because i don't want to forget

Because I don't want to forget what it looked like to reach the third floor (huffing and puffing, usually) and see our apartment.

Because I don't want to forget the entryway and the buzzer we used to let people into the building.

Because I don't want to forget the lovely paned glass door that didn't actually work properly but added charm to our living room.

Because I don't want to forget the way we stuffed things behind the couch in an attempt to create more storage space.

Because I don't want to forget the view as I sat on that couch.

Because I don't want to forget how the living room greeted me when I walked in.

Because I don't want to forget how we heaped things high. 

Because I don't want to forget how our books filled the rooms as much as our children did.

Because I don't want to forget the spot where things piled until they found more permanent homes.

Because I don't want to forget how versatile that little blue table has been, as it was dragged from room to room for game playing, art projects, and into the apartment entryway as an extension to our kitchen table so "we could all eat together."

Because I don't want to forget the room where everyone gathered with their toys and creations and tasks to just be together.

Because I don't want to forget the tiny hallway that gave access to every other room in the apartment.

Because I don't want to forget how the kitchen had the best natural light and in that way was a welcoming place to be.

Because I don't want to forget that we managed to squeeze five -- and sometimes six -- people around that table.

Because I don't want to forget that even though the fridge leaked in the summer,  didn't ever have quite enough space in the freezer, and was impossible to open when people were seated at the table, it was always covered in photos and artwork of and by my children that made my heart sing.

Because I don't want to forget how there was only one light switch in the kitchen and how 75% of the time I wished it was by the other entrance.

Because I don't want to forget how I somehow managed to make my minuscule amount of counter space invitingly cluttered and productive.

Because I don't want to forget the view from the large sea salt-covered windows, which looked out over neighboring roofs and a ragged tree that towered at least six stories tall and housed bright red cardinals and the occasional raccoon.

Because I don't want to forget where I spent so much time preparing meals for my family.

Because I don't want to forget how much I loved my New York themed Fishs Eddy plates hanging on the wall above the cupboards.

Because I don't want to forget what an inviting sight this was after hauling loads of groceries up the stairs and finally having a spot to set them down on.

Because I don't want to forget how I could almost simultaneously wash dishes, help a toddler on the potty, and help Garrett pick a chapter book out from this spot.

Because I don't want to forget how many people we were able to cram inside this tiny, oddly shaped bathroom.

Because I don't want to forget how many little boys we bathed in that tub.

Because I don't want to forget how if we plugged the vacuum into the bathroom outlet it could reach everywhere in the apartment.

Because I don't want to forget how our landlord thought that by installing that one extra towel bar prior to our move in he was giving us plenty of towel hanging space. Little did he know how we'd fill this place!

Because I don't want to forget that that bit of space around the small, shallow sink is what New Yorkers call "counter space" (air quotes included).

Because I don't want to forget how Blake never closed his closet door.

Because I don't want to forget how inviting my bed was when I'd retreat there after an exhausting expedition.

Because I don't want to forget what it looked like as my entire family would march in one by one, climbing on the furniture as they did so, needing one thing or another the very moment I sank into my memory foam mattress topper.

Because I don't want to forget my makeshift sewing nook.

Because I don't want to forget the variety of surprises that awaited me each time I walked into the boys' room.

Because I don't want to forget how every square inch of this room's perimeter was used to the fullest.

Because I don't want to forget how putting four boys in the same room as their toy collection did not simplify things at all.

Because I don't want to forget the little faces that stared through the crib bars at me each morning and after naps.

Because I don't want to forget how when we bought that bunk bed, it was with two brothers in mind. By the end three brothers were sharing it.

Because I don't want to forget how cozy and comfortable this crowded bedroom really was.

Because I don't want to forget what it was like to live as one of six people in a 600 square foot apartment in Brooklyn.

eight is great

Dear Garrett,

Happy birthday to the happy, round-headed blond boy who eight years ago made me a mother! This evening at exactly 6:55 you paused in reflective excitement and then jumped for joy as you officially became an eight-year-old. This is a big year for you. In a few weeks you will be baptized and therefore accountable for the choices you make. I hope you do your best to always choose the right, and, when you make mistakes, as you inevitably will, to humbly ask your Heavenly Father for forgiveness as you repent and make your way back to the right path.

