Actually, I'm not one (a coupon diva, that is. I'll never be this lady, for instance. Or this one.) But I have been trying recently to shop a little smarter, by buying grocery items that we use regularly when I can match coupons with sales, rather than just when I need them. Today was the first day of Smith's doublers event (which means that any coupon less than $1 in value was rounded up to $1), so I thought I'd try putting into practice what I've learned in the last few weeks. I made my list, matched up my coupons, planned a route through the store (a must, if you're going to try to use multiple coupons with small children in tow), and executed the plan. While I'm not up to the 70 or 80 percent savings that some can boast, I was pretty pleased with myself--I managed to save about 40% off my grocery bill (and nearly $30 of that was with coupons!), and this was with buying some big items, like diapers and laundry detergent. I don't imagine I have the time or energy to ever go for this big time, but for a beginner's effort, I didn't think I did too badly.
Okay. Thanks for letting me get that out of my system. (Although really, what choice do you have? I have full editorial control here.)
If you've made it this far, you deserve some kind of award. So how's this? Two funny sayings from two funny kids.
Andrew, at swim lessons this morning: "Mommy, look at all those people swimming laptops!"
Evelyn, when I was changing a poopy diaper this afternoon. "I hab princess bum." (She also told me she had a stinky bum, which morphed into a "Tinkerbell" bum. And I have to say, speaking as her entirely biased mom, she does have delicious cheeks. All four of 'em.)
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Home again, home again, jiggety jig
It seems like we've spent more of our summer away from home than home. So of course, the first part of this week was spend re-finding our life: cleaning the house, buying supplies, organizing.
Oh, and finally getting to some long-overdue decorating projects. When we bought the house, it came with this lovely fake green ivy bedecking an interior window. It wasn't particularly attractive; it was looking less attractive with the remnants of Christmas poinsettas that I'd added back in December and hadn't ever removed.
So this week, I pulled it (and all its styrofoam glory) out of the container, cleaned the base, and replaced it with this instead:
(The kids helped. And miraculously, no one was killed or injured in the process). The eucalyptus for the above project came from my mother-in-law; back in March, she gave me the remnants of a huge wreath she'd inherited from her previous job. She took apart the wreath, gave me the pieces, and asked that I make her another wreath. (You can see the new wreath here.) Since then, of course, the unused portion of the wreath has sat in bags in my bedroom and in the basement. I finally decided to spruce up the house--and clean--by making an arrangement for the kitchen (shown here).
In addition to sporadic cleaning, we spent the week playing with friends--we've seen our friends Isaac and Zoe several times this week; yesterday they came over and helped us make Star wars cookies with our handy Williams and Sonoma set. These things are seriously awesome. Playing usually means getting dirty at some point--here's Andrew sporting a new mid-bath hair-do.
And, in case you were wondering, this is pretty much what he looked like during most of Toy Story II. No, that isn't a typo--we watched the sequel this week with the thought that we could see the new release after our kids have seen the previous versions--but I don't think that's going to happen. (At least not until it comes out on video and we have more editorial control). Here's why. I forget sometimes that Andrew can really be a sensitive little soul--most of the time he's so rough and tumble. But he had serious issues with the threat to Woody--he spent most of the movie convinced (and in tears because of it) that Buzz et al wouldn't be able to rescue Woody. And when Woody and the rest of the round-up gang ended up at the airport, you would have thought that Andrew was suffering real bodily injury, he cried so hard and long. I *think* he liked it, after everything was resolved, but I wasn't sure he'd make it to the end. (In fact, I put of changing one of Evelyn's poopy diapers for a good 10-15 minutes because I wasn't sure I could leave Andrew alone that long). From everything I've heard, the newest installment has a few intense moments that might completely undo this kid. So, for now, we're waiting.
In other, more mundane news, we picked up a bunch of school/art supplies at some of the back-to-school sales and the kids couldn't wait to try them out (and use them up. Seriously, why is it that these paint sets are mostly used up after a single use?)
