April Half Way Down

Happy Easter, belatedly. But, in any case, Happy Spring, which came to town last week, and tomorrow, it sounds like we'll be moving straight into summer! I can't complain, though, since Spring in the desert is spectacular, especially after such a wet winter. The flowers are so plentiful, they are becoming redundant.

Elsie loved wearing the bunny ears, as she has teeth to match!
Elsie's face has been fairly bruised and battered lately on account of her many explorations. We hope her soon-to-be-acquired walking skills will help her gain some balance and depth perception, though I'm afraid her forehead will start being even more bruised when she starts walking into tables and cabinet tops! I was thinking she was so bright, until she had something in her eye tonight at dinner, and went to rub it, except she had a big pasta noodle in her hand. Nothing like pasta sauce in your eye. I think I will postpone fork practice for a few more days.
Of course. Doesn't everybody post Easter Egg Hunt photos on their blog? I think even Barack Obama posted some.
I'm not sure, because I wasn't watching the whole time, but I think Cam may have found one or two eggs on his own this year. That is a HUGE step for him. It must be a guy thing, but I swear that kid cannot find anything unless I go a point right at it for him (...like pointing within two inches of it). He's the opposite of Ana, who can remember where she put some random trinket six months ago.
Elsie's participation in the Easter Festivities was limited, but she did fit an entire plastic Easter egg in her mouth. She crawled around with one in her mouth for the whole day. She didn't even bother with the Peeps.
We went to dinner that Sunday at my mom's, and the kids had a merry time. As you can see, Elsie loves being roughed and tumbled by her siblings, even though I've had three heart-attacks and countless ulcers because of it.
Just thought I'd share the buck teeth progress. Like father, like daughter.
Don't worry sweetie, you'll grow into them.
The other night I found Cam reverting back to an old habit of getting up after he's in bed and falling asleep in weird places, most often the stairs. I asked him if he remembered falling asleep on the stairs, and he said, "Ya. I remember. I must have gotten up and gotten into my own bed. I should have stayed there, though. I love sleeping on the stairs. I want to sleep there every night!" Of course, you know how I directed the conversation after that.

Cam also has his basketball there at the foot of the stairs. Every night when Ana practices her piano, Cam practices his "dribbling". He's actually improved a TON over the last two weeks (there was a lot of room for improvement, I'm not going to lie), and I really admire that he took the initiative to get out his basketball and work so hard every day (he practices at other times, too). Although he's not quite the go-getter like Ana is, he's always figured out what he needs to work harder on, and then he practices and practices until he gets it. Ana's a little different, because she gets frustrated if something is not immediately easy for her (like piano), but Cam likes a good challenge. In fact, he's soon graduating from speech therapy in record time! I love telling people that my son is the top of his special education program. It's like my friend who graduated with honors from drug rehab. Well, okay, its not really... but, let a mother brag about her son who can now be understood 78% of the time! That's a big improvement from 12-20% just seven months ago. Go Cam!

The kid is hilarious, by the way, and figured out how to squeeze his big noggin and then his whole body through our courtyard gate. After that accomplishment, he went around the house trying to see what else he could fit into. He tried and tried but could not squeeze himself into the soap cut-out in the guest room shower.

Also, he was trying to climb up over our courtyard wall, which is about a head taller than he is. After a few unsuccessful attempts, he said, "I know how to do it!" Then, he bent his left leg, and but his right foot on his bent left knee and tried to give himself a boost up the wall. He had a pretty good laugh when he realized what a stupid idea that was. Oh man, we love that kid.
Ana and I finally found her an equestrian center to help her eat up her money from the lemonade stands. This instructor starts the younger kids off with "vaulting", which is NOT jumping, but basically doing gymnastics on the horse, while its being led in a circle on a rope at a trot or canter. It's a way for the kids to get comfortable around the horses, learn balance on the horse, and become familiar with the horses' movements at different speeds. I think its also a chance for the instructor to figure out who would be safe on a horse alone during riding lessons. In any case, Ana has no fear of horses or gymnastics, so she's stood up on the horse while its going and she's even somersaulted off the end of the horse! Crazy stuff. I really like it, because it makes me feel like she's keeping up on her gymnastics skills (she quit gymnastics when she started horse lessons) and staying strong in her core, but she's anxious to move onto regular riding lessons as soon as she passes off just two more vaulting routines. Ana and I are splitting the cost of the lessons, so hopefully she'll be able to fit in quite a few before her fund dries up, because this girl is truly horse crazy and just cannot get enough.

Last weekend, Ana was again in one of her "you guys are SO annoying" moods, and I asked her, "Ana, is it hard for you, when you are so cool, and you have parents who are so NOT cool" and she said, "It's harder than you'd think!!!" How old is she again? If she really thinks she's 14, then we might as well get some braces on those buckers a.s.a.p. I'd like to spread out those orthodontist bills as mush as possible anyway.
Luckily, she only acts like a pre-teen about 2% of the time, which I'm trying to be grateful for as a preparatory parenting class for the impending rough years ahead.

Last night, we watched "The Man from Snowy River" for family movie night. I don't think I had seen it since I was about six in the basement of the Nielsen's Phoenix house, and I really enjoyed it. Ana and Cam cracked us up when they started laughing hysterically at the scary stallion-stomping-Jim part. I guess they had never seen a crazy horse eye up close before. Ana also insightfully noted, "Why are they playing the loud music again? Those guys already had their first kiss!" I was thinking the same thing... after Jim and Jessica kissed once, they kissed two minutes later, and the music got all dramatic again. Um. Anti-climactic. But, I really liked all the bull-whipping. I think I'll have to get me another one of those bull whips. I'm going to use it when I'm driving in my station wagon, and I'm being crowded by all the huge lifted full-sized trucks here in Southern Utah.
Hope to see some of you here soon before the sun burns all this beautiful weather away. I'll even give you a ride in my sweet wheels. No, those aren't spinners...they are even better than spinners. And yes, it has a third row seat that faces back. 1981. Year of the car champions.