June Birthdays

What? Can I not post this since it is almost August?? I think I should be granted a bit of slack due to the fact that it has been over a 100 degrees for probably three weeks . . . and these birthdays both fell on the week that we moved in.

  

Russell, who turned five, thought that he would hit a major growth spurt on the big day.  I don't know if he was disappointed to discover that that didn't magically happen.  I'm grateful it didn't since he had already been having a major growth spurt for the months leading up to his birthday.

I can't believe he's five.  He is anxiously looking forward to starting Kindergarten and even removed his training wheels from his bike and is doing wonderfully with the minimal amount of biking he squeezes in.  Seriously, you can't bike here in the summer without attracting heat stroke within 10 minutes.

I think he was a lot more enthusiastic about his birthday then what is reflected in pictures.  I should also add, I love Where's Waldo books.  They are so engrossing and entertaining.

 

Eliza checking out the birthday "cake".  Such a funny expression.  I'm so grateful that Russell wanted just a dirt cake with worms.  I don't think I was capable of producing any type of cake creation.

These just make me laugh:
Smiling Afton.

Concerned Afton.  What did you say to her Clark?

Clark celebrated his birthday three or four days after we moved in.  I can't remember.  I use the word "celebrated" loosely.  I didn't get him any presents and I lost the only card that came to him in the mail.  I remembered a few days later that my parents had a gift for him that I had packed somewhere. 

He requested an ice cream cake and specifically told me he wanted it store bought.  After checking out two stores (with 4 kids in town) with no luck I assume that is just not a luxury that can be aquirre in this 'ville.  However, Clark who dearly loves Blue Bell ice cream was very happy with his Cake and Ice Cream flavored ice cream.  Awesome.

 

Summertime

I've come to accept that living in Oklahoma means very hot summers.  I find it amusing that Oklahomans haven't really embraced that fact.  They seem almost surprised that it is hot and continues to be hot.  Much like Northerners seem surprised in the winter time when it is cold and it snows a lot. 

Anyway . . . what I'm still struggling with (and probably will for a while) is how just ugly and brown and dead it looks around here during the summer.  Not surprising when it's so hot and it really hasn't rained.  It depressed me today when I stumbled upon this picture of Afton taken in May/June on my parent's back deck in Minnesota.

It is so lush and green and just BEAUTIFUL.  And what you can't see is all the blooming flowers. 

It's everything my yard is not.  My grass is dying, my flowers have wilted, and I've got a 15 foot dead tree.  I would go out and take a picture just to show but it is 109 degrees out right now (not including the humidity) and I probably would collapse from heat exhaustion before I made it down the driveway.

For the Love of Door Handles

You wouldn't think door handles could play such a critical role in your day-to-day life.  But if you have a toddler and you have lever handles (not knobs) it make life a bit interesting.

It all started when we made an offer on a house that was under construction.  We hoped that due to the fact it was under construction we might have a little say in the end product.  No such thing.  Ok, not a big deal, the basic lay out was still the same.  However, we hoped to sneak a small change in that wouldn't impact things too much.  The door handles.  They were levers and we weren't too keen on the idea of our 18-month old being able to open any door at will.  We're mean parents that way.  You know, by the time they are a good 2 1/1 years old and have the skills and know-how to open a round knob they are far more responsible about how they get into things.  Anyway, a small request to the builder came back in the form of a large price tag for us (over $1000) to replace all knobs in our house.  Anyone else think that is a bit excessive for door handles?  Needless to say, we opted to forgo that little life luxury.

Fast forward to living in our new house.  First, it started with Afton's new ability to climb out of her crib and then to open her door.  We discovered by merely locking the door she couldn't get out.  Ok, that problem solved. And thankfully, after a few nights of falling asleep smack dab against the door she decided sleeping in her crib was a preferable option. 

Then, Afton discovered she could not only get up on the bathroom counter tops but that she could turn on the water.  She could help herself to extra long drinks of water, washing her hands and feet, acquiring water pitchers from the kitchen with the intent to fill them full and water plants, get water everywhere and just generally, single-handedly running up the water bill. 

Locking her out of all the bathrooms posed a few problems.  Of course, there was the obvious temper tantrums which lead to unloading cabinets and chucking items in fits of anger.  It also posed a problem for my child who waits until the very last, hold-myself-and-dance-to-keep-myself-from-bursting-because-I-need-to-go-to-the-bathroom-so-quickly moment. 

She's been having a hayday.  She's discovered both of my food storage rooms and has taken to rummaging for food.  Particularly candy.  She's pretty smart about it too.  When I'm not looking she'll go into the closet, turn on the light, close the door and then scavenge. 

The past two mornings has topped it for me.  She awakes before all the rest of the house reasonably should (or when we would like people to be awake) and typically would descend the stairs and find us.  However, she must think going to Mommy and Daddy in the morning is too boring and would prefer playmates.  So instead she will stay upstairs and wake up all her siblings.  Oh the joy and excitement her sleep deprived siblings awaken with.  (A parent can wish!)

Just as I was typing this I discovered Afton in our bathroom attempting to remove her diaper to go potty.  Ok, this child is not potty trained nor are we ready to start down this path.  What other tricks does she have in store?  I'll be holding my breath.