The Day J.D. Caved

It finally happened today.

Today was the day I have been waiting for since the babies' birthday over two years ago.  

Now I am going to build up the suspense a little. 

OK, I have three girls.  My two older girls are really into dress-up.  Like so into dress-up that they have been known to walk into Vons wearing princess dresses, high-heeled sparkly shoes, crowns, purses, jewelry, and think nothing of it.  They prefer dress-up to normal clothes.  My oldest, Emma, after a full day of kindergarten, would strip down only to don her favorite red gaudy queen gown and prance around the house for the rest of the evening.  

We have a drawer dedicated only to dress-up shoes.

We have a drawer dedicated only to dress-up headgear: hats, tiaras, silly headbands, you name it.

So all this time, I have known that eventually, their little sister, G, would want to get involved in this addicting pastime.  And in the last few weeks she entered the world of dress-up and never looked back.  Little G prefers Little House on the Prairie dresses over the straight-up princess garb that her big sister E chooses.  

Anyway, the point of all of my rambling is that I have a lone boy.  From 5:45 AM when Danny leaves until 5:30 PM when he returns home (albeit with a nice sized lunch break in the middle), J.D. is solo amidst a sea of estrogen in our home.  He handles it pretty well, I think.  He wakes up by literally wailing for his dad.  One of the first sounds I hear in the morning is, "Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-dee!" from little J.D.  He always looks kind of disappointed when I walk in, which bugs me a a little.  I feel like saying, "Hey kid, I don't want to change this dirty diaper either!"  J.D. prefers his dad, tools, the grandpas, and tractors to pretty much everything else in this world.  He is male, and that's the way it is.  

For two solid years, my lone boy has not shown one inkling of interest in dress-up.  Not one sparkly hat has been placed upon his head that he hasn't ripped off immediately.  Not once has he allowed a single scarf to wrap around his shoulders, or a dress to be draped upon his shoulders.  No sir, he is a boy.  A boy who likes tools.  Got it?!

Well today was the day.  

Today was the day he caved.  

The girls finally succeeded in their plot to dress-up their entire family.  

Was it the pink sequins that pulled him in?  Or maybe the page boy cap?  Perhaps he thought, "The cap seems like something a boy would wear, but the sequins, I'm not so sure....." But before he could protest, the girls had fitted it onto his head, and led him out to his parents to be paraded about like a monkey in a suit.

The girls could not have been more proud of their feat.  It was quite an accomplishment.  Can you hear me chuckling behind the camera?  Can you picture Danny doubled over, trying to hide the laughter from his dear son? 

And then there appeared to be a wardrobe malfunction.  G was thoroughly embarrassed by this show of anger in public, Cubby remained full of glee, and J.D. made his demands....

And there, now he's happy.  All the boy wanted was his pink Dora sunglasses for Pete's sake!  Whew!  Crisis averted.  Or was it?

Dolly's Day Out

My oldest daughter is really into her doll.  The doll's name is Sydney Lee and she has fully captured my little five year old's heart.  E literally dresses her for bed, gives her a "bath" in Sydney's pink plastic tub, and takes her with us just about everywhere we go.  

Sydney Lee is part of our family.  In fact, we share the same last name.  More than once, I have thought myself alone, when all of a sudden I'll sense someone watching me.  I'll look to the chair beside me which I assumed was empty, only to find Sydney Lee sitting quietly next to me.  It's a little creepy, but hey, things could be so much worse.    

The truth is, I am trying to subtly ween E and Cubby off of their obsession with Barbie.  After reading quite a few of his books over the last year or so, I have come to agree with Dr. Dobson's way of thinking on the Barbie matter.  Barbie is too grown up and way too curvy for little five year old's to be playing with.  He has other, more scientific research and findings to support his case against Barbie, but basically I don't need all that.  I agree with him, and my home has become a no-Barbie zone.   I want my girls to play with dolls that look like them, not some long-legged hussy!  Whoa, I went a little far, sorry.  

So back to Sydney Lee. 

 E mentioned to Grandma Donna that she wanted to put on a doll fashion show.  Ever since E discovered a little shop that sells Sydney Lee sized doll clothes, E is all about doll clothes and accessories.  So, Grandma Donna took this idea and ran with it.  She and the girls made a curtained entrance that opens onto a red-carpeted runway.  They wrote out a script and organized three full outfits for Sydney Lee to wear for the big show.  Grandma Susie and Aunt Ayron were called and lunch was planned.  This fashion show was going to be success no matter what!

