Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Just for Daddy!

We miss you daddy! We're driving home tomorrow and we are all excited. We'll get home just in time for a little fun and roughhousing before bedtime. But we thought you might like to see some of the trouble we were into while in UT.












Monday, July 30, 2007

Popcorn, Kix, and Puffs

The boys survived the sweltering heat to feed the geese and ducks at the Snake River green belt. Food of choice? Popcorn, Kix, and puffs. I think the Kix were the favorite among the geese, and the popcorn the favorite with the ducks.




Then, after the river it was back to grandma go go's for fun under the stairs.

Sunday, July 29, 2007

No Luck On I15

We were hoping for better road warrior luck as we ventured onto I15 toward Idaho Falls. But an easy drive was not in our cards.

It started out easy enough. But at West Haven, UT the freeway was closed. Bummer.
Enter further complaint about road signs. Would you believe there was not one detour sign to guide me back toward the freeway?!?!
I called my parents for a little onstar assistance. Found an alternate route that met up with the freeway at Brigham City.
Not seven minutes later Cooper got my attention and asked me to wipe his face. When I looked in the review mirror I was shocked to find that his sweet little face was covered in blood!
As I wasn't sure of the source or cause of source... I jumped off the freeway at Tremonton. Found I needed to stop a bloody nose. The temp outside was at least 95 and the road was frying my legs. In my haste to get out of the car, I dropped my phone on the pavement.
Coop is OK... And my phone has seen better days.
We made it to I.F. and have taken a thorough tour of my parents' new house. Coop went all around the neighborhood checking out the various tractors. He even rode the lawn mower.
We'll post pictures tomorrow.

Friday, July 27, 2007

Jell-O Races & Pucker Faces

First one to the bottom of the bowl, WINS!

You only squint once...

Or maybe twice...

PS -- Don't these two cousins look alike?!?!?

Loves Aunt Suz



It's probably obvious why, but Cooper loves his Aunt.

A Day on the Farm











Thursday, July 26, 2007

And That Is Why It Took 12 Hours...

5:59 a.m.
Mason wakes up screaming for a bottle. Sure wish I hadn’t stayed up packing, my eyes feel like they are filled with gravel.

Cooper hears Mason and decides he wants to wake up, too. Oh man, so much for sleeping in, taking a shower, and leaving mid-morning.

7 a.m.
All manner of getting ready ensues. Breakfast (that is not well-received), play clothes, last-minute items thrown in the car…

8:09 a.m.
Pull away from the house and on our way to Utah … leaving daddy behind ☹

Head to the library to drop off some books that will be overdue. Costco for gas. McDonald’s for coffee and a second breakfast. And we’re on the road, again. Mason already asleep.

9 a.m.
Call in-laws and let them know we’re coming. Elect to go the I-70 route. Cooper requests: track 9 from the Curious George CD, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.”

10:59 a.m.
Driving through Silverthorn when Cooper announces, “My butt hurts.” Oh boy… this could be an issue. Pull over for some walking around. Walk around a parking lot, place a small blanket under Cooper in the carseat, then pull out hoping this cures the butt ache.

12:30-ish
I tell Cooper I’ve got to pee. He asks why. I say that I’ve had too much Coke. He says, “Does yous butt hurts?”

12:40 p.m.
Pull into a rest area outside Glenwood Springs on the banks of the Colorado River. The car says it is 96 degrees outside. Manage to get both boys down to the restroom, we all take a break – so to speak – and wash our hands with the “magic” sinks. (This is to say that they turned on by sensor.)

Then had our picnic lunch on the banks of the Colorado River. At which time Cooper said, “Man, that’s is lots and lots of chocolate milk, mommy.” Boys loved the picnic very much and I suspect would have loved to stay right there the very rest of the day.

1:30 p.m.
Strange lady next to us begins talking to us and then whips out her boobies to breast feed her gigantic child. I say child, because there is NO way it was a baby. Oh, God bless the lactivists. Decide it’s time to pack up and get going, again. But, not before funny, funny, funny thing happened.