Evelyn cracks me up. You can't tell, but underneath this shirt, she's wearing her Minnie Mouse dress (which I purchased in a weak moment at the Disney store. Okay, well, I'd been tempted by it for weeks and it finally went on sale). Anyway, she painted this funny black squiggle on her paper, looked at it for a moment, looked at me, and then said, "Mommy, it's a snake! Scary." Her linguistic prowess sometimes amazes even me--today at church a visitor, who also has a two-year-old daughter, asked me when Evelyn was born, and when I told her, she marveled at how articulate she was. (Of course, that was because Evelyn had been chattering non-stop during the meeting). Earlier this week, we were outside and she told me. "Mommy, hear that? It's a plane way way in a sky!" (According to my child development book, at this age she should be able to say some basic 2-word sentences; by the end of her third year, she should be able to say some 4-5 word sentences. For some reason, I don't think we have to worry about that!)
One day this week, I don't remember which, Evelyn insisted on wearing a princess dress. All day (including to the store). Most of you with little girls who have already gone through similar phases are rolling your eyes, but this is the first time she's done so. I can already tell we may be in for it.
Since this weekend was the twenty-fourth of July, we were able to enjoy a little more family time (in Utah, the twenty-fourth is a state holiday, so all state institutions--including universities--close down). Friday we went down to SG and enjoyed the aquatic center down there (we're looking forward to having our own when the construction is finished sometime this winter). Saturday, of course, we went to the parade. Actually, most of us were *in* the parade. The primary children got to ride behind a tractor--you can see Andrew and Evelyn pre-parade here.
And here they are in the actual parade. Dan was walking along somewhere just behind this. You may have to look closely to see them--Andrew's partially hidden behind the little girl in white; Evelyn is at the front under the flag. When I saw them (granted, it was the beginning of the parade route), they were both waving for all they were worth.
Last night, Dan and I celebrated our anniversary by heading to one of the finer local restaurants, about two miles up the canyon. This meant that we finally used the gift-certificate our realtor gave us almost a year ago, in thanks for our custom. (One year ago yesterday we moved into our house). The food was pretty good, although the metal chairs and plastic vinyl covered tables weren't quite what I had expected for what I'd heard described as one of the fancier sit-down restaurants in town. I suppose they were trying to keep up the rustic theme. Anyway, my mom would be so proud of me: I actually ordered fish. (Dan attributes this all to his influence, which is probably true. I never touched the stuff growing up, if I could help it).
In closing, a funny story I heard from one of our friends who's in the primary with Andrew. Apparently, the music leader announced that they would be singing one more song. Andrew said, "It better be quick!" She thought he was teasing her (I guess he does that sometimes) and asked playfully, "Quick! Why should it be quick?" Andrew, starting to tear up, said, "Because my singing voice is starting to run out."
Oh, and finally getting to some long-overdue decorating projects. When we bought the house, it came with this lovely fake green ivy bedecking an interior window. It wasn't particularly attractive; it was looking less attractive with the remnants of Christmas poinsettas that I'd added back in December and hadn't ever removed.
So this week, I pulled it (and all its styrofoam glory) out of the container, cleaned the base, and replaced it with this instead:
(The kids helped. And miraculously, no one was killed or injured in the process). The eucalyptus for the above project came from my mother-in-law; back in March, she gave me the remnants of a huge wreath she'd inherited from her previous job. She took apart the wreath, gave me the pieces, and asked that I make her another wreath. (You can see the new wreath here.) Since then, of course, the unused portion of the wreath has sat in bags in my bedroom and in the basement. I finally decided to spruce up the house--and clean--by making an arrangement for the kitchen (shown here).
In addition to sporadic cleaning, we spent the week playing with friends--we've seen our friends Isaac and Zoe several times this week; yesterday they came over and helped us make Star wars cookies with our handy Williams and Sonoma set. These things are seriously awesome. Playing usually means getting dirty at some point--here's Andrew sporting a new mid-bath hair-do.