Here are my proud daughters, standing before the stage of Sydney Lee's fashion show.  My orange jumper clad niece is considering ripping everything to shreds.

The show began, and Sydney Lee walked the runway with composure and confidence.  She dazzled.  She shined. She did need a little support from Cubby, but all models need a little guidance and mentoring, right?!

E read the script that she and Grandma Donna had written and practiced.  

Despite my girls' best efforts for the fashion show, no one would have guessed that the pint-sized peanut gallery would show up and go for broke.  These two little munchkins clapped and screamed and squealed throughout the entire performance. 

Luckily, Sydney Lee is a professional, and she continued her walk unfazed. 

The heckling and screaming continued....

but E remained the consummate grown-up in a sea of juvenile delinquency.  The show must go on!

Until the little girls decided to stage a toddler sized protest. 

In the middle of the show, they decided to lay across the red carpet, disallowing the entrance of our dear Sydney Lee in her newest ensemble.  Was it Sydney Lee's leather shoes?  Were these two kids opposed to using animal products in clothing?  Did they consider this slave labor, since Sydney Lee is obviously underage? What could their motivations possibly be?  Oh yeah, they're two.  Enough said already.

Just as at the end of every great fashion show, the designer (and doll owner) walked the red carpet with her dear model.  Amidst the clapping and cheering, a deep love of fashion bloomed within my little girl's heart.

And then they got hugs and congratulations from the crowds of admiring onlookers.

After the show, the stage and entrance turned back into a playhouse.  Maybe this is what those two crazy toddlers wanted in the first place!

Slip 'n Slide

Again, no pictures will be posted on today's blog, since my subjects all happen to be nude at the moment.  And posting pictures of them would be highly inappropriate.  I tell myself this over and over, and yet I am still tempted to post just one little nude buns picture.  I know, I know, it's wrong, I won't.

Let me set the scene:

My four kids are all nude.  They are running, no hurtling, towards the new $5 WalMart special Slip 'N Slide Danny bought today.  They are taking turns, but it is clear to all that somebody could get hurt at any moment.  The two year old babies have become quite unexpectedly good at the whole Slip 'N Slide action.  They run and slide all the way to the end.  That is the goal you know, sliding all the way to the end.  Sliding to the end is a cause for great celebration.

I, however, am not outside. I am sitting in my beautiful kitchen.  I am enjoying a warm bowl of vegetable beef stew, munching a piece of whole grain toast, and marveling at how good it feels to have a moment of peace during the day time.  Is a $5 Slip 'N Slide the cost of a moment's peace?   I'll take ten.

Clean Eating

It may be surprising with this particular title,  but this blog entry isn't about the kids.

I have been trying a new way of eating for the past few days.  It is called Clean Eating.  For those of you who haven't heard of it, Clean Eating at its most basic level is eating foods as close to the source as possible.  Think, lots of veggies, fruits, whole grains, meats and natural dairy products.  If the food has been messed with, like has had tons of additives, colors, sugars, and even preservatives, it is not considered Clean.  According to the Eat Clean diet plan, I eat six times per day, and the meals and snacks always include a lean protein and a complex carbohydrate.  This eating style definitely views food as fuel, not a way to entertain, pacify, or treat yourself.  Also, refined sugar is basically the devil.  No refined sugars or flours are allowed.  Ever!!

So how on earth did I stumble upon this diet plan?  I was shuffling through Target the other day, noticing how awful I felt and looked.  I haven't felt energized, joyful, or fully rested for about two years now.  Hmmmmm.....the twins are two years old, I wonder if there's a correlation?  No, it couldn't be.

Anyway, I always take a good solid look at the book department.  Since Target and Costco are pretty much the only places here to buy books, other than ordering on Amazon, Target gets a lot of my business.  I was looking at cookbooks, which I happen to collect (you'd think I'd make the connection: why, oh why can't I lose this weight?  Oooooh!  A cookbook all about cheesy, gooey comfort food?  I'll take it!), and before I could grab the 365 Ways to Make Macaroni and Cheese, there it was.

Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Diet Re-Charged!  The author, Tosca, has a pretty incredible story.  Long story short, she had been pretty thin her whole life, gained weight over three pregnancies, then as a 40 year old mom, decided to shuck her old lifestyle and mom jeans to become a professional bodybuilder!  I kid you not.  At 42 she entered a body building/fitness contest!  She is now 50 and looks 30.  OK, better than 30, since I'm 30, but after all the stretching my poor skin has done in the last five years, I am certainly not even close to a model for a thirty year old figure.

