From the Mouthes of Babes: Circus Edition

Ringling Brothers came to Reed Arena this weekend, so we thought it was high time that Eli experience his first circus.  We bought tickets with some of our friends, and had a great time.  The circus was, as always, exciting (and at times so stressful--I thought I was going to have a heart attack FOR the guy on the high wire), but my favorite part was definitely watching and listening to the kids' take on things.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the night:

En route to the show J and I overheard this exchange in the back of the car:

E: Can you ride on a baby tiger?

N: No, you can't ride on a baby tiger, unless it's at least 30 years old.

Norah: (at first the sight of the tightrope walkers): Mommy, why are those boys wearing sparkles?


Eli: (upon seeing the oriental knive diver produce a black, blindfold/face-sock from at his waistband and hold it up for the crowd to see) "Momma!? Is that his underwear!?" (This, of course was exclaimed at a volume level of about 110)

At the close of the show, the ringmaster put a beautiful blonde woman into a cage, then covered it with a sheet.  After briefly pausing to achieve optimum dramatic effect, he pulled the sheet away to reveal a massive Great Dane.  Eli was utterly astonished, and shouted in accusatory disbelief, "He turned her into a DOG!?!" (as if to say, "Did anyone else just see that!?  Are they just going to let him get away with it!?")

And finally, after the confetti popping, show-stopper of-a-finale, when the performers took their last bow, Eli shouted at the top of his lungs with total sincerity (and no prompting), "THANK YOU!!!"  Funny, sweet, little boy.

This was definitely my favorite trip to the circus thus-far.  Both kids are at an age where they were old enough to sit (relatively) still and watch the show.  (We bought 2 rows of 6 seats, so the adults sat in the back row, and the kids all sat in front of us below, which was super fun to watch.  Of course, they also spent a lot of time in and out of our laps, but it was nice to sprawl out--I would definitely buy tickets that way again)

N absolutely loved watching all of the animals perform-- the puppies and kitty cats, and the quick-change artist, in particular.  Eli's favorite, of course was the motorcycle cage.  He sat perfectly still for that part, and watched in awe, just saying "How do they do that?" over and over again.  Good times!

Spring Camping Trip 2011

Over and over, throughout the course of our marriage, Jason and I have heard it stated (from various sources) that "One of the best things you can do to promote closeness within a family is to go camping together".  

We took the kids on their first camping trip about a year and a half ago, in a tent borrowed from friends.  The kids were still a little small to get the full effect of the trip, but we still had a great time.  This time around, we decided we were ready to make the investment in a tent of our own, so we are now the proud owners of an 8-sleeper, cabin-style tent.  Sure, it's twice as big as we need, but if we're going to survive in the great outdoors for 2 or more nights, it's nice to be able to have a little room to spread out.  My other favorite purchase for this trip was a $3 door mat, which we kept outside the main entrance of our tent, to wipe our feet and leave our shoes on.  Made a world of difference in keeping the inside of the tent clean(er).

Thanks to friends of our good friends the Hindmans (who, incidentally, are also named "Jason and Angela" and have a daughter and son the same ages as Norah and Eli), or more accurately Angela's dad, Dr. Case, we had an amazing camp site, right on the water at Inks Lake.  (The only down side to this was that Norah and Eli wanted to jump in the water the instant we arrived, and didn't stop asking all weekend long, even after we took a dip)

Another perk to camping with the Hindman/Case clan was the presence of the Case's 2, college-age kids, each of whom had brought along a few friends. (Translation: there was ALWAYS someone fun for the kids to play with, because everyone knows that pre-schoolers think college students are the coolest people on the planet!)  Norah loved her first-ever canoe trip with Helen's Uncle Steven.  (The Daddies also took out all of the kids for a longer row later in the weekend)

There was a group of ducks that hung out around our camp site all weekend long.  At one point, one of the College girls decided to try her hand at duck wrangling while we all looked on, in typical, camp-style entertainment. (That's how we roll)

After watching her several failed attempts, Jason rolled up his sleeves
and decided to show everyone how it was done.

