In Her Element

We finally went camping with friends at Ensign Ranch last weekend. It was a short trip, but we were grateful to squeeze it in before the summer ended. Our camping plans were seriously thwarted this year due to Chance's surgery last month. Suddenly the summer is over, school is about to start, and soccer season will be upon us again. We had a good time. We stayed in a teepee instead of setting up our tent and the kids loved it. There was a burn ban so camp fires were restricted. It just isn't the same without a camp fire. And there were massive hornet nests throughout the campground. Unbelievably no one was stung.

On Saturday, we signed the kids up for horseback rides. They aren't quite old enough yet for trail rides, but they were able to walk their horses around for awhile. Emma was in heaven. She's been begging to go riding for months. She's ready to move onto the ranch permanently.

I've never been horse crazy. I like horses and I think they're beautiful, but they make me nervous. My uncle Jim had horses on his property in Oregon when I was young. I still remember riding and feeding apples to their horse, Nugget. But then in Jr. High, my friend Misty took me on a horse ride and her horse rolled with me on it!  It scarred me for life. I wasn't hurt, but I realized right then how much control I didn't have and never wanted to feel like that again.

Basically, I'm a big chicken. Its nice to see I didn't pass that along to my daughter (or the boys).

"There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man." ~Winston Churchill

Hot Weather Humor

During the last several weeks of summer, our babes have thrilled us with their wit and imagination. Here are a few recent samples:

Tyler: "Mom, I'm really starting to like reading books."
Noah: "I'm really starting to like finding money."

Noah: "Mom, do you know how cavemen eat applesauce? They throw it on the ground and eat it with their toes! ... I've been dreaming about being a caveman."
Emma: "I've been dreaming about lollipops."

Noah: "We can't go camping where there are bad animals. If there are bad animals then we have to bring our guns. And if we see police then we have to say: ' we're not bad guys, we're campers and we're hunting lions and tigers!'"

Tyler: "Mom, is there electricity in heaven?"
Michaelynn: "I don't know. I'm sure they have something."
Tyler: "I think I know what it is."
Michaelynn: "You do? What?"
Tyler: "Love."


Michaelynn: "We're going to Aidan's grandma's house."
Tyler: "Mom, are we allowed to go to other people's grandma's houses?"

Noah: "Dad, can I have a cinnamon roll?"
Chance: "Did you eat all your chicken?"
Noah: "No, my tummy only has room for cinnamon rolls. In my tummy there's an empty place in the shape of a cinnamon roll."

Noah: "Dad, am I silly in my pajamas?"
Chance: "Yes, Noah."
Noah: "I'll stop being silly when I'm 8."

"Oh, no. It looks like there's a maniac! See those sirens? That means they've caught a maniac." ~ Noah, upon seeing police lights ahead.

The Moon & Stars

Today was Emma's last dance class with Ms. Mary and Aidan for awhile. She begins preschool soon and it doesn't look as though she'll be able to fit Pre-Ballet & Tap class into her schedule. It makes me sad because she loves Ms. Mary and talks about her all the time. Many of our arguments start with "Ms. Mary told me ...." or "Ms. Mary doesn't want me to ..." Some examples:

"Ms. Mary told me to wear my tap shoes to the store."

"Ms. Mary doesn't want me to clean my room!"

I continue to hope that Kent Parks will offer a new class in the afternoons for her age group. I am sad that she won't be able to play with Aidan every week in class anymore. They are the Romeo and Juliet of the class and so fun to watch together. And I'm really sad that I won't be able to chat with my friends Heather and Bridgett (Aidan's Mom) for an hour while Emma stomps and twirls around.

At the end of class today, Ms. Mary asked them what they wanted to be when they grow up. Emma said she wanted to be "A Star! ... A Star in the Sky!" And Aidan said, he wanted to be "The Moon." How sweet is that?

Feminist Emma

Emma had her first actual dentist appointment today. We've been trying to get her into the chair for awhile. Our dental office recently added some new doctors - including a couple of female dentists. Apparently, Emma refuses to see a male dentist - (what a feminist!)

Emma has some interesting dental quirks. She only uses strawberry toothpaste because it is pink and tastes good. She refers to my mint toothpaste as "the spicy kind". And one of my favorite conversations about her teeth recently:

Emma: "Look! I have mountain teeth in the back!!!"

Mom: "Mountain teeth?" (oh, molars!)

Emma: "Yeah, do you see them? There are mountains on them!"

Mom: "What kind of teeth do you have in front?"

Emma: (thinking ...) "Hmmmm.....just squares."

A Glimpse into the Future

Our neighbor boy has a new cruising toy. Not long after he unveiled the ride, Emma swung onto the back and took off.

"Six o'clock on Saturday

Her folks don't know he's on his way

The stalls are clean, the horses fed

They say she's grounded 'til she's dead

Well here he comes around the bend

Slowing down, she's jumping in

Hey mom, you're daughter's gone

And there they go again"

~ Garth Brooks, 'Ain't Going Down till the Sun Comes Up' Lyrics