Pretending your kids don't exist

...is only a good idea while you're hanging out with your bff in another part of the house or escaping into the blog world. But, remember, every action has it's consequences. Some not so bad. Like five kids grabbing every available pillow, couch cushion, blanket and stuffed animal to build forts to play house in. A huge mess but fairly easy to clean up.

Then we move on to the bigger things. Like a 2-year-old who thinks plain white counter tops are SO boring (just like mom thinks) and decides to do a design intervention with a green and purple Sharpie adding decorative swirls along the edges of said counter tops. But, since it really does need a design intervention, I'm tempted to let her finish the rest of the counter top edges.

Then there's this.

(These are post spray-and-wash treatment, hence the wet look. Which didn't help. In case you were wondering.)

ARGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!

It needed no intervention. It was perfectly lovely the way it was. As mad as I am about this, I can't help but admire how precise the stamps are placed on the polk-a-dots and even staying within the flowers. It's tough raising budding young artists.

Summer Fun

We've been working hard at playing this summer. Here's just a few things we've been up to:

Summer Bingo

As part of the fun, the kids had to do a picture scavenger hunt. I gave them a list of 10 things to go find and take pictures of. They loved it. And they did go-ood!

Boy on a slide

Girl on a swing (this was supposed to be a picture of Sophie, but she didn't want to play that game.)

Girl on a bike
A pine cone

Hiking.




Jeff thought it'd be great fun to take the kids hiking. So we did. He happened to have a Monday off after the 4th of July weekend. We packed a picnic, loaded everyone in the car and drove up Big Cottonwood Canyon to Doughnut Falls. We were highly entertained by a cheeky little gray squirrel who seemed to think he was part of our family-coming right up to our picnic blanket to beg for scraps of food. The girls would scream-in true girl fashion-every time he got near. McKay was a little unsure about our new friend, too, at first. Once he decided the squirrel was no real threat, he said, "Let's name him! I know-Zack!" So thus we have Zack the Squirrel. (Which, btw, set the precedence of the kids naming every living creature we saw on the trail)





With lunch cleaned up, we headed out on the trail. It was gorgeous day for hiking and the kids took to it like fish to water. Lyndsi especially loved it and could always be found leading out little party. Sophie was the only one to get whiny. Enter mom and dad and a big bag full of snacks. Problem solved. We hiked 1.6 miles in all and not once did Jeff or I have to carry that little girl. It was great. My favorite moment was when we were hiking back from the falls. Sophie started singing, "underpants, underpants" over and over. Trying not to laugh (and not succeeding), I asked her why she was singing about underpants. "Because I'm funny!" she replied. 'nough said.






Photos.






My summer fun has come in the form of Photoshop. I signed up for an online, self-paced class to learn different special effect techniques for PSE 7. I am loving it. Here are a few of my projects thus far.

Hmmm...

The blogging world has seemed to slow down. I hope it's because everyone is out living it up this summer. I know we've been trying to! We've been to the cabin several times, out to a concert in Green River, WY, swimming, hiking, picnicking, crafting, etc. I've got a few fun things up my sleeve I'm hoping to share by Monday,but first-I must finish them. ;) I've really been trying to make this summer fun for my kids, especially McKay who starts school in a few weeks and this is his last stint as a stay-at-home kid.

I'm off to check on the my cherries that are drying in my ancient (but much appreciated) dehydrator and then (cross my fingers) off to bed because I'm about to fall off my chair with tiredness.

Before I go-I want to know something-Big or small, what fun things have you been doing this summer??

Happy 4th of July!

Here's to BBQ's, hot dogs, apple pie, ice cream, baseball, a weekend at the cabin, families, parades, fireworks. To the men and women who built this country from the ground up, who fought and still fight for freedom no matter the battlefield, who sacrificed to make something better for their children. Here's to all good things AMERICAN!

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!!!

Have a delicious, fun-filled, and safe holiday weekend. See ya next week!

Lyndsi Update

I love my Lyndsi-girl. Tomorrow is her last day of 1st grade. She's frequently reminding me that it means next year she will be baptized. Sniff....(Where does the time go??) She is a delight to have around. We're on year-round school here. (If you're not familiar with that, it means we go to school through out the year and about every 9 weeks we get a 3 week break.) This whole school year, I've been the looking forward to off-track time, and she on the other hand has dreaded it. Lyndsi has such a strong passion for learning and a great love for her teacher and her school friends. This has got to be such a great generation coming up. I've had some of her school friends over and they are darling, sweet girls. Lyndsi also has a passion for dance. She has loved her class this last year and you couldn't wipe the grin off her face after a performance if you tried. She's recently discovered her book appetite. I'm not sure what really whet it, but it's in full gear now. She's been reading all the "fairy" books (from the rainbow -and like-fairy series), Junie B. Jones and is currently reading Black Beauty. That one surprised me a bit, but she is loving it. Lyndsi is also extremely helpful at home. Some days I expect probably too much of her, but she doesn't complain much and gets the job done. She loves to help her brother learn to write and her sister get dressed and go to the potty. She's discovering her future best friend in her little sister. They will sit and play Polly Pockets or Littlest Pet Shops for hours at a time. And have I mentioned this girl is getting braver by the minute? My little monkey who was terrified of Disneyland, zip lines and rope swings like Jane of the Jungle (ya know-Tarzan's main squeeze). She's starting to climb like a monkey and ride her bike everywhere. And last night-she got her ears pierced. Didn't even flinch. No tears. Afterwards she told me she almost backed out but the told herself, "No-it's not going to hurt!" I love that she was able to reach her goal of getting her ears pierced and overcome her fear of the pain. For the record, she said it didn't hurt a bit and her ears are more beautiful than before. She's not perfect, but she is a GOOD kid and I'm glad she's mine.