Boy or Girl?

Stephanie and I asked the girls tonight if they thought the new baby was going to be a boy or a girl. Eden says boy and Britta says girl. Steph is going with boy, I'm thinking girl. If it's a girl, those that went with boy have to give the winners a backrub and vice versa. We'll let you know when we get back from the doctor's office tomorrow morning!

6 muffins = 1 hour of sleep

While I was out Saturday running errands I had a stroke of parenting genius. The girls are in the habit of waking up before dawn and coming into our room. Often they climb in our bed to snuggle with us, but this is often short lived. Very soon the moans of "I'm hungry", and "I want breakfast" commence. They are as regular as an alarm clock and more persuasive. On school days we have to agree that it's time to get the day started, but weekends are a different matter.

My stroke of genius hit me when I was passing the bakery at the grocery store while picking up a few items for Sunday's meals. I filled a box with a half dozen muffins. Before going to sleep, I put the muffins on the kitchen table. Sunday morning we actually slept in until 7:30 before being woken up by the girls! This was a breakthrough! We found Avery at the table with chocolate crumbs all around her. She explained that she was having "cake" for breakfast. The chocolate-chocolate chip muffin had been decimated. Steph and I grinned at each other. We couldn't believe that we could buy an extra hour of sleep so cheaply.

Butterflies, Ladybugs, & Ants

This past Saturday I took the girls out to the park. Britta brought her bug catching kit which she had been waiting to try out and Eden brought the butterfly net. We had seen some butterflies earlier in the day zooming around the grass. By the time we got back, the birds had chased off the butterflies. Fortunately, we had noticed a particular stretch of grass on a hillside that usually had a few ladybugs crawling around on the blades of grass. We found three ladybugs, but everytime we opened the lid to add one, the previous one got away. The girls wanted to keep the ladybug, of course, but I explained that they ate aphids, not grass. So, we ended up letting the one ladybug go on our patio strawberry plants. (At least I know where to go to get more.)

Saturday afternoon I noticed that we had ant problems in the house. The ants had formed a line from the front door to the kitchen and were attempting to carry off the cat food. I got some ant traps at Lowe's that night which kept the girls fascinated for most of Sunday morning. These traps are clear plastic with a liquid bait inside, so the girls watched the ants crawl in and carry the bait back to their home. It's fun to see the world through your kids eyes and remember what it was like to see everything for the first time.

Driving Us Up the Wall (in our van drawing)

A couple of weeks ago I called home during my lunch hour at work to talk to my family. Britta and Avery are usually home with Stephanie all day, and Stephanie noticed some drawing on the wall. "It looks like someone drew a bus on the playroom wall." Britta could be heard in the background to say, "No, it's a van." I asked to speak to Britta, and she told me that someone had been drawing our 'van' on the wall in the playroom. I asked if she had been the one who had been drawing on the wall to which she replied "We don't know who did it!" Hmmmm. I asked her more directly "Britta, did you draw on the wall?" Britta quickly said "Gotta go Dad!" and got off the phone. Any questions?

I relayed my part of the story to Steph who had been occupied with Avery during my conversation with Britta. We both chuckled and then I asked to speak to Britta again. After a couple more coaxing questions I finally got Britta to admit she had drawn the 'van' on the wall. I thanked her for finally telling me the truth and informed her that her consequence was to clean the drawing off the wall. She seemed to perk up when she realized all she had to do was remove the offending drawing.

Family Home "Feats of Strength" Evening

Three weeks without a blog entry is too long. Having requests for more entries is flattering, but the pressure is also on. Will we be able to satisfy the curiosity and meet the expectations?

Tonight we had a singing family home evening. Basically, this is when mom and dad (Steph and Ben) don't plan an actual lesson and we end up singing every song the girls want to out of the children's songbook. Dancing is welcomed, and free expression is encouraged. After half an hour, there was more dancing and acrobatics than singing. It was at this point when I started to wonder if I could still do a handstand. Yes. Yes, I still can. But the pressure to my head was enough to keep it to a 5 second feat.

The girls were not to be left out on this one. Britta did suspended situps (she wraps her legs around my waist and I support her lower back while she lowers her head to the ground and sits all the way up). That girl is tough! She did two sets of three with no hands! Eden was determined to work on her cartwheels. I acted as spotter and helped her get the feel of it. Still needs some work, but she's got the enthusiasm to see it through. To round off the evening, Stephanie challenged everyone in the room to arm wrestle with her. She was soundly beaten by Eden and Britta working together.

I think we inadvertantly added another dimension to FHE. Now, in addition to the opening and closing prayers and songs, lesson, scripture reading, activity, and refreshments, we now will be including a 'feats of strength' segment. Stephanie and I starting considering taking a break from the girls dance lessons during the summer and enrolling them in gymnastics for few months to see if they take to it. We'll keep you posted.

Dis-ENCHANTED

Last weekend I had a meeting at the church for a couple of hours, so Steph and the girls decided to have a girls night in. Steph rented Disney's Enchanted to watch with the girls. When I got home I asked how the girls like the movie. Steph said they only made it through the first fifteen minutes. It went something like this...

