R.I.P. Swim

Our carnie fish, Swim, took the eternal flush today. All jokes aside, we were sad to see him go.

I knew something was wrong when he didn’t happily devour his breakfast this morning as he usually did. Instead, he lay on the rocks at the bottom, breathing, but not responsive to my taps on the side of his bowl. A couple hours later I found him and my heart sank. Not only because this silly little fish that I had actually grown to love caring for was gone, but also because I knew our little girl had just lost her first pet.

I called up to Dave and he broke the news to Kate. They both came down. Her eyes welled up with tears the moment she saw him. Sobbing. She needed hugs and comforting.

After all the loves, the burial. Dave explained that fish liked to be buried in water instead of the ground and that’s why we would bury him in the toilet. The dad said a few nice words, the mom said some too, but when the sister started in it was hard not to cry. I can’t remember all that she said, and truthfully, through her tears it was hard to understand all that was said. But she did say he was the best pet she could ever have and that she was going to miss him.

And we will. I’ll miss Cole pointing at him and cheering, “Fish! Fish! Fish!”  And Kate talking to him like a real person, telling him random 4-year-old tidbits. Who knew a carnival fish could live so long, and furthermore, create such a soft, little place in our hearts? Kate put it best when she said, “I still feel like he lives in me.” Me too, sweet Little Girl.

A Pocket Full of Posies

The tulip festival. I love taking our little family there each year. The flowers are great, but mostly it’s fun to just slow down with my kids and my husband and have little conversations and picture-perfect moments.

 

 

Last year, we rented a golf cart with Dave’s parents when we went. And while we didn’t have them with us this year, we found it worthwhile to rent one again so we could cover the whole garden without wearing out the little feet and people that came with us.

Love Kate’s squinty eyes/squashed face between the bridge rails

Oh, the fish! They proved to be exhilarating in more ways than one….more on that in a minute, though. Cole loved those fish. After the rest of us decided to move on, he disagreed. He tried repeatedly leaping from the golf cart to run back to the fish. He never succeeded, but it was a huge workout keeping him from escaping.

So it was in the Secret Garden that a secret was revealed. Quiz. By looking at the expression on the mom’s face, what kind of secret was exposed? Good secret, or Bad secret?

If you guessed “Bad”  you're right!! To save face, I won’t mention any names, or even what occurred. But I will say that through a little forensics, we determined the “secret” happened while watching the fish.  Poor girl! We didn’t let it ruin anyone’s night, and still managed to have a great time.

The dad and Kate took a potty break right after this pic, while Mr. Cole and I walked around. Have I ever told you how much I love this cheese face?

Cutest kids alive:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Such a great night. I’m sure we’ll be back next week.

Finger Paints

I was having one of those moments. The kind where you feel the need to play super mom. I consulted with Mrs. Stewart. Martha. And finger paints is what we came up with.

Kate helped me stir the colors in. Aren’t they pretty?

Junior woke up just in time to see the fun, but not really to participate. Thank goodness! He was just happy to hold the colored jars.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“And now…time for my next centerpiece,” says Kate; centerpiece/masterpiece…it’s all the same, right?

 

Finished centerpieces:

Washable, edible finger paints:

4 T sugar

1/2 C cornstarch

2 C cold water

Stir sugar and cornstarch together. Add the water. Heat over medium heat until it thickens. Divide into containers. Add food coloring .

Easter Saturday

The Easter bunny left his trail. Cole, being the early riser that he is, was filled with delight to discover his coin-filled eggs, along with his chocolate eggs. We let him have at the candy trail, but held him off from seeing his surprises until Sissy woke up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our T friend posted she was wishing for a pic of Cole covered in chocolate residue. She must know our child too well because he ate up his chocolate eggs within minutes. Here’s a pic with chipmunk cheeks and chocolate drool sneaking down his lips.

Sissy finally wakes up and collects the rest of the eggs.

Both kids were pleased with their surprises, Kate especially loving her Silver Mist fairy doll, and Cole, his dino flashlight:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First event: my parents’ house. Grandma Sherrie made up Easter buckets for each of the kids. She also treated us to delicious orange rolls and a breakfast casserole.

The egg hunt begins:

We tried getting a pic of our two kids together, but Cole kept running off:)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then it was off to Dave’s parents’ for a weenie roast, egg hunt, and hike.

Loved this pic with “Pa” (as Cole calls him)

 

 

Kate collected bugs on our hike (with the help of her older cousins). It was all good and fun; right up until she discovered one of the bugs on the exterior of her bug collector. She threw it down and started bawling. This girl is truly terrified of creepy crawlers.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A dog and a chicken…two nature finds that Cole enjoyed

Easter

I love that with Easter comes blossoms, songbirds, warmer weather, bright colors, baby animals, and new life everywhere you look. It’s the ideal backdrop for remembering the resurrection and life of our Savior.
I saw these pics of my little people and thought they were the perfect example of what Easter is and means:

Happy Easter!

Baby Chicks

How I got these two darling babies? I’ll never know. I love them both so much. Kate has recently entered my favorite phase of her life. She is ENTIRELY sweet and always concerned about the feelings of others. The other day she gave her last treat to Cole, and when I said, “Wow, Kate! That was so nice to give your last one to Cole!” She replied, “That’s what sisters do. They give their brothers whatever they need.” She also gives us what we need as parents, being super-affectionate and validating. She loves being snuggled before bed, and never fails to remind us that she loves us.

                   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’re going to shift gears here for a bit. Cole is currently a treat for the eyes, but not so much for my patience. He’s gotten a bit difficult in public settings, and has mastered the art of tantrums; full-on throwing himself to ground, angry FITS. Earlier this week, I got the awkward smiles and stares from other shoppers at the Deseret Book while Cole threw his bout. The other shoppers were nice enough to give their fake laugh, deep breath, turn your head and act like you barely even notice the explosion taking place at your feet. Frustrating. The kid does love dino’s, though, which is a major redeeming quality. He talks about them non-stop. And when we found the dino shirt he’s wearing in the pics, he HAD to wear it immediately, even had to wear it while being rung up. His jurassic obsession somehow softens my heart and makes it okay that we have to deal with the occasional spats.

So the kids dyed Easter eggs; a tradition that never gets old. It’s fun to look back at previous years to see how the kids change from year to year.

Busy hands…I love these little finger shots: