I love that Annabel can read. LOVE it. That means I don't have to read every single piece of childish literature that passes through our front door. Well... we recently acquired a comic book telling the story of Smoky Bear. We've all grown up with the motto "Only you can prevent forest fires." Imagine reading that by yourself when you're 5. Talk about a heavy burden! Annabel comes to us with the weight of the world... well, at least the forest and all its creatures... on her shoulders. "Only I can prevent forest fires!" Yeah, Baby, get out there and get to work!

We ditched the kids with the Dexters for the weekend (thanks a million Mom & Dad!!!) and headed up to Ponderosa State Park on Payette Lake (a.k.a. McCall). Beeeeutiful! I'd never been there, but it was spectacular. The forest was thick and green, wildlife abundant, the air was overwhelmingly piney (using it, yep), the weather was a perfectly still and sunny 70 degrees, and did I mention that our children were nowhere to be seen or heard?!


In our short time away we went hiking, mountain biking, canoeing, fishing, ice skating, ate a lot of junk and drank a couple bottles of wine. FANTASTIC! Apparently Eric is a semi-pro figure skater, mountain biker, fisherman and canoer. Who knew? Actually, he just likes to show me up on everything. Thanks, Honey.

Where's Waldo?

At least I got a fish to play with my lure!

(The life jackets sure saved our butts...literally.)

Watch out Plushenko!

Hey there, can I row your boat?

After the day that today has turned out to be... I shouldn't even be surprised. Washable marker? What do you think?! I am somewhat obsessive about only keeping WASHABLE crayons and markers around the house. Inevitably, one or two always elude me. Such is the story of Red. It's 8:30. I'm going to bed! (Would someone mind breaking the news to the kids that they are expected to do the same?)

We are playing at the park. Kids are pretending to drive to far away places...

Annabel: I'm going to drive to California.
Me: What's in California?
Annabel: I don't know. I've never been there before.
Andrew: I'm driving to Minnesota.
Me: What's in Minnesota?
Andrew: I can drink sota.
Me: Oh yeah? What kind of soda will you drink?
Andrew: Alcohol.
Annabel: Andrew, you can't drink alcohol.
Me: Why not?
Annabel: Because he'll get a headache!
Andrew: What is alcohol?
Me: What kind of soda will you drink?
Andrew: Don't know.

It's always the little things that make me smile.

Just because we're land-locked here in Idaho doesn't mean we don't get quality beach time. Okay, so the sand is less than soft and the fresh water is the temperature of glacial melt. But for us, this weekend was sand and sun nonetheless.


Ava's opinion of the water:



We camped at Van Wyck in Cascade, which gave us great beach access, but was a tad windy. We can't wait until next summer when Ava will be running around causing her own chaos instead of whining and crawling around our legs! Thanks for coming with us Jeremy & Molly. Good times!

That would be the unfuzzied back of her head. Seems like by the time anyone usually sees her, her hair is matted and frazzled and has gone through a few naps and a couple rough nights. So, I thought I'd snap a shot of how curly her hair is after it's freshly washed and air-dried.
And if anyone cared to wonder what was preoccupying Ava while I shot pictures of the unmoving back of her head. . . now you know.

This was my high school. And, what a great school, too. I was a 3rd generation student, and I might just have to move back into the Boise district so that my kids will be the 4th.

My high school reunion: felt a lot like high school, but with booze to take the edge off. I was half expecting to end the night feeling like a total unaccomplished loser. I was dreading even going. However. . . I realized that I am a loser. Always was. And I'm okay with that.

P.S. I musta missed the memo about the group discount for boob jobs. Seriously girls. Like we aren't going to remember?!

I've done it. I bit the bullet and committed Annabel and myself to trying the virtual academy. After doing countless sample lessons and harassing the poor ladies in Arco with a million bazillion questions, I finally just signed her up. All I can say is that it's a good thing kindergarten is only 2.5 hours a day... Ava's naptime! Phew!

These babies are 11 inches!

What can I say, dancing just comes naturally for my children. It must be that they inherited my talents (or lack thereof)! Check out Annabel's Port de bras! Beeeutiful!

Ava has this one cute little curl that is taunting me. It's daring me to cut it off her head and paste it into her baby book. She won't know any different. But me, I'll have this little lock of hair to cherish forever! And, yes, those shoulders and neck are SO kissably soft.

Yes, we do have a pool in our subdivision. Yes, we do pay exorbitantly for access. No, children, I will not take you EVERY day it gets over 70. Inflatable backyard swimming pools definitely have their perks. For one thing, I rarely ever say no. And, even Eric will occassionally participate (he hates the neighborhood pool and all the obnoxious, splashing, noisy children whom are no doubt peeing in the water!).

For the first time, probably ever, I questioned my baby's doctor. Of course, not out loud. But in my head I was thinking "Does she REALLY know?" It was immunization day today for Ava. Her last Prevnar, her first MMR and her first Chicken Pox vaccine. With all the media hype and hysteria in recent years revolving around the increased prevalence of Austism, and the potential link between it and early childhood vaccines, how could a mother NOT at least hesitate before signing the consent form?! I've read and researched both sides. Of course, the ever trustworthy CDC and FDA touting the ingenuity of vaccines and their life-saving, epidemic disease halting capabilities. And the polar opposite conspiracy theorists waving proof of doctored experiments, padded statistics and most importantly, shattered lives of those adversely affected. Who can you trust with your life or the lives of those you love? Ugh!

Okay, we're still not laughing at ourselves... YET. But as the pain and color fade, the situation IS getting a little more humorous. P.S. Eric, thanks for the half-ass job on my back! Love ya!

Although this video is a smidgen on the CRUDE side, I couldn't help but laugh!

http://www.adultswim.com/video/?episodeID=9123c3ea0bf0e7dd01a1100209c1a00d

We're a coupla dummies! No, really, we are! On our first day here together, Tuesday, we decide to hit the beaches. Eric has asked around and scoped out the best place to go. So, there we are, taking in the beautiful ocean scenery, the white sand covering our toes, silently watching the swimsuit clad strangers (and secretly wishing most were a little more modest). Then out I pull my little 3 ounce bottle of SPF 30 -- yes, thank you airport security, you can shoulder some of the blame -- to cover both our exposed vulnerable bodies. Needless to say, 3 ounces just isn't enough for a day in the sun, especially not for us fair-skinned Idaho folks. By that evening we were feeling the effects. I suffered through the chills for most of the night, and by morning we were both miserable! Here it is, Thursday, and we're still in beautiful, sunny, warm Florida. But, am I outside enjoying myself? Are we heading to the beach to relax? NO! I'm sitting here blogging because I can barely walk! We've spent the last two days home-bound in front of a very large plasma TV watching movie after movie after movie, occasionally unprying our aloe-laden bodies from the leather sofa (OUCH) to rehydrate or refuel. Today, one of the Tampa natives tells us that this week the UVA and UVB index (they have one of those?) has been off the charts. Grrreat. That would have been helpful information TWO DAYS AGO! However, our time here has still been out of this world. We've been able to stay up late, sleep in, enjoy PEACE and QUIET - something incredibly elusive in our daily lives. This has been a very rejuvenating trip. Maybe God just used the severe sunburns to keep our pace at a crawl!