Pete the Panda inspires . . .

Thursday night we got to host Pete the Panda.  Pete's backpack contained not only his toothbrush and jammies, but also his own pillow and blanket.  Deacon was inspired.  At rest time, after Bryce lovingly laid Pete down on said pillow and covered him up with said blanket, Deacon was not to be outdone.  The kitchen played host to his crazy menagerie of stuffed pals: each tucked into his own cradle, and covered by his own tissue blanket. 
Later Phil helped Deacon fashion tissue clothes for the bears--Deacon wanted them to be "just like Pete!"
My favorite part was when Bryce somehow sweettalked me into a full screening of Kung Fu Panda, "'Cuz Pete's a panda, Mom!"

After rest time, Deacon took to the boys' new swing--hours of fun, and so far no concussions [fingers crossed].

Scambled Eggs

You never know what activity will inspire monkey-see, monkey-do.

Rototillerers

Sunday was a lovely day, and following a not-so-good-as-we'd-remembered lunch at Cougar Country, Phil got the bug to start a vegetable garden. As you can see the boys' scooters quite easily morphed into matching red rototillers, and in no time our broccoli, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, green onions, and carrots were planted.
While they were up to this I was up to napping on the sofa . . . ah, Sundays!

Thank You Nitro Circus

 

They have only watched this a couple times (on mute no less), but apparently Bryce didn't register the whole "don't try this at home" part.

Since the four wheeler isn't set up to drive if the driver's foot is off the pedal (so glad those toy makers have some sense), when I caught Bryce doing his favorite new trick it was a la standstill. He would drive around the yard, stop, and then very quickly pose--always with an ear to ear smile. Cutie-pie tough-guy.

Little Helpers

 

Bryce is booming with a fantastic enthusiasm for helping, and I've been trying to focus on having him do tasks that he can accomplish solo and that help emphasize how capable he is(otherwise he sees the help Deacon is getting as special attention and all of a sudden Bryce needs help with his socks!). Bryce's list of "can do's" is ever growing.

Reading a friend's blog I realized that other four year olds were emptying the dishwasher--so we've eased in with the flatware, and Bryce is quite proud. He's such an observant kid that as he sorts flatware, he narrates my sorting of the other items, "You're going to put that in the pantry, right?" "Those go up high, right?" "That's my cocoa cup, right?"

And of course the boys love teaming up to bake cookies. The KitchenAid makes just the right amount of noise to intrigue, and they are so careful to always ask, and keep fingers far away from the moving parts. They have such cheerful attitudes about hard work, and nearly always elect to help me stir, mix and chop (using that "onion chopper" thingy that they get to pound down) unless Phil is working outside and they need to help.

So yes, cooking alone is faster, less messy and pretty much a sure bet . . . but it's so boring. I mean what can compare with that casserole within which Deacon had secreted Goldfish crackers? Or the time that Bryce tasted sliced mushrooms and then carefully returned them to the chicken pot pie filling (since I couldn't identify them, I just thought that 350 degrees would kill any yuckiness, but no worries, no company that night).

I hope our boys' heads are filled up with joyful kitchen experiences. I have a wealth of cooking memories from my days of step-stool cooking, making: chocolate-carmel-pecan turtles with Grandma Jeanne, homemade pasta with Dad, cookies with Great-Grandma, everything under the sun with my terribly patient mother, and then as an adult really learning to cook in my twenties from roommates and Grandma Bev.

The boys like to recite a list of boys do/girls do, that includes, "girls wear pink", "only boys can fight 'cuz it's ugly when girls fight" (thank Narnia), "girls wear make up", "only naughty boys wear earrings", "boys and girls can hunt" (thank Phil who's trying to get me to don the camo), and the most applicable to this post, "girls and boys cook".

