The kids decided to create together. I think they both worked on the black drawing. Don’t know what was up with all the black that day. At one point i remember Tyler asking Quinn “is that how you feel, Quinn?” Don’t know - maybe it was a brief gothic or beatnik phase. They started this themselves and had a good time doing some drawing.

Quinn also drew everywhere on the wooden floors with said black marker. Thankfully it was all washable. She went nuts - I found more of it today that I had missed yesterday.

Last week, Daddy was gone for 2.5 days on a business trip. I had purchased this neat “While I am Away” box and corresponding, “I am Always With You” wallet from a friend who sells Once Upon a Lifetime products. The products had come in, so I decided the afternoon before Chris left to get them and do some fun stuff for Daddy.

I told Tyler that we were going to get Daddy something for the plane. Tyler wanted to go get Daddy, “A CD of the national.” “I was thinking more along the lines of a book, Tyler. Why a CD Tyler?” “Because Daddy likes CDs; he likes songs.”

I couldn’t argue with that - he knew is Daddy. I didn’t really want to explain to Tyler that Daddy uses mp3’s - and for the last few weeks he had been ripping many of our CDs for his iPod and that CDs are kind of passe and that Chris already had all the National songs. So we went to the bookstore and came home with a book and a CD of the national.

We also went and had some recent photos printed. Then the kids each drew a drawing for their Daddy and I asked them what they wanted to say to their Daddy and wrote those words down. The wallet was meant to be a surprise, but when a toddler has knowledge of a surprise, well, it rarely remains as such. Daddy was quite pleased.

I had mentioned the box to Chris and said he may want to leave a note for the kids or something. I had meant to remind him that night, but had forgotten and assumed he had too. He hadn’t. While he was watching the Tour, he drew the sweetest drawing for the kids and wrote notes to all of us on the back. He also got our USA map and put markers on it for where we lives, where Daddy was going and all the places that Tyler knew - The Guads, Steamboat and Arkansas (we are vacationing there this fall ,so he talks about it a lot).

Tyler loved it! He would ask “Where is Daddy’s box?”, carry it to a spot of the floor, sit down and study the drawing. He also enjoyed checking out the map (he is so much like his mama).

The other day we were upstairs and Tyler says, quite flustered, “all my hiding spaces are gone!” What honey? I had filled a cabinet up with craft and sewing supplies and had unknowingly taken away a hiding spot. He was also upset because we had decided to let go of his train table to make more room and he was very sad it was going away. He goes on, “my hiding spots are gone, my train table has to go…” I felt bad for the kid, it did seem like his chips were down. So I offered to move my stuff. And he told me, “Yes, Mom. While I am sleeping, you move all your stuff out.” And so I did. I am all about hiding spot preservation….

Really, I was bracing for this week - summoning all the patience I would need to quell the sibling issues that would bubble to the surface every five minutes. And what do I get today? An abundance of cute moments. Tyler had a friend over today to whom he was pretty antagonistic, so maybe he got it out of his system there. Who knows - but there were lots of fun camera moments today.

We start with a morning snuggle. These two climbed onto the couch and for a little while Tyler was “reading” his sister a book from Grandma. After a while they just sat there for a minute or two and snuggled and chilled out in the bright morning light.

Later, I was making pizza in the kitchen. The kids had been in there for a while with me. Tyler accidentally sprayed the cabinets with the water sprayer at the sink and I required that he wipe it up. I think after he finished, he decided he was outta of there and Quinn was right behind him. 5pm is crazy hour around here and the kids can go a little nuts if their energy isn’t well-guided…like today when Mama was tired and decided to let it ride!

I heard the belly-busting laughter and maniacal laughs behind the closed door of Tyler’s room and assumed that a hurricane was taking place destroying everything in its path. The peer pressure, or rather the “join in my merry-making dismantling”, is strong with these two..usually Quinn starts it. Anyway, I decided that I needed to go check it out and see just what they were up to. I open up the door to a dark room.

I see Tyler on top of the blanket chest at the lightswitch and Quinn at Tyler’s nightstand controlling the switch to his nightlight. They have a little “lights off, on” game going on and are cracking up at it. Quinn loves these on/off games and her laughter fuels Tyler. Yesterday they were in the bath upstairs and Tyler was just turning the jacuzzi part of the tub on and off and it was cracking Quinn up. Anyway, I was quite content with this game and so left them to it.

