4th of July/ Great-Grandparent's: Day 3

Trudy was here the last few days to play with the boys while Chris and I had a thing.

I am so tired right now. 'sigh'. Prepare to be underwhelmed with the lack of awesomeness in this post.

4th of July.

Parade.

BBQ.

Fireworks.

Family.

A Good Day.

Tip of the Day:

We took chalk and bubbles to the parade with us so the boys had something to do while we staked our territory waited for the parade to start. They colored stars and wrote "Happy 4th" and Chris even had the brilliant idea to create a huge bulls-eye, which worked wonderfully at attracting candy until the bigger kids that were sitting next to us came over and stood in front of it.

Bubbles are always a hit with my kids.

Anytime.

Anywhere.

It was a little windy, so Chris took the boys over to a parking lot to blow them so they did not blow into the face of the people sitting next to us.

I am not that nice.

We took bubbles to fireworks that night as well. Dolly brought bubble wands for the boys all the way from Atlanta (i am so glad they did not open in her suitcase!) Andy loved them. Nate mistook it for a light saber. We also took a cooler with ice cream sandwiches in it (inspired years ago when Brooke O. took ice cream and root beer and we had root beer floats as we waited for it to get dark enough for the fireworks to start). Brilliant.

I felt like there was a lot of hurry up and wait this year.

Hurry up and get to the parade to get a spot.

Then, wait until it starts.

Hurry up and get to fireworks to get a spot.

And then wait until they start.

I have heard that in WFB you can claim your parade spot starting at 6am.

Just drop your blanket on the curb and it is considered claimed.

Come back a few minutes before the parade starts and it will still be there.

And for fireworks you can claim your spot with a blanket starting at 4pm.

Again, come back a few minutes before fireworks start, and your spot will be there.

I think I am going to give it a try next year...

with an old grungy blanket so no one will dare take it;)

4th of July/ Great-Grandparent's: Day 2

The next day was Sunday.

Andybaby was sick.

Chris and I both had to teach.

I was the only one in town from the YW Presidency, so Chris won that coin toss and took Andy home after sacrament meeting.

Naps.

Lunch.

A.bear's spirits are up and fever is down.

We decide to do our Sunday usual and walk down to the rock beach.

The best parts:

The place was crawling with photographers. I am assuming this is because it was overcast-y, but as I know nothing about photography, that is a complete guess.

We only ever come here with family.

And though the boys have only seen the Greats a handful of times, the whole day just felt like "family". (yes, family is a feeling too).

Nate and Grandpa Rich searched for treasure (pieces of drift wood he thought were bones, etc.)

Grandpa Rich scored big points when he conjured up a CVS bag treasure chest to hold everything.

Grandma Dolly and I tried to skip rocks.

After practicing the tips I learned from Steve I was able to skip one 6 times.

Victory!

Another good day.

4th of July/ Great-Grandparent's: Day1

Chris's grandparents from Atlanta joined us to celebrate Independence Day this year.

We wanted to make them feel right at home.

So did mother nature.

It was the hottest day.

Ever.

True to form, Great-grandma Dolly (the boys just call her Grandma Dolly like we do) got right down on the ground and starting playing with the boys. Great-grandpa Rich (grandpa) took off to wander. (If you can eye-spy him in the picture above, find the white shirt, light tan pants, white hat walking away from the camera by the boy in the red shirt in the middle of the photo). He explained to me that he is an only child and is use to doing his own thing, and doing it when he wants. He likes to have his own personal time. (He tends to watch the boys rather than interact with them).

I forgot the boys' hats, so after returning from his exploration, Rich rigged up this little dandy from his hankerchief. This kid could literally wear a bag on his head (or a snot rag) and still be adorable.

We waved our white flag of surrender to the scalding sand.

Home.

Air conditioning.

Shade.

A nap for Little Bear.

Rich took an hour walk alone.

Dolly and Nate got out the Trees of North America book to identify the big tree in our yard.

She is delightful.

When Rich returned, one simple request,

"Grandpa, come play with me!"

changed the weekend.

A couch watcher who does not get involved no more.

(they played for hours).

SUMMER!

Summer Days

Summer Nights

Last weekend Chris went and bought the boys a blow up pool.

