The "Professional" Haircut

Mom said that it was high time I had a "real" haircut...you know, one of those where you go to an actual barber and pay way too much money for something you could have done at home. Well, like I said, Mommy insisted that my hair was too long. I would like to know by who's standards?!? I thought it looked great. What's not to like about a mohawk? What's not to love about hair hanging over your ears? In my opinion, little babies are wearing their hair way too short for my liking. I want to be like my uncle Jamie and uncle Joren...they have long, shaggy hair, why can't I?

So we went to "Kid's Hair"...Mommy thought this was going to be so much fun, at least that's what she kept telling me on the ride over there. Once we arrived, I got shuffled into a mini barber chair just my size. The lady (whom I'm still not so sure of) flung this red plastic sheet over me and snapped it around my neck. I'll tell you something, this was already a little more than I had bagained for. I'll admit that I was a little curious about those shiny scissors she had...I'm betting that I could do a lot of damage with those at home if I could get my hands on a pair of those babies. I was doing fairly well...Mom kept telling me how brave I was being and what a big boy I had grown to be. It was all fine and dandy until that crazy lady brought out this buzzing clipper! I wasn't sure if she even knew how to operate those things! That did it, I had had enough, I wanted down and I wanted out of that place NOW! I lost my marbles, I screamed and cried until they released me. It was horrible, it was yucky, and now I only have a short haircut to show for it. The only good part is that I overheard Mommy say that she would never pay for a haircut for me again. I guess that puts me off the hook for ever having to go back! Guess Mommy's haircuts aren't so bad afterall. Hmmm, note to self...I may have to see what else screaming and crying can get me out of. This could be useful information.

The Zoo Man

Ella, Ben, and I went up to visit my family last week. We braved the long 5 hour drive. It was a little touch-and-go, but we made it. Some screaming, some crying, and some sleeping. While we were up there, we went to see "The Zoo Man". It was sponsored by the local library and we figured the kids would enjoy it.

My Mom and I arrived early to get a good spot. After all, we didn't want to drive all that way, get the kids excited, and then not even be able to see the show. We found out that it was going to be held outside in the parking lot...hmmm....lawn chairs would have been a good idea. It's amazing how fast your butt can fall asleep when you are sitting on pavement. It's even more amazing how fast your legs can start to tingle when you are sitting on payment AND holding a toddler in your lap.

While we were waiting for the show to start, a resident of the small town we were in came by with his little house rabbit. A bunch of the kids went wild and ended up chasing the poor thing under a van. The Zoo Man noticed the rabbit and told the people in charge that Mr. Bunny was indeed going to need to leave the show or his own animals may just have it for lunch. It took a little while for them to coax that rabbit out, but finally he was on his way home.

While we waiting for the last people to sit down and the show to start, Grandma leaned over and asked "Ella...what do you think are in those boxes?" Ella sat and thought long and hard and finally came up with the perfect answer: "giraffes" she said. Hmmm....probably not, sweetheart...the boxes are only about 12 inches high. Good guess though.

The Zoo Man started and out came animal #1...a gecko. Hmmm, small but sort cute. Animal #2...a milk snake. Now we're talking...at least we are getting into something bigger than 4 inches...plus he's colorful. Animal #3...a python. Ok, bigger and better. A girl even got to go up and hold him. She looked like she was a little nervous...that always makes the show more interesting. Animal #4...the best for last...an albino burmese python. Here's the big guns of the show...this thing was huge. He was still a young snake weighing in at around 100 pounds. Once he is full grown, he will be around 300 pounds. Oh, but don't get all amazed just yet because his mom was a 600 pound snake. Now that's impressive. Once the show was over we got to go up and pet the snake. Ella was more than unimpressed...she was a little unsure. She had her hands tucked so far into me that I couldn't have found them if I had wanted to. She was making sure that there was no way on God's green earth that she was going to have to feel that thing. Ben was a little more brave. He touched it with the back of his hand once, but wasn't too willing to try it a second time.

Once back at Grandma's house, Mom asked "Ella...what was your favorite animal at The Zoo Man show?" Ella sat and was deep in thought. Finally she answered "the bunny!" "Hmmm....okay" says Grandma, "what was your SECOND favorite animal at The Zoo Man show?" Ella once again sat deep in thought...she finally answered "giraffes!"

So there you have it. End of discussion. Bunnies and giraffes...who knew!

Annual 4th of July Bash

For those of you who don't know...we host a big family get-together every July 4th with my family. It's a blast and everyone has a great time. We had everyone here this year...and that totals 30 people. There were people sleeping on the floors, beds, couches, and outside in tents. We had 6 different tents set up on the lawn this year.

There were games as well as lots of swimming. The weather was very hot this year...hovering around 95 degrees with lots of humidity. There was usually someone in the pool at any given minute all weekend long. Jason even had a fireworks show that he did over the pool while we roasted smores on the fire on the second night.

