Happy birthday to our California Poppy!

How are we old enough to have a six-year old?  I remember being six!

She may have started small . . . 

and it may have taken a while to get any hair . . . 

but she sure has been fun . . .

 

and cute, 

especially when falling asleep while organizing her underpants . . . 

or being a flower girl . . . 

or just being Emily.

We could run on and on about how much we love you!

Happy birthday, um, last week.

  

We love you so much I decided to make your birthday post this week so we could keep celebrating.  Enjoy birthweek #2!

NOT SO BIG NEWS

I'm afraid it was a one day potty-using extravaganza.  

Oh well, maybe by Christmas . . . 

UPDATE - SHE DID IT AGAIN!  LIGHTNING STRUCK TWICE!

 I swear this is the last time I will blog about this. 

(I'm just excited - the thought of NO diaper bag makes me delighted.)

BIG NEWS

HEIDI JUST USED THE POTTY!  

See, I told you it was big news.  

"I am NEVER marrying a farmer!"

That's what Molly told me during our visit to the county fair this weekend.  She likes looking at animals - on TV.  She has decided she doesn't like them in person because they are way too stinky!

She kept her nose plugged the whole time we visited the animal barns, which was a looong time.  There were a lot of animals to visit.

I have a feeling this song was written for Molly:

New York is where I'd rather stay!

I get allergic smelling hay.

I just adore a penthouse view

Dah-ling I love you but give me Park Avenue.

(I have to say that I'm with her on that one.)

Heidi and Emily loved it.  

That's one happy cow - she must be from California.

Molly still looked a little nervous once we hit the rides.  I think she thought we were going to take her back into the sensory-overload area and she was not excited about that.

Emily was SO excited to ride the Chugga-Bugs by herself. 

Heidi was excited that she made it out of the house in a swimsuit again.

Sssssssssnakes!

Scott and I are not afraid of snakes.

Here we are as a tourist attraction at the Bangkok Snake Farm.  People couldn't believe that we'd actually put a snake on our necks and asked to take our photo.  Wimps! 

Emily was not afraid of snakes either - as a baby.  

One she hit about two she wouldn't even touch this fake one she used to sleep with!  Snakes were "TOO SCARY!"  I was a bit concerned that she would grow up to be a person who didn't want to touch a snake but would instead take photos of other people touching them.  What kind of photo album does that make?

Today we had a field trip with Molly's preschool to see The Critter Lady.  Oh, she was fun.  She brought a skink, two different lizards, an African hedgehog a tortoise and an orange snake named Pumpkin.  Emily didn't want to touch any of these creatures . . . 

until Molly willingly put a snake around her neck.

Then Emily decided to join in on the fun too.  I was so proud of Emily and Molly!  They were very brave.  Heidi, on the other hand, was not quite so brave.  Luckily she was fashionable. Hopefully she will be brave someday soon.

Feeling Blue?

Scott and I made some new friends last night, and no, they aren't depressed, they're painted blue.   

All I really knew about the group was the misinformation I got from Dr. Tobias Funke, so I was looking forward to seeing what the performance actually was.  It was fun!  Go! 

Here's Scott with the other members of the band.  He may be taller than average but I swear I did no photo-trickery to make Scott look like a giant.  These guys were all really, really small.  Kids, that's what happens when you make "cool" hand signs in photos.  It stunts your growth, obviously.  

Happy Mother's Day!

When I was but a wee lass, my Sunday School class got up on Mother's Day and told everyone why we loved our mothers.  I said, 

"I love my mother because she makes me rice."

Apparently, Emily loves me for the same reason.  

Her Kindergarten class made some fabulous Mother's Day cookbooks.  Each student told the teacher their favorite recipe that their mother makes.  These were not only very informative but also pretty darn hilarious sometimes.  

Here's Emily's recipe for rice.  Feel free to copy and try it at your home.

RICE

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds of rice
  
• butter
  
• hot water
  
• salt

How to make it:

• You put it on the stove in a pan and put it on medium flame for 20 minutes or hours.
• Stir it up.
• Cool it down and put on the butter and eat it.

This is the perfect recipe for a busy mom.  It is so forgiving!  If you have to run some errands, it's OK.  You can cook it for up to 20 hours if you feel like it.  Also, if you realized you were supposed to feed the whole soccer team, that's OK too.  You've made enough rice for everyone!  

Thanks, Emily!  I will always love my recipe book!

If anyone is interested in the recipe for spaghetti with potato sauce or some chocolate chip cookies that contain bread and milk, let me know. I'm happy to share!

Oh blessed day!

Look who wanted to mow the lawn tonight!

Happy Cinco de Mollo

Four years ago today, a new, fun, silly, sweet, smart and very chatty little kid was born!

Here she is telling me she wants to have a snack and then do a puzzle.

And now, four years later, she is still asking for snacks and then doing puzzles.  Happy birthday Molls!  Maybe next year you will open your eyes for the birthday photos.  Or not.  (I swear she has eyeballs!)