Weekend Hike

Saturday we hit a high of 80 degrees. . . incredible for around here, and just right for hiking. We headed out to Usery Mountain to hike the Wind Cave Trail.

4 powerades
46 lizards spotted while hiking
1 fuzzy red spider
2 REALLY red cheeks (belonging to Paige)
5 pairs of tennis shoes instead of flip flops (feels weird I tell ya)
1 squirrel lovingly named JO
1 chipmunk also named JO
1 small swarm of bees
1 VERY impressive Wind Cave (As viewed from the eyes of a 5-year-old who hasn't ever been in a cave.)
at least 300 repetitions of the word CAREFUL!

ALL in the name of reaching Wind cave. . . well, 3 of us anyway. Shane was carrying Mo and stopped about 1/2 way up because he just didn't feel safe carrying her all the way to the top.

Tyler and Paige are pretty sure that they are expert hikers now that they've scaled MOUNT WIND CAVE. I can see a lot more hiking in our future . . although we do need to invest in a sturdy baby backpack.

UP

Last night we grabbed a bite to eat at Costa Vida and then headed to The Pictureshow to see UP. What a great little movie! I love it when we can take the whole family to the theater. The kids LOVED it, and even Mo watched the 1st half, completely fixated on the screen. . . well, the screen and the popcorn. She really liked all of the "puppies" on the movie, and she was panting the whole time she was awake. Truthfully, she would have been panting if the movie was about horses. I'm pretty sure she thinks that all four-legged animals pant. Then, she fell asleep, or maybe she hyperventilated from all of the panting. One way or another, she sweated soundly through the second half of the movie on my lap.

Paige was cracking up through the whole movie. The theater is of the only places that I can think of off the top of my head where her volume issue is not an issue. Thank goodness.

Ty loved it too, and he gets a lot of the inside jokes now. It's fun to watch him laughing when none of the little kids are. I think that it really makes him feel grown up.

Before the movie started we saw a friend outside of the mall. She snapped this picture of all of us with my little point and shoot. I'm so proud of Shane for not making a face. (Note to self: please stop trying to pull of that hairdo. . . it does absolutely nothing for your receding hairline.)

Here's a little drawing by Paige:

Friends help friends pull teeth

Shane picked Paige up from the bus yesterday. He said she sounded funny. "Let me see your teeth" he said. The front one. . . gone. That's three teeth in 1 week. THREE. Our neighbor friend was in the car, excitedly telling how Paige's "friend" had pulled out the tooth. Paige was acting so funny about the whole thing, like it was some big secret.

Me: Did Shawn help you pull out your tooth?

Paige: (looking at the floor) yes

Me: Why are you so nervous to tell me? Did Shawn tell you he was going to help you pull out your tooth?

Paige: No, he didn't say anything. I just said, will you help me pull out my tooth 'cause I want some more money. Then, he helped me.

Wow, true friend there. That boy really must be smitten.

Tyler says she looks like this:

Nah, she's much cuter.

She says that the kids with the best-looking pictures on the wall at school are missing lots of teeth. Umm . . . o.k.

10 years

Happy Anniversary to us. It's been 10 years and 10 great years at that! We're headed out for the night. . . I'll post more later!

Oh no they didn't!

School has begun. In fact it started 2 weeks ago for us. Paige came off of the bus today saying goodbye to a little kid. Here is the conversation that followed:

Me: Who's that?
Paige: Oh, that's Shawn
Me: Is he in your class?
Paige: Yup.

10 minutes later. . . .

Paige: Mom, Shawn has a girlfriend.
Me: What? In Kindergarten? He's too little to have a girlfriend. Who's his girlfriend?
Paige: Me
Me: What?!?!
Paige: He told me I was his girlfriend.
Me: You're too little to have a boyfriend.
Paige: HE'S not MY boyfriend. I'm just his girlfriend.
Me: you better not kiss that boy. . . just tell him you are too little to kiss boys
Paige: He didn't kiss me MOM, he just hugged me. And, he told me I was the beautifulest girl in the whole class. And, he told me I was the most beautifulest girl in the whole universe.
Me: That Shawn sure is a smooth talker. oh goody *sigh*

She also lost 2 teeth recently. One at home, and one at school in the lunchroom. "Mom, I tried to eat my second sandwich, but I bit it, and their was BLOOD on my sandwich!" (Oh, that's appetizing.)

In other news:

Morgan has started walking. (First they're walking. . . and, before you know it. . . they're being someone's girlfriend at school.)

She started about a month ago pushing this little red chair up the hallway. For her birthday, she got a little stroller/walker and has been kissing (a.k.a licking) her baby and taking it for walks every day. Just that last couple of days she has been braving it on her own.

Family pictures

I swapped with fellow photographer Larry Reeves way back in May, and we just now got the pictures to each other. Um. . . embarrassing. They turned out great, and I can't wait to blow one up for our entryway. Thanks Larry!