Prairie Hero

You Made Me Laugh When...
You expressed trepidation at going camping where there was "no toilet" and were convinced that you should "just borrow one of ours."

You wanted to bike over to the neighbours, and I agreed, but after wiping out in the gravel and wailing like a fire truck until I got to you, and me calmly insisting that maybe you weren't old enough to ride over on your own after all you resolutely set your chin and said; "alright then, I guess I'll walk."

I caught pictures of you running buck naked from the pool to the house after you had hung your swimming trunks on the clothesline. (Don't worry I'm too kind to post *those* pictures.)

I caught pictures of you playing in a red velvet cape and your sister's pink flip flops (I'm not too kind to post that one though!)You informed me that maybe you were "part" girl, because you love sugar so much and girls are made of sugar and spice. Hmmm... should I be concerned here between the feminine attire and and sexual identity comment? Nah, your big sisters just help you stay in touch with your feminine side :D

I'm Proud Of You Because...
You are such a great helper around the house. Taking the garbage out to the burn barrel (and then helping me chase it down and clean it up when the bag broke half way on a windy day), wiping the table after meals, helping us pick stuff up and put it away.

Prairie Poppet

I like when you say, "so and I know" when you do it it makes me want to laugh. Iwant you to now you look cute when you say "so and I know".
Prairie girl.

Prairie Pumpkin

I Love It When
you stare intensely at me for 3 minutes and then express yourself with gurgles and coos


I'm Proud of You For
still being asleep when I wake up at four am more desperate for you to feed than you are.


Thank You For
Being such a great sleeper. I know that sounds redundant but man, it's worth mentioning twice!

You Make Me Laugh When
You get dimples in your eyebrows right before you start to cry.

Prairie Rugrat

You Make Me Laugh When You
clatter around the house in your sister's dress up shoes

insist on having your hair brushed and "beretted"

traipse around outside in a girl's summer hat with a doll slung over your arm.

escape from the church nursery and stick your mouth up against the outside of the sanctuary door and yell "Mommy..... Doooooor!"


I'm Proud Of You For
sitting through your first two time outs, without a fuss (and quite adorably if I do say so myself), and calling me ecstatically when the timer went off by hollering "Mommy... beep beep!"

Opening the door for me when I need to leave, waving and calling out "see you" before you close the door behind me. (This is huge progress from my having to sneak out the door like a thief in the night to avoid your blood curdling screams).

Continuing to go to bed like a real trooper. Waving "bye" and trucking up the stairs to your room without having to be dragged there kicking and crying.

I Love
Reading "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" to you before bed and hearing you anticipate the animals and make their sounds.

Laying down with you on the couch after lunch (or on the lawn after a picnic!)

seeing you go and snuggle up to someone when they get sent for a timeout, linking your little arm through theirs and resting your head on their shoulder til the timer goes off.

Prairie Poppet

It Made Me Laugh When...
I commented on "what a natural" Shawna (12) is with babies as I had watched her place Prairie Pumpkin tummy down over her knees, hold him tummy down over her arm in a standing position and rock him, etc. Prairie Girl informed me that was because *you* (6) had been instructing her as the baby was fussing.

You informed me that you always know when Prairie Pumpkin is about to start crying because he "gets dimples in his eyebrows."

Laura was trying to access our computer when we were away and you told her that the password was "just a bunch of dots".


I'm Proud of You Because
You are an amazing reader and speller, you knock my socks off.

You are so amazing with Prairie Pumpkin. You are going to be a great babysitter and mother.


Thank You For
Always being ready and willing to burp the baby or cuddle him and entertain him while I do chores. I wouldn't be able to do it without you.

Prairie Girl

I Love To See You
Running around the yard with wind blown hair, laughing and enjoying God's green nature.

Teaching sign language to Prairie Rugrat and the delight in your eyes when he picks it up.


I'm Proud of You Because
You are as honest as the day is long. No matter how much the truth may hurt (you), you always tell it.

You are sensitive and caring. It hurts me that things hurt you, but I love you for it. I pray that we as parents will learn to nurture and not bruise your sensitive spirit.

Thank You For
Helping me to take care of our home. Chores are so much more enjoyable when I have you by my side!

Leaving notes of love and encouragement taped around the house for all of us. You are an example to me.

Prairie Guy

I Love To See You
shaving with Prairie Pumpkin slumped against your shoulder

fencing with the older boys sitting on the quad admiring your every move

sitting at the dining room table with your bible open, and especially love it when you open up and start discussing commentary notes with great fervor... mmmm... all these things make me..... love you ;)


I'm Proud of You Because
Whatever you do, you do wonderfully well.

You managed an entire weekend on your own with Prairie Boy's incessant chatter in vehicle, boat and tent and didn't lose patience with him (externally). He will cherish that weekend always, I'm sure. As will you. Eventually. As I cherish memories of childbirth. Eventually. :D


Thank You For
Being patient while I get "back on my feet" with responsibilities around the house

Washing dishes with me

Spending time with the boys in the evening to wind them down

To the Father of My Children, On Father's Day

Thank You For
choosing me to bear and raise your children.

fathering five beautiful, amazing, wonderful children

enduring sleepless nights and crowded beds, I know how much you need your uninterrupted sleep and the fact that you endure those little squirming boys between us means alot.

being The Man who deals with diahrea and vomit, I'm forever indebted

letting them tag along and "help" while you are working about the yard, I know that "help" is sometimes more aptly spelled "hinder" but you are helping *them* feel important and valued

always trying harder to be better and for your patience with me as I do the same.

being their Dad. They adore you. But you know that.

