All in 15 Minutes

I can start a load of laundry, a load of dishes, and fix the kids breakfast all in that amount of time. But this morning that isn't all that happened. Once Mr O was dropped off at school, Peaches and I came back home. Pulled into the drive and noticed another vehicle pulling in as well. It was a friend of mine who had agreed to come cut my hair. She is a wonderfully sarcastic and fun person, cut hair professionally for several years, then got too busy with her family commitments to be able to continue with the salon, and so now just cuts for people who know her. So...Handsome and I have been going back and forth about this hair cut for months now. Since childhood I have had long hair, to my waist at least. So between the two of us we were not sure if I'll like having my hair that short, not sure how to "do" short hair, not sure... But I finally had enough. It's hair, it will grow back. So, in came the scissors, the unavoidable "are you sure?" and off it came. 12 inches! My head feels so much lighter! Yeah, bring on the blond jokes, I've already heard most of them. So anyways, my hair now just brushes my shoulders. Polly was great and incorporated some soft layering so that if I choose to just let my hair hang down for the day, it won't look awful. She did a great job cutting and trimming to get me the exact cut that I wanted. Yay for short hair!! ...at least for now.

Bronze, They Should Cast it in Bronze

And this, my friends, would be why road trips are worth it. Even when you have a nasty cold, only get 5 hours of sleep, feel like your head is going to explode from a headache, and forget your kids cutsie umbrellas on a truly rainy day. It really is worth it. Cause when you say "look over here and smile," this is what they do.

Logs Need Saws

Short road trips are short in some ways and very very long in others. On the way back from the last short trip that we took, the kids began snoring. Not uncommon, since they inherited that from a source that will remain unnamed (we'll just say it wasn't me). So when I turned about in my seat to look at my beautiful cherubs this is what I saw. Just way too cute to not get a picture.

Cause I'm a Little Crazy

There are those moments of parenting that I wish I could step out and allow someone else to take over for 5 minutes. Yeah, you know the ones. The fit in the grocery store, the being sick in the middle of the night, the arguing with you about everything, and the list goes on and on and on. But, you get what I'm saying, there are moments when it is totally ok to wish you were not the parent. But then there are those moments that I wouldn't miss for anything. You couldn't tempt me with anything to get me to give up moments like this: Daddy teaching his little girl how to balance on a bike. Or there are ones like this: When they are just so dang cute! So really, I'll take those few bad moments that come. Because when it comes down to it, the good times outweigh the bad by tons. I'll take it. All of it. I love being a mother to these two kiddos who are determined to drive me to insanity one way or another. I love being a mom. Motherhood is worth every sleepless night and temper tantrum that has been thrown (and all the other not fun stuff too). Because I get to be the one that those two little (mostly) angels call mommy.

I have had a cold for going on a week and a half now. I am tired of this cold. Very tired. On a side note since there seemed to be some confusion: Peaches loved getting her hair cut after the first bit of a shock from the newness of the situation. She did not cry or pout. She wanted to get her hair cut, otherwise I would not have gone through with it. Peaches grinned and giggled through most of our time there. She loved a) being the center of attention and b) getting her hair cut "at a salon." So anywho, she has short hair and loves it, and I still have this **** cold. Grrr.

About 6 Inches

This week was definitely one for new things. At least a couple new things. Peaches is now a Young Lady, we had our first all girl outing, and also the first haircut that wasn't from Mommy or Daddy. One of the things that Peaches has been asking for lately is to get her hair cut. Now Neither Handsome or I really care how long her hair is. So long as it doesn't need "styled" every day, we could care less. So, the decision was made and off we went. After a little initial freaking out because of the three ladies all saying hello at the same time and the chair and the scary newness of the situation, we were ok. Of course, the settling down was helped lots by a bag of M & M's. Even while being scared there at first, Peaches was insisting that she wanted a hair cut. So, she braved up and got up into the chair (clutching the M & M's). The very nice and good with kids (and english speaking) Alex was the one who Peaches chose to do the honors. Wrapping a tissue loosely around Peaches neck, then on with the cape, then the spritzing and getting the hair wet, then "are you sure that you want this?" Oh yeah! The answering grin was enough. Parting and combing, then out came the scissors. Snip snip snip! Soon there went about 6 inches of Peaches hair. Her grin was huge by this time, she was loving all the attention. Alex finished trimming it even and adding subtle layers, and we were done! Spinning around one last time, grinning like the goofy girl she is, and we were off! With much shorter hair then when we started. So Cute!!

