Kids Say the Darndest Things

I love having a toddler. Yes, they can definitely be a handful at times, but they are full of so much innocence, wonder & delight as well. It's truly a sight to behold. And what a blessing that I get to be a part of it!!

One of the things I enjoy the most about Ethan right now are the things he says, the expressions he is learning to use, the words he makes up, the running commentaries, the inflections and enthusiasm. They are absolutely precious.

Here are a few recent ones for you to enjoy . . .

• In a nice little British accent . . . "Hay bale is stuck in tree! I can't reach, it's too high!" (Quoting a line from Tractor Tom)
• "Hey big boy" (Quoting his Daddy talking to him)
• "I smell." (This is Ethan's way of letting us know he needs a diaper change.)
• ME: "Ethan, do you want to _____?" ETHAN: "Yes, yes, yes! I do, I do, I do!" (Quoting Ducky in The Land Before Time)
• "That's amazing!" (Not sure where he got this one!!)
• As Ethan & I are in the living room watching the rain fall outside . . . ETHAN: "Where'd Daddy go?" ME: "He's at a conference today." ETHAN: "Oh no! He's wet!"
• As I am sitting on the couch eating a few chips & Ethan is sitting next to me. . . "Where'd Mommy go?" [pause] "There she is! She's hiding with the crackers!"
• Right after I stubbed my toe really hard . . . "You're fine, Mama. You'll be OK." (Something we have evidently told him on more than one occasion! He also comforts himself with this sometimes: "It's OK. I'm fine.")
• As we are all getting ready to eat lunch and Chris is making a grilled cheese sandwich . . . ETHAN: "Cheese toast!" CHRIS: "Yes, that's Daddy's cheese toast." [pause] ETHAN: "That's Ethan's cheese toast."
  

He also loves to sing. Last night after he went to bed, he serenaded us over the baby monitor with a lovely little medley. It began with Patty-Cake (not really a song, but work with me here), moved into "Happy Birthday" and then finished up with "Jesus Loves Me". And they're always sung at the very top of his lungs too. Such fervor. ;-)

I need to remember to write these sweet Ethan-isms down more often because I love them so much!! They bring a smile to my face every time. :-)

Introducing Doctor Green!

We'd like to thank all of you for praying.

Chris' thesis was 'sustained' today, which means he passed with no revisions.

My husband is now "Dr. Green!"

Wahoo!

Heat Wave!

Yesterday we hit almost 80 degrees here in Aberdeen. That is the hottest we've experienced since we've lived here! Without air conditioning, with a high percentage of humidity making it feel even warmer than it was and with the sun blazing into our front windows, we were all pretty darn HOT. It was too hot to really do anything (eg. work on our "to do" list, packing, cooking, etc.), so we coped the best we could . . . I stripped the boys down, opened all the doors and windows, we drank lots of water and we contemplated the heat to come (when we move back to CA)! :-P

Aberdeen Highland Games

A week and a half ago we went to the Aberdeen Highland Games. Since we've live here, I have wanted to go to one of the highland games which take place in different towns all over Scotland during the summer months. The Bramaer Games are probably one of the most famous ones and are the ones I had really hoped for us to attend (this event, always the first Saturday in September, are the games Her Majesty the Queen attends!), but the timing has just never worked out for us. So, when some friends rather spontaneously decided to go to the Aberdeen Games and invited us to tag along, we decided to go for it--even though it meant no naps for the boys! After all, this would be our last opportunity! So, on this particularly sunny & very warm day, we set out on the bus to Hazelhead Park, where the games were being held.

Here are the men with the older two kiddos . . . Brannan is pushing Lily in a stroller and Ethan was walking/being carried by Daddy. The two wee ones, Callum & Benjamin, are traveling in the carriers on their respective mothers following the men.

Here is a little video of part of one of the several dancing competitions held that day as well as a shoot of the area. I panned around a little quickly, so sorry if you get dizzy! :-P

Highland Dancers

High Jump

How to acquire a Scottish suntan:

Heavy Hammer Throw (28 lbs.). [Or it might be the Weight Throw?] Either way, these men were massive! And to do it in a kilt
too . . . ;-)

Competative Tug of War

Pipeband Competition

Men's Choir (see lyrics below)

The Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen
Traditional

Chorus:

The northern lights of old Aberdeen
Mean home sweet home to me
The northern lights of Aberdeen
Are what I long to see
I've been a wanderer all of my life
And many a sight I've seen
God speed the day, when I'm on my way
To my home in Aberdeen

Whan I was a lad, a tiny wee lad
My mother said to me
Come see the northen lights my boy
They're bright as they can be
She called them the heavenly dancers
Merry dancers in the sky
I'll never forget that wonderful sight
They made the heavens bright

I've wandered in many far off lands
And traveled many a mile
I've missed the folk I've cherished the most
The joy of a friendly smile
It warms up the heart of the wanderer
The clasp of a welcoming hand
To greet me when I return
Home to my native land

Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of the caber toss. :-(

After all the fun was over, we had two wiped out little boys! Both fell asleep on the bus ride home. All in all, it was a great afternoon.

To read more about the Highland Games, click here.)

Extreme Home Makeover Memory

One of my very favorite TV shows in the U.S. is Extreme Home Makeover. Ty Pennington has stolen the hearts of millions and each show elicits extreme "warm fuzzies" for each of the families they choose to help. Somehow, I never tire of it and shed a few tears during almost every single show (yeah, I admit it, I'm kind of a sap). Amazingly enough, EHM actually re-did a house for the Elcano family in Bakersfield several years ago. As I have been cleaning off the hard drive of our Mac, I came across these two pics of our brief encounter with greatness. ;-)

Ty

Paul

Chris had attempted to get the football team from the high school he was teaching at to move in furniture for the show and although the timing never quite worked out, Chris & I still got to head "back stage" and meet a couple of the favs. What a blast!!!

A Quick Update

Not a lot of time tonight (again), but I've been chomping at the bit to get another post up. So, here are some pics from the last week!

Daddy reading to the boys

"I started out like this . . . "

". . . and a few seconds later ended up like this! How did that happen!?"

Pretty proud of himself after rolling back to tummy for the first time. But he hasn't done it again!

"Umph! Get me outta this thing!!"

100% British!? Well, not exactly . . . but at least he was "made in Britain"! Oh wait. No, he wasn't! He was actually made in the U.S.A.! Oh well. At least he was born here. That ought to count for something!

"Mommy, is this how it's supposed to work???"

More Randomness

Move over Farmer John! Dino is taking the wheel!
(Another peek inside the imagination of a 2-1/2-year-old.)

Remember how Ethan used to cross his legs?? Benjamin is already following in big brother's footsteps . . . Must be in the Green or Dragoun genes!

The best picture we have yet of the boys together. :-) What handsome lads!