Spring Snow

We had a ridiculously huge snowstorm the last couple of days. I'm not sure who had more fun playing in it, Clint or the kids! I think Regan was most excited that she could finally use her umbrella--although she still came in with a very wet head! She insisted that her bare legs would be warm and she didn't need to change into pants or wear her snow suit. Apparently fashion trumps warmth! Haden had trouble holding the shovel with mittens on so he insisted they come off so he could shovel the snow!

"Fancy Nancy"

Last time we were at the library, we borrowed the book "Fancy Nancy." It is about a girl named Nancy who likes everything to be fancy. Her parents are boring, but in an effort to appease her, they all dress up fancy and say fancy things while they are eating out. Regan has taken this book to heart. She has decided that we need to make her room "fancy." (There is a before and after shot of Nancy's room in the book.) And she thought that we should be "fancy." She raided my make up drawer and did an excellent job of making us look "so pretty and fancy!" She was so proud of her handiwork, she took me downstairs to find Clint and inform him that it was his turn for the fancy makeover. Needless to say, he refused her services!

Regan the Photographer

Regan loves taking pictures and it is always a surprise to see what pictures she has taken when I download them. I always laugh seeing the things that she deems picture-worthy! These are some from her latest bunch.

Her best effort to touch her tongue to her nose. She is very determined to do this. Several of my sisters and I can do this and it drives her crazy that she can't.

A self portrait, I'm assuming...

Poor Cinderella lost an arm in a very wild dance!

She loves lining her toys (or Haden's) up in rows and then throws a fit when Haden wants to rearrange them. At least she got a picture before Haden got to them!
Regan loves her new flip flops. Now if only it was warm enough outside for her to wear them!

My Little Fashionista

Last night was ward temple night. Clint went right after work and we were going to switch off. So as I was getting dressed, I was wearing a tan suede skirt that I only wear when I won't have kids with me and a black shirt, Regan came in to appraise my outfit. She said that I looked "kind of funny" in that outfit and then left. She came back a few seconds later holding some metallic purple Mardi Gras beads from her dress up trunk and told me to put them on because I would look "much better and prettier if I wore the Dacing with Stars necklace." (Dancing with the Stars is one of her favorite shows and they are always wearing glitzy outfits.) She looked apprehensive when I declined, but put the beads on herself, claimed that she was now prettier and pranced out of my room. Apparently I already embarrass my little girl! Oh, and don't try to do sealings when you are slightly dehydrated unless you want to meet the temple's very nice EMT!

Happy Anniversary!

We celebrated our TENTH wedding anniversary this past week! My sister graciously took her own spring break from BYU and came out to watch the kids for us. We were able to spend time together without children before both kids came down with a high fever and a myriad of other symptoms. In lieu of flowers, Clint got me an edible arrangement. The kids loved it. I left it on the table to run upstairs and came down to find Haden thoroughly enjoying himself. At least he looked slightly guilty for being caught on the table! Clint is the best husband and I am so lucky to have him!

Wings Over the Rockies

For Regan's preschool field trip we went to the Wings Over the Rockies museum. I thought it was neat--it was an old airplane hangar full of old airplanes. The tour guide let us in the banana helicopter. I had to bribe Regan so she would sit in the cockpit and let me take her picture. Notice the ridiculously fake smile. She quickly decided that she did not like airplanes and began telling me that she was "done with this" and was ready to go home. Haden, however, would complain if he didn't get to touch each plane. (It was naptime.) He was echoing throughout the hangar! They did get their second wind when they saw the plane table in the gift shop. I'm sure everyone, my children included, were glad when we finally left.

Calories

I was going to take advantage of Haden sleeping and spend time with Regan. I asked her is she wanted to make a treat together. She asked if it "had a lot of calories in it?" Now I admit, we talk about eating healthfully on a regular basis, but seriously? Apparently a show on PBS, The Big Green Rabbit, had an episode about calories which Regan obviously paid close attention to. Upon further questioning, she didn't really understand what calories did, but that we got them from our food. So, never underestimate how much three year olds can absorb. (We did make a treat, but then I felt guilty eating all those calories!)