And, in case you were wondering, this is pretty much what he looked like during most of Toy Story II. No, that isn't a typo--we watched the sequel this week with the thought that we could see the new release after our kids have seen the previous versions--but I don't think that's going to happen. (At least not until it comes out on video and we have more editorial control). Here's why. I forget sometimes that Andrew can really be a sensitive little soul--most of the time he's so rough and tumble. But he had serious issues with the threat to Woody--he spent most of the movie convinced (and in tears because of it) that Buzz et al wouldn't be able to rescue Woody. And when Woody and the rest of the round-up gang ended up at the airport, you would have thought that Andrew was suffering real bodily injury, he cried so hard and long. I *think* he liked it, after everything was resolved, but I wasn't sure he'd make it to the end. (In fact, I put of changing one of Evelyn's poopy diapers for a good 10-15 minutes because I wasn't sure I could leave Andrew alone that long). From everything I've heard, the newest installment has a few intense moments that might completely undo this kid. So, for now, we're waiting.In other, more mundane news, we picked up a bunch of school/art supplies at some of the back-to-school sales and the kids couldn't wait to try them out (and use them up. Seriously, why is it that these paint sets are mostly used up after a single use?)
Evelyn cracks me up. You can't tell, but underneath this shirt, she's wearing her Minnie Mouse dress (which I purchased in a weak moment at the Disney store. Okay, well, I'd been tempted by it for weeks and it finally went on sale). Anyway, she painted this funny black squiggle on her paper, looked at it for a moment, looked at me, and then said, "Mommy, it's a snake! Scary." Her linguistic prowess sometimes amazes even me--today at church a visitor, who also has a two-year-old daughter, asked me when Evelyn was born, and when I told her, she marveled at how articulate she was. (Of course, that was because Evelyn had been chattering non-stop during the meeting). Earlier this week, we were outside and she told me. "Mommy, hear that? It's a plane way way in a sky!" (According to my child development book, at this age she should be able to say some basic 2-word sentences; by the end of her third year, she should be able to say some 4-5 word sentences. For some reason, I don't think we have to worry about that!)
One day this week, I don't remember which, Evelyn insisted on wearing a princess dress. All day (including to the store). Most of you with little girls who have already gone through similar phases are rolling your eyes, but this is the first time she's done so. I can already tell we may be in for it.
Since this weekend was the twenty-fourth of July, we were able to enjoy a little more family time (in Utah, the twenty-fourth is a state holiday, so all state institutions--including universities--close down). Friday we went down to SG and enjoyed the aquatic center down there (we're looking forward to having our own when the construction is finished sometime this winter). Saturday, of course, we went to the parade. Actually, most of us were *in* the parade. The primary children got to ride behind a tractor--you can see Andrew and Evelyn pre-parade here.
And here they are in the actual parade. Dan was walking along somewhere just behind this. You may have to look closely to see them--Andrew's partially hidden behind the little girl in white; Evelyn is at the front under the flag. When I saw them (granted, it was the beginning of the parade route), they were both waving for all they were worth.
Last night, Dan and I celebrated our anniversary by heading to one of the finer local restaurants, about two miles up the canyon. This meant that we finally used the gift-certificate our realtor gave us almost a year ago, in thanks for our custom. (One year ago yesterday we moved into our house). The food was pretty good, although the metal chairs and plastic vinyl covered tables weren't quite what I had expected for what I'd heard described as one of the fancier sit-down restaurants in town. I suppose they were trying to keep up the rustic theme. Anyway, my mom would be so proud of me: I actually ordered fish. (Dan attributes this all to his influence, which is probably true. I never touched the stuff growing up, if I could help it).
In closing, a funny story I heard from one of our friends who's in the primary with Andrew. Apparently, the music leader announced that they would be singing one more song. Andrew said, "It better be quick!" She thought he was teasing her (I guess he does that sometimes) and asked playfully, "Quick! Why should it be quick?" Andrew, starting to tear up, said, "Because my singing voice is starting to run out."
