Summer is fun

A few weeks ago, Kyle was in charge of FHE and so hiking we went, up to Donut Falls in Big Cottonwood Canyon. He had hiked this trail back in his pre-Tiff days and remembered it being an easy hike, so easy that he didn't stop any of us from donning flip flops for the occasion. Didn't take long to figure out the kids' feet (and ours) weren't going to last long this way. Erik got picked up first since he was slowing us down, but an hour later when we finally reached the falls, Ellie had earned a free ride back, as well. (Actually the hike is only 1.5 miles round-trip and not very grueling, but imagine that at a two-year-old's pace...)

This was as close as we got to the falls and I still can't figure out where the donuts were.

Oh yeah, I guess if you hike to the very top you get to see something like this.

Still, we enjoyed the babbling brook and being in nature, especially Kyle. In fact, Kyle hasn't stopped nagging me to have a family camping trip ever since (ha! Kyle nagging me for once!). I'm not opposed to the idea, but I am also the one who gets eaten alive by mosquitoes even when I've bathed in bug spray, and even after a year in China I am still not quite fond of squatting...
However, I've informed him that when he has provided a tent, sleeping bags, a flashlight, and some tin foil, I will oblige him by accompanying the family into the woods.

Actually, we agreed that a good compromise would be to camp in Kjerstin's backyard. They even have a vegetable garden, which I figure is at least as outdoors-y as wooded shrubbery, and that way I could still sleep on a cushy mattress and use a flush toilet. I know, I'm a wimp. I'm also a wimp with three little kids, without whom, I like to believe, I would surely cast my reservations aside and embrace the opportunity.



We've also been seizing opportunities to get wet, like here at the Murray pool, which has a lot of wading room for the kids and a water slide that none of us could get enough of, even Bob, I think.


We are still adjusting to life with three kids, and Erik is the definite wild card. Most of the time he pretends to love Charlie by pressing too hard on his belly or head and watching for our reaction-- that trite admonition to be gentle--, but then sometimes when he's not feeling so jealous he plops down beside me, arms outstretched, and proclaims, "me ready hold Charlie," and then he coos and cuddles him and genuinely loves being the big brother.

Ellie remains my stalwart helper, fetching things for me nearly always without complaint and giving Charlie adoring attention when I cannot.

Another recent pursuit has been the development of a cupcake business. It's Mish's brainchild really, but I have the Wilton tools so I'll be her assistant and make us cute matching sister aprons to wear while we frost away in the kitchen (wait, already did that but never finished mine...).

This was our first experience with fondant, and actually we didn't have any decorating tools or shape cutters at the time so the piping was very amateur (we used the food coloring cap to make circles), so rest assured that it will get much cuter than this. We have grandiose plans for this business, things so cute that you don't even care how delicious they are (but this is Mish, so of course they will be), so dare to come to us from now on for all your cupcaking needs! And believe me, when you stop to consider it, you'll be hard pressed to find an occasion that doesn't merit the sharing of beautiful homemade cupcakes.


The spontaneity and enthusiasm of my kids continues to keep me more interesting than I would be otherwise. I love all the small and simple activities that give them thrills and make me smile, like making play-doh statues, baking cookies, and painting a cookie or dinosaur on their faces.


We've recently picked gaming back up (which had been replaced for a while by crafting and then baby) and I still love scum like I did back in my high school glory days. And yes, I was always the scum back then, too.

Like auntie, like nephew.

Um, or like mother, like son.

I thought this pool was a great idea, right up until I realized that with no hose nor a yard or drain, filling and emptying this pool quickly becomes a chore not always worth it for the $2 my mom paid for it. Still, even for wading and splashing the kids got a thrill from it, and that is worth more than $2 in my book.

Hee hee this one looks like Carter's showing off his melancholy bride-to-be, just another victim of an arranged marraige. We parents did in jest betroth our children, but then Carter whipped out that proposal that we'll never let him live down, so I don't see what Ellie's pouting about after all.

Nothing entertains little boys like live crickets being devoured by a dragon right before their faces. Aside from the cost of the crickets, the show was free, my favorite price.

I also wanted to mention that even though I don't craft anymore, my heart is still quite fond of it and longs for a day when I'll be organized, motivated, and well-rested enough to resume crafting. In the meantime, I've started a blog highlighting projects other people have made. That will suffice for now. The link is quelquejour.blogspot.com.