Derby

This is a derby action shot.
And another.

This dude is one of the reasons we go to derbies. I think that is probably one of the best mullets I've ever seen.

Here's a side view of the mullet.

And a view of his rippling muscles as he casually throws a tire out of the way.

Zak can't wait for the derby that is coming up Saturday night. Hopefully we'll have some great pictures of mullets to post after that event.

Favorite Books

This is Zak's favorite kids' book right now, mostly because Sam the Rat does exactly what Zak wants to do. Seriously. You'll have to read it to find out what that is... (This is Sam Who Was Swallowed by a Shark by Phyllis Root -- sorry for the blurry image.)

Per's Favorite Book of All Time currently. He can have this one read to him over and over and over...


Another huge favorite of Per's, though he will still choose Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb over this one.

Is it a little bit crazy that something in this book speaks to me? Possibly. This has always been one of my favorite kids' books... probably because I want to organize and label and put away everything in sight. It's a compulsion.

Green Smoothie Recipe

Here is the green smoothie recipe for those who are interested:

2-4 leaves kale
1-2 bananas
2-5 strawberries
2-3 dates (these are to sweeten)
1/2 cup - 1 cup water or ice

Puree all ingredients in blender. I usually make my green smoothies with the higher amount of ingredients, so 4 leaves kale, 2 bananas, 5 strawberries (I use frozen since they aren't really in season anymore), 3 dates, 1 cup water. This makes about 3 cups of smoothie. I usually have 2 cups' worth myself and save the last cup for Per. Also, you can definitely change up the fruit you use (I have heard you can use an avocado instead of bananas--they are there to emulsify--but haven't tried it myself yet), or even try spinach instead of kale. If you want it to be more smoothie-like, use ice instead of water.
It's really good for you, so as long as you drink one of these every day, then you don't have to feel quite so bad about eating all those Double Stuf Oreos just before bed. Although I'm sure you'd be a lot healthier if you'd just skip the Double Stuf Oreos.

Enjoy your green smoothies!

The Update

Okay, for today's tenth and final (I know you're thanking me) post, I thought I'd catch you up very briefly on what's been going on for us since May. I cut my hair short (brushing the top of my shoulders) in early June. Then I quit my job to stay home with Per full-time, which has been wonderful. Hooray!!
Zak got a job teaching 7th grade English at a school here in the valley. It starts in one week. Per turns one this weekend and is starting to stand by himself more and more. He cruises along furniture lots and walks tentatively with a walker toy. He is a super-fast crawler and babbles all the time. He is showing us by his behavior that he understands a lot of what we say, so that is fun. He loves reading books and is starting to eat lots of table foods. We are all healthy, happy, and doing well.

ps Happy Birthday, Mom!

More Photo Shoot

I love that Per is still so bendable.
He isn't a big fan of grass on his bare skin.

He got used to it though, or at least was distracted enough by the wagon wheel.

An Evening at the Fairgrounds

Our completely cool armada of origami boats. I made 'em. That's the only origami I know.
Here's an action shot. Per's boats won all three races.

The return of the frog legs. Remember these?

Zak and I found this rusty old ice machine at the fairgrounds and thought it was a perfect background for an impromtu photo shoot.

I am pretty sure he's a child model. That look is pretty close to Blue Steel, wouldn't you say?

Green Smoothie

Green smoothie mustache. Green smoothie is one of Per's favorite things to eat.

Looks like it was a satisfying green smoothie.

Raider of the Refrigerator

Isn't he too young to start on this already?
Per loves yogurt. Clearly.

Busted!

Every time the fridge opens, Per makes a beeline. In fact, one day recently, he lunged for the door as I was trying to be sneaky and close it really fast, and he caught it in order to keep me from closing it. I had to reward that dedication with a little fridge time.

Trash, Not Toys

Our son prefers playing with trash (that has been washed and is sanitary, natch) instead of toys.
This is the lid to the bottle above. It was a bottle that had fruit-flavored puffs in it.
This was a plastic baby food container.
The ears to an M&M bunny from Easter.
And, of course, a glass baby food jar. Per spends more time throwing these and chasing them around the kitchen than just about anything else right now.

At least I know that we'll never have to spend a lot of money on toys, right?

4th of July

Per's first hike at the Stokes Nature Center. He was obviously famished after riding in the stroller the whole time, which is why he's about to devour his fist.
Per started off with his mouth closed at the 4th of July parade in Hyrum.
But as soon as the parade started, he pretty much had his mouth hanging open the rest of the day.

Still open...

Still open....

Finally closed. But the tongue is out now.

This is at the Cruise-In. Per is watching the parade of all the cool old cars. And some not-so-old and not-so-cool cars. Seriously, all you have to do is pay an entry fee. There are no actual requirements for the car itself to be old and cool. But there should be.
Happy boy. Per loooves to watch cars of any kind as they drive down the street. He's pretty easy to entertain.

Getting tired.

The noise finally became too much for him. But Per had a fun first 4th of July!

A Swingin' Good Time

Per loves to swing. We like to go to the park early in the morning to avoid the crowds and to beat the heat. This was toward the end of June, but the mornings are still cool if you get up early enough. And we do. Thanks, Per.

Doesn't he look like he is having a great time?

First Taste of Cheese

The following events took place June 17th.

You want me to eat this? Really?
I'll try anything once.
What the?
I guess it's not so bad. I might try it again sometime.

Shucks, Mom. Next time you're going to give me something I think is gross, you really should warn me.