The boys and I often hit up the local DIs and other thrift stores for hidden treasures. Today I found an adorable set of dessert dishes while Jack scored his new favorite animal, the "crock - eee - dile" as he likes to call them, and this old school action figure.
While Ryan thinks Jack has enough toys to entertain the entire neighborhood and then some - how can I resist a fiercesome crock and a lonely, but very brave fireman that has been separated from his crew - all for a fabulous fifty cents?
I say to you that I cannot!
I got a phone call about 2 this afternoon that my two favorite love birds had flown the coop and eloped. It's about time Jeff made an honest woman out of my sister!
Since I wasn't there to behold the event - I have posted this image in their honor until I receive other such photos and details. I am so happy to add Jeff officially to our crazy family tree.
Congratulations Mr and Mrs Jessop!
Today while I was out picking up some corn-on-the-cob for dinner, a minivan pulled out in front of me, cutting me off. I just zipped around her into the next lane and back - to which I met her - and her middle finger - once again at the next light. To this I have 4 questions:
1. Who gives the bird anymore?
2. Who gives the bird when they have a van full of kids with them?
3. Why is she so mad at ME for cutting ME off?
4. How am I really supposed to take her vulgar gestures seriously when she is licking a vanilla soft serve icecream cone, driving a pastel blue minivan with Mickey Mouse decal stickers on all the windows and a license plate that says: "DSNY MOM"?
I give her 2 points for effort, but only because she had such a stubby fat middle finger. It gave me a good laugh, which of course only made my new friend all the more friendlier (and by friendlier, I mean irate). Overall, it kind of made my day just because she looked so ridiculous.
The other night we took the boys to a Bee's game downtown. It was a blast - a perfect summer night, friends all around us, and half priced diet cokes in celebration of "thirsty thursday" - hooray!
As you will see in the photo though - Jack was too excited to go inside and decided to introduce his forehead to the sidewalk as we were walking up. Poor kid took quite a beating. Doesn't look like he'll be trying out for the Olympics anytime in the near future - those tall legs should be good for something, we just don't think it will be in the athletic department.
The sound of him hitting the concrete was so loud - I actually heard a women nearby scream. Little did she know, Jack is notorious for finding his way to any bump, crack or hole in the ground and such a goose ache has actually happened several times before. This one though, is easily the worst.
But he took it like a champ - only a few minutes of tears - and then all his troubles were solved with a bag of plain M&Ms.
I stumbled across this book at the library when picking out Jack's latest reads for the week. It has easily become one of my new favorite children's book authors/illustrators. I actually recognize his stuff from the Sideway's movie posters and some Communications Arts magazines.
I think I am going to purchase this fire engine print for Jack's room. I also love the book because it is about a little kid from the mountains who visits New York and just thinks everything is "wow" - kind of like my first and well, every visit to New York was and is. Super cute.
Here is a link to some of his stuff: Robert Neubecker
Last night Ryan and I hit up Red Butte Gardens to watch Wilco. It was a stellar show, minus the over-age, over-drunk, overweight interpretive dancing that seemed to be in rare form amongst other concert goers. It really may have been some of the worst flowing arms/robot moves and jirations I have ever seen.
But Wilco delivered a great set. It was a blast hanging out with all our friends under a nice end-of-summer sky. Thanks to the babysitting team effort from Ryan's sisters and then Grandma and Grandpa on bedtime duty, the boys were happy and taken care of while Mom and Dad remembered life before kids.
For all those not familiar with Wilco... are we sure we are friends? Hit up iTunes and begin the mending of our friendship. You will be glad you did.
This morning another dog stormed into our house. This is the second time this has happened to us since we've moved in - not the same dog of course - but the second time I have had to wrestle a large dog and drag him out of the house with kids crying and a small amount of fear that at any given moment this dog could bite me.
I went outside to take out the trash only to find a large black dog suddenly running throughout our house and chewing up Jack's toy cars. It took some Charlie*- wild coy milkin' wrestlin' to catch him and literally PULL him like a child throwing a tantrum out of our house.
I felt really guilty calling someone to come pick him up, but he wouldn't leave our front porch. He just scratched at our window all morning yelping and barking. Jack of course felt happier that we was on the outside again, and stood most of the morning talking to him about SpongeBob, cars and trains, and inviting him to "come in and play" again.
45 minutes of barking later, animal services, and the owner (who had noticed him finally missing off the chain in his front yard) arrived to collect "Trouble" the dog.
So bizarre.
*view our friend Charlie and his mad coy wrestlin'/milkin' skills - he's the one in the white long sleeves:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TscsdYyTvw
The boys and I headed off to the library today with my sister-in-law Jokey and the kids. Jack's nieces Abi and Kayla and nephew Josh were kind enough to follow Jack around as he zoomed in and out of aisles and tried to help him practice the concept of whispering while I gathered up a few books on trains, blankies, trucks and other current favorites of Jack.
We let the kids play in the fountains and eat some yummy cheesy pull-a-parts from The Pie as Joke and I enjoyed ice cold diet cokes and lazy Cashman took a nap.
When we got home the boys and I cozied up on Jack's bed and read book after book before naptime. I had a weird childhood flash back - the sound of the plastic coated book as you opened it, the old used paper/book smell on each page - took me back. I forgot just how much I loved the library - how many great children's books there are out there - and how much I love activities that don't involve the TV or some electronic device.
Does anyone have any favorite children's books I should look up?
I'm also into reading non-fiction books lately if anyone has any recommendations.
