A Day in the Life of a Tornado

Ryan and I often say we wish we had our kids' lives. What lucky, little, stress-less people. I sometimes agonize, though, over whether I'm doing the best thing for Tornado, keeping him at home. Would he learn more/make more friends/have more fun if he went to school? There are questions I continue to pray about, but I have to admit, the little guy's got a pretty decent life. This morning after we got back from taking the little ones to preschool, he got into my clawfoot bathtub filled with bubbles - celebrating our return of hot water...one week without it :0 He always wants to take a bath in there and try out my magazine caddy with the wine glass holder. He read Highlights and Ladybug and drank rice milk out of a goblet. :) After he got out, I gave him a full body massage with lotion. (I know you're a little jealous now, Aunt Cary.) Tornado used to get daily massages for years before the other kids came around and took over. We read our devotion together while he ate his breafast of oatmeal with walnuts, apples, and flaxseed. Our devotion was about using the special gifts God has given each of us to be the special people he intended us to be. When I asked him what he thought he did well in a way to help others, he answered that he always helps Dash when he needs a lift at Jumpzone or Playworld. I agreed that he always does that very well.


Next, he was eager to delve back into his The Ultimate Book of Kid Concoctions. He chose to make - what else - a tornado in a bottle. He read the directions, measured, and put in the ingredients of water, glitter, and dishwashing liquid. His brother and sister enjoyed playing with it when they got home.

Next, he chose to make cotton clay. It was strange stuff. I think it ended up too mushy, and I would have deemed it a failure. However, the three of them played with it for a good 30 minutes while I made supper tonight.

He watched Sid the Science Kid while I ate my lunch. I love the catchy jingles on that show. I can't help but "rap" along. "I love my mom. My mom is cool. Now it's time...for having fun in school!" "I'm lookin' for a friend. I'm lookin' for you! There's Gabriella. Watch what I can do. La-la-woo!" After he watched the episode that involved scientific tools like making charts, he wanted to make a chart, and so he made a chore chart on www.dltk-kids.com. He picked his chores to be sweeping the front steps, dusting, cleaning his 4-wheeler, taking out the recycling, and cleaning the kitchen. And then he immediately set to work doing his "chores" and checking off the list.

He ate his lunch (avocado on rice crackers, earth balls, baked tofu, carrots, and apples) up on his bunk bed while he watched a little bit of Tom and Jerry. It's good for him to have a little bit of quiet atmosphere when his brother and sister are at school. Next, he wanted to make another recipe out of his Quick and Easy Cookbook, and he chose the carrot-raisin salad.

I made him read the recipe, gather the ingredients, measure - everything. It turned out great!

After we picked up the kids from preschool, they spent time playing outside - riding their 4-wheelers, playing in the sand, hitting sticks on the ground - you know, whatever it is they do. They played with their clay, ate supper (rice pasta with lima beans and edamame plus garlic-cooked spinach), dessert (vegan "jello"), and he just did his thing around the house - reading, drawing, playing outside some more. Daddy was going to take them to the park after supper, but he has a sinus infection(ish). Those seasonal allergies can really get Ryan down. He played with them outside, though.

It was carrot salad for their nighttime snack because we forgot to put it out a supper...and then a plethora of other snacks - he snacks like crazy at night. Mommy read library books on the couch (we especially enjoyed Hog-Eye), and after our little bedtime regime, tucked them all into bed. It's just another day in the life of Tornado.