This weekend he build/ painted an outdoor movie screen.

Next week I am hoping for a fire pit.

Or a pony.

Nate said he would ride it to school,

and ToysRUs has their Back-to-school supplies out right now.

I would absolutely consider a pony a back-to-school item.

Today while having a conversation with Nate and Chris about the cool things we would do if we build a house, Chris laughed and said, "See, the difference between you and Nate is that Nate knows this is pretend, but you actually think it's a possibility" (said as a laugh, not an insult)

I am pretty sure his comment would apply to this pony as a back-to-school item as well.

What can I say? I'm a dreamer.

It's worked out pretty well so far;)

June: out with a bang

June 30th is Nate's birthday.

In Chris's family,everyone has a birthday buddy (shares their birth month with another person in the family):

Trudy and Steve: October

Dazi and Jon: March

and then

Chris in June.

I think he always felt a little bit bummed about this as a kid.

When I was pregnant with Nate he really wanted me to have Nate on his birthday.

No such luck.

But I did squeeze him out a week later on the last day of the month.

A birthday buddy. (also Aunt Shelly's (on my mom's side of the fam) birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNT SHELLY!)

I will write Nate a proper birthday post next week.

Right now,

I need to go clean up.

And this room is the cleanest of all of the house.

Happy Birthday Natey - Tatey Totter Tot. I cherish you.

(Maugh-haaaaaaughm, don't call me that. I'm Nathan!)

Check back for new posts next week.

We will be celebrating the 4th with Chris's grandparents who arrive tonight.

How are you celebrating the 4th?

Preferential Treatment

So that was Saturday.

Yesterday the boys started swim lessons.

We were running late and arrived just as classes were starting.

I dropped Nate off at his class and ran over to Andy's class.

Pulled off our clothes and shoes.

Jumped in the pool and grabbed Andy.

Of course, he started screaming.

Mom was running around in a whirlwind and somehow he ended up cold and wet in the pool.

If I would have taken 1/2 a second to think about it, I would have talked to Andy about getting in the pool, dipped our toes in, then had him come to me and get in.

No rewind button, so now I am in a pool with a SCREAMING two year old who want nothing more than to get out of this pool NOW. He starts to climb up my stomach to get out of the water. His foot catches on the top of my swim suit and as he shifts his weight and pushes DOWN... so goes my top.

I kid you not.

I am now standing in a pool in waist deep water flashing the 17 year old male instructor with my un-glamorous, 2-children-later- post-nursing-boobs.

I cup myself with one arm (because I am also holding Andy)quickly turned my back only to flash all of the parents watching lessons (and me) from beach chairs.

Was it daddy drop off day?!

I have never seen so many dads at the pool!

Sheesh!

I have to set Andy on the edge of the pool so that I can replace my top, only drawing more attention to myself.

I put my top (and pride) back in place and return to class like no big deal.

And spent the rest of class keeping Andy's feet a safe distance from my suit.

My favorite comments from friends:

"you should definitely get some free classes out of that"

"maybe you will get preferential treatment now"

I definitely got a lot of smiles from the sidelines from moms, dads and babysitters alike.

Or were they smirks......

I don't care who you are, that's funny right there

Here is why I always travel with a change of clothes for the boys in a zip lock bag.

Or usually do.

It's Saturday night.

The boys have allowance money burning a hole in their pocks.

We decide to walk up to the game store at the mall (which conveniently sells Legos)

Almost there.

Andy declares he has to poop.

No surprise there.

We tell him we are almost there and he can go potty at the mall.

"Okay".

Not wanting to push our luck and get all the way to the mall bathrooms we stop at the first store we pass, Kohl's.

Kohl's customer service, this is not your lucky day.

Or mine.

We enter the stall.

I start to pull down Andy's shorts only to find them caked with poop.

Not a good sign.

Next I peel his undies off of him and you know what I found in there.

I think I started saying something like, "ahhhh ahhh oh man Andy! Andy! Andy!"

I think Andy said something like, "there's poop!"

(and of course, the stalls are full of people)

After the initial panic I kick in to mom-mode.

I take off his shoes.

Peel off the shorts.

Peel off the undies (which caused poop to spread all the way down to his ankle. There was so much and it was all over, there was no clean way to get about this.)