Happy Father's Day.

Happy Fathers Day.

Dear Daddy,
you are special to me because you werck lots but still have cudlles for me.
I want to tell you how much I love you again.
I love you around the earth 100 times, up to the sun, across to the moon and around the earth 100 times again.
Love
your prarie girl.

Dear Daddy

i love you buckus you or speshul
thack you for ckaring for me
i luve it wen you do fun things with me
you or a nice dady
luve your prary princces

Prairie Pumpkin

I Love The Way You
smell

curl up against my chest and breathe big heaving breaths of utter relaxation.

gaze at me adoringly with those baby blues.

I'm Proud of You Because
you've got my thighs (guffaw!). Seriously though, they are cute on *you*.

Prairie Rugrat

I Love the Way You
Say "bob-born" for popcorn

"chup" for ketchup

"ode" for hold

"cook" for cookie

"choc" for chocolate

"ope" for open

(the fact that you *can* say two syllable words makes this all the cuter)

Call Robert and Laura "Rory"

You Made Me Laugh When
You followed me down into the kitchen the other morning and parroted my "hi babe" to your Dad.

You felt sorry for Prairie Poppet when she got sent for a time-out and promptly went to sit down beside her, rest your head on her shoulder, and sit out the 10 minutes with her.

Thank You For
Sharing one of your two mini tootsie treats with me. I know what a sacrifice that was for you.

I'm Proud of You Because
the bedtime battles are history! You are a bedtime trooper once again.

Prairie Poppet

I Love It When You
smile, and your eyes shine like diamonds

tell a joke, your laugh is contagious

I'm Proud Of You For
forsaking victory in the balloon contest to give your soon to be winning balloon to a younger child who "needed it more than you did".

Offering to give your siblings entire ice cream sandwiches and take the half remaining for yourself. You have a generous heart!

You Made Me Laugh When
you and Prairie Girl dressed up in Nonna's stockings and intimates and stuffed them full of socks and pranced around the house.

Prairie Girl

I Love It When
I find your poetry laying around the house. I read your simple and sweet 8 year old words, and see the depth and beauty that will grace those same word patterns when your womanly hands take up future pen and paper.

I'm Proud of You For
doing the animal chores on your own initiative *without* being asked, prodded or reminded. Yay!!!

Writing this;

After The Rain.
You can hardly see the hills after the rain, they look like the clouds.
The trees have water on them that look like spiderwebs
You can see the pigeons cleaning there feathers on the barn roof, they are the same color as the wet shingles
Behind the windmill deck you can see a rainbow.

I can feel you searching out the concept of metaphor, and I am so proud of your efforts. I love what you expressed, and I love what you were working hard to explore. In the future behind your words I read;

After the Rain.
The hills ellude one after the rain, blending and merging as one with the clouds
Leaves shivering and dipping, loosing wet droplets that stretch out like threads of a silvery web.
Pigeons cooing and preening, their soft, gray feathers a natural camouflage against cedar shingles on a hip barn roof
Hues of the rainbow faintly reflecting off the weathered clapboard of the windmill deck;
after the rain.

Thank You For
Thinking of me, and saving me popcorn, and writing me love notes. You delight me.

Prairie Guy

I Love It When You
tell me I'm too good to you.

rub my arms and hands and neck and head when I am falling asleep

tell me "I love you anyway" when I confess my failures to you

ICQ me from work

Thank You For
finishing our beautiful table!

getting up early, juggling work and meeting me at the dentist to hold Prairie Pumpkin while I had my root canal.

I'm Proud of You Because
you build a beautiful fence, baby.

Prairie Pumpkin

I Love the Way

you pucker your lips when you're sleeping

you root and grunt in a way that is endearingly reminiscent of a little piglet (pigs are cute, just watch Babe).

you fix your wide-eyed baby blues on me and concentrate extra hard to express a dramatic "o-o-o-"

your inny button becomes an outy when your belly is full

Prairie Rugrat

I Love The Way You

swing your arm above your head like a lasso to express your "yay" enthusiasm

applaud with gusto after we say amen

run forward while looking backward and waving making us all cringe as you narrowly escape (most of the time) doorposts and furniture.

sleep with your hand tucked under the waistband of your pants, just like your dad.

say; "hode" while holding up your pudgy arms to take Prairie Pumpkin.

I'm Proud of You Because

you made your first foray into the hay loft with the "big kids" this week. Okay, to be perfectly honest I'm more nervous than proud about this reality, but proud nonetheless.

Prairie Poppet

I Love the Way You

mother your little brothers, wiping runny noses, filling sippy cups, always quick to console

Thank You For

the times you stayed with Prairie Rugrat this week to sing him lullabies and recite Brown Bear, Brown Bear over and over until he finally relaxed and drifted off to dreamland

I'm Proud of You Because

you finished your first big chapter book, on a grade 3 reading level. You are a voracious, self taught reader and you knock my socks off.

Prairie Girl

I Love The Way You

Always pause in passing to place your cool and graceful hand on my shoulder or neck to give me that gentle prairie girl squeeze or relaxing massage.

Thank You For

Cleaning out the vanity drawers in the bathroom on your own initiative. You have a true gift of organization (now I wonder who you inherited *that* from??) and I appreciate your helping hands so much.

Prairie Guy

I Love The Way You

love them

can do absolutely anything, and do it better than absolutely anyone.

Say you miss me, even when we've been in the same vicinity all day and; along the same lines;

the way you joke about us only needing 8 square feet of house, because no matter where we are, the kids are almost always within 8 square feet of us =) (You're gonna miss em' when they're gone).