Disneyland for 1 year olds

It's not the beloved movie-centered rides and shows.


It's not the heavily engineered thrilling roller coasters.


It's not the familiar plushy characters.

It's the fences and drain covers and smashed popcorn on the ground that make Disneyland such an exciting place for one year olds. E & cousin Froglegs spent the whole day going in and out of fences, pulling at manicured bushes, smashing pieces of chewed gum.....you know, all the really cool things to do at Disneyland.

One of my favorite authors

Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars



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My Boys

Huggle time for the boys. Charly got a new haircut and E thinks he is snugglier than ever. Too bad Charly doesn't agree.

This is the normal view of my backyard. I kind of miss it. Today is the first day in 18 days that it is not supposed to rain one drop. I haven't been able to hang E's diapers in 18 days! And June is supposed to be the dryest month in Utah. And now, of course, my washer and dryer are living in my carport and my utility room is ripped out down to the studs. I just love old homes and reconstruction projects. Thank god for my inlaws...

Day of the Dead Visitor

This merlin (we thought he was a sharp-shinned hawk) came to visit us on the Day of the Dead. He showed up in our driveway with a broken wing Sunday night. Andy tried to call around to see if anyone would come pick him up but it was Sunday so Monday morning, after calling the zoo, Tracey Aviary, Hawkwatch, the Ogden Nature Center and animal control, we finally found someone with the Division of Wildlife Management to come and pick him up. We hope they find someone to fix his wing. Maybe he'll even come back and eat more sparrows.

Nothing from a can except....

E is 7 months old and has four teeth. I really thought two teeth at five months was the sign of a good eater. I still have it at the forefront of my mind that four teeth at 7 months, despite all this physical evidence that says otherwise, is a sure sign of a good eater. No. Four tiny bites of anything probably does not mean "good eater."
When E was 6 months my frozen supply of pumped breastmilk that I had been guarding like gold was used up by my "good eater." On the days that I work now I don't pump enough to feed him all day the next day that I work. Andy has to resort to......formula. I hate even to think it. And I was so sure that by 7 months he would be eating enough solid food that he wouldn't need the......formula. I don't know why I am so against it! But it makes me sad to think that I alone cannot feed this little man. We have tried rice cereal (what a joke!), oatmeal cereal, pureed carrots, apples, pears, bananas, melon and sweet potatoes. He seemed a little interested in cut up pieces of banana the other day, but just gets mad when I try to get spoonfuls of anything into his mouth. He is a boob man all the way.
So I guess I can't say nothing from a can. But I am still going to try for nothing else! I am sure we will find some form of whole food that he will eat! In the meantime, I have put up peaches, grape juice, squash, melon, tomatoes, salsa, and dried cherries and apples. Hopefully he will find something in there that he likes.

5 Months Old....and 2 New Teeth!

I usually try not to read into things too much....okay, I guess that's an outright lie. I probably read into things way too much. But shouldn't teeth at five months mean I have a good eater on my hands?
A keeps asking me, "Doesn't it hurt to breastfeed him now?" But I don't think he realizes when E sucks he sticks his tongue out so it is covering his teeth. He must notice it when he gives him a bottle but maybe not. I think it is why we haven't had much luck with the rice cereal yet. E just pushes it right back out at us, which is discouraging for solids but encouraging for breastfeeding. Hopefully he'll breastfeed for at least a year. We'll see. I was up with him every two hours last night. Not his usual routine but I'm guessing it doesn't feel too good to have two little sharp objects cutting through your gums. I think we'll put the rice cereal on hold for now. Besides, it comes from a box. I've searched for recipes that I can make myself but it is hard to get the iron that babies need when you make it yourself. Any suggestions?