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Yes, You May.
The other day Mosely said, “Hey Mommy, can I pick out my own clothes?” Pretty sure we had no plans of leaving the confines of our home, I took a gamble. “Sure,” I agreed. Mosely appeared in a too-big shirt and a slightly-too-corduroy-to-be-seasonally-appropriate skirt. (Actually, Mosely picks out her clothes pretty often and mostly does a great job.) It’s just that she has a certain pattern. A specific look to which she seems constantly drawn. And it looks a lot like this . . .
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Mosely Elliot Claiborne Keigley: The Interview
I assume you realize by now that our home here is nearly overrun by small children with small feet and small hands. And I take full responsibility for that fact. (Well, at least partial responsibility.) It seems these small humans are always changing, evolving, growing, becoming. It is my duty and my privilege to make note of this process. Therefore, I have interviewed the third daughter in line here so that you too may see how she is doing, what she is thinking and try to capture a glimpse of what makes this brown eyed beauty so unique. Let the questioning proceed. For the record, will you please state…
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Yes, You Can!
This weekend I took Bergen, Mosely and London to a community theatre’s production of Oliver. (It’s from my favorite Charles Dickens’ novel and I only just read it for the first time last year. How did I receive an English degree without reading that novel, Cumberland College? How?) I love community theatre. I miss it really. (And watching the show reminded me of how much I liked that stage scene. And I think I did a pretty decent job when that was my field of expertise. Despite what that one off-off-off-off Broadway director said when I brought him his requested red candles. “No. No,” he scolded me. “I want…
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At First Glance
What you are looking at here is no ordinary ball. It’s a rubber band ball. But that’s not all. It is also the culmination of a dream. The hope of many months and much pondering and a quite intense pursuit. For Mosely, anyway. That kid thinks she created the concept of a ball made entirely of rubber bands. And she has been attempting to collect enough random loose rubber bands for a very long time now. But she was having a rather difficult time accumulating enough to make a difference. But no longer. Placed in front of her one day by Daddy, Mosely was given the holy grail in rubber…
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How We Roll
Recently Mosely asked if she could dress Piper Finn for our day’s outing. I said yes. Not only because I like to encourage sisterly love and older sibling helping, but because it was a busy morning. Kevin was out of town. Breakfast had not been served. (Or, more accurately, breakfast had not been passed out in cellophane wrapped squares. Hey, I think they were organic pop tarts, does that make it better? Who cares – right?) I still had to dress Wilder. London couldn’t find her other Chuck Taylor and Bergen was not satisfied with the choice of button up shirts I had placed on the table for him to…
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Sometimes It Looks Like This
Homeschool looks different in every house. (At least, I assume it does. I have not personally been at every homeschool house – right?) Some days it looks pretty normal. And I like that. And there are other days. Days when I like homeschool less because of what my children are learning and more because of how they are learning. And with whom. And, like life, some days get a little rowdy. A little out of control. But I kind of like that too. And finally, there are some moments in some days that just make me laugh.
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She’s So Lucky
This happened this afternoon. I don’t have to make this stuff up. (I just have to remember to write it down.) The day was beautiful. Dry. Sunny. Moderate temperature. London, Mosely and Berg were playing outside. I heard crying at the door and went to investigate. The Crying One was London. When I asked her why she was crying, this is what she said . . . “It’s just that Mosely already caught one moth and now she found a worm. And she’s just sooo lucky today and she won’t share any of them!”
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Mosely likes that
We were standing at the checkout counter when Mosely saw it. A sock monkey backpack. She tugged at my sleeve. “Mom – isn’t that so cute?” I agreed that it was. Piper pointed at the backpack with admiration as well. The sock monkey backpack. But it was on someone else’s back. And I tried to help the kids to admire the stranger’s accessory in a less obvious manner. But they are kids, after all. The lady wearing the sock monkey backpack turned around. “Can I give your daughter this backpack?” she asked. I hesitated, surprised. I said no, that wasn’t necessary. But she insisted and eventually I accepted. And now…
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The Drive Home
Do you know what is the best sound to hear as you drive through a torrential downpour? Mosely, singing “somewhere out there”. No. Not a song. Just those words. “Somewhere out there.”
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The Town of Mo
The rumor around our house is that Mosely is an alien. (Hey, it’s just a rumor guys.) London even asked her, “Mosely, are you from this planet anyway?” I’m not saying I believe the rumor. But could this be evidence? In MoselySpeak, words sound a little different. A “driver” is what you and I would call a steering wheel. Mosely frequently wishes for a backseat driver and a pedal so she can go wherever she wants to go. When most people see a Volkswagon Beetle, they say “Punch bug!” Not Mosely. She says, “bizzy bizzy bizzy bizzy bizzy back”. If nighttime approaches and Mosely’s special blanket, the one she has…
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These Two . . .
These two little girls can . . . – Make peanut butter toast – Pick out cute clothes for Piper and Otto Fox – Help Bergen put on his favorite footie camouflage pajamas – Change Piper Finn’s diaper (not requested by Mommy mind you, just took their own initiative one day) – Spread cream cheese on a bagel – Take a shower like a grown up – Answer the telephone politely – Read a book to Piper – Load the washing machine – Clean up their own bedrooms – Secretly prepare breakfast in bed for their parents – Fold towels – Unload the dishwasher Truly, these little girls are such…
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Wishes
Mosely came running in from playing outside. She approached her older sister cautiously. “Riley, do wishes really come true?” Riley hesitated and glanced in my direction. I just smiled and figured I would let her handle this one on her own. “Well, Mosely. Sometimes they do. Sometimes they don’t,” Riley ventured diplomatically. “What did you wish for?” Mosely looked skeptical. “If I tell you my wish, then it definitely won’t come true.” “Actually Mosely,” Riley said, “Sometimes when you tell someone your wish, it can actually come true. Like if you tell Mom and Dad your wish, it might come true.” Smart kids. Sometimes wishes come true. Sometimes they don’t.…
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This One
I just don’t know if you have seen enough of this kid lately. At dinner Mosely is frequently guilty of bringing her prized blanket to the table. Blankets are not allowed at the Keigley meal table. (Yes, that is a real rule at our house.) Kevin told her to store it somewhere special so she would not misplace it. With great pomp, Mosely arose from the table, carried her blanket across the kitchen and opened the china cabinet. She lovingly placed her blanket on the shelf so she could see it through the glass doors during the entire meal.
