The Pixie Motel

I have always thought my neices were the greatest, but I now have reason to believe they might be the most creative and clever as well. We are lucky enough to have L visiting from California for the next few days and invited A over to play as well. The two of them made the greatest creation my backyard has yet seen. Aside from the extreme creativity of these girls, and feeling reminiscent because it was exactly the kind of thing my best friend and I would have done at the same age, it was so gratifying to see little girls being little girls for a change and enjoying sweet simple things. It feels like there is so much marketing focus directed to little girls to be grown up and mature (a la Bratz Dolls, etc.) that is is refreshing to see some get excited over something as classic as fairies. A has reported in the past that she gets razzed at school for being "old fashioned" meaning she is into things like fairies and loves the Muppets. Someday, I hope my daughter at 10 finds joy in these same kinds of things and doesn't feel the pressure to be older than she is. There is so little time to be young and so much to be old.

Both girls are very into the Neverland Fairies franchise and after playing with the dolls for awhile decided to build a Pixie Motel in the backyard for any fairies visiting "The Mainland" who might be tired. It was adorable, so creative and 100% their doing...(for the record, I apologize that some of the pictures are washed out. It wasn't a great time of the afternoon for picture taking but I wanted to make sure we captured what we could.)

Cutting the ribbon for the "Grand Opening"

Inside the Motel...

This was Samuel's creation since he desperately wanted to join in the game and do whatever the big girls were doing. It occurred to me later that we skipped a T-ball game (come on, they are twice a week!!) so he could build a fairy house with the girls. Think that will come back to bite us?! ;-) However, to be fair, he has no idea what a fairy is (judging by his confused questions), and only knows of Tinker Bell from Peter Pan so we had his creation be the Lost Boys hideout. He could relate to that! I love my creative boy.

The sign in front of the Lost Boys hideout courtesy of Sam

Feel free to send any weary pixies our way! I sincerely wish that we could keep the Pixie Motel in the backyard forever looking just the way it is (although Jay might object next time he mows the lawn!)

P.S. Just in case you are curious where Thomas was while all of this creativity was going on, he was watering all my plants in nothing but his underwear and a knitted ski hat. I like to think it was creativity of a different kind...

Raffi has a Birthday Party!

Around March, Sam became obsessed with the idea of throwing Raffi a party. It probably had something to do with his own party the month before, but I thought it was ironic since we "adopted" Raffi in March of the year before, so it actually was kind of a birthday (as much as stuffed animals have them anyway!). So, since we have already established that I am a sucker and since Sam was clearly not going to let the idea go, we designated one evening for Raffi's birthday party. Sam very much took the reins with this party, by the way. I helped with a few things like actually baking the cupcakes and finding stuff for the goody bags, but he did the rest and it was actually very fun! Making the carrot cake batter for the cupcakes. Because carrots are what giraffes like to eat (and because it was the only cake mix in the cupboard...)

Hard at work decorating the cupcakes.

Can you tell I didn't help? I would also like to point out the one that Thomas couldn't resist "testing."

Samuel decorated goody bags for the whole family.

The contents of the goody bags (again, the best that what was on hand in the pantry could provide!)

Decorations for the party

Helping Raffi open his present (a ball and a jitterbug baby toy) Raffi was thrilled as you can see by his facial expression.

Yes, we did light a candle and sang the song and those of us over five felt a little foolish, but tried to be good sports for the little folk who thought it was awesome. Raffi needs a little help eating his cake because Sam carries him by the neck so much, he has lost all the stuffing in it and tends to flop (and also because he isn't real...).

Sam created a game of "pin the anchor on the ship" and helped Thomas who tends to walk into walls even without being blindfolded.

I think J was cheating

Sam and Raffi playing with Raffi's new ball

So worn out from the excitement of the party they fell asleep during their pre-bed TV show (just had to document since this so rarely happens. They would both be night owls if we let them).

The End

Where have we been?

Shame on me! Should anything be more important than updating my scintillating blog?! What have we been up to that is so important? This one is for you Kate...

EASTER

Thomas is rarely without a hat. I should probably buy him some that actually fit.

All the cousins waiting for the Easter Egg Hunt. We missed you "missing" cousins!

Little Birdie counting her eggs

Lily among the lilies

Will finding new and improved uses for his silly putty.

TULIP FESTIVAL

FOOTBALL

Jay joined a local team recently and is having a blast being back on the field despite the multiple hurts he brings home after every game. They definitely worry me more than they worry him, though. I like going to the games since I have never gotten to watch him play before. I guess I didn't spend enough time in high school checking out cute #55 out there on the field. He started to play for Weber State but changed his mind about it before I got to see him play then either. The boys like going to watch the games because we bring a nerf football and they play "tackle" next to the stands and because I let Sam go to the concession stand on his own. They have a hard time picking Jay out on the field, but are impressed with his helmet and football gear in general.

Samuel usually meets Jay at the door every day after work with a "want to wrestle, dad?" Since football season started, he has been nursing jammed fingers and a tricky hamstring so the wrestling matches have been fewer and further between, but he can still bust it out on occasion.

T-Ball

"Monkey Do" likes to practice along with Sam.

