Retaliation

Do NOT take Lydia's mixing spoon when she is making mud soup.

What We've Been Doing Lately

First off, this is what Tyler and Lydia did this afternoon:

Very nice. Monday through Wednesday this week I took the kids to the Oregon Coast, where Tyler's parents had a timeshare rented at Otter Crest. Luke did not enjoy the morning walk out to the tide pools....

Lydia also had a rough time going up the bajillion steps because "there's something in my shoes and socks and I can't wear them!" She solved her own problem though, as you can see.

They both enjoyed throwing rocks into the tide pools and hearing them go "ker-plunk!"

Before we left I fulfilled one wish for each of my kids. Luke's was to go around in his diaper all day:

Lydia had been requesting that I make her a play dress, so I did out of dollar-a-yard fabric. I was actually quite proud that I put in the sleeves and a zipper all by myself, with minimal seam ripping involved. And as a bonus, it twirls enough that she will consent to wear it.

Tyler and I also fulfilled one of our wishes, which was to refinish our deck. I didn't take any before pictures, but here's a few pictures of after it was all sanded down. (I think my hands are still shaking from holding that hand sander for so long!)

And a few after pictures of our deck "a la Cedar Naturaltone" stain and water protector. And can I say, I detest painting railings or anything like unto them.

And here's a little video of the kids at the Coast. Don't ask me why I can't move the video up to where the other Coast pictures are, or why this is underlined. Blogger is frustrating me right now but I'm too lazy to work on it anymore!

Back from the (blogging) Dead

Howdy everyone. I'm lacking the motivation to sort through the many pictures of our wonderful family trips over the last two months, the first with Ty's family to the Oregon Coast, and the second with the Smith side in McCall, Idaho. So today you don't get pictures of our trips, you get videos of what we've been doing recently. Hopefully that will suffice and eventually I will get my rear in gear and post more frequently!

We spent a few hours at the Washington County Fair. Lydia loved the ponies; she came up and told me all about it (I wasn't there when she saw them the first time): "I put out my hand and he sniffed it and his whiskers gave me kisses!"

Luke has gained a new skill--riding a bike. He seems like such a big boy to me, riding his bike around the cul-de-sac in his little yellow helmet!

This last video is Luke's attempt at Red Light, Green Light. The kids love to play that game when we're grocery shopping; I have to stop the cart every time they yell "red light!" (Sometimes shopping takes a long time!) It was interesting to me to see his little brain equate moving in a shopping cart to moving on a bike, and to know that the same game applied in both situations.

Please drive slowly if you're ever on our street--his steering skills and "watch out for cars" skills are still developing!!!