We are home, we are well, and this is what we have been up to: Ethan and Evelyn have been playing well together. He really looks up to her and, as you can see, he loves to copy her. Just before this pic was taken, they were both trying to stretch their mouths with their fingers. Unfortunately those pics turned up blurry. It was very cute.
We made crazy face sandwiches. Both kids ate everything on the plate. Cream Cheese and jam sandwiches, avocado, carrots, grapes, and watermelon. Yummy!
I made cupcakes with the kids. (Hence the earlier pic of them in their aprons) This is result of eating the cupcakes. Hmm, one of these kids is a cleaner eater than the other... In Ethan's defence, Evelyn did have vanilla icing, not chocolate.
I love that Evelyn actually posed for this pic and smiled at the camera.
Ryan found a Luchador (Mexican wrestler) mask at a mexican market in LA. It works so well with Ethan's spidey PJ's.
The weather was rainy and cold for about a week, but has just warmed up signifigantly. The kids have enjoyed playing in the flower sprinkler. Most of the time the game goes like this: Evelyn takes control of the flower and sprays Ethan every time he attempts to come close. Ethan makes a hasty retreat whenever she sprays him, then regroups and tries again.
Evelyn went to a ball last night. I (Princess Mommy) helped her dress for the event, though she directed me on what was needed. "I need a necklace! Now...I need a princess hat, and a crown!" I think she looks like an ocean princess.
Comments recently overheard:
Evelyn, looking at the rain outside and considering taking a walk in it says "The rain helps me grow so I can go in the big pool"
Random comment from Evelyn. She was thinking about how she will get to go to Disneyland when she is 10. She understands that this is a long time away. "Can all my friends go on the Dumbo ride at Disneyland? We better wait on the bench!"
And an exerpt from Ryan's card trading blog tradercracks.blogspot.com
This post has nothing to do with sports, cards or sports cards. Rather, it's a transcript (taken from memory so I may have a couple of quotes off by a word or two) of a conversation my three-year-old daughter and I had walking back from flying a kite at the park.
"Daddy, do birds poop?"
"Yes, dear. All birds poop."
"Birds poop?"
"Yes."
"Do robins poop?"
"Robins are birds, so yes, robins poop. All animals poop."
We walk by a street sign.
"Do signs poop?"
"Signs don't live so they don't poop."
A butterfly flutters by.
"Caterpillars poop. Do butterflies poop?"
"Yes, Evelyn, they do."
"How about trees. Do they poop?"
"No, but they have sap. So if trees pooped that would be the closest thing."
"Oh."
After that the rest of the walk home was pretty quiet. I think this is the first time in my life poop has been the highlight of my day.
If collecting cards and the like is really "the Dark Side" that my wife thinks it is, I'm bringing my daughter with me.
A couple years later this gave way to a He-Man sticker book from Panini. Much like cards, you'd buy the album and then grab packs of stickers, building your set and finishing your sticker book at the same time. This was an instance of unfortunately/fortunately. Unfortunately the the corner store ran out of He-Man stickers shortly after I got my sticker book. Fortunately, they got a Transformers one after that. For the next couple of months all of my allowance went towards stickers for that book. I think I may have even done extra work in exchange for more stickers.
Like a lot of three-year-olds, Evelyn loves Dora the Explorer. She also loves to get special treats for doing a good job, overcoming a fear or trying something new. I don't like comparing my kids to dogs, but it's much the same as rewarding a dog with a cookie for fetching the paper, going doodie outside or sitting. And just as the tail wags with joy and anticipation, Evelyn comes running when I reach into the closet and pull out a pack of Dora stickers for a job well done.
"Evelyn are you sure you have that one? It's just Map and a simple background. There's one like that on every page."
I'm not pushing for my daughter to join me in the wild world of card collecting, but if she sees me sorting through some piles or is curious by a certain card, I'll sit down with her and tell her the story of that card. For every card does have a story and every story should be passed on. And if from that Evelyn wants to join her dad, dagger grins from my wife aside, I'll hold onto every moment we share together ripping packs, sorting and debating whether or not it's a double. I'll just have to remind my wife that it's about the quality time we're spending together and not the extra 400-count boxes the card shelf is accumulating.
We are home, we are well, and this is what we have been up to: Ethan and Evelyn have been playing well together. He really looks up to her and, as you can see, he loves to copy her. Just before this pic was taken, they were both trying to stretch their mouths with their fingers. Unfortunately those pics turned up blurry. It was very cute. 
We made crazy face sandwiches. Both kids ate everything on the plate. Cream Cheese and jam sandwiches, avocado, carrots, grapes, and watermelon. Yummy!
I made cupcakes with the kids. (Hence the earlier pic of them in their aprons) This is result of eating the cupcakes. Hmm, one of these kids is a cleaner eater than the other... In Ethan's defence, Evelyn did have vanilla icing, not chocolate.
Ryan found a Luchador (Mexican wrestler) mask at a mexican market in LA. It works so well with Ethan's spidey PJ's. 
The weather was rainy and cold for about a week, but has just warmed up signifigantly. The kids have enjoyed playing in the flower sprinkler. Most of the time the game goes like this: Evelyn takes control of the flower and sprays Ethan every time he attempts to come close. Ethan makes a hasty retreat whenever she sprays him, then regroups and tries again. 
Evelyn went to a ball last night. I (Princess Mommy) helped her dress for the event, though she directed me on what was needed. "I need a necklace! Now...I need a princess hat, and a crown!" I think she looks like an ocean princess.
"Daddy, do birds poop?"