She became my new role model before I'd even bought the book.  Just staring at her face in the bottom of my cart made me walk a little straighter.

So I've been following her whole Eat Clean ideology for six days now.  I have lost 4 1/2 pounds and I feel so good!  I still wake up a little groggy, since it's not possible to get enough sleep around here, but once I am out of bed, I am charged up and full of energy!  I sit straighter, voluntarily do lunges around the house, and complete a full sit-up routine once per day.  My eyes see sharper, my skin feels softer and looks clearer, and my stomach is flatter!

I know this is only six days, but it's amazing what effect this has had on my life so far.  I haven't had refined sugar or flour or soda for six days.  I have been able to stay away from processed foods almost completely.  I went to the grocery store today and had a totally different experience.  I loaded up the cart with tons of veggies and fruits, non-fat plain yogurt, lean ground turkey and bison (which she recommends, I am kind of scared, but I'm going to try it!), eggs, brown rice, and more of my new healthy staples.

I came home and made a homemade beef stew chock full of squash, tomatoes, carrots, cabbage, celery and potato.  The kids loved it!!!  G actually asked for seconds!  E ate every bite!  Cubby gobbled up every veggie without a single complaint!  J.D. was the only hold-out.  He preferred the warm buttermilk biscuits to the homemade stew, but hey,  I got three out of four!!

I actually felt kind of guilty knowing that the kids would so easily eat the veggie laden soup.  I have been making quesadillas and chicken nuggets for years now thinking that's all they'd eat!  Ugh.  OK, the guilt is gone, I'm moving onwards and upwards!!

Four Little Life Vests

Danny and I took the kids for a boat ride.  Now the kids have only had one other boat experience before this one.  Actually, I take that back.  The babies have never before been on a boat. This was their maiden  voyage.  

The girls, however, have been on the harbor cruise in San Diego.  The harbor cruise is basically a house floating on the water, which, from the girls' perspective, is sort of lame.  They could barely see the water, people were everywhere, and they definitely didn't feel any rolling or boat swaying.  They were kind of disappointed with that boating adventure.   

So during our stay in the mountains, Danny and I decided to give them a simpler, more basic watercraft experience.

Ahhhhh. The peace and serenity of the open water took us back to simpler times.  Times when kids didn't scream when parents wrenched them into life vests.  To times when a kid was happy just gazing out across the water.  And finally, it took us back to times when six people in a tiny motor boat sounded absolutely wonderful.  

Not really.  It was a typical Walker family event.  Little G looks bored, but she really enjoyed hanging her little hand over the side of the boat (with mom's hand firmly gripping her life vest's strap) to drag her fingers through the water.

The girls truly enjoyed the boat ride.  I truly enjoyed the gray day.  It had rained before we took the little boat out, and the sky was overcast and marvelous for taking pictures.

J.D. remained calm and happy for a short time.  He quickly realized that he was not belted into the boat, and proceeded to attempt escape at every opportunity.  Luckily, I kept my hand gripped on his life vest, and my little man didn't come close to diving into the chilly water.  Is it odd that I am so proud of that?  

Boats are rented by the day, but 45 minutes of boating was plenty for the Walkers!  After we finished up the boat ride, I made the kids walk the plank!  The gang plank up to the dock, that is.  

"Chicks and ducks and geese better scurry..."  Sorry, a few remnants of Oklahoma! will always remain at the front of my brain.  Thanks mom and dad.  Anyway, the ducks and geese were hungry, but not too aggressive.  

Except this guy.  He had a real attitude!  Just kidding, he was great.  No nips or squawks or flapping of wings, just a handful of kids feeding crackers to some fat geese.  

Giddy Up!

My girls love horses.  This is not by accident.  Their infatuation is the result of yet another highly orchestrated plan on my part for them to share the same hobbies and interests as me.  I am open for other interests, of course, but I do a little steering toward my intended directions as well.  

The girls have ridden on the pony ride at the fair a couple of times, but that's about the extent of their horse riding experiences. I take that back.  My sister, Ayron, queen of all party entertaining, hired a gal to bring a pony and a donkey to her hubby's birthday party one year.  Cubby rode that pony for about an hour straight.  Since she and E were the main riders, they got all the chances they wanted, and Cubby felt quite at home atop that tiny saddle.  Watching her up there, I was in heaven.  

