A new addition!

It's spring and we've got new life sprouting in the Shnozberry Patch! This update is horribly late, but anyone with a newborn can understand how superfluous things like blogs and showers are pushed aside and the necessities like food and clean underwear take up the spare moments that aren't in demand by a wee bairn weighing less than a gallon of milk.

So without further ado, let me present my sweet darling, the e.m.p.:

She was born 4 April, 2009, coming in at the perfect weight of 7lbs 2 oz. She took four hours once she decided it was her time to arrive. And we have fallen irrevocably in love.

Diamonds are a girl's best friend...but what about the boys?

While waiting for Dug to deal with out littlest child, I overheard this conversation. Unfortunately, I missed the beginning and so it had no context. But it was hilarious even if I didn't fully understand what they were so intensely arguing about.

Dodge: There are probably millions of married people who wear rings.

Yashel (neighbor girl): Yeah, but women's rings have diamonds and boys' ones are just plain gold.

(At this point, I tried to interject that lots of men had diamonds in their rings, but I was completely ignored.)

Yashel: Anyways, everyone knows that girls love diamonds and boys love flashlights.

Dodge: Really?

Yashel: Yeah, I don't know why but boys always want to have a flashlight around.


There you go. One of the many pearls of wisdom straight from the mouths of 9 year-olds, who, as everyone knows, have a great understanding of the world and are, in no way, ashamed of enlightening you.

Dodge and the Board

Dodge has been working hard on his boarding. Stuff like the ever-impressive Not Falling Off and hard-to-master Riding Over Bumpy Terrain. He's even been semi-successful in a few traditionals like Ollies and Manuals. Above, we've captured a successful I-Don't-Know-If-It-Even-Has-A-Name-But-Gosh-Darn-It-I'm-Proud-Of-Him maneuver.

I just had to add this one of Scoochy. It was just too gosh darn cute.

It's the Zoo at San Antone!

Now that Nana and Poppa live so close, we get to visit them almost every time Dug goes away on a business trip. Nana and Poppa got a year pass to the zoo in which they put their grandkids on for free. (And me for a little bit extra.) Yippee! The San Antonio Zoo is now one of our go-to destinations!

Here, Tank is carefully plotting our course. He wanted the map and was very upset if anyone tried to take it from him.


For a short while PCPops got to lead the way. She studied the map very carefully and in the end, walked wherever we led.


My philosophy at the zoo (especially when we can come back whenever we want) is to let the kids set the pace and stop whenever they find something they're interested in. These parrots were Tank's favorite exhibit. When we were leaving (Well, to be honest, we were shooed out because the zoo had closed.) the parrots were no longer in their exhibit. Tank was very concerned and thought someone had stole them or they had escaped. "Where are the parrots? They're gone! What happened to them? They're gone!" We had to have a zoo official reassure him that they had just been put in their cages to sleep for the night.

We only had a few quarters but there seemed to be those "Feed The Animals" vending machines everywhere. The kids got quite adept at looking around the base of the machine for the nuggets that had been dropped. Scoochy is feeding some fish with one of the few non-scavenged handfuls we managed to provide.

One moment earlier, Tank had found the hidden frog.



This red-ruffed lemur had the most piercing eyes. Just had to let you see him.

Have statue. Will climb.
I think it is one of the stupidest things ever when people/organizations/etc put a very climb-able metal statue at kids level, leave out the fence and then post a little sign (so it won't interfere with the view of the artwork) that says, "Please don't climb on the statue." Luckily for us, the San Antonio Zoo is not stupid.

Last but not least, I managed to get a shot off of the very elusive Poppatus Vidcamerus. He seemed to follow us everywhere we went and only with very quick, highly trained movements was I able to catch him at his own game.

Peanut Butter Krispy Sandwich by Dodge

(This recipe is entirely Dodge's creation. It was snack time a couple years ago and he asked if we could have these. How could I say no to such originality?)

First get rice krispies. Then two pieces of bread. Then some peanut butter.


Spread the peanut butter on the bread and then sprinkle the rice krispies on the bread.

Then get the other piece and make it a sandwich. Eat. Mmmmmm!

Watch your step!

PCPops is on a roll. Another couple doozies came out of her mouth today.

"Everyone loves Mommy...even God!"

Wow. Thanks for the vote of confidence. The all-loving Creator who keeps everyone under His care even loves me!
~~~

PCPops asked me who I would choose to die in our family. After I replied, "No one." She shook her head, "Mommy, you have to pick someone."

Me: Okay, I pick myself.

PCPops: (incredulously) You would pick you? (without a pause or a breath) I would pick Daddy. (Poor Daddy is sitting across from her at the table, mouth agape at the brutality just issued from his beautiful, smiling, cheerful red-headed daughter.)

Me: Daddy?! Why would you pick Daddy?

PCPops: When he died I would take his money. Probably $25! With $25 I could buy you a new mouse pad (she bit a hole in my gel-filled ergonomic mouse pad) and still have maybe $5!

Before the thoughts of "How in the world has she learned to off someone to get their money?" and "What have I done to fail this child so completely?" finished scrolling through my brain she had already changed the subject to some completely nonsensical and silly topic.

She's five. And when you've got a question that needs to be answered, you answer it with all the logic that your half-a-decade old brain can summon.

Let's just hope for her sake that Daddy doesn't "accidently" drink rat poison and we find ourselves $25 short in our bank account...

Don't argue unless you're right.

This happened last night during our little advent ceremony. The kids get coins each night and put them in Jesus' Birthday Present, after Christmas we give the money to Jesus (usually our church).

PCPops: (as she drops the money in, she puts her lips up to the coin slot) Happy Birthday Jesus!

Me: Sweetie, Jesus isn't in the box, you don't have to say "Happy Birthday" into the box.

PCPops: Mommy, Jesus is everywhere in the world. That means he's in the box! (into the box again as if to make her point) Happy Birthday Jesus!


I had no reply. What could I possible say to such irrefutable logic?