Three Things Needed to Play Soccer

1. Pink soccer ball 2. Daddy's shin guards (but no shoes)

3. Sass

Wheeler Farm

This morning I took Kenzie and Parker to Wheeler Farm. (The plan was to meet up with our neighborhood playgroup, but they arrived as we were leaving! Oops.)

First we saw the geese and ducks. You can see Kenzie literally jumping up and down out of excitement. Parker was enthralled, too, but he showed it by sitting quietly with his mouth agape. Usually in the stroller he wiggles and complains, so I knew it was amazing to him.

Baby duckies! I'm a sucker for anything tiny.

I loved this picture. They obviously did not want to look at me for a picture if it meant not getting to see the cows!

Kenzie on a tractor. She was too timid to go into any of the little sheds, and it took some convincing for her to sit on the tractor, too, but once she got up there she laughed -

- and then eagerly asked to climb up on the next tractor she saw, too.

Another baby duck, but he's kind of in the shadows.

The kids both loved the pigs. They didn't disappoint by being extra dirty. Which reminds me of my favorite quote from this trip: I said to Parker, "Do you see the sheep?" Kenzie chimed in, "I smell the sheep!"

I think this calf was Parker's favorite part. He yelled at it and they really stared each other down for a bit. All in all, it was a fun morning, and Parker konked out the second we got home.

Good Intentions

Poor Daddy wasn't feeling well this evening, so he fell asleep before the kids. Kenzie came over, patted his shoulder, and said, "Daddy, I'm sorry you're not feeling good." He didn't respond, and she seemed a bit disappointed. I told her, "He's sleeping, so he probably didn't hear you." "Oh!" she perked up. "I'll just go say it louder!"

Happy Pioneer Day

Growing up in Oregon, I didn't hear about "Pioneer Day." It ranked right up there with National Fanny Pack Day and National Talk-Like-a-Pirate Day. But it exists here in Utah, so we celebrated today by doing very un-pioneer-ish things: having kabobs on the grill and lighting off fireworks!

Kenzie had gotten a set of fireworks from Aunt Caroline for her birthday, and she was more than excited to watch Daddy light them off.

Superman thought the sparklers looked too much like Kryptonite, though, so he went inside.

Kenzie was so happy that they weren't loud. "I don't have to cover my ears!" she exclaimed.

How to Play Don't Break the Ice: A Tutorial by Parker

Step 1: Make sure you have both mallets for maximum efficiency

Step 2: Remove that pesky ice-skating bear

Step 3: Mallets take too long; use your hands for guaranteed demolition

Kenzie's First Joke

It's summer, so Kenzie has been eating a lot of popsicles. She realized awhile back that there were "letters" on the popsicle sticks, and I'd been trying to explain that they're jokes. (I would read them to her, and she usually fake-laughed before I finished the punch line). This time, however, she actually seemed to understand the joke. She laughed at the right time, explained to me why it was funny, and repeated it over and over again so she could tell it to Daddy when he got home. (If you can't understand the first part, she says, "What has rings but no fingers?" )

Days of '47 Floats

For about two seconds I entertained the idea of trying to go to the big parade this Friday. When I came back to my senses, I was happy to hear there's a preview of the floats going on at the Expo center. I thought Kenzie would be really excited, but she clung on to both of us and wouldn't go near the floats. I think she was a bit scared! Parker just sat in his stroller quietly -

- but then, all of the sudden, he started yelling, pointing, and making loud, excited noises.

This weird Monsters vs. Aliens float was the cause of it. He cried when we left it behind! So, even though Kenzie kept a death-grip on the stroller and barely smiled, at least Parker had a great time! Funny how that worked out.

Kenzie's Birthday Party

Yes, Kenzie's birthday was a few weeks ago, but last night we got together with all her cousins to celebrate her birthday (and Annie's, and Laura's, and Daniel's...)Here's Kenzie with her cake. She changed her mind constantly about what cake she wanted, but finally settled on a "pink cake with hearts and a white crown." When I opened the fridge and showed her, she immediately gave me a hug.

Here she is waiting to open presents. Just a little excited!

More candid excitement.

The beauty of having 4 kids celebrating birthdays at the same time -- no shortage of desserts!

