Pinecorns and RainPuddles

Music Recital

2010-06-29T09:05:00.000-07:00

Here are videos from Lauren's second recital and Thomas' first Recital!

We are so proud!

Thomas on Guitar

Lauren on Piano

The Last Unicorn

2010-05-18T16:24:00.000-07:00

We hope.

Nana volunteers at a Thrift shop.

Nana saw this at the thrift shop and thought Lauren would like it since Lauren has had an affinity for Unicorns in the past. So she brought it with her on our last family get-together.

She pulled it out of the car. Kristin (my s-i-l) and I stood there with our mouths agape.

Wouldn't you?

Well, let's see what the kids think.

We took it inside and put it on the chair.

They avoided it like the plague.

Now the unicorn has become part of an ongoing "dispute" as to who should keep it.

I keep sending email pictures to Kristin of it, even though it currently resides at her house.

She'd finally had enough.

I received this in the mail yesterday:

Another one Bites the Dust

2010-05-18T16:12:00.000-07:00

The Tooth Fairy is raking it in at our house.

Only 2 days after she lost one front tooth, she lost another!

Daddy analyzed the situation first with much concern and compassion...

Then got a good grip on the culprit...

And removal was complete!

A quick check in the mirror to confirm...

And a smile that says it all!

It's Like Pulling Teeth!

2010-05-10T17:34:00.000-07:00

Lauren had been working on her front tooth all day. Nana tried pulling it 3 times but she wasn't ready. She went swimming for a while and decided she couldn't take it anymore. Daddy gave it a good twist and a yank and *finally*! Out it came!

Taa-Daa!

Love thy Brother

2010-05-07T12:13:00.000-07:00

I realized after taking this photo that it appears as though Thomas has an extra head and arms!

Passage into Boyhood

2010-05-04T08:07:00.000-07:00

There are things boys are just born knowing how to do. I didn't believe it until I experienced it. But it's true. Burping seems to be one of them (as well as another bodily function). We never TAUGHT him how to do these things. He just does them.

And he can do them on cue.

The other thing boys are born knowing how to do is sound effects.

I have 2 older brothers and I remember there always being fight-scenes and sound effects.

There's no audio with these pictures but can't you just imagine the gut punches, weapon swinging and falling screams?

OK, maybe I had a little bit of an influence...

I Got a SugarDaddy!

2010-05-01T18:39:00.000-07:00

Lauren had to go shopping with me today to find a dress. Although she is very much girly-girl at times, she doesn't have much patience for shopping. At least not when it's for me.

So I made up for it by stopping at Sugardaddy's Cupcakes.

I swear -- it was for her.

The pictures don't do justice. These babies are gorgeous.

And they taste as good as they look.

Or so I've heard...

I Took Some Pictures with my "Web" Cam...

2010-04-27T16:02:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Thomas' 4th Birthday last Sunday with a Spiderman Bounce House and some close friends and family.

I'm a little proud of the "city silhouette" I made from construction paper purchased at the Dollar Store. Woohoo!

Thomas and his cousin Katie were SO excited when they came out to the garage and looked at all of the buildings. They pointed out that the "castle" was their favorite one. That was my interpretation of the Chrysler Building.

Nana got him this Spiderman Costume which was definitely a hit.

As of today, he's on day 3 of wearing it. Thank God it's washable.

We also rented a Sno-Cone machine.

Here's sissy, playing her usual role as "comedic actress".

Happy Birthday, Baby!

2010-04-22T07:49:00.000-07:00

My baby turned 4 yesterday.

Honestly, I couldn't wait for him to get out of the baby phase.

But now that he is... I want to keep him right here.

(Talking to cousin Katie on the phone about his upcoming birthday bash.)

Wet Behind the Ears

2010-04-18T10:17:00.001-07:00

I picked up these water shooters at the Dollar Store yesterday. Fun is cheap.

Afterwards they each had a popsicle.

Thomas took forever eating his and was shivering the entire time.

I don't think he even realized how cold he was -- he was enjoying it too much.

The Suite Life

2010-04-12T13:10:00.000-07:00

We met our friends, The Greene's, in Palm Springs (a halfway point for each of us) last weekend for a family get-together. We learned that only a few things are necessary to ensure the kids have a great time and the adults get time to catch up and have (mostly) uninterrupted conversations:

1. Beds. To jump on or have pillow fights on .

2. A Pool. To ensure that children will be completely exhausted and asleep by 8pm .

3. Adjoining rooms. On the chance that kids will stay in one room and adults can have uninterrupted conversations in the other. Note: Leave door open "just in case".

