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Just a note to let you know that I changed the settings on my blog so that anyone can post a comment. Some of you may have had problems. I hope this doesn't persuade you against travelling around the world with me.

THIS IS A CALL TO ALL STAY AT HOME MOMS AND THOSE WHO LOVE THEM!

My friend Lara turned me onto The Amazing Race last season. I know, it's been running for 10 seasons and I finally got around to checking it out. My sister Robin also watches it. Last season I would TiVo the show and the kids and I would watch it sometime during the week. Tristan really got into it, I think not only because of the "race" element, but also because he's into geography.

All summer the kids have been asking when The Amazing Race would be back on TV. Yesterday morning the kids and I finally sat down to watch the season premiere. Bless her heart, Jolie was still rooting for "the hippies" and asking about "Ray and Yolanda" even though they're no longer on the show.

So here's what I've been thinking about ever since I watched it... I've convinced myself that a pair of stay at home moms could win the thing hands down. What other occupation could better prepare a person for a race around the world? The physical demands, the mental anquish, the sleep deprivation, the whining and demands of the other contestants... I've decided I want to hook up with another mom and test out my theory. The only problem is that I can't get as far as Albertson's without getting three phone calls asking when I'm going to be home, so I don't think I'll be travelling around the world anytime soon.

But hey, I'm a resourceful and persistent girl! I'M PUTTING A CALL OUT TO ANY AVAILABLE STAY AT HOME MOMS who would like to be my partner in The Amazing Race. Please, please, post a comment to this blog. Also, please indicate how you feel about eating frog eyes, carrying heavy concrete bricks, climbing stone walls, and whether you are proficient at reading maps.

More importantly, IF THERE ARE ANY AVAILABLE GRANDPARENTS, SISTERS, FRIENDS OR STRANGERS who would be willing to watch my three kids and feed my husband for several weeks, CALL ME, SEND ME A LETTER, EMAIL ME, POST A COMMENT... whatever is most convenient for you. I can't promise that they'll thank you for your tireless efforts or partake of your nutritious homecooked meals without complaint, but you'll be doing mankind and the scientific community (OK,and me) a great service.

COME ON, I'M WAITING TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Grandpa & Grandma

Wayne and Susan are visiting from Virginia. I picked them up late last night while everyone else was sleeping. The kids have spent the day becoming re-acquainted with their grandparents. This morning Gavin looked very puzzled when he came downstairs and saw Wayne sitting on the couch, even though we've been talking about their visit for days. As you can see from the photos, it didn't take him long to warm up.

Swinging

Who knew that such a simple thing could be so much fun? We love to climb the cottonwood trees, feed carrots to the horses and play on the rope swing. This also happens to be my favorite place to take pictures of the kids.

Beeees!

We spent Labor Day at the Salt Lake Bees game. We went with mom, Jerry and Lisa and we all hit our favorite Greek restaurant afterward. Tristan was very much into watching the game, as were the adults, but Jolie and Gavin, I'm afraid, were not. The first and foremost item on ALL of the kids' agenda was the ballpark FOOD. We gave them each 5 bucks to spend on concessions, and what a treat that was! Jolie chose shaved ice, Tristan cotton candy, and Gavin (with a little help from me) chose kettle corn. They were also thrilled to meet Bumble Bee, the team mascot. We were able to get his autograph at the end of the game and Tristan's ended up on his forehead! He was certain to make sure it didn't wash off because he wanted to show it to all of his buddies at school today.

The Beginning of the End

It's Labor Day weekend, so I guess we can begin saying goodbye to summer. It's still plenty hot around here (in the 90's), but I've noticed a bit of a chill in the morning. That usually means the beginning of the end. Before we know it, there will be snow on the ground.

In honor of the end of summer, I asked everyone to tell me their three favorite memories of the Summer of 2006:

Tristan:
1. Boogie boarding in Corona del Mar (Newport trip)
2. Lagoon (amusement park)
3. Cherry Hill (water park)

Jolie:
1. Gavin's birthday party
2. Cherry Hill (but not the big scarry water slide that she SCREAMED all the way down)
3. Swim Lessons

Gavin:
1. "Lazy River" (Cherry Hill)
2. "Water Doggies" (he loved watching the sea otters in Monterey)
3. "Nemo Suit" (he loved wearing his bathing suit, whether on the Slip n Slide, in the swimming pool, or at the beach)

Me:
1. Playing with the kids and watching them dig for sand crabs for HOURS at Diver's cove (Newport trip)
2. Hearing Gavin giggle (in the stroller) as we ran through the sprinklers during Arts in the Park
3. Boogie boarding for the first time in 10 years
4. Watching Jolie dance in her summer ballet recital

Dan:

Dan must not have received the memo that it was summer because he says all he can remember about it is:

1. Working
2. Working
3. Working

Gavin = Toddler

Gavin had his two-year check up with the pediatrician today. He passed all the developmental milestones of a two year old. He also got one "poke" in the leg. I warned him before the nurse came in, so he handled it well. He gasped but didn't cry. He was also distracted by the band-aid, a badge of honor in our house.

