Daddy trips

Andy has started a tradition of taking each of the kids on a little trip by themselves. He surprised Mia about 6 AM one morning and let her skip school to go to Six Flags. 

And he took Bode to his first major league baseball game last week. Bode was beyond thrilled. More so about being in the all-you-can-eat deck then the actual game.

I was hopeful Andy would spring for a new cap for the occasion. Didn't happen. Apparently disgusting, stinky, faded caps are a badge of honor. Who knew?

Conveniently both trips happened to include Andy's two favorite things - sports and roller coasters. (You thought I was going to say Mia and Bode, didn't you).

I am completely supportive of this tradition. Mainly the part that doesn't require me to set foot in a Six Flags theme park or sit through a 4 hour baseball game in Texas in July.

We're all winners!

Who's afraid of the big bad...giant animal lurking in our neighborhood?

Bode found this the other day in my in-laws' back yard:

I guess bigfoot got full and decided not to finish off the cat's legs.

We now live in the same neighborhood as my in-laws which means I've had more than one nightmare about my children being mauled to death by a giant sasquatch.

In reality, it's most likely the coyote that I came face to face with this morning on my run. 

Welcome to suburbia.

Speaking of bandwagons...

I have been trying to jump on the coconut oil train lately. My kids' pediatrician thinks the entire family should have a tablespoon of this stuff everyday. 

I can't do it.

I can use it as eye make-up remover, and moisturizer, and shaving cream, and cuticle oil - I smell like a walking Pina Colada.  But I can not bring myself to scoop out a hunk of this and just swallow it. 

No can do.

I tried to put it in my coffee (per the doctor's suggestion) and it looked like the BP oil spill of 2010. 

In a smoothie? Think tiny little pieces of vaseline in your drink. 

In baked goods? I'm too much of a baking snob to substitute anything for pure unadulterated butter. Period. End of discussion.

I've taken spoonful to mouth several times and it just isn't happening. It feels like I'm about to commit a huge sin or something.

So how do you get your kids (and yourself) to ingest this guaranteed-to-change-your-life-for-the-better-but-looks-just-like-Criso stuff every day?

I'm open to suggestions that don't gross me out.

Happenings

Mia and her precious voice teacher Ms. Kristen:

 Mia spends hours under this tree painting:

Bode's artistic interests consist of maiming a stuffed seal.

I'm a winner (formerly known as participant)!

 Four more weeks of summer. Four more weeks until both of my kids start school. Four more weeks until I start interning at a maximum security prison and this blog goes private (more on that later).

Fourth of July Fail, among other things

When my kids were little I worked so hard to get the perfect picture of them and now that they are old enough to sit still and smile on command I no longer bother. 

Case in point: 

This is all I have to show for the 4th of July. It they were toddlers I would have tossed candy at them and stood on my head for an hour trying to get them to look at the camera.

I guess I used up all my energy, because these days I just hold the iphone up and hope one of my kids gets in the frame. No focus, no zoom, no flash. Just a half-hearted snap and I call it good.

Anyway, our 4th of July tradition is still just as fun. The older Bode gets the more likely it is that he will stay clothed all the way through the event (I kind of miss these days). He did pee on a tree in plain view of the entire town but that was only because I insisted he not use the community port-a-potty.

It turns out you're never too old for light saber battles, in public.

Sunday our church celebrated it's 50 year anniversary. Andy decided that it would be a great idea for us to plan an old fashioned pot-luck lunch for 2,500 people. It almost ended our marriage, but somehow it all came together and we are speaking to each other again.  Even if the entire thing would have ben a disaster it would have been worth it to receive the most amazing "side dish" ever:

A sweet lady (whom I'm fairly certain does not have a computer, let alone internet) brought in this 6-pack (with one missing) of Kool-Aid as her side dish. Now that takes some confidence. If you do happen to see this post - you are awesome. You march to the beat of your own drum and you don't let anyone define what a side dish is for you. Kudos!

And these sweet little future casserole bakers dried 5 million utensils. We teach 'em young at MRCC.