bones

I don't even know where to begin writing this post. This morning I had one of my first experiences where I just wanted to cover Mont's mouth and run from where I stood. 

At Target this morning, there was a store worker doing inventory who asked if I was finding everything okay. 

"Yes, just browsing. Thank you." 

Mont chimes in after about 90% of these exchanges and brings up something completely unrelated, but that holds great interest to his own self. 

"I have a GUN in my car!" 

My eyes go wide and I try my best smile when the store employee looks at me and gives an uncomfortable laugh. 

I explain, "A toy gun! Man, he's going to get me in some trouble!"

Mont doesn't stop there. 

"There's BONES in there, too!!"

My face turns beet red, and the guy looks really nervous now. I can tell he's trying to decide if he should laugh or run. My voice is shaky and a little higher pitched as I try to explain this one:

"Sorry!! He has a toy pirate gun from the pirate ride at Disneyland, and there's a skull and crossbones on it!" 

I don't even remember watching his reaction, because I was probably looking around at who else just heard what Mont divulged. It was terrible... TERRIBLE. "There's bones in there TOO?!" Kid!!

Should have just clamped my hand over Mont's mouth and run for it, letting the guy think what he would, but my sense of humor and sense of self-assurity is not quite at that level; maybe another 15 years, give or take a lifetime. 

Drink up me 'earties. Drrrrink up.

group shot, and a guest

one of like group shots we got the whole time; this is the last night, pulled from Mamie's phone! Thanks Mames! 

See that lady at the end of the table? We have no idea who she is.. but she will now always be remembered!!

Thank goodness for that red hat Marty was wearing the whole trip - he's almost as tall as my dad, so we were able to spot him from half mile away! We had a great time on this trip, and so glad it worked out that we could be there, but we really missed Aimee and Michael. Even with as much fun as we had, I can't help but wonder how much more fun we could have had, had they been there too. 'Til next time!!

happiest place(s) on earth

Depends on where grandparents are... because that is where it is happiest. Am I right??

Emmy fit into the smallest little half sink I've ever seen. I really would never have thought to even try it! Leave it to Grandma Stacey to let Mont relive his happy bath memory from last year. He has brought it up at least every other week, "rememer? rememmmerrr?"

Mont had his first dinner 'date' with his second cousin, beautiful Tatum. They were talking like it was going out of style, sharing a whole wheat english muffin. Toasted. With butter.

Cousin Maxwell:

Then back to Utah, and the fun and happiness continued on:

Can't get over her sweet look of anticipation. This is just before her first ride on the scooter!

Not even sure where this face came from!

snapshots of the trip

snapshots with my iphone

The trip started off a little rough, then was great, then rough, then great again, then home. The second flight of the trip, from Minneapolis to Salt Lake City, I had to ask three people to please give up their seats so I could sit with my little ones. The flight attendant at the gate gave us three separate seats, then it was up to us to find people who would move. It was terrible.. no one wanted to help, and finally the people who did, made me feel like the terrible person I already felt I was for asking them to move! After I was unable to stop the tears from rolling, the kiddos sidled up to me and both fell asleep for the entire flight. You win some, you lose some, right? 

The day before we left home, Emmy was practicing her travel etiquette: 

After the flights, we landed in Utah, drove to Grandma's house and promptly played with all the toys we could, forgetting all about the unpleasantness of grumpy people: 

Legos, excuse me, Big Boy Legos were found and Mont spent hours building houses and boats for the little legos people: 

Swinging on the back porch with Emmy and her beloved bubble necklace (with no bubbles):

Mark headed up the second leg of the trip to California, as there were only 3 non-rev seats available. He was able to successfully handle the stroller loading and unloading onto the shuttle to the hotel by himself with the two kids, and late night mamba-candy distribution. What a hero!

We reunited the next day in Anaheim where we were anxiously awaiting our time at Disneyland: 

Molly was dared by her father (no less!) to run through the water fountain at its highest height. She was already in her swim suit, so the dare was accepted! 

Emmy was dead set on getting this particular pink set of ears when Mark took them to downtown disney that morning. She wore it as much as she could our entire time there:

A pay phone I remember my dad taking a business call on when I was really young. 

Hasn't changed in over 20 years!! 

Mont and his cousin Maxwell. Mont loves this kid sooo much.

Exhilarated Mont on Soarin' Over California... he absolutely loved this ride:

However, Emmy was not all that pleased when Alice in Wonderland broke down while we were in the Wrong Way Forest (not sure of the name, but that fits, right?):

Mont loved the toy story rides, being able to shoot the guns and rockets:

Visiting family is the best... late nights, cookies for breakfast, popsicles for snacks, etc. Happiness is summer at the grandparents'. 

Stacey keeps an owl paperweight on her desk, and when Emmy found it she would not let it go for a good long while!

While getting ready for an all-too-short hour long visit with my sister, I noticed the tag on my shirt was the same name she's given both of my babies when they were really little.... so a picture seemed appropriate! Made me laugh.

Vying for Tessa's affection and hugs:

Emmy's new "Picture Face":

Minneapolis near midnight:

garden greens

red barn wood beds 

 sweet mint (reminds me of summers in Bellevue)

peppermint plants 

tomatoes  

flowers for the bumble bees

chutes, ladders, and swinging solo

He's done it, ladies and gents, he's figured out the swing!! He can hop on (a little bit of a scramble to get on), and begin to rock back and forth enough to get started, and within a couple minutes his feet are as high as my head. My tips on Friday when he finally was willing to listen and try till he succeeded were a mixture of, "let your feet fly really high! then drop your feet back, then let them fly high!" Somehow something stuck and he was flying.