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Summer at the Summit
My family has an annual tradition (of sorts) of spending a week at my parents' time-share in Park City. This began sometime when I was in high school, and seems to be enjoyed by pretty much everyone (for different reasons, of course): my mom likes the proximity to the outlet malls, my dad likes the air-conditioned rooms and the TV and the chance to get away, and the kids love swimming. When I was younger, I enjoyed hiking and going for long walks around the city (apparently my siblings don't have such fond memories of those walks, since I alternately dragged and cajoled all of them on these perambulations), but I won't be doing much of that until the kids get bigger. Even the .5 mile walk to the nearby park just about did them in. (Jeni and I had four stroller seats between the two of us, and whichever kid got left out to walk inevitably complained and felt ill-used).
Dan couldn't come with us, because of work obligations (ditto my sister's husband). But Jeni and I spent the week with our kids and my parents, and Jared and Mitcee were able to come for a long-weekend. I think the best thing about the whole visit was watching the cousins play together. (In fact, none of them wanted to come home. Evelyn has yet to enter our driveway without crying, "Grandma's house!"--and we've been home almost 48 hours now. On the upside, she knows how to say "Park City" now.)
Here are the kids, all gussied up for their first trip to the pool. What cracks me up is how loaded they are with flotation devices. Apparently, my children have little to no fear of the water, which, while sometimes gratifying, is mostly terrifying (I keep imagining what they would do if left to their own devices around large bodies of water). Andrew kept trying to reduce the number of flotation devices so that he could "go underwater." He finally learned that he needed to keep his mouth shut in addition to plugging his no, so that was good. He also enjoyed cannon-balling into the water (his cousins and the random strangers he often careened into didn't like this so much).
Evelyn was a delight to watch in the water--this was the first time she really got to enjoy it on her own (well, with me an arm's length away). After watching her brother for a while, she insisted on getting out of the pool to try jumping in. At first, I helped her jump in, but after she protested, I backed away to see what she'd do. (I thought she'd chicken out and get me to help her). Instead, my dauntless girl simply stepped right off the edge into the water. I think this was a bit much for her, because the next time we went swimming she wouldn't do it anymore (although she still liked climbing in and out of the pool). She did finally shuck her innertube on the last day, though, convinced that her water wings would be enough to hold her up. They weren't--but she thought she was pretty cool to just have water wings like the big kids.
I have to say this (even if he is my brother): Jared is pretty fantastic with kids. He had them all eating out of his hands while he was there. (Although he was also the instigator of some of the noisier routs).
On Monday, we took all the kids up to the alpine slide. (And no, you're right, this is a carousel, not a slide). Since the kids outnumbered the grown-ups and the only kids tall enough to ride alone refused to do so, we had to take them down in shifts. I offered to stay below with the three littlest ones while the older ones went down with parents and grandparents.
We had some tickets for the kiddie rides, so we went on the carousel and the dinky little train (excuse me, rocket cars!). Unfortunately, I didn't time things very well, and we were done with both events before the parents had even gotten off the ski lift (I hadn't anticipated that the lift would stop, which it did.)
The kids thought the little train was fantastic--I wish I could have gotten a video of this so you could hear them giggling the entire time. (I don't know why--it really is a dinky little ride.)
Here come the grownups and the big kids.
The funny thing is, Jacob and Andrew were both pretty nervous beforehand, but afterward they both maintained this was the coolest thing they did. My mom also complained that Andrew pulled on the brake almost the entire way down the mountain, and she thought they would never reach the bottom. To hear Andrew tell, it, though, they went so fast. The little kids, with fewer preconceptions, seemed to enjoy the ride a lot more.
Afterward, we went back to the hotel suite for lunch, and then took the older kids back for a round of miniature golf (Evelyn stayed behind with grandpa to nap). Andrew loved it. He had a few problems with his form, but that didn't stop him. If you watch the video below, you'll also understand why it was that he was the first of the cousins to finish. (Poppy, we thought you would appreciate this!)
Dan couldn't come with us, because of work obligations (ditto my sister's husband). But Jeni and I spent the week with our kids and my parents, and Jared and Mitcee were able to come for a long-weekend. I think the best thing about the whole visit was watching the cousins play together. (In fact, none of them wanted to come home. Evelyn has yet to enter our driveway without crying, "Grandma's house!"--and we've been home almost 48 hours now. On the upside, she knows how to say "Park City" now.)
