Memory Monday

AGH! It's 10:30 on Monday night...I almost forgot my new tradition! So here goes...a few random memories of my kids and what not from the weekend...

Maryn
When Maryn was a baby (about Parker's age now), she used to love scrounging up rocks from our driveway in our little white house in Boise. She'd find as many as she could and then find the nearest puddle of muddy water formed in the divets of our dirt driveway...she would then proceed to toss every little rock into the water and squeal with delight at every splash. As she was learning to talk around this time, she would say "rocks in the water" or something that sounded like that every time the rock splashed into the puddle. She never tired of it, and I never stopped thinking it was the cutest, most magical thing ever. When I think of her "rocks in the water", it makes me smile every time.

This past Saturday, Maryn and I were able to attend a "Dragonfly Discovery" Girl Scout event at Camp Peairs in Hudson, IL. (Avery stayed home with a sick stomach.) The drive down was windy and foreboding. The weather there was Spring in all it's glory. The girls were able to actually wade in the water of Lake Bloomington as they discovered different bug species with nets and buckets. They took water samples and tested the cleanliness of the lake water, and later gave reports on their findings. They learned a lot and it was a great experience. I am so grateful that Girl Scouts offers these memorable and educational opportunities that other wise these girls might not have. Mostly, it was fun to hang out with my eldest and have some fun together. Afterwords we went into Bloomington to do some shopping and get a bite to eat. It was a great day!

Avery
This past Friday night (approximately 1 hour past my birthday), Avery gave me another bday surprise! I awoke to her shaky voice telling me that she threw up in the bathroom. UGH!! Is this not one of the worst parts of being a parent?!? I got up, and found much to my dismay that instead of throwing up IN the toilet, she threw up AT the toilet...no tile or surface was left unscathed. Needless to say, it was not the greatest ending to my otherwise enjoyable birthday. I must say, Avery has been blessed (okay, cursed) with her Dad's stomach. She gets sick a lot. And it grosses me out. But, her stomach isn't the only thing she gets from her Dad. She has always been such a Daddy's girl. All of my girls are really, but especially Avery. She loves everything Mark loves, she wants to do everything he does, she isn't too cool to crawl up onto lap still, and when she is upset he is the one that she turns to. Sometimes it makes me a little sad, but mostly I love to see their bond. She finally got to see Tron with him after he bought it for them on DVD, after she had been asking for it for months. She was so excited. When he went to Idaho over his Spring Break, he brought her back a Star Trek gun and a bottle of Fry Sauce. She was the happiest girl in the world. Their relationship is something special and I'm glad for that.


Parker
Yesterday the girls had a choir concert, and Mark and I knew that taking our little tornado baby probably wouldn't be the best idea. We asked our friends to watch her for the time we'd be gone. And from the minute we got to their house, Parker was charming their socks off with her friendly greetings and waves. She did great and had a lot of fun exploring their house. After we got home, we were making dinner when we heard the door bell ring. It was a couple from our Ward out for a Sunday drive. We invited them in for dinner, and once again Parker didn't waste any time greeting our friends properly and charming their socks off too. She giggled on queue, pointed to all of the appropriate body parts when asked, and even made the correct noises to all the animals in her repertoire. She is such a cutie and really brings happiness and smiles to all she comes in contact with. I love how babies make you feel closer to Heavenly Father. They are so pure and innocent and just radiate love.