Green water and wind and bees, oh my!

Today, we went to Silverwood Lake with our friend Ryan and his friends. Going to the lake is something that Tevye and the boys really look forward to. They had a lot of fun. I just put up with it- it is not my favorite activity. So much moss had grown in the water this season that it turned the lake green. It was so windy that Ryan's EZ-Up ended up blowing all over and got a bent pole. The beach that we rested on was covered with bees, and they were smart bees, too! Towards the end of the day, they would disappear, and just when I forgot about them and opened the ice chest to get out a snack, they were there within two or three seconds. Actually, I was proud of myself for learning to share the space with them. They were crawling all over us. Their little bee legs sure did tickle! Now, I think that I will call myself the "Bee Whisperer." I am glad that we went, because the boys had so much fun.

Trip to Disneyland

Yesterday, Kree took Caden, Vance, and I to DL. Talicee came, too. We had a ton of fun. Vance really liked the Dumbo ride, rocket ride, and the Casey Jr. train. He was giggling on the rocket ride. Caden went along all day having fun, but, at the end of the day, he asked to go on Big Thunder Mountain. He loved it so much that he wanted to go on it over and over again. We just went twice, but he would have kept going. I enjoyed the day, and we even met up with my friend, Noelle, and her family. We saw the Honda robot in tomorrow. His name is ASIMO, but I thought Kree said "Tassimo," and I replied, "My Mom and Dad used to have one of those coffee makers!" I thought that ASIMO was really cool, and I actually visualized myself having a robot like that at our house. But then, ASIMO demonstrated his running skills, and suddenly I got a little bit scared. There was something about the way he was running that reminded me of the movie "I, Robot," and I am now afraid of robotic global domination.

Art Update

I just want to draw your attention to Caden's new tiger picture in his art gallery. He should have one new picture each week, and I will try to post them as soon as I can.

Got diligence?

I have been doing a lot of research on the topic of diligence lately. It is one of the many qualities that my husband posseses which I admire greatly- mostly since it is an attribute that I struggle with. For example, why is it so difficult for me to be diligent in housework? It is kind of boring doing the same things over and over again. I would like to hear your thoughts on the subject of diligence. Also, any ideas on how to make housework more entertaining are welcome.

Push-Up Pops, Part Deux

While I was on the phone tonight, Vance snuck into the kitchen, opened the freezer, and pulled out a treat for himself. I started to think, "He is quiet...too quiet." Sure enough, I walked in to find a freezer door still open and a very messy one year old! Thankfully, he was curteous enough to sit down on our couch before he started eating (we have a couch that wipes clean very easily). Of course, older brother wanted a push-up pop too, so the two of them ate the last of the messy lot. RIP, Push-up Pops. May you never enter our home again!

Grandma's don't have to suffer the consequences!

I asked my wonderful mother to help Caden pick out some ice cream at the store the other day. He really wanted the push-up pops, mostly because they had a picture of Scooby Doo on the box (that would have won me over, too). I used to love eating them when I was about Caden's age, but as a mother, all I think of is the mess. Yes, Mom, you successfully escaped the aftermath of these delectable ice cream treats! By the way, I now have two pink stains on my carpet from when Caden ate one the other day. As I was on the computer that night, I heard him call from the living room, "Oh oh, Mom! I made a big mess." When I asked what happened, he simply stated, "I pushed it too far." And, as you can see, Vance thoroughly enjoyed his treat!

Beach Trip

Yeah! I can finally upload pictures!! A couple of weeks ago, we went to Huntington Beach. It was very crowded, but we had fun. This was Vance's first trip to the beach, and probably Caden's second. Vance and Caden loved being in the water (if I believed in past lives, they were probably fish), and Tevye even found a couple of sand crabs. Yes, I know that it is weird that I wasn't wearing a swimsuit to the beach, but I pretty much knew that I would only be in the water up to my knees. We were only there for two hours that afternoon, and it was overcast the entire time.

Tennis

Okay, this blogging thing has got me stumped! I have only been able to upload one photo, and that was on the first day. So, I guess that this will be a very visually boring blog. Today, the boys and I met Calee to play tennis. Caden was very excited, because he was looking forward to using his new SpongeBob racket and tennis ball. This was the first time for Caden and Vance, and by the way I played, it seemed like my first time. Calee was very patient. It was very hot, and I think that Caden got frustrated towards the end, but he and Vance had fun sitting in what little shade there was while Vance dumped his full water bottle all over himself. Maybe, next time we will play more tennis.

Caden the Artist

Caden attended his introductory art lesson at Kid's Art yesterday. His assignment was to look at a picture of a fish and draw it. The teacher was very good at helping Caden to figure out how to do it on his own by asking him questions like, "How is the shape that you drew different from the model?" That helped him to pay attention to how he was drawing. He kept looking back at me to see if I was paying attention. It was nice to watch him concentrate on his project. He reminds me so much of Billy when he gets like that. Half way through the class, I asked him if he was having fun (I wanted to check on that before I committed to paying for the lessons). His big grin and loud, "Yes," gave me the peace of mind I needed to cough up the money. If I had the time and the money, I would take art lessons myself!

What's a blog?

As my dear family and friends know, I am not one who cares for change. Why, I remember the good ol' days when Mom resisted getting a car phone, because she didn't want to be bothered when she was away from home. Before I left to serve a mission in Chile in 1998, not too many people could afford the luxury of owning a cell phone, but when I returned home just a year and a half later, I was the odd ball who didn't have one. For the longest time, I enjoyed watching everyone's facial expressions when I proudly declared that I was cell phone-free. And Palm Pilots, etc., who needs them? I still prefer the paper planners and writing with pencil and pen. However, now that I am a parent of two wonderfully smart boys and an aunt of three genius nephews, one of whom probably already knows how to use PowerPoint (a program I have never looked at), I realize that I better start utilizing the latest technological devices and programs just to keep up with the rising generation. Afterall, though I have mastered some of the computer programs of my day- think about how shockingly simplistic Poll Position seems to us today (that was so awesome when it first came out, but when my one and a half year old can finish the first level, it's glory is greatly diminished)- that does not qualify me to be technologically savy in this day and age. So, I guess that blogging is my way of experiencing something new in the world of progress. I am not really sure how long I will maintain this blog, but I will at least have this one post under my belt.