ANIMALS: NOT JUST PICTURES IN BOOKS

 Zoo trip with cousins.

I forgot how fun it is to have a toddler.

Oh yeah, you heard me.

Fun.

You get to show them the world and all of it's awesome!!

OHANAPECOSH 2012

Ahhhh...our favorite mountain.

Like the past three years, we recently joined friends up at Ohanapecosh on Mt. Rainer.

It's The Most Beautiful place on earth.

At least, that I've graced my presence with.

  

Beautiful baby with Mr. Right on a beautiful hike.

Beautiful icey lake that my beautiful children braved swimming in (in their skivvies I might add).

 

Except for The Princess.  She took one look at that mountain lake and beautifully said what I was thinking, "I prefer being comfortable".

Watch 'em grow 2011.

CHAOS RESUMES

 

They are all back.  Stinky shoes, non-stop talking, jumping on the furniture and all.

DIGGING FOR GOLD

 

A big bowl of this:

plus a little handful of this mixed in:

results in this:

 

Which gives you just enough time to prepare 15 lbs of nectarines for dehydration.

EASY PEASY

Mr. Right and the older bugs are in Utah and The Pearl and I are here at home.

For a week.

Alone.

No arguing.

No divided attention.

No cooking :)

No schedule.

I was kind of worried to begin with.  The Pearl is kind of - hmmm - intense.  You could even say, right now, while she can't do what she wants very well, and she can't communicate very well and she's a big grow up in a toddler body, that she is often volatile.

I was worried I'd freak out because we were going to be a-loooone.

Without helpers or distractions or errands or demands.  

1 oldest child who thinks her and I are joined at the hip + 1 boy who I can't let get ignored + 1 yackedy-yacking six year old who is just as bossy as her older sister + 1 baby who is freaking out at the commotion and is just as demanding as the other two girl = diversions from having to play all day with the baby alone.

(And no Nana or Papa living around to help us even though we want them too he he he.)

But  I have only one thing to say.

Easy.

What was I griping about when I only had The Princess?

(Ooooohhhh, wait, I remember.  I didn't have an Ipad.)

FUN, FUN, FUN TILL YOUR DADDY...

(a picture of fun, but not car fun)

"Mom!  Mom gun it up our street!!!"

I can't anymore.

"Why?"

Dad said we shouldn't do it.

"Huh?  But there is never anybody on our street!  And it's a puh-rye-vate street therefore we can speed!!"

I still am not going to do it.

The three older bugs slouched back into their seats.

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhgggg, Daaaaaaaaaad." deflated The Princess.  "Always the killjoy."

SLUMBER PARTY

THE MUSHROOM GAME

A PERFECT SUMMER DAY

Today it was puuuuurfect weather.  If I was a kitty I'd purr.  Or if I was The Pixie I'd purr...because she is always the kitty, or puppy or other cute, little animal.

And it was 77 degrees and perfect for me.

Poor Mr. Right was earning his keep, but I had the kids and we wandered in and out of the house never bothering to shut the doors.

But the BEST part was that by the end of the day I couldn't resists nuzzling their cheeks and necks. 

Their soft, smooth skin smelled like summer.

Mmmmm...if you aren't a mom I'm not sure you'd love the smell.

But I wanna bottle it up.  Then when I'm 67 years old and can't sleep at night, I would spritz it on my pillow and have good dreams.

IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE

Actually, she's started to lighten up.

Can't you tell? 

 

(Plus, this shows one of the cutest things eeeeever.  

She regularly sticks the second toe on her right food up, like it doesn't fit in.)

LIKE MOTHER LIKE DAUGHTER

She is addicted to three things.

1. Her Nuk

2. My Ipad

3. Me

I don't really blame her though.

I am addicted to three things also.

1. Chocolate

2.  My Ipad

3. Talking about me

(I might have shared my number 1 addiction with her, and you can see it dripping down her shirt.)