Here are the kids, all gussied up for their first trip to the pool. What cracks me up is how loaded they are with flotation devices. Apparently, my children have little to no fear of the water, which, while sometimes gratifying, is mostly terrifying (I keep imagining what they would do if left to their own devices around large bodies of water). Andrew kept trying to reduce the number of flotation devices so that he could "go underwater." He finally learned that he needed to keep his mouth shut in addition to plugging his no, so that was good. He also enjoyed cannon-balling into the water (his cousins and the random strangers he often careened into didn't like this so much).
Evelyn was a delight to watch in the water--this was the first time she really got to enjoy it on her own (well, with me an arm's length away). After watching her brother for a while, she insisted on getting out of the pool to try jumping in. At first, I helped her jump in, but after she protested, I backed away to see what she'd do. (I thought she'd chicken out and get me to help her). Instead, my dauntless girl simply stepped right off the edge into the water. I think this was a bit much for her, because the next time we went swimming she wouldn't do it anymore (although she still liked climbing in and out of the pool). She did finally shuck her innertube on the last day, though, convinced that her water wings would be enough to hold her up. They weren't--but she thought she was pretty cool to just have water wings like the big kids.
I have to say this (even if he is my brother): Jared is pretty fantastic with kids. He had them all eating out of his hands while he was there. (Although he was also the instigator of some of the noisier routs).
On Monday, we took all the kids up to the alpine slide. (And no, you're right, this is a carousel, not a slide). Since the kids outnumbered the grown-ups and the only kids tall enough to ride alone refused to do so, we had to take them down in shifts. I offered to stay below with the three littlest ones while the older ones went down with parents and grandparents.We had some tickets for the kiddie rides, so we went on the carousel and the dinky little train (excuse me, rocket cars!). Unfortunately, I didn't time things very well, and we were done with both events before the parents had even gotten off the ski lift (I hadn't anticipated that the lift would stop, which it did.)
The kids thought the little train was fantastic--I wish I could have gotten a video of this so you could hear them giggling the entire time. (I don't know why--it really is a dinky little ride.)
Here come the grownups and the big kids.
The funny thing is, Jacob and Andrew were both pretty nervous beforehand, but afterward they both maintained this was the coolest thing they did. My mom also complained that Andrew pulled on the brake almost the entire way down the mountain, and she thought they would never reach the bottom. To hear Andrew tell, it, though, they went so fast. The little kids, with fewer preconceptions, seemed to enjoy the ride a lot more.
Afterward, we went back to the hotel suite for lunch, and then took the older kids back for a round of miniature golf (Evelyn stayed behind with grandpa to nap). Andrew loved it. He had a few problems with his form, but that didn't stop him. If you watch the video below, you'll also understand why it was that he was the first of the cousins to finish. (Poppy, we thought you would appreciate this!)
Most of what we did wasn't quite so high excitement--the kids played together, made crafts, and swam. Some mornings we walked down to the park (which had, among other things, a zip line!). We also dragged the kids to the outlet mall to stock up on some clothes and shoes for the fall. They weren't as excited about this, but they were pretty good. (Well, aside from Andrew running laps around the shoe store to make sure that the tennis shoes he was trying on fit.)
My mom told me I had to be sure to include this funny story about Andrew. Before we left for Park City, Andrew kept trying to "help" them load the car so we could get on the road faster. At one point, my mom told him he needed to be patient. To which Andrew responded: "I'm allergic to patience. Achoo!"
So now you know.
I have to admit, though, that despite the good times we had, it feels even better to be home. (I've been away from my house the better part of the summer, and I'm ready to be stationary for a while. At least for a couple of weeks.)
My mom told me I had to be sure to include this funny story about Andrew. Before we left for Park City, Andrew kept trying to "help" them load the car so we could get on the road faster. At one point, my mom told him he needed to be patient. To which Andrew responded: "I'm allergic to patience. Achoo!"
So now you know.
