Pictures from Rome

Entry way outside the guest house where we stayed


View looking out from St. Peter's



Inside the Colosseum


Inside the Colosseum


Picture of the Roman forum


Outside Trevi fountain


Dome in the Pantheon (okay maybe you had to be there for this one!)

Mr. Logical

Yesterday I was explaining to Jack how good stories and books have a plot. He quickly asked what a plot was. I told him that there should be a problem and then a way to fix the problem.

Jack asked if he could write a book last night. I quickly went and got a pen and paper and had him dictate his book to me - without any editing (even the title was his). He was speaking so fast I could barely keep up. Here is his first book - probably not destined to be a classic, but a decent first go. We will have to work plot a bit more! He does like his onomatopoeia though.

Mr. Logical by Jack W. C. Anderson

One day they were wrestling until Mommy called them for breakfast and something went boom boom clap. It was the postman with a letter for them. Mr. Logical wants them to come for lunch, and he was going to serve pizza and beans until something really happened. There was big excitement in their house as a dog came in and said woof woof.

Worth a Smile

I was going through old pictures and found this one. Charles and I took this on the London underground a couple of years ago.

Theo laughing

Here is another video taken of Theo about a month ago laughing and having a good time.

Drummer Boy

Here is a video taken about a month ago with the boys drumming in the back garden. This is one of Jack's favourite activities and by extension has become one of Theo's.

Vocab

Jack just told me that he was 'enthused' to go to pre-school.

Is that a normal 3 year-old word or do I have Charles to blame?

I spy....

This morning at breakfast.

JACK: I spy something that starts with an F.
ERIN: Hmm. Is it a fork?
JACK: No.
ERIN: Is it the fridge?
JACK: No.
ERIN: Jack, I give up. What is it?
JACK (with a big smile): It is FEO!

Oh, the joys of having a brother with a hard 'th' name.

Brotherly Love

Conversation between Charles and Jack this morning:

‘Dad, look at my shopping’. Charles looked and saw that Jack had filled up his shopping cart (trolley in the UK) with his toys.

‘I got an axe, and I got a sword’, Jack said.

‘Wow, this looks like a pretty violent shopping trip’, Charles remarked.

Jack ignored this comment and proceeded on. ‘And I got a ball and a bunny for Theo’.

Just as Charles was ready to praise Jack for this kindness, Jack added, ‘I really think of my brother, don’t I?’ And Charles thought, yes, but I hope it’s just in regards to the second set of things in your cart, and not the first ones too.

Jack the Cop

So we were driving home from the store last night and a VERY minor stop light turned yellow just as we were approaching. And yes, I sped up and went through (safely, I might add). But this did not escape the attention of my three-year-old who quickly from the back seat reprimanded me. The conversation went like this:

Jack: Mom, that was a yellow light.
Erin: Yes, Jack. You are right. I shouldn't have gone through. I should have stopped.
Jack: No, you shouldn't have. That was not the right thing to do.
Erin: Yes, Jack. You are right.
Jack: They wouldn't be very happy with you.
Erin: Who wouldn't be very happy with me?
Jack: The people who made that rule.

Boys are from Mars and Girls are from Venus

Today we were getting ready to go to the park with one of Jack's good friends, Grace. Grace is a little bit older than Jack and has gotten to the stage where she now acts like a little girl. Jack has not quite learned how to play with girls. So today I decided that I would try to help Jack get along with Grace better by giving him some pointers on how to treat girls. Our conversation went something like this:

Erin: Jack, so God has made Grace a girl so there are certain things that you like that she doesn't.
Jack: Like what?
Erin: Well, she doesn't like to be tackled or wrestled or have someone jump and wave their hands in her face.
Jack: You like those things Mommy.
Erin: Well, yes sometimes I do. But the point is that Grace doesn't like these things, she doesn't do them to you, and it would be kindest of you if you didn't do them to her.
Jack (long pause, you can tell he is really thinking): How did Grace learn not to jump and wave her hands in people's faces?

And there you have it, the difference between girls and boys. Some things don't have to be taught or learned.