Ponytail

She has unruly hair--super curly and I have not a clue what to do with it. She never let's me comb or brush it, put into any sort of hair accessory, hate when I even try to wet it down to make her look at little less like Albert Einstein.

What, let me ask my mother, is this familiar behaviour????? I would venture to guess that my little girl is very much like me--very much! I suppose it is payback! LOL

So an update....my mom says I was just like this!!!

Shark Boy and Lava Girl

This summer has been a Shark Boy and Lava girl summer. Bean says he is turning into a shark and really wants to go see some sharks. He also learned how to swim! One step closer to becoming a shark, according to him. We have also watched the movie "Shark Boy and Lava Girl" about a gazillion times. Every day, I have to check for gils and a dorsal fin. Too funny! I love his imagination and sense that it could quite possibly happen (but might really know that he won't really turn into a shark). What a wonderful age to be! We should all have that sense of the impossible just might being possible--one of the joys of being a parent.

Pure summer

I love these pictures of the kids--says summer to me. Bean is this bronzed little boy whose hair is turning blond from the sun and chlorine. Yaya--what can I say about her and this picture. Wet, ringlet hair, polka-dot bathing suit, Popsicle all over her face and running down her arms.

Blueberry Crumb Bars and Cream Puffs

I had a need to bake the other day--I really want to bake english muffins and make foccacia and other bready products, but those take more time than I have these days. Therefore, I decide to bake some sweets for they are less time consuming and well loved by the fam. I really wanted to make something with blueberries, since they are in season and I went a bit overboard and bought way to many. Smitten Kitchen http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/07/blueberry-crumb-bars/ had this very yummy looking recipe for blueberry crumb bars that I had to make. Unfortunately my pics don't look as good as hers, but I bet ya money they the bars tasted as good as SK. They were fantastic!!!!!

Cream puffs--my go to wow dessert I make. They are like mini boston cream pies actually and M loves them. So, I made some of them as well.

This helped slightly, but I still have the need to bake more!

Releasing the frogs

It was time to release the frog, or the tadpoles that were almost frogs. We watched a few turn into frogs and the remainder need to be let go. The major problem we had was that the water was gone from the wet area up at the park. So, that meant a trip to the creek--again--to let them go. Hopefully they will make it!

On another note about the creek, I cannot believe how little kids could care less how cold the water is, they plunge in anyway. It was actually on the cool side the morning we went out and the water was very cold. But that little Yaya jumped right in, clothes off as soon as she could, and was happy as a clam--even if her lips were blue and her teeth were chattering :)

(can you tell that I really like this place--so glad we have it to go to).

The Big Muskie

"Big Muskie" was once the World's Largest Earth Moving Machine http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2184adsideamerica.com/story/2184 The Bucket weighs 460,000 pounds empty and when loaded carried an additional 640,000 pounds. It’s volume is equal to that of a 12 car garage

Really amazing thing and well worth a stop if you are in Noble County traveling along OH 78. Be warned though, it is a very curvy road and little boys just might find out for the first time that they gets car sick and might throw up all over himself and his car seat. Just might happen.