BRITTA: "Who is that girl?"
"Why is she holding the diamonds in front of her eyes?"
"Why is the Ogre chasing her?"
"It that horse a girl or a boy horse?"
"What is the horse's name?"
(at the end of the first song) "Is the movie over?"
"Why is she running? Is she late?"
"Is she getting married? Who is she going to marry?"
"Who is that man?"
"Why is that old lady pushing her?"
AVERY (laughing): "Oh no."
BRITTA: "Where did she fall?"
"What is that sparkly stuff sticking to her?"
"Where is she going?"
AVERY (laughing): "Oh no."
BRITTA: "Why aren't they cartoons anymore?"
"Why are those people pushing her?"
"Why won't anyone help her?"
"Why is she crying?"

(15 minutes into the movie...)

STEPHANIE: "Who wants to watch Barbie Mermadia?"
GIRLS: "YEAH!!!!"


Stephanie and I watched the movie after the girls went to bed. We got a good laugh out of a few parts, but we weren't so interested that we'd watch it again. This isn't a movie that appeals to young kids, maybe more to the tweeners and some teens. We weren't feeling the Disney magic with this one. However, Amy Adams did a great job portraying a Disney princess in real life. I think she pegged the performance.

Cat Update: 2 1/2 months later

I think it's safe to say that the cats have completely acclimated to us. I was woken up several times last night by Piper pacing on my chest and poking my nose with his. He has become very affectionate and loves being pet, even at 2 am. Aside from the interrupted sleep, he hasn't been a bother.

Pepper finally stood still to let me pet him yesterday. He doesn't seem to have the temperment of Piper and often won't sit still for long. He seems to prefer exploring things on his own or stalking Piper. Piper still gets very anxious around evening when Pepper seems to be the most agressive. It reminds me of Calvin & Hobbes.

Both of the cats enjoy napping at the foot of our bed. Eden is especially tickled when she finds out Pepper has slept the night on her bed. The cats also love lounging in front of the screen at the sliding glass door. We have a large stand of bamboo just 40 feet from our apartment that at least a hundred birds nest in every day. The cats love to sit in front of the screen and listen to the cacaphony of bird calls we are treated to as they begin to roost each evening.

Taking our blog private...

For our peace of mind and to protect our daughters we have decided to make our blog private. We've decided that this is especially a good move since we've posted pictures of our girls and alluded to our geographical location in our posts.

What this means is that we can specify who we allow to see our blog. We'll add family members and friends by email addresses. If we somehow miss someone you know that would like to view our blog, email us at ben_jaymin@hotmail.com and we'll add them!

Ben & Stephanie Taylor

Different and Special

Eden loves to pose for pictures. It's very hard to get a candid shot of her once she sees the camera is out. Eden is reading above a first grade level and so is very inquisitive as she learns about everything around her. Lately she has been writing her own mini-books and creating her own paper dolls. Eden is mischievious, fashionable, and quick to laugh.

Britta is a girl after my own heart. She is the human equivalent of sunshine, and she loves good food! I think this particular smile was a result of chocolate pudding. Britta gives great bear hugs and is always up for cuddles. Britta is tender-hearted, affectionate, and inquisitive.

Avery is the cutest little darling! I don't know what it was she was counting here, but it looks like she made it to one. Avery has fetishes for shoes, purses, and beads. The world is Avery's classroom; she rarely misses a chance to have a book read, to get outside, to help with chores, or to experiment with whatever she can get her hands on (lately, Stephanie's make up bag!).

Optimist

Today I was pondering why it is I like certain things. Ultimately, I think that it is because I am an optimist. I want to see the best in myself, others, and the world in general. I like happy endings and hope for the best resolution. I’m gullible at times because I want to believe that people are honest. I like pop songs because they are upbeat (even though at times they are more ‘sappy’ than ‘happy’). I like happy endings because I believe everyone deserves the chance to find what they truly desire in their lives.

Of course, life isn’t all roses. But the bittersweet makes the sweet that much more appreciated, right? For me this is the case. After all, if we didn’t experience, sickness would we appreciate health? If we didn’t know sorrow, would we know or appreciate joy? We all benefit from experiencing things that are trying and difficult because not only do they help us realize the good in our lives, but it also gives us the opportunity to become stronger. Opposition gives us the chance to expand our character. I like these opportunities to grow because I believe we all can take the best from these experiences and become better people. And isn’t that the best news of all?

Life is an adventure! Carpe Diem!

Here's Steph!!

I had some questions about why there are no pictures of Stephanie on the blog. I didn't have a good answer. Here they are!!

This is Steph at 3 months. We haven't been sharing the news outside of family. But now that it's been 3 months we are ready to announce to the world!

We all had a good time at the Cherry Blossom Festival.

2 cats became 5 cats

When Avery was born, Eden and Britta started acting like babies. I should have guessed that when we got the cats we would have experienced something similar.

Easter!

All the girls were excited for Easter this year. I think Britta got into the Easter candy a little early.

