The Owl Call

Every night we read several books together as a family.  Lately, it has been where we have Gavin read a book or two to us and then Todd or I read a longer, richer book.  This night we chose to read "Owl Moon" by Jane Yolen, pictured below.

This book is such a fantastic and touching book about a child and her father walking through the forest at night, searching for an owl...an owl hunt.  I, often times, read and tear up as it is such a beautiful experience between a child and father. 

Because of my love for this book, I decided that I would be honored to read it to the family.  As I read aloud, the section were the pa makes the owl call was read and it didn't quite sound right.  Todd corrected me with the real way it should have been read.  It, of course, sounded a million times better.  I chuckled out loud knowing that I was way off and did not do that section justice and this is when Gavin chimes in, so naturally, with the sad trombone/trumpet sound to emphasize how bad it was.

Click the link if you would like to hear how bad it felt...hysterical
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sC75aU47GRk

Where's My Cutie Pie?

Sophia has become quite expressive these days.  I love when she gets excited.  It's so obvious.  She throws her hands together, clasping them, and raises her voice about eight octaves to a shrill.  It's pretty darn cute I must say.

A few things trigger such a reaction.  Princesses, of course, babies and cute animals.  She has a true addiction to all three equally.  She must surround herself with anything and everything with the above qualities, but she is especially drawn to something with a "double factor."  Example, baby + wearing princess clothes= EXTRA ADORABLE and even higher squeals.  It is as if all of her dreams have come true in one fell swoop.

We have such a double factor currently living next door to us.  Baby + Kitty= OMG! INSANITY! She runs around jumping, whooping and squealing in delight, talking in an unrecognizable whisper/squeal as if the little feline can understand..."Hello my little cutie pie.  Are you my little cutie pie?" 

Somehow, the world stops for a few short seconds as I, like the kitty, cannot seem to keep my eyes off such a magical and entrancing little girl.  Although I cannot make out the rest of what she is shrieking, I just smile and think I wish this moment would never end. 

He's So Sketchy

Drawing on bathtub walls during scrub-a-dub-dub time is a usual ritual at our house.  Usually we see lots of scribbles and blended colors; however, this night was full of experimenting with drawing everyone in the family.  Gavin has become a pro at drawing circles, adding two dots for eyes and a straight line for a mouth.  I haven't figured out why we never smile in his depictions of us...I guess we must be pretty stern or something. I challenged him to add a body, arms and legs to make it look like a person.  I did some modeling of a "person" with all of the necessary attributes and to my surprise, Gavin followed with his own beautiful work of art.

Is he the next Picasso or what?! Brilliant!

Holy Moley

Pointing...m-m-m-m-mo-l-e, moleeeee, molay, MOLE!

Did you only think that this happens in the movies? No. Although I don't have a large mole on the front of my face, I do have a smaller mole in the crease of my armpit.  Both Gavin and Sophia seem to be obsessed with it.  For many months, one of them will just pop out and ask to see my mole or wonder if it has somehow disappeared from 5 minutes prior. 

These requests usually come at the oddest times; however, the most unusual has to be their request to see my mole at the dinner table.  This becomes more of an obsession when I wear a tank top as it seems to be blaring out at both of them, just as the picture above. 

One particular dinner (with a tank) included many requests to see "the mole" as we were eating.  I, consistently, reminded them both to stop worrying about my mole and eat their dinner.  Although normally I would not remember such a menu, but they were eating a boca burger and some carrots with some ranch for dipping. 

This is a key detail as the rest of my grossed out evening involved these two items.  As I turn to remind Sophia, one more time, to eat and stop worrying about my mole, I begin to feel something wet in my armpit.  I quickly turn around to find Gavin twirling his carrot and ranch onto my mole! All I do after this is, of course, laugh hysterically as I have a half a bowl of ranch to wipe off.  Yuck. 

A Reason To Dress Up

Easter comes but one time a year and, yes, I have turned into the mama that likes to dress up her kids in order to snap unforgettable "memories."  Fortunately, we have acquired spring/summer clothes from a close friend for Sophia so she is constantly stylin' and Gavin has obtained a few cute outfits too.  This last weekend was just an excuse to clean them up and see them all sparkled up for the day.  (you're right...it didn't last long)

Perhaps it is the stigma of a holiday, but as my memory serves me right, each one of those came with a price.  Yes, a good old fashioned family feud.  Over what you ask?  Ummmmm, just about everything.  From "he's touching me" to "get your feet on your own side" to "she hit me!"  This wrapped up with me mimicking my own mother as I yell out "we will not be looking for Easter eggs if this continues" and "I don't even know if we should go." All the while, I'm thinking of the crappy family "memories" we are making.  Isn't that how it always works?  I seem to remember a few of those "memories" growing up. How did I end up like one of "those moms?" 

The more I think about the answer to that question, I reflect on what "those moms" are made of and I conclude that they are pretty rockin' mamas.  They put up with all kinds of craziness and still find the strength to get their kids dressed up knowing that all hell will break loose in mere moments.  I'm proud to be a "mean mama" as Sophia so elegantly stated as she was screaming at the top of her lungs because I buckled her in to the car seat, keeping her safe.  I'll give you every moment of "mean" if my definition really equals love. 

So, let's have a reason to dress up! Pull out the dresses, the nice shoes, and the comb to slick back the hair and let's make some memories!  Below are a few of our "memories."

Shop Til' You Drop

"Hey every-guys!" Sophia is ready to do some shopping! Grab your bags, put on your pink furry jacket and get ready to "do it to it!"

Oh-Lay!

It's time to wake up!  Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep...

Talk about terrified.  Gavin acquired a "Mater" clock at Christmas time that he has been deathly afraid of, until recently.  It began with one night of setting his alarm where Mater would talk and say silly thing to him to wake him.  "Cockadoodle doo." "Wake up Sleeping Beauty"  "I don't care who you are, this here feels early," etc.  To any average little boy, this would be an ideal wake up call; however, Gavin brings waking up to a whole different level as he would like to wake up to music. 

...Not just any music...the Spanish channel, preferably a mariachi band! Oh-Lay! Every night we set it  el radio a la musica del Espanol.