So, when we changed our plans to a vacation in the mountains, I immediately called the local stables.  One stable provided a trail ride for kids.  The small horses are led by hand through shady, winding trails, while the kids hang on and enjoy the scenery.  

I located the stables, made the appointment, and we were off.  Minus the proper riding gear.  Oh well.  I didn't bring jeans or boots (since I don't own any boots for the kids) to summer vacation!

The girls seemed to feel a little unsure at first.  

But once on top of the horse, they did just fine.  E's horse was named Angel, which made E very happy.

Cubby's horse was a little Arabian named Medallion.  I made Cubby say that name a thousand times, she said it so dang cute!

Once the girls felt comfortable, it was time to start the trail ride.  I tagged along on foot to make sure they were OK, plus somebody had to take pictures!  

It started to feel a lot longer than a 30 minute trail ride.

I sort of fell behind at one point.  

Then I caught up to take this picturesque shot.  

E was very happy riding Angel.  She told me later that she was pretending to be a princess taking a ride through the forest.  Somehow, I already knew that.

At last we made it back to the stables.  E had a great ride.  She confidently rode Angel, asked questions of the owner, and gripped that saddle horn with a vengeance!  Once she had dismounted she informed me that her new hobby is horseback riding.  As soon as she said that, my heart did a little pitter-patter.  Imagine that!  

Cubby didn't want to dismount.  Ever.  She felt completely at home and comfortable with Medallion.  She could have ridden off into the sunset if it hadn't been for her pesky mom dragging her off the saddle.  

My two junior horsewomen proved brave enough to ride on horseback for close to an hour.  I heard no complaints, whines, or cries.  As we left, I asked the owner if she had any horses for sale.  To Danny's relief, she didn't, but I've got my feelers out there for a sweet, kid friendly horse for my girls to get started on a lifelong love of horses.   Giddy Up!!

Hike Their Legs Off!

My parents own a cabin in what may be the most beautiful place in the world.  That's just my opinion.  I simply love this place.  And I have completely and shamelessly brainwashed my four children into believing the same exact thing.  I call it "our little heaven on earth," and the kids treat it and talk about it as such.  

The mountains were the perfect place for the four kiddos and my mom to hang out.  But what should we do with all these kids for six days in the mountains?  My mom and I laid out our plans carefully during the winding drive from the coast to the mountains.  While the kids sang along to the new VBS CD they'd already memorized, mom and I whispered ideas and schemes for the mountain vacation.  It was an uncomplicated, but surefire plan.  

Here's the gist of our stealthy plan for how to survive with four under five in the mountains for six days:  RUN THEIR LEGS OFF.  Yep, that's about it.  So every morning, mom and I would shovel tons of carbohydrates and fluids into their little mouths, then we'd set out for the physical adventure for that day.

The plan worked!  The kids ran and hiked and climbed and played all morning, ate a hearty lunch, napped and relaxed in the afternoons, ate dinner, then played and screamed until bath time.  It was genius.  Pure genius.  

Our first activity was hiking. 

Actually, it was water fountaining.  You've never heard of that activity (or that verb)?  It's a highly used term and activity in the Walker household.  Basically, it means playing in the water fountain until the child is soaking wet, crying, or a combination of the two.  On this particular day, water fountaining served to hydrate the big girls, who were much more interested in hiking than the babies.  

So this trail was completely and utterly deserted and super quiet.  For a person very accustomed to noise, the quiet was disconcerting.  Plus, I had heard all the rattle snake warnings from my mom, or Ranger Donna, as I came to think of her.  "It will sound like a sprinkler, April!"  OK, Ranger, so if I hear a sprinkler starting in the middle of the meadow, I'll know some chipmunk isn't watering his lawn.  Got it.

This is the point in the trail where E started whining.  She is always ready to go back right when Cubby is warmed up.   Cubby is a true hiker; she is her father's daughter.  She sets a good pace, walks with her head up, and despises the person that says, "it's time to head back."  Unfortunately, I am always that person.

Cubby fully enjoyed this moment.  What a magical thing it is to watch a child blow and blow and watch the little seeds float away.  

E wanted to pick wildflowers for a bouquet.  But of course, I was too freaked out about some ranger popping out from behind a log to ticket us for disturbing the park to let that happen!  

I love this picture of E and Cubby.  Look at their faces!  OK, let me set this up for you.  We got to a point in the trail where E couldn't stop whining about wanting to go back to hang out with Ranger Donna.  Cubby, however, wanted to keep going.  I was fine either way, so I decided upon the only fair and balanced method for deciding: Eenie-Meenie-Miney-Mo.   Can you tell who won?  Yep, E was victorious, and Cubby was none too thrilled.  She moped just momentarily, but once back on the trail she was happy again.  

