Wednesday, August 26, 2009

what did YOU do for family home evening...

...we worked on our ability to cross our eyes.

Anne's attempt, ok, so she didn't really get what was going on, but she sure is cute!



















First try for Atticus...hmmm.





















There you go! Well, kind of...


















Jane's pretty much a pro.




















First attempt:





















Sure he's doing it =) even after he saw the picture! Oh, the innocence of the young!























First runner up! Woo hoo...but I've got nothing on the grand prize winner...*drum roll*
























oops wrong one...this one is just Kenneth trying to look normal.



















Here he is, the grand champ of eye crossing. I love you any way honey =).

Saturday, August 22, 2009

i love you Jane!

Tonight I am overwhelmed with love for my daughter Jane. Kenneth and the boys are at a friends house, and Anne turned in early. That left Jane and I with a "girls night..." meaning we ate chocolate and watched Hannah Montana. As we snuggled, I got to revel in the feeling of her baby cheeks against mine. And we danced. and danced. and danced. I loved dancing with her, fast or slow. I loved watching her applaud any time there was applause in the movie, and watching her experience the excitement. She is so innocent and so wonderful. I remember a night a long time ago, when my dad was out with my brothers on a father/son camp out, and my mom and I had a girls night. We watched movies and survived a roach invasion(since there were no men folk to kill them). We still talk and laugh about that night...and my mom is one of my very best friends. It is mind boggling to me that I am the mom now. I love you Jane!

Friday, August 21, 2009

in case you didn't notice...

...Jane got her haircut.

first installment of "Parks We Love."

One of the cool things about where we live is the plethora of parks. We have 4 parks within 2 miles of our house! I have made it a goal to visit as many different parks as possible. We have found some good ones, some ok ones, one that I hate, and a few really spectacular ones. All the really good parks have a distinguishing feature that sets it apart from the others. I hope at some point to introduce you to the"elephant park," the "cool slide park," the "up/down park," and the "exercise park," but tonight's installment will present...the "zip line park...." a.k.a:





















Where all the cool kids hang out!























Peek a boo...I see you!























You got dirt? We got diggers...






























The Monkey Patrol, scouting the climbable trees...























Gavin dropping sand....
























...on Jane.























Atticus playing one of his favorite sliding games....























....called "bowling for Annie."




















Not quite enough for our own soccer team, but definitely enough to dominate the see saws.
























Monkey Patrol...finding anything climbable!
























Princess Jane, stepping onto her pedestal. May she never step down.






























Another bonus? Kenneth works 1/2 a mile from this park. Oh the joy as he met us there...























...well, most of us. She is teething, and I kind of forgot her morning nap...























Gratuitous hottie shot. You're welcome.





















Another unique thing about this park. It has a creek...well, right now it has a dry creek bed. But the lack of water doesn't stop us from having fun.




















































We will definitely be back when there is water...Of course who am I kidding, we have already been back twice and I just found the park yesterday!

A rare shot of the California leopard sleeping in a tree....
























And now the feature that gives the park its name:




Doesn't that look fun? You know what would make it better? If YOU were here with us. Consider yourself invited.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

pre birthday post

The twins turned 2...wa hoo. This was after a package from Grandma and Auntie Crystal.

Gavin


















-Gavin starts preschool in 2 weeks. He is so excited. We signed up in the middle of June, and he has been bugging me about it ever since.

-Gavin is potty trained. We told him he couldn't go to preschool if he wasn't potty trained...and he was instantly trained...seriously, we have had 2 accidents total since then.

Recent conversations with Gavin in which I wanted to sink into the ground:

setting: park near our home
I am putting Gavin's shoes on him as we prepare to leave. A Hindu woman walks into the play area about 5 feet from us...
Gavin: "What is wrong on her face?"
Me: (shushing him and speaking in a low voice) "Nothing is wrong, that is a religious mark."
Gavin: (looking thoughtful) "No, that's not it....(loudly) I know! She looks like a monkey!"
Me: (dying of shame) "What? No Gavin...that is not something we say about people..."

now the thing about Gavin, when I try to shush him he tends to get louder....as though he thinks that if he just says *whatever* loudly enough then I will understand what he is trying to say....So what happens as I try to shush him?...


Gavin:(very loudly) "No really mom...Look, She is a monkey!" as we walk away "Mom, Look! Look Mom, she is a monkey!"

Did I mention she was only standing 5 feet away....What does one do in such a situation? Run away...run fast.

2nd conversation:
setting hardware store. I am trying to follow Kenneth and only paying minimal attention to Gavin. I do however catch the tail end of a sentence that ends with.."hippopotamus!"

Me: "What?"
Gavin: (giggling and in a VERY loud voice) "That girl looks like a *mumblemus*"

the mumbling comes as I realize what he is saying and clap my hand over his mouth just in time. As soon as I start to move my hand...he starts trying to shout it out again.


Me: (whispering) "Gavin, we do NOT say that about people. You can say nice things about people, like their hair is pretty or they are really nice, but we do not call people hippopotamuses!"
Gavin: (giggling)"Ok mom. That girl....(speeding up) has a really big bottom!"

Ugh.