poolrats

shutterfinger

Linus got a kids' model digital camera for Christmas from his Granny and Grandad, and it is one of his favorite things in the world. A few weeks ago it went missing, and just when we thought that it might be lost forever, Mama found it on a high shelf in the laundry room (in a box full of cleaning rags -- I have no idea how it got there, but I think it must have been me). Tonight we downloaded the photos from the memory card for the second time in the past 6 months. Here are some of the keepers:

dino days

We love the library. Love it. This week there was a special kid-friendly lecture about dinosaurs and ice age creatures at one of our local libraries. The big kids were enthralled, the little kid whined and asked to go home the entire time. It's hard to be the youngest. Especially close to lunchtime.

They grow up so fast, don't they?

This week we had the opportunity to help care for the cats and kittens of our good friends. We have a special place in our hearts for these kittens because they happen to be the grandchildren of our kitty, Plume, which also makes them the nieces and nephews of our kitties Spats and Pudge. Pictured below is Gurgi (aka "Key") nursing some of her brood. And here she is almost 13 months ago to the day nursing with her brothers. Amazing the difference a year will make, huh?

goodbyes

Late last week we learned that our very sweet next door neighbors have sold their home and are moving. We're very sad to lose such great neighbors (they've been here since our houses were built in the mid-60s). Gwendolyn has been especially broken up about the news and has wanted to go visiting every single day. The kids made some sweet goodbye cards and we dropped by as a family for one last visit this evening. I hate goodbyes.

stump speech

Casper: Can we watch Wall-E and Eve?
Mama: No, today is Sunday.
Casper: Can we turn it to Friday?

Casper: I tell you a tory? One time there was a little boy doggie named Toffee and he played with Casper!

shade

Linus, asking Mama to trim his fingernails: Will you fingernail my hands?

watch out for this one

Casper, to Mama: You say uh-huh and I'll say mm-mmm.

Casper: I want some crunchings and munchings!

Casper, holding out his left hand and then his right: This is my light singer and this is my zapper.

fun with faces

after (making what you might call my Glenn Beck face) . . .

. . . and before.

toothless

Well, we weren't sure it would ever happen, but it finally did! Exactly 8 weeks shy of her 8th birthday, Gwendolyn lost her first tooth (bottom left). She's been wiggling it for well over a year, and the adult tooth is half grown in behind it already, but a couple of weeks ago it was jarred (by the cat) and has been slowly threatening to come out. Tonight she wiggled the thing right out of her head and she could not have been more thrilled.

37

My sweetie is 37 today. We had a really fun day with him. He took the afternoon off of work, and we told him that we'd do whatever he chose (for once) -- so we ended up going to a matinee of Toy Story 3. (Actually, the children "planned" this as a surprise for him.) After I bought him a kebab, we all headed over to the cinema for the movie. (Casper told us yesterday that he is a particular fan of "Buzz Light Beer").

The kids relished giving him their presents (assorted books, a handmade bookmark, and a beautifully wrapped paperclip!), then we went outside to take a whack at Gwendolyn's homemade pinata (created with layers of wet toilet paper and filled with confetti and a single piece of candy from her stash).

Todd made an amazing birthday dinner for himself (pasta with leek and sausage ragu, the usual garlic bread), but had to rush off to a church meeting before he could sit down to enjoy it. We're going to keep the celebrations coming for the next couple of days. I think we have to, since the (German chocolate) cake isn't even iced yet.

Not as good as Jeff's action shot from Todd's last birthday pinata, but two years makes a tradition!

This birthday has also spawned some funny comments around the house:

Gwendolyn: How old will Daddy be on his birthday?
Mama: 37.
Gwendolyn: 37! Whoa, he's almost 40! I thought he was turning 63.

snakes and lizards and turtles, oh my!

Our library system has a series of summer events for kids; this week, one of the libraries held Reptile Day. Gwendolyn, my animal enthusiast, wanted to pet and cuddle every snake, turtle, and bearded dragon in the room. She made special friends with this California king snake.

