thoughts on a sunday

McKay with his slug cage around his neck and Elle with a lip gloss-filled cell phone talking to baby Carson.  She talked to him on and off during this whole hour long walk, which is funny because she tells me often that he can't talk yet.  She's kind of a little bit obsessed with him lately.

• Is it annoying if I keep going on about the weather?  We have been enjoying lots of time outside this week and I am obsessed with the area that we live in.  It it so gorgeous here.  There are huge clusters of pine trees, ponds with accompanying wildlife to observe, walking paths weaving throughout the community and the air just feels clean.  I love that we can go out our door and in about one minute we can walk into all of that.  I feel so happy that this is where we get to spend these couple years.  

• About that wildlife.  We have been going on lots of walks/bike rides this week and have seen plenty of animals.  There is a pond a couple minutes from our house where we saw a beaver (or something that is like a beaver that I can't remember the name of but I like calling it a beaver), fish, ducks including ducklings, and geese.  Not to mention the slug that we found on the sidewalk who instantly was captured (with bare hands!) and became McKay's pet.  He didn't even live long enough to get a proper name, but those were a few great hours for my son.  

• Instead of crickets chirping at night, there are frogs.  I have yet to see one, but I am pretty determined that I'm going to catch one for my kids this summer.  I just really feel strongly about it.  Brian thinks I'm insane.

• Is that enough about the local wildlife?  I thought it might be.  So how about earthquakes?  What is up with all these earthquakes?  I'm afraid that McKay's nightmare is getting closer and closer to becoming reality.

• Today Ellery and McKay were taking a bath and she stood right up and said, "I have to go poopoo."  So I ran and got the little potty that we had just gotten out yesterday, and grabbed her bubbly body and sat her down.  She will tell you that we sat and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat, and then she said, "I'm going!" and she did.  Except it wasn't poop.  But still.  We were all so happy that we marched around the house clapping and singing about it.  Oh she was proud.

• I should say that we are not potty training her.  We are talking it up, as we have been for several months actually, and it's getting very near.  But this morning was just on her own so we went with it.  Maybe she's more ready than I thought.  

• Last night I helped out at a wedding reception of someone in our ward.  Before the four hour reception, I had gone grocery shopping with both the kids, and before that I had gone a little crazy organizing several areas of my house.  I had pretty much been on my feet all day.  By the time I walked out of the reception I was waddling like I was nine months pregnant.  Sweet.  Waddling already.

• How come I always seem to have to go grocery shopping on Saturdays?  It happens way too often.  Like almost every weekend.

• In church McKay will often ask me to tell him the words to the hymns so he can sing.  I tell him one line at a time and then we try to catch up to the singing.  Some songs work better than others.  Most of the time he has no idea what he's saying.  Sometimes I wonder if I'm disturbing those around me.  Either way it sure is sweet.

• This week, as a Jane Austen-virgin, I was invited to watch Pride & Prejudice with a group  of devoted fans or other virgins like myself.  A cute girl in our ward threw a Jane Austen party and we ate yummy treats in our pajamas while watching the original version.  I have seen the "Kierra Knightly version" but I am told that does not count.  So far I am a fan, although the language is hard to follow because they talk so fast.  Part two is on Tuesday so I'll be able to draw formal conclusions then.

• Brian took his eleven year old scouts on a hike Saturday morning.  They saw lots of slugs.  I wish I had a way to make this more interesting but I really don't know what else to say about it.  I'm realizing that Brian and I have not had a real conversation in two days.  Saturday was crazy busy and today we haven't had time without kids.  Guess it's time to stop blogging and go talk to the husband.  Maybe something really amazing happened on that hike and I just haven't heard about it yet.  

Happy Sunday!