Little Things

That about sums it up.

Field Trip

Harper's class went on a field to the zoo on Saturday. It was super fun. I tried to take as many pictures as I could, but my relatively poor photography skills coupled with the fact that trying to take pictures of 2 year olds is like herding cats made for a difficult situation. I did the best I could. Check out the tie dyed shirts that the kids made earlier in the week so they all could match.

I'm not a huge fan of petting zoos, but the kids seemed to like it.

Harper and Cy

Cy, Avery, and Bryce

One of the cutest moments of the day - Avery and Harper holding hands and singing as they walked.

The Nashville Zoo just opened a brand new flamingo exhibit.

A rare mom and daughter pic

Best Harper quote of the day - "They are all tangled up. And pink."

I really did try to take some good pictures. But every time I tried to get the kids to look at me, they all ignored me. Even my own flesh and blood.

A carousel ride was the perfect way to end our day.

We had so much fun on our field trip. Harper's teachers did a great job planning it. It was so much fun to see all of the kids hanging out together and it was nice for the parents to get to know each other a little better too. I feel really lucky to be able to send Harper to the school that she gets to go to. Can't wait for our next outing!

Cotton Candy

We went to a baseball game with some friends last night. I think the highlight of the night was watching Harper's first experience with cotton candy.

Oh the anticipation...

A cautions first bite...

Blue teeth? Check.

Getting more daring...

100% commitment

I wonder where she learned that technique...

Living Dangerously

We're making brownies tonight! This is the first time that Harper got to help. Dad chipped in by taking some cell phone pictures to document the event.

Yeah, I let my kid lick the spoon. Even in the midst of a nation-wide egg recall. We live dangerously around here. (Don't worry, those eggs have been in our fridge long enough to be completely excluded from the recall.)

Family Time

Over the weekend, we ventured to Southern Illinois spend some time with Rob's brother and his family. We don't get to see them nearly enough (they live in Seattle). So anytime we get the opportunity, we jump at the chance to hang out with them.

This is Mike, Janelle, and Gavin. If you think Mike looks a lot like Rob, you're right. They're twins.

We went to the Centralia Balloon Fest. Janelle's dad does hot air ballooning as a hobby. He gave us special passes that allowed us to get right up close to all of the action.

Harper even got to help Aunt Janelle spread out her dad's balloon.

When it got dark, the balloons did what they call a glow. They all fire up their burners and glow like lanterns.

Harper liked the balloons, but she LOVED hanging out with her cousin Gavin. They were fast friends despite the fact that Harper insisted on holding Gavin's hand at all times.

We next met up with some extended family and took a little side trip to the St. Louis zoo.

Harper, Uncle Mike, and a big bug

Can you see the resemblance?

All in all, it was a great trip. Can't wait to do it again.

Morning Chats

Today is always my least favorite day of summer. It's the day my mom goes back to school. I know she doesn't love it either, but I really don't like it because it means that I can't call her on my way into work in the mornings. Harper doesn't like it either. She'll miss talking to grandma on speaker phone on her way to school. So sad.

Speaking of Harper... this kid says some pretty funny things first thing in the morning. I'm going to start writing them down. They're too good not to. For instance, the first thing out of her mouth this morning was "My eyes aren't working. Turn the light on." A few weeks ago as I was picking her up out of her bed she said "Don't crush my wings. I'm grandma's angel." What do you do with that? I apologized and assured her that I would be more careful next time.

Before and After Weekend Edition

Before we went swimming (with her new car pillow)...

After we went swimming (putting the new car pillow to good use).

Before church...

After church.

Daily Affirmation

This summer, Harper's teachers have really been focusing on the importance of reading with your child. They have scheduled all kinds of fun activities that the parents can join the class in doing - like an ice cream social, parent/child puppet making, a luau, etc. One of the ongoing projects has been for the parents to keep a weekly log of all of the books they've read with their child. We're supposed to keep track all week and turn the log in on Friday. The teachers count how many books you've read that week and add it to your total for the summer. They then display the total on the wall next to your child's name.

Sounds great, right? Well, this simple task has caused me all kinds of anxiety this summer. Actually, anxiety might be too strong of a word, but I've definitely spent more time thinking about Harper's total than necessary. The thing is, Harper and I read together every day. But, it just so happens that she wants to read the same book over and over and over and over. For whatever reason, it's hard for me to articulate that we read "Dora Saves the Mermaid Kingdom" 57 times this week. So instead, I just write it down once and turn the paper in.

No big deal. I know that Harper and I are reading and spending quality time together. I also know that because we read so much, her verbal development is ahead of the curve and she is fostering a genuine love for books.

But, every time I see the totals on the wall in her class room, a little part of me feels inadequate. I am guessing that Bryce and Olivia do not share Harper's love of reading the same book over and over again (and if they do, God help their parents).

It's really not that big of a deal. I know we're on the right track. I just thought I'd give Harper's future therapist a heads-up for when Harper tells her that she felt her mom did her a disservice by not keeping up with the other kids' book totals.

Of the Beholder

Just so you know, eyeballs are awesome.

Photo credits: C. Young Photography and Suren Manvelyan

Bits and Pieces

I haven't had much to say lately. No real reason. But, here are some bits and pieces of things floating around in my head at the moment.

• Cashews grow on trees. I took these pictures a couple years ago on a trip to St. Lucia.

The tree produces these fruits. The top part is called the cashew apple (apparently you can eat it, but I haven't tried it). The bottom part is the business end. One cashew nut is encased in a double shell that contains anacardic acid - a potent skin irritant that's related to the toxin found in poison ivy. No wonder they're so expensive. You only get one nut per fruit and you have to do battle with a skin irritant to get it.

• As I was tucking Harper into bed last night, I said "Where did my baby go?" She responded with "Mom, I'm growing up." But the way that she said it made it sound more like "Mom, seriously. We've been through this before. I'm growing up and you're just going to have to come to terms with it. Now, shut my light off so I can get some sleep. I have a big day tomorrow."
• I found a job that's very tempting to apply for. I've been contemplating it for a week now. I keep seeing references to this particular university in random places. I think it's a sign.

Bad Boys and My Little Ponies

Harper's teachers send a paper home with her every day that reports what she did during the day. Below is part of her report from yesterday.

Yep. You read that correctly. Harper sang "Bad Boys" while doing her artwork. Rob watches a lot of Cops and Harper's brain is like a little sponge. It was only a matter of time before she shared our little secret with the world. And now, I'm sharing it with you.

Preference

I like this view better...

than this one.