Mr. & Mrs. Wonderful...

Ever met them? They live at our house.

But they aren't RyGar and Yours Truly... Even though we have our moments...

And the resemblance is uncanny. :)

I was cleaning up dinner the other night. Ryno was playing a softball game that was too late for the munchkins and I to attend. The babies were up in the playroom doing their thing. And I hear a woman's voice, clear as day, saying things like,

"Don't worry about taking the garbage out, honey. I could use the exercise."

&

"You don't need a glass. Just go ahead and drink right out of the carton."

&

"It doesn't matter if you leave the toilet seat up; it makes it easier to clean!"

Obviously I sprinted up the stairs to see what kind of crazed woman had broken into my house and was talking to my kids like a maniac. And here is what I found...

Mrs. Wonderful, cupped in Kaelster's chubby little hand, while Big K and Dax Man stared at her in awe - listening to her every word.

Let me back up about five years when I had another career in sales. At one of our National Sales Meetings, Mr. & Mrs. Wonderful came into my life as a little tongue-in-cheek reminder of one of our products. It was a great little chotchkie... (The Urban Dictionary's definition of chotchkie... "A small piece of worthless crap, a decorative knick knack with little or no purpose.") Spot on. Gotta love yourself an urban dictionary.

But the real mystery is how Mrs. Wonderful became separated from her betrothed and how she ended up in the playroom? This is one of those burning questions that I may never get the answer to. Like, how do we have sixteen baby toothbrushes but we can never find more than one at bedtime? You know... those types of questions.

But now, just for all you ladies out there, here are a few of my favorite lines from

Mr. Wonderful... what a "doll" he turned out to be. Ha Ha.

"Here honey, you take the remote. It doesn't matter what we watch as long as I'm with you."

&

"You know honey, why don't you just relax and let me make dinner tonight."

&

"Let's go to the mall. You deserve a little something special."

The man of every woman's dreams, right? Handsome, attentive, debonair, plus he always says precisely the right thing. Just press his hand for 16 different "touchy feely" phrases.

And don't rob my house to get your paws on mine! :)

Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?

I had a hot date with RyGar this weekend. We headed to the Lehi Round Up Rodeo on Friday without our little buckaroos and without my tight jeans and red boots for obvious reasons. The rodeo kicked off at 8 pm which is pretty much bed time around these parts so we opted to leave the little mutton busters at home and take them to the parade the next morning instead. (Be forewarned chillun's of my hometown - my kids are bad ass paraders. They totally get it and will be all over your candy this coming weekend if you don't run fast enough. It's only fair that I send out a heads up.) Anyway, the rodeo was fun and I traveled so light I couldn't believe it. No diaper bag, no juice cups, no treats except for my own, no camera (whoops) and Ry and I laughed at the obvious city slickers dressed up as cow folk for the night.

While we were out Ry's sister watched the babies (Thanks, Nett) and when we got back she gave us a full debriefing. She said our little men were so sweet. Sweet to her. Sweet to one another. No one would take a sippy cup of milk unless the other got one too. Kael needed two blankies... one for him and one for Dax Man. Bedtime was utterly sweet and drama free. In short - she was thrilled with them and I was even more thrilled. Because, it's nice to hear, but even nicer to witness, the magic that is happening between these two little buddies of ours.

They've always loved each other, yes. There is idolization on Dax's part, fierce protection on Kael's and moments of leadership and tenderness from both. I've posted pictures of their embraces, overused the word "love" and tried to transform this ethereal emotion into words a dozen times mostly in vain.

The bottom line is, they get each other, these two little men. They play with each other. They make each other laugh so hard; we come running to see just what's so dang funny. They speak the same language and pine for one another when they are apart.

And things continue to evolve and emotions are rooting deeper into an electrifying relationship that is taking shape right before our very eyes. Maybe they sense the coming of a new addition, maybe not. But they're latching onto their "brudder" like we haven't seen yet and it is nice to know that while I'm doting on a newborn and doing "baby things" that only a mama can do, my little men will be thriving in one another's company.

So we watch with continued awe and when there is prolonged silence we peek in to see amazing sibling moments. And fingers crossed, we'll have the privilege of witnessing the ritual of bringing another into the fold when baby boy three is old enough to run and play.

And in the meantime - we're doing summer. All the way. We're looking forward to parades, picnics, pools, the diaper derby and lots of other "stuff" coming up this weekend as we celebrate the 4th of July with my family in what is the only way to do it... "small-town style". Happy Celebrating!

BIT of a Rut...

I feel like I'm in a bit of a slump. I have at least two dozen items on my summer project list, but amongst pool time, splash parks, cleaning, laundry, sidewalk chalk, bike rides, meal time, and mowing... I am getting a big fat F for progress. Do you know the feeling?

It is making me slightly nuts-o.

There was a time when this crazy little kicky baby inside of me was chill and tiny and would let me do all kinds of things with my usual abundance of energy. Now it seems that he is sucking my reservoirs of the good stuff by the gulp (Not that I'm not happy to share - but can I have a little sip here and there?) By the time 10 pm rolls around, mama is out... cold.

Please refer to below pie chart for additional detail.

Anyway, I suppose somehow it will all get done... including the elusive peep hole on the front door which has been plaguing my "to do list" for about a year now.... ugh. If only the big man and I could just be livin' off the interest of our millions in investments, right? Then I could have him here all to myself as my personal masseuse and handy man.

