Bowling is a Hit!

We have a newly found favorite outing in the Wooden household - BOWLING! We had tried taking the kids bowling about 18 months ago - and it was just too overwhelming for all involved. The boys rediscovered an outdoor bowling set that had been hidden away in the garage for a year and became engrossed with the game so we figured it was time to give 'the real thing' another shot. Total success! Honestly, next to swimming, it might just be the best sensory experience for my little guys. Have you been to a bowling alley lately? If so, you probably have not thought of it or experienced it through the eyes of a sensory seeking child. Have you noticed?

1. Busy flourescent carpet patterns
2. Constant sound of crashing pins
3. Lights
4. Order and predictability (sequentially numbered lanes/pins/ gutters/ball racks/ computers/monitors/ball returns)
5. Scoring on screen
6. Visual diagram of remaining pins
7. Player name flashing when it's your turn
8. 'Heavy work' of hauling a bowling ball back and forth
9. Blowing air to dry hands
10. Spinning chairs
11. Turn taking
12. Food (ok - that has nothing to do with the sensory/order highlights - but if you know my kids - snacks are a big plus!)

Literally - it has to be one of the biggest hits we've discovered in a long time. They absolutely loved it! And by the way...let me just say for the record - that there should be more family friendly activities that incorporate access to a cold brew for Mom and Dad!!

Trooper & Tanner

Troop and the Tan-man have a love/hate relationship for sure. Their most recent argument took place in the kitchen as Tanner was playing with wooden letters on the floor. Direct quote from a whiny Tanner 'Twoopah - don't eat my words! No, No! GO AWAY! I'm spelling!' A few weeks earlier, Trooper was doing all the chatting as Tanner chased him with swords (Tanner was Peter Pan, Trooper was Captain Hook - per Tanner). Trooper howled and snapped his jaw and spun around ferociously, but all in good fun as I'm sure he enjoyed the attention. Daily disagreements surround Trooper trying to take snacks or baseballs, or the boys pulling his tail or attempting to jump over him when he's sprawled out on the floor. Tanner complained the other night 'Trooper just keeps running and Running and RUNNING!'. The funny thing was that Trooper was all excited because he knew it was the boys bedtime and another day of terror was coming to a close. Within minutes, he would regain Jim's undivided attention - and he was very excited! Despite all their gripes...I know deep down the boy and the mut love each other dearly.

Ice Cream Lovers

Did you know that Michigan is the #1 producer of ice cream in the country? Huge...we love our frozen moo juice in Michigan, and the boys are particularly fond of the creamy treat. They come by the love of ice cream honestly...from Great Grandpa Rouch (also the originator of the twin gene!) who I've heard will eat a bowl every night. Well, the boys got into an already opened half gallon at 8am one morning last week. I was doing my hair, and came out of my room to near silence, which is 100% always and beyond a shadow of a doubt a BAD SIGN. As I rounded the corner to the kitchen, Tanner exclaims 'Look mommy, I'm a big boy! Alex and Tanner are eating ice cream all by ourself!'. And so they were...what big boys. A half gallon of neopolitan ice cream sat on the kitchen floor, in front of my little monsters who smiled at me with ice cream covered faces, in their PJs, crouched down and hovering over the creamy treat. Hmmm...and how are they scooping up this nutritious breakfast? With tablespoons. The utensil drawer has a child lock, but their determined little fingers reached inside just far enough to grab measuring spoons kept at the front of the drawer. So, like any good mom, I turned to the closet, grabbed a camera to document the naughtiness, and then quietly removed the nearly empty carton from my morning snackers. Afterall, it's all in the genes...can't be too tough on them for something so obviously outside their control!

Busy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Jimbo! They boys loved telling daddy 'Happy Birthday' randomly throughout the day. We planned a trip to Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek, which was delayed about 1 1/2 hours this AM when Alex's head collided with Tanner's chin...resulting in a trip to the doctor and 3 stitches for Alex :( Alex officially is in the lead - with 2 wounds requiring stitches compared to Tanner's one. I'm afraid that if Alex balds in older age he'll have a permanent reminder of he and Tanner's frequent head on collisions. I guess it's just bound to happen with 2 very busy 4-year old boys.

Binder Park Zoo was great. Tanner's favorite part was riding the trains, and Alex's was petting and feeding the giraffes. With temps in the low 70s, we couldn't have picked a more perfect day for a zoo outing. We finished the day at my parents house in Jackson with grilled food, birthday brownies, and introduction to an obviously addictive outdoor bean bag game. For my sibs...game on...can't wait for the next gathering! This is right up my alley...a shooting/scoring game you can play with beer in hand!

