TWENTY-EIGHT

Getting our free ice cream cones at Beth Maries. 

2018 week twenty-eight

Playing a game that we can only assume is called "Riot."

Helping her sweet brother touch the giraffe at the mall.

Chinese Lion dancers at the local library. They were so fantastic. Every kid got to touch/try on the costumes. What a fun time.

They even let everyone bang the drum or cymbals. I feel a little sorry for the other patrons who might have been at the library to... ahem... read. 

My little lions. 

On a morning walk we found a crane. Theo just had to touch it. After he petted it for a minute he inhaled deeply and said, "It smells so good."

One day we went to the zoo. 

And at the zoo, I fell in love with these Giant Flemish Rabbits. They can be three feet long and 25 pounds. Amazing. I want one.

The kids helped me harvest, pluck and eat all the grapes from our little vine this year. The tag says they are supposed to be dark purple, but they were already starting to turn when we picked them still green. Perhaps I don't know enough about viticulture. I do know that they were delicious and nothing tastes quite like a sun warmed home grown grape. I understand what grape flavored candies are trying to emulate now. 

Saturday morning I introduced the kids to Pokemon. It was a grand success. They spent the rest of the day chanting, "Pika! Pikachu!" and arguing over who would be Pikachu for Halloween.

The most beautiful dinner I made this week. Summer style eggplant parmesan. I was the only one to appreciate it. Theodore told me, "I will pretend this is chicken and then it will be chicken." V complained persistently, and Matthew declared he would probably have to eat a lot of cookies and ice cream later because he was going to be so hungry... I pretended that everyone liked it and I declared that it was a delightful light summery dinner. If you don't have Philistines for family members I would recommend frying up some eggplant parmesan and instead of baking it with sauce and cheese top it with a tomato basil garlic salad and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. 

We played and played and played at the cousins' house this weekend. 

And we took a lovely family swim on Sunday before lunch. V has just barely figured out swimming and she couldn't be more proud of herself.

Quotes:

Veronica:

"I just don't think it's true. I've been eating crust for YEARS and it hasn't made my hair curly. It's just not true." Debating the veracity of the claim "Bread crust will make your hair curly" brought to our attention by one of my favorite kids books "Hooray for Bread!"

Grandma- "Do you think your mom and dad want you to bang glass things together?"

V- "Yes they do."

Grandma -"Hmm. I don't think you understand. Do you REALLY think they want you to get two glass things and bang them together?"

V- "Yes! I'm allowed to."

Grandma -"No. You're not."

Grandma -"Oh Veronica you need to wash your hands."

V- "No I don't. In our family we only wash our hands after pee, not poop."

Grandma -"WHAT? That's not true. You need to wash your hands."

V- "No! IT'S OUR FAMILY RULE!"

Grandma -"Wash your hands."

I was hiding and wanted to yell out, "Veronica don't betray us!" Snitches get stitches little one...

TWENTY-SEVEN

Childhood.

 2018 week twenty-seven

Family night at the Library. We went to see a sweet musical magic show. The man's voice was exactly like Tom Hanks. The kids really enjoyed the show.

Theodore requested doing a craft with me. He decided he wanted to make a pillow for his possum.

Then V wanted to make a huge rice-filled pillow. She got to pick the fancy stitches along the hem too. 

4th of July bike parade!

And hot dogs in the grass.

We had as many people over as we could "comfortably" seat (that number is 21 by the way.) for our annual pork ribs feast.

Morning jaunt to the grocery store. They always beg to ride on this, but who carries quarters? Why don't these machines take cards yet? 

Theo got his first professional hair cut. 

So handsome and silly. 

Too cool for just one sucker. 

At the park. 

At a different library making homemade ice cream.

They loved it even though the bag was semi permeable and the vanilla was a bit salty...

Friday night V and Theo spent the night with Grandparents while Matt and I went to see a Shakespeare in the park. We saw The Taming of the Shrew. V got to go watch her cousin in a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory play. 

And then ice cream at Chick-fil-A for lunch the next day. 

This girl loves her Chick-fil-A. 

The workers let them make their own ice cream cones. Very sweet.

A fledgling Blue Jay crashed into our window and Luna started freaking out. She got herself caught in the blinds in her mad attempt to get the bird. She kept yowling and swiping at the windows. We didn't dare go outside and try to help the poor thing because his parents were hovering and squawking very near by. I wouldn't like to be dive bombed by a Blue Jay. Hopefully it got back to where it needed to be before the neighborhood cat Roscoe got to him. 

Quotes

Veronica

"They just kept shutting me out. JUST like Elsa!" on playing with her cousins who weren't interested in letting her dictate the entire game.

"And that's how I learned that magical lesson!"

Theodore

He learned how to properly say Veronica and we're all sad because his squeaky little "Caca" or "Roaca" were so cute.

"IF I had that and you tried to take it from me I would GRAB TAKE it away from you!" He's been really into threatening people lately... so cute...

Jokes of the Month

Matthew wanted me to instate a Jokes of the Month section to this blog so I could showcase how hilarious he is. :)

He was messing around on the Xbox and saw a place where you could design your own color scheme for the controller.
Matthew- "What is the ugliest controller design you could make?"
Me- "Your face." Not the cleverest but it made him laugh really hard and he said it needed to be included this month.

We were playing a card game and one of the objects was to build a monster with a head, body, and accessories.
Cousin - "Jesus Christ, why can't I get a body?"
Matthew- "#Lucifer"
This one was very quick and set us all laughing very hard. The layers of funny were too much for us.

TWENTY-SIX

Photo cred Veronica. Mama and brother in the garden.

So cute. Little cheeks and belly. 

Veronica designed the dress, and picked out the fabric. She absolutely loved the entire process. Bonus. It is REALLY twirly. 

And the skirt is detachable! So she put it on brother who was being a "construction man." 

Over the weekend we popped up to Oklahoma to visit the cousins and all their creatures. Look at that sweet little Peter rabbit. I loved him, clearly, as I am holding him like my baby. 

Chickens! Poor chickens got chased so much I was  afraid they would never lay another egg again. Veronica felt so proud when she hunted out three eggs the next day in the grass. Buckle up, we're going to send you kids here to work all summer when you're old enough. 

Bunny cousisns.

Too much sweetness.

It doesn't get more summery or Americana than swimming in a water trough...

Look at his face. He looks like a big grown boy in this photo. I can see him as a teenager. 

I captured him throwing chalk at the storm shelter vent. 

It makes a very convenient slide. 

So tired on the way home. You would be too if you woke up at 5 am the entire weekend... No one wanted him to. Let's be clear. 

The best place for stickers is your face. After a pit stop at the Peanut Shoppe. 

Quotes

Veronica

"When are we going to Alcohoma?"

V - "On the first night of this time whoever is the first to raise their hand gets a wish!"
T- "I raised my hand!"
V- "Great! Now you get to make a wish over the water. Let's get our cups."
T -"Cup! I have water."
V- "Now make your wish over your water!"
T -"I wish for a drink."
V- "NO! You can have any wish! Whatever wish!"
T drinks his water
T- "I wish for a drink."
V - "AHG! FINE. Mama, you get the wish."
Me - "Looks like Theo already got his wish."

"THEODORE IS RUINING ALL OF MY GAMES! He walks away and DOESN'T Do what I tell him to do!" Welcome to parenting...

Theodore

Me- "I need you to lay down."
T- "But I just want to lay UP!"

"GASP I have a GREAT question! We can name the park blue pie! Isn't that a great question?!"