Cicada Hunting

The beautifully annoying song of the cicada has been filling our ears in the past couple of weeks.  The kids love/hate to find the discarded shells.  They get so excited to find one only to freak out the bug will get them.

Today on their morning bike ride around the house, which is usually about a ten minute event before they tire of their bikes and the sweat blurring their visions... even though it is before eight o'clock in the morning (as you can tell from the jammies in these photos).  Anyway, I have digressed.... On this short adventure today we decided to see how many cicada shells we could find.  

Chloie was surprisingly the best at spotting them but feared touching them.  

Owen was the champion collector.  

They simply cannot wait until their dad comes home tonight to see their special collection of cicada shells.

May Happenings

Owen had been asking for weeks about hiking in the mountains.  So finally... before it hit 100 degrees... we got our little family out to the San Tan Mountains early one Saturday morning.  Chloie hiked a good 30 seconds and was finished.  Owen made it about 30 minutes.  Still, we had fun checking out the different cactus plants and looking for rattlesnakes.

After a very rough start to our swimming season with lessons, the kids have become amazing little swimmers.  Chloie begs every day to, "Swim in Mama's pool." I am amazed at how strong and confident they both are in the water.  Chloie can swim almost the full length of the pool already, and Owen never tires of running and jumping.

We made it to Indiana for planting season this year!  Daddy and the kids had the best time planting beans.  Owen was so excited... mostly about the guide the markers.  He could have ridden all day if we'd have let him.  He hasn't stopped farming much since we've been back.  Things are always busy on Owen's farm.  His imagination and memory bring me much joy.  

We celebrated Al and Jessica's wedding and had so much fun with all of our cousins and aunts and uncles and grandmas and grandpas... but unfortunately I have no pictures to show much of that.  I just don't like keeping my camera with me because I feel like it takes away from the joy of the experience so often... but I did manage to pull out the camera one evening and get some sweet pictures with Grandma and Grandpa Davis.

Chloie Turns 2

It's hard to believe my little baby girl has turned two!  Thinking back on when Owen turned two, he seemed so old and wise.... I suppose with a four month old in tow a two year old has to be bigger and wiser.  But Chloie is just a baby to me and Matt though with her complete sentences and imaginative play and being just about as long as the crib she still sleeps in tries daily to remind me her baby days are over. 

Chloie started her day by strongly disliking the singing of "Happy Birthday" to her.  As we sang to her at breakfast she vehemently announced, "Stop that singing happy birthday to you!"  And if you've never heard her spit fire tone, let me tell you she literally spits out the words when she's in one of these moods.

However, her annoyance over the singing quickly turned to delight as she started opening presents and realizing she was getting lots of attention.  Her realization turned to gratitude even as she came running into the kitchen long after she had finished her birthday breakfast announcing, "Thank you, Mommy, for getting me waffles for breakfast!" 

Her birthday party came several days later, but in the meantime she'd announce to anyone who'd listen and even those who didn't, "I'm turning 2!"

Lots of presents, lots of friends, lots of swimming!

Stopping for a picture with her little friend, Charli!

Thanks for helping my Mom make this pretty cake, Jen!

Happy birthday to me!  Much better than last year's candle flame fiasco.

Hey, brother, get off my cake!

What fun turning two!



Monster Trucks

We took Owen and Chloie to their first big monster truck show a few weeks ago.  And while the event itself left me quite sweaty, crabby and generally annoyed with the public (we got to witness two moms resort to calling each other "white trash" with puffed chests because they thought the respective kids stood too long on the famed Robosaurus for a picture as one example...), I have experienced much joy from Owen's recollections of the show.  He was terrified of the noise, but truly loved standing next to the giant trucks and sitting on their tires. 

"I knew Outlaw would be here!"  Owen was so excited.  He has this toy truck, and he did announce to me that he was sure he would see that one.

One of his favorites, Avenger!

Chloie wasn't quite as excited about the big trucks, but she was still a pretty good sport.

"Look, the semi with the tiny wheels inside!" 

Tidbits of My Morning

Upon realizing it had been several weeks since I recalled any fascinating activities in the Davis House, I decided I would just write down all the little things the kids said that made me smile today.

