one of connor's friends from school told us about the Natural History Museum's yearly bug event. naturally, the boys were eager to go and let giant bugs crawl on them. naturally, I made daddy take them.

they got there early, which is good because when they left the line was nearly all the way across the park.  I should have known that they could not attend such an inspiring event without coming home with some.... souvenirs. 

now we get to find some appropriately sized shadow boxes for display.  woo hoo!

oh my heavens

A couple of weeks ago I decided I'd had it and that our balcony needed to be made into a useful space instead of an extra junk drawer. Craig told me that I could plan a Family Night around the Balcony Makeover and I was very excited.  Here is 'before':

I: 

moved the scooters to a new storage place

got rid of the white chairs (they smelled funny)

tossed that huge box

organized the flowers

planted a bunch of herbs

and got some cute patio furniture (half off!!) (THANK YOU AMY! - she saw me at JoAnns and made it possible for me to check out and get said furniture into my car without completely losing it)

my ficus tree is sad. I don't know how to make it all pretty and bushy again. 

the boys have eaten almost every meal outside since we re-did the balcony. It's just too cute. I really really love having the extra useful space. Hopefully our plants will grow. I don't have a lot of luck with that. 

Craig was more than a little surprised with the results (he had to stay at work super late that night and so Family Night ended up being Craig-less) - apparently he imagined my plans to include reorganization but not shopping. heh. whoops.

Here's looking forward to summer!

Mangoes and Soda

or

Recent Lapses in Judgement

It was one of those weeks last week - too many demands and not enough sleep equalled one crazy mom who forgot all about New Year's Resolutions. 

Con and I were at Target,  just after a dental appointment for him, running the first of a long string of errands before their camping trip.  I had had about 4 hours sleep the night before and was feeling a little bit like bursting into tears for any (or no) apparent reason.   We walked by one of those mini-refrigerator drink holding machines that they keep at the checkout lines to lure poor schmucks like me and I had Con grab me a caffeinated beverage. 

The day went wonderfully. I wasn't tired, I had all this energy, my attitude was soaring. "Wow, today has been awesome. I'm not even feeling sleepy! ... It must have been that sod- Dang it!

So I had soda. And I wish I could say I'm sorry for it but really I'm not so there world thpppbt. 

And now for the Mango Story.  My friends who remember the Episode of 2006 are all cringeing now.  

I discovered mangoes and their awesomeness right about then, the spring of 2006. I bought many, and ate them regularly for weeks. And then I got MRSA in my leg (I had a blister that got infected) and more blisters here and there and then one day my lips were covered in little welts that lasted for weeks and I (and my doctors) wondered if I was turning into Job or what? and then it all went away and I was fine and I had a mango again and the blisters came back! 

nooooooo! I had become allergic to mangoes. 

or so I thought.

But this spring, I have noticed that I got a few little blisters and my face was feeling a little bit rashy and I didn't have any mangoes. So wait - am I allergic or am I not? Is this blister thing just a Spring Thing that happens to me?  I threw caution to the wind and bought two on sale the other day. I took them home and inhaled them like a recovering mango addict.  heh. 

and now my mouth is feeling kinda funny.... 

a-camping they would go.

mother's day weekend our stake always holds it's annual Father/Son campout to celebrate the priesthood in the church. it is possibly the highlight of the boys' year.

fletcher very much enjoyed the rope swing.

and there was some very important moving of large objects.

craig was in charge of the campfire activities and felt like it was a bit of a bust, but everyone says he did a wonderful job. This is possibly because he took up 10 (yes, TEN) laser tag guns for everyone to take turns battling with. 

fletcher and daddy found this the morning before they came home:

and daddy decided to get close enough for a good photo - despite it's being the most poisonous snake in our forest.

ugh.

Some random photos and thoughts and all that.  Look at this guy! He's still cute! :)  At his  7 week check he'd gained 5 lbs and 3.5 inches. Little tank. Now I'm trying all his clothes up to 6 months 0n him to make sure we don't miss anything.  A couple of 6 month items are already looking snug. Yikes. 

The boys are still having fun with Aunt Nancy.  They get all excited when she comes home from school and it usually doesn't take much to convince her to get on the floor and hang out with them for awhile. It's strange that she's been here 3 months already. Just one left!

Connor took this picture of himself and Fletch on one of those car rides when little brother had once again fallen asleep on his shoulder: 

Today at the grocery store, in checkout line, Connor says, "Mom, what are these?"

"Those are cigarette lighters."

"Really? My favorite pencil maker (Bic) makes cigarette lighters?"

ouch.

"I'm sorry, honey. Maybe you could pretend they're campfire lighters..."

"But that's not what they really are though." 

Poor kid.  He was very disappointed in Bic.  It was totally sweet. 

And here's my honey on his birthday weekend, playing with his new present. He's even found a place that gives group beginner lessons.

and this post is me pretending to catch up on the blogging world for the moment.  Mothers day was a beautiful and relaxing day. My mom's present is still sitting here waiting to be mailed.  Is 7 weeks too long to still be using the new-baby excuse?  sigh.

This evening when the sun set behind our building I turned of the A/C unit and opened the glass door, expecting to feel the cool rush of wind from outside.  There WAS a rush, but it was hot hot hot. 

(image found here.) 

It reminded me of when I was a kid, and the hot summer winds would sometimes blow through northern California.  For an instant I was four feet tall with dirty bare feet and long stringy hair, smelling the dust stuck in the screen door and watching the trees blow out on the ranch. In the next I was a gangly thirteen year old, still with dirty bare feet and stringy hair, watching Mom pull weeds in the garden and listening to the chickens settling in the coop; the smell of hot pine needles permeating the air. (oh, how I miss the smell of pine in the air!) 

I picked up the baby and stood by our balcony, swaying back and forth and reveling in the memories that kept washing over me each time a new breeze would blow by.  It made my night, my week, put peace in my heart. 

I needed some there. 

How is it possible that I did not know yesterday was Star Wars Day?! 

image found here.

I could have made my boys walk around in jedi costumes all day (I bet I could even have fit into my Princess Leia costume. Which I have to get rid of by the way - - anybody want a white Leia costume? Size 8-10 ish?).  I could have forced my family to play Star Wars Trivial Pursuit with me. We could have had a IV-VI marathon! (i will not watch I-III. absolutely NO.)

I'll have to mark the calendar for next year...

Aunt Nancy sat next to us on the couch with the camera aimed at him until we half-caught a couple of smiles.  Good times.

I think my baby has gained 5 lbs. this week alone! He's suddenly so big and sturdy!

My oldest officially gets the "Big Brother of the Year" award. His place of residence when we travel is now the middle of the back seat - which means that he is often sandwiched between a sleepy 5 year old and a fussing 5 week old. The other day he had Fletch sleeping on his shoulder on one side and Van clutching his hand which was holding the binky on the other.  And he was fine with it.  Such a sweet kid. 

Dh went to see Wolverine yesterday. He said it was "alright".  Kinda took the wind out of my sails. I'm still entertaining hopes that I will like it more than "alright".  

I got an impromptu Girls Night Out last night. Yes, we saw 17 Again; and it was hysterically funny and very endearing.  I'm glad that we all ignored the raised eyebrows of our husbands to go see "that movie".  It was just what we all needed!