Uncle Brian

Uncle Brian is on the countdown to the end of summer after brilliantly managing my handfuls as the summer 'nanny'. Christy and I had cuddled and snuggled little babies...and Uncle Brian managed to turn them into 'big boys' within 3 months. Brian's boot camp accomplishments include potty training, new imaginative play schemes, and application of militant structure/logic to every day life. Potty training is pretty self-explanatory...it took more than 4 years and overcoming a lot of sensory issues...but no more diapers! We have Peter Pan swordfights, wrestling, and monkey/lion trampoline games to thank Brian for! We have rules...many of them...all perfectly recited (though not always followed) by the boys. If the boys are about to do something wrong, all you have to do is ask 'What's the rule?' and they will promptly respond 'You do not go outside by yourself...You do not open the refrigerator, you ask for help...You do not poop in your underwear...'. Predictable question, predictable response...right up their alley!

First Christy - and now Brian - we have been so lucky to share our house and lives with an aunt/uncle and brother/sister. The boys LOVE people...they have such an excitement for life - and Christy and Brian have been such a huge part of that. Each time Brian comes in the door he is greeted with an astonished 'Uncle Brian!'. I never had an aunt or uncle live with me, but I do remember how cool it was to spend time with them growing up. The boys are so lucky to have family members as part of their everyday life - people who love them and understand them and want the best for them. Also very cool - I am fortunate to share a close friendship with my siblings through adulthood. So here's to Bri-guy...a big thank you for taking my little fellas into boyhood! Fall classes outta feel like vacation compared to the summer job :)

Oldies but Goodies

It really is the classic, timeless toys/games that we can find ourselves totally lost in at the Wooden house. My evening with the boys (Jim was golfing) revolved around Play-Doh, several games of Hi-Ho Cherry-O, Lincoln Logs and puzzles. Okay, I should define 'totally lost' in Wooden boy terms. It's not the hours one might spend reading a novel or catching up with a friend. Most toys grab my monsters attention for about 1 minute at best - and that's with some coaxing. We're working on prolonging attention span a bit...so much so that it's a goal that specifically been written into the boys IEPs for next school year - stay with a single play scheme for 2 minutes!

So, as I was saying, these classic toys that we get 'totally lost in' (i.e. 2-7 minutes of play) are my favorites. To heck with the flashing lights, talking figurines, and LeapPad Talking Books. My guys and I will take a good game of Memory, a library book, PUZZLES, chalkboard fun, playdoh, or matchbox cars over ToysRUs latest and greatest any time. When was the last time you kicked a little (am I allowed to swear in a blog?) at Candyland, Chutes & Ladders, Hungry Hungry Hippos, War, Memory or Hi-Ho Cherry-O? I'm personally in a bit of a losing streak, but that's because the boys cheat (I think they get it from their Dad).

Think Outside The Box

Predictability...routine...dealing in the absolute...these are seriously cherished attributes in the lives of my little men. Alex a little more so than Tanner, as was evidenced earlier today. Uncle Brian had the great idea of taking an empty box, cutting it open, and making a ramp for the boys toy cars. A box. A pair of scissors. Did you guess disaster? Probably not, because we didn't. As Brian made his first cuts into the very predictable shape of a box, Alex stood by wide-eyed and on edge. When Brian proceeded to open the box, Alex totally lost it. The box was broken. Order was lost...chaos insued. The defining quality of a box is it's boxy shape. To flatten a box is to completely overule logic and the absolute. Result - complete meltdown - uncontrollable crying - many 'Oh no!' exclaimations. The easy and logical answer - and the key word here is 'answer' - was to just get another box from the basement. So my sappy quote from the right comes into play - we gave him the answer - rather than forcing him to solve the problem. Alex needs to learn to restore order and predictability in his world, so tomorrow the boys and I are going to consider how to fix the box. My guess is that it will include lots of tape and glue and coaxing. As long as we're making that mess, we'll probably also haul out paint and pom-poms and make a big art event of it. Ahh...the simplicity, joy and anxiety...over folded cardboard!

Inspiration

I find that I'm easily inspired these days by random quotes or stories. Not sure why...maybe more life experiences to draw from leads to easier application to my own life? Maybe I'm just getting more mushy as I age? Regardless, I'll post my most recent source of inspiration to the right and update it from time to time. Of course, these tidbits often relate to the boys/parenting...so if you get bored of my ramblings about my kids...remember this is my forum for that - deal or log off!

Here we go!

So here it is - my second ever post to a blog! Jim's sister and cousin introduced me to this interactive journaling outlet within the past month, and I think I could be quickly hooked. I'm considering this scrapbooking of sorts...without the mess and more easily shared with distant friends and family! (Don't worry Ash - it will never replace the real thing!)