heights

We measured the kids while we were at the Science Museum yesterday. Samantha is 47 inches tall, and Joshua is 33 inches tall. They were both wearing sneakers for the measurement, so I might subtract a half inch or so. Strong and healthy, and giving mommy and daddy fits!

Sam went to Camp Invention today, 9-3:30. She gets to take apart Matt's tape deck and put together various contraptions with her team. Her friend, Maddy, is there, which made her sooo happy, and Liam is there too. All in all, a great time for her, I think. I plan on taking her to visit Rosalita the pony this afternoon if Sam is not too tired.

Sam at her recital

I found this picture on my camera when I finally got to upload them to the computer. I thought you would enjoy it! The recital was June 18th.

The cake

This cake was a family effort. True, some of the effort tested my creativity and even my patience, but we persisted and came out with 'The Cake.' Matt made the cake in the afternoon while I was out with the children. Smart man, to cook when there are no children around. I waited until the next morning to put it together. I put both layers on the table, right in the middle so the dogs couldn't get at it. Dogs? Bah! In the time it took me to make some chocolate frosting for the middle layer, Joshua got to the cake. I hear Matt say, hmn. Looks like Josh got to the cake. And he laughed! Hmph. We did not share the cake with him. I didn't scream, not yet, but Josh had taken handfuls from the side and a few chunks from the top. Taking lessons from a recent note in Cooks Illustrated, I took the buttercream frosting and cemented the cake back together and filled in the craters on top (just the size of the hand of a two year old, not so coincidentally) with some left over chunks. I cut the top layer into a smaller round, a 6 inch round over an eight inch bottom layer, to make it look fancy. Yeah, right, fancy. Sam and I frosted that puppy to within an inch of its life, such a life as it might have looking at three hungry faces. Sam insisted on not only frosting it, but also putting sugar and some cinnamon dots as well. This is where the scream comes in. I have every cake sprinkle, dot and sugar I own on the counter at this point, when I hear a soft spraying sound. I turn around and Joshua has taken the cover off the little dots and watched them pour on the floor and bounce *everywhere* Did you know that those *&^$# little sugar dots roll forever on tile floors? Yet they seem to somehow resist with all the feistiness of a Winston Churchill during an air raid when it comes to sweeping them up with a broom. The sight of the sprinkles spraying everywhere finally broke me and I gave a hearty "Argh! get out of the kitchen!" Matt came to take Joshua away, perhaps fearing for his progeny's imminent health and well being. Did I mention they have a smart daddy? Anyway, I thought you would enjoy seeing a picture of this creation that would never have turned out the way it did without Daddy's cooking, Sam's creativity and Joshua's, --- well, Joshua's demolition.

Rosie the Pony

Samantha has a new love, a Pony of the Americas named Rosie. She is a sleek, very soft, all black pony with a very sweet disposition. She took riding lessons at Four Fillies Farm last Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 9-3. The first thing she has to do is muck out the stall and curry Rosie. She even got to clean Rosie's hooves. Sam tells me she did not touch the 'frog' which appears to be a good thing for Rosie. They went on trail rides, learned how to fall, put on the tack, and take care of something much bigger than herself. She absolutely loved it, and loves Rosie. Matt is adamant - "I am not buying a horse!" Okay daddy. :-) I loved how Samantha really understood about responsibility and caring for someone else. It just seemed to click for her. She was very tired at the end of the day, covered in muck and extremely happy.

She is going to Drumlin Farms in a couple of weeks and she is very excited about milking a cow and stealing eggs from the chickens.

Joshua and the potty

He is driving his sister crazy with his insistent demands for anything she happens to be interested in at the moment. And the next moment they are playing tag and laughing with glee at each other. He is getting to have very strong opinions about what he wants to drink or eat. He'll point to the fridge, so Matt opens it. He points to the corn, so Matt gives him a half and ear and Josh proceeds to devour the thing. Corn on the cob is one of Josh's favorite foods. Broccoli is another, and hotdogs.

I got a new potty out that I thought Josh might find more comfortable. He demanded that he run around naked like his sister, which can be perilous for the carpets, but I figured I'd catch him in time. He didn't wait for me to notice, he climbed onto the potty on his own and peed! Yippy!

Let's see. He says Cheek, no, mine, ella, juice, fish (the sound 'ish' also works for shoes and the edible goldfish) He kisses everyone goodnight and understand absolutely everything we say. He had two pacifiers in his hands and he looks at me and says "two!" Yes, that is two pacifiers. He is a bright little fellow.