On Sunday morning we had our worship service...complete with praise and worship and a devotional. Jamie, Jordan, and Tyler did great with the music and Dad had a nice message for us. By the end of the third day, everyone was wiped out and ready to head for home. To all of our family...we just love spending this time with you. We are so blessed to have all of you be a part of our lives. We love you. We are already looking forward to next year! PS...Better watch out for that rubber chicken!

Here are some pics...enjoy!

What's Cooler than a Toy Airplane...

One that is also a fan and lights up of course!

Nana gave me and my brother one of these delightful little gems. I got a red one and Ben got a blue one. You might just be asking "What in a box of jelly donuts is so fabulous about this toy?" Well, let me explain. First of all, it's an airplane...how cool is that?!? It even has little foam propelers that whip around at the speed of light. You can put your fingers in there when they are spinning around and they don't even get hurt. I know this because I watched my brother do it a million times. He's a boy, you know...one of those kinds who is just so curious about everything that they try all sorts of silly things. Second, this gadget lights up like a 4th of July sky. It starts spinning and the lights start whirling. If you get really close and stare at it real hard, all sorts of pretty pictures will start to appear. Third, and a surpise to me...the bottom is actually a sucker!! My mom told me I couldn't have it because my teeth would fall out. I'm pretty sure I don't believe her, but I'm not a risk-taker so I'll just let that one go. If you ever decide you just can't live without one of these wonders, just get yourself a Nana...and I'm sure she will buy one for you too.

Lovin' Summer

We had such a great day today. The weather has been beautiful so we spent a majority of our day outside. Actually, we were only in the house for naps and supper...other than that we were busy enjoying the sunshine. This morning we met our friends at the community pool. I know...what sense does that make when we have our very own pool right in our backyard. Well, when you have a two and a half year old and a one year old...it tends to make a lot of sense. The community pool is perfect for little kids since it starts with just a half inch of water and gets deeper very slowly.

Ben loves the water, as does Ella. But there is a difference. Ella will mostly stay by me, get caught up watching all the other little kids playing, and just sit nice and still. Ben on the other hand has no fear. No fear. No fear. I'm not sure how many times I had to scoop him out of the water. He would come up coughing and sputtering and then go right back at it. Luckily my friend could help watch Ella because I could hardly take my eyes off of Ben. Not even for a second. It was tiring and a bit stressful, but the kids had a blast.

After we finished supper tonight, Jason and I took the kids back to the community pool. I figured since we actually had to pay for admission, we should make the most out of it. It was a little easier this time as we had a one-to-one parent to child ratio. They both splashed and splashed. And they both squealed with delight as they flew down the waterslide. It was a lovely day...now I hope we get some lovely sleep out of the deal!

Lake Kabetogama

Vacations....aren't they wonderful?!? We had such a great time this year up at Lake Kabetogama. Jason's family goes up there every year and rents a cabin on this particular lake...they've done it for over 25 years now.

We had our own little cabin just for us. It was perfect. It was a one-bedroom cabin overlooking the lake with a sleeper-sofa. It was so nice to have a quiet place to go when the kids went to sleep or needed a little downtime...or I needed a little quiet me-time for knitting and relaxing. The view was perfect with the big picture window facing the lake and a little rocking chair to sit in and enjoy it with. I got a lot of recharging time while up there.

The kids loved to go down to Nana's cabin. She had so lovingly worked on a toy box for them. She had been collecting books, color crayons, art projects, coloring books, toys, etc for awhile and brought the whole stash up to the lake with her. The kids loved going through all their "spoils" picking what they wanted to do each day. Actually, now that I think about it, I'm not sure who enjoyed each other more...the kids or Nana! There was also a large playground right outside her cabin as well as the beach so there was always something fun to do. It was the perfect set-up.

Ben and Ella each had boat rides as well as rides on the paddleboats. I think they enjoyed being on the water. We took a particular trip to see the Ellsworth Rock Gardens one day. The water was quite choppy, the boat was bouncing, water was spraying, and Ben slept through it all! As soon as Jason would slow the boat to avoid a back-crunching wave...he would wake up and start crying.

We had a variety of weather while up there...just one of the pleasures of living in Minnesota. It was so beautiful and lovely. When we first arrived, it was hot. The sun was beating down and it was just a little too warm to be out in it. That night's sleeping was a little rough because of the heat. Then some cooler weather rolled in and it felt like a wonderful fall day. We all had sweatshirts on and the family had a campfire that evening. Then some warmer weather again...actually, it was perfect weather that came our way. It was around 80 degrees, sunny, and the water was like glass. Everyone put aside the fishing poles for awhile and got out the tube and waterskiis.

All in all, it was a wonderful trip. It was hard to leave the peacefulness of the lake and the quietness of the cabin to come back to city life. I'm already looking forward to next year.

Not to be out-done...

Ben is ready to go biking with Dad too. Just like big sister, Ella. I may just be the only "non-biker" in the family. Hmmmm....maybe that's okay. Maybe I can work this to my advantage. Let's see...if Daddy and the kids love biking....then Daddy can take them out on little adventures...and Mommy will get the house all to herself!! :) Not a bad plan, now that I think about it!