Summer in the City

Okay, looks like I can manage to find time to blog after all! Last weekend our city had its annual summer kick-off event called 'Summer in the City'. Although we were planning on going Saturday, we took a sneak peak on Friday and couldn't resist getting Ellie and Josh each a pony ride. Ellie and I have been reading a chapter book series together called, "Pony Crazed Princess" which has ignited a passion in Ellie for all things pony, as you can tell by her face here:

So the next day we went back without Micah (who had tried to jump out of the tractor train ride the day before). We had an agreement with the kids that we weren't going to go on any rides that cost money, because they wanted to save up for Tinker Town, an amusement park not far from here. There was still PLENTY to do.

Here's Josh in the shades Ellie made him wear, enamoured with a street hockey game:

We obviously couldn't pass by the ponies without another smiley riding moment!

Josh thought it was just as cool, just in a more cowboyish way:

We spent quite a while at what was probably the best petting zoo I've ever been to.
All the animals were super tame and easy to interact with:

Our friends TJ and Amanda from Penner Pumpkins provided everyone with rubber duck water races:

Ellie won! (Rob and I raced, too. I lost and got a weird burning sensation in my chest. Perhaps I should exercise one day.)

Amanda is a seriously talented face painter!

While waiting for Josh to get his face painted, this guy came and gave Ellie a handshake. I thought for a moment she would either bawl or bolt, but she managed to stand her ground and give him a shaky smile...kinda scary, if you ask me!

Josh's turn!

Much to Ellie's delight, there was a huge board with buckets of paint for the kids to have free reign with:

Rob made friends with the Funny Loud Knife-Throwing Guy and got some juggling tips:

Ellie and Josh leaning on one another for moral support during the Knife-Throwing Guy's act:

Josh's version of looking at the camera and smiling:

Can't forget the good times to be had on the bouncy castle!

And Josh's highlight of the day - the bouncy slide. I totally thought he'd be timid. NOT a chance...the higher he bounced and flipped down that slide, the better! Look at the wild euphoria in those eyes:

Stay tuned for more summer hoopla!

(Next up - a visit to the cabin that my mom and dad are renting.

I'm going alone with the kids. It should be...interesting. Prayer always welcome. :)

Why Blogging Ain't a Priority No More!

In case there's 2 or 3 of you out there who are wondering why I'm not blogging much anymore, I was thinking that perhaps I owe you an explanation.

Let me first tell you what it's NOT.

It's not that THESE TWO have left me without material to blog about:

No, the material is still flowing regularly. They make me smile and laugh as much as they ever did.

No, the reason I'm not blogging these days is because of this Cute face:

 Look closely...right into those baby blues...can you see it?? Can you see the

MISCHIEF?!?

 So on Micah's first birthday he decided to pull out a whole new bag of tricks. Within one day he learned to 1. pull up on furniture 2. pull to sitting from lying down 3. climb stairs 4. do a REAL crawl (not army) SUPER fast 5. crash down from furniture and 6. say 'wow' and 'hi'.

It was a busy day.

And it is now a busy life!!

 These two little legs are at least 50% busier than either Ellie or Josh's ever were.
I find myself rotating from surprise to fear to dismay to amusement all day long.
(But mostly amusement because after all, Micah is Child Number 3. I think Number 3's tend to be this way. )
So Micah has this little circuit he likes to do around the house.
First and best stop: the DVD player. We've mostly blocked it off now, because this mom felt sad seeing this reaction:

 ...every time she said 'no no Micah!'. Poor little peanut. Life is tough.

Next stop: the stairs. Keep in mind, we live in a split level with stairs everywhere. We thankfully have doors blocking off every level, but with two other children, they don't always stay closed.

 I try to let him practice several times a day, since the sooner he learns the better. Going up, no problem. Going down...not so graceful. Once he's at the top, next stop is

Ellie's CD player:

 Two days ago he discovered the eject button on the bottom and now is determined to rip the CD drawer out of the player. Unplugging this during the days is alleviating this problem.

Back in the living room Micah resigns himself to pulling off un-nailed baseboards and smashing air vents. I don't usually stop him, because he is a boy, after all, and by this time it feels as though I should let him do SOMETHING. 

 Then it's off to the kitchen where, if it's a nice day, we appreciate a breeze flowing in through our screen door...which doesn't latch properly...which Micah LOVES.

 And before long, his hand is pinched, again. 

 He also has a tendency to loose his balance by the door. And by the coffee tables. And pretty much everywhere else. The marks were already faded by today (don't show up well in the photo) but he definitely wins the record in our home for multiple face wounds within 24 hours:

So that, my friends, is why I'm not blogging.

During the day, I am chasing (among many other things).

During the evening, I am recovering.

(Which begs the question: When am I posting this blog? During "quiet time". Rob's home. Kids are sleeping. All is well.)

p.s. It being summer, we also have yard work to do. Thanks to our friends Tim and Rachel for lending us this sweet JAIL cell for our little adventurer:

Which works for a little while. But Micah's learning to climb it. And eat it.

 p.p.s. Rob and I like to speculate what God might do in Micah's lifetime if he remains unafraid and adventurous...plant churches? Reach a people group for God? Change the world?

We pray it might be so!!