Sam, Charlie and P in Lawrence

We tried to live in Kansas when P was born. Our family and friends were there and we wanted to be near them. Alas, it didn't take; square peg, round hole and all that jazz. This makes our time there so precious to us, surrounded by those who've known us most, or all, of our lives (even if they think we're freaks :) It is especially calming to me that we find so much time to be with "the girls" and their broods. And that P Adores these kids So Much.

So it was with great excitement that we went to visit Ella, Reed, Oliver and Ione in Lawrence. We played at the public kiddie pool and then swarmed to Oliver and Ione's house for food and mayhem. As soon as we arrived all of the kids sat down together to eat. Except for P. I could see him practically melt into the woodwork, attempting to bypass the combined energy and buzz of so many kids in such close proximity. At the pool he could swirl away into his own world and dunk Baby Brother. At Oliver's he fasted, waiting until the last child finished their food before venturing into the kitchen. But don't get me wrong, it wasn't a burden for the kid :) Oliver's tractor passion kept P happily busy (and distant) while he waited for a quiet place to eat his quiche and cookie.

Eventually, his internal comfort meter read "comfy" and he chased and giggled with the others. Lisa bravely gave them all paints and the freedom to decorate extra inspiration into her yard and they happily slapped paint everywhere. Ella organized a tree trunk painting party which P joined in for a while, only to decide (much to the other kids' chagrin) that he'd rather wash the world with a hose than paint it red...



We then spread the love to Ella and Reed's house. They all ran rampant in the backyard with water squirters for a bit, then descended on the pizza and toys. Following this there was a period of separateness, Ella and Sam doing big-kid stuff in her room and the younger boys independently manipulating machines. But as the evening moved on they all congregated on the floor, still doing their own thing, but now doing it together. Does anyone have a book rec on sociology and kids? Its really fascinating stuff, watching people interact before they've been trained by social etiquette and instead just follow their joy...



Whenever we all meet at Ella's we try and throw all of the kids onto the couch for a group photo. We were missing Oliver and Ione this time but everyone piled on anyway. P tends to be only marginally involved in the process while the rest of the kids revolve around their Sun Queen. Its lovely to see them all clammer over one another, hamming for the camera - or ignoring it :)




No one was interested in the evening ending so we stayed until the kids were practically comatose. Both Charlie and Phoenix fell asleep in the car within minutes and Sam soon followed. I'd bet there were three heads filled with sweet Ella dreams that night :)

Sam and Charlie in Kansas

P's pals from Colorado came over to play when they were in Kansas and it was action packed. They'd swim until they were jittery with goosebumps and tired from exertion, get out to eat a snack in the sun and then jump right back in. This went on for Hours. They were each mostly in their own little world, just enjoying life off of land :) As the evening approached they switched to racing up and down the drive. The older boys jetted around on the Vespa, attempting not to run into the younger two swerving all over the road on the John Deere. At one point P and Charlie pulled up to a scenic vista and just sat. Side by side. Looking. And then they were off...

Sprinkler Time

My folk's extensive array of sprinklers kept P busy while in Kansas too. Everything about the situation thrilled him. The nakedness, the break from the heat, the excitement of seeing which sprinklers would pop up next. He particularly liked it when he could coax me into the jet streams, giggling loudly at my girlish screams...

P loves Papa

Ethan has handled P's Mama preference with aplomb. Where I would have probably cried and gone to therapy, E knew his day would come. And its finally here. P now includes Ethan in his list of people that can't die :) He can't imagine life without wrestling Papa! They added swimming to their fun-filled repertoire - jumping in after work most days. I was even able to get away overnight for the first time since P's birth (!) with no repercussions. P wasn't particularly lobbying for it, but was fantastically satisfied with his father when I returned. As was I :)

Lost: One Baby Brother

E and I have often wondered what P would Really do if Baby Brother was lost. What, with all of the torturing and tossing, the stories based on BB's demise or sudden disappearance, it Seemed like P wasn't as attached as we'd think. It was a sick curiosity, but we were really curious nonetheless :)

Then it happened. We ran errands with my mom and BB only to return with something missing. I just couldn't imagine How it could have happened, I watch BB as if he were one of my own :) But there it was, he was nowhere. I called each store as P, obviously distressed but attempting strength nonetheless, sat on the floor watching my every move, looking for cues on how to handle this sort of situation. When the calls came up empty P whimpered. "But Where is He??!!" Then I remembered a store P went in with just my mom. Had BB gone with? I couldn't remember. One more call and the shop owner said she had him, but was closing shop.

When I told P BB was going to spend the night elsewhere his world tumbled. His eyes welled up, his face turned pink, his bottom lip protruded and his eyes Begged me. "Mama," his voice quavered, "mama, no. He can't. Mama, please get him. Why? Why can't we get him. I need him, mama. I need him Now."

A sweet shop owner located next door (the toy store we had visited that day) was open for another hour and held BB for us. When E returned home with BB P hunkered down on the floor with him and purred "I promise to Never forget you. Ever. Again."

The Hay Monster

We were lucky enough to be home during harvest this year. One day, as P and I played trucks, a Huge machine drove past the house and P was out the door faster than lightning, tossing a "Come ON mama!!" over his shoulder.

We walked down to the barn in his little red wagon (it was late and he was "too tired, mama") and watched three guys haul ass heaving hay off of the enormous "hay monster." P was transfixed watching their hooked hands (they hold enormous tools "like Captain Hook!!!" to quickly grab the hay) capture and release the bales into neat piles.

Gramps soon joined us and gave us a ride to the back pasture for a slice of P heaven. There, a tractor followed the rows of cut grass and magically spit bales out the back. Then the "hay monster" (Gramps' name!) came around and sucked the bales up its conveyor to the lads with hooks.

P was mesmerized and curious. He's had a fascination lately with Being other things. ("Mama? What does it feel like to be a pig? I want to know. I want to be me, but also be a pig. To know what it Feeeeels like.") That evening he wanted to be hay. Not to die and disintegrate and feed the dirt that grows the hay (perhaps we've talked too much biology?) but to stay alive and still P, yet be hay. How could I do that Mama??? I made a silly comment about goals of transcendent meditation and ever since P occasionally quips "What would if fell like to - hey mama! I wanna mediddate. Help me meddidate?"

Peach Pickin'

I have a fabulous memory of peach picking when I was little, the well shaped trees and juice dripping down my arms. With car access and farms aplenty I figured Kansas would be the perfect chance to relive this sweetness with P.

Long story short: we were both more jazzed than the run-down orchard deserved. It looked like a combination of tornado devastation and weed heaven. But only I knew the difference. P gaily danced down the branch strewn rows picking un-ripe, pesticide laden peaches :) (Fond memory more important than chemical intake? Ahh, the modern mom's over-informed daily cross to bear :) When we purchased our bucket of pathetic peaches P saw a parcel of blackberries. Remembering Papa had talked up pie he decided these fresh beauties were Necessary.

I never said a word to P about my disappointment. Who know? Maybe he'll remember it as favorably as I did my first orchard experience. And fortunately, the unripe peaches rotted before they ripened and this modern mom didn't have to fret about nasty chemical cocktails after all. Absent his prized peaches, P helped make the blackberry pie and it was delish - so despite my general peach picking defeat I guess we got to have our pie and eat it too:)

Alter Egos

P is steadfastly P, as I've mentioned before. So much so that pretending to be someone else has been quite a stretch for him, despite the natural progression in 3's for role playing. But with the introduction of his pirate patch, costumes have become highly desirable (if short-lived) and he's even developed two alter-ego voices. The primary he uses to pretend talk for his trucks or animals or any time he's uncomfortable being P (usually with store clerks or vague family acquaintances). Its a pinched, forced voice that kinda sounds like a squeezed parakeet - a voice devoid of his usual throatiness. Shopkeepers find it very difficult to understand :) The second is more of a growl, generally featured with the pirate patch or when there's a dinosaur or digger in hand. It is equally difficult to decipher and definitely aids his usual hoarseness (I can practically Hear vocal chords shred through the growls).

But back to the external alter-ego - he was eager to try on his monkey costume at my folk's house. Once on, he was both pleased with himself and slightly uncomfortable. He wanted Grams and Papa to see him, but didn't really want to be a monkey or have it on his body long enough to be on display :) Next came pieces of a fairy costume. He Loved the sparkly wings but was beside himself trying to pretend the get-up didn't itch. Both were very brief forays shed for sublime nekkidness, one P constant :)

Sunbather

P was in the pool every day possible. Sometimes he frolicked for forever, sometimes it was just a quick dip. Occasionally, he'd have to retreat to the shade diffused sun to warm his blue lips - then he'd be right back at it...

Yippeekayay

Ella's love of horses inspired a morning ride, led by my sweet nephew Josh. P's always shared a saddle with me in the past but followed Ella's solo ride with his own. He hiked his little legs up into a natural jockey's position and held tight even through a little kick (though his head swiveled Fast to check my face's reaction!)

