I'm Bringing Sunny Back..Yeah!

The sun is making a come back, baby.

The days are stretching out nicely, the sun has come out of hibernation.

It's creeping through the slats when the rest of us get up in the morning,

and waits until after dinner to head on back down in the evening.

This is Piper's goofy look. One lip raised.

Ooh yeah, we love the sun.

Little Boys

scoping a bug...

Is he picking it up?

I think he's going to pick it up...

Don't pick it up!

Kids Are Weird

Bed time, brushing teeth. I can't find Avery's princess toothbrush (as Evan has ran off with it somewhere). She won't use any other toothbrush, so I say "fine, let's just go to bed then".
While we are thusly arguing, she is rolling the bathroom rug into a fruit roll up. Finally she agrees to just use Evan's toothbrush.
The fruit roll up rug is bugging me, so I unroll it. This sends her into a tizzy and I have to stand there, breathing slowly, while she rolls it back up.

The Backyardigans episode "Movers of Arabia" is rarely played at our house because for some strange reason Avery is terrified of it.
Yesterday she was taking a long afternoon "ear infection" nap, so I turned it on. Every 30 seconds Evan let out a sad, bottom lip cry.
I tried to figure out if something was poking him or if he was hurt or what. Then I realized he was scared. Of "Movers of Arabia".
I turned it to another episode and he was happy again. I really don't know what is so scary. There aren't any monsters or ghosts. They wear turbans. Have my children already learned to be afraid of terrorists?

Groceries

My grocery store has a children's play place, but you have to be two years old to enter.
The other day I dropped them off there for the first time, and I got to shop. All by myself.

Maybe you don't know how crowded stores are here. They are jam packed (with Canadians). You seriously have to wait your turn for the cheese isle. So when you dollop two bored children on top of that, grocery shopping becomes a huge necessary nightmare.

My best solution has always been to open up a package of fishys or fig newtons for them to snack on while I maneuver my cart around traffic. (Jamie told me this opening of unboughten wares is "white trash", but I call it survival).

Cut to the day I sent them on their way to the play place...they watched Dora, colored pictures, ran around with their hands in the air (Evan).

You better believe I strolled leisurely through the store.
If I forgot an item and had to retrace my progress...I did.
If ten people blocked my way on the cereal isle...I waited patiently for a gap to open up.
If I couldn't find the chickpeas anywhere...I mosied around until I found them.

Birdie Food

We add an "ie" to all animals in this house: birdie, doggie, froggie, kitty cat.

Avery made this serving of birdie food for the birdie living in our pantry. She placed it on the floor, shut the door, and yelled at me to be quiet while the birdie ate.

Red Cliffs and Treasure

Well, if you're waiting for a Harry Potter World post, there's none coming.

We had a change of plans - the hazards of trying to fly free. All flights to Orlando were overbooked. So even some of the folks that paid for tickets couldn't get a seat.

Us stand by fools were out of luck.

We'll try again next time.

Meanwhile, we hung out in St. George's 70 degree weather.

Grandpa Larsen is a great story teller.

I love this picture. It is quintessential Larsen men.

Avery was a great hiker. Even in Crocks.

Pick a rock,

throw a rock.

 

That blue sky!

The state of Washington and all its beauty is blowing my mind,

but Southern Utah will always be my number one outdoor aesthetic.

The red rock, the paths that follow a trail of water...it's just...

fantastic. 

All right. I wasn't going to tell anyone about the treasure we hid, but I am trusting you won't go pilfer it while we're away.

upon meeting the elephant with too long of trunk,

reach inside the left hollow that serves as his sight,

if you make contact and you're down on your luck,

the treasure is yours - t'will amend your sad plight.

2 Year Old

How come the minute he turns two, he seems so tall and old?

I made sure he got to throw some rocks in water on his birthday...

and that his cake was on wheels, (which he almost rolled off the table).

He smiled and clapped so big when we sang to him.

He was a lap child on the flight there, but a regular seatbelt sloucher on the way home. I actually enjoyed myself while he lay there sleeping. He sat up with sweaty, curly bed head and chirped "hi!" at me.

It has been a high maintenance 2 years with this boy. Boy, boy, boy.

But when he is sweet...he is sweet. My favorite is when he puts his forehead up to mine and smiles big with his cute little teeth showing. For a while it was more of a painful head butt. Now he knows to be gentle, and it makes my day.

My little bug.

Photo Shoot

The other night, Avery begged me to take her picture. She never asks me that.

So I got out the camera and she just started posing...

Hey Mr. Tambourine Man

See that embroidery hoop? That's Avery's "tammerine".

She asked for one with bells on it, but meanwhile she is ok to tap this one against the palm of her hand soundlessly.

So, the other day at Joy School they had a show and tell. I asked her what she wanted to bring - of all the things she owns, what does she want to show her friends?

Her tambourine.

I tried to talk her out of it for some reason. But then I came to my senses and let her take it to show and tell.

The teacher said she showed how to hit it on her palm, then showed everyone that you can put it around your neck and swing it like a hoola hoop.

Later me and Jimi asked her to show us her tambourine. It was so hilarious. She just kind of made up uses for it as she went, putting it over her head and stepping through it.

La la la.