So Ryan!

As we're cooking dinner tonight Ry says, with the enthusiasm of some grand new discovery,

"You know what I'm finding? I really enjoy reading!"


I laughed so hard, and if you know Ry (or have seen our library), I'm sure you'll will too. Since the day he could open a book his life motto has been,

"Who needs air, food, or shelter when you have books to read?!"

The Birthday Zoo

For Reese's birthday this year we decided to take her to Hogle Zoo and it was, by far, the funnest trip there we've had. She was SO excited about everything (especially the new baby elephant, Zuri) and took immediate charge of exactly where and what we were to see next.

Posing in front of the coy pond

Catching the bird show- we're huge fans!
PS- that blur up in front was an owl.

The Giraffes: One of Reese's absolute "must-see's"

One of Reese's favorite children's books, and ours too, is Hooway For Wodney Wat. The 'villian' of the story is Camilla Capybara- a very large rodent (as you can see from the pic above).

So we had to see what the real thing looks like:


"Woot, woot! Wooty toot-toot!!"

Sippin' some H2O while we waited for the Animal Discovery Show




Reese was so brave and petted both the lizard and boa constrictor. . . while Mommy stood far away and used the zoom to take this picture.

Playing on the incredibly hot playground by the Discovery Center. Originally Ryan was just doing the pose, but at the last minute Reese had to be just like Daddy.

Reesey, the turtle, hatching from her egg

This is definitely dangerous comparing myself to the next photo (especially in my present state), but I thought it was funny and kinda cute that this is how we stood watching these elephants:

I guess moms and their babies are alike no matter what the species. :)

Cooling off with the King of the Jungle



Such a fun day! I swear, the older they get the more fun kids are- their enthusiasm is so infectious!
Happy Happy 3rd birthday to our little Bug- we LOVE you so!

The Birthday Cake!

Since Reese is a HUGE Toy Story Fan, and what with her turning 3 and the 3rd one just coming out, it seemed only appropriate to choose this theme. I had a blast with it and made all of the characters minus Woody and Buzz- combination of feeling a little daunted and finding these perfect little toys on sale at Walmart.

Gotta give a little shout out to my aliens- didn't they turn out SO cute?!

I knew it was a huge hit when Ry got home from work and Reese came running screaming,
"Daddy! Look at my Happy to you cake!!!!"

Definitely her funnest birthday yet!

The Princess

Unbelievably, Reese turns 3 on Friday. I cannot believe it's been that long already, and what's more, I can't imagine ever not having her as part of our little family! She is hilarious, tender-hearted, spunky as all get-out and pretty much the most adorable little kid out there. (I can say that because even though we have #2 on the way, he isn't "out there" quite yet. ;)

Anyway, as much as we love surprises and celebrating birthdays, we couldn't hold out for the whole week and surprised Reesey with one of her presents early: Disney's The Princess and The Frog movie. Love it! If you haven't seen it yet, you really should; they did a great job with it.

So, we're strolling through the grocery store the other day when Reese blurts out, in a passionate southern drawl,

"No, no, no! There's NO way I'm kissin' a frog, and eatin' a buhhg in the same day!"

So funny- I can't wait to see her try out for drama someday!

WReese

We're getting into the "I love" stage with Reese- meaning that she's just starting to proclaim her love and preference for many things. I love elephants. I love chocolate (that's my girl!). But mostly, I love W.

I'm reminded of my brother-in-law, Kyle, who, when he was little, detested the number 4 so much that he skipped it every time he counted to 10. Lol- "I don't - like - 4!" What did 4 ever do to him?

Much the same, I wonder what promises of money, fame, and dum-dums W made to Reese because she absolutely adores it! Everywhere we go she's constantly exclaiming, "Look Mommy!!! It's a W!" And she's right. She spots them everywhere we go, on billboards and throughout the store (she had a blast at Wal-Mart the other day!), on movie covers, and in all of her books. And always the sighting is accompanied by a sigh and then the inevitable, "I love W."

So, I guess I wasn't surprised when, after I wrote her name at the bottom of a picture she colored, she insisted I add a W.

"You want a W? Where?"

She ran to the fridge where she snatched the blue letter W magnet from its special place and plunked it down right in front of her capital R. "Like that," she said, all smiles. "WReese."

What a wonderfully weird little woman!

(Wink!)

You plan to eat WHAT?!!!

We are currently taking a Hypnobabies Childbirthing Class in preparation for little Sammy to arrive (only 2 1/2 more months!!) and really enjoying it. The material is awesome, we love our teacher, but there's just one interesting note- our class is full of crazy hippies. It's both the highlight of our week to have something to giggle over and slightly annoying to endure the endless tirade of tips and oh-so-important, natural bits of. . . insight. Calling your congressman daily to save the earth, happy rice vs. depressed rice, the rising need for hookworms to combat seasonal allergies ("We all need MORE in our feet!"), there's just so much to write about.

However, last week took the cake thus far- and only our second class! Since we had a slight glitch with babysitters and Ry was suffering from a cold anyway, I attended class alone, and did I ever have something to share when Ry picked me up at the end of the night! The subject was eating the placenta.

No, I didn't mis-type that, and I totally agree- What the. . . ?!!!

I was significantly horrified, and the feeling only compounded as they spoke of a woman in SLC that actually takes orders to freeze dry, grind and fill capsules with placenta, to provide you with not only a great source of hormone-boosting, nutrient-replenishment after the baby, but a little something extra to save for those pesky menopausal days coming in only a few short decades.

Um, I don't believe 'eew' quite covers this one. I'm sure that someone out there is going to write me a comment condemning my narrow-minded view, but I've gotta say that this sort of thing is something akin to cannibalism for me. EAT something the came out of your own BODY?! Haven't we moved past this? Is it really necessary- good grief, has technology not brought us to a point where we can purchase and consume quality vitamin supplements? Not to mention a slough of healthy, naturally-raised options in produce, protein, and grains? It was nuts, and I don't mind saying so.

But you know, if you're interested, I now know a woman who can help you out if you're the natural, placenta-eating type. :)