Duck-0, Jason-1.  Total time elapsed, 8 seconds.  (Turns out, when fishing for ducks, a little bit of bread goes a long way :)
 

The kids (and college students) were all impressed with Daddy Doolittle's mad duck charming skills.

After a brief petting zoo photo op, Daffy was released back into the wild (No animals were harmed in the filming of this incident).

Much of the weekend was spent playing washers.
  Eli developed a mild obsession with one of the college girls (Hannah), and followed her around everywhere she went.  Thankfully, she was equally enthralled with him, admitting to us early Saturday morning that one of her goals for the day was to "Score a photo of herself and Eli for her Facebook profile"

We had two night's worth of beautiful, lakeside sunsets...wished I would have taken photos of both nights.  The first was vibrant pink--so different from the second.  It made me stop and think about what a creative God we have....painting a totally unique shade of sunset 365 days a year...and yet most days, they are only an afterthought for me, if I even take the time to notice.  Camping was a good way to remind myself to take time to notice the beauty of the world around me.

The second night, while the adults were cleaning up dinner, we noticed that Eli and Isaac had procured a football and were attempting to play a game of catch.  It was so cute (and funny) to watch them mimicking their Daddies' actions from earlier in the day.  (The Jasons had had a good, long game of toss the football prior to dinner)

Wind up, throw...and chase the ball...over, and over, and over.  It amazed me how they didn't seem to get frustrated that they never made a completion.  They were in their own little world, having a ball...literally.

We even got them to pose for a photo op, which no doubt will be worth a mint when they're both pro ballers in about 25 years.

After their game of catch, Eli was in bad need of some refreshment.  Which quickly lead to his discovery of the magic water jug.  Our little drink-aholic was in heaven, being able to refill his cup over, and over, and over...without asking permission or water intake monitoring.  

 The Jasons...pausing from a heated game of washers

Despite repeated heckling from the peanut gallery, my Jason developed some deadly, pinpoint accuracy with his "disc golf" approach to washer slinging.  (Translation: He smoked them all down)

Eli honed his "baby whispering " skills on Asher and Hope all weekend long.  (Did I mention the Hindmans brought their 7-month old twins?  Talk about some hard-core camping prowess!) Despite countless corrections, throughout the course of the weekend, Eli consistently incorrectly referred to Asher as "she" and Hope as "he", thankfully, the babies didn't really mind.

The kids also played a fair amount of whiffle ball.  The Jasons even taught Norah how to hit a ball on the fly (a skill that will no doubt come in handy when they start hitting without the tee in t-ball in a few weeks)

Just look at that intimidating stance!  Wouldn't you back up to the fences if you saw her coming to the plate?

Our last morning , we had a pancake breakfast, followed by a lakeside time of worship.  Steven Case started off a couple of songs, then said, "If anyone has a song they'd like to sing, just start it, and we'll all come in and sing along." No sooner had the words left his mouth, than a completely uninhibited  Eli burst into a lively rendition of, "I've Got Peace Like a River", and as promised, he was quickly joined by the rest of crowd. 

Another perk to our casual camp-style worship service, was that the kids all took part in our time of communion.  (Back home, in the church of Christ, it is traditional that only those who have been baptized partake in the Lord's Supper, so this was an extra-special treat for our kids) It was such a special time for our family.

After church, we broke camp and headed out, making one, final stop to sample the local fare at Storm's (a burger joint, similar to Texas Burger)

Eli has repeatedly asked if we can "eat at Storms" since we've been home, so we know he was a fan.  It was such a fun weekend, and we look forward to our next camping expedition!

