Holding Bunnies

Our love for Aunt Bryce's bunnies runs deep.  They were, after all, our houseguests for over a year, and we've missed them ever since.  So a chance to spend an hour loving on them was a thrill for the kids.  They had to start out being quiet observers until the bunnies let themselves be petted.  After that....

The thrill of the afternoon came when Evan wrangled up little Charlie into his arms.  Sweet Charlie who never really prefers to be petted or held by strangers was a cuddly ball of fluff.  Evan was oozing with joy for this special treat.

He said it was the best day of his life :-)

Bits & Pieces :: June

**Chloe's new favorite song is Home on the Range.  She had me print out the lyrics which she has decided to copy.  Her added illustrations are my favorite part :-)

** Evan has been all about the Titanic again.  He is fascinated by the wreck site and the story of how it sank.  He spends hours poring over informational books, studying.  One morning we got out Jeff's lego collection (which we keep in storage) to build a Titanic model.  He made all four funnels, the bridge and a nice base.  After about a week of work, he felt discouraged that it was too big a project and took it apart.  What a cool idea though!  You can see the white bridge section and a yollow funnel in the picture below.

** I found these two set up on the deck playing Transformers and horses.  For real.  I never thought it would be possible for a brother and sister to have so much fun together, but they do every single day.

** With summer comes the catching and observing of bugs.  A very pretty moth found itself in captivity recently which thrilled Evan since it was his first.  This picture captures the fascination and magic that nature holds for these two.  Such a sense of wonder.

** The kids discovered Garfield comics this month and cannot get enough!  They read and laugh together first thing in the morning, when they come inside to cool off on the couch for a bit and especially at bedtime after we read family books, cuddle and say goodnight.  They grab a flashlight and "read" these silly books for a while before it's lights out time. 



** I have a feeling that this summer our kitchen table will never be without flowers.  Chloe is always coming inside with a handful of something.  We planted a  mixed box this year with lupines, hollyhocks, morning glories, sunflowers and cosmos.  Also some green beans and strawberries.  We'll see what comes up.

 

 ** Evan built his first little robot after watching a how-to video online.  It uses a toothbrush head and the vibrating motor from an old cell phone.  He loves playing around with motors and wires and batteries.

** Hot days mean it's time for bathing suits and the hose to make their first appearance.

 

** Chloe loves her new suit.  Isn't it so her?

** At Bryce's house this week, we were lucky enough to get to hang out with the bunnies in the back yard cage.  The kids both got to hold and pet to their hearts' content.  I have a bunch more pictures of this special time, but that will be another post on it's own.

** The tree in front of Bryce's house is so perfect.  Chloe's longer legs have made her able to climb higher than ever.  Not to be outdone, Evan can also climb even higher and then "get down from the tree faster than you Chloe"....  *drop*

** A pair of Mourning Doves started to build a nest in our backyard tree this week.  We have spent hours quietly observing them (with and without binoculars) as daddy bird hunts around for the perfect addition to mama's nest, flies up while making lots of chirpy noise, hands over the goods and comes back down.....  We really hope they stay.

** I will probably be using this tent set-up on the swing all year as it is the perfect shady spot to enjoy a morning.  Kids play on swings and run around being Flynn and Rapunzel or Odie and Garfield or horses with nothing but their imaginations at work.  How I love this life....

Another Day with Jack

On Tuesday, we met Jack for the first time.  He's a sweet, loving old horse who really likes people.  With his two horse friends out of town for the week, we were invited to pop in and keep Jack company whenever we liked.  Evan and Chloe are content to just observe and Jack just likes to have someone nearby.  It's a perfect combination for us. 

Yesterday, Jack didn't even seem to care that we were there, he was so busy eating.  But that is another really cool thing to observe a horse doing.  What will he eat, what does he avoid, does he spit out the bitter stuff, how many bites has he taken without stopping????

With wildflowers taking over his pasture, he milled around looking for grass and clover.  The kids helped him out by ridding the field of as many flowers as we could carry home.  We gathered a beautiful bundle and a small handful of small sweet strawberries.

This horse knew that rain was in the forecast and he was filling up his belly for the day ahead with no grazing.    So much to learn in these quiet hours with a horse. 

Meeting Jack

Evan:: Nearly Ten

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He has a dream -- a long-term goal and a plan for his future.  It involves electronic/robotic/remote control machines.  He wants to design them, build them, drive them around.  He also wants to have his own RC car race track.  To make all this happen, he intends to start working with his dad when he's eleven, "since the only work I know is contracting."

He thinks someone is pretty (besides just me;-) for the first time.  He confides his little secrets to me and I will not tell them, but how precious it is to know his heart beats just a little faster around a certain girl he knows.

He loves food.  Mashed potatoes and gravy, spaghetti and meatballs, pizza, berry-banana smoothies, cashews, red peppers, baked beans, lasagna, bacon, tacos, apple crisp, red cabbage, stuffing, fish patties, chicken noodle soup, yams, chocolate pudding.  Yum.

He values humor, but only to make his close friends laugh, not a crowd of strangers.  He can ride his bike for 5 miles and not feel tired, but ask him to walk half a mile and he'll be a drama queen about his sore feet.  He wants to kiss and cuddle me but won't let me kiss or cuddle him. 

He has many collections:  specimens for looking at under the microscope (a.k.a. dead bugs); toothpicks in the shape of swords; sticks with all the bark whittled off;  empty gum wrappers folded back up to look like real gum;  batteries -- everywhere.

He doesn't want a party this year.  It was always the plan to do a party at ten, but he doesn't want that.  Instead he just wants a chance to hang out with his best bud, and let us spend the party funds on a big gift.  That sounds just right for him :-)

Up To

What we've been up to since the weather turned summery....


**Games. All the usual ones plus this awesome made-up Coyote and RoadRunner game.  I watch them play, and all I can say is kids are so cool.  This game is fun.

**Tis the season for tents and forts everywhere.

Has a homeless person set up camp here?  No, it's just Flynn and Rapunzel's house.

**Too hot to be in the sun?  No problem.  Cubees are the indoor activity of choice.  They now dwell in double decker houses with trap doors and windows. 

A hand-made Cubee -- Gammorean guard from Star Wars.

**Sleeveless shirts are the everyday staple.  Chloe has several sleeveless dresses that I never seem to get photos of her in, but she looks so cute.  Evan opts for ugly anglerfish over "cute."

**Laying around like you are melting into the furniture or floors is totally acceptable.  Not just for Todd either.  See?

**It is never too hot out for cuddle time, if you ask Evan.  If we don't cuddle during the day, he gets really upset and by bedtime he might even be in tears over it :-)  Oh my sweet boy.

Surprise kissing while cuddling is not okay.

**Kitties and kids look especially lovely with summer sunshine glowing on them.

**With the help of a neighbor friend, Evan was able to get into the backyard tree for the first time.  Luckily, after today he won't have to work quite so hard to get up there, since his dad is home from work building a tree fort as I type!  Our backyard gets better every year :-)