Cooper (please see photos) took the diapers wipes I used to wash his hands and began washing our car. And then the tree! He kept very busy with this while I loaded Mason and the stroller back in the car.


3-ish
I’ve got to go to the bathroom, again. Figure the boys would love new diapers. So, I start looking for a rest area. Just after crossing under the bridge marked with a sign that says something about passing back in time, we find a view area at the top of a cliff/bluff. Looks clean, I pull over. Before I get the stroller out, but after I get the boys out a truck pulls into the area. No big deal… there are truckers in the family. But then I get the 2.4 second leer and my stomach starts telling me something.

So, I meander to Cooper and just pretend we’re walking around, not heading to the bathroom. Next thing I know, man with NO teeth begins talking to us. I get scared when he says, “Looks like you got yer hands full.” But then know I’ve got to get out of there fast when he says something that I literally cannot repeat on the blog. So, I calmly walk away… crouch down and tell a very whinney toddler that he must help mommy and quickly get in the car. Coop must have known, or my instinct must have changed my eyes or my voice or something… because he skeedaddled into his car seat and did not give me any guff.

We were safe and on the road in seconds. Phew! Enough of the creepy stuff.

4 p.m.
We pull into Green River, Utah for gas, diaper changes and a bathroom. Cooper and Mason are both awake by now and getting a bit squirrelly. Pretty uneventful… except that I had to pay 3.29/gallon for gas!

Then the rain starts. Heavy rain, desert rain, drive-the-car-slowly rain.

The next leg of our trip should have been 3 hours. But it was more like 3 ½ hours. And somewhere outside of Provo Steve called to ask me where I was. I had no idea. Utah, you need signage!


5:15 p.m.
Cooper starts trying to play a game in which he makes gun noises and points at Mason. So we rekindle the ongoing gun debate I’ve been having with him and everyone I know. I’ve resigned myself to the fact that he loves guns and he’s going to. So, I figured out that if he’s “shooting” at an inanimate object I feel better about it. We had a discussion about target practice and what target practice is. I – with one hand on the wheel – set up a target in the back seat of the car and he began “shooting” for the next 2 hours.

7 p.m.
Cooper declares (and this was the first and only time), “I’m sick of being in the car.”

7:30 p.m.
We’re here. So happy to see our fantastic hosts. Cooper and Mason immediately start zipping around the house expelling all the energy that was pent up for more than 12 hours.


8-ish p.m.
Grandpa makes scrambled eggs! What a feast.

9-ish p.m.
Aunt Suz comes over with cousin Meghan. Kids are so excited to show off for more adoring fans.

10-ish p.m.
Mason falls asleep, in nothing more than a diaper.

10:30 p.m.
Cooper falls asleep just after I do. ☺

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

We Made It

Hey everyone!
We made it to Utah... took us for-ev-er. But, we're here and we've already been treated to the most amazing scrambled eggs. I'll try to get online tomorrow and post some pictures from our drive over.
Much love,
hooli

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

OK... We'll Do It!


We wanted to go to Utah for the Days of '47. But, we didn't make it in time -- on account of the yard. Now, we're shooting to leave tomorrow morning (just me and the boys). It will be great adventures, wish us luck... and look for us online, soon.

Monday, July 23, 2007

Shrek and His Favorite Swamp Creatures

We attended a birthday party on Sunday for 3yol twin boys. It was a riot to see all the kids amped up on sugar. Generally an invite to a toddler party is a mixed bag. You never know if it's going to be mega boring, or not. This party was fun, fun, fun.
The first thing our kids did -- as they do at everyone's house -- is check out the toys on the "other side of the fence."

Mason in the grass, not a really popular idea with him.

Cooper's egg race technique.

Pinata technique (ps -- it was finally broken open by a girl.)

At least he knows what to do once it's broken...

Despite not liking the grass on his skin, had no problems wearing green ears headband.

More cuteness... there were 12 other kids in these.
OK... last shot, I promise.