This magic moment

So Saturday Rich said, "tomorrow I want to make sure Charlotte gets a good nap, because I want to keep her up late enough to see the fireflies."  We had a great father's day dinner and headed out to the porch to enjoy the sunset and start watching for fireflies.  For a little while we didn't think any would be out. Then slowly we started to see them.  We live at the top of a big hill that goes down into a meadow/park area with no houses.  So at first we saw a few light up in the distance then more and more started to show up.  Then all of a sudden they were everywhere.  It was one of those moments where you can hardly take it all in.  It is so peaceful and exciting and maybe just kind of spectacular.  Charlotte was yelling, "I see anoverone (another one) Nana!!!" whenever they came close to us. She was calling them to us, "come on lightening bugs, come here fireflies."  Is was so precious!  The trees down in the meadow looked like they had their own solar system with a billion stars all twinkling and sparkling off the hiney of these bugs. The air was still and warm and there was no other sounds except our family.  It was so perfect that I kept touching my phone feeling obligated to record it, but then letting go and knowing that this moment couldn't be recorded. Here is a conversation from the movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty that sums up my feelings.  Walter is talking to a photographer and they have a perfect shot of a snow tiger. 

Walter Mitty: When are you going to take it?

Sean O'Connell: Sometimes I don't. If I like a moment, for me, personally, I don't like to have the distraction of the camera. I just want to stay in it.

Walter Mitty: Stay in it?

Sean O'Connell: Yeah. Right there. Right here.

That's what we needed to do.  I just needed to stay in it. So you get the picture...it...was....magical.

So anyway, we are out there just loving it and Nancy was telling Charlotte that the fireflies were fairies and Charlotte decided that they would "give me powers". Our aim was to catch one of these glitter-bums and complete Char's magical evening.  Nancy caught one and we were all grouped around waiting see her reaction.  Well, it flew up near her face and then landed on her leg.  She..started...shrieking.  She was terrified.  She just kept yelling, "get it off me".   uhh...not quite the magical moment we had in mind. But actually quite hilarious.

After that she was kind of over it.  She was hovering close to the door. " I don't like lightening bugs." and "I don't want the firefly to get on me."

womp womp

Check out my attempt our attempt at getting a pic of the two of them together in the clothes Ama sent.  Two-year-olds don't sit still...especially right after church at naptime.

 Humpback rock hiking trail with the Petersons.

 Charlotte was becoming one with nature...is it rude of me to take a pic of my kid getting their diaper changed?

 Yea...Char smiled gloriously with Emily, but just scowled during our pic...so this is probably more accurate for our fam anyway.

Anybody want to go swimming?

This week we went to Water Country USA for Memorial Day.  Richard's family loves to go there and his parents always rent a cabana near hubba-bubba highway (the lazy river thing).  They love Cabana 14 and have always been told that they can't reserve it because it is first person there gets the first pick.  Nancy always gets there an hour early so she can get the one she wants.  This year was no different. She was waiting at the gates when they opened and went directly over to claim Cabana 14.  When she got there she was told that somebody had called an hour earlier and already reserved it.  She was ticked because they have never let her make phone reservations in the past.  She talked to the managers and they were sort of jerky. They said the policy has been to take phone reservations for over 4 years and somebody just told her wrong.  She was stewing over it all day.  We had a great day playing in the water, but Nancy was still a little irritated with them.  It was toward the end of the day and we were in the baby pool area that connects to the hubba-bubba highway.  Rich was playing with Charlotte on some water fountains and they were standing and sitting on them, when Rich looked in the water and saw some poop.  He told the lifeguard that somebody pooped in the pool and then came over to let us know.  Then he started thinking, "I wonder if it is my kid."  He asked me to check her and i pulled up her shirt/rash guard to check her diaper when I noticed there was poop in her shirt...eck.  So I take her to change and she has poop up to her chest front and back.  The water and sunscreen made it really hard to clean off with a wipe. SO GROSS! I decided that a shower would be required and headed back to the cabana (cabana 11) to get soap and change of clothes.  When I showed up his family let me know that they had to shut down the pool.  Not just the baby pool, but the entire Hubba-bubba highway.  Nancy said, "That's what they get.  I've been mad all day and now I finally feel at peace."  That cracked me up.  So I am standing in line at the shower and watching the lifeguards frantically disinfecting every beach chair and life jacket and feeling guilty that it was charlotte, but also kind of laughing that Nancy felt they got their comeuppance. Who pooped in their pool...We did...don't mess with the Sedwicks.  

 Everyone asks me if we really do have an "enchanted view"...they answer is yes (right out our back door).

Confessions

1.It is May the 4th and I am watching Return of the Jedi...because I love my husband.  If I could stay awake, I think I would like it.
2. I try Elliott's baby food every time I feed him, just to make sure it isn't tooo gross.
3. I like most of Elliott's baby food.
4. The other night I was bathing Charlotte and told her to sing like Ariel.  I told her that she sounds just like Ariel and I knew I was lying.  I am sad to say she got my singing voice. I plan to continue lying to her.
5. Just about every week I have to rerun at least one load of laundry with vinegar because I forget about it and it smells like mildew.
6. I spend tons of time on pinterest in the middle of the night while I feed Elliott. Sadly, he has been waking up every 2-3 hours at night. Sometimes I don't pin things I am interested in because I don't want  everyone to know how much time I am spending on there.
7. I have read at least 2 articles on facebook about how we shouldn't be distracted by technology around our children...while I was using technology and being distracted from my kids.
8.  Charlotte loves to make cookies and I probably eat 4-5 cookies worth of cookie dough every time we make cookies...even when I promise myself I won't.
9. I had 7 cavities that had to be filled recently. That is what I get for lying...or really just evading the truth...when Rich asks me, "did you floss tonight?"
10. When I watch college sports or weekend news teams, I feel really old.
11. Every morning my kiddos wake up with super soggy diapers.  I love to snuggle them with their "PeePee Pajama smell" not because I like the smell of urine, but because I know that one day they will be waking up and only smell of morning breath and I will know they aren't my little babies anymore.

 I kind of think Elliott is TERRIFIED every time he gets a hug from his big sister.  This one appears to have included a thumb in the mouth.

 Saying good-bye to "my girls" Sophie and Eva...I really think she expected to leave with them.

 Freaky rabbit...notice big sister was not to be found in the pic with the bunny...she was steering clear

 She declare this to be "my boat" and the tennis racket was her paddle.

 Again with the fashion...how does she do it!

 She was very meticulous on the ward Easter egg hunt...only get the pink ones, check the content of each egg, and hand any non-favorite candy to mom before running to the next.  Each kids was supposed to get 13 eggs, but after 6 we were done.

 Matching easter outfits...this was the closest we got to a good pic...elliott looks oh so happy.

 Mom, really, is the bowtie necessary?

 There is something magical about watching little girls running around in the grass in dresses.

 Ahhh...I found the grass...now this day is actually enjoyable to me.

 Bunny ears and a bowtie...Mom, really, you need to stop.

 I will get the camera...I will...I will!

 How the play area usually looks.