mom, i want...

Everywhere we go I hear this:

"Mom, I want _______!"

At the gym, through the grocery store, at the zoo, at home, at the park, these are the words echoing in my head and around me.

"Mom, I want...

a dog

a toy

candy

new shoes

a hamburger

a drink

a light orange Tum-E Yummies (ugh)

down

up

to watch a movie (I hate this one!)

..."

Sometimes when she is not getting her intended result, Quinny says, "I want Dad".

To which I reply, "So do I!"

Usually I answer with the beautiful word that was created just for moms.

No.

It's direct and there is no room for misinterpretation.

Needless to say, Quinn hears no almost as often as I hear mom, I want....

Today, however, she got a yes.

Her request?

Mom, I want a bagel pop.

What is a bagel pop?

It's a bagel with a knife in it, and you eat it like a lollipop.

How did you learn to make this?

Mimi.

I should have known.

 Yesterday we went to the track meet at the high school.

Could Robyn have more adorable fans?

Every time she walked by, one of them would call out.

Good job, Robyn!

Good running, Robyn!

Hi, Robyn!

 She came in second on her first event - the 100 meter hurdles.

I didn't get there in time to see it, but Robert said she and the girl that got first were neck and neck, and he couldn't tell who won until they announced it.

This picture below is of her second event - the 300 meter hurdles.

I really wish the girl in front was Robyn.

Partly because I got her in action, but mostly because she is in front.

It is a race after all.

Robyn happens to be the third girl.

Don't let the picture mislead.

Even though it looks like she is strolling along, she isn't.

These girls are running fast.

While tidying up Mimi's room today, I found some song lyrics.

My Best Song Yet

Com'on, com'on.

You have to teach me how, because if I don't know how,

I'll ground you for heaven sake!

I am your mother, besides.............

IF YOU DON'T LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER,

YOU ARE GROUNDED!

Well done, Mimi.

Thank you!

These are very useful lyrics.

P.S.  As I was writing this post, I noticed the familiar quiet that befalls the house whenever Q is up to one of her shenanigans.
Not this time.

Words I will never hear:
Mom, I want a nap!
Want it or not, it sometimes creeps up when we really need it.

i really had to go

Warning:  this post might have some poop talk in it.  So, if you have a problem talking about, thinking about, or listening to stories that have to do with poop, I suggest you read something else.

 Robyn took the above picture.

What's a movie without a couple of balloons?

 Robyn, Q, and I did some canaling the other day.

We watched the fish, threw rocks, collected and sorted shells, and inhaled the intoxicating aroma from the orange blossoms - my favorite smell.

It was all fun and smelling until we had to go home.

Q did not want to go.

Because we always like to speak the truth, we told her that wild dogs and coyotes come out at dusk to get people.

This is actually a half-truth.

I did just hear on the news that a Valley resident was bitten by a coyote recently.

And I saw a coyote the other day.

So, it could happen.

The second we told Quinny that the animals could get her she high-tailed it, full speed down the canal.

We got her to slow down to a trot.

This is when she informed us of the "aminals" that come out to eat you.

- wild dogs

- coyotes

- bears

- sharks

Wait, what? Sharks?

Yeah, sharks.

Robyn and I laughed the rest of the way home imagining a shark leisurely walking on its tail fins down the road looking for a juicy little girl to eat.

So what does any of this have to do with poop?

Nothing.

Here is the poop story.

Yesterday we were traveling to Haley's school when I had the sudden urge to go, really go.

I hate it when that happens on the way to school.

I knew I wasn't going to be able to hold it all the way home, so when we got to a nearby Burger King, I was forced to stop and visit the restroom.

Normally I would have left Quinny in the car with Haley, but she said she had to go as well, so in we all went.

Because I REALLY had to go by this time, I went first.

Let me tell you something about Quinny.

She loves to describe her poops to me.

Yesterday she had a "long and big one" at the library.

She let everyone in the bathroom hear about.

Okay, back to Burger King.

After I finished my business, I stood up to flush.

Of course Quinny has to stand right next to me throughout the entire process, giving a play-by-play account of everything.

As I was about to flush, Quinny, with a horrified look on her face said,

"Mom, I am NOT going to go pee on THAT!

You had a crash poop and it's all smushy like a puzzle!"

Yikes!

Thanks for making that announcement, Quinn!

Burger King knows and now you do, too!

weekend update with tons of pictures

Spring break was more eventful for us than usual.

We typically stay home and do pretty much nothing.

Robert had the week off from work, so we were able to do a few exciting things.

Robyn had track practice, so I brought her home Tuesday night with her friend Kaija who had joined us on our trip to California.

I also brought Q home.

Do I really need to explain why?

Robert stayed back with Haley, Eric, and Mimi.

They got to go to Sea World again, eat breakfast with Shamu, and see some sights.

They came home on Thursday evening.

 Robert got a new sprayer that he filled up with water and gave the girls a cooling off.

Giggles abounded.

 He also cooled himself off.

"Who you gonna call?"

 Do you wanna see something truly ugly and extremely embarrassing?

Well, here it is!!!

I made a cake for Cousin Allison's 4th birthday party.
This might be the ugliest cake I have made since my first attempt years ago when I made a birthday cake for my mom - sorry, Mom.

I burned the bottom layer, and it turned out way too small after cutting off the burned parts.

It just got worse after that.

I thought it looked like a ship.

Quinny said it looked like a stack of shapes.

Robert said he's seen me do better and that it looked like a sailor cap on top.

Any way you slice it, it's U-G-L-Y (you aint got no alibi)!

I refused to let Shelle take it to the party.

On the bright side, it was delicious!

Alexa, Quinn, Allison, & Rebekah

Look at these sweet cousins!

There is a lot of love going around.

Eric, Robyn, & Haley

Shelle & Allison

Quinny could hardly wait for Allison's b-day!

Ricky & Grammy

This was funny.

Q got paint in Alexa's hair, 

OR

did Alexa get hair in Quinny's paint?

We'll never know.

Alexa was quite distressed.

Shelle quickly remedied the situation.

All better now.

I was the only adult that painted with the kids.

It was very enjoyable.

I'm sure Shelle was saying something very, very enlightening.

My favorite thing Shelle said this week was while we were shopping at Target.

We were looking for Strawberry Shortcake dolls/action figures and Shelle busted out this gem of a sentence.

"We still need to get the fignurines."

I had to make this picture black and white because it hides my gray hair.

Grandpa joined the fun.

Quinny's smock is hilarious.

It was a blustery day.

I told Quinn she had enough paint.

She didn't believe me.

She kept saying just a little more.

A little Red Light/Green Light to liven things up.

All said and done, we had a great week!!

Now back to life....

california