Oh Where Oh Where Has My Baby Gone?

My beautiful baby girl is now no longer a baby. She is a "big girl" or a "young lady" now, thank you very much. Oh my goodness does that girl have an opinion! Thankfully she is learning to keep it toned down and tasteful, at least so far. Peaches officially passed the baby years away and is wishing that the summer would go fast fast fast so that she can go to school tomorrow. I love my kid. The celebration of the passage of babyhood was wonderful and sad all at the same time. For her big day she decided to invite a friend to come with us to the Pacific Science Center. So off we went having lots of giggles and good times along the way. We also convinced Aunty T to come with us, and so we arrived, in the middle of a downpour with no umbrellas. With kids, they never worry about little things like rain, so off we ran, dodging raindrops as we went. Upon entering the Center the first things we saw were the dinosaurs! Yay! The roaring, stomping, chomping, and hugeness that they are. The girls were in awe of just how big the dinos were, and they aren't even full size. Then they were off, running to the next room: space. Climbing aboard a replica rocket, they flew to the moon and back, all in the space of about 5 minutes. Yay for time-warp! Off and running again, this time to the bugs. Bugs bugs and more bugs! From coolness to grossness, there were bugs for everything and everyone. Meandering through we noticed the butterfly house was open, and went in to see the real thing. Bright blues, eye catching orange, pale yellow, and so many others. Oh they are beautiful! Watching the butterflies eat reminded the girls that it had been a little while, so we found a spot to sit and commenced to fill tummies. As soon as the first few bites were gone, there was more exploring to do. The girls could see a couple games set up and wanted to try their hands at some of them. Chess proved to be too difficult, but 3-D tic-tac-toe (or four by four, as some call it) was perfect. Sitting on stools at the table, munching, while eating our snacks was perfect. Aunty T and Peaches tied their game 3-3. Peaches and Sunshine also tied their first game, but went on to tournament mode, each winning one game. At that point we were pretty much done with snacks and the Science Center, so off we went, walking hand in hand for some parts and running for others. The whale tail fountain got its due appreciation and we walked to the car. After dropping Aunty back at her house, we headed home. We got home with a little time to spare for play and then we had to go get big brother Mr O from school and Sunshine had to go home. But, the fun wasn't over! Handsome took off early from work and we went out to Peaches (and Mr O's) favorite restaurant, where they totally embarrassed Peaches by singing happy birthday to her (just like she asked them to). Goofy kid. At home again there were quite a few gifts to open. Oh my word, this girl got spoiled. Paper dolls and a make it yourself beading kit from Oma and Grandpa, butterfly wind chime and bracelets from Sunshine, new barbie and clothing from Mr O, and a stroller with a baby and lots of clothes from Mom and Dad. Once the dust settled a bit we sang Happy Birthday again and ate our requested for lady bug cupcakes. Oh what a wonderful joyous day!

Snow

So because we had time and have a zest for adventure, we went on a drive up one of the many small, barely marked, not kept up well, country roads that are in profusion around here. This is what we found. A washed out road. So, we got out, explored a bit, and got back in to continue the search for the elusive trail heads that were "just up the road." The scenery was beautiful. The mountains awe inspiring with caps of snow backed with brilliantly blue sky. Not too much time lapsed and we were at the trail heads. We were not there to hike (this time) we were just seeing how long of a drive it took. Not too terribly long. So, we got out. And glory be there was snow to play in! Naturally since the weather is above 60 degrees (for the most part) now, the kids were both in sandles. Not exactly the warmest footwear for snow. That didn't stop them. They ran and jumped, giggled and chased, and finally started tossing snow balls. Handsome decided to learn from the kids and tossed one at me. In his not very good defence he was technically aiming for my shoulder. Yeah, the snowball hit my shoulder, right after it hit the side of my face and got snow imbedded in my ear. All I can say is that it is a really good thing that I throw like a girl and was too busy taking pictures to retaliate. Once Mr O and Peaches were too cold to continue in the snow, we moved on to the river. But before we could get that far, nature called for Peaches. So, we followed the winding trail indicated by the sign for the fascilities. This is what we found. All I can say is that I'm glad I didn't need to go. Brrrr. Once that was done we went to the river. As I said earlier, we went to the river because the kids were getting cold. Now this is a snow fed river. It is beautiful and clear and COLD. So, of course, both kids spot the water, and both immidiatly bend over and begin rolling up the cuffs on their pants. Yeah, they waded in the river. Splashing, giggling, throwing rocks, all the cool river stuff was done. And then we found a frog. Unfortunatly our wonderful dog thought that the frog wanted to play tag, and chased it away, but it was still way cool. Now that the kids feet were truly icy, we walked back to the truck for snacks and the drive home. Beautiful day!