By the way, the hike was a big time success, they hiked their legs off, and slept like babies all night.  As for the babies' sleeping...that's another story.

Summer Vacation...Walker Style

This blog will not include any uploaded photos.  I just wanted to forewarn anyone who prefers to glance at my blog once in a while for the photos only.  I understand all of you not interested in every aspect of the Walker family's daily life enough to read about it all the time!

You see, I am on vacation in the mountains.  My parents' cabin is technologically stuck in well, rustic mountain living time, and does not have internet, or phone access.  So here I sit.  Here I sit at the local pie shop that supplies free high speed internet access.  Ah....free Wi-Fi.  Sorry, that hot chocolate I just downed, along with my half eaten wonder bar have me pretty high in the sky right now!  

I am not supposed to be on vacation in the mountains right now.  Since late May, I had planned to be at the beach with my sister and her two year old daughter, Ellie.  Danny and I took off from the mountains on the fourth of July, the kids singing happily, Danny and I eager to get there and start relaxing, or rather, dream of relaxing, since that doesn't happen in reality with four under five.  Anyway, we left the cool 74 degree breezy weather of the mountains for a cold, overcast and rainy day at the beach.  We unloaded the car, got settled, and Danny and Uncle John drove for home.  The working men had to get back to their respective ranches to bring in the bacon for me and my vacationing sister!  

So Ayron and I were left at the beach with five kids under five.  We were mildly concerned about the damp weather, but we were convinced that it was a fluke.  So we made plans for the next day to keep the kids busy playing outside and enjoying the sights and fun of the beach in July.  That's not what happened.  The next morning was spent shopping for cold weather gear at the nearby outlet mall.  Sweaters and sweatpants and properly fitting shoes were bought for all.  The rain started the next morning, and after two nights of very little sleep, I was recalling the breezy warmth of the mountain cabin.  The kids and I were packed up and in the car in about an hour.   Ayron and her own little E stayed on at the beach, since her hubby was returning early from ranch work.  They enjoyed their time, and despite the weather, had fun at the amusement parks nearby.

We arrived back at the mountains at around noon that day.  The fluttering leaves on the trees greeted us.  The kids tumbled from the car in jubilee at the fine weather.  This morning the munchkins woke early, as farmers' kids do, and after a hearty meal of waffles and eggs, we set out for the lake to take a hike.  

Here are the highlights of our morning:

1.  The hike was shady and cool. 

2.  The girls sang songs and played "password" as we walked.  They don't know this, but I insisted on the singing to scare away snakes. 

3.  Instead of hiking, the babies threw rocks and drenched themselves with water from the drinking fountain.

4.  The grilled cheese sandwiches were a big hit.   

5.  The ducks were more than happy to eat our offerings of corn and soggy french fries.  

6.  Once back at the cabin, the most coveted seat at the house was most definitely the hammock.  The girls won.  

Anyway, I have to say, how lucky am I that when one vacation spot simply doesn't meet out every need, we can pick up and go to a second, just as wonderful vacation spot, free of charge?  Also, I need to mention that my mom came along to help me.  Otherwise I'd be back in the heat of the Valley, yearning to get back into any other weather, even rain at the beach.   

Ring Around the New Rug!

We put in a whole lot of tile during this kitchen remodel.  All of the floors that used to be carpet are now tile.  That results in quite a bit more noise, aching foot arches (mine), and banged up knees and heads (the twins).  

So, I picked out some carpet and had a rug bound.  Danny picked it up today, we laid it out, and I was shocked to see how happy it made the kids.  Apparently, they really missed the carpet.

First, the kids gave hugs all around.

Lots of love.  Lots of hugs.

Then they did the crazy dance and ran in circles.

The circles led to an impromptu game of Ring Around the Rosies,

It went quite well.

Yep, all of my kids were happy, smiling, people at the same time, with each other!!

I was so shocked and excited, I couldn't stop taking pictures.

Then the game turned to the part, "Ashes, ashes, they all fall down..."

And fall down they did.

And then, since J.D. knows a dogpile when he sees one, he totally went for it.  However, he can only truly take advantage of his fellow twin, so he took her down.

She was not thrilled.

But in the end it was ok.  I realized that it has been a long time since I've seen them rolling around on the carpet.  Maybe I need to get a few more rugs around the house!