Hugs vs. Time Outs... which is more effective?

Zoe felt bad for Ben when he had to take a mommy imposed breather in the corner for a minute. She hugged him and smiled at him despite the fact that he'd just stolen her toy. And I think I felt the therapeutic love of the hug more than either of them. Although Ben WAS much happier and nicer for a while after.

The Cat Clown and the Clothes Hound

Zoe was and still is going through a faze where she had to put everything on from her drawers (until I'd say enough because nothing more would fit over all the clothes she was wearing). It worked out well when it was still cold outside, but now she gets so hot with all her clothes, not to mention the difficulty in getting her layers of pants down and up for potty training (she's been using the potty for TWO WEEKS NOW! YEAH!)

After getting dressed up she and Ben are once again ready for misadventure. Here they are harassing the next door neighbor's cat. Which reminds me of what an idiot I was the other day. The neighbors said their cat had been missing a couple days. Immediately I said "oh no! I saw a dead cat on the side of the road this morning that looked a lot like yours but it was so badly mutilated it was hard to tell" right in front of their kids!! Luckily the cat walked in that very moment as if to say "Ha Ha, got ya. I planted that cat so I could get some respect around here." Rotten cat... but I guess I deserved it. What an idiot? Those kids were seriously about to cry. If only I'd had a candid camera. :)

To cool for pool

It was a very hot day sandwiched between some very cold ones. The air was warm, but the water in the hose didn't get the memo. Ben and Zoe promptly froze their little sunscreened behinds off despite my adding warm water. Not to mention that just one's a crowd in this tiny baby pool that I bought for Zoe LAST year, but never used. Next stop, Kmart for a bigger wading pool.

We jump for dead mice!!

I've never seen two children so fascinated by cats (and the dead mice they bring home) and a trampoline. They can't seem to get enough of it. And I mean I'm offering an ostrich farm and nature hikes! But noooo dead mice and bugs seem to be the winners of the day... every day. I know they'll break one day and if we don't find a house soon they'll end up like good old 15 year-old Quin who hangs out on a chair at the community center staring at the floor saying, "there's nothing to do here," when you walk in the door. And then on the way out an hour later, he's till there staring at the floor. You ask if he's moved, "nope, there's nothing to do here," he mutters again. Must find new house soon!

You say entomologist, I say entymologist

It's not hard to figure out why Ben and Zoe are having such a great time here in Bear Valley. I mean, can you just SEE all the bugs in these pictures behind the kids? Oh, and the neighbor kids are awesome too! :) We are so lucky to have such generous neighbors who's kids are also really cool and fun. They let us jump on their trampoline almost any time we want AND they have lizards as PETS!!! Ben and Zoe heaven. Although Ben did tell me he misses the elevator today. L for Lobby was one of the only letters I could ever get him interested in. And now how can learning letters compete with THIS environment? Good thing Ben will be an entOmologist and not an entYmologist.

Really, what is there to do?

One morning Ben said, as he was waiting for me to figure out what to do that day, "let's go outside, get play-do, rocks, water and cups, put it all together and um... well, just see." I said, "WOW, that's an excellent idea!" And that's just what we did. :) Except Zoe didn't think it was as excellent an idea. So she blew bubbles instead. Bloody brilliant.

Fishy fishy fishy fish

We've had several fruitless/fishless attempts to fish in the lake by Grandma and Grandpa's Bear Valley house. Incredible considering fish are actually washing up on shore dead because the lake was clearly over stocked, leaving many fish without enough to eat. You'd think they could bloody well nibble at a piece of old cheese for the sake of the children who so desperately want the satisfaction of the kill. Killing insects, namely rollie pollies and lady bugs, just isn't enough for them anymore. Can't you just see the blood lust in their faces, including Kali's? At least the dead fish on shore provide enough prurient interest for Ben who's fascintated with their pecked out eyes and hard bloated bodies. After the beating they take from him every day with whatever stick or rock he can find, the bigger the better, I wouldn't be surprised if little fish ghosts come to haunt him in his sleep. glub glub glub.