Nativity in September

I have been trying to teach Evelyn more about Jesus because she just loves to hear about him. So I watched the nativity movie released by the church with her, and I explained about how Jesus was born. I was pretty sure she wasn't catching on though. There I was: bawling my eyes out and all Evelyn can find to say is: "Where did the sheep go?" (there was a sheep in one part of the movie and that is what she hyper focused on.)

But after the movie, she decided she wanted to play Mary. And she got out a baby doll to be Jesus. She asked me to put a blanket on her head.

I love that sweet girl!

Eya the Flying Monkey

First parents are typically neurotic. First parents whose first child knocks out her front tooth at age two are comparably more neurotic, bordering on paranoid. But parents whose child refuses to be cautious and performs death-defying acts as a normal routine become calloused and start yawning when their children taunt death and dismemberment.

This has become me. (Michael is still in the paranoid category.) There is only so many gasps allotted to mothers and Evelyn has used my quota for her lifetime. I do feel at times somewhat guilty when I'm at the playground and Evelyn's leading a bunch of children four times her age in a game of "Hey, I can do that!" The parents of these 8 to 12 years old glare at me as I shrug my shoulders and allow my two-year-old to be a bad example. They may wonder why I don't stop my kid; don't I see that she's likely to kill herself?! My answer is it is more healthy for my heart to look the other direction. Besides, she doesn't stop. If I pick her up and pull her away, she starts using ME as her jungle gym. No thank you.

But in a few more months we will be enrolling Evelyn in a tumbling class so she can at least learn how to fall without hurting herself. (Actually, she's already become quite good at it.)

Husband vs. Wife

Michael: "Women! Here I am having an epiphany, and she's over there rolling her eyes! They just don't get it!

Puppy Dog

Evelyn's been pretending to be a puppy. She's the world's squeakiest puppy. She's worse than a chihuahua. But she has some cute tail-wagging! Observe:

Little Mermaid and more Summer Fun

Wow, it's been a busy summer. You'd think with all my lack of recent posts that I was having the lamest summer ever, but on the contrary, I've been so busy I've had no time to catch up!

We took Evelyn to Thanksgiving Point, We went on a few days trip to Cedar City to visit family. Then we went to the Aquarium with Nana and Papa Adams. Then Michael and I got away for a week to Atlanta, GA. There we spoiled ourselves rotten going to a jousting tournament, the world's largest aquarium, movies, dinner....and generally had the time of our lives! Evelyn spent the week at Nana Mary's and got spoiled rotten. Then we went mini golfing and had Abby and Gwendy (Evelyn's cousins) sleep over. Michael has been to Ogden Utah, Kirtland Ohio, Spokane Washington, Fort Eustis Virginia, Columbus Ohio, Georgia, and next week he'll be in Colorado. Last week was Michael's and my anniversary: #6! We again ditched Evelyn for a couple days and went to Tucanos, Lagoon, and had an all night movie-going-marathon.

All these things (minus Michael being away so much) have been so much fun and so many hilarious things have happened, but I can't even remember half! So here's pictures:

The above pictures are of the jousting tournament at Medieval Times in Georgia. It was so amazing! The stunts were incredible! If you ever get a chance to go, do it! It's worth the price! The carnation I am holding was thrown to me as a favor by our knight (pictured above). I was all flattered until I found out that they bestowed favors to random people in the audience the whole time.

This was our 5 star hotel in the heart of Atlanta. 5 star meaning everything costs a ridiculous amount of money. But it was okay because Michael's company reimbursed everything!

It had 27 floors and a glass elevator--It was disorienting to ride from the top floor to the basement!

Evelyn and her green snowman made of play dough. We got Evelyn presents for everyday we were away from her. This was one of them.

Nurse Shark in the Georgia Aquarium.

Manta Ray with about an 8 foot wingspan!

The hammerhead sharks were the most intimidating to me, because they chased the other fish all over the tank.

Two fake smiles, but still happy to be back together!

I'm sure my neighbors appreciated all the chalk art on the sidewalk outside the condos. I don't think there was any sidewalk area spared from these little blooming artists. Come to think of it, I don't think there was any skin that was spared either. Evelyn and Gwendy especially were covered from head to foot with chalk. This picture was actually taken AFTER we cleaned them up!

The other day Evelyn announced, "I'm a Mermaid!" So I looked down, and sure enough, she WAS a mermaid! But I think she got SEAshells and EGGshells confused.

Evelyn has just been adorable. She comes up with the funniest things to say! In church on Sunday, Michael and I were doodling pictures for her to guess what they were. We were on vegetables, so I'd draw a tomato: "It's a tomato!" Michael would draw a carrot: "It's a snowman's nose!" I would draw an eggplant: "It's an eggplant!" Then I drew a potato, and Evelyn shouted, "It's DADDY!"

Later that day, Evelyn was saying that Daddy couldn't wear Mommy's lotion, and I said, "Yeah, it would make Daddy smell funny, huh?" "Yes," she replied seriously. Just out of curiosity for what she would say, I asked her, "So what do Daddies smell like?"

She thought for a moment or two, then stated decisively: "GARBAGE!"

So I guess Daddy looks like a potato and smells like garbage!

Daddy took her into a public bathroom, men's of course, so she could do her business. Evelyn noticed there was a strange toilet in there and pointed it out to Daddy. Michael told her that only Boys can use that toilet, not girls. Evelyn pouted and said pityingly, "Oh! Poor, Poor Evelyn!"

Magic Kisses

What is it with kids thinking kisses are magic? They fall and get a huge goose egg and come screaming in to get a kiss from Mommy (Daddy kisses are not nearly as magic) and then every thing's instantly better. Even when the goose egg hasn't diminished in size? Even if they're still bleeding profusely. Okay, maybe that one requires a Magic Band Aid as well. I never cease to be amazed that the power of my own kisses.
There are times, of course that I must refuse to distribute my Magic Kisses. Like the time Eya sat down too hard in the tub and wanted me to kiss her bum. Or when she hurt herself in the car seat while I was driving. Then came the birth of Magic Blown Kisses! Believe it or not, they work just as well!
Eya has Magic Kisses as well. They really are! There's nothing quite as comforting as smacking a sore joint and having Eya come up and kiss it better.
"Oh, get hurt, Mommy? Poor Mommy! I kiss it better? *kiss* There. Okay now?" She does this all stroking my hair and face. It's so cute! I honestly forget about my pain!

Evelyn still has her obsession with Bugga-buggas. In fact, a lot of the time she won't use the toilet unless she can put an ant in the toilet first. (Don't ask.) The other day she found an ant on the bathroom floor going into convulsions because of the poison we sprayed.
"Bugga-bugga? Are you okay?" She was very concerned. "I kiss you better?" The she leaned down and kissed the floor around the ant. Luckily she exhaled right before and the bug blew halfway across the room, so she didn't end up with a poisoned ant in her mouth.

Romantic Snow White Movie

Some people sing their wishes into a Wishing Well. Others sing theirs into....well, just watch.