Question of the Day

Every morning in preschool Regan has to answer a question of the day. The other day the question was "How many sisters do you have?" The preschool teacher helping Regan was rather confused when Regan tried to put her name under the one. Regan tried to explain to her teacher that her sister was in heaven. Since Regan is a little difficult to understand, I'm not sure what the teacher understood. Luckily, I was still there and could explain. Regan has been begging for a sister for some time now. She was and still is continually praying for her sister to come down from heaven. She once told Clint that her baby sister was "growing right here" as she patted my stomach. In an effort to appease Regan, I offered her any one of my sisters that she wanted. (I have seven.) She quickly selected her favorites and I thought the sister in heaven would be forgotten. I was wrong. Regan tries to buy extra toys for her sister in heaven, sets aside treats for her, and will even bring me her outgrown clothes and tell me to save them for her sister in heaven. She will be a wonderful big sister, but what do I do if our next baby is a boy??

California

We spent last week in southern California with my sister. She is a travel nurse and is temporarily living on the beach just outside of Los Angeles. She offered us a free place to stay and cheap tickets to Disneyland. Who could pass up an offer like that? Regan was so excited--she could talk of little else the days before we left. We drove there and the kids were awesome, well, if you don't count Regan asking repeatedly if we were there yet before we were even out of Denver! We left Friday after work and made it to Green River, UT (Clint and I once broke down there on a trip back from Texas with a trailer full of antique furniture and miniature cows and donkeys--it's a long story!) Saturday we had planned on hiking in Zion National Park, however since it was raining, we continued on to Vegas. We haven't been there for several years, and they have really cleaned it up from what I remember. Neither of the kids enjoyed the volcano in front of the Mirage, okay that's an understatement. At the first boom they both started crying and didn't stop until the show was over. Regan did like the fountains at Bellagio and was mesmerized by the circus performers at Circus Circus. I think we'll wait until they are much older before we go back...

Both kids loved running on the beach. Regan, thankfully, did not inherit my motion sickness and was nearly fearless on the rides at Disneyland. After getting off Thunder Mountain, she told Clint that she was trying to be brave, but wanted to stick to riding the teacups! Despite her excitement to meet all the princesses at Ariel's Grotto, she was very bashful and adamently refused to talk or even look at them when they came to our table. She was much more willing to be friendly when we ran into them at the park. I think Haden was a little annoyed that he got left with the princesses while Clint and Andrea rode Space Mountain.

The days that we weren't at the theme park, we spent hiking through Topanga State Park and exploring the tidepools by Point Vicente lighthouse. I love lighthouses, there is just something mysterious about them. The legend goes that a woman lost her lover at sea, so she threw herself off the cliffs by the lighthouse and now her ghost haunts the area as she searches for her love.

I think one of Regan's favorite parts of the trip was visiting the grocery store. They had the little baskets just her size. She and Haden took turns pushing it around the store and adding groceries and then she checked us out using the the self check out. She scanned the groceries by herself, pushed the appropriate buttons and scanned the credit card. She is way too capable with the credit card for a three year old! I'm afraid the children's museum grocery store will no longer be exciting!

All in all, it was a wonderful trip. Clint got to hike, Regan got to go to Disneyland, and Haden got to play on the beach. Although Regan is already asking to return, Clint insists he won't go back to Disneyland for several more years.

Ice Skating

We have been wanting to go ice skating at Evergreen Lake since we first went up there last summer, and yesterday it finally looked like we were going to be able to go. Clint had scout obligations all morning, but we made it up there around 3:00. The weather had been so warm that the first layer of ice was slush, thus making it incredibly difficult for novice skaters like me to be very successful. Regan was looking forward to skating; she had been watching the US Figure Skating Championship while we were waiting for Clint to come home. I'm pretty sure it wasn't what she expected at all. She gave two half hearted attempts at trying to skate before settling into the sled behind Haden. Good thing we invested in skates for her.... Despite the lousy ice, we had fun. The hot chocolate was wonderful, the scenery beautiful, and the herd of elk grazing on the hillside above the lake completed the perfect afternoon!