Gavin is showing signs of a bona fide toddler. As you can see from the photos I took during dinner, he's mastering the art of the fork. He's always been one to want to feed himself which, although messy, is nice for Dan and I because we can eat our food while it's warm. He's becoming more insistent about doing other things on his own. This morning when I was getting his breakfast, he said "myself!" because he wanted to pour his own cereal.

I have a feeling this is just the tip of the iceberg!

Thank You, Mr. School Bus Driver

Jolie has been a bit ambivalent about starting kindergarten, but the one thing she's been excited about is riding the bus. I feel bad for little children (and their mothers) who live within walking boundaries of school. The school bus is a big, huge, major deal.

Well, today was the day! Gavin and I walked Jolie to her little bus stop (across the street) and there it came, careening around the corner. We hadn't been there long so Mr. bus driver had to wait for me to snap a few photos. I hope he didn't mind.

Jolie's a Kindergartener!

Gavin and I dropped Jolie off yesterday afternoon for Kindergarten. She walked right into her classroom and hardly said goodbye. She'll do well in school, I'm sure. Jolie has always been my easy-going girl. That was clear from the day we brought her home from the hospital. I layed her down in the crib and she calmly closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. I'd never experienced that before!

Gavin and I went to Tasty's with some other moms while the kids were at kindergarten. In the rush to leave for school I'd forgotten my purse so we didn't have anything to eat. I knew I was in trouble when Gavin shouted "McDonuts!" as we pulled into the parking lot. He was very hurt and offended that he didn't get a donut so we brought Jolie back for a special lunch after we picked her up from kindergarten. Then we hurried home for the annual first-day-of-school ice cream social. What a day!

School!

Today's the first day of school! What an exciting day. So exciting, in fact, that Tristan was up at 5- something this morning. He came into my bedroom at 7:00 fully dressed, his bed was made, and he was ready to go. I think he woke Jolie up because she was downstairs with him.

Jolie, Gavin and I took Tristan to school and walked him to his classroom. Tristan is in 2nd grade. He has a set of team teachers, Mrs. Acord and Mrs. Arnell. I have a feeling he's going to learn A LOT and have a fair amount of fun, too.

Jolie's a kindergartener! She goes half-day and she's in Mrs. Ashmead's class. There are 27 kids in her class! I'm a little concerned about that. Utah's famous large class sizes are going to have a whole new meaning to me. She goes to school in the afternoon, so we're getting ready to curl her hair and then Gavin and I will drop her off. I hope I don't cry like I did on Tristan's first day of Kindergarten!

Snaggletooth

Tristan is a snaggletooth! His two front teeth have been loose for a while. Jolie accidentally bumped into him which wrenched this one loose a little more. He must have decided he wanted it out, because he started wiggling and came to ask for help. Dan was happy to oblige, he did the tie-a-string-and-yank-it-out trick with a piece of dental floss.

It's amazing how much a tooth can change one's appearance. Sometimes I look at him and do a double-take.

Oh, and the answer to the all-important question... three bucks is what a front tooth is worth to the Tooth Fairy these days. Have you ever wondered what she does with all those teeth? One of my favorite children's books is "The Tooth Witch" by Nurit Karlin. It's about an apprentice witch who is assigned to help the mean old Tooth Witch. At the end of the story she's transformed into the Tooth Fairy. We learn that all the beautiful, sparkling stars in the night sky were placed there by the Tooth Fairy.

Monterey

The end of summer is quickly approaching. School starts in just ten days!

One of my favorite things this summer was our trip to Monterey in July. Dan had to go there for work so the kids and I went along. We also invited my mom and Jerry to come with us. It worked out well and we were able to do a lot of things we weren't able to do when we were there in March. Some of the most memorable parts of the trip:

1. The gorgeous Monterey Bay coastline
2. The awesome Monterey Bay Aquarium
3. Clam chowder and sourdough at Phil's Fish Market
4. The Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz (I still haven't figured that one out)
5. The redwoods
6. Lighthouses
7. A QUIET dinner with Dan at Elli's (thanks to Grandpa and Grandma)
8. Maid service!
9. Diving games with Tristan and Jolie at the indoor pool
10.Artichoke fields

Maiden voyage

Volila' ! I'm officially part of the the blog phenomenon.