I have to admit, though, that despite the good times we had, it feels even better to be home. (I've been away from my house the better part of the summer, and I'm ready to be stationary for a while. At least for a couple of weeks.)
Thursday, July 08, 2010
Buffalo gals won't you come out tonight?
The kids and I are leaving to go on vacation tomorrow (Dan has to teach, poor man!), so I'm not sure if I'll make my post this weekend or not. So, here's a little something to whet your appetite while we're gone.
The kids, looking fabulous in shades as they wait for the fourth (no, fifth) of July parade to begin. Our local parade might not have much in the way of floats (there were none), but they do have lots of people willing to throw stuff to the crowds, especially if you happen to be near the beginning of the parade route. In addition to candy, we got frisbees (3), an inflatable ball, t-shirts (3) and one free blizzard at DQ.
Evelyn had her 2-year-old wellness checkup this week. Her stats were as follows: height 36.5, 93 percentile (although I'm fairly positive this is wrong, since Evelyn wasn't tall enough for the 35" rides at Disneyland a month ago--I think the nurse took her measurements on an angle); weight 30 lbs (80th percentile--also a little misleading since Evelyn had her clothes and shoes on, as well as a wet diaper, poor kid). I don't remember the head circumference.
I've been meaning for some time to capture Evelyn singing "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" on film--she can almost get all the words now and she cracks me up every time.
Andrew also insisted on getting his share of the action (Grandma and Grandpa, this one's for you). (If you're pressed for time, skip to the end. We tried to save the best for last.)
The kids, looking fabulous in shades as they wait for the fourth (no, fifth) of July parade to begin. Our local parade might not have much in the way of floats (there were none), but they do have lots of people willing to throw stuff to the crowds, especially if you happen to be near the beginning of the parade route. In addition to candy, we got frisbees (3), an inflatable ball, t-shirts (3) and one free blizzard at DQ.
Evelyn had her 2-year-old wellness checkup this week. Her stats were as follows: height 36.5, 93 percentile (although I'm fairly positive this is wrong, since Evelyn wasn't tall enough for the 35" rides at Disneyland a month ago--I think the nurse took her measurements on an angle); weight 30 lbs (80th percentile--also a little misleading since Evelyn had her clothes and shoes on, as well as a wet diaper, poor kid). I don't remember the head circumference.I've been meaning for some time to capture Evelyn singing "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" on film--she can almost get all the words now and she cracks me up every time.
Andrew also insisted on getting his share of the action (Grandma and Grandpa, this one's for you). (If you're pressed for time, skip to the end. We tried to save the best for last.)
Sunday, July 04, 2010
Homecoming
We finally made our way home this week, after more than a month spent with my parents while Dan worked on some research at BYU. We had a lot of fun with grandparents and cousins, but I think we (well, Dan and I) are happy to be home. The kids are a little less sanguine: Evelyn cried when we pulled into the driveway, saying "Grandma's house!" And Andrew can't stop talking about the next time he sees his cousins. But I'm hopeful that they'll eventually get reconciled to being home.
Before we left, we had one last hurrah with cousins: Sarah and I took our kids to Red Butte Gardens in SLC. The gardens were truly beautiful--and the weather wasn't bad either, for the tail end of June (mostly overcast, and therefore cooler than expected). (If you want to see another account of our trip, with better pictures, see here.)
Evelyn started out the day looking pristine in her blue shirt and tiered skirt. However, this kid is drawn to water like the proverbial moth to a flame. As soon as we entered the children's garden, she saw this beauty. Where the other kids were content to skirt the fountain and laugh when the spray hit them, Evelyn insisted on running right through it. (I blame my mom and her sprinklers. I don't think Evelyn realized she wasn't suppose to run through shooting water without her swimsuit!)
I finally talked her out of one fountain, only to have her discover this one. Needless to say, by this point she was totally drenched. Not having foreseen this possibility, I didn't have a spare change of clothes for her. Scrounging through the diaper bag, however, I found an old onesie. I stripped her out of her clothes (which we spread to dry on the handles of Sarah's stroller) and put her in the onesie, which was almost immediately water-logged.
