Scoop Of

Baskin Robbins's annual 31 cent scoop night. Yum.

Taking Flight

The annual kite festival – as enjoyed from the comfort of the inside of our car – two Saturdays ago. I worried about keeping Z and M adequately warm because, despite the clear skies and beautiful sunshine, the wind was actually quite cold. And I was the lone adult: I didn't relish the idea of keeping track of them out there, so I took a nap while they goofed around in the front seat.

Strider

One of those pedal-less bikes that's supposed to help kids transition to a two-wheeled bike faster, skipping the training wheels altogether. Z was all smiles until we took her outside and showed her how to use it: when she realized she had to do actual work to get around, she started to cry.

Happy Easter

Consumerism

G and BB's very first purchase with saved up money of their own. The process took a lot longer then I expected. Once we got over the hurdle of how much everything at eye-level cost, i.e. $10+, I found there were actually too many choices for the kind of money we wanted to spend: $6 and $5, respectively.

Taking Off

Drew spent the better part of an afternoon running beside G's bicycle, helping her to get a feel for two-wheeled balancing, and later teaching her the finer points of starting her peddling. The next day (see video), I coached her on the difference between starting on a slight uphill and coasting on a downward incline. And voila!

Bless You

While playing Uno:

BB (laying a card down): Ah-Choo!
Me (laying my card down): Bless you!
BB (laying another card down): Ah-Choo!
Me (laying a card down): Gesundheit!
BB (throwing a card down): Ah-... What?

The Lion and the Tiger: 10 Months

She's got seven teeth; gets into everything; puts anything in her mouth; and smiles for nothing.

Turning the Corner?

This is the second night in a row that M's slept through, i.e. 10+ hours. Either she's really tired from all the spring excitement, or she's finally learned to go back to sleep on her own, if she wakes up.

Up a Tree

I think I mentioned once before, when we first moved to this house last year, that tree trimming is an expensive proposition: the higher they go, the more they charge. To give you an idea, our trees are easily three- and four-stories high. Then within the last month or so, Drew hatched some craziness of his own. Buy tree climbing equipment – rope, harnesses, helmet, saws – and trim the trees himself. !!!

Salad Bowl

I cheated and bought this. To buy the pot and start from seed would have been about the same. The perk is, this is ready for harvesting! This will stay indoors all summer as an experiment.

Diapers

Field Trip

Drew took the day off and we all went to Wonderscope one Friday.

Drew: I hear this place is pretty fun.
BB (puzzled): I don't hear anything.

Located in an old school building, this museum reminded me of an older version of Paradise Park, near our old house, except with more educational type exhibits.

There was the obligatory farm exhibit, which included a garden bed and hay bales, and the accompanying grocery store where all this produce is sold.

I thought this exhibit was the neatest: golf balls demonstrating all sorts of physics principles, like centrifugal force and a number of roller coaster elements.

The Healthy Kids area, teaching good nutrition etc.

The water playing area.

There was even a baby room for those two and under. This padded enclosure was more M's pace, though the cushioned floor freaked her out at first.

In the space-themed room, Drew made an antenna for communicating with martians;

while Z raced balls in the adjoining room.

We finished our outing with a late lunch in the designated picnic area; a jaunt through their Lego Ocean adventure; and a quick stop at a park near our house, before heading home.

Next time I want to take a trip out to Hutchinson to see their space center and a salt museum.

Figaro

For Drew's birthday present, I took him to see the Marriage of Figaro on Saturday, opening night for the last show being produced at the Lyric Theatre. (The new place down the street, the Kauffman Center, will be open in the fall.) We got all glitzed up – absolutely no kids!!! – and had dinner with Elizabeth and her sisters Emily and Maureen and her husband Shaw, at Grünaur's. The house smoked trout appetizer was delicious, as was the cheese and pâté. Drew ordered the house special, which was awesome: the mashed potatoes, the beef smothered in red wine sauce, the bit of red cabbage sauerkraut. I had the Austrian Tafelspitz, which reminded me a lot of something my mom makes, minus a dash of five spice. We didn't really get to enjoy our dessert – I had crepes and Drew had the house something-cream – because we were scrambling to get to the theatre before the curtain went up, but the complimentary (with our opera tickets) apple schnapps was the perfect finish, as was the little cookie (macaroon?) that came with the coffee.

To start off, let me just say, the opera was delightful! The singers were so good! And there were some comical bits that I wasn't expecting. But knowing the general synopsis, I was a little confused at first to find that they had modernized the plot: rather than having a count and countess and their servants, all the characters were part of a theatre production. The count was the director, and his wife was the diva; Figaro was a stage hand, and Susanna dresses and does hair and makeup for the director's wife. I'm not sure I liked the arrangement, but I've never seen Figaro in its original form either. We had such a good time, and now we're considering seeing one of next season's operas. The choices: Cosi fan tutte, the Barber of Seville, and Turandot.

Coming Up Roses

Out of all the seasons of the year, Missouri does spring the best. Just the way everything suddenly turns green and starts blooming. On top of our usual busy-ness, we've been outside a lot enjoying the weather – before it turns blasted-hot.

These were the first to bloom: crocuses. And we've been having a spate of daffodils and buttercups. Apparently they like the clay-like soil that we have around here. Shame, since I like tulips better. This morning on the way to church, we were admiring the redbuds.

Drew: Look at the redbuds. ...There's one. ...And there's one.
G: I see them! A redbud over there. ...And over there.

BB: Look, Daddy, there's a green butt. ...Two green butts. ...And some more over there!

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March's pictures.

Spent

The first orchid bloom to wither – a week ago. I read somewhere that I could possibly get one to re-bloom in its place, or what I think is more likely, is once the rest of the blooms are gone, I could get the flower spike to put out another set. It might be awhile: one thing I've learned is that orchids are awfully slow things.

Baby in a Purple Bucket

Misinformation

BB is going through a recurring phase where she wants to know how the foods she eats benefits her body. Sometimes I have a ready (true) answer, like in the case of carrots benefiting one's eyes, or milk being good for one's teeth and bones. Other times, like for butternut squash, I can make an educated guess (since it's the same color as carrots). And still other times, I decide a made up answer would be just as useful, like peas making one's hair soft and shiny.

Plonk! Uno!

We've been obsessively playing (kids' version) Uno at our house. Not only is it fun – thrill of the +2 card and winning –, but instructional in how to lose graciously. Our own giggle-addition: you get to make a funny noise when you lay a card down.

Sneaking One In

For a couple weeks now, I've had my eye on M's upper gums for a budding tooth – she's currently got three on top. And then, when I wasn't looking, a third one popped out on the bottom!