Mmmmm..... Watermelon

How to Go Camping with a Toddler

Plan for naptime to coincide with setting up camp.

Expect a wide range of emotions from toddler as she takes in the unusual new circumstances.

Let her explore the campsite.

Explain and demonstrate that the tent is for sleeping. Allow for practice.

Allow as much time as necessary for toddler to become familiar with tent.

Come prepared with a stroller, baby carrier, or wagon, in order to avoid carrying tired toddler on hikes.

Remain patient and calm during temper tantrums on the trail. Do not tell family and friends that it took 25 minutes to get toddler to move from spot.

Take toddler (still hiccupping from tantrum) to get her feet wet in the river.

Encourage toddler to pretend she is Goldilocks sitting on the Little Small Wee Bear's little small wee chair.

Play tent-flap peekaboo.

Join the rest of humankind (present, past, and future) in the universal ecstasy of staring at fire.

Introduce toddler to mandatory camping procedures, such as S'mores.

Try to duplicate regular bedtime routine as much as possible.

Stare at fire unencumbered by toddler after she goes to sleep.

Come prepared with spatula for pancakes. Forks do not work, despite reassurances that "We'll figure something out."

Be prepared for toddler to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed long before other campers.

Expect a little sadness upon leaving the campsite. Assure toddler that the future is full of more camping adventures!

The past few weeks

These are pictures from my (Bethany's) camera in the past few weeks. I know Zach's camera is somewhere around here with other pictures on it, but naptime will be over before too long, so today I'll just post the pics from my camera.

Katy, Daddy, and Moby Dick (the book, not the whale)

Katy and Daddy all clean and ready for tooth-brushing and book-reading.
The blanket I knitted for Ruby.

Petting a 6 month-old llama. Katy and I were pleased to hear that this llama, almost as big as her mama, is still nursing.

See how many llamas and alpacas were in this barn? You'd think it would be noisy with animals sounds, right? But no. You could hear a pin drop - it was like a silent movie. Eerie that they are so quiet.

These alpaca babies were less than a week old.

In the park behind our house.

Zach flying a kite.

Katy holding Maizy's yucky tennis balls. "Go get, Maizy!" she likes to say, even when Maizy is nowhere around.

Blowing bubbles with Gabby.

Blowing out A-A's birthday candles.

Chillin' with a book.

Chillin' with Wolfie.

Her booster seat was by the door, as we were getting ready to have dinner at a friend's house. She sat there for her snack.

An ice-pack for her goose-egg.

Playing with Play-Doh.

Miss Jane got into her room somehow while she was napping.

The Red Boots

If you have ever spent more than 5 minutes with my mother, then you already know the story of me and the red boots. Yes, I loved my red boots. I even wore them in the summertime. In fact, they were often the only thing I wore, I'm told. So you see, Katy comes honestly by her enthusiasm for being naked. The little cutie next to me is my big brother and constant playmate Jarrod, who is politely ignoring my nudity.

On another topic entirely, did you know that becoming a member of the zoo includes such benefits as swimming with the hippos?

3 weeks of pics

You may have noticed that we haven't blogged for over 3 weeks. We have a lot of pictures to share!

Katy eating blueberries. I found it interesting how she is squatting here. Perfectly balanced, perfectly comfortable, in a position that adults (in our culture) cannot do. When I was in small-town Mexico, I learned that people there crouch like this all their lives, and so they never lose the flexibility. My Mexican friends thought it was funny that I couldn't do it. I am jealous - it's a very efficient position to be in if you have work to do on the ground. Or eat blueberries from a bowl on the floor.

Daddy took Katy to the zoo while Mommy was at work. This is Katy's famous "smile". She can smile, obviously, but when you *ask* her to smile, this is what you get.

Katy hangin' with the zebras. She actually says "hangin' with Daddy, hangin' with Mommy." It's cute.

Hangin' with the giraffes.

We had a really warm day, and I sat out on the deck with Katy while she played with water. She gets all serious, like she's performing brain surgery.

This looked like some strange ritual she was doing. I asked her what she was doing, and she just said "No," in a tone that said "Stop bothering me, Mom."

Laying her clothes out to dry in the sun.

Zach's 30th birthday party! He got many thoughtful gifts, only a few of which are showcased here on the blog.

See the felted wool lunchbag his adoring wife made him? I even put a Z on it! (Ruby, your blanket is almost done! I haven't forgotten about you, honey!)

His parents framed his master's degree diploma.

Katy reading with A-A at Zach's birthday dinner.

Katy helping Daddy blow out the candle.

Katy figured out that banana slices make great yogurt-scoopers!

She also figured out that two forks are better than one!