Weekend at the Cabin

We went to the family cabin just outside West Yellowstone. We spent a night in Pocatello, so the kids could show Papa & ReRe their swimming skills at the Holidome. Emma swam like a champ,but Jack couldn't get over being so impressed with the fact that he could stand up in the pool, and refused to actually swim anywhere.
Next day it was a trip to Bear World. A man who was bummed that there were no more bears in Yellowstone to see set up a park with a "Bear Drive Thru". You have to keep your windows up...like we wouldn't anyway, but the bears are up close and personal! They had some amusement rides which the kids loved, too.
Then we made it up to the cabin. We had beautiful weather. 80's in the day, 45 at night. We ate meals on the deck, boated and threw rocks in the river, and had a great time. Jack & Emma loved walking Winston, though at times it was difficult to decipher who was walking whom.
We came back on Monday to prepare for Tuesday night's party and sleepover at Debbie and Byron's house. We celebrated Aunt Sue's 60th birthday, Corwyn's coming home from rehabilitative care, and the end of our trip. Jack & Emma got the coolest new shoes from their Aunt Debbie - will post pics of those soon!

Wednesday morning we loaded up and headed out, back to FL and Buto - who missed us all so much she happily let the kids pet her as much as they wanted!

Big Tractor

Every morning when we wake up, Jack shoots out of bed and wants to drive Papa's tractor. He knows you have to check the oil before you start, and even knows how to work the front end loader. So far, he has been most excited about it than anything else - especially the fish!

Catching Fish In A Barrel

We are in UT visiting the grandparents, and took the kids to a local trout farm on their first fishing expedition. Emma was great, right out of the gate, and caught 3 fish. Jack did well, catching a couple of his own, but was a little more reserved... We are going to fry them up for dinner tonight - not that I am going to eat any!

Ballet Primer

We got Jack & Emma's ballet outfits today so we decided to take them for a test run. Imagine what they will be able to do after lessons!

Jack & Emma Go To The Movies

Jack & Emma went to their first movie at the theatre tonight with Grandma CC & Grandpa Mike!! They saw Wall-e and had a great time. They were very well-behaved (as their parents were not there) and even said thank you on the car ride home (before being prompted). This was a much appreciated event as it gave us some peace and quiet and sanity for a few hours.

Singing Lessons

Jack

I can't do one without the other. These are my first videos using the digital camera, so it is more of a wow, look at what I can do thing, more than something most peopleare going to find very interesting. I will get better, though!

Miss Pitiful

Classic Emma. Medicine, no doctor! (Did I mention the medicine is really yummy and cherry flavor??) Okay, well she does have a fever now.

Sick & Sicker

Which one of these looks sick to you? Right, exactly, let me retitle my post to "SICK & FAKER" Jack has been sick for a couple days - severe cough, fever, ear infection, nasty runny snotty nose, and is now on antibiotics. Emma, this morning, decides she is sick too and needs medicine. I say she needs to go to the doctor. Noooooo. Not interested in seeing the dr, just wants some of the attention that has been (improperly) redirected towards the care of Jack and should be (rightly) hers!
Okay, so maybe she is getting the gumboo that Jack has been battling, but far worse that the actual cold, she is suffering from serious lackinus of attentionus.

DVD's - Mommy's Lifesavers

All I can say, is I would like to give a big ole bearhug to whoever came up with the idea of DVD's. After staying up with Jack coughing all over me last night, and trying to reason with him at 2am that he REALLY needed to drink the "mecinine" I was giving him, I woke up this morning (after sleeping from maybe 6-10am and having a nightmarish dream about my upcoming 20 year HS reunion) with a swollen face and the energy of a 2 day old fruitfly.
Yesterday, Grandma CC got the kids 6 new movies to go with the new portable DVD player for their early birthday and our trip (spoiled much?). I plunked them in front of the TV, told them to stay away from each other and they are happily (QUIETLY) enjoying their shows, while I nurse a cup of coffee and make a dr appt for this afternoon. Thank you DVD guy, you give sanity to mother's everywhere. Bless the women that are strict and say "no TV" for their kids. I don't know how they do it...

Buto the Wonder Kitty

This is Buto. We rescued her from a shelter a few months ago because she looked nearly identical to my favorite cat of all time, Watto. Like Watto, Buto loves to play fetch, yet unlike the somewhat psycho mean-spirited version, she is the sweetest, funniest, loveable cat. I am constantly surprised at how tolerant of the kids she is. They will try to poke her with the broom, trap her under chairs, throw stuffed animals on her, and yet she remains sweet and docile. She refuses to run and hide, like our other cat, Little Ang, who has taken up residence outside, away from J & E, and will always stand her ground. From time to time, she will let them know they have crossed the line, and give them a swift swat to the chest or hand. Of course, this only deters them temporarily, and it is usually nothing a rub of peroxide and an Elmo bandaid won't cure. One of these days, they will realize that cats are sharp, and that they shouldn't mess with the Buto.

Calm before the storm

They LOOK innocent enough. We were at Chico's, and were about 5 hours into an outing with my mom. To their credit, up to this moment, their behavior had been acceptable, with very little threatening and yelling on my part. The trouble started when we left the safety of the "man chairs" at the front of the store and ventured to changing area to watch grandma model her clothes.

First, they were content enough to make faces and dance in front of the huge mirror near the changing rooms. Then, that got boring, so they decided to check out the changing room, crawling back and forth under the door of g-ma's room. As they crawled in, crawled out, ran to the mirror, and back again, it was only a matter of time before I lost one...

Suddenly Jack was gone. GONE! It was a small store, and I could see the front door - all glass - and was "pretty" confident that he hadn't gotten out. All the salesladies that had been commenting on how cute they were, now wanted nothing to do with me, and looked at me like, "Look lady, if you can't keep track of your kids, get out of our store." One lady checked the back room, but for the most part they all just sat slackjawed staring at me like they were about to nominate me for the bad mother of the year award. So, I am calling his name, again, again. Trying to keep the cracking out of my voice. I call my mom out and shove Emma at her and say I have lost Jack. I go outside, look around, nothing... I go back inside, looking in clothing, under changing room doors, inside racks, calling the entire time, while these women stare at me. NOTHING! Just as I am about to really lose my cool, and start freaking out, it occurs to me what I should do.

Calmly, collected, I say, "OK, Jack, see you later, we are leaving." Within a half second he says, "Mommy, mommy, here I am, wait for me." and comes scurrying out from under a dressing room door. A dressing room I had looked under mind you, but he was smart enough to go inside and stand ON TOP of the bench, so I could not see his feet... He comes running up to me laughing, saying "I was hiding from you mommy, hahahaha" Um, Jack, no not funny...