Catch Up

In no particular order, here is what we've been up to....

An Easter egg hunt with some friends...including our own Little Bunny Foo-Foo.

Seeing "Horton Hears a Who" in the theater.

This was a completely spontaneous activity which, for me, is a big deal (the spontaneity part). Lucas was off for spring break, Gabey had been sick, I was restless...all this added up to, "Hey! Let's go to a movie!" So, the 3 of us spent a small fortune to see a movie on the big screen. This picture was taken before the previews started...as soon as they did Gabey was on my lap, where he stayed the whole time. The previews were traumatic ("I want to go home! I want to go home!"), but he made it through the movie OK. Lucas had a great time.

While Gabey was at someone else's house for our little co-op preschool, Cory (who was fortunate enough to get Friday off) and I took Lucas (who was off school for spring break) to the Air and Space Museum. This was maybe our 4th or 5th time there, but our FIRST time to see one of the shows. We took Lucas to the Planetarium show "Cosmic Collisions." He was SOOOOOOO excited. We started walking into the planetarium and he was running a few steps ahead of us. It went something like this: run, run, slower run, stop: "Whoa."

I'd tried to tell him it was going to be a dome over our heads, but he was still taken back. He was pretty nervous about the whole thing, and spent the whole show on Cory's lap...but ended up liking it. He thought it was pretty cool (and it was!).

And, of course, we had a very nice Easter.

Oh, and I'll leave you with this, which is what Gabey started doing while he was in the bathroom

brushing his teeth.

I know a famous author

My friend Angie has a story published in the April Liahona! The Liahona is a publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The story is also set to be in the Ensign (another publication of the Church)...

So, way to go, Ang!

(And way to go me, since I finally figured out how to hyperlink...and can't believe how easy it is and that it took me this long.)

Boys

While waiting for the little girl in our preschool co-op to show up, this is how Gabriel and Emmet entertained themselves for about 10 minutes. I still get a kick out of it.

Bob the Builder

We paid a visit to the National Building Museum a couple of weeks ago (there is a museum for everything in this town -- and most are free!) and the boys had a fun time in the hands-on exhibit. They got to dress up like builders, and everyone thought they were the cutest (which they were).

Why I Lied to My Children

Who honestly likes going to the dentist? The gritty toothpaste (shudder), the flouride (the liquid kind you could escape -- my sister admits to pouring it down the sink once they left the room; but the gel stuff they put on the mold and you bite on it to squish all over your teeth? Blaaaaaaah)...and we won't even talk about getting work done besides a check-up.

You can understand, then, why I had to lie to my kids.

I've had the word "dentist" written on my dry erase calendar ever since we moved here. This word was to remind me that, now that we once again have dental insurance, we all need a visit for check ups. It only took me 8 months, but I finally made an appointment for the boys. Gabey has never been, and Lucas went when he was 3, but only got as far as sitting in the chair on my lap. This, then, would be the first "real thing" for both of them.

I had to make a visit to the dentist sound as exciting as a trip to Disneyland. We talked up the fun chair you get to sit in (it moves up and down!), the toothbrush (it tickles and makes a funny sound!), and the prizes at the end (your very own special toothbrush!).

For Lucas, it was smooth sailing. I'm really grateful for his 5th birthday because with it came newfound courage. He told me that he would be fine at the dentist "because I'm 5." He did the x-rays, the cleaning, everything without a hitch. He even giggled when the dentist was cleaning his teeth ("it tickles!"). I was really proud of him.

Gabey, however, did not have such a good experience (which I anticipated). I thought this would just be an introduction to the dentist and, if he ended up getting his teeth cleaned, that would be a nice bonus. But they went all the way. I held him, screaming the whole time, while they cleaned his teeth. But we made it. And both boys got good reports of healthy teeth.

Showing off their new toothbrushes, toothpaste, bouncy balls, and stickers.

When it

Just A Good Day

Doesn't that sound like the title of a Mercer Mayer "Little Critter" book (of which I am a big fan, by the way)?

No pics with this one; just wanted to let you know why yesterday was "Just a Good Day"...
* When I asked Lucas to get ready for the day (clothes on, bed made, teeth brushed), not only did he (1) do it right away (2) without complaining, he also (3) made Gabey's bed for him because "I knew he wouldn't want to." How sweet was that!
*My email brought great baby news from good friends.
*While Lucas was at school, Gabey and I played Thomas (the Tank Engine) together.
*The weather was nice, so we went on a picnic with some of Lucas's pre-school friends.
*After the picnic, we went to the dollar store and bought a Transfomers Kite, a Spiderman ball (Gabey has decided likes Spiderman, although he has never actually seen anything relating to it, cartoon or other), and a new puzzle...so much joy for only $3.
*We took the kite out for its inaugural flight and had a lot of fun and giggling trying to get it to stay up.
*An unexpected check in the mail for an apparent overpayment for a doctor visit for Gabriel a YEAR ago!
*Email brought more baby news from some other good friends -- congratulations to Leif and Christy, and welcome Baby Hyrum!


It was just a day that made me smile.