Kauai

It was a perfect vacation until we had to come home. All the little Wilde cousins
Ty was our little crab, always hiding in the holes on the beach.

Snorkel lessons by Daddy. It took him until his last day before he actually put his head under, but when he did he saw butterfly fish and a beautiful Rainbow Wrasse.

Rob's biggest regret from our last trip was that he didn't go deep sea fishing, so this year he did it the first day. The boys weren't as excited as him...

But Rob loved it! (When he wasn't seasick!) This is his tuna.

And Mahi Mahi

Aricka and I went ziplining through the jungle (300 feet above the Jurassic Park and Pirates of the Caribbean set. So cool!)

More to come. . .

Honest

We were having Family Home Evening and somehow missionaries were brought into the discussion.
Me: Robbie, do you know what missionaries do?"
Robbie: "Yes. They just come to your house and eat."


Rob's sister Haley just had her first little baby Saturday, Madelyn Grace. The following conversations have stemmed from her birth, I'm sure.

"Mommy, where do babies come from?"
I can't help but smile. It's like the most dreaded question right?
"From mommies' tummies."
Robbie rolls his eyes and grunts. "I know that, but how do they get there?"
"Mommies and Daddies make them and Heavenly Father puts them there." He seemed satisfied. My brother-in-law, Ryan, had a better answer for the future, though. "Mommies and Daddies kiss and make a wish!" Cute, huh?

He's always been a boy who thinks things through before he talks. Smart.
"Mommy, my new baby cousin (Madelyn) looked so pretty with the flower in her hair. She was almost as pretty as Chelsie (Uncle Johnny's girlfriend).
It was time to see how loyal he was to me. "Robbie, who's prettier? Mommy or Chelsie?"
He bites his lip. (We must be equal.)
"Okay, who's prettier, Mommy or Aunt Aricka?" I know, I know, I'm sick, but I thought it was funny. Still no answer.
"Okay, who's prettier, Mommy or Aunt Sarah?" Just as a smart boy should, he played the diplomat.
"Mommy, all the girls in our family are pretty."
So true.

Zoo & Mischeif & More Beach

I've always loved the beach--especially my beaches, the ones I've gone to my whole life. And now I have them convinced . . .

Bring it, waves!

Ty finds his first star fish

Funny story. So we get to the beach and see seagulls. Rob says, "Those aren't seagulls; trust me, it's my state bird." No really, trust me; California seagulls are something else--huge, aggressive, and everywhere! We started throwing little crumbs of bread to an empty beach . . .

And they came.

The kids loved the dozens of birds floating over them so close.

Ty was terrified at first--wouldn't even get near the roaring water. By the second day, he couldn't get enough of it!

Earlier in the week, Robbie threw a frisbee at my mom's bay window and broke it. A few days later, I found this in the backyard:

Dirt-covered faces?

Oh yes.

Last stop down memory lane was the Santa Barbara Zoo. We had season passes there as kids and I though Rob would love the drive up PCH. (I was dead wrong about the drive. I actually had him convinced to move to California until we hit the traffic--my dreams are now shattered.) Still, the zoo was great.
And . . . we got to ride the train! (Ty was so excited to go "in" a real "choo-choo.")

Beach Blast!

It was a great Saturday! We headed over the Channel Islands Museum (the Channel Islands are made up of four islands just off our coast and are now a national monument--we go snorkeling there and Dad loves to dive in the kelpy waters). Then we headed to the beach to explore the tide pools--Rob searched for crabs the whole time and eventually got lucky, well, I guess it wasn't "lucky" that he got attacked by pinchers but still.... Came home. Napped. Went back in the afternoon to play in the water and capture little sand crabs. I felt like a kid all over again--it was wonderful!

These were just on the beach and the boys thought it was great fun to play in them.