There was also a giant turtle who took each of the boys for a ride (the turtle's owner just picked Linus up from behind and placed him right on top of the turtle, which startled Linus, but didn't seem to phase the turtle). I think we've seen this friendly turtle around town.

grateful sunday

This week I am thankful for:

• Independence Day. I'm thankful for the people who fought for our liberties so long ago so that we can enjoy the freedoms we have today. We've spent a lot of time reading about and studying the American Revolution the past couple of weeks, and this week, we got to visit Todd's library to see an early printed facsimile of the Declaration of Independence. We then went to see the state's 1950 replica of the Liberty Bell (all 50 states have one, and Texas' just happens to be a few yards from Todd's office). [Todd is offering a bigger and better tour on Wednesday morning. Let me know if you want in.]
  
• Rain! This week has been mostly overcast, cooler and wet. We've needed the rain and I'm thrilled that we got some.
• My bed. I don't know how I end each day so utterly exhausted, but I love our bed and it makes me so happy to be able to collapse into it at bedtime.
  
• The good conversationalist that I'm married to. Somehow, we've found some time this week to just sit around and talk, which is one of my favorite things to do with Todd. How thankful I am that I get to spend eternity with such an interesting person.
  

Happy 4th!

See these cute hats and necklaces? Lest you think I suddenly got all creative and talented, I want to throw all the credit where it is due -- at my friend Robyn. Everything she touches looks fabulous, so when she invited us over to do some festive crafting on a rainy Friday afternoon, we jumped at the chance. The kids were thrilled to wear their patriotic attire at the annual pancake breakfast/bike parade on Saturday. Thanks again, Robyn!

underwater

Linus didn't pass all the requirements for his level in swim lessons (did I mention that he sinks to the bottom?) and was disappointed that he didn't get a fancy certificate. Instead, he got this cool underwater photo that his teacher took of him. I love it. Orange on blue may be my favorite color combination.

swimmin' whole

The big kids are finishing up swim lessons this week, and I count this year as our biggest success so far. Linus has come a long way. He's a five-year-old inside the body of a seven-year-old, so he still has some trouble controlling his mass. Even in the water, he flails his limbs around, but he is definitely more coordinated. If a parent (or teacher) holds onto him, he moves his arms and legs just as he is supposed to, but the minute you let go of him, he freezes up and sinks to the bottom. I think a few more trips to the pool and he'll have it. His first-ever jumps off the diving board occurred this week, and he's been very proud of himself.

I think that next year we'll put Gwendolyn on the swim team. She's really a pro now -- solid forward and back strokes, treading water, swimming laps, and diving for rings. She's always loved the water and done well in lessons. She has a small class this year and the one-on-one instruction has helped her. I think she would live at the pool if I would let her, but the pool is not my favorite outing. Sorry, kiddo.

big boyler

I think I can safely say that Casper is completely potty trained and I love it. This is the first time in more than 7 1/2 years that I haven't spent my days changing diapers. It's awesome, though I will admit to bribing him with candy along the way. Here are some of the funny comments I got during this journey.

Casper, after waking from a nap and finding himself with a wet pull-up: Mama! I command you to change me!

Casper: I just pee-peed in the potty yesterday.
Mama: I know. I'm very proud of you.
Casper: I'm proud of you for giving me candy.

Mama: If you poo-poo or pee-pee in the potty, you will get a candy.
Casper, after thinking this over for a moment: If you give me a candy, then the poo-poo will come.

grateful sunday

This week I am thankful for:

• Todd's successful trip to Philadelphia and his safe return to Texas. I'm thankful for the research he got done, the interesting conference he attended -- and that the university pays for him to fly directly into our little town so I didn't have to drive to the big city to drop him off and pick him up.
  
• Our safety and sanity in Todd's absence. Swim lessons, lots of play dates, and a busy schedule helped make the bedtime routine smooth (people were too exhausted to fight me on anything).
  