4. A Kitchen. Four children under the age of 6 in a RESTAURANT together?

5. Free Breakfast. At least if you have 4 kids with you, you won't have to pay for the half-eaten meals, pile back into a car, drive 3 miles, then back OUT of the car only to hear the words: "BUT I'M STILL HUNNNNNGRYYY...."

6. Friends that you love to travel with and that will still love you after you travel with them! :)

Thursday Afternoon Critter Club

2010-04-06T07:56:00.000-07:00

One afternoon, Mr. P decided it would be fun to take some of the neighborhood kids on the block into the wash in front of our house to go exploring for desert critters. The kids loved it. And now they come knocking on our door every time they are outside playing to see if he will lead them on another adventure.

And so begins the Thursday Afternoon Critter Club.

The kids gathered in the cul-de-sac after school with backpacks, jars and pokers in hand...

This time, they managed to find 2 newts,

Draw some pictures in the sand,

Round up a couple of centipedes

Explore some interesting looking trees and their contents,

Dig up a burrowed scorpion (hereafter referred to as Blaze),

And turn over as many big rocks as possible to see what lay beneath.

Personally, I prefer the more peaceful and non-threatening side of a nature hunt.

It was a great adventure for all, followed up by a pizza party and story-telling.

They are all anxious for the next adventure led by Mr. P.

Meet "Tinkerbell"

2010-04-05T11:37:00.000-07:00

Just in case there's any confusion about what's inside the glass cage.

The Tooth Fairy

2010-03-31T09:14:00.000-07:00

I don't know the official Rules and Regulations for the Tooth Fairy.

It was my understanding that in order for money to be left behind,

the tooth must be taken.

It is also my understanding that when you are well-connected,

exceptions can be made...

Adventures of a Bagel

2010-03-24T15:37:00.000-07:00

He came.

He ate.

He left.

Play with Your Food

2010-03-23T10:31:00.000-07:00

... And then he scolds them for not minding their table manners.

How to Spend a Day

2010-03-21T13:35:00.000-07:00

I like these SO much better than my lists of To-Do's...

Fire-Breathing Dragon

2010-03-21T13:23:00.000-07:00

The kids put on a "play" and needed a fire-breathing dragon.

I think I feel more sorry for the dragon in this story...

New Kids on the Block

2010-03-16T07:14:00.000-07:00

I just want to tackle these two and eat 'em up!

Plays Well With Others

2010-03-15T15:41:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I've been waiting for this moment:

I must add that I think my piano lessons from the church organist are finally paying off...

Peace and Clarity

2010-03-08T18:18:00.001-08:00

After a 3 day weekend with the kids, I decided to go for a much-needed hike in the hills yesterday morning...

...and find a little gratitude.

Guitar Hero

2010-03-08T13:03:00.000-08:00

Thomas had is first guitar lesson last Friday. I think he looks like a natural.

He let his sister and cousin Katie try it out over the weekend and showed them how to strum it "up with the index finger, down with the thumb".

They each attempted to strum it as it lay on the floor. Then the instructor in him took over: "You have to pway it wike this guys. And quiet-wee, guys. wealwy, quiet-wee."

Well, that was enough for them. These girls weren't going to be told how to play a guitar. So they headed out, started the car and took off for a long drive on the open road...

Actually, they got in the car as Auntie was packing up to leave and pretended to drive somewhere while eating all of her Pringles.

Sally and Bob

2010-03-01T20:50:00.000-08:00

Last October Lauren went to a school fair and came home with face paint, a sugar high and 3 fish.

5 months later, "Sally", one of the three, still remains. Since she made it this far we figured she deserved a better home than a flower vase, so we upgraded her to an actual fishbowl. We also felt that she deserved a roommate, so we got her one. His name is Bob. Let's just hope he doesn't live up to his name.

Lost and Found

2010-02-25T13:40:00.000-08:00

I couldn't find my new iPod the other night. I knew exactly where I left it and it wasn't there now.

I asked Lauren. She didn't touch it.

Then I asked Thomas. He said he didn't touch it either.

But do you know who had it?

Hello did.

Sir Thomas the Knight

2010-02-22T09:39:00.000-08:00

Since we returned from The Renaissance Festival, Thomas has taken to being a Knight. And as any good Knight would, he desired to have a helmut for himself to ride upon his noble steed (his bike with training wheels).

As I searched the website for a thrifty and child-friendly Knight's helmut, I happened upon these instructions to actually MAKE a helmut. Thrifty and child-friendly indeed!

I didn't have construction paper, so I yanked the paper from one of our new 25"x19" picture frames and used that as a rough draft, just to make sure I could actually follow the instructions.

And....

Voila! I managed to complete the project in an hour's time!* And my handsome Knight in, um, PAPER armor, is very pleased. I have earned his heart this time. My work here is done.