I hear things getting crazy again. I call Tyler out to see a dark cloud that I think might bring rain and tell him he can open the garage door if he likes. He then tells me, “I have something to discuss with Quinn, Mama” and returns to his room. Things were quiet for a long time, so again I am curious. I walk back to the room and the lights are on. I walk in and Tyler said, “We are doing a puzzle Mom, no worries.” Tyler had grabbed a small puzzle off a high shelf and he and Quinn were gathered around it. Of course, do notice in the picture the downed lamp and clothing hamper behind them.. :-p Even hurricanes need a rest at some point! :-p And eventually frustration at the puzzle resulted in its scattering and abandonment - but it was nice for the 10 minutes they were working on it.

Finally, I give you…dinner! Chris got home and I walk out telling him - “Guess what I made for dinner??” in a very proud voice and taking a big bow. Tyler walks up behind me and says in this “matter-of-fact, what is the big deal” voice - “it’s pizza.” Ah yes, BUT a pizza with a homemade crust! I sauted up a ton of veggies from our CSA in olive oil, used my favorite Muir Glen pizza sauce, coated with the rosemary, oregano, basil and finally Monteray Jack cheese (because the mozzarella accidentally got used yesterday). And WOW - it was awesome pizza. I love the Mont Jack on top and the crust was perfect! And thanks so much to my How to Cook Everything Vegetarian cookbook - I didn’t realize a food processor could make dough so easily and quickly.

And that in a nutshell was the day. I am pooped as I often am on Thursdays. I have still been going to bed too late and I can feel its affects. Sadly Chris will be working late into the night tonight and will have to work this weekend too. Bleh! On a positive note , I am off to plan our vacation to Arkansas this autumn!

Quinn started it - she really is a little instigator of mischief around here. It looked like fun, so Tyler had to figure it out and get in on the action. And so when they get a wild hair, the head to the closet in search of swim diapers… It cracks Chris and I up. Just look at them..it kind of reminds me of “Weird Science” - if anyone remembers that movie….

Anything can be a hat..even a swim diaper	Tyler happy we had a hat in his size…
Diaperheads	I find the side view especially amusing

• Quinn, as we are walking home from a bus ride, we pass our neighbor’s house where outside sits a new generation lime green VW bug. She is riding on my back in the mai tai. As we pass I hear her comment, “Ohhhhh, cooool car!” Yes, from the mouth of my almost two year old daughter.
• Quinn is on the stool at the sink and Tyler is wanting to get up to wash his dish as well. Tyler is beginning to get upset when Quinn looks down scoots her tiny feet over and says, “There’s room Tyler”, inviting her brother up with her.
• Quinn inspects her purple Keen sandals closely observing some mud caked on the bottom. She utilizes the nearby convenience of the dog’s water bowl and dips her shoes in to clean them saying, “I get some water for my shoes.”
• We were drawing with our new crayons one day. Lately the kids enjoy huddling around Mommy’s art helping her transform it. I was drawing some flowers on a page and Tyler decided that night was coming. So he begins drawing some night in the sky and then draws some night on my flowers saying, “There is some night melting on your flowers.”
• We went to El Arroyo and Tyler orders for himself saying, “I would like a cheese enchilada with chicken in a wrap, please.” He actually first gave his order to the seating person upon entering walking right up to the glass counter..
• The letter Q. The other day we were drawing and Tyler said he was going to draw the letter Q. I say okay and sure enough he drew two of them. I asked him who taught him that and he replied, “no one, I just wanted to draw a Q.” Mama was pleased as punch with that one. It further supports my views on education is some ways. And to see him have the pride and joy of figuring that out all on his own, well that was a priceless moment for me.

The kids and I have been hanging at home a ton lately, but I would say 75% of the time we are outside in the front or in the back. In the front, we spend most of our time in our neighbor’s yard! I guess because adjacent to our driveway is our garden and then our yard, the kids are just drawn to the immediate grass on the other side. So I will be hanging in our driveway while the kids and usually the dog are over there. The dog is chills and the kids are typically mowing the neighbor’s grass. It is too bad they aren’t real lawnmowers because the kids “mow Lou’s grass” almost everyday.

In the backyard, I am working on a sand pit in the backyard for the kids - of course, they are thoroughly enjoying the dirt pit at the moment. The other day the kids and a friend’s child I was babysitting were back there for 2 hours straight. Ah, the lure of dirt!!