Frequent Fairy-ing

The Tooth Fairy has been visiting Dexter all over the place the past couple weeks, and I dunno how this kid continues to eat apples because he's down a whole bunch of teeth.

Missing the top tooth on either side of his (already adult) front teeth

It started at the lake, when a loose top tooth just magically fell out of Dexter's head in the middle of the night.  Which was all fine and dandy, except then he LOST the tooth while he was sleeping, so then we had to do a lot of looking in his bunk bed room that he shared with Erin.  We checked everywhere and finally decided we'd just write the Tooth Fairy a note saying "Dude, there's a tooth somewhere in this house.  Find it." and call it good.  But then Daddy stepped on something in the kids' bedroom and lo and behold, it was Dexter's tooth!  Tooth Fairy crisis averted.

If you look real close you can see the top left missing tooth

Then last weekend when we were at Katie and Brian's house in Blacksburg, VA, Dex pulled his bottom tooth out while we were eating breakfast.  Which wasn't gross at all.  So the Tooth Fairy got to visit Blacksburg.

OK, this isn't Blacksburg, and you can't see any of Dexter's teeth.  But I took the kids to Sweet Briar, too, and took them to where John and I got married.  And I made them hug.  And Dex said "Now it feels like I am marrying ERIN!"

And then yesterday morning Dex tried pulling a very wiggly top tooth out that had been bothering him for a day or so.  He couldn't quite get it, so Daddy pulled it out for him.  And the Tooth Fairy got to come to our own house last night.  We're happy to see that the Tooth Fairy is so talented, and knows where lost teeth are, no matter what state the pillow is located in.

Awesome missing top teeth

And a harder to see missing bottom tooth.

We're done now, with our fairly whirlwind travels in the first half of July.  We're hanging out at home for a few weeks, watching our ridiculous tomato plants try to take over the world, and swimming in our pool, and swimming in the pool at the gym, and riding bikes, and catching up on sleep.  At least Erin is doing that last one.  She won't nap in the car, and we kept her up from her nap one day in Blacksburg because the pool was way too much fun.  So she needed some catching up.  She was grumpy.

Grumpy

But not missing ANY teeth!

See that ridiculous mess of green?  That is TWO cherry tomato plants.  TWO.  They have already eaten the marigolds in the garden, and are currently threatening to eat the pool, the house, and maybe the new neighbors' house, just for fun.

Vay-Cay Eve

We're packing up the world (although this year it seems like we're packing LESS of the world, which maybe means we've learned better how to pack, or maybe means we're forgetting something fairly large and significant) and getting ready to head to NY for our annual week at the lake.  Skaneatales Lake again this year, and a new house.  Dexter is looking forward to kayaking and swimming and jumping off the dock and pretty much just everything about the lake experience.  Erin would like to ride in a boat with Dexter and Mama, with Daddy rowing.  I like the way she thinks.

I haven't seen much of Dexter the past three weeks, honestly.  He spent a week with Grandma and Grandpa right after school finished up for the year, and then has spent the past two weeks at a full day camp at the YMCA.  He has LOOOVED it, and I have enjoyed hearing all about it.  He has had his TSS, Ms Candi, with him to help him navigate the big new world of camp.  He has remembered some friends' names (a minor miracle), and describes in detail all the fun games they play.  Gaga ball is his favorite.  As is swimming in the pool.  And last week he got to go to the Delaware Childrens' Museum, which he thought was awesome.  So he's had a great June, and is looking forward to a great start to July.  Once we get home from the lake I have a feeling he is going to be tremendously bored.

Dexter came home from camp yesterday with a certificate - he was chosen "Camper of the Week" in his group.  Yay, Dex!  He was pretty excited about it.  He got to get up on stage to accept his award.  When I asked him how that was, he said it was great because he felt like he was in charge.  We really might have to look in to some theater classes for that kid.

Last weekend Erin went to a birthday party for her little friend Izzie.  So here's some pictures from that.  Dex and John went swimming at the Y, but that didn't last long.  They were too cold.  Dex will have to wait for Grandma's pool to swim in warm water again.  Maybe we can sneak in a little pool time on Saturday before we go to the lake.

Dex, getting ready to shoot Aunt Jeanne in Grandpa's pool

Erin and her little friends.  "Why is she six feet taller than the other kids?" John asked.  She's almost a year older than all of them.  And also she's just TALL.

Erin did a very admirable job blowing bubbles

Erin taught Izzie how to make a silly face.  We figured that was a pretty good birthday present to give to a two-year-old.

Ride

We had plans this weekend to go to Sweet Briar and let the kids visit before it closes down for good, and then wander down to Blacksburg to visit some friends we haven't seen in a while.  But those plans fell through and we were left with a last-minute open long weekend.  Which really was kind of a nice surprise.

We had free tickets and a tent to sit in for the Fair Hill Races on Saturday so we made it a family affair.  The kids enjoyed making and riding stick horses, and Erin has been very excited to tell anyone she has talked to that she rode a real horse, as well.  I think maybe Erin was excited to see the race horses and watch a race, but who knows for sure.  Dexter was excited that there was a TV in our tent, so he could watch the races on TV.

Sunday we took the kids and their bikes to the closest flat empty parking lot we could think of - Dexter's school.  Dex worked on building his skills with his new, bigger, fancier bike.  Erin worked on talking my ear off.  And she actually did a really good job of balancing on her bike when it was gliding down a gentle hill.  I was impressed with both kids.  Dexter remembered to use his hand brakes, and figured out how to change gears.  He hasn't quite figured out WHEN to change gears, but that will come eventually.

We're hoping to hit the Memorial Day parade on Monday.  It will be Erin's first time going.  She's very very excited to be able to wave her flag at a fire truck.

Here's a few pictures, and if you CLICK THIS LINK you can see some video of the kids as well.