*Visor not included. I'm not a perfectionist and neither is my 4-year-old.

How to Travel with Knights and Princesses

2010-02-17T11:01:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we ventured to the Renaissance Festival in Apache Junction. Since it is over an hour away from where we live and Mr. P has lots of hard-earned hotel points, we decided to make it an official weekend vacation. I know what you're thinking. But an hour in Arizona is different from an hour in a major city.

I chose a hotel at the halfway point to shorten the drive AND because this restaurant is 5 minutes away from where we lodged. The food is delicious, organic and family-friendly (i.e., they have pizza and hamburgers for the kids). I also love that it sits on what used to be farmland where the old, large trees remain and you can perch on a picnic table beneath them. The restaurant is designed around the remains of the ranch-style farmhouse that the family used to live in. I wish I'd taken a picture of the bathrooms. They framed the children's G.I. Joe dolls in acrylic shadow boxes into the walls and have tv's mounted on the wall showing re-runs of G.I. Joe cartoons. In the bathroom.

The next morning we (meaning not the children) woke up baggy-eyed, drank 2 cups of coffee, grabbed our standard continental hotel breakfast (I really wanted to head back to Joe's Farmhouse) and hit the road.

I've heard that people that frequently attend these Festivals really get into character. And I can honestly say, there were a lot of characters. And plenty of entertainment.

We filled our day visiting fairies...

Cheering on Jousting Tournaments...

Observing Thrill Shows....

Eating Turkey Legs...

Donning Face Paint and Tiaras...

Eating Dessert...

And visiting Mother Goose after eating dessert.

We managed to pack in a lot that day. But exhaustion finally began to kick in.

And the kids weren't doing so well either.**Badop, CHAA!**

(That's my sound effect for a drum. You know, the kind you hear after someone says something funny.)

AND so we traveled back to our Modern-day home in our Futuristic minivan, while Princesses and Knights dreamt about Fairytales...

...and Happy Endings.

A Valentine's Day Story. Or How to Avoid Unhappy Endings

2010-02-14T12:05:00.000-08:00

So, Mr. P returned from the grocery store in the morning with a Valentine's Day surprise for Lauren. He was all excited to present her with his gift of adoration, beaming with pride at his thoughtfulness.

Except he forgot one thing.

A gift for the little man.

Now, I know that Valentine's Day is generally for girls, with all the frilly hearts and gooey sweets and vases of flowers dripping with love poems.

But the little man does not know that. He only knows that if sissy gets something, so should he.

So I sent daddy BACK to the store so that I would not have a young lad jaded forever from his first memorable experience of Valentine's Day.

And as they say, a photograph is worth a thousand words.
In this case, the words were: "You owe me, sweetheart. I just saved you -- US -- from having to experience a torrential meltdown".

Hello???

2010-02-11T06:04:00.001-08:00

See that little person next to Thomas? No? He's...right...there. Right next to him.

His name is Hello.

Hello likes to eat chicken nuggets with ketchup, but he doesn't like them cut up. He sleeps in Thomas' room with him. In fact, I didn't realize it but he happened to be sleeping next to Thomas last night (silly me). He likes dragons and trains, just like Thomas.

One of Thomas' friends likes Hello, the other one doesn't.

This morning I was re-hanging a picture (because it kept getting bumped by the kitchen chair that kept BACKING INTO IT ON A DAILY BASIS) and Thomas thoughtfully informed me about something else I should know about Hello:

"Hey, Mom! Know what??"

"What?"

"Hewwo has the same hammer that WE do!"

Let's just hope that "Hello" doesn't get any bright ideas about using his hammer in our house...

Bedtime Stories

2010-02-10T06:40:00.000-08:00

If there's enough time after the Getting-Ready-For-Bed routine on a school night, we usually read a book or two.

Last night I went downstairs to get the kids their water -- you know, the WATER THEY MUST HAVE NEXT TO THEM AT ALL TIMES for those middle-of-the-night dehydration emergencies. OK, I'll admit I may have had some influence on this.

I came back up the stairs to witness this:

I did not check to see if it was past bedtime.

Tattoo Artist

2010-02-09T15:49:00.001-08:00

I was going about my business and noticed something abstract on my son's hand.

Me: "What is that?"

Thomas: "Oren drew it"

Me: "What is it?"

Thomas: "Me. And a Dinosaur. He's eating my head."

I'm not exactly sure whose idea it was to draw that particular picture. But I think I have a pretty good idea.