Back to My Sweet Ventura

I'm home!!! I convinced Rob to do a rotation in Ventura this month, and it has been heaven. As we drove back to California, we were both shocked at how beautiful it was--oh how we'd forgotten! The boys are in sweet bliss. Everyday they have oranges, berries, loquats (different than kumquats), avocados, strawberries, and occasionally, they pick at the unripened apples. It's paradise! Rob comes home and we head to the beach or a park--always sunny; always perfect. We're so happy to be back (even if it's just for a month).

Nigh-Night Highlight: Grandpa's VERY animated stories: The 3 Little Pigs, The Princess Frog, and The One Legged Deer (I have no idea. . .). The boys LOVE it, which is great, since it is the only way we can get them into their jammies.

The boys are obsessed with the dogs, Ella and Hunter, but especially Ty who holds them and kisses them all day. Usually starving for attention, these dogs are now hiding from the boys when they come bounding out of their room.

During nap time I went to check on the boys and found Robbie had disappeared! Here's where I found him--perfectly self-tucked in to Grandma and Grandpa's bed.

Rob started picking the oranges off the tree the day we arrived. We started out juicing them, but now he simply peels the rind and throws the whole thing in the blender--a pulpy, gulpy "drink" that everyone loves.

Childrenisms

We tried out a new park this week, but poor Robbie was horrified when he saw a bunch of bees flying around, and then going into a hole in the equipment. He looks at me completely disgusted and says, "Mommy, why did Jesus make bees!!"

R: What's this, Mommy?
K: It's a nail file, but it also gets dirt from under your nails.
R: Will you show me?
I show him on me.
R: Can you do it to me?
I look. Miraculously the child has clean nails.
K: Robbie, your nails are clean.
R: Oh.
Two minutes later I see him crouched on the floor by our plants. He is shoveling dirt under his toenails.

Robbie loves watching me put on my make-up. The other day I found out why.
R: Mommy, I know why you put on make-up.
K: Oh yeah? Why?
R: So you can make your skin look brown like a black person.
Nice.

The animals involved fluctuate, but the game is always the same--wrestling. This is what happened yesterday.
R: Mommy, do you want to play mean dogs?
K: Sure.
R. Okay, I'm the big daddy one. You're just the baby.
I nod. I'm always the weakling. We start "fighting" and when the "baby" one gets a little two rough, Robbie has to remind me that he's supposed to win.
R. No, Mom. My claws are as sharp as tigers' teeth. You're dead.
Of course. Ty wants in, too, though.
K: Do you want to play?
T: Uh huh.
K: What animal do you want to be?
T: Owl.
K: Are you sure? An owl? Why don't you pick something else, okay?
T: Too-dow (turtle--he loves them because they "wim" or swim).
I laugh.
K: Okay.
We all get ready. Ty decides he's gonna take us all on, though, as a turtle. He crouches down and glares at me.
T: ROAR!!!!
I love little moments like this.

Eastertime

The pictures are backwards, but oh well.

Robbie with his spoils on Easter

Rob and I got food poisoning on Saturday, so the boys played with Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncles and Aunts all day. Dying eggs was one of their little adventures.

Family Bowling. Let's just say Rob and I are a perfect match; we equalize each other. He took us all. I was dead last. Yes, even behind Robbie. Rob actually asked the worker if he could get me bumpers; unfortunately, they are only for 12 and under.

Ty thinking hard about how to optimize his dad's genes. "Seriously, what are the chances of Mom getting another gutter ball? Oh, she proved me wrong . . . again."

The form

The lack of form

Robbie with the seven pounder

A few days before . . .

We foolishly went to a egg hunt in Salt Lake City with our friends, the Riters (from medical school), only to walk away after three hours with a few tootsie rolls. Lame. Still, we took the kids to Temple Square and they acted like they'd never been apart (we did too). So fun.

Ty and Robbie hiding under a sign. (Ty tried to copy Cohen--see below.)

Robbie and Cohen--Friends Forever

Salt Lake Temple