He has a cold and he’s also having a hard time adjusting to the new schedule — he naps, and then he can’t go to sleep at night, and then he gets up late, and then he won’t nap and he’s exhausted by 7:00…

Anyway, he just woke up and I asked him (as I always do), “What did you dream about?”

“Darth Vader was chasing me.”

“Oh no! Were you scared?”

“No.”

“Really? I would have been scared.”

“Grandpa was holding my hand.”

To help out her sister, Jill adopted niece Kiley for a day yesterday. Jill reports:

Then she came with us as we ran lots of errands and went to (guess) Red Robin. In all, we were out for six hours — me and my brood of four.

It was fun to have her along as I got totally different comments from strangers. Usually I get variations on “Three boys! Oh my!” Or, “Did you want a girl?/Are you going to try for a girl?” Or the old, “I had all boys, too, dear. You will survive.” (accompanied by gentle patting of my hand).

But with Kiley we got “Oh, all those brothers and just one girl, she has it made.” And, “Just the one girl?” And my favorite, “Your children sound WONDERFUL.” I NEVER get that one when I just have the boys with me.

Also got to watch Aidan and Kiley waltz around Target, complete with dips and turns.

Update: I think they’re much cuter without Grandpa.

Excerpts from an email today from Jill, my oldest daughter, and mother of three boys (ages 8, almost-6 and 3).

Anyway, [Byron is] going to go to at least three and maybe as many as six European cities and his flight and all the hotels would be paid for. I want to hide in his luggage for some of it if I can possibly work it out.

Would anyone be available and maybe willing to housesit in the first half of October? (I say housesit because I will lock the children in the basement with water dishes and bowls of food, and tell them not to make noise, if it means you are more willing to do this.)

Early October should be a pretty easy time – only one to two sports per kid, plus piano, plus school – a breeze.

All right, not looking for any commitments, just maybe a “maybe” or a “never going to happen” and an idea of when you might or might not be available in October, and how many days is your maximum possible allotment of the Boy Experience.

Your Devoted Daughter, Jill

I wrote her, “I’m in, as much as you need to make it happen.”

Also from three years ago:

Veronica, official daughter-in-law of NewMexiKen, ran in the San Francisco Marathon today. Arriving home, she showed two-year-old Sofie the finisher’s medal with its depiction of the Golden Gate Bridge.

“Sofie, mommy ran over that bridge twice today!”

And she looks at me like I’m a total nut job and says, “Why?”

From three years ago.

Four-month-old Reid, the youngest of the Sweeties, had to be taken to the emergency room Friday for some diagnostic tests. (He’s doing OK, thank you.) The urgency meant that his older brothers came along.

An experienced traveler, five-year-old Mack took one look at the hospital’s newly remodeled entry area with its marble and granite and knew exactly what was important.

As his mother checked in, Mack asked the receiving nurse, “Do you have a pool?”

Sweeties Kiley (6) and Alex (4) had a hair-raising experience with static electricity yesterday at the Ontario Science Museum in Toronto.

If Aidan wears that swim cap any lower over his face he won’t need the goggles. He won swimmer of the meet Saturday for his age group.

That’s Aidan (he’ll be starting kindergarten in the fall). I just really liked Jill’s awesome action photo.

‘Cuz they’re the girls.

Six-year-old Kiley competed in her first swimming event yesterday, winning a ribbon in the 25-meter freestyle.

Five-year-old Sofie continues to win ribbons in non sequiturs.

Veronica, Sofie’s mom: “I’m a Saggitarius, so what’s Sofie?”

Sofie: “Hilarious?”

… and took this portrait of her boys (one-half of The Sweeties).

That’s NewMexiKen’s official daughter Jill, official niece Amy (aka aimlsrdhd), and official daughter Emily, 30 years ago today at NewMexiKen’s official younger sister Debby’s wedding. Click image for larger version.

Happy anniversary Debby and Ken!

Yup, yet another Ken in this family.

School ended yesterday for the Virginia Sweeties and Mack, Aidan and Reid were off with Mom and Dad to Hershey Park.

Where it’s raining.

But not all is lost. Jill reports:

Well, steady rain last night – but never too hard. Most things were open and we got to ride 35 rides in our 2 1/2 hour preview (Hershey lets you come for the last 2 1/2 hours of the day if you are coming the next day). At least we had jackets and ponchos.

Looks like more of the same today. Trying to stay positive. We lose the whole awesome water park, but gain that the park is EMPTY. Last night I rode the Farenheit, which has normally a 2 hour wait. I walked on, and even walked on the front row. Then we came around and no one was waiting so I rode front row straight through again. It was crazy.

Hershey lists the elements for Farenheit: 90 degree ascent (121 feet) – 97 degree negative drop – inverted loop (107 feet) – inverted corkscrew roll, cobra element, airborne inverted s-roll – max speed: 58 mph.

Born just three weeks apart, five-year-old cousins Aidan and Sofie show a bit of what they were up to over the weekend. Self-taught swimmer Aidan completes his first 25-meter backstroke in competition. He won a ribbon in both the backstroke and the freestyle. And Sofie knows what’s important at the ballpark — the concessions! — and the Rockies winning their 11th straight.

Click photos for larger versions.

The season ended for cousin teammates Kiley and Aidan last night, but this evening Mack tossed a TD and two PATs, picked off an interception, and his team advanced 14-6.

Jill reports:

Reid tried to pick up a bee at the playground today.

The bee gave him immediate, negative feedback.

Six-year-old Kiley has quarterbacked her co-ed flag football team this spring. I thought we needed some photos (hard to get, so many games have been rained out). Click on the image below for a larger version and two other photos of our very own Quarterback Princess (eat your heart out Tami Maida/Helen Hunt).

Kiley is wearing — and apparently chewing — a mouthguard. Photos taken yesterday by Auntie Jill.