Coppertone Torture

Well, summer is upon us and that means that I am traveling to Walmart every week to buy more spray-on sunscreen for the kids. I know, I know... It's so much more expensive and it doesn't last long enough! Why would I waste our hard earned money on something so frivilous when I could buy a tube of very effective sunscreen for a fraction of the price?

One word: Brennen.

That kid is so stinkin' sensitive! He hates to have sunscreen applied to his tender skin and it obviously feels like I am trying to skin him alive when I rub him all over.

"OOOOOOWWWWWWWW!!!!! THAT HURTS, MOMMY!!! NOOOO!!! AAAAAAAAAA!!!!"

(Insert ear piercing scream here.)

So, therefore, because I am such a kind, loving, and sensitive mommy, I go the extra mile to make sure my only son never has to endure discomfort of any sort and I buy the spray-on sunscreen for him.

Yes, this choice does also work in my favor, ensuring that I am not humiliated at the community pool, but rest assured that avoidance is most certainly NOT the driving factor behind my weekly jaunts to Walmart.

No way. That would be ridiculously terrible parenting.

Say What?

Yesterday Brennen was going on and on about some animal he learned about on the Magic School Bus show. I couldn't understand which animal he was describing and asked him to slow down and say it to my face.

"Mama, I'm talking about a Hunk-Fat Whale!"

Yes, he's talking about a Humpback Whale. How did I not catch that?

Angel Face

Right?

You Can Say That Again

Does anyone else's kid say the same sentence over and over and over and over and over and over again, even though you have answered that kid? For example:

"Mommy, can you make my fishy for me?"
"Mommy, can you make my fishy for me?"
"Mommy, can you make my fishy for me?"

"Yes, Brennen, I will make your (stupid, tedious, ugly, why did I ever buy those messy fish-shaped perler bead forms) fishy for you. Just one minute."

"Mommy, can you make my fishy for me?"
"Mommy, can you make my fishy for me?"
"Mommy, can you make my fishy for me?"
"Huh? Can you?"

"YES! I said yes. I will make it right now (for the love of Pete, good golly, shut it)."

Anyone? Anyone.

Near Death Experience (Sort of)

Doesn't this look like such a sweet, charming Memorial Day afternoon?

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and all is right with the world.

Not quite.

Actually, there are literally HUNDREDS of poisonous rattlesnakes strategically positioned in that grassy area you see all around my very precious children. Nate and I had no idea when we decided to take the kids on a hike for Memorial Day at the Santa Rosa Plateau that it is a really terrible time to be in the wilderness, aka. rattlesnake season! We were about a quarter of a mile into the hike before we heard the first recognizable rattling sounds. Olivia noticed it right away and started to get nervous. She said, "Is that sound a RATTLESNAKE???" We didn't want to scare her, so we said, "Um, I don't know. Let's just pound our feet and move quickly, okay?"

By halfway through this lovely hike, we were freaked out! Olivia was whimpering, Brennen was declaring how NOT scared he was, and Nate and I were seriously wondering why on Earth we were not at the beach, at a pool, or at the mall. The rattle sounds were so loud and coming from every direction! Every grassy open area vibrated. At one point Nate laughed, "What are we DOING here? We aren't nature people! We should be at the Hilton! HILTON!!"

We started busting up, more from the tension than anything else. It was hard to stay calm and not make a big deal so that the kids didn't get scared. But we were scared! I was just sure that a huge rattlesnake was going to lunge out of the grasses and bite my leg off, or drag my 29 pound son off into its hole. I could really visualize it!

Needless to say, we survived. But barely.

No more hikes in May for us.

Siblings

One girl, one boy... that's all we've got. They love each other, they annoy each other. Brennen steals Olivia's DS and Olivia plays too rough. They are convinced they are co-pirates on our "couch-ship" and they squeal with delight in the bathtub. Brennen still calls her "Wiv" and Olivia melts every time he allows her to cuddle him.

I hope they always have the LOVE.

JANA ROCKS!!!

This week at MomSpace we had The One and Only Jana Alayra come to speak and do a concert for us. Needless to say, someone was a little star-struck:

Our evening concert was amazing and I wish I had lots of pictures for you to see, but my memory card was full, of course. Imagine hundreds of multi-colored balloons arched across the stage and all over the room, two hundred little dancing children in a mosh pit, and me singing my heart out to all of the great Jana songs I have come to love over the years. It was a blessing to work with Jana and her husband Ron all day and I encourage anyone to go to one of her concerts, she is a truly wonderful woman.

Our Easter

This year we celebrated Easter at my mom's house and with my brothers and Cousin Avery. The kids had fun looking for eggs and I had fun taking pictures of some majorly chubby cheeks.

Palm Sunday

Me: "Olivia, what did you learn about in Sunday School today?"

Liv: "About how Jesus rode into town on this day and he was on the back of a donkey and all of the town people lined up along the street and waved palm trees at him and shouted, "SUSANNA! SUSANNA! SUSANNA IN THE HIGHEST!"

Me: (choking on my laughter) "Wow, Liv, that's really great."

Bedtime Prayers

This is Brennen praying before bed... it's a version of the Lord's Prayer, in case you couldn't tell. Sometimes his raspy voice gets in the way...

"Father God, You are great!

Help us do whatever You say,

Give us our food every day,

Forgive us when we disobey,

Help us choose to do what's right,

Keep us safe both day and night,

For You're the God of everything!

Forever You will be our King!"