Freedom!

We went to a luau the other night and they had a swimming pool. Unfortunately, I forgot my swimming suit, so Kyle was forced to stay on the stairs where I could keep a close eye on him. Notice the expression of absolute disgust:

Luckily for Kyle, rescue came in the form of a life-jacket and floaties. He'd never tried either before and between the two, there wasn't a chance that marshmallow boy was going underwater. He relished his freedom as he swam back and forth across the pool and did cannonballs into the pool. We're definitely going to have to invest in some floatation devices...

A hiking we will go...

As we were driving along in the car the other day, Kyle turned and said to my mom, "Grandma, you have a lot of 'forestes' in Virginia." He's fascinated with the fact that we're surrounded by trees. Even the neighborhood playground is in the 'forest.' So today we decided to explore those groves of trees and took him on a hike.

It was a difficult decision whether to take the red trail or the yellow. We finally decided on yellow (but gave the red one a try afterwards).

Kyle was careful to look for trailmarkers to ensure that we stayed on the path.

Grandma knew all kinds of interesting facts about the plantlife (thanks to a trail brochure).

He takes after his daddy. He's never happier than when he's climbing a tree...

We kept getting attacked by invisible spiderwebs strewn across the trail. Luckily, Kyle pointed this amazing one out before we ruined it. But we couldn't decide if the creature in the middle was the spider or his innocent prey.

Ready or Not...

Kyle and I tend to have our most meaningful conversations at bedtime. It's here that I catch a glimpse of what's going through my little guy's head and what really matters the most. And sometimes it catches me off guard.

It happened during our teeth-brushing routine last night. As he finished gargling and slurping, he turned to me in all seriousness and said, "I'm sorry I hurt your tummy, Mom."

Me: "What? When did you hurt my tummy?"

Kyle: "When I was a baby. I'm sorry I hurt your tummy when I came out of you."

Looking back, I probably should've left it at that point. But no. Instead I said, "You didn't hurt my tummy."

Kyle: "But I'm sorry they had to cut your tummy open when I came out."

Ruth: "They didn't cut my tummy open."

And here comes the golden question:

Kyle: "Then how did I come out?"

And here's when there was a long p-a-u-s-e and I weakly said, " Ummm, magic?"

Magic?!?!? Come on, Ruth! You can do better than that! I couldn't help it. I froze! I wasn't the slightest big ready to get into that whole conversation. And believe me, my guy wouldn't have accepted a one-sentence explanation. I would've been bombarded with questions.

I've heard that parents need to be prepared for that "birds & the bees" conversation a whole lot earlier these days. And it looks like I've received an "F" in preparation. So does anybody have any advice? A good "birds & the bees" book? Anybody, anybody??

A Little Of Everything

Transition's a funny thing. A church leader once told us that Satan's power is increased during times of transition. I took special note of this statement when I heard it, knowing that our lives were about to be turned upside down for a few months. And while I can't deny that I haven't felt the evil influence, I think this time of transition has had the opposite effect on me. I've tried a little bit hard to be a little bit better. And I'm sure grateful for a lot more.

• I've kind of been a single mom of sorts. Not really, but there isn't anybody to take over when I've had it "up to here." But I think I've also been a little more patient, a little more kind, and definitely more in tune with my boy's needs.
• I feel this absolute drive to be self-sufficient, to get our house in order. You know, food storage, etc. It's only been in the last year or two that we've even had a 72-hour kit. And we always joked that as long as we had a tank of gas, we could get to the Turner's. That's not the case anymore. And there's something satisfying about being prepared and taking care of your family. Now, if we only had a house to "get in order..."
• Speaking of which, it looks like we're actually going to get base housing, which we think is a fabulous thing. Two-minute drive to work. Less gas and time on the freeway. Free gym membership and other fabulous perks. PLUS, we could possibly walk into a brand-new house (they're just finishing up construction). The only downside? Because we only have one child, they could possibly stick us in a two-bedroom. We're just hoping there aren't any available when we move in...
• Family is such a tremendous blessing. They've all really stepped up this summer and I appreciate it more than I can express. Their love and support means a lot. There is no doubt in my mind that Family is the basic unit of the church and that therein lies the greatest happiness. I'm grateful for mine.
• Less than 4 weeks until I see my honey and my little family is FINALLY reunited!!!
• And on a completely different note, "Eclipse" comes out today!!! Kyle and I are heading to Borders Books at 10 a.m. today and I just about can't wait. I'm sure I'll devour this book is less than a day or two. The only trick will be waiting until my little guy's in bed tonight.

We Are a Happy Family

We're missing a few people in the photo, but I sure had fun with my family this weekend. We're missing the in-laws, but it was the first time the four siblings and my parents had all been together in quite some time and it was a blast. Love them.

PS: My mom will KILL me for putting this picture on...

Day at the Museum

Today we spent the day at the National Gallery of Art with some other moms and kids. Now, this wasn't my idea. I was simply invited along for the ride, and grateful for the invitation at that. But inside, I'm thinking, "We're taking toddlers and kids where??? It sounded like a recipe for disaster. But surprisingly, it wasn't. We had such a great time and I think I've underestimated my boy's abilities (to behave and appreciate a more adult world).

The architecture was breathtaking, as I'm sure you can imagine. The fountains were Kyle's favorite, but the whole building just exuded this peacefulness about it. Even the kids felt it a little.

Someone came up with this great "I Spy" game. They copied pictures of some of the more prominent paintings in the gallery and handed them out for kids to go find. It was a smashing success and probably the reason for the day's success. And excellent idea. Here's Kyle "pondering" a painting.

But even little ones get tired. Luckily they have these couches placed throughout the gallery. Most patrons probably use them to meditate upon the greatness surrounding them, but we used them for naps. Hey, it worked!

Extra Sweet

Look at the mess those mosquitos made of my little guy's leg. I mean, seriously. Two little bites and we've got deformities going on! I don't know if it's an allergy or what, but it's annoying.

Mosquitoes seem to have the same effect on me. One little bite and all of a sudden I've got a golf ball-sized lump on my leg. One time, I got a mosquito bite near my eye and both of them swelled shut. I had to go to church like that! But that's another story...

My grandma always said it was because my blood must be extra sweet. I think we're going to go with that theory. And in the meantime, Kyle and I are going to be extra stinky because sunscreen and bug repellent are our new best friends.

Animal Control

Kevin and I have a serious problem on our hands. Kyle LOVES animals. Dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, frogs...it doesn't matter the animal. He loves them. The problem? Kevin and I don't. The even bigger problem? Because we love our little guy so much, I foresee the day when we'll actually break down and bring a pet into our home. Oh, even the thought of it makes me shudder.

Today Grandma helped him catch a frog out in the yard. Oh, the excitement that raced through that little boy's body! He could barely contain himself. He placed him in a jar, punched holes in the lid, and gave Mr. Frog some grass and water. A perfectly luxurious spa for an amphibian, don't you think?

But most of all, he was excited to introduce Mr. Frog to Ponch (Grandma's dog, who Kyle absolutely adores. If only the adoration was returned. But that's another story...). Ecstactic, he turned to me and said, "Ponch will be so excited to have another pet! Now we'll have two pets!"

Could a little boy's life possibly get more exciting?

Future Engineer?

You are witnessing Kyle's first attempt at making a model car. Granted, it's a cheap wood one, but it's a model car nonetheless. I found these treasures at Michaels and they're a goldmine! One dollar will buy you at least an hour or two of enjoyment. Little ones might need your help glueing, but if you don't necessarily care about the end product, you can just turn them loose on their own!

Extra bonuses:

• The paint is completely washable so they can at least do that part on their own.


• They have several other models: boats, birdhouses, planes, etc. Start a new collection!