Friday Funnies

Phoebe was a riot today. I wish I could remember everything she said. This morning was cold. We saw some cows in the field and she said the cows were cold. Then she said "The cowboy should build them a house". The cowboy. We live in rural WV. We have farmers.

We went to the bank today and she stuck her little head up to the counter and said, "Lady, can you give me some money?". What's with the Lady thing?

I was muttering to myself in the van today and Phoebe said "Are you talking to me??"

She was eating mandarin oranges out of a cup today with a spoon. She was having a little trouble and said "These oranges are hard to catch".

We're going camping tomorrow and Owen was talking to Phoebe about where we would all sleep. He asked why I sleep with Daddy. I said because we are married. He said "And that's how you got us".

Finally, this is Owen in the bathtub this evening:

She's a Lady (with a job)

A couple funnies from today. Phoebe brought me a game piece today with a word on it and said, "Lady? What does this say?". This evening she was measuring herself with a yard stick and said "I weigh 50 pounds".

At school on Tuesday I helped out at the school library with the Accelerated Reader store. The "store" is glass case with prizes in it with the prizes having points (like Chuck E. Cheese). The kids cash in the points they've earned reading for the prizes. Owen had a good time picking out his prizes when I was there. I was behind the counter handing out the prizes and helping the kids figure out how many prizes they could get with their points. Today we were talking about his good prizes. He said "So, you've finally got yourself a job".

Zoo Trip

On Sunday we went to the Columbus Zoo. It was Phoebe's first time going to a zoo. She had a good time. She liked the manatees and the monkeys the most. Owen says he liked the rhino, the slushie, and the train ride. Chloe's favorites were the red panda and the monkeys. The monkeys are always my favorite. The kids were excellent and we had such a fun time together.



This flamingo was grouchy and pranced up and down squawking at us.



I always like the flamingos, they are such a beautiful color in person.



At the aquarium the kids got to touch several different sea creatures.





The manatees are always so neat to watch. So big, yet so graceful.



There were lots of statues to take pictures with but usually the kids didn't want to be bothered with it.



Chloe at the penguin exhibit.



Chloe and I touched a rosy boa snake. I so wish I hadn't, it gave me the creeps afterward every time I thought of it.



The carousel:



Phoebe did lots of pointing at things:



I loved this gibbon monkey. It would swing from the ropes and trees.



Chloe was put out she had ride by herself in the seat behind me on the boat ride (don't you love her shades?). They only allowed two to a seat. Danny rode with Owen, and I rode with Phoebe. If only we had a third parent (preferably a mother).







This orangutan was so cute:



Chloe with the gorilla. He ate a piece of cardboard while we watched him.



These two bonobos were so cute snuggling each other:



On the train. Owen loved the train. He kept telling us he wanted to ride the train but we worked our way to it while looking at the animals. He said "If we didn't have to look at all these animals we could ride the train".



Finishing up the trip with some slushies. Owen loved this double stroller we rented. He wanted to take it home with us.



As Danny says, a good time was had by all.

Our cat Camille

This is our cat Camille.






She was born the day after Owen's first birthday, outside underneath his bedroom window (we often see her laying/sleeping in the spot she was born). Her mother was a stray that Chloe named Star. She had four kittens, two black ones we named Ebony and Pepper, Camille, and a striped one named Tigger. Two weeks after they were born we went on vacation to the beach. My parents took care of our dog and the cats. I talked to them on the phone in the middle of the week and when I asked if everything was okay at home, Dad said Star had been ran over by a car and they were feeding the kittens with a dropper. We didn't think they would survive. When we got home I took over feeding them and bathing them. They all lived and were so cute. When they were old enough we put up a flyer for free kittens with their picture on the bulletin board at our local gas station. While I was gone one day, Danny was watching the kids, and a man called about the kittens. He came to get two of them. He wanted Camille (the prettiest one) and Tigger. Chloe grabbed the kittens, ran in the house with them and was crying and saying the man couldn't have them. Danny told the man he should come back when I was home. Finally we decided he would take Tigger and Ebony. Someone else got Pepper but Chloe wouldn't let Camille go. She put her in her bicycle basket and rode her around and played with her like a baby.

Now Camille is almost five and is quite the hunter. She lives outside and is constantly bringing us her latest catch for us to see. Mice, moles, chipmunks, a few birds, and even a couple rabbits. Chloe once had a funeral for one of the chipmunks. We watched her chase a mole the other day:






A couple days ago there was a dead chipmunk on the sidewalk. I didn't see it and almost stepped on it. When I saw it I jumped out of the way and let out a yell. Phoebe looked at me like she thought I was being silly and said "It's just Alvin". I think she's too used to dead critters being on the sidewalk. I also think she has watched Alvin and the Chipmunks one too many times.

