It's a stupid question. Really.

Last night I asked the kids what they wanted to have for dinner.
"MARSHMALLOWS," they screamed.

I had to admire the simplicity... and the fact that they knew exactly what they wanted... they also wanted them for lunch... they've wanted marshmallows all the time ever since we got back from our camp trip. I was so tired I actually considered tossing them the bag and telling them to knock themselves out. Then I thought about trying to put two kids with an extreme sugar high to bed and it just made me want to cry. So I took a deep breath and told them we'd be having grilled teriyaki chicken with rice and baby carrots (the only healthy meal I could come up with that required minimal effort - leftovers - but, technically not for them) and they were all upset and whiny... as expected... as if I were offering dog food.

Anyway, I set down these really lovely plates of food and, of course, once they started eating they kept going on and on about how much they love carrots, and Alex kept saying, "I really love this chicken dipped in the sauce -it's yummy", and Max was inhaling the rice saying, "this is just too good!"

Then I made the mistake of trying to talk to them about being thankful for food and how lucky we were to be eating such a nice meal and that lots of people in the world weren't so lucky. Max was looking at me with these huge eyes and I thought he was really interested in what I was saying. Then he kept making all kinds of other weird-non-appropriate expressions with his face and I realized that he was completely bored with me and was just trying to entertain himself. He does that often.

But for some reason (I desperately miss adult conversation -it's been almost two weeks since Dan's been gone) I went on and on about food and then it morphed into how I grew up with Tang (which I actually thought was orange juice) and Shake-n-Bake chicken (which I actually thought was BBQ chicken)... and how Tootie didn't cook much so a lot of times we just had cereal for dinner and I thought for sure Max would shout, "I love cereal for dinner!" because that's what we had the night before and it's a pretty rare thing here so he liked the novelty; but instead he just looked at me with these tired eyes that said, "shut-it, woman and just let me eat." So I did... and at that point they had completely forgotten about the marshmallows... and it was bedtime.

I totally cannot win.

So the other day I was trying to get shoes on Alex and slammed right into a brick wall.

Me: "How about your running shoes?"
Alex: "No."
Me: "How about your pink crocs?"
Alex: "No."
Me: "How... about... your gel shoes?"
Alex: "No."
Me: "Those orange sandals that Max used to wear - you like those!"
Alex: "No. I don't want to wear ANY of those shoes. I DON'T WANT ANY SHOES!!!."
Me: *shit*

Ding. Ding. Ding. Then I remembered this pair of sandals we bought for her a few months ago - incase she outgrew her other ones over the summer - and also because when she saw them in the store I knew we wouldn't be leaving them behind without a very long, loud protest - she fell in love with the pink and red flowers - and I was really tired - and they were only a couple of bucks.



I was so happy and pleased with myself - we had to go - it was getting late - and she needed shoes. I thought phew! crisis averted.

Me: "Oh, I know Alex... let's try those new pink and red sandals that are in the closet."
Alex: "OH, OKAY. OHHHH. I LOVE THOSE SHOES!!!"

So we put them on her and she was excited beyond belief to be wearing them. And then she took a couple of steps and started screaming that they weren't right!

Me: "What's not right?!"
Alex: "THIS!"
Me: "WHAT?!"
Alex: "This part - pointing to where her toes were." "FIX IT!"

Her toes were touching the pink part and she only wanted them to be on the red. When she pushed her heels back they were just on the red but every time she took a couple of steps they landed on the pink. She started freaking out.

Me: "I'm sorry. I can't fix that. That just happens. Your toes must want to be on the pink - they keep moving over there."

Alex just stares at me. What the...? I'm completely desperate. I even made up a stupid silly song about her toes touching the pink. She just kept stomping her feet and screaming.

Me: "Do you want to take them off?"
Alex: "NO."

Last resort. I told her to go show Daddy.

Me: "I bet Daddy will LOVE those shoes. Go show him how pretty they are."
Alex: (laughing through her tears... she liked that idea) "Okay. Ya, because he will really like these."

And then she was fine.
*thank god for Daddy*

Sand Dunes

Max climbing his way out of a super steep hole.


Alex at the top of High Dune.


Dan and Max running down High Dune. (Max climbed the whole way up!)


Playing in Medano Creek.

I have to admit, I've been slow to embrace the whole car-camping concept. Given the choice, I prefer backpacking to a secluded spot in nature over sleeping in - basically - parking lots with trees. But the kids - and this place - have definitely changed me. From the moment they got out of the car, they had so much fun! I almost think you could pitch a tent in an actual parking lot and they'd have the time of their lives. They just love the novelty of it all. It didn't even matter to them if it was raining, windy, cold, hot, swarming with mosquitos... they rolled with it all and really enjoyed themselves! It was awesome.

Breakfast

I love this picture of her. She's really starting to look like a little girl... and there's nothing like a chocolate filled croissant for breakfast.

Barefoot Bliss

The other day I was outside with Alex repotting tomato plants. She saw all of the worms in the compost I was using and became so excited. She loves worms. She loves to hold them... and hug them... and kiss them... and talk very softly to them. She'll even carry them around for hours - showing them different things in the yard.

So I gave her two. She wanted a big one and a baby one. "Hi, Sweeties," she said. They sat very still in her tiny hand. "Mommy, why are they not moving?" Maybe they're sleeping. "Yes, I think they are," she whispered.

Standing in the sunlight - wind gusts blowing her golden hair around - she cradled the worms in her hands, rocked them slightly, and started to sing to them - in her most beautiful, gentle, soothing voice - Frere Jacques.

Then she delicately placed them back in the dirt.

Playing With Toys In Every Other Way Than The Way They Were Intended

I think Max is ready to start climbing... or at least he's ready to learn how to not kill himself. This morning he took the jump rope and tied one end around his waist (with a pretty good knot I have to admit) and then proceeded to tie the other end of the rope around the top of the banister (a sort of self belay set-up) to lower himself down the stairs. When I told him that wasn't a good idea, he just huffed, rolled his eyes at the "not safe" part, and went outside and did the same thing on his play set... and ended up dangling in mid-air! He started yelling for help - and this is the scary part - there is always a scary part with Max: he was yelling because the sprinklers were on and he knew the next zone was about to pop up underneath him; not because he happened to be trapped, hanging high above the ground. That was the part he liked!

Toys Are Such a Waste of Money

This contraption on Max's dresser, made of rubber bands we find out by the common mail boxes and hangers from new clothes, is their most favorite toy as of late. Max strums and plucks away while Alex sings extemporaneous songs in her super high singing voice... "Sometimes - when I go into the bathroom - I have to hold my nose - because it stinks - because Mommy pooped. It is very, very stinky - oh so very stinky - when Mommy poops."

Sheer genius.

I can't complain. Really. They'll play like that - without fighting - for a LONG time.