Samuel started T-ball a few weeks ago and is having a lot of fun with it. We got him a Tee to practice with in the back yard and he likes to pretend he is coaching thomas. When Sam isn't looking, Thomas will steal Raffi and hit him off the Tee. I pretend I don't see. That raffi could use being taken down a peg or two. The games are the best part about t-ball. If you are having a bad day, find a five year old t-ball game and I promise you a good laugh. For such little ones they don't put kids in the outfield, but let them all hang out around where the pitchers mound would be to let them go after the grounders from the tee hits. Some of the other teams line the kids up and let them each take a turn getting the grounder, but Sam's coaches just put them all out there and just figure the fastest kid will get the ball. The problem is that they all want it and just because someone already has it doesn't mean they shouldn't try anyway. They are all business waiting for the ball to get hit, bent over with their hands on their knees like the coach taught them. The minute that ball leaves the tee, they all rush forward and dogpile on top of the ball and tussle for it while the coaches shout "don't fight, don't fight!" It's awesome. The video doesn't show them in their "ready stance" which is one of the best parts, but it is the best one I could get before my batteries ran out. I think every one of these kids has a career in football.

Coming soon:

Raffi's Birthday Party

Our Bathroom Mascot

The many personalities of My Thomas

Intrigued?

I'm clearly doing something wrong

The other day we passed a mini-golf course and Sam got excited about going sometime.

"Mom!! We can go golfing! Dad can go and we'll bring Thomas, and you can stay home...and fix dinner."

Goody.

Meet Raffi (Part 2)

At the beginning of December we took a vacation to Disneyland. The week before we went involved some serious negotiations about how much Raffi would be allowed to accompany us while in the park. I could picture losing him (for the record, the zoo gift shop no longer carries "raffi's" so he is now officially irreplaceable) and having to deal with the sad, sad aftermath. Sam was insistent that Raffi would be inconsolable if he was left behind in any capacity. He really just wanted to share his experience with his friend. Finally, I decided to compromise and allow Raffi along as long as he was tethered the whole time. I tied a ribbon around his neck and the other end to Sam or the stroller and we were incident free. In addition, I added a tag with our information trusting that most people who go to Disneyland are decent people who would contact us if he were lost and found.

When we go to D-land, we generally let the boys pick out a souvenir and Sam kept insisting that Raffi get one too. I think I have proven that I am a little bit of a sucker when it comes to this Raffi phase, but I thought I drew the line at souvenirs for imaginary friends. Until we came across this:

Yes. He has his own Mickey mouse hat! Apparently I have no "line"....

The cupholder in the stroller was Raffi's seat.

Around Christmas time, Samuel submitted his list for Santa and also began telling me all the things Raffi wanted. He was pretty modest actually. Mostly he just wanted a candy cane, a scarf, a blanket and a teddy bear. Are you wondering if he got it? I already said I am a sucker...

Sam and his new bike, showing off Raffi's stocking.

Helping Raffi "hold" his new bear.

Raffi's Christmas sweater. Sam spotted it at Walmart and it was actually had a little pouch inside to hold a gift card. We cut the pouch out and the sweater was a perfect fit. Meant to be? Maybe.

Around the house we tend to find Raffi in various costumes and acts of play. It always makes me laugh when I come across him in some scenario.

Being blasted off into space (in one of those kid cups from Denny's). Raffi goes to space quite a bit actually and sometimes we find him "landed" on the moon (Sam has a blanket that has moons and stars that he uses for his outer space backdrop.

Hide and Seek in a Mr. Potato head

"Dressing up" with his buddies (I actually asked Sam about this one and he said that each of these figures represented someone in our family. Ironically, I was not the girl one.)

Playing Pirates (The Mr. Potato Head toys we have offer a lot of options, don't you think?)

On our recent cruise to Mexico, Sam came across yet another souvenir for Raffi that once again, I could not pass up either. Sam spirited Raffi off the boat and into Puerto Vallarta before I realized he had him and against my better judgement I did not take him for safekeeping. Instead, I told Sam to put him in the side pocket of the stroller we rented from the ship and forgot that I did that. When we returned, Sam wanted Raffi to try on his new accessory, and he was not to be found. I began to panic and Sam's eyes welled up a little "You mean he's lost forever, mom???!!) I was actually considering taking a cab back into town to retrace our steps when I happened to remember the side pocket. Whew! (Later that evening J lost/had stolen his iphone and it did not magically turn up in any forgotten side pockets, but to be honest, I would have been more sad to lose that scruffy little giraffe.)

Ole!

Joining us for dinner in the dining room on the ship.

So now you have introduced to Raffi. He features quite prominently in our home. Love us, love our stuffed giraffes. Those of you who have never met him should come over. Sam will be happy to let you know what Raffi thinks, says and finds hilarious. He doesn't carry him around much anymore, but still talks about him constantly. Yesterday he chattered for an hour straight about how we all need to go to Raffi's house and the games we would play there. He also let me know that Raffi can eat whatever food he wants because he is a "talking giraffe" Giraffes at the zoo don't talk and therefore only eat giraffe food. Makes sense, I guess although I haven't heard much out of him. He (raffi) has been helpful recently because when he "asks" Thomas to go sit on the potty he is obeyed cheerfully as opposed to when "mom" asks him to go. The way I see it, he owes me for all the things I have done for him. He leads a pretty cushy life for a stuffed giraffe.