Stunning

Today I braided Eliana's hair into two braids. She tied her braids into a knot in the back of her head with the ends sticking out sideways. When I commented on how cute her hair looked, she told me,

"It doesn't look cute. It looks better than cute. It's stunning. Stunning is WAY better than cute."

Well. Pardon me.

The End of Day Camp (finally)

Today was the last day of day camp. I feel bad to say it, but I'm very relieved. Olivia had a hard time making it through the week. She completely melted down this morning getting into our carpooler's car. Corbin and I waved goodbye to her crying, tearstained face as they drove away. It wasn't the first meltdown this week. We decided to cancel the August camp for her. I thought she might have a problem with it, but she seemed fine. Hopefully it won't be different when it actually happens. I told her that we'd do some fun things instead ... like a date and a tea party. She's already planning our tea party, so hopefully that works out well. It's just hard watching big sister do things without you. Although, I have to admit, it's one of the best benefits of them being so opposite .... the same things just don't matter. (it's amazing how sometimes that's frustrating too)

Eliana's attitude came to a head this evening when she called me an idiot because my bike was parked in her way. Needless to say, she spent a long while in her room before we both felt ready for her to face the world again.

So on to bigger and better things. Like planning for the fourth of july. With a myriad of activities to choose from and my need to plan ahead, Steven is probably in for more long "Fourth of July Planning" conversations than he'd like. It's a good thing he loves me so much!

Visiting Avery

Last weekend we all drove up to northern Washington (Marysville) to visit Jonathan's wife, Courtney and see their new baby. (My brother is floating somewhere in the middle east using up millions of dollars .... no political commentary intended.) Since it's a six-hour drive to get there, I was planning on going alone. But at MIDNIGHT the night before I was going to leave, Steven decided we should all go. 

Here's how the conversation went: (laying in bed, half asleep)
Steven: So, why are you going again tomorrow?
Me: I am going to take pictures of Avery and I want to see her.

Steven: And when are you leaving? (btw, we've talked about this a couple times already)
Me: 2:30 ... your sister Mari is coming to watch the kids until you get home from work.
Steven: I feel like I've hardly seen you this week. What if we all go?
Me: Are you serious? That's tomorrow.

Steven: Well, I was thinking we could just drive awhile and sleep in the car when we get tired.
Me: You're kidding, right? We have three kids under the age of six. Does that sound like fun to you???

The long and short of the rest of the conversation is that I spent the whole next day getting the entire family packed and ready to leave at bedtime. We drove at night the whole way. It probably would have been fine if we'd left a little later at night. We left at 7:30 p.m., and the kids were so excited it took them forever to fall asleep. Then, ten miles from Marysville, we were stuck in road construction on the freeway for an HOUR at MIDNIGHT. To top it all off, by the time we got out of the construction, (1:30 a.m.) , we followed Steven's mapquest directions to a private gravel road in the middle of nowhere. As we're parked someplace random trying to get directions from my mom via cell phone, and while I'm trying to calm our suddenly screaming son, a creepy bum is knocking on our car window trying to get money from us. As we started driving again, Steven and I just started laughing. How crazy are we? Three little kids, a six-hour night drive turning into eight hours, hour-long road construction, getting lost, screaming kids, and creepy bums ... it was like a comedy of errors.
The next day, pictures went great. 

And we also got some cute pictures of the kids holding Avery.

And our drive home went perfect. We did it in four and a half hours. The kids slept the whole way, and it felt like we were having a date. Four hours of uninterrupted talking. I don't even know the last time that happened!! Maybe we should do it again next time we need a date!

Day Camp, Day 3

Yesterday after day camp, Eliana and Olivia were having a snack at the table while I was making dinner. In response to some question I asked her, Eliana says, "So slap me on the booty and let's make a deal!" I choked so hard I had a 30-second coughing fit. Then I couldn't decide whether it was okay to laugh or not.

Needless to say, we had a long conversation about what kinds of things that older kids say are okay to repeat and what isn't. This whole attitude thing is killing me. Who'd have thought that my sheltered, no-tv, almost-six-year-old would be rolling her eyes, sighing dramatically and for all intents and purposes acting like a teenager. Maybe this is my punishment for being so proud of how smart she is. Maybe it just goes with the territory.

On a more positive note, Corbin and I made cookies today. Three different kinds. I was feeling cookie-ish. I know, that's not a word, but it describes how I feel. Maybe I should make snickerdoodles too. Is four too many?

For all those who rag on me for my son's lactating preferences, you'll be happy to know that not only is he going to bed now with daddy (that means no nursing), but I've also started putting him down for his afternoon nap without nursing. Today he fell asleep in less than five minutes. Let me tell you, that's a big change from an HOUR!! He now has his OWN bed across the room from ours. To sweeten the pie for him, we decked it all out in Dora sheets. .... Now, before you freak out, he LOVES Dora. And I'm sure by the time he or any of his friends are old enough to care, he will be on to something else. But for now, he is THRILLED!

Well, that's all for now. I think I'm going to go eat a cookie.

Day Camp

Eliana and Olivia are going to Ms.Dianna camp this week ... it's a day camp put on by the preschool teacher at MICP. She holds it out at her house ... a few acres to run, hike, play, and swim. She has a barn with dress up clothes, a huge play structure, a pool, hot tub, and a great porch for story time, snacks, and crafts. Each week has a theme, so this week is plants. They have been planting and digging in her garden. The girls have been having a blast.

The downside is that Eliana has come home with more attitude and new phrases in the last two days than her entire first year at public school. Yesterday she asked me why I brought them chocolate graham crackers. I told her it was because I knew she liked them. There was a moment of silence in the back seat and then I hear a very disgusted, "DUH!" I was so surprised I choked, and then I started laughing. It was so obviously a new word to try out, and it didn't even quite fit the situation. This morning she told Beth (the mom who picked her up) about how her brother got into her paints. Beth asked her why he did it and she said, "My mom and dad would probably say that he did it because he didn't know any better, but I don't think so. I think he did it because he's a big JERK!" When Beth told me about it, my jaw hit the ground, I couldn't believe that my sweet Eliana would say that. I guess it should have been a hint since we've been hearing a lot of "stupid-head" and "idiot-head" ... needless to say, the older kids at Ms.Dianna camp are not on my top 10 list today. I'm actually wondering if we should cancel our second week in August.

The past two days have definately been draining on Olivia. She had a ten minute screaming tantrum when we were trying to leave. All the other kids and parents were staring, and Ms.Dianna looked scandalized. I think she couldn't believe that cuddly Olivia was a tantrum kid. Amy Gilson walked by and said, "I thought that sounded like Olivia!"

I'm amazed at how quickly the day can go by with the girls gone. I thought I would feel like I have tons of time, but I don't. I have a few hours in the morning, then lunch for me and Corbin, then naps, and then it's time to go pick them up.

Dancing with Nelly

Thursday, June 19

Okay, for everyone who checks my blog and lives close ... I'm having a Demarle Home party on Thursday. Krista makes a super yummy dinner and it's really fun and I think you all should come!!

The pace of life

What is it about this time of year that seems to run away with you?? I can't seem to take a breath, and then whoosh. It's over. So here's the update of what has been happening in our house.

Eliana and Olivia had a dance recital. They were adorable (of course). Olivia was a fire ant ... which meant lots of marching in lines. Eliana tapped to "Jeremiah was a Bullfrog" ... so she and Olivia have been singing the song constantly since then. And her ballet dance was a dandelion.

The next week, I was taking a nap with Corbin, and Eliana comes running in, "Mom! Olivia cut her own hair!" and then brings me HANDFULS of hair. I bawled and bawled. Olivia sat on my lap and bawled with me. She looks like tinkerbell now, though. It's cute ... she can pull it off.

Then Olivia had preschool graduation. it was very cute.

Then Eliana had kindergarten graduation. She was so beautiful. The classes (all 90 students) came in with these ribbon "wings" to the song "I believe I can fly" ... needless to say, I was a little sniffly. Unfortunately, the battery died on my camera, so I didn't get a single picture of it.

Eliana also lost her first tooth. She wanted it out so badly. I was convinced that it wasn't ready, but she just worked and worked at it one afternoon and got it out. She'd been working at it, and then during dinner, she bit on the tooth (it kinda crunches at that stage) and then she was too excited to eat. She begged me to try pliers, so I let her. It was very funny watching her try to grab the tooth with pliers. Eventually, the old twist the tooth worked the best. Of course. So then she had to decide about where to PUT the tooth for the tooth fairy. I think if she wasn't so convinced that the tooth fairy is real, she would have realized that it's not logical for the tooth fairy to exist. But somehow, she is able to still believe. She asked me how the tooth fairy knows she lost a tooth, and what if the tooth fairy forgets, and how does the tooth fairy get in ... and my favorite: if fairies are pretend, how come there's a tooth fairy??? (that was a tough one, believe me!) Then she decided to write the tooth fairy a letter to tell her to take the tooth but leave the box (she had a little tooth box) and that she wanted $5 for her tooth. Now, I'm pretty sure that the tooth fairy was planning on leaving only $1, but I think she was so overwhelmed by the cuteness of the letter that she left the whole $5.

Now that school is out, things have calmed down. Which is great. Except now Corbin is not feeling well. And that is very frustrating!

Life doesn't ever slow down. It just seems to pause for a moment.

Photos