Learning to Talk (and a Little About Bugs)

Warm sunny weather late in the year means lots and lots and LOTS of boxelder bugs on our house and even a few in our house (though not nearly as many as I remember being at my grandparents' house on the farm when I was little). Given the abundance, Elise has taken notice and shows absolutely no fear. In fact, yesterday evening she was ecstatic about the one crawling all over her arm. I have to admit that I'm thankful for the two bug-loving children in our house (Wesley isn't quite as keen as the other two) because it means I don't have to touch the bugs.

Because we see them a lot, we also talk about them a lot. Including Elise, who has an absolutely adorable way of talking about the ugly black and orange creepy crawlies. (The quality isn't great since I took this video with my iPhone and the sun was in the background, but you'll get the idea). Enjoy.

4th of July?

Am I really posting pictures from the 4th of July? Yep. Do I have more recent pictures I'd like to share? Yep. Am I particular about the order in which pictures appear on my blog? Yep. So now you know why you're seeing pictures from the 4th of July in October. I'll share the rest of the summer and fall eventually. Right now, you get the 4th of July.

Weird science experiment?

No, no, no. A root beer float!

The boys' first root beer floats.

They

were

a hit.

Elise couldn't understand why you'd put pop on perfectly good ice cream.

A delicious chocolate brownie (so discretely stuffed in her mouth here) goes much better with ice cream.

With brownies & ice cream everyone is happy.

What do root beer floats have to do with the 4th of July? Nothing really except that we had them that weekend when we were up at the cabin doing our other 4th of July things. Things like playing in the water, playing on the beach, going for buggy rides, swinging and basically just having a fantastic time.

Who's That Girl?

Five Question Friday

Join Mama M for some Friday Fun.




1. What were your school colors?

High school? Oh this reminds me of a cheer! Yes, I was a cheerleader. But not a traditional cheerleader. Our claps weren't stiff, we didn't do stunts and we stomped...a lot. Ready for that cheer?

Red, gray and white (psst...those are the colors),  na na na na na
We're out of sight na na na na na.
We're gonna win so na na na
Stick that in your na na na na na na na na na woo!

Classy, I know.

College? Maroon and gold, baby. But probably not the maroon and gold most Minnesotans think of. That maroon and gold came later during grad school.

2. What's the best compliment you ever received?

Okay, so I don't know if this is the best compliment ever, but in the recent past one of my coworkers came up behind me and squealed, "you look so skinny I didn't even recognize you." Now I surely wouldn't classify myself as skinny, but given that I've worked very hard to drop 30 pounds in the last 8 months it was a compliment I was definitely grateful for.

But that answer seems a bit shallow. So it got me thinking (since I like to modify questions at will): What is the best compliment you hope to ever receive?

My answer? Well done, good and faithful servant... Only by His grace.

3. Do you buy cheap or expensive toilet paper?

I don't know. It's not generic, but I try to get it on sale and use a coupon.

4. Have you ever had a surprise party thrown for you? Or have you had one for someone else?

I feel so blessed to be able to answer this with a big "yes!" My wonderful husband and an amazing friend planned a surprise party for me for my 29th birthday. It was unforgettable. I felt so loved and so honored. I believe it will live in infamy as my favorite birthday party ever.

5. What is one material possession that you "can't live without"?

There is nothing material in this world that I couldn't live without. Really. And if I could list something then shame on me.

Of Horses, Fences and Deep Thinking

Not one

Not two

But all three of our children were captivated.

By what?

This horse farm.

You'd think we live in the country.

We don't.

But we do have this really great farm (ranch?) within walking distance.

And there's an adorable fence.

By which I can take adorable pictures.

Of this adorable* baby girl.

The way I see it, it's a win-win. The kids get to explore (from afar)

the horses and all that's involved with them and the farm (ranch?).

And I get to practice capturing their thoughts and expressions.

Some deep thoughts, apparently.

*I fully acknowledge that I'm biased when it comes to the aforementioned adorableness of our little princess.