I set the undies on top of the shorts as to not get poop all over the floor too.

Unfortunately, my precautions were needless. Andy had bumped into the wall and toilet multiple times as he balanced on one leg while I undressed him.

Poop everywhere.

And he says he has to poop still.

Seriously?!

I quickly put him on the toilet.

Oh no!

I hadn't wiped Andy off!

Now the toilet is COMPLETELY covered in poop.

I tell Andy to STAY THERE!

Luckily, one of those unfortunate bistanders in the bathroom was a Kohl's employee. I asked her to have Chris paged back here. (I wonder if she had pieced together what was going on).

Chris came back.

"GO BUY UNDIES AND SHORTS!"

(I forgot to add "on sale")

Ugh! Remember how I always pride myself in carrying extra emergency clothes for the boys in a plastic ziplock for occasions just as such.

Not today.

Okay.

Go team.

Done pooping (no, there was not actually any left in him)

At least I brought my baby wipes.

Scrub Andy from the waste down.

Use 1/2 a package of wipes.

He's clean.

Nate delivers the goods.

Get Andy dressed.

Send him out with Nate.

I tossed Andy's old undies in the garbage and his shorts in the Kohl's bag

(after I rinsed them out in the sink- super gross, I know. Sorry Kohl's janitorial service. I did wipe out the sink with 3 baby wipes though).

I will be honest.

I contemplated just leaving right then.

Leaving that poop bomb for someone else to deal with.

But I couldn't.

I went to work scrubbing the walls, toilet and floor of that stall with the other 1/2 of that baby wipes package.

I don't think I will ever go in to one of the "small stalls" again. It is so hard to maneuver in emergency situations such as this in a tiny 3x4 space. Totally not your fault you bumped in to every surface spreading your poop everywhere, Andy. THESE STALLS ARE TOO SMALL!

When I was satisfied with my cleaning job, I washed my hands and tossed the Kohl's bag back to Chris.

I needed to go potty (not that kind).

And no, I did not use that stall.

Oh, and it get's better.

When I came out of the bathroom for the final time Chris points to the floor.

A big brown glop.

"Is that..."?

"yeah and people keep stepping in it"

sure enough there were track marks all over the store.

I thought about getting the wipes back out but Chris told me he notified Customer Service.

I asked if he told them what it was.

He said no

I said "then let's get out of here"

And we followed the poop tracks back to the door.

(The reason it was the best decision to go to Kohl's... what would I have done if we were in the food court bathroom?.... I didn't even have a blanket to wrap his naked bum in... I guess I could have used my scarf...)

Family Reunion

For the last 10+ years the Ott Family Coon Feed has been hosted by my mom. For this reason, I make it a priority to attend (sadly, not sure if I would otherwise). Ott is my mom's maiden name. I believe the reason it's called a Coon Feed is because my mom's dad and his brother's hunted coon. I have heard rumors that my grandpa put his kids through college by selling coon skins. Either way, my grandpa was a big hunter. They keep tradition and always have bbq coon burgers (which I hear tastes just like chicken;) and a fish fry.

This was the first year since my grandpa passed away. The baton has successfully been passed.

The Otts are incredibly close-knit. Mom mom's siblings travel all over to attend every mission farewell and every wedding. We gather for baby blessings, baptisms, graduations, birthdays. Growing up we spent our spring breaks and summer vacations traveling to visit family. I spent a month every summer with my cousin Anne Marie. I attended EFY more than once with 3 cousins: Wendy, Jessie and Anne Marie. All 4 of us went to college together in Provo. I could do a whole post on my girl cousins (and the wives of my boy cousins).

They are some of my dearest friends.

This did not happen by chance.

Our parents sacrificed a lot to make sure we had those bonds.

We have learned through their example that family is the most important thing in life.

"small group" this year. Missing most of my cousins

***

Now we are the parents.

And it's our turn to replicate that magical childhood for our children and their cousins.

To strengthen them.

To support them.

To encourage them.

To enliven them.

I think it's working.

This is Andee.

She's my new BFF.

And such an inspiration to me.

(yes, that's frosting)

p.s. I was so glad this guy could be here this year, after missing last year.

p.p.s. This is exactly what it looks like.