Vander Linden Musings

So- it’s flag football season.  All three of the boys are playing this year.  Gerritt on one team and Jake and Josh on another.

Gerritt’s team has won both of their games.  He’s been able to play quarterback, running back, and he’s done well blocking.  He scored a touchdown in his first game.

Jake and Josh’s team have also won both.  Jake has scored 2 touchdowns in each game.  He’s doing great.  Because Josh is younger, he plays on the line mostly.  He’s does very well blocking.

They all say they want tackle football next year.  I don’t know if Mom is ready for that.  Maybe Gerritt.  But don’t quote me- I’m a pushover.  If we find a league that allows all of them to play tackle football- I’m sure they’ll be doing it.

The boys invited friends over to have a last day of school get together.  We’ve decided it will be a tradition.  I decided after spending the afternoon with 6 boys, 8 and under, alone that it will be BJ’s tradition to ask off and participate in the last day of school party!

The boys had a water balloon fight which lasted 2 minutes (I took about 2 hours to get all those balloons filled while they were in school).  Since the water balloons didn’t last long we drove to Arctic Circle to eat some ice cream shakes.  The people who worked there didn’t look very happy when I walked in with 6 boys 8 and under!  Guess I should have tipped them.  Here’s a few pictures of the boys’ get together.

Josh was an all-star this year!  He loved every minute of it.  Here’s a couple of pictures of him at play…

Josh favored us with his singing while sleeping on the way to PA…

Josh was in an operetta the other day- they did “The Jungle Book.”  It was so cute.  Josh was a wolf- here’s proof of that!

He seemed to enjoy being up on stage.  Obviously doesn’t get that from his mother!!!

Yesterday our Cinco de Mayo baby turned 6!!!  And today Gerritt received his Wolf award in Scouts… Here’s some pictures

Happy Birthday Jakob Parker!!!

OK- so since Gerritt was about 3 years old we have been battling to keep the Christmas myth going. When he was three he noticed the wrapping paper was the same. Every year since then, there has been something we have had to cover up. This year- he started to remark in front of his brother that the myth is not true. I figured it was time to tell him, so that he wouldn’t ruin it for the other two. I took him into BJ’s office, and we told him together. Gerritt sat there with this funny grin like- “Ha, I knew it.” Then I asked him how he felt about it (someone recently told me I should ask my children how they feel about things when a big event happens), and he started crying.

Now, BJ and I were stumped. I sat on the floor and held Gerritt and asked him what was wrong. He cried, “I didn’t want to know!”

Guess we screwed up! Later he told me not to tell his brothers as early as we told him. He also said, “Since I know, can I help you with the shopping next year?” As guilty as I felt- I STILL said no way! He laughed.

I didn’t want to tell my kids the myth- felt it was just a big lie- but we decided to anyway- and now we’ve screwed up our son!!! Oh the joys of parenting!

The boys’ school did their Halloween celebration today… don’t ask me why. Jake woke up at 5 am excited to get dressed- I sent him back to bed only to find that I couldn’t get back to sleep. At 5:30 I got up and woke Gerritt and Jake (not that they had gone back to sleep either) and started getting them ready. They were SO excited! Once I was done with them- I woke my child that received a “Needs Improvement” on his report card in the “listening to directions” portion. I still had problems- he couldn’t get past the needing to eat first- he wanted to dress first. AAAH! Well- we got through the morning. We did it, and I am so proud of us! Here’s my crew…

Gerritt was baptized today.  First he and Jake had a flag football game to win, then we quickly got ready for the baptism.  Ethan, Gerritt’s cousin, was also baptized today.  Gerritt loved to share this day with his cousin.

Here’s a few pictures from our day…