When, a little later, we found the sandbox filled with lovely red sand, the result was inevitable: a very wet, dirty, but happy child.
(Needless to say, I changed her back into her still dampish clothes before going to lunch at Red Robin. Evelyn's cute, but even she can't pull off the stained onesie look very well.)
While the rest of the state (apparently) celebrated July 4th yesterday, Cedar City is celebrating on the national observance day (tomorrow), so we don't have anything to report on that front. We did, however, take the kids hiking yesterday. It was a beautiful day in the mountains--clear and cool (comparatively). Andrew pulled out his big words for the occasion, pronouncing the view to be "magnificent." (Why is it that big words are so much funnier in the mouths of four-year-olds?) Actually, I suppose "hiking" is a little misleading. Andrew walked the first half of the loop, but then insisted on being carried in the hiking backpack; Evelyn rode in the backpack the first half, walked about 100 yards, and then got carried (by me) the rest of the way. Oh well. At least we got out, got some exercise, and enjoyed the company.
Before we left, we had one last hurrah with cousins: Sarah and I took our kids to Red Butte Gardens in SLC. The gardens were truly beautiful--and the weather wasn't bad either, for the tail end of June (mostly overcast, and therefore cooler than expected). (If you want to see another account of our trip, with better pictures, see here.)
Evelyn started out the day looking pristine in her blue shirt and tiered skirt. However, this kid is drawn to water like the proverbial moth to a flame. As soon as we entered the children's garden, she saw this beauty. Where the other kids were content to skirt the fountain and laugh when the spray hit them, Evelyn insisted on running right through it. (I blame my mom and her sprinklers. I don't think Evelyn realized she wasn't suppose to run through shooting water without her swimsuit!)
I finally talked her out of one fountain, only to have her discover this one. Needless to say, by this point she was totally drenched. Not having foreseen this possibility, I didn't have a spare change of clothes for her. Scrounging through the diaper bag, however, I found an old onesie. I stripped her out of her clothes (which we spread to dry on the handles of Sarah's stroller) and put her in the onesie, which was almost immediately water-logged.
When, a little later, we found the sandbox filled with lovely red sand, the result was inevitable: a very wet, dirty, but happy child.
(Needless to say, I changed her back into her still dampish clothes before going to lunch at Red Robin. Evelyn's cute, but even she can't pull off the stained onesie look very well.)While the rest of the state (apparently) celebrated July 4th yesterday, Cedar City is celebrating on the national observance day (tomorrow), so we don't have anything to report on that front. We did, however, take the kids hiking yesterday. It was a beautiful day in the mountains--clear and cool (comparatively). Andrew pulled out his big words for the occasion, pronouncing the view to be "magnificent." (Why is it that big words are so much funnier in the mouths of four-year-olds?) Actually, I suppose "hiking" is a little misleading. Andrew walked the first half of the loop, but then insisted on being carried in the hiking backpack; Evelyn rode in the backpack the first half, walked about 100 yards, and then got carried (by me) the rest of the way. Oh well. At least we got out, got some exercise, and enjoyed the company.
Tidbits
I promise to do a regular post later today (and possibly one on my other blog--aren't you excited!), but first, a short homage to Evelyn that I've been meaning to get to for more than a week now.
She's at that age where she grows so quickly; I'm afraid if I don't record impressions of her now, in two more weeks my current impressions will have been written over by newer impressions and that I won't remember the older things.
What I love about her now:
*Her growing independence (well, a love/hate relationship with this right now)--how she wants to try to do everything herself first.
*Her counting: she can get most of 1-10 (although not always), but after 10 she's on shakier ground: "11, 12, 14, 18" (for some reason, 18 almost always comes after 13 or 14 in Evelyn's world).
*The way she says: "I luv you mommy." Today, I said to her (before the nap that wasn't): "You know what? I like you." And she looked at me with those raised eyebrows and big eyes (as if she'd just discovered something amazing) and said: "I like you too mommy."
*The way she's just discovered the word "favorite." Now everything's a favorite. Yesterday, on a hike, she told us about her "favorite" butterfly, and her "favorite" walk.