A Hunting We Will Go

I officially turned "almost thirty" on January 15th. And, honestly, it wasn't bad. I had a great birthday! Grant and Paige babysat N & E so Jason and I could have a date night. We wound up at Applebee's for dinner (Roadhouse was our first stop, but it was crazy crowded, so we decided to go "off the beaten path"), then we went browsing at Target. (Does anyone else do this on date nights?) We frequently find ourselves at Walmart/Target on date nights. Maybe because they stay open late, or maybe because it is just SO nice to shop sans kids!

In celebration of my almost thirty-dom, seven of my girlfriends took me on a geocaching adventure one frigid, Saturday morning. (I know there are only 5 other girsl in the picture, but Katy had to leave early and Paige was holding the camera). The girls even chipped in and got me my own GPS, so I can now geocache with the family whenever I want! (And yes, we already have put it to good use) Thanks, girls, for braving the cold to indulge me. I am so blessed to have such sweet, thoughtful friends in my life!

For those clueless on the concept of geocaching, here's a quick lesson. First off, it's pronounced Geo-CASHing. It is basically a world-wide GPS-led "treasure" hunt. You can log onto the official geocaching website and enter in any zip code in the world. (I recommend using your own, because knowing the coordinates for caches in Singapore isn't going to help any of us, with the exception of Camille). After entering in your zip code, a list of available caches in your area will appear. Selecting a cache from the list will give you more details, including GPS coordinates and clues for locating the cache.

Is there cash in the cache? Not hardly. Almost all caches contain a log to sign (this is actually a lot cooler than it sounds because when you find a particularly difficult cache, it is neat to see how many people have found it before you...most of the ones we located had been found 50+ times!) Caches also often contain little trinkets for trading. This makes it a lot of fun for taking kiddos along. The rules of cache trading are that if you take something from a cache (say, a lucky rabbit's foot), you must leave something of equal or greater value (maybe a Veggietales yoyo?). Some people even leave small gift cards to their favorite places to eat or shop (which, in a way, is kind of like cash, right?)

When caching, you have to be a little sneaky and watch out for "Muggles". In geocaching, "muggle" is a term referring to non-geocaching bystanders (as opposed to it's "non magical person" meaning from the "Harry Potter" series the term was borrowed from). You don't want to openly approach or look for a cache if anyone else is watching because it may draw their attention and they may go behind you and find the cache and decide to trash it or hide it elsewhere to mess with future cachers.

Some caches are multi-clue/location hunts. Some lead you to places of historical significance. Others lead you to a pretty spot, or a point of interest. Still, others are just hidden in someone's favorite place, or in a clever hiding spot. Anyone can hide a cache, but there are rules to adhere to (also available on geocaching.com). I already have a few spots in mind for our first Robinson County hidden caches.

The coolest cache I found with the girls was hidden in a wooded area (caches are most often hidden on public property, like parks, so wooded locations are common). The clue was "Not a knot". The cache, itself, was a 35mm film canister that had been camo taped. It was then lodged into a small hole about 6 feet up the trunk of an oak tree, so it looked like a knothole. It took FOREVER to find it, but it was worth the wait when we saw what a clever spot it was in.

Thanks to blog reader Morgan Mann for suggesting geocaching to me about a year ago (sorry I'm only just now getting into it, but in my defense, a GPS has been on my "wish list" ever since I first learned about it). I definitely think this will be an activity our family will enjoy together for years to come. I can even forsee the possibility of a geocaching kid's birthday party or two in our future!

Geocaching is a great excuse to get outside, explore your area (or even other places you're visiting), and best of all, is good, clean fun for the family. (Not to metion, it's a great feeling to be the one who spots the cache.) I look forward to making many more family memories caching in the years to come.

How bout you, any other closet cachers out there? I know Sheridan and her family have recently given it a go. I'd love to find out if anyone else has discovered this little-known free, family pastime. And if not, I highly recommend you try it!

Once Upon a Saturday...

A good friend emailed me last week to let me know that she was producing "Cinderella, the Musical" with The Theatre Company. I thought it would be the perfect "big girl" outing for Norah, so we rounded up some friends and made an afternoon of it.

