6.29.21 - Joy status: trading child care with Julie

My sister Julie and I have started trading watching each other's kids once a week. This would already be a nice setup on a practical level because we each get a child free day every other week at no cost. But when I dropped my kids off this morning Julie also talked about how excited she is to have a house full of chaos and children.

6.23.21 - Joy status: suburban privacy

Our bedroom windows no longer face directly into someone else's living room windows a few dozen feet away. Right now we are on a second floor that faces the space in between two other houses that are across a street. Hurray for suburban privacy!

6.21.21 - Joy status: Calvin's bedtime routine

The main lullaby I sing the kids is "Baby Mine" from Dumbo, so sometimes Calvin asks me to sing "A E Mine." Recently he has started singing it along with me in that sweet toddler voice of his with a big grin on his face. Last time when the lullaby was done I said "good night, I love you" and he laughingly said "gah night!" as if it was some great inside joke of ours

6.15.21 - Kid snippets: Calvin doesn't come down the stairs

I'm trying to teach the kids that when I say "come here" they need to answer "Coming!" Calvin has picked up on it surprisingly fast.

Just now he was sitting at the top of the stairs to the second floor, and from the first floor Clara called and asked him to come see her. He immediately shouted "COMING! Cwawa! Coming Cwawa!" And then he just sat there.

Me: Buddy, you can't just answer "coming." You also have to actually go see her.
Calvin: Mama! I Cwawa coming!
Me: I know, bud! Now go down the stairs.
Clara: Callllvinnn! Come see meeeee!
Calvin, earnestly: Coming! I coming!! *proceeds to just sit at the top of the stairs*

This cycle repeated at least 10 times (with me laughing more each time) before he finally went downstairs.

6.15.21 - Joy status: stomp away

We no longer have anyone living below us, so I no longer have to keep telling my kids to stop jumping or stomping.

6.12.21 - Joy status: Friends to help us move

We are almost done loading the truck and we are almost ready to depart for Missouri and we wouldn't have been as ready as we are now if it wasn't for a whole lot of help from our dear friends. People have helped pack over the last week or two, and then today load the truck itself, grab food and water for everyone, keep the kids busy, pack (tons of) last minute things, dismantle and move heavy furniture, make donation runs, scrub walls, and basically anything else I could think of to ask. Thank you, thank you! We have so many good friends.

6.3.21 - Joy status: Clara can't wait to move to MO

Clara is *so* excited about moving to Missouri. She's bugging me all morning about how we need to pack. I told her I'd get dressed and then we'd start, and she ran to start choosing boxes to tape.