It's Magic!

After a trip to the local Farmer's Market this morning, Anna and Mom went to The Toy Store and saw a magician perform. (Poor Daddy was left home to the mowing.) It was great! The magician involved the kids and mystified everyone, this adult included. For the finale, he had all of the kids help him "cook". So what do magicians cook, you ask? A large pot of lollipops! Of course, it's difficult to practice restraint at any toy store, regardless of your age, so we picked up a cool set of stomp rockets. Put the rockets on the launcher, give a hearty stomp, and watch them soar. So cool!

Wheels

While Anna has been enjoying her Like-a-Bike, we decided it was time for her to have a second set of wheels, this one with pedals and cranks. Her (pink) Schwinn tricycle arrived last night, but, alas, it was raining. Still, she pedaled around the living room a bit, and after the test drive we think it is a fine trike, indeed. We'll be sure to put some miles on it this weekend.

I also had to share a photo from last Monday. Anna decided to hold some type of rite of passage ritual for her dollies. While she donned a ceremonial tutu, their torsos were painted green and they were dragged through the pebble walkway. Hide the scissors!

It's Snowing!

Yesterday was a snow day. I know...I know. It's 80-some-odd degrees out. But with the cottonwood trees releasing their pods into the air, it practically looks like a blizzard outside. It's really lovely. To celebrate, we went out to get snow cones. I could write an ode to how wonderful Tad's Tropical-Sno is. Mom's favorite flavor is Cherry Bomb (cherry and cinnamon). Dad loves anything with strawberry in it. Anna's flavor? Birthday Cake. Yummy!!!

The weather has been so perfect, we've been grilling and eating outside nearly every night. While Mom heated up the grill for burgers, Anna helped shuck corn. This was her first shucking experience, but I think she's a natural. Later Anna painted her entire body with sidewalk chalk paint. She seems to be onto something. No mosquito bites!

Beautiful

Today was Mom and Dad's 9th wedding anniversary. Just another ordinary day, which around here means it was full of fun, beautiful moments, and lots of love and laughter. We feel very lucky. We are incredibly blessed.

Anna made dinner tonight, as you can see in the photo. I particularly loved the "strawberries" she put on top, along with the flower garnish. Perhaps a future chef??? Oh, no, never mind. I forgot, she plans to be a pirate.

The other day at the grocery store, Mom picked up a spaghetti squash. Since then, Anna has adopted it. She calls it her baby and keeps stealing it away (and has dropped it a few times). I'm not sure, but she may be thoroughly horrified when I cook it.

The Circus Comes to Town

Ringling Bros. circus came through town, so on Mother's Day aunt Wendy and Mommy packed up the kiddos (leaving the men-folk at home) and went to see the greatest show on earth. This was just a one-ring circus, which was good for the kids so they could focus on one performance at a time, plus it meant we were close enough to see the faces of the performers. Of course Anna's favorite part was the cotton candy, followed by the elephants.

This photos was taken during intermission.

A Tale of Two Birthdays

Anna had the good fortune to have two "family" birthdays this year. We went up to Wisconsin to see the Carrenos and had a wonderful visit. We miss them terribly, but Sheboygan was lovely and Anna was able to put the stamp of a few more states into her passport of places she has been. For only being a mere 3 years old, she is certainly well travelled. Our last evening there we had a birthday party and Crosby decorated an incredible cake for Anna that only a 10-year-old boy could achieve. It was awe-inspiring, crazy-fun, and an incredibly loving gesture.

On the actual day of Anna's birth, we had a BBQ dinner for our family and might-as-well-be-family members. We got to break in Mom's early Mother's Day gift, a set of patio furniture, which we all agree is the best investment we've made in a long time. Although Anna had a head cold and sounded like Peppermint Patty from Peanuts Gang, she had a lot of fun. Mom was sick, too, so the cake was actually about 2 dozen gourmet cupcakes from Daddycakes assembled on the coolest cupcake tree (also an early Mother's Day gift from Pat & Hugh), which is WAY better than anything Mom could have made anyway. The kids got to play in Anna's birthday gift from us which was a playhouse in the back yard. It's so nice, we're talking about taking a renter! -- just kidding, but...hmmmmm.

Later, Anna announced that, "Last night I was two, and now I'm three!" She's got the math down now.

In an unrelated event, yet still humorous, Anna asked me to make her milk into chocolate milk. I said, "Sure. What's the magic word?" Without a beat she said, "Bippity-boppity-boo!"