The time of her life

The petting zoo was nice. The hot dogs were yummy. But the best part of the fair for our little daredevil was, by far, the ride on the ferris wheel. From