Tuesday – 30 July 2013
Here we go again…
This week is light on the pictures, but there is a video. So, things kind of balance out.
Vanessa at rest… mostly.
Diana, at rest…
Pretty maids, all in a row.
And, since all of these pictures have the little ladies being (relatively) still, here’s a little something with them in motion. A lot of motion.
Namaste.
Tuesday – 23 July 2013
Here we go again…
Last night, Sara! told me that Diana took some of her Mega Blox, put them together, hoisted them into the air and said, “Kite!” (Of course she knows what a kite is, she’s my daughter after all.) Following this, she took four blocks, stacked them and did he same thing, but this time, she said, “Rocket ship!” That’s my kid.
Vanessa (l), Diana
This happened the other night, during dinner. Completely unsolicited. Completely adorable.
The girls, being “somewhat” inquisitive lasses, like to push buttons and to turn lights off and on. Last week, I decided to test a theory. I built the circuit below – the first circuit that I’ve built in many years:
Three LEDs, connected to three buttons. Press a button and the corresponding light glows. I figured that I’d see how they liked it. Apparently, they like it quite a bit. They play with it whenever they’re downstairs watching Team Umizoomi.
Over the past couple of weeks, the girls’ preferred bedtime song has been “The Monkey Song,” from Animaniacs.
It’s become the new nightly ritual; they will ask for it before heading to their cribs for “Quiet Crib Time.”
And that’s all for now.
Namaste.
Wednesday – 17 July 2013
Day late, but worth the wait.
No post would be complete without a selfie…
I came home to this last Wednesday or Thursday…
Sara! and Diana at the “Run Through the Lavender 5k”
Vanessa and Rob at the “Run Through the Lavender 5k”
Sharing Cheerios… with the floor.
Namaste.
Sunday – 14 July 2013 Monday – 15 July 2013
This past weekend was eventful and mostly good.
Saturday, we got up at ridiculous o’clock to head down to the Young Living Lavender Farm for the Run Through the Lavender 5k – our fourth consecutive year doing the event. This year, like last year, we decided to strap Team DiVa into carriers and walk – yeah, there would be no running – the course with them on our backs. (Last year, we wore them on our chests.)
Sara! and Diana
Rob and Vanessa
We were just around the corner from the starting line when the gun went off, which is much better than last year when we didn’t even know where the starting line was. I knew that I wasn’t going to beat or match last year’s time, so I set a simple goal: Not to be the last person across the finish line.
We turned the corner and were on our way. The course was roughly the same as last year – uphill from the start, mostly flat while parallel to I-15, then winding back and forth on the way downhill to the finish line. And along the way, this was the view:
An hour later:
Vanessa and I finished in 1:00:51, Diana and Sara! finished in 1:00:53. Not bad for carrying “running buddies” along the course. It probably goes without saying that we we tired by time the race was done.
And, I met my goal.
We made it back home and spent the rest of the day in. I spent the better part of the morning trying (somewhat unsuccessfully) to stave off a nap. When the girls went down for their nap, I decided to give in…
…only to be awakened by the postman, just as I had started to nod off. I got the mail and went back inside for Nap: Round 2. I had a fitful nap, but I got some rest. The afternoon was mercifully uneventful.
In the evening, the in-laws came over to watch the girls so that Sara! and I could head up to the Deer Valley Music Festival and see Arturo Sandoval preform with the Utah Symphony:
Our enjoyment of the show was made even better by the fact that we sat in the reserved section. Eleventh row. Dead center stage.
Our enjoyment was somewhat diminished by the fact that it started raining. A little.
Then more steadily.
Then a lot. A whole lot. Enough that maybe 1/3 to 1/2 of the audience bailed before intermission.
At the intermission, we went into the lodge to get some coffee and warm up a little. Both of these were good things. By the time that intermission was over, the rain had passed. The second half of the concert was great, as well. And much drier.
Sunday was a relatively quiet day around the house. I took care of Team DiVa, as Sara!’s back was bothering her. It wound up bothering her enough for her to visit the InstaCare. She came back home and rested; the girls and I just hung out and played. Sara!’s back got bad enough later in the day that we wound up going to the ER. Five hours – and two prescriptions – later, we were back at home. (With HUGE thanks to the in-laws for coming over to watch the little ladies and get them to bed.) After a quick bite to eat and doing the dishes, it was time to collapse into bed.
Namaste.
Wednesday – 10 July 2013
Welcome to the middle of the week.
After a less-than-stellar start to the work week, things seem to be picking up steam. I’m good with that.
Today is also Movie Date Night… and it’s my turn to pick a movie. I should probably try to come up with an idea of what we’re going to watch.
This weekend, Sara!, Team DiVa and I are running participating in the Young Living Farms Run Through the Lavender 5k on Saturday. This year will be our fourth time doing it. (“It’s tradition!”) My time was better last year than in 2011 – even with my running buddy strapped to my chest…
…but I am fairly certain that I’m going to lose a few minutes this year, as my running buddy has gotten a little bigger. Not big enough to walk it herself, though – she’ll be on my back. Still, it should be fun. Aside from waking up at O’dark-thirty to be at the starting line on time. My goal: To not be the last person across the finish line. I’m Ivory Soap sure that I can accomplish this goal.
Speaking of “kids in backpacks,” we figured that we should test drive walking around with Team DiVa in their carriers as backpacks, rather than chest packs. It’s been… six months, at least, since they’ve been in the carriers. So, we expected some reluctance.
Vanessa made it immediately known that she was having none of this foolishness, with immediate cries of “Get down! Get down!”
*sigh*
Diana was a little more accommodating. A little. She made it about thirty seconds before she decided that she wasn’t going to put up with being in a carrier, either.
Round 1 – Carriers: 0, Team DiVa 1
We were eventually able to convince Diana to try again. And she stayed put. Not surprisingly, Vanessa was more willing to get in her carrier after seeing that it wasn’t as doom-laden as she had made it out to be.
And with that, we set off for a lap around the block. It went pretty well. By the time we completed our circuit, we decided to walk a little further, so we walked over to the cul-de-sac a block over. Still no problems. In fact, the girls seemed to have a decent time of it.
After getting the girls to bed, I watched another episode of David Tennant’s Doctor Who and stayed up later than I should have watching Leon: The Professional. Good movie.
Stray Toasters
Namaste.
Tuesday – 09 July 2013
New week, new post.
The girls are over their summer colds and back on the beat.
Playing in the back yard…
Diana, Fourth of July 2013
Vanessa, Fourth of July 2013
Hanging out in the back yard…
Watching “The Monkey Song” (from ‘Animaniacs) before bed time…
And… a couple of videos, too:
Namaste.
Thursday – 04 July 2013
It’s Independence Day in America.
And, as it’s a traditional favorite of mine:
I hope that everyone has a safe and enjoyable holiday.
Please take time to remember that there’s more to the day than just fireworks and sales.
Namaste.
Wednesday – 03 July 2013
Yes, I know it’s Wednesday.
And that TDVT was yesterday.
And that this post is (roughly) 24 hours overdue.
You know what?
Doesn’t change a thing. (Well, aside from the date, that is.)
So, rather than argue if I can still call this a TDVT post or not, how ably we just get on with the pictures?
Diana (l) and Vanessa at the grocery store…
Playing with the splash pad… and sticks!
In the backyard at Gumbi and Papi’s house…
Why, yes, I’d love a bite!
Namaste.