Do I make you hungry?

I just had to post this because I thought it was so funny (and flattering!) that my friend, Jenn, devoted a whole post on her blog to the chocolate chip cookies I make every Sunday. Check it out by clicking here.

Humor me.

Ok. I've been wanting to learn how to use the Windows Movie Maker, so I decided to use pictures and video from our recent trip to the zoo and tinker around with it. Here's what I came up with. Keep in mind, it's my first...

(FYI- You may want to turn off the media player on the right of the screen so you're not hearing two songs at once.)

A Supersized Slip 'n Slide!

Last Wednesday, a friend of ours from church put on a slip n slide party at a local park. This was not your normal thin, plastic slip n slide. This thing was huge. She bought 3 old vinyl billboard signs from a local sign company who sells them for $25/each and lined them up going down a fairly steep hill. Then someone stood at the top of the hill with a garden hose and voila! you've got one GIANT slip n slide! Cool idea, right?

Coleman was excited to ride down but tentative. (Imagine that!) He didn't want to go alone so he rode down on either mine or his dad's lap each time. He actually required a little coaxing at the top of the slide every time he went down but once he got to the bottom he was ready to go again. So, we'd walk up, stand in line, sit at the top of the slide, he'd get stiff and scared, we'd grab him and come down and then start the whole cycle again. He's so funny. Here's some video of one of our trips down.

Cooper, on the other hand, hated the slide! And he's our adventurous one! He was content just sitting at the top of the hill watching everyone else have fun. Will snatched him up from his perch and brought him down a couple of times but it always ended in tears. Here he is after his final trip down.

It was really fun (for most of us) and we can't wait to go back again next year!

No lullabies required.

Cooper gave up his afternoon naps probably 5-6 months ago. He sleeps plenty at night so it's usually not a problem. But, every once in awhile, he gets really tired and it always hits him right at dinner time. I'm convinced that he spends so much time running around that he doesn't even realize that he's tired until he sits down at the table to eat. And here's what happens.

Yup, that would be his head in his plate! I totally get that a full belly can make you want to take a nap (like after eating at Tucano's. Oh, the humanity!) but falling asleep on your plate is another level of tired. That's like "I-had-one-too-many" tired. But I promise there are no drunk babies here. Maybe I had better check the label on that strawberry lemonade again...

Last Sunday we caught him in the act. Every Sunday night, Cooper helps me make cookies but I wasn't sure he was going to be able to stay awake. Watch him fall asleep while eating salmon by the handfuls.

It's amazing how kids can fall asleep anywhere doing anything. I have Coleman on video when he was 2 sleeping standing up on two different occasions! Sleeping while standing! Now that's tired!

The mother lode.

My mom left yesterday to go visit my brother in Roy. It was great having her here all the way from West Virginia. She stayed with us for about 4 weeks and it was fun for the boys to get to spend some time with their Nona.

We definitely used her for lots of free babysitting but I felt she needed to clock in some manual labor, too, so I made her help me put together the boys new swingset before we left for California. My mom and I are both very left-brained people. I knew she'd be a great wing man on this project and she was. Here are some action shots. By the way, you weren't supposed to smile in your picture mom. This is manly work. We needed to look fierce and focused (ie. my awesome screw-placing skills photo.)

The finished project. I just need to finish up the roof still. Will is going to put in some pre-washed pea gravel, too. It was a grueling couple of days that we worked on it. The first day was like from sun up to sun down. Mom was a trooper, though. The day after we finished Will and I took off on a relaxing trip to the beach but for Mom there was no rest for the weary. She had to watch the boys for 3 days. Sorry, Mom! But thank you! Funny story, Coleman's Sunday school teacher told him how cool she thought his new playset was and he apparently got very offended and told her, "It's not a playset. It's a park!" Indeed it is!

HoOt! hOoT!

Last night, we went to an Orem Owlz baseball game. The Owlz are a single A professional baseball team that are pretty new to Utah County. We had a coupon for free admission so we decided to go check it out. We're not big baseball fans but thankfully you don't really need to be a fan to have a good time at the ballpark. The boys just figured out that you cheer when everybody else does and you occupy the rest of your time with one of the following: popcorn, hot dogs, ice cream, oh, and that giant playground where all of the kids in the stadium head when they get bored. To top off their night, Nona (my mom) bought the boys giant foam Owl claws at the souvenir shop. Great fun and I think we'll be going back again this summer. Here are some pics of the fun:
The boys with Hootz the Owl.
The smile I get when I tell him to say "Cheese!" That is some major cheese, Coops!
Coleman looking underwhelmed at all the excitement.
Cooper, Will, Coleman and Nona sitting in seats we didn't pay for. Shhh! We were supposed to be sitting in the General Admission area. Cooper having a baseball game standard- ice cream in a little baseball helmet.

Until next time, Owlz! Hoot, hoot!