2nd Gear

 

Bryce has turned out to be such an adept driver that tonight Phil gave him more speed by taking the safety off of 2nd gear. Bryce did just great (and we're going to start calling him Ricky Bobby). He mimicked all of Phil's four-wheeler moves: standing up to go up hills, bouncing in his seat, turning his body with the curves. Truly a monkey see monkey do moment.
And . . .
Yes, Deacon is wearing Elmo slippers (that was faster than sock & shoes) . . . he wasn't going to be walking anyway.
Yes, Deacon has chocolate on his face.
Yes, Deacon is wearing Bryce's jacket (that likewise is too big for Bryce).
No, it's not raining or snowing--they just wanted to wear their new hats.

You Really Don't Have to Teach Them How to Dance

 

Yesterday was the lovely wedding of Josh Davis and Kristen Hagen. Everything about it was just perfect: the bride, the groom, the weather, the decorations and the reception . . . but most importantly (to me) my wonderful husband babysat the boys all afternoon while I was busy doing bridal party photos and the ceremony. Then he arrived for the reception with two perfectly dressed little boys--save Deacon's too-short pants that I had "over-hemmed" earlier in day.
Like I said the reception was fantastic, and the second half featured some fast paced dance music. Though too shy to hit the actual dance floor with me (phew, I'm sure Phil was relieved) the boys each got down in their own way on the side yard. Deacon danced in one spot with his legs firmly planted so that his little body could catch each and every beat. Bryce did some full-bodied moves that traversed the entirety of the knoll on which he'd planted himself (for a good view of the action).
Luckily I saw someone else snag a shot of the boys, and that reminded me to grab the camera--now I have blackmail material. I'm glad to have gotten the shots then, because soon afer we left the reception due to Deacon's severe coughing fit; which, of course, ended as soon as we were in the car.
Some of the wedding guests were from Santa Cruz (Kristen's new home), and one of my old college roommates and her husband were amoung those guests--and we had a great time catching up with them today at brunch. Next time they'll have to bring Leif and Ryle!

Camp Stove

 

Phil bought and set up a new camp stove, and before you could say firestarter the boys had assembled a little camp stove of their very own. I had to use my super-zoom camera lens, because their fire was apparently blazing away, and if I ventured too close I heard a chorus of, "Mommy stay back. Careful Mommy. Fire's hot! Fire's hot!"
It's pretty darn cute to see them copy Phil--and I'm sure it keeps him on his toes!

For You Mommy

This evening as I was cleaning up the kitchen, Bryce bounded into the kitchen. He'd brought me a lovely teeny-tiny daisy and said, "I picked this for you Mommy!" A first--and I was super smiley about it, immediately adding it to a bud vase of salvaged geraniums blooms (yesterday some potted plants were karate chopped).

No doubt seeing my positive reaction, Deacon felt moved to bestow a gift, and so in no time he'd brought me a gift too: a brimming bucket full of water with the words, "I get it for you Mommy!"

Ice Cream for Woodcutters

Yesterday the wood pile was thoroughly attacked by all three guys. While Phil split wood--in close but safe proximity--Bryce and Deacon set to work with some new tools from their cousins. Bryce used the pliers to peal off bark he couldn't grasp with his hands, while Deacon hammered away. If Phil happened to breathe heavily they followed suit, like little grunting echos. The kids were also very encouraging, and were quick to tell Phil, "Good job!" or "You did it!" if he managed a piece with extra finesse. Later we hit the valley for a Costco run, with ice cream afterward. Here's Deacon taking a breather.

"I hold the bars"

Tonight Bryce and Deacon enjoyed their first four-wheeler rides. Their reactions were so positive, that a second (joint) ride was a must! Bryce was thrilled, and other than waving at me with a huge grin, also adopted the catchphrase, "I hold the bars", varying his intonation to first request, than declare, then share his experience. Deacon was delighted, but demonstrated his enjoyment with a very intense little face. Phil was absolutely thrilled that they didn't mind the noise--apparently it added to the ambiance . . . a very fun first!