Personality

The last couple of days, I have been observing the differences in Emmeline and Joshua's personalities. I posted a while back about Joshua's love for adrenaline manifesting itself at the theme park. This past weekend, EmJ and Joshua went to a reptile show. While Emmeline came home waving a snake in my face, no joke, Joshua just said, "We saw bugs." He'll race down a dangerous water slide, but won't go near an animal. We've also never had an issue with Emmeline sleeping--she's not scared of the dark or monsters under her bed--but Joshua ended up sleeping on the floor in our room last night because there was "a man living in the wall." (Which in turn gave me bad dreams about some pshycho hobo living in Grandma's attic...but I digress). Also, Emmeline got sick at school this week. She literally threw up all over the floor and then just continued sitting at her desk until the teacher noticed. Having dealt many times with a sick Joshua, the words "quiet" and "no big deal" don't really apply! Just some funny observations.

P.S. Emmeline is all better, but others in her class have followed her example, the teacher included! Also, the snake that she was waving in my face does not belong to her, thank goodness! The lovely snake skin glued to construction paper, however, does. Yuck!

"Blame it all on my roots...

I showed up in boots,
and ruined your black tie affair."

Yesterday we drove two hours to attend a beautiful and elegant wedding reception (congratulations Jenna!!!!!). It was in Palo Alto at the biggest, nicest, and Luke would add "muffiest" home we've ever been to. Joshua...fell in the fountain.

"I'll just say goodnight,
and I'll show myself to the door."

Hillarycare 2.0

Government: Today, we finally recieved our registration from the CA Department of Motor Vehicles. We began the registration process on March 24, 2007. That's just about six months.

Healthcare: Today, our health insurance got switched from the Southern CA to the Northern CA region. A process requiring just over six weeks.

Neither of these projects are 100% complete.

So, per my calculations, a combination of government and healthcare would require an approximate turn-around time of 7 1/2 months.

Goooooooooo Hillarycare!

(Anyone intent on voting for the dev...I mean Hillary, you should probably cease reading my blog at this time).

It's Raining, It's Pouring...

and my joints ache and my nose is stuffy. I swear, I'm going to be one of those old ladies who can "feel it in my bones" when a storm is coming!

That being said, I'm elated to have been able to wear a jacket today. I love jacket weather!!!

Benjaminese

Here is a small sample of Benjamin's communication skills.

Yesterday, we were playing outside when Benjamin started screaming bloody murder. I went over to him (notice, I didn't run or panic...that poor boy has cried wolf one too many times), he stopped screaming and grunted something. (Think, Tim-the-tool-man-Taylor) I said, "Was there a bug on you?" "Uh-huh." He then pointed at his leg and grunted some more, which meant, "The nasty fly landed on my leg and scared me." Then he started stomping his foot, which meant, "Next time it comes over here, I'm going to smash it!"

This type of exchange is becoming very common, except that up until a few days ago, all the "uh-huh's" were "nu-uh's" and I had to decipher if he really meant yes or no...that was interesting...hence the screaming. Anyway, I just thought that was a fun example of 19 month old communication.

I haven't forgotten about the non-working video. I will fix it eventually. Probably long after you, reader, have forgotten.

Joshua had his first day of preschool today. He ripped his new pants sliding on the gravel. Go figure.

Funny Moments

Well, the first week of Kindergarten has ended without incident...actually, there was a papercut, but Emmeline is recovering.

I promise to upload first day of school pictures as soon as I can, but until then I just wanted to share some memorable "walking home from school" conversations.

Emmeline: Today we learned "blue is the sky" (they did a different color every day). We painted the blue sky with sponges. I didn't eat the sponge, but that other boy did. He said it tasted like cotton candy.

Emmeline: I'm going to make cards for the girls in my class. Just the pretty girls.
Me: Well, you should make them for all the girls. I think they are all pretty.
Emmeline: (exasperated) If they would wear princess stuff then they would be pretty.
Me: How would you feel if you didn't get a card because someone didn't think you were pretty?
Emmeline: (incredulous) But I'm the prettiest one!

It's been a great week, although Emmeline is quite tired. The last two days she has broken into weepy tears after school because the school lunches were so good and her sack lunch was so boring!

We got Joshua started into preschool this week, too, which will be good for him. He packed a lunch on Sunday night with Emmeline and refused to eat it until Thursday--when I finally took him to storytime at the library and told him it was preschool! Starting next week, though, he'll have "real" preschool on Tuesdays and storytime "preschool" on Thursdays...and he couldn't be happier.

That's it!

Hot

It's 10:00 pm and it's 100 degrees outside. If I had to stay here one more day, I think I'd die...but I don't!!!!!! Woohoo!!!!!

I'm movin' tomorrow, I'm movin' tomorrow!!!!

We went to Universal Studios today for one last hurrah. It was so hot, though, that we just hit the attractions that get you wet then came home and slept.

I've got to finish packing...or rather, wandering around the apartment aimlessly moving stuff around to creat nice neat piles...this pile goes in the car, this goes in the truck first, this is for breakfast and then goes in pile #3, which is last in the truck...I'm so anal.

The Beach

We went to Newport Beach yesterday with Luke's Aunt Karen. It was so nice to see the new(ish) temple, and then to BBQ on the beach. The kids had a good time...mostly playing in the sand. Benjamin threw a fit when we tried to remove him from his sand trap, and it was hilarious!

Raging Waters Pictures...

Emmeline applying sunscreen...
Willie and Gus, Let us Play!!!!!
The "after" pictures. Everybody looks happy, and they were, but they were also asleep within minutes!

Obviously, a water park is not really conducive to picture taking, so I hope you enjoy our meager selection!