Given your parents' introverted tendencies, you are surprisingly social. You don't go to the park to meet up with friends (although you certainly don't oppose to doing that), but rather, you go to the playground to make new friends. I hope that you are always this friendly and happy to include others in your group.

I love the way you absorb knowledge, and you gather it from everywhere: books, television, reading over my shoulders, eavesdropping on conversations you probably shouldn't... And I love how excited it makes you. The wheels in your head are always turning and your creativity is limitless. Keep learning, stay focused, and be persistent, even when things get hard. Your passion will take you far if you let it.

Your smile, with its surprisingly straight teeth, is contagious, and the things you say keep me and everyone around you laughing. But for all your carefree spunk, you are also very cautious. You are not comfortable unless you know every detail of whatever plans lay ahead.

You are an incredibly sweet and sensitive little boy. Please remember to always be kind to your brothers and obedient to your parents. As the oldest in our family, you've been given a lot of responsibility, and I hope that you live up to that.

I love you, Garrett, and I look forward to watching you do great things, not only this year, but in all the years to come.

Love,
Mom

*****
Celebrating Garrett

I have no pictures, since pretty much nothing is allowed on the decks of NYC public pools, but Garrett requested that on his birthday he get to go "swimming with friends." So we invited a bunch of people to join us at the Double D pool, and he had a blast practicing his sweet underwater moves.

In the evening, Uncle Tyler and Aunt Amanda, who are in town for a brief visit, came over for a small family birthday party. It was great to get to see them.

 Garrett and Tyler talked space (pictured here ) and circuitry (with his Snap Circuits, not pictured). Tyler works as an engineer whose current project entails satellites for NASA.

He wanted a ding dong cake like Matthew got, but when I told him it was a little too involved for the time I had to devote to baking, he settled for a chocolate "French cake" with icing to make it look like a ding dong cake. It didn't turn out nearly as pretty as I'd hoped, but just about every cake I've made on June 30th for the last eight years has had issues. I blame the heat and humidity.

Ready...

 

 ...blow...

 ...and wish granted.

 He was so excited for the set of scriptures he got.

 Other gifts included a real rock collection, a diary with a lock, a NASA shirt and astronaut ice cream, a bike bell with the promise of a bike to put it on once we've moved to Ohio, a book with facts about Cincinnati, and a boxed set of Encyclopedia Brown books...

...which he got started on right away.

It's great to be eight, and by all accounts Garrett had a really great day.

pinwheel quilt

I finished my pinwheel quilt!

And not two minutes after I did, the boys took it for a spin.

I used a layer cake of Lotta Jansdotter's Mormor line to make the half-square triangle pinwheels.

And I hand quilted in straight lines to create squares on top of the triangles.

This was a fun quilt to put together, and remarkably simple, too, both of which are criteria that are right up my alley.

knuffle bunny: a walking tour

Not so long ago, after hearing about a certain literary activity, we went for a walk through Trixie's neighborhood.

First we found her house.

599 11th Street

Then we went down the block,

11th Street

through the park,

Prospect Park

past the school,

 8th Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets

and into the laundromat.

358 6th Avenue (at 5th Street)

Caleb helped by happily following along in the book. He even held up the coordinating page for each photo op.

Then we left.

Garrett "aggled" "flaggled" and "klabbled" during the first half of our walk because his stomach hurt. He also bawled and went boneless a few times. He did everything he could to show how unhappy he was. We looked... and looked... and looked... for a pharmacy to pick up some medicine for a likely case of indigestion. By the time we found one, his mommy and daddy were unhappy, too.

But fortunately for everyone, he eventually perked up, so the outing wasn't entirely ruined.

The End

They sure took a roundabout way to the laundromat! There were also several others closer than the one they patroned, but I'll willing to turn a blind eye for the sake of the story.