Norah was thrilled to see her good buddy, Shelby, in the lobby. Unfortunately, we were less than thrilled to discover that although we had arrived an hour before curtain and were first in line at the box office, they were already sold out! (Blasted online ticket sales!)

The lady at the booth took our names and told us if we'd like to wait, then after everyone was seated, they might be able to squeeze us in. So we waited.



Norah and Shelby checked out the cast photos (searching for "Cinderelly")
















And of course, they had to see what their picture looked like. (Isn't it crazy to think that our kids wont grow up ever having to wait until film is developed to see what they look like?)

Finally, they called our names! There were a few seats available, but not enough for everyone to sit together. We were just happy to get in! (Norah was SO excited about going--she'd been looking forward to it all week, and even woke up Saturday morning singing, "I'm going to see Cinderella and Shelby today! I'm going to see Cinderella and Shelby today!" So I knew we were in for a big upset if I had to tell her it wasn't gonna happen)

After the show (which Norah loved and is STILL singing songs from), the cast lined up in the lobby to greet the public. Norah shook hands with and congratulated everyone....well, at least the all the girls. She was a little scared of the guys. Here she is with the stepsisters (the one on the left, incidentally stole the show for me--she was hilarious!)






And finally, at the very end of the line, the leading lady!

What's funny is, in this photo, Norah is asking her, "Where is Cinderella?" Norah was a little confused about Cinderella's identity, I think it's due to the fact that when she was in her home, Cinderella always wore a kerchief that completely covered her hair. Then at the ball, she wore a white, powdered wig (Think George Washington.) And at the end of the show, she wore a curly, brown wig. So I couldn't really fault Norah for not recognizing her. Cinderella was a great sport with Norah. She laughed and identified herself, and gave one honored, little girl a big hug.

The theater bug has officially bitten. Norah has been telling me ever since the show that she wants to "be a mouse in Cinderella--like the little kids". (There were 40 plus kids involved in the production, the youngest of whom were "mice" and Norah thought they were great!) As to whether she'll be willing to stand by herself and sing on-stage (a rite of passage all potential Theatre Company actors must endure), that remains to be seen.

All Dressed Up (With Somewhere to Go!)

Jason and I are admittedly homebodies. Apart from church, we don't spend much time dressed up fancy-like, so when we had the opportunity to attend the wedding of a mutual, life-long friend this weekend, we pulled out all the stops. Norah and Eli spent an evening at Mimi and Pepaw's house, and Jason and I enjoyed a fancy, grown-up night out.

Our precious friend, Lauren Lucille Garner (now Vasser) was wed Saturday night in what proved to be a beautiful (and highly entertaining) wedding celebration.

Jason and I are not huge wedding goers, as a rule, but there was no way either of us would have missed Lauren's wedding. We've both known her forever, and at least one of us credits her with helping get Jason and me together as a couple.


As if that weren't enough of a lure to draw us out of hiding for the wedding festivities, so many of our good friends were there, too.

Including Jason's brother Grant, and our beautiful sister-in-law, Paige...




and our good-time friends, Jon and Amy Buchanan. (to whom I owe credit for almost all of the pictures in this post since I am a lousy event-photographer and Amy was kind enough to share)




Amy & Paige...and Grant (ever the goofy-faced picture crasher)









There was even a certified, ballroom dance instructor at the wedding, who gave instruction on 2 styles of dance (fox trot and swing) to all the guests. Jason and I tried the fox trot...but ours looked more like the fox trod on each other's feet! (We did, at least get in one, good, Texas Waltz before the night was through).

Thanks to the Garners for hosting a great wedding and reception, and thanks to the grandparents for allowing us a special date night!

Party at the Farm

Uncle Grant and Aunt Paige graciously allowed us to invite Norah's friends out to "the farm" for Norah's 2nd birthday party.






I went with overalls for the cake and invitation designs, because my experimental goat and chicken drawings looked pretty grim


The kids all had a great time feeding the baby goats...















and petting the goats...