Dex and his stick horse named Mercury

Erin and her stick horse named Venus

Gotta warm up your stick horses before they race

I swear she had fun riding a horse

In the starting gate.  Everyone has their game faces on.

Dexter's new bigger bike.  His knees don't even hit his handlebars.  He could stand to have his seat raised a bit, but he's not quite comfortable yet with his feet not being able to go flat on the ground.

Munchkin almost looked like she was riding a bike today, instead of just walking with a bike between her legs.

I'll leave you with this one - blue frosting face from some cupcakes we brought home from the races.  Too bad I didn't take a picture of her poopy diaper this morning...

Bloom

Dexter has been helping me in the garden this week - he planted two separate flower gardens and did a fairly admirable job.  What he lacked in skill he totally made up for in enthusiasm.  As a result we have a pretty front yard right now, with Dexter's garden and the rhododendron in bloom.  And Erin was wearing her flower headband this morning (to match the flowers at Longwood, where we spent a couple hours with some friends.  Totally her idea, not mine).  So I thought it might be a nice opportunity to take a few pictures with my nice lens and a few pointers learned from an excellent photographer at Willowdale Steeplechase last weekend.  Here are kids and flowers, in bloom.

Thanks, Grandpa Cowan, for helping Dexter pick and plant the flowers in the front garden.  They look lovely, especially with the blooming rhododendron.

Small Fry, waiting for the bus to come

The Young Writer

This afternoon at school the library displayed writing samples from all the students in the elementary school.  We went to take a look because Dexter was excited to show us his writing, and because Erin LOOOOOOOVES going to school.

Dexter was delighted because, as he told me at home before we went to the library, they had "The Book With No Pictures" there, but with different words.  Apparently one class wrote their own Books With No Pictures.  Dexter thought it was the coolest thing ever.  He spent most of his library time reading all of them.  Erin spent her time hugging and kissing Clifford.

Here's Dexter's writing.  It was cute to see, and Dexter (ever the tour guide) was perfectly happy to show us around school for a bit.

Also, Happy 10th Anniversary to us!  Ten years ago John and I got married.  If THAT doesn't make us feel old, I don't know what will.

PS - Mrs Arthur reportedly loved her chocolate rocks!

Tag Carrot

Erin:  Mama, this is my dinosaur.  He is a ceratops.  He only eats pants.
Me:  He eats pants?
Erin:  No, mama.  Not pants.  PANTS.
Me:  Ahhh.  Right.
(Note - PLANTS.  She means plants.)

While talking to Grandpa the other day, Erin was telling him about how Dexter and Aunt Christy were playing Tag Carrot.  I had no idea what Tag Carrot was.  And then it hit me.  "You mean Tag, you're it?"  Yes.  Yes, that was it.  Tag Carrot.  Erin was just playing a rousing game of Tag Carrot with the dog the other day.  I think he was just as confused as I was.

Dexter read a Magic School Bus book about all the different rocks inside the earth.  And since then he's been trying to identify all the various rocks in our yard.  The white ones under the deck are limestone.  He has named a few.  Limey.  Limer.  I do believe there's one named Slater.  So I was in the candy store the other day, looking for some chocolate to send in to school for Dexter's teacher for Teacher Appreciation week.  And I found some chocolate rocks.  I bought two bags - one for her and one for us.  We had them for snack this afternoon.  They were a huge hit.  Now if only I could find chocolate rocket ships, or gummy planets.

Finally, a joke from Dexter:  Where does a sheep get his hair cut?  At the baa-baa shop!

April Showers Bring May Flowers

A few weeks ago Erin and I went to Longwood, hoping maybe some daffodils would be blooming or something.  Nope.  Nothing.  Nada.  Zero flowers.  This was the best we could find - little purple flowers in the grass.  Which was fine.   I didn't mind if Erin picked them.  And she had fun feeding the fish, so all was well.

Little tiny purple flowers

Dancing on the glass leaf, for Aunt Jeanne

Aunt Jeanne and Dex doing some leaf dancing way back in 2010

The weather has been perfectly perfect this weekend, so we went to the airport yesterday for pancake breakfast, and then today made a trip up to Longwood with the whole family to see if there would still be some tulips.  The answer was yes.  Yes, tulips.  And no, we were not even close to the only people who had the exact same idea we had.

Pretty tulips, cute kids

Perhaps even cuter kids.  If you can get them to be a little silly, they have good smiles.

Or sometimes, if you get them to be a little silly, they just have silly smiles.

Walking on the "balance beam" is a sure-fire way to keep both kids happy and get a decent picture or two.

Stopped at the tree house to hug a dragon

Dex sitting on Aunt Jeanne's tree stump.  John thought I was crazy...

And I may well be crazy.  But it is, in fact, Aunt Jeanne's tree stump.  From way back in 2006.

Erin tried out Aunt Jeanne's tree stump as well.  It all started out fine...

But it was all downhill from there.  Boom!  Tears.

Next stop?  Aunt Jeanne's lion.  No really.

Aunt Jeanne's lion, circa 2006.

Next stop was the Children's Garden, where the boys were bees.

We ran in to our friend Alex and had a lovely time getting him as wet as we possibly could.

Erin preferred being a butterfly to being a bee.

Finally, I was DELIGHTED that my favorite tulip garden was actually open.  Smaller, but open.  Last fall this whole area was closed off for the fountain renovation.  I was glad they opened up a portion of it for the tulips.

This tulip smells like strawberries

And I think this one smelled like melon

Perfect way to spend a Sunday morning, followed by lunch at Beep Beep all Done French Fries.  Dexter, it must be said, was VERY flexible in allowing Erin to choose there for lunch.  He really wanted to go to Applebees.  I think the promise of a milk shake won him over.