Playing Outside with Boys

We like to play outside. Anyone else? Funny thing is, whenever we play outside in the summer, we get wet. It starts out innocently enough (who doesn't need their flowers watered and who wouldn't accept help from two budding gardeners?).

But then other things get watered.

Like cars.

And brothers.

And you end up with two very

wet boys.

Fortunately for Elise

the preceding events took place before she could walk.

(Did I mention she can walk now? It's about time!)

Which meant that she was guarded from the garden hose shower

by the safety of the front porch.

Five Question Friday

Time for Five Question Friday again. Check out Mama M's blog hop here.





1. Do you collect anything?

Do children's toys count? I'm sure I used to collect things, but for a few years I experienced the joy of an uncluttered house and I gave up on collections. Maybe I should qualify my answer by saying that I don't collect things on purpose. Some things just collect on their own: coupons yet to be clipped, books yet to be read, children's art yet to be preserved, dust...you get the idea.

2. Name 3 celebrities that you find good looking.

No thanks.

3. Do you have any scars? If so, what's the story behind it (them?)?

Are stretch marks scars? If so, then I have lots of scars. And they're from having babies. If they don't count then I'm afraid my sheltered non-living-on-the-edge life has produced no scars to speak of.

4. What is a food that you like to eat, but others might think it's gross or weird?

Spaghettios. Though I don't eat them anymore. Okay, so maybe this is something I used to eat that now I think is gross. That's my modified answer.

5. Have you ever seen a tornado in real life?

I have this very vague memory of driving (well, riding since I was too young to drive) home from school one time and needing to choose a different route than we'd normally take because there was a tornado in our path. I mean, right up the block. But I also remember the driver being very calm and collected, which doesn't make much sense when faced with a tornado, so I can't say for sure that this actually happened the way I remember it. So I guess my answer is: maybe.

Happy Birthday to You...

Happy birthday to you...

Happy birthday dear, Grandma...

Happy birthday to you.

I think this was Grandma's favorite gift...the one with feet.

For the record, I'm way late on posting these birthday pics, but if you'd still like to wish my mom a happy birthday, feel free. Just be sure to call it belated.

Like Mother Brother, Like Daughter Sister

On Memorial Day weekend, it wasn't just the boys getting dirty this year. Elise was a full fledged member of "Club Sandy Pants."

It started out innocent enough, sitting on the beach with the sand toys.

But then we got some water involved and the sand got a little sticky...and she touched it...and then touched her face.

She didn't like that...at first.

As the following pictures illustrate, it turns out she didn't really mind the sand on her face...

or her clothes.

Or maybe she just didn't notice right away.

 

As much as I'd like to assume she's thinking "How is mom ever going to get these clothes clean?" I'm not naive enough to bet on that (not that I'd bet anyway since I'm not really a wagering person, but you know).

We did eventually get all the sand out of her clothes...and her hair...and her mouth...and off her face...and...

Don't Worry, Bobby McFerrin, No Fish Were Harmed in the Making of This Blog

My dad has a strange sense of humor (sorry, Dad, but you do) and when Billy Bass came out a decade ago he was one of the first to claim ownership of one of the singing sensations. He is also the proud owner of a singing "Caddy Shack" gopher. They are both proudly displayed at the cabin and some of the kids' favorite toys up there. I'm sure Elise was captivated by them more than once last summer, but given that she likely has no recollection of that time in her life (you know, because she was a baby) Billy Bass was brand new to her this year. The series of pictures below chronicles her first "Billy Bass" encounter.

She innocently sits on Daddy's lap listening to the island-inspired music of Bobby McFerrin, probably swinging her head back and forth with a big grin on her face as she often does when she hears music. "Look mom," she's thinking, "this fish sings!"

"What's this? The tail moves!"

"And the head! Hey, I can put my finger in there."

"Ouch! This isn't as cool as I once thought."

"Daddy, did you see what that fish did to me?"

"Ooh, I know how to take care of that fish."

"Let me just get this hammer, here."

"Bite me again, Billy. I dare you."