At Owen's 6:30 wake-up call that always begins so obnxiously with the bellowing of "Mom! Mommy! Mommy! Mom!" until I reach his room, he sweetly asked, "Mom will you snuggle with me for a little bit?"  Ummmm... Yeah!

At my first peek into Chloie's room she sat up straight with her paci in her mouth and blurted, "Aunt Nancy come home today?"  After such a fun week with her special aunt, Chloie must have been hoping she would be back today.

At breakfast I took a picture of the kids to send to Daddy while he was away on a business trip this week.  Later Chloie gets her play phone, turns it horizontally, squats in front of Owen and says, "Owen say cheese.  Good job, Owen.  Do it again.  Come on, say cheese, Owen."  I thought this was hysterical.  Owen was less than amused with his sister in his face while he played airplanes. 

In a rare moment of unsupervised monster truck play, I overhear Owen tell his sister, "Chloie this is so nice that you're sharing."  Ah... oh, yes it is, sweet babies!

I actually made it to vacuuming this morning.... I guess Owen could tell the floor was really needing cleaned since the moment I turned off the vacuum, he says, "Mom are you all done sweeping?"  Yes.  "Oh! Thank you for making the floor nice and clean!"  You're welcome, dear one....

Aviation Day and Snow

Aviation Day at the small airport near us was much anticipated! 

Chloie is serious about her need to get into the sky.

Owen considers the task at hand and is ready too.

Chloie pauses to simply take in the show and decide where to go next.

"Ummm.... Let's go here couple minutes." 

Chloie's favorite phrase this week: couple minutes.

"Daddy hold you (meaning herself) couple minutes." 

"Coie see it couple minutes." (Daddy's phone, that is)

"Play outside couple minutes."

Oh, a stage coach too.  That was fun!

Are we in Indiana???

No, because it was 80 degrees in Indiana the day this crazy hail storm rained on our house.  "Snow!??!!"  Owen just can't believe it.

Oh, sweet Chloie....

Hmmm... having a little taste.

And so, of course, his sister must also have a taste. 

We played in our "snow" for quite awhile until Daddy got bored and started making snow balls to hit poor Mommy.  That got Owen excited except the ice was too cold for his little hands and all of a sudden his joy to turned tears.  And when his did, Chloie instantly started wailing too.  Oh, how we silly Arizona parents don't know how to dress and play with our kids in the cold.  Matt and I just stood laughing as we held our two hysterically screaming children until their poor little hands got a little feeling back in them.

And this is just a random picture of the kids watching a 3D movie that makes me laugh every time I see it.  Such joys, such pains... can't help but love 'em.

Budding Personalities

How ridiculously true it is that those darn little babies grow up so fast!  The past couple of weeks I just can hardly believe Chloie is the same tiny baby that came into this world so helpless and needy twenty-one months ago as she adamantly demands she do just about everything "self!"

Do you want me to help you open that sucker? "Self!"
Can I help you take off your shoes? "Self!"
Let's read that book together. "Self!"
I'll catch you at the end of the slide. "No, Mommy! Self!"
ok... I get it... she doesn't need me for everything anymore.

Our little gem also starting letting us know when it's "poopy time."  She'll hold her butt and run like the wind to the bathroom.  Her little face so serious, "poopy time, Mommy."  So we'll sit on the potty with her special potty books.  She'll read them to me over and over.... but much of the time that's all the action we get in the bathroom.  Although last week, again with her independence, told me, "Walk away, Mommy.  Shut door."  Evidently, she needed some privacy.  And that did it for her... pooping magic.

She also just decided she'd know all her colors last week and start jumping.  Fun stuff...

And not to leave out our buddy Owen.... We were playing corn harvest just before nap today.  I was trying to hurry it along a bit.  You see, I was tired and there was a lot of corn in our field yet (corn being blocks stood up on end all down the hallway).  So I'm usually the combine driver while Owen runs the grain cart and semi.  Well, in an effort to get on with it.  I told Owen (on the CB radio, of course), "Owen just take that load on the grain cart up to the grain bins.  We don't need the semi today." 

Completely exasperated, Owen throws his hands to the floor, rolls his eyes and educates me with strained patience in his voice, "Mom, the grain cart doesn't unload at the grain bin.  He has to use the semi!" ...his voice getting a little louder and higher pitched as he explained...  Alrighty, we'll play this game out, Owen....