After their serious steed ride (nary a smile cracked their concentration) they opted for some battery powered mobility, chasing one another on the John Deere. When the time came for Ella and Reed to head home P skipped his customary shove of impatience out the door (just Go already!) and instead asked to go to their house :)

Ella and Reed

Our dear friends from Lawrence came for a visit our first weekend back from Colorado. Phoenix Loves Ella. He even told her over his Pizza dinner :) She just turned 9 and has P double wrapped around her pinky finger. She creatively problem solves, plays with the boys on their level and blesses them with her sweet smile continuously. And while P doesn't show any signs of understanding crushes or romance like one of his friends, he is certainly partial to Ella's older charms :)

Her little brother, Reed, is 7 months P's junior. They've always played quite nicely Beside one another but this time were actually old enough to play Together. After a long afternoon of truck running, rock throwing, tractor driving and swimming the boys seemed pretty bonded. They followed one another around the yard, crouching at various dirt patches, whispering conspiratorially about the mulch aimed at the pool, giggling at a joint swing ride. P then went from tired to troubleseeker and we were off to rest up for the following day of fun ...

Farm Boy

P loves tractors. Its been a lifelong theme, along with crocodiles, sharks, squid and dirt. He's eyed the old metal tractor trike from my childhood since his first vertical days, but the enormous weight of the machine (and his previously short legs) have always prevented independent rides.



But this trip, his new stature and strength has him giddy with possibilities. So when Barry Bobbit and my dad pulled out their tractor to yank some bushes P pedaled his around to participate. The obvious size difference inspired him to new heights. He requested a ride in Gramps' tractor scoop and Barry Bobbit sweetly obliged.

Fern Lake Trail

Uncle Seth, Aunt Alicia and Grandpapa joined us on our last hike. Leaving behind the heat of Beirstadt, we took to the canyon and explored the Fern Lake Trail. It was a perfect combo for P: big boulders to climb on one side and a river to throw rocks into on the other. Our traveling companions were so patient with P (patience being something E and I were both in short supply of by Friday) leaving us plenty of time to play mountain goat...

Grandpa Gives P a Lift


The honeymooners :)


E, P and (not seen) P's beloved inchworm, rescued on the trail


Really fun climbing!

A million laughs

Someone (A's mom) once told me they watch P's fake laugh video on occasion for a good chuckle. I love that. So I wanted to share one of my most recent gut ticklers...

P's Grandpapa is more than a man. As I've told him before, he's Mother Theresa as a man. Add to this compassion encyclopedic knowledge of strange things, MacGyver like abilities, carnival like fun and, according to his children, superhuman strength, and you have Grandpapa. ( E vividly remembers knowing his father was the strongest human alive, and he challenged his best friend/neighbor (who apparently had delusions of grandeur concerning His father) over this factoid on a regular basis.) So this picture of Bryan looking like a little mountain leprechaun just about made me spit my malt-o-meal. The visual irony of a man so much larger than life looking like he could dance in your hand gets me giggling every time... (just click on the pic if its too small to make you laugh)

Bierstadt Trail

The day after Erie we were ready to hike again - the cool mountain air called to us. Grandpapa, Ian and Bric were all brave enough to join us for another P based hike. Unfortunately, we chose Beirstadt trail, a switchback start on the sunny side of the canyon, but it was still cooler than Erie! By this time the funky sleeping hours and intake of nuts and other questionable foods were giving P's self-control a run for his money. His diet so obviously effects his behavior that it's challenging not to slap a bunch of external limits on him. E and I are generally willing to give him the space to learn to listen to his body, but that space feels infinitely smaller when it includes others, and their hats flying down the mountainside...

At the top of the hot hike we were rewarded with forest cover and a short hike to another lake. The backdrop was beautiful. P enjoyed looking for marsh monsters and eventually located a family of begging ducks. Uncle Ian helped P get his toes wet in the chilly water, trudging out in the coldness as P demanded "deeper! Deeper!" We all chilled and ate by the lake, but the break didn't prove enough to even out P's energy. We finally coaxed him into the mei tai (a chance at nakedness being the deal-maker for him) and he promptly zonked for the return hike. The poor little guy - he was literally having more fun than he could handle!

Sam and Charlie in Erie

When we arrived in Erie, P was ready for some peace and quiet. It had been a long day of hiking and creative problem solving (designing his super-car) for him, so he sequestered himself indoors with a ton of new toys and just chilled. I was a little concerned his recent avoidance of peer play would spoil his chance to catch up with his buds, but he eventually came around.

And these boys are really, really sweet. And they love all of P's favorites things. In the evening they played outside - where Sam captured a frog - and then ran like crazy from all of the little neighbor kids (plus P) chasing him. They were devilishly enthused with their new "pet," something Aunt B, Aunt Les and I didn't really understand. Charlie and Sam's dad reassured us that general molestation of small animals is perfectly normal for boys :) and we left him to watch the mayhem until the frog was peacefully elsewhere.

