Oscar Stew

Drew and Brinley have been unusually rotten lately. In an effort to try and remedy the problem, we sat down and tried to figure out what we were doing so differently. We realized that since Rowan came along, we haven’t done as many fun things as a family… So yesterday we packed up and headed to the Boulder Creek for a bike ride.

Here is Drew truckin’ along a windy road. If you look closely, you can see his homemade helmet-hawk.

After we worked up a good sweat, we stopped to play in the water. It was a little chilly, but the kids went out a few feet so they could spot the occasional tuber float by.

Brinley loves nothing more than to get good and dirty. She’s looking a little pink and puffy after getting sunscreen in her eyes.

Ryan didn’t think the soothing sounds of the creek were enough, so he tried to add his own flair with a custom-made grassaphone.

Rowan was all cozy in her carseat and slept through most of the excitement.

She did wake up for an oil change or three.

We had to lure the kids away from the creek with food. I wish I was as excited about pb&j as they were.

So, have the kids been any less rotten you ask? Hmmm, well…the jury is still out on that one!

Looking through all the pictures I’ve taken in the last week made me I wish I could be young and carefree again. Kids can find fun in just about anything.

Don’t you wish you could still get away with a hairdo like this?

Remember when seeing a tractor outside the car window was the coolest thing ever?

Just getting out of the car and waving would totally make your day. Especially when the tractor driver waves back and does a few fancy tractor tricks to show off.

Just seeing all those rows of wheat was enough to get you excited.

And spotting a parked combine on the side of the road was worthy of jumping up and down. repeatedly.

Do you remember what running through the sprinklers feels like?

She doesn’t care how well her swimsuit fits, or if her mascara is running. Just good ole fashioned fun. nothin’ beats that.

Remember when your brother was your whole world?

And your sister was your best friend?

And something as simple as a frozen gogurt tube was worth begging for.

How would it be to have your biggest stressor be mastering the almighty “e.”

Keep trying…

Almost got it!

How about trying to imitate everything he did, your hero, your older brother…

Remember when changing a diaper was something to get excited about?

I feel so lucky that I get to spend my days watching these two find joy in the simplest things. I am glad we are given a second chance to see things through the eyes of a child, and this time appreciate things from a different perspective.

We took the kids to the dentist today. I am ashamed to admit that this was their first visit to to the tooth doctor.

Brinley was a champ. She laid down on the bench and the assistant went right to work “tickling” her teeth.

She flashed big smile after her teeth were clean because everyone told her that her teeth were “shiny” now.

Drew on the other hand, was completely falling apart just watching Brinley take her turn. His appointment started out with super scary X-rays. That involved being alone while wearing the lead vest, biting the plastic chip, and attempting to stay still as the “camera” took pictures of his teeth. He was supposed to have four pics, but was way too freaked out after just one…

We tried to calmly explain everything and let him touch all the tools. He decided that touching them with his fingers was one thing, putting them in his mouth was another. No way, no how.

We finally convinced him to let the dental assistant tickle one tooth  just to see what it felt like, and so the teeth cleaning began. In a full upright position, of course. Getting him to lay down was asking WAY too much.

Half way through he decided it wasn’t too bad and laid down on the bench. He actually cracked a smile or two when they squirted his mouth with water.

Neither one of the kids had any cavities – score! We were able to see Drew’s upper adult teeth on his one x-ray (man those suckers are HUGE!), and they told us that his baby teeth were starting to get wiggly. I’m looking forward to toothless grins, but I am a little afraid of the buck-teeth that might be taking their place!