hello, snacktime

peanut butter + nutella + ritz = greatest pb crackers ever

twirls

take 1

For a while (a few years, actually) I have had a picture in my mind that I wanted to take.  I wanted it to be 30% peeps, 40% big blue sky, and 30% green hill.  We were playing at a park a few weeks ago, rolling down the hills like crazy people, and we stumbled into these.

For it being a 'test', I think this hill passed!  I'm big on taking pictures, but not big on printing them.  We have 1 of each peep and 1 wedding pic in the house; I'd rather look at a scenic print than people on walls.  BUT if I can snap a good one of the peeps once Baby A can sit up, I think it will be print-worthy.

for my next trick...

newness factor

My mom has told me that Brandon really liked me when I was a baby - and if we looked anything like the picture above, I'm suddenly starting to understand my mild claustrophobia issue.  Baby A is showing some angst, while his older sibs have got nothing but love.

Looks like Baby A will be loved for the long haul.  Just as he should be.

daddy's day

So for Father's Day this year, we got Dustin a hammock.  But it turns out that he isn't so much a hammock person (had I really thought about how often he relaxes outside, I might have figured that out, but in my mind everyone loves them, wants them, can't live without them).  So the peeps and I have been spending lots and lots of time in the hammock.  Maybe the corresponding quiet house is a gift to Dustin?

I took S&P to the Father's Day make it 'n take it at Joann's last weekend.  They made bobble heads for him to take to work.  A bunny and a super dog...

We love Daddy!!

favorite 4 word phrase

Oh no, my baby _____

I hear it at least 10 times a day (P's favorite 3 word phrase: S did it).  She says it all the time - probably because her baby is with her all the time, and suffers an array of calamities: dropped her in the potty (Oh no, my baby is all wet!), buried her in the sandbox (Oh no, my baby is yucky), lost her under the car seat (Oh no, my baby, where is her?)...the list is literally endless.

Tonight those 4 words popped out as I hung up some pans, making too much noise.  They were followed with, 'Shhh!  My baby wants to take her nap in the kitchen.'

If only P would take these words to heart and stop waking up my baby.

fire ants

We have started going through this book and this weekend we hopped over to Green Mountain in Lakewood.  We were supposed to do a 3 mile loop, but the peeps got super whiny halfway through and wanted to turn around (I told them it was the same distance, but...whatever) so we just did a 3 mile there-and-back.  It was mostly overcast but sunny at the very end.  We saw lots and lots of flowers (those giant dandelions were a huge hit) and talked about why the storm above us was moving over to the beach (Bear Lake).  

But mostly, we talked about fire ants.  Why they were red, why they were fast, why we saw so many of them, why they lived on Green Mountain, why we should keep going, why they like to bite people...why why why.  I would have taken a picture of them, but they pretty much creep me out (P actually just came up to me and asked if she could see the fire ants from our hike.  They're obsessed.).  We came home with one skinned knee, one scraped ankle, a backpack devoid of all snacks, and very dirty children.  Good times.

free no more

Dustin and I were exceedingly pleased with ourselves about this one.  Creative parenting for the win.

the three foot perspective

S and I were talking about perspective last week.  How different people can look at the same object, but see entirely different things.  And how we come up with different answers - all correct - to the same questions (What do you think of when I say laughter?).  

This entire conversation was a result of my inaccuracy when studying his Lego creations...'That's a totally kickin' rocket, man!'...'No it isn't.  It's a super sonic speeder with turbo boosters!'  Then he sort of looked at me over his glasses and rolled his eyes.  Is he really only 4?  Back to the topic.  To prove my point, I gave him the camera and sent him outside to take pictures of some things he likes best.  And then he had to explain them to me if I couldn't figure them out.  Here we go...

wet clothes, because he loves playing with the sprinkler.  (he also loves taking the wet clothes off while outside and running around naked)

the hammock.

the stool that he uses to boost himself into the hammock.

the quilt we take outside for the hammock.  they love to lay all the way under it and watch how the sunlight shines through all the different colors.

it's hard to see, but this one is of the clothesline where I hang Baby A's diapers.  they think it's totally awesome...I know, it's strange.

the grass, 'just because it's green', he said.

and the sky, because we like to watch it and figure out what shapes the clouds are.

P is up next.  I'm interested to see what she wants to take pictures of (I'll have to help her a bit).  My guesses include: the new plastic baby pool, her bike, a caterpillar, and the hammock.  Fun stuff.

farmer's market

Yesterday the farmer's market by our house opened for the summer.  We usually go each Sunday after church (Baby A will probably stay home most weeks, as it's super hot) and it was so nice to spend a few hours there with the peeps.  They mostly wanted to play in the fountain - really not a surprise - and then we did all sorts of other fun stuff.

I made a pie with S the day before and we trotted it off to the pie contest.

  He won a ribbon.  It was super.

june haiku

oh june, i love you

super fun, hot sunny days

but summer school sucks

_______

start summer start now

sticky hands and sandy feet

laughing peeps always

_______

pale dawn all around

berry breakfast in hammock

time with my best girl

I need to practice more.  Definitely a skill worth honing.

Do you haiku?

does the video function really work?

And just in case it doesn't work...

one-armed cooking

There's a lot of it going on these days.

Thankfully he's usually asleep when I make breakfast.