Just for Laughs

Avery's First Haircut

This morning I cut Avery's hair for the first time. Avery did not have much hair to begin with, but what she did have had grown pretty scraggly. Today as we left the YMCA I thought, "Avery looks just like she stuck her finger in a light socket." So, intervention was required.

I looked up "how to cut hair" on google, and clicked on the first site I found, hairfinder.com. I read how to do a seven-section segment job, and then used 7 little tiny hairbands and clips to hold them in place. Avery did not like this, and yanked them out a few times. So I started bribing her with Haagen Daazs Caramel Cone Ice Cream, a bite after each section. It worked for a while--long enough to read how to cut a basic bob (I have scissors because I already cut Andy and Warren's hair) and to get through most of the sections.

Although she was pretty feisty by the end, she really liked seeing herself in the mirror at the end. I was really pleased with the back. Unfortunately she didn't have long enough hair in the front or the front-sides to have it the same length as the back, but it will catch up soon. Anyway, it was an educational and mostly fun adventure. And like I said, Avery likes her new haircut--she looks in the mirror, points at herself and says, "Haircut."

Warren's Wash-o-matic

One of the things I fully attribute to the circumstance of Warren attending Montessori School is that he enjoys work--as long as he learned the work at school. For example, washing clothes. This week he set up a washing station of sorts on his play fort in the backyard. He starts on the ground, filling an old chalk container with water from the hose. Then he climbs the ladder and pulls the bucket up.

Next he dumps the water, puts some soap on the clothes--courtesy of the foaming bathroom soap container, rubs the item being washed up and down on a metal shelf that resembles an old wash scrubboard. Then he rinses again and sets the item out to dry. The sign below hangs outside our house now. It reads: $1.00 for the Warren Wash to wash your clothes (not the clothes you have on)

Other housework Warren enjoys because of school: scrubbing, rinsing, peeling, rinsing again and slicing carrots; packing his own lunch each day; and just today he asked me, "Mom, do we have anything that we can polish?"

Lake Jennings

When we drive to San Diego, we pass a road called, "Lake Jennings Park Road," and today, I think the road came to us. Actually it's been coming all summer, every 2 weeks. It's called irrigation. I was going to put the girls down for their naps before they had a chance to get wet and nasty, but then I changed my mind, and they all got their swimsuits on and had a party. Avery's favorite is tummy-swinging--she calls out, "Look, Mommy, look!" every time before she starts.

This is the double slide I mentioned a few posts back; notice the little orange slide on the platform. Warren starts there and then continues on to the bottom.

Abigail enjoyed paddling herself around on the roller coaster track with an old rake handle. She sang her own made-up song about "Here We Go Paddling" as she did it, of course.

Unfortunately, they discovered that the boat is too heavy with all three kids on it. Avery even got out and pushed, but could only do it successfully with Abigail on it. Another activity they enjoyed: pushing a snail--they call it an escargot--around on the Little Tike basketball standard that had fallen over and giving it a ride, a la the Escargot house in Paris the made.

It's a...

Girl. Yesterday at our ultrasound we found out that baby #4 will be daughter #3! So, Warren's chosen name of "Syndrome" for his unborn sibling is not going to work out. Too bad :) (Abigail's chosen boy name of "Jacque the Little French Pony" won't work either). The only negative reaction we got was Warren's statement, "Now we'll be even more outnumbered--and now it will take 2 baby boys for me and dad to catch up." No tears or fits, though. Truthfully, if Warren hadn't been told by random people about being outnumbered, I'm not sure he would have cared. It does bring back memories of my brother longing for a little brother for so long--and waiting 14 years to get him.
On a more serious note, as fas as can be determined at this point, the baby's heart, brain and spine all look normal. Yeah!

Snow Day

Tonight was the first truly cool evening and night that we have experienced since we returned from Paris almost two months ago. Just after we finished dinner, the kids ran outside to jump on the trampoline in the strong wind. Warren could obviously sense the temperature change because he came in asking, "Is it going to snow tonight?" We couldn't convince him that just because the temperature dipped beneath 90 degrees it wouldn't snow. He came in with Abigail a few moments later asking for a carrot and raisins for the snowman he'd convinced her they were going to make. I gave them to them and when he asked, "Mom, what would you do if it snowed?" I replied, "I would let you stay home from school tomorrow and play in it." I feel entirely safe in my bet on the weather. Anyway, there was no snow, but it was beatifully cool--cool enough that we opened the windows in the kitchen as we baked together. The carrot--Abigail ate that, as you can see. I think Avery got to the raisins.

Practice Your Smile

At our house, we sometimes refer to Avery as "Little Mama," because she is often concered about little details--who has their shoes on, who is coming to family prayer when they are called, if her pajamas are on when Abigail's are, if her teeth are brushed several times a day. When Avery spills something big or small, a grain of rice at dinner or a whole cup of smoothie on the floor, she loudly proclaims, "Look, mama!" or "Uh-oh, mama," over and over again. It was during one of these spill episodes last week that I said, in an effort to let her know it was okay, "Avery, practice your smile." This is the face she pulled. The photo is actually a replica of the original, but just as good. Avery has a great natural smile, but when you ask her to "practice her smile," she cranes her neck out and aligns her teeth and opens her eyes very wide. It is hilarious and entertaining enough to keep my whole family occupied after Sunday dinner for at least 10 mintues.