Goat charmer, Uncle Grant, taught Norah his secret...(Hint: it involves a handful of feed)











Norah just had to "ride the goats". (She repeated this phrase 20-30 times until Daddy and Uncle Grant complied.)

And what farm shin-dig would be complete without a hayride through the back pasture? Uncle Grant did a great job driving the tractor to the kids' chorus of "faster! faster!"

All in all, I think the party was a great success. And the weather was beautiful! Thank you so much Uncle Grant and Aunt Paige for showing the kids a great time-- we love you both!

And for the record, Eli's still growing! He slept through most of Norah's second birthday, but I have a feeling he'll be a much bigger participant in next year's celebration.

Time to Breathe!

I crossed a major hurdle yesterday when I officially finished my last Christmas sewing project. The house is clean, all of our gifts are wrapped, and there are still a few more days until baby brother's scheduled arrival/Chrismas!

It feels good to come up for a little air! Since I've been neglecting the blog, I thought I could at least put up couple of photos now that I have a little time.

The first shot was taken at Jason's work Christmas dinner back at the beginning of December. We also took some cute photos of each couple, but since the guys were making goofy faces in most of them, I decided to spare them the embarrassment of posting those. (Although, maybe it would have taught them a lesson...but probably not) We are so blessed that Jason works with such a neat group of guys. They are extremely hard workers, but they also have a great time working together because they are all friends.
Here some of my postable (as in--"already been received so I'm not gonna spoil the surprise by posting them") gifts. A coffee cozy for my good friend, Amy, along with 5 pairs of pj pants for each of the Texas Truck Riggins kids. All were well-received, and I've even heard rumors that all of the pjs fit!


I also made a matching pair of pjs for my other good friend, Jenny's twins. These were the first ones I'd tried appliquéing the entire name (as opposed to my usual, "first initial-only) on.

I'm looking forward to finally being able to post all of my Christmas projects...and there were a LOT this year! I just hope I remembered to get photos of them all before I wrapped them!

Girls' Night Baby Shower

I was blessed with an awesome Girls' Night Baby Shower last Tuesday night. A group of my girl friends got together and hosted a PJ party, with great snacks (including a toy dump truck full of my favorite pizza rolls, precious decorations (like a sweet diaper cake topped with precious John Deere vehicles...sorry Jen, I still don't know the difference between a "combine" and a "tractor"). We played games until WAY past my bedtime, but I didn't feel tired at all! (Which was a big deal for me, as these days, I'm usually ready for bed by 9 or sooner...a true testament of a super-fun party!)

I laughed more than I can remember having laughed in a really long time. (Jason and I recently came to the conclusion that my sense of humor has gone into hiding--even though I've always been known as "serious Angela"-- so this too, was a big deal, and probably my favorite thing about the whole night)

One gift was this adorable, custom bag from Brooke Avery of rags2stitches the lining is baby blue and brown toille--the perfect combination of girly chic (for me) and boyish charm (for baby brother).


My sister-in-law, Paige, also gave me this adorable Dick & Jane quilt. She had heard that my mom had made me a really sweet Dick & Jane diaper bag for me from the same fabrics. I love them both...especially since in a little over 3 weeks, we'll have our own "Dick & Jane" family.

I got SO many other, awesome gifts, but unfortunately, these were the only 2 I had pictures of...just take my word for it, baby brother was spoiled beyond measure!

It was such a special, fun night, and I'm almost brought to tears when I think about what wonderful friends I've been blessed with. We had so much fun together, and no one rushed home (even though almost everyone had good excuses to, ranging from having a nursing infant at home, to having come straight from a 9-hour work day, to the fact that Thanksgiving was only 2 days away). Thank you so much, girls, for giving me a fun "Girls Night Out" (with no dressing up required) and making me feel so honored!

In other news, we have a tentative inducement date of Friday, December 21, pending hospital approval (apparently a lot of people try to schedule inducements around the holidays...and that's not our reason, for the record).