Our little Halloween monster

Happy Birthday

Fall Pictures

We of course had to play in the leaves after they were all raked up.

Genevieve liked the bunnies at the state fair.

It's official.

How to eat a cheerio

Movies for the Grandparents - Balloon

We brought this balloon home after attending a BBQ. It was a big hit with Genevieve. I've never seen her get so annimated about any other toy or object. Sorry the movie is sideways....but its still cute.

Long Naps - Friend or Foe?

Why is it that my darling daughter always knows when I have plans? I know she loves leaving the house and being able to see new things and people, yet whenever I plan to get together with friends, that is when she decides to put a wrench in her daily schedule that I have tried so hard to work around.

Up until now, my babe has usually only taken naps that last 20-30 minutes. She even sneaks in quite a few 10 minute ones just to keep me from thinking I may be able to get something done while she is asleep. I've finally got used to her short nap habit, so when I put her down an hour or so before I plan to leave the house, I assume that she will be up well before we need to go.

However, because I've got used to this schedule it means it must be time to shake things up a bit. Today I was an hour late for a play-date (obviously more for my social well-being than hers at this stage in her life), because she decided to take a two hour nap this morning. Usually I would be singing hallelujah, but instead I was checking my watch every five minutes. And this is not the first time an unexpected long nap has interfered with a friend get-together.

I know that I could just wake her up and head out, but I didn't have the heart (and lets face it, I did not want a cross baby on my hands as previous experience has taught me is the result of waking my sleeping beauty before she's ready). This meant that not only was I late, but I also did not get to fully enjoy the "mom time" that nap time brings.

But hey, Genevieve clearly loves to be spontaneous and I get to just go with the flow right.

Whizz Fish Song

As mother's day is approaching, I was recalling various fun memories of my mom. I used to love listening to her sing the Whizz Fish Song. It was a rare treat when we could talk her into singing it as she often struggled a bit to recall the complete words and tune. This song takes me back to my childhood, as well as to years well beyond that, as I try to envision my mom sitting on my grandfather's lap listening to him sing. I never met my grandfather and I think this song is my best connection to him. I found the words today on the web and thought I would share them with you (specifically my family who can share in the memories with me).

Whizz-Fish (Songfest 1948)

On the swaying branch of a rubber tree,
a thousand miles away,
On the banks of the Hula River,
in far off Uruguay,
There sits a nervous monkey,
his eyes with fear agleam;
His tail is dangling gently
within that limpid stream.

Just every nineteen minutes
it 'whistles through the air
With a South American whizz-fish
a-dangling helpless there,
But the teeth of the hungry whizz-fish
are hard on his tender tail,
And if you listen carefully,
you can hear that monkey wail:

(chorus)
Oh, shades of Izaak Walton,
Was that another bite?
If I didn't feel so hungry,
I'd quit this job tonight.
But I love the toasted whizz-fish,
Though his bite drives me insane,
But I do so 'wish to catch that fish
That I manage to bear the pain.

One day a great big Juba fish
With jaws 'bout six by nine
Came swimming down the river,
And seized that monkey's line;
Continued on his journey
Quite unconcernedly,
While the monkey screamed and chattered,
And clang to the rubber tree.

The tree stretched like a garter,
A hundred miles or so;
When the fish let go,
the monkey flew
Like an arrow from a bow;
They say he's still a-flying,
And if you'd care to try,
You can hear him sadly murmur,
As he 'whistles through the sky.

repeat chorus

Easter Pictures

Although Genevieve is only 5.5 months and has of

course never tried chocolate, she was drueling at the sight of the

chocolate bunny and tried her best to get to it.

(She is her mother's dauther, what can I say).

We did a little photo shoot with Genevieve in her easter dress.

These are some of my favorite pictures.

Thanks, Nan for the cute easter basket and gifts.

She loves the toys and the clothes are adorable.

Budding Neuroscientist

Genevieve is our budding neuroscientist. She has studied this brain cell from every possible angle. Her research lately has particularly focused on the thin axon terminals which she can run through her fingers. Her second love is the dendrites which she finds particularly soft and tasty.

The Big Blue Monster

Meet the Big Blue Monster

It has been patiently living in our attic since our move, just waiting for the day when Genevieve would be big enough to play. At first glance it can be kind of scary. I mean it has gizmos and gadgets (not to mention a big squeaky snail) sticking out all over. It also makes lots of strange loud noises.

At first, Geneveive gazed at it with awe from the safety of mom's arms. From afar it didn't look so bad. However, sitting in it was out of the question. I mean I can't blame the babe as being swallowed-up to your middle by a strange Big Blue Monster that tips and spins a little with each movement would likely put anyone out of their comfort zone. The first attempt failed before she even made it in the seat. The second attempt lasted about 10 seconds.

The third attempt, she decided to think about it. The fear seemed to have left, but it was still strange.

This marked the beginning of the Big Blue Monster's transformation, which was not unlike that of Sulley's from Monsters Inc. At first his goal was to generate screams, but when encountering a sweet little girl that could giggle and smile, he discovered that laughter and happiness was much more powerful than fear.

Now Genevieve and the Big Blue Monster are good friends. She loves to spend time in it and is quickly learning how to maneuver herself around so she can grasp, push, tap, and spin the different gizmos. It gives her a little independence as she can sit, stand, or spin when she likes without mom's help.

Today she was especially interested in spinning the plastic tube with little balls. Check out her developing finger manipulation skills.

Visions of Springtime

I love Spring. And no, your eyes did not deceive you, I have included a picture full of snow in my Visions of Springtime collection. These pictures were all taken at my home within the last week. Living in northern states, Springtime often includes one or two late snow storms. I have heard many people say that it is not Spring until after the last snow storm or when it warms to at least 60 degrees. I whole-heartily disagree. When you classify Spring this way, you miss many of the wonderful joys of Spring. I get so excited when I see Spring's first signs--which often appear in March, or a month where snow is in fact repeatedly expected. Specifically, I love to see budding trees, the first sprigs of green grass, the leaves of spring bulbs prying out of the soil, and of course flowers of all kinds. At my previous home, I could tell you that the first flowers to appear were small and white and bloomed on a hill below the medical library. I looked for them every year. In my new home, I was overjoyed to see all kinds of Spring flowers coming up in different places in my yard. It was especially fun to see little yellow and blue flowers come up on the grassy hills. They were certainly unexpected bursts of color in the still brown colored lawn.

While I was an undergraduate at BYU, I was walking home on a beautiful Spring day. The sky was blue and the sun was shining and warm. There was still a Spring coolness in the air, but overall a perfect day. While heading down the hill from the Tanner building, I saw a number of small patches of green grass (more like weedy, crab grass...but grass nonetheless). It was the first green of the season and it brought me such joy that I pick a handful and took it home with me. I wrapped my sprigs of happiness with a rubber band and put it in a cup with water. My roommates had a good laugh at my grass bouquet, but I loved it. It symbolized an end to winter and the beginning of the warmth and life of spring and summer. Even though the temperature dropped again, I knew it would not last and that spring had arrived.

Daddy comes home

There's a song we grew up singing...

"I'm so glad when daddy comes home, glad as I can be. Clap my hands and shout for joy and climb upon his knee. Put my arms around his neck, hug him tight like this. Pat his cheeks and give him what? A great big kiss."

So alright, Genevieve is not quite up to doing most of those things yet, but she sure does love it when her daddy comes home from work. When he walks in the door, she gives a big smile. And who wouldn't love him? He gives airplane rides, tickles, laughs, tells stories, sing songs, makes funny faces...the works.