The next day they quickly fell in to pillow fighting and causing a general ruckus. Poor P, he gets so easily carried away. At one point, his pillow lost, he grabbed the closest item (a metal bucket) and chucked it. Ummm. So we headed to the playground for them to bounce out some excess energy and then settled in for lunch before we departed.

But we didn't get out of the house before P discovered guns. He'd found one lying around the night before and held it up to me. "What's this, mama?" The most violent thing he's ever seen is Peter Pan, so I told him it was a gun, like a mini of the canon Captian Hook has. He didn't seem very interested and dropped it back down. But the next day, after lunch, he found bigger ones, ones that made rat-a-tat-tat sounds. Oy. So he and Charlie ran around pointing them at each other, or me. I don't know that P has put it all together yet (what three year old truly comprehends killing?), still calling them "poofers" or "bangers" on occasion, but he did tell Ethan the boys had guns. And his eyes glowed when he said it. While I'm not freakishly anti-toygun, I'm also a fairly big peace-lover :) so we'll see how it all plays out. I'm betting (hoping? wishing?) that distance and time fades even the coolest machine-gun from his memory....

Erie Bound

After the Bear Lake climb P and I jumped in the car and headed to Erie, a little town outside of Boulder, to visit P's pals and Aunt B. Though Phoenix hasn't seen Charlie and Sam since last summer, they are always near and dear to his heart, he even named his baby doll an unusually normal name (vs Beek Mok et al) : Sam.

The drive to Erie is about an hour and a half and I wasn't sure how that would work with me driving and P having already napped his way down the Bear Lake Trail. Fortunately, he was ready to chat and create. He spent almost the entire drive designing his super car. Here are the highlights.

Its a car. But its the right size for Phoenix to drive. Without a car seat! On top of the car there is a bunch of grass. On top of the grass is a mountain. Above the mountain is a stream. And next to that is another stream and they connect with a waterfall. Above that there is a hook. Uncle Seth hangs out on this hook. Above that are the clouds and in the clouds there are cabins. A cabin for Seth and Alicia. Cabins for Everyone in the family. And there are ladders in the cabins so everyone can get to everyone else and the mountain. There's also super glue in the cabins to attach everything together on the car. And above that there is a candy factory. That Phoenix owns. And above that there is a toy factory. Yup. Also owned by Phoenix. Both usable by the whole family. Above that there are gardens for our vegetables and for growing bread (I swear we've explained the process of wheat to him! He's even enjoyed the Little Red Hen story numerous times. When I asked him the next day if he meant wheat instead of bread he said no. He would grow toast from toast seed, just like in the book "Stuart's Cape.") Above that there are barns (at this point we passed a stockyard) for all of the animals in the world so that nobody can eat them. And his car can fly. With the mountain still attached. And it is aquatic, too.

The driving was pretty daunting for me (having only driven twice in the last 6 months) so listening and nodding was all I really managed. And I think I'm going to have to try lessoning the verbal validation more in the future - minimal feedback really gave his imagination room to roam. And then some.

He's not only added to his car everyday since then, but he's seriously on the lookout for it too. He says it will be waiting for him somewhere, but not for sale! It will just have the keys in it and be "special for Phoenix." Even today, on the million mile drive back to Grams' and Gramps' he occasionally interjects " Mama! Keep a look out for my caw!"

Bear Lake Trail

The next day everyone but Great-Uncle Bob set out to hike the Bear Lake trail. About a third of the way up P saw some irresistible boulders and took a shortcut, fast. I've mentioned before that he was born climbing. Climbing up our chest when we hold him, climbing furniture, railings, buildings, bodies, anything that allows his legs to imagine they are on a ladder. So boulders, well, that's a given.

Fortunately, Uncle Ian is swift and agile enough to keep up with P's escapades and ventured off with E and I as back-up. I assumed we would wander the rocks for a bit and then return to the trail, but P pushed higher and deeper until we were well off any beaten path. It was some of the most lovely hiking of the trip.

We followed a snow spotted stream up the mountain affording us some really nice light climbing. We eventually hit a snow bank and ate half of it to quench our sun stricken thirst.

P sucks down the snow...
Then, of course, we had to throw a lot of it too. After that we happened upon a little glassy lake; perfect for a picnic. All of the adventure and a full belly made for a sleepy P, so he climbed on my back to enjoy the scenic side of the remaining hike.
We kept heading the general direction of the trail head until we hit dirt. And, though it wove around beautiful falls and rock formations, I was still a little sad to have left our quiet beauty and freedom. It was the sort of peace that even lures a city girl into dreams of quiet mountainside living - I'm pretty sure P had the same dreams on the return hike to the car...