• The police officer who broke into my house on Wednesday afternoon. We arrived home from piano lessons on Wednesday to find that the doorknob part of our door was locked (I don't carry a key for that part of the door). The knob can easily be locked from the inside and the door pulled shut, so I imagine that one of my helpers did this by mistake. I felt prompted to drive over to the home of my friend and visiting teacher. She welcomed me and before I could even look for a locksmith's number in the phone book, her police officer husband arrived home for a brief stop (I later learned that he was impressed to go home instead of continuing to where he had been headed). He offered to bring a couple of tools, follow us to the house, and see what he could do. He opened the bottom lock with a credit card in less than a minute! It's not everyday that a uniformed officer breaks into your house. I'm so thankful for his willingness to help me, that he didn't get a call and have to rush off before we arrived at my house, for his sweet wife who watched my kids while all this went on, and that I didn't have to pay a locksmith. I'm thankful that I am worthy to receive helpful inspiration from heaven and that I was smart enough to listen to it this time around. I'm thankful for tender mercies and answered prayers.
• For Casper's health. He's had a nasty case of croup this weekend (and by nasty, I mean that at 2 am Friday night I was sitting with my baby in a steam filled bathroom with the hot shower on full force while Todd looked up the fastest routes to the ER). I'm thankful for Todd's worthiness and willingness to use the Priesthood and for the blessing he gave our sweet boy, who seems markedly improved today.
  
• The safety of my niece, Phoebe. She took a nasty fall this week that resulted in 7 stitches above her left eye. Poor baby.
  

(paper) engineering

Todd returned from a recent business trip on Friday night and then spent much of this morning reconnecting with the kids over paper. They all made pop-up cards and were thrilled with the results.

Man of the House

Todd's been in Philadelphia all week, but thankfully I haven't been without a man of the house. Linus (seen here donning 3 hammers, a wrench and a screwdriver in a make-shift tool belt) has been very willing to lend a helping hand (or hammer) when needed.

Giant Squid!

Gwennie was beyond excited about this drawing of a giant squid. I'm more impressed by the giant cat, which, in proportion to the squid, is dang big. I'm also currently in love with the way she spells things.

summertime

sock puppeteer

While the big kids were busy being cowboys, Casper helped me fold laundry as one of his many alter-egos. This time he was "Fluff Paw", a dog with Daddy's sock as the paw. This little pup would hide under the laundry on the couch only to spring up again and fly his space ship (the couch) onto the roof. I didn't quite follow the whole narrative, but Casper, er, Fluff Paw was having a great time.

cowpokes

Gwendolyn and Linus spent much of one morning dressed as cowboys. They rode horses (first photo, notice the stirrups) and went looking for, "craft supplies in the Safari Desert." Kids are awesome.

paterfamilias

Today I am thankful for:

• the dads in my life. My father, who has always been a wonderful example of hard work and dedication, my father-in-law, who is a great example of unselfish love and creativity, and most especially, my sweet Todd. He is such a good father -- so patient and playful and loving and creative. Each and every day he teaches me how to be a better parent and our kids could not be more in love with him.
• Todd's family, all of whom I dearly love and missed this week while they were reunioning. How thankful I am to be a part of that family.
  
• the down time we've had as a family this week. We don't get much, but I'll take what I can get.
• Casper's potty skills. More on this in another post, but this is exciting news around here.
  
• our sweet kitties. I like the fact that we have these animals around to cuddle.
  

gentlewoman farmer

Gwendolyn has been excited about the progress of her garden since planting carrot seeds in the Spring. She just harvested a couple to share for dinner. "They're so sweet and peppery!" she announced.

reunion

Our family in Idaho is celebrating a family reunion this weekend (does it count as a reunion if we aren't there?) and they made these fabulous t-shirts to commemorate the occasion. We'll be wearing ours tomorrow (even Todd, while at work). Thumbs up for the family!

first inning

Our local minor league baseball team offers "Free Ticket Tuesday," so we went over and caught a little bit of the game. We only stayed for the first inning (Mama had a meeting to go to, Casper really needed to go to bed, and it's hot here), but had a fun time. The older two kids were especially interested in the game, though still unsure of the rules. We'll definitely go again.

Photo by Linus.