Windy Day

Living in a smaller community definitely has perks. Like when the Sheriff's Department does a practice helicopter rescue a block away, you get to rush over to see it. Near the end of the school year every year, our community has a safety fair. An opportunity to learn more about the different programs that are available as well as seeing examples up close. The chopper rescue drew quite the crowd for our little community. They circled the park several times to make sure they had every one's attention. Like anyone could miss the whop whop whop of those rotors passing a scant 200 feet above our heads. Coming down for a landing, they threw out a dummy to rescue and took off again. Taking a nice wide circle, the pilot once again honed in on the park. Hovering about 100 feet in the air, the pilot held the chopper steady as two paramedics and a foldable stretcher were lowered. The paramedics went right to work, not wasting any time. The chopper went around for another circle, but the medics didn't even seem to notice. They were totally concentrating on their task. Moving swiftly they unfolded the stretcher, putting a liner around it to keep the "unconscious patient" from sticking a hand through the railing. They then placed a large bag with the top open underneath the stretcher. Lifting the body as a team, they gently lifted and moved it the few inches it took to get it onto the gurney. Now the bag that was placed beneath proved its worth. As they zipped it over the patient, it became obvious why they needed this piece of equipment. Zipping from feet to chin the fabric kept the patient from falling during the lift as well as protecting the individual from the powerful rotor wash. Once the bag was getting zipped up, one of the medics called the chopper back in. As it was coming around for the well positioned hover, the medics finished strapping the "unconscious patient" into the gurney and readied it for flight. One medic was lifted into the chopper first, then the cable came back down. Hooking the cable to the gurney, the ground medic signaled for the cable operator to lift. As the patient rose into the air, another cable was seen. The ground medic had the end of a second cable that was attached to the gurney so that the patient would not spin or hit the landing gear on the trip up to the helicopter. The patient was loaded and the cable sent back down. Once the paramedic was inside the chopper lifted away in forward flight, ferrying the fragile life within to the hospital. No, not really, they didn't go to the hospital. They came around for another landing, kicked the stretcher and dummy back out of the chopper and lifted for another hover, 100 feet up. Now we were about to witness a conscious patient lift. Strapping a woman into a lift chair, hooking her up to the cable, and holding the second cable as she was safely taken up to the chopper was one of the medics. The cable was sent back down, medic lifted, and the chopper flew away again. Just to come back for a permanent landing so that kids and adults alike could see this cool and important piece of machinery up close. As soon as the ok was given kids rushed in, forming a que to sit inside. Once everyone had their turn, the crew and medics strapped in and took off, flying away.

Froggy Went a Courtin'

In one of the many field trips that I am blessed to be able to take with my beautiful children we discovered something. A pond. Nothing big or fancy, just a small, fairly deep, pond in the back of the neighbors property. It's also a little smelly due to the cows that call that field home. But, there is a pond. One with weeds and blackberry brambles and birch trees. And frogs. Lots of frogs. Frogs that sing at night, jump when the kids come running, and croak good naturedly from hiding places that the kids have yet to unearth. The biggest discovery this last visit was the polliwogs. Oh my goodness were there lots! The giggles as the kids watched them wiggle about and swim was good to hear. It was really neat to see one of natures fascinating changes taking place right before our eyes. Seeing the small and medium polliwogs with their large head and body with the small, skinny, tail tacked on the end almost like an afterthought. Then seeing larger polliwogs, ones with small feet beginning to grow, but still with a tail and still living completely under water. Watching them all darting about in the mud and playing tag in the rushes was a delight. As the big frog swam over, the polliwogs would scatter and burrow into the mud, hiding from what they thought was a predator. Watching the frogs swim was funny. They are really quite odd swimmers, kicking each back leg in turn to propel them in a straight line through the water. They do kick both back legs at the same time as well, but that is more for speed. We never did see them catch any flies, but we're optimistic that next time we'll get to see that. What neat creatures we share this planet with!

