Newb Camp, Art, and Grilled Pineapple

While the bambinos spent the weekend with my parents (thanks again!), Phillip and I went on a fun road trip together.

Our first stop was at Zion National Park. We called this Newb Camp, since we have little camping experience and we forgot so many things (gloves, cocoa, etc.). We did do most things right, though. For example, we brought good, easy food (which we successfully cooked and ate), and cozy sleeping bags (it was COLD that night). Also, Phillip staked our tent so it didn't blow over when the wind picked up in the middle of the night.

While we were there, we took a short hike to the Lower Emerald Pool (fed by the waterfalls in the photo), . . .

. . . and on the way out of the park we stopped at a rock shop where Phillip bought some highly-magnetized hematite balls that clack against each other when you toss them in the air. That was seriously one of the highlights of the trip for him. :)

For lunch we hit Cabela's to try their buffalo burger and sandwich. We made the stunning discovery that buffalo tastes . . . just like beef. Oh well, at least now we know. The fries were the best I've had in years.

Our next stop was BYU, my beloved alma mater. We bought some Y gear at the bookstore, then toured the Carl Bloch exhibit at the Museum of Art. It was very inspiring--I gained greater appreciation for the Savior, and for Bloch's ability to bring out both the divinity and humanity of scripture stories he portrays.



And then we went to Tucano's Brazilian Grill for dinner, which was seriously one of the highlights of the trip for me. Ahhh . . . grilled pineapple, feijoada (Brazilian rice and beans), and more kinds of rotisserie-grilled meat than you can shake a stick at. :)

R-V Day

We hosted preschool again today, which meant that Joy was there on time for once.

It fell to me to review letters R through V, and I tried to think of a snack component that matched each letter: Raisins, graham Squares, Tang, apples cut in U shapes, and milk tinted Violet.

Before I even thought to get out the camera, the kids had polished off the milk. I have to admit, the lavender color made it look irresistibly delicious, as if there simply must be some sort of sugary goodness mixed in.

We also played a memory game with pictures of Socks, Telephones, Unicycles, etc., . . .

. . . then we played the Very Game. We took turns telling the group to whisper VERY quietly, turn around VERY slowly, or (as pictured above) dance VERY fast.

Later, as we waited for the moms to return, this little guy volunteered to play doctor and help all the animals that were sick. Big Bear felt much better after her visit to the Toy Doctor.

The Thrill of the Hunt

We attended an early Easter egg hunt with some friends at the park today.

We played on the jungle gym . . .

. . . climbed around on things . . .

. . . and ate tasty treats (including bunny cupcakes, complete with ears and cotton candy tails).

Here Joy and Daniel examine their sugary loot. I didn't get a picture of the hunt itself because it all happened so fast.

In fact, it was almost as chaotic as trying to get twenty toddlers to pose for a group photo. :)

Art and Music with Grandma

We had fun visiting Pink Grandma this morning.

First Joy picked one of Pink Grandma's many pink roses . . .

. . . then they made a sticker picture together.

Joy assures me that the shark is after the blue happy face, not the hapless bather.

Grandma also helped Daniel further cultivate his love of percussion instruments (he already enjoys slamming the cupboard doors).

Still Life with Joy

Joy wanted to color this afternoon, and she invited me to join her.

I decided to draw a still life of our fruit bowl (I know--really original).

The result was decent, but I gained greater respect for people who can draw with anything approaching accuracy. It was all I could do to make the pears recognizable as such, let alone get their shape and shading right.

Joy decided to draw the fruit bowl, too, and her renditions reminded me to clown faces.

This minimalist version calls to mind a certain Mr. Bean sketch when he takes an art class.

The clowns looked happy, but the artist wasn't pleased with her work. She asked for my "expert" advice on drawing the bowl and its contents, and with a few suggestions from me she produced . . .

. . . this. I kind of preferred the clowns, but Joy was very pleased with her final version. Art appreciation is truly subjective.

Summer in Springtime

We're barely a week into spring, but it felt like summer today. Mother Nature apparently got bored with mild cool weather, and dished up a whopping 91 degree scorcher today.

Joy happily splashed around in our apartment pool . . .

. . . while her mother gingerly dipped her toes in the chilly water (we may have forgotten, but the pool remembers it was still winter last week).

Meanwhile, this strawberry plant is going gangbusters in its new pot. I guess it's glad I moved it out of the shade. I suspect it will produce twelve berries the size of marbles, but who knows? It could surprise me and produce its very own pint of big berries.

Joy suggested that we go to Menchie's for dessert tonight, and we all agreed that was a fine way to wrap up a warm day.

(P.S. Dear Phillip, Thanks for humoring me and smiling every time I pull out the camera. Love, Kimberly)