DAY.DREAMING.

And in the meantime, take a look at my little pool honeys.

(A proper noun I learned from the classic cinematic piece, "The Sandlot".)

They prefer to splash with their shoes on due to previous experiences with "slippage".

I think this shows their level of genius and adds to their charm.

AND, like two old men on a summer day, they like to have the occasional mili-seconds of rest in their little red "cheers" (or chairs), so named by Big K.

When they aren't splashing - they're sampling the sand and "riding their bikes"... which is a phrase I use very liberally here. And they work away at the often talked about but ever so elusive summer butt tan line... especially our little tan man, Dax. This is a personal favorite of mine. They are my little bleaching blondies and I love 'em to bits.

Cue the Techno version of "Dirty Bits" from the Black Eyed Peas...

ALL of their bits!

A Fishing Tale...

RyGar spent this past week fishing in Alaska. Want some proof? Well, peruse these pictures of my good lookin' angler and his company and then come see my freezer that is full of the tasty stuff. I am downloading halibut and salmon recipes from Google even as these pictures upload.

But if you have a good one - pretty please send it my way!

The boys and I are wicked jealous of his flight in a pontoon plane, his time on the ocean, his sightings of bear and moose and his time lounging on the coast around a camp fire.

And I know all you ladies out there are totally jeal of my ruggedly handsome outdoorsman. Can't say I blame you, but he's taken. :)

Ry claims to have been on a "scouting trip". You know, so he could check out various guides and day treks for when "he and his boys and his maid" go back to the last frontier together.

P.S. I am the maid in this tale. Funny guy, that Ryan, eh?

Thanks for bringin' home the bacon, RyGar... and for taking this exquisite shot.

A fisherman AND a photographer... who knew?

I'm so Glad...

When Daddy-o Comes Home!

That's right. The big tan and scruffy man made it back to the lower 48 last night, just in time for a raucous reunion on Father's Day... and our little men were down right ecstatic.

Their enthusiasm (as adorable as it was) probably cannot match mine. I have MISSED my better half! His help, his humor and really just his company... I was about to start talking to walls during nap time because the silence was becoming deafening!

Anyway, there will probably be lots of pics from RyGar's Alaskan highlight reel coming soon - but for now, here's a couple to start my week off just right...

Happy Father's Day to all the Men we Love!

Chaos...

Last night we had blustering winds and chaos out in the yard. The precursor to yet another "cold front" or two working its way to us here in the desert. The adirondack chairs would have belonged to someone downwind if it weren't for the fence and the sandbox toys are being collected in shrubs and flowers even still.

It was kind of like a scene from "Winnie the Pooh's Blustery Day"... and if Owl were here to tell me, "This is just a mild spring zephyr compared to the big wind of '67", I might have decked him. But then again, probably not, because he taught me a stellar word like zephyr at a very young age... so I can't really be a hata.

And the weather carried right on into our house somehow. The boys were a complete whirlwind of destruction. Every bin in the toy room was out with its contents spilled from hell to breakfast (Yay me! I have been wanting to work that one in for some time now... sweet moment of victory) and I could barely tiptoe my way through the land mines to find my two little trouble makers.

They tried out a new event during dinner... the discus... only instead of a weighted disc, they chucked green beans and grapes as far as possible and then topped it all off with squirting Gogurts. I was thrilled as you can imagine.

And then I felt our new little fish swim around in his bowl, which doubles as my belly, and I knew he was in on the action too. And I felt --- calm.

Yep, a serene little moment thanks to our forthcoming new little love in the midst of a whole lotta chaos on what was really a Thursday but for the sake of sticking with the "Pooh" theme, was a blustery "Windsday".

I can't explain it. I don't know why it hit me that way or at that time. I am just glad it did. My boys were like horses running wildly in green pastures on a gusty day... the wind in their hair... feeling free and exhilarated. And I suppose every person should feel like that now and again and I'm happy for the moment of introspection... but,

I'm still glad we're past our little blustery moments of Windsday...

Bring on the weekend. :)

June Bugs...

These babies are summer babies.

They love water, sun, sand boxes, melon, flowers, splashes, music and everything else that comes with this time of year... JUNE. You are my favorite month so far. You are WARM and sunny and lovely. I heart you June. And I heart my happy little June Bugs too... every last part of 'em. :)

And while RyGar is out fishing the great waters of Alaska we've been enjoying the great waters of my home town. I wish I could tell you in words how happy I feel when I visit my home, but words aren't enough. Pictures... Now they might just do the trick.

My parents yard is a mecca for little june bugs. They enjoyed everything about it full-throttle, summer style. And me... I had no place to be, no schedule to adhere to, and no dinner to make. Ahhhhh... I read a book people. Seriously, I watched little naked cheeks and read a book and gabbed with my girlfriend and smiled.

The chicks at IFA welcomed us back. The treasures that had wheels and were in working order at the local thrift store became ours for a buck or two. The ice cream at the dairy was served and appropriately schmeared in seconds. And the whole town beamed at my little blonde boys in the double stroller with their mama.

And they beamed back. Oh yeah - they are hella good at pleasing the crowd.

And now it is time to spend a few hours of summer putting in some elbow grease. There are windows to wash and a new big boy bed to purchase and assemble and a bathroom or two that need a good scrub. And we can handle it all, because once again, we've been refueled. We have deep reserves of energy to pull from thanks to another sweet get-away.

And thanks, to June. :)