Mine debacle

Something had to be done. Too many times a day, I hear "That's MINE." Given that the boys are between the ages of 4 and 8, I feel like we should be beyond this. But alas, we are not.
So in a moment of frustration I lamented. "No matter how many times I tell you to stop saying 'mine' you continue. Gang, we need a plan."
I thought of a brilliant plan, but Silas outsmarted me and came up with a HILARIOUS variation of this plan. The original (brilliant) plan was as follows: if you say "mine" you will need to grab one of your toys and give them to yours truly.
As I continued to mull over this plan, I decided it would be fun to create a "mine box." In my teacher tone, I continued to explain to my charges that the confiscated toys would be placed in a toy box and donated.
This is where Silas interrupted me. "The kid should go in the box!"
Wait a second. We all busted out laughing. So instead of the toys going in the box, the greedy child goes in the box for a time out. We negotiated the length of time the offender should stay in the box- Jonah thought one hour and I said ten minutes. We settled on ten.
Note: Braylon was not assigned the "Mine Box" he was merely trying it out.
Note 2: If trying out this tactic at home, you should add a qualifier. Telling on the greedy "mine" offending child is not allowed. Only if the parent overhear the guilty words is the box assigned.

Glamour Shots

Lots of fun pictures here. They were taken by our fav photographer who lives downstairs:ABBY!The boys are really showing off their cuteness. As a reading teacher, I am constantly asking my students to summarize what they read in twelve words or less. So here is my hand at doing this for each Peterson as of late...
Silas: His laugh is contagious-he loves hard and is a phenomenal friend.
Jonah: Loves the water- physically strong and mentally tender- thrill seeker
William: Fiercely loyal, consistently generous- loves to fish and is a tenacious athlete
Braylon: Steadfast and determined- loves knowledge, has high expectations- adores reading
Kendra: Loving summer- obsessed with yoga, reading and writing
Mike: Obsessed with the RV, researching and planning- consistently engaging with the kids

I totally own that I could do a summary of each of our flaws as well. But I chose to focus on the positive, because, well, the positive is way better to reflect upon.

 

We bought an RV

This is not an April Fools Day joke. It is real. And even more surprising is the following: we are going to use it for a 6 month road trip. Yep, we are taking our family, six deep, on a cross country road trip. Our estimated month of departure: February 2018.
This trip is sort of a "going off the grid" adventure that Mike and I began dreaming about almost one year ago. We met another family last summer from Argentina who was doing a similar adventure with their family of six. When I commented to them nonchalantly, " I would love to do that." They said, "you should." Two words spurred a new trajectory. Could we really? Can we afford it? Could I take a leave of absence for six months from work? Can we enroll the kids in school for half a year? Is it possible to rent our house for six months? Can our family withstand 6 months of NONSTOP time together? Can I withstand that? How will we work out? Go on dates? Get a good nights sleep? The questions could go on and on...
The answerable questions have been answered, the unanswered well, are yet to be figured out or better yet lived out. But we have decided to go for it and Mike is on his way to NY this weekend to pick up our new GIGANTIC RV. He is planning on doing quite a bit of rehab to get it ready for what we are affectionately calling " the journey." 
Below you can see some training sessions we have been implementing to prepare for the journey. The curriculum entails: lifting heavy objects, for manual labor will be regularly needed; communicating with animals in the wild; showing brotherly love daily; walking on all terrains, with or without proper footwear; and eating new and diverse foods, such as spicy wings.

For the love of the game

Football, basketball, floor hockey, ping pong.... you name it. The boys love to play sports. They are just a tiny bit competitive however. Maybe hyper competitive. Maybe turn every event in life into a competition competitive. I wold like to say that this lovely trait did not come from me- but the truth is it came from me AND Mike. Double whammie of competitiveness.

I am having to tone down my competitive drive since I found out I have mono yesterday. No fun. Just want to sleep all the time, but can't because I have 120 students and four little guys. No need to pity myself though because my boys do take good care of me when I am ill. I told them my sickness makes me want to sleep all the time and they all said I can nap in their beds whenever I feel like it. Woohoo. And as I have monitored their play this weekend I have indeed rested in many of their beds.

The big boys just finished basketball season. They loved it. The little boys also loved it cause at the games I let them eat quite a bit of candy. Hey, you deserve an incentive to watch two basketball games in a row.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year from the Petersons.

We spent the holiday in Mexico. It was filled with wonderful memories and time with family. The boys were great travelers and even better playmates. Lately, I have really been thinking and praying about being present in every moment. This is my hope for the new year. Trying to fully enjoy each moment and to really see people when I am interacting with them. Most of all seeing and being present for these four little, or not so little, guys.

sometimes...

 Sometimes I watch my boys when they are asleep and pray over them.
Sometimes I hold them so tight and wish I could freeze time.
Sometimes I try and think about my life before they came and wonder how I ever filled the minutes. i can not remember.
Sometimes I think about them as big people. What kind of big people will they be? Will they remember that I prayed over them when they were asleep?
Sometimes I get nervous that this world will harm them, scar them- it will surely disappoint them.
Sometimes I want to abandon my grown up day plans and just be a fly on the wall and watch them clumsily yet beautifully navigate the demands of their day. I know I would be inspired.
Sometimes I feel the need to tell them a million times a day that I love them, thinking this love will carry them through all of life's waters. It won't. Only God's love can. Yet I tell them as a sort of desperate insurance policy.
Sometimes...

reading, fun, and summer

I am so delighted that Braylon has taken to reading. Seriously, as an English teacher it makes my heart so happy to see him a lover of books. When he is not playing this summer, he is reading. The other night I went to check on him before going to bed at 1030. His light was still on which I thought odd and there he was perched in his bed. He said. " I just had to finish this Willie Mays book mom." I put him down at 8:00! 

I am soaking up these last few weeks of summer before going back to work!