Oquirrh Mountain Temple

Yesterday afternoon we went through the Open House at the new temple in South Jordan. Kenzie loved the baptismal font, and Parker loved the chandeliers, so it went well.

Here's Kenzie afterwards in the reception area with her much-enjoyed cookie.

Arguably Parker enjoyed his cookie a bit more, though.

Little Cookie-Face fell asleep on the way home. He's a sweet kid.

Indoor Soccer

Chris has been playing indoor soccer with two of his brothers and some friends for awhile now. The games have been at odd times (like 11:10pm last week), so today was the first game we were able to come watch. Their team name is the Dorkitos, if that tells you anything.

Kenzie cheered for Daddy for about two seconds before spending the rest of the time running around with Camille and trying to convince me to find "a hundred dollars" (AKA a quarter) for the jawbreaker machine.

This looks kind of cool all blurry. (I never said I was a professional photographer)

Parker was really good for me. Whenever he'd hear cheering he'd yell, "Oooh!" afterwards.

Daddy's Boy

Parker is a very cautious eater. He alone is the reason they say to show a kid new foods 8 times or whatever the rule is... but tonight was the first time he was offered a pork rib. You can see for yourself that he had one in each hand! (He didn't drop them, either. Kenzie dropped one, and the cat sat under the table purring for the next half hour, but Parker held on tight!)

He posed for this one! That tongue came out and he held it! We're really in for it with this kid!

Diving Board Day

Today was Kenzie's first time off the diving board. Just a week ago she was too timid to put her face in the water, but this week she leaped off the diving board! (Proud Mommy Alert)

Here's her second jump. (The third time she sort of belly flopped, which ended her enthusiasm for a bit!)

Ward Reunion

This is the sign of a successful event - both kids stuffing their faces!

Today was another busy day - swimming lessons in the morning, reptiles in the afternoon (a presentation at the library - Parker got to touch a huge python! Mommy and Kenzie didn't), and a ward dinner in the evening. Luckily for Mommy, the laundry is very patient. It doesn't care how busy she is; it just sits there and waits for her.

Pool Time

Can you tell they were excited to go to the pool tonight?

Parker changed his mind when he arrived, though. We set him in the very shallow end a few times, but he climbed up on our laps promptly.

Kenzie, on the other hand, in her words, "was swimmin' like a fish!" She's only had 5 swimming lessons so far, and already she is a lot more confident about jumping into the water, going under the water, kicking her feet and moving her arms, etc. It also helped to have her cousin, Camille, to show off for!

She even went down the waterslide with Daddy! (And then again, and once more with Mommy!)

Parker had had enough of that; he sat on the towel and ate Ritz crackers the rest of the time.

Picnic with Daddy

Yesterday we went to a park near Daddy's work to have a picnic lunch with him. This seagull provided most of the lunchtime entertainment. Parker woofed at it with all his might.

Here he is, woofing at the kites some people were flying.

This is the ultimate Where's Waldo? test, although Waldo usually was in a sea of people, not wooden play structures. (It's a neat park, though, huh?) Technically Chris and McKenzie are in this picture, they're on the very far left (Kenzie's swinging), but mostly the picture was for the park.

Finally... Summer!

Doesn't this picture just say summer to you? We had to wait a long time for summer to hit here in Utah - June was pretty chilly and wet.

"I'm not going to smile, Mom, I'm going to sing!"

I was excited that Parker finally liked the baby swing, since a few months ago he cried when I put him in it!

Woof

Parker is starting to say a few things. Duck, dog, good, and cat are the only ones we really understand, but sometimes Dad, too. (I'm still na-na, and only when he's mad at me!) My favorite sound, though, is his woof for the puppy. It's just a burst of air, but I think I'll really miss it someday when he learns a more accurate noise.

Wedding Season is Upon Us

Here's Kenzie with the wedding cake at our neighbor Adrienne's reception tonight.

Parker fell asleep on the ride up to Red Butte Gardens, so he was a tad wiggly - luckily there were crackers on the snack table! (This is Parker's latest face. He opens his mouth like this to say hi or get excited. It's also handy because I can check the status of his teeth - we're still holding steady at 8)

It was hard to get Kenzie to stand still for a picture because she wanted to turn around and look at the fountain!