*The way she uses the word "escited" (excited), as in, when she sees her bottle of milk at bedtime and pronounces, "I so escited!"
*Her newly discovered attachment to bedtime animals. Up until a month or two ago (before our trip north), she had no real attachment to any of her toys, blankets, or stuffed animals. She liked to sleep with a stuffed animal or two, but they were generally interchangeable. Now, she sleeps with (and carries around the house): Pooh bear, baby Minnie, a smaller Minnie Mouse, "Yady" (Lady, from Lady and the Tramp), and Thumper (I just noticed that these are all Disney incarnations--wonder what that says about us? Probably it just signifies that Evelyn developed her interest around the time we went to Disneyland, so these have impressed her as important).
The other night, I came in from a short walk (Dan was outside in the yard working on something) at about 9:15 to discover my daughter (who hadn't gone to sleep yet) standing in the doorway of the kitchen, asking for her daddy, with her arms overflowing with all of her stuffed animals. It's funny to watch her try and walk with all of them, since she invariably drops something every other step.
*Last, but not least, my very favorite of Evelyn's new expressions: "a nex a me." (Translation: Please lay next to me). I think this started when I offered to lay down by her for a minute to help her sleep at grandma's house--now, every time she goes to bed she whips it out in a plaintive little voice and my heart melts. Because, of course, who wouldn't want to be "a nex a" Evelyn?
She's also discovered the phrase "No, you do it," which promises to be interesting in the future. (I'm sure she got this from Andrew).
Here she is with a fountain-style ponytail (and one of Sarah's hair-bows), in honor of the 4th.
She's at that age where she grows so quickly; I'm afraid if I don't record impressions of her now, in two more weeks my current impressions will have been written over by newer impressions and that I won't remember the older things.
What I love about her now:
*Her growing independence (well, a love/hate relationship with this right now)--how she wants to try to do everything herself first.
*Her counting: she can get most of 1-10 (although not always), but after 10 she's on shakier ground: "11, 12, 14, 18" (for some reason, 18 almost always comes after 13 or 14 in Evelyn's world).
*The way she says: "I luv you mommy." Today, I said to her (before the nap that wasn't): "You know what? I like you." And she looked at me with those raised eyebrows and big eyes (as if she'd just discovered something amazing) and said: "I like you too mommy."
*The way she's just discovered the word "favorite." Now everything's a favorite. Yesterday, on a hike, she told us about her "favorite" butterfly, and her "favorite" walk.
*The way she uses the word "escited" (excited), as in, when she sees her bottle of milk at bedtime and pronounces, "I so escited!"
*Her newly discovered attachment to bedtime animals. Up until a month or two ago (before our trip north), she had no real attachment to any of her toys, blankets, or stuffed animals. She liked to sleep with a stuffed animal or two, but they were generally interchangeable. Now, she sleeps with (and carries around the house): Pooh bear, baby Minnie, a smaller Minnie Mouse, "Yady" (Lady, from Lady and the Tramp), and Thumper (I just noticed that these are all Disney incarnations--wonder what that says about us? Probably it just signifies that Evelyn developed her interest around the time we went to Disneyland, so these have impressed her as important).
The other night, I came in from a short walk (Dan was outside in the yard working on something) at about 9:15 to discover my daughter (who hadn't gone to sleep yet) standing in the doorway of the kitchen, asking for her daddy, with her arms overflowing with all of her stuffed animals. It's funny to watch her try and walk with all of them, since she invariably drops something every other step.
*Last, but not least, my very favorite of Evelyn's new expressions: "a nex a me." (Translation: Please lay next to me). I think this started when I offered to lay down by her for a minute to help her sleep at grandma's house--now, every time she goes to bed she whips it out in a plaintive little voice and my heart melts. Because, of course, who wouldn't want to be "a nex a" Evelyn?
She's also discovered the phrase "No, you do it," which promises to be interesting in the future. (I'm sure she got this from Andrew).
Here she is with a fountain-style ponytail (and one of Sarah's hair-bows), in honor of the 4th.
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