Friendly Fliers

Several months ago Handsome came to me with a question. He wanted to get another pet. Well, more appropriatly thousands of more pets. He wanted to get honey bees. So, preparations started for the coming swarms. We (as in Handsome) built a wonderful gated community for the newcomers. After a wait that seemed like forever, the bees came. Handsome picked them up and brought them to their new homes. In the four weeks that they have inhabited the hives here, they have multiplied, by a lot. Just reciently Handsome opened up the lids to check on them. After smoking them, he was able to pull out individual frames to see how well they were doing. Each hive has filled about six of the ten frames with brood and a small amount of honey. In other words: they are happy bees! Since there is that much brood we know that the queen is happy and satisfied with her new home, which means the rest of the hive is also happy. Yay! In the picture the yellow capped comb is brood and the white capped comb is honey. Even though they are very happy bees, we probably won't be getting any honey this year. Bees need a while to establish themselves, and they also need quite a lot of honey for themselves just to get through the winter months. So, we're not counting on any honey to harvest this year. But even without the promise of honey, the bees are fascination insects to observe. The kids have been totally ingrossed in watching the bees build a home from nothing but little balls of pollen (which is all that they can see the bees carrying into the hive). Really very intiresting creatures. If only I could have that kind of organization and obedience in my home...Ah well.

For All the Women Who Have Ever Dealt With Kids

And especially those fantastic babysitters, aunts, sisters, god-mothers, grandmothers, great-aunts, and most of all Mothers. Thanks for cleaning up my mess. Thanks for washing my sticky face. Thanks for baking all those treats. Thanks for teaching life lessons. Thanks for all that laundry done. And most of all, thanks for never giving up on me! Love you all! HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!

If It Wasn't For the Pipe Wrench

There would be a big mess. We traveled a few hours from home just recently to help Handsome's parents with the yearly problem of a leaking sprinkler system. Now they live in a rather dry area and in order to keep the yard nice it really is necessary to have an automatic system to water at night. Watering at night insures that the grass is able to soak up the water rather than having it burn off during the day and consequently burn the grass too. So, back to the system. It needed some work since over the winter some of the lines had come loose and were causing leaks. So Handsome and I packed the kids into the car and away we went. To spend a lovely day and a half playing about in Grandma and Grandpa's yard while Handsome and Grandpa fixed the sprinklers. They took out part of the system and went to the store. 6 trips later they had all the parts and it in the ground. They replaced some of the systems plastic piping with galvanized steel to prevent further problems in that particular area, did a check of the whole system (getting both Grandma and I wet in the process), and finished up just in time for it to rain.

For Every Action

There is an equal and opposite reaction. As Mr O learned while playing in the water fountain. What do you get when you combine a giggly kid who loves water with a drinking fountain that is on steroids?

One Would Think That I Like It

And you would be right. I love exploring with my kids! It is so much fun!! We went on a field trip with Aunty T. We were gone all day long. We got to do lots of things that we don't normally. First, we rode the trolley. Oh the joy! The grins and smiles and giggles. Then at the end of the trolley was the Monorail. Up three flights of escalators to get there and then whee! We were off. Swishing away high above the cars and pedestrians. I think the kids faces may have frozen into permanent smiles for a while beginning here. At the end of the Monorail ride there was a few steps to go down and then we could RUN!! And run we did! The fountain was inspected, seen to be in good working order and moved past. All flower beds that we passed were also duly inspected, flowers smelled and pronounced good, and wishes for certain flowers in our garden were voiced. And then, we reached our destination. Walking in, we hung up our coats, and paused long enough to get a drink, and then we were off! Mr O and Peaches were nice to us this time though and mostly stayed going in the same direction. It was very nice for me because that enabled me to get pictures of both kids doing what kids do best: learning by exploring. The lessons of the day were taken by storm. Water moving into a pipe needs an outlet or it will run over. Each action has a reaction. A vacuum needs to be enclosed in order to work. Ice cream is a girls best friend. When running a restaurant one needs to serve all who enter, not just those who are favored. Art is much more fun when you learn from someone. The joy, laughter, and lessons intermingled wonderfully and we were all pretty tuckered out when we left. Until the umbrellas were spotted. One Fairy with wings and a Dinosaur later and we were headed back out to the fountain to make sure the umbrellas worked properly. Mr O was brave enough to test under the full onslaught of pounding water, but Peaches evidently didn't need the reassurance and merely watched. After running about for a bit, Mr O decided that all was in working order and he joined us while we watched the fountain for a few minutes. It was a beautiful day, sunshine and warm, with lots of love and laughter. Perfect.