We made cupcakes, and Avery helped me put the wrappers out.

Eden eyed her finished product which only lasted 30 seconds before it was devoured. (That's a rainbow chip cupcake with sour cream frosting, dyed coconut, and Cadbury mini eggs with a plastic rabbit pick.)

By Sunday morning the Easter bunny had not yet arrived. We got word earlier in the weekend that he was planning on stopping by while we were at church. The girls were excited to go to church so that the Easter bunny could make his stop.

Easter dinner was DELISCIOUS!! Ham, homemade mashed potatoes, Red Lobster biscuits, and key lime pie.

Pepper helped us out with the decorations this year.

April Fool's

For the past week my girls have been jumping the gun on April Fool's Day. Inevitably, it begins with "Dad, you have a green bug in your hair!" I play along until the "April Fool's" announcement is made. They don't mind being early, and I don't mind being "fooled".

My mom sent me an email with some suggested foundations for the April Fool's Day tradition that I found interesting:


1700 : April Fools tradition popularized

On this day in 1700, English pranksters begin popularizing the annual tradition of April Fools' Day by playing practical jokes on each other.

Although the day, also called All Fools' Day, has been celebrated for several centuries by different cultures, its exact origins remain a mystery. Some historians speculate that April Fools' Day dates back to 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, as called for by the Council of Trent in 1563. People who were slow to get the news or failed to recognize that the start of the new year had moved to January 1 and continued to celebrate it during the last week of March through April 1 became the butt of jokes and hoaxes. These included having paper fish placed on their backs and being referred to as "poisson d'avril" (April fish), said to symbolize a young, easily caught fish and a gullible person.

Historians have also linked April Fools' Day to ancient festivals such as Hilaria, which was celebrated in Rome at the end of March and involved people dressing up in disguises. There's also speculation that April Fools' Day was tied to the vernal equinox, or first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, when Mother Nature fooled people with changing, unpredictable weather.

April Fools' Day spread throughout Britain during the 18th century. In Scotland, the tradition became a two-day event, starting with "hunting the gowk," in which people were sent on phony errands (gowk is a word for cuckoo bird, a symbol for fool) and followed by Tailie Day, which involved pranks played on people's derrieres, such as pinning fake tails or "kick me" signs on them.

In modern times, people have gone to great lengths to create elaborate April Fools' Day hoaxes. Newspapers, radio and TV stations and Web sites have participated in the April 1 tradition of reporting outrageous fictional claims that have fooled their audiences. In 1957, the BBC reported that Swiss farmers were experiencing a record
spaghetti crop and showed footage of people harvesting noodles from trees; numerous viewers were fooled. In 1985, Sports Illustrated tricked many of its readers when it ran a made-up article about a rookie pitcher named Sidd Finch who could throw a fastball over 168 miles per hour. In 1996, Taco Bell, the fast-food restaurant chain,
duped people when it announced it had agreed to purchase Philadelphia's Liberty Bell and intended to rename it the Taco Liberty Bell. In 1998, after Burger King advertised a "Left-Handed Whopper," scores of clueless customers requested the fake sandwich.

Cherry Blossom & Kite Festival

The weekend of March 29th our family took the Metro downtown to participate in the Cherry Blossom Festival. The girls were exstatic to be riding on the Metro! I figured it was going to be crowded on the metro but almost impossible to find parking.


I have never seen so many people at the Metro stations or on the Mall! I think this must have been the busiest day for the Metro line all year. When we finally got off the Metro at the Smithsonian station, we had to fight through the crowd to get to the street level. The wind was blowing outside and the Kite Festival was in full swing. Avery especially was drawn to the kites.

We made our way towards east end of the National Mall to see the cherry trees. It was more crowded than Disneyland during spring break. Fortunately, there are hundreds of cherry trees. We took some pictures around some of the closer ones and reveled in the promise of spring. Meanwhile, a cool wind kept the temperature around jacket weather.

We continued down the mall past the Washington Monument to the World War II Memorial. All the girls love waterfountains. This place has them by the dozen!

We were all a bit tired from the walking and decided to sit down and rest for a moment. Britta came up to me and directed me to open my mouth. After peering at my teeth she said in a very concerned voice, "Dad, your teeth are getting kind of yellow." Kids are so honest. I explained that it was probably time for me to visit the dentist to get my teeth cleaned and polished. Britta yelled to Stephanie, "Mom, Dad needs to go to the dentist when we get home tonight!"

We ended the day with a trip to the reflecting pool by the Lincoln Memorial to feed the ducks (sorry, no pictures). I had loaded up all our stale bread in my backpack just for this purpose. We had enough to keep the ducks, swans, and gulls? busy for about 15 minutes. We all had a great time watching the gulls dive and steal the bread from the ducks and even catch bites in the air.

The trip home was pretty uneventful, and lots less crowded. Next on our list of things to do downtown is the National Zoo!

Doh! Are you sure it's not Monday?

Today I stopped by the restroom after lunch time. After a few seconds of confusion I realized I had put my underwear on backwards this morning. At least I put them on before my pants.