Nothing Runs Like a Deere

2010-01-26T14:45:00.001-08:00

I stumbled, literally, into this the other morning and came up with these for the Post Title:

* She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy

* Old McDonald Had a Farm but he had to go on a hunting trip with his buddies this weekend and won't be able to tend to it so "honey would you mind taking care of that too while I'm gone?"

So you see? Buying a tractor for a boy will not cause him to be gender-biased.

Job Benefits

2010-01-22T16:18:00.000-08:00

I love my daughter's artwork. I frame as much of it as possible, keeping the rest in a pile to be placed in her Artwork Box for safekeeping. I also love how she's learning to read and write more every day. I am so proud.

And this is one of my favorite reasons why. She gave it to me this morning. It's written on the inside of a Thank You card.

It's Friday, and I just got my Bonus.

Full of Hot Air

2010-01-20T06:17:00.000-08:00

I love mini vacations with the kids. Not too far away, not too long, not too expensive and not too much time before I've decided it's been too much.

So last weekend we went to the city of Glendale to attend the Glitter and Glow Block Party. We only had to drive a half-hour away, get on a lovely charter bus (free shuttle!) and arrive in historic downtown Glendale (free admission!).

There were carnival rides for the young ones, bands of every genre, jugglers and face painting, along with the usual assortment of cheap-and-highly-appealing-to-children tchotchkes (see third picture --highly agitating sound effects not included).

The highlight was the hot-air balloons that illuminated every block with their flames. The combination of twinkling Christmas lights and glowing balloons created a magical backdrop among the talented musicians and artists.

We topped off our mini vaca by staying at a local hotel for the night.

But this time the little darlings were just too tuckered out to jump on the beds upon arrival.

What's wrong with this picture?

2010-01-11T08:31:00.000-08:00

My friend Lisa called me the other day. Her husband fell on the ice and cut his head open. He had to get staples.

They live in California. The ice rink was on the beach.

The Beach.

I can hear smug chuckles all the way from the East Coast right now.

Project Runaway

2010-01-09T10:35:00.000-08:00

My daughter and I love to watch Project Runway together. OK. I love to watch Project Runway and she should be in bed. But after the last episode, I wondered if it wasn't such a good idea when I overheard her playing with her Barbies:

"Bridgett. You lose. Your hair is too stringy and you don't walk right. Please leave."

"Arial. Your outfit is ugly and your hair color is horrible. You may leave now."

This continued until all of the Barbies had been humiliated and banished from the piano bench that served as their only hope for a shot at becoming something more.

She's since become one of the designers, creating her own line of theme clothing. Here you can see her, uh, "model", sporting the Bowling theme outfit. The poor kid isn't old enough to know better.

At least I didn't take photos of the Princess outfit (yes i did).

Background Check

2010-01-03T11:43:00.000-08:00

While on another Blog, I clicked on a link to DesignerBlogs.com for more Blog inspiration. I was definitely inspired! When my Blog grows up and becomes a real Blog someday, I might buy it a customized page, like the ones they offer!

In the meantime, they offer FREE BACKGROUNDS that are oh, so pretty for us fellow bloggers, beginner or not. They are now my official first "button" on my page.

Thank you Designer Blogs!!

Inspiration

2010-01-02T13:59:00.000-08:00

I love living in Arizona. Actually, I love sunshine. And it's sunny nearly every day here.

But sometimes I miss the green of the Midwest and crave relief from the sordid heat during the summers. So when the heat has reached the same temperature as my oven on the hold warm setting, we head up north to Flagstaff.

And so it is here that my son discovered Pine Cones, or as he called them, Pine Corns. And then he happily "explored" the Rain Puddles (not mud puddles) leftover from a chilly rain shower on a September afternoon.

And so my Blog Title was born.

I happened to capture this moment of my husband and son off to explore more scenery. This picture was taken at the Arboretum in Flagstaff.

Let the Resolution Begin!

2009-12-31T15:04:00.000-08:00

Well, as many others before me, I have succumbed to the tradition of setting a New Year's Resolution. For 2010, it is to start my very own Blog. Which leads me here. I'm only about 5 years behind on this trend, so I don't know that I'm really "putting myself out there" with my Resolution. But hey, it's a start. For me, anyway.

This blog is partially intended for my parents (Hi Mom and Dad!). My dad is currently in the process of ordering cable instead of staying with dial-up. Let's keep in mind that we were the last people on the block to get color TV. That was in the 70's. They didn't get cable until I was in college. That was in the 80's. But I digress.

As a wife and mom of 2 little ones, I am starting a blog in hopes of learning. Learning by connecting with other moms, (yes, I need a creative outlet too). Learning to become more "computer literate" (I sure hope so...) and learning to expand my horizons (whatever those horizons may be -- I'm a bit fickle). So bear with me...

Welcome 2010! Here we go!