I Believe I Can Fly

Phoebe and I have been taking long walks this week. There is a place near us that is a Locks and Dam along the river where boats come through. The area around it is a park that is nicely kept with picnic tables and a great place to walk. Many people go there to walk. This morning we were walking and Phoebe said "I see something in the sky". I told her it was a jet. She said "I love jets!". Then she saw a bird and said, "I wish I was a bird". Then a few seconds later she said "My arms can fly" and she started flapping her little arms like a bird. It was the cutest thing with me pushing her along in the stroller and her flapping her arms.

Here are a few things I've learned this week while walking (not that I'm an expert, just ask my Wii Fit's BMI).

1. Sippy cups should come as a big gulp (like those big cups from gas stations). One sippy doesn't cut it. Bringing more than one sippy isn't convenient. When Phoebe drinks she doesn't just sip a little and save some for later. She drinks until the cup is empty.

2. I have found the best sippy for myself. I have tons of water bottles that I've bought searching for the perfect one. I think I may have found it. It's Rubbermaid and it's a 20 oz bottle. It's sturdy, it has a good spout to drink from, holds the right amount, easy to hold, just a good water bottle. I got it at Kmart, but I'm sure it can be found anywhere. It was around $3.50 and you can buy a two pack.



3. If I walk an hour I can do almost four miles.

4. Having a two year old with you that needs to pee can make you walk much faster.

5. Walking makes me feel so much better!

I plan to keep walking lots, or flap like a bird, one or the other.

Our 14th Anniversary

On May 20, 1995 Danny and I got married. It was a beautiful Spring day. The weather was perfect, the sky was gorgeous. I couldn't have been happier.



We met at college the first day of my sophomore year, Danny's senior year. He called me (he had seen me talking to a friend of his) and asked me to meet him the next day. I'd never seen him before but my friend had and described him to me. I went to the lobby of his dorm the next day and from there we went to dinner in the cafeteria and we've been together ever since. I knew right away he was the man I would marry. Three years later, exactly one week after my college graduation, we got married.

He had to work this evening but we did get out to eat lunch together. Mom kept Phoebe for us. She took this picture of us. (Her dog Lucy always gets in the picture too.)




We made a quick stop to Kmart (isn't that what everyone does on their anniversary?), and rushed home to get Phoebe, and get Chloe and Owen off the bus. It was a treat to just eat lunch out just the two of us. We're hoping next year to plan a weekend away or something.

Danny has asked me before if I would marry him all over again. Absolutely.

Our Monday

Yesterday I took Phoebe to the doctor for a recheck on her ears, eyes, and her iron levels. All checked out great. She got her blood taken again and could have cared less. She's amazing. She doesn't cry, whimper, or even wince about them squeezing blood out of her. If that were Chloe at this age, it would have taken 12 people to hold her down. We were there two hours and Phoebe was great. At the end of the visit the doctor was about to leave the room but was still talking to me. My cell phone started ringing in my purse. I wasn't going to interrupt the doctor, and thought I'd call whoever it was back. Phoebe however, went to my purse, got out the phone, and answered it. Hilarious. It was Danny.

After we left the doctor's office, I had to get gas. The gas station also sells Krispy Kreme donuts. I told Phoebe we would take one to Aunt Bea (my sister Betsy) at work. Phoebe said she wanted a donut too, and I let her choose one. She chose a maple iced one. She ate the whole thing. It took her at least 15 minutes, but she ate the whole thing. After leaving the hospital (where Betsy works) Phoebe said she was hungry. I doubted it since she just ate the donut, but a diet coke from Subway sounded good to me. So we went through the drive thru at Subway. She ate the black olives (her favorite thing, and the whole reason she likes Subway) off her sub, took about four bites of the sandwich, and went to sleep.

She slept the whole way home and I put her to bed when we got home. Danny was mowing the grass so I got the dog and we took a walk. A long walk. I ended up walking to my Mom's and back, which is four miles and not much of it flat. Danny got worried about me and came looking for me. Then I ate three taco in a bags for dinner, so never mind the calories I burned.

It was such a beautiful day yesterday. It was very cool in the morning but it was sunny all day and chilly but yet warm. I love Spring days like that. After all the rain we've had, this week of predicted sunshine makes me happy.

Now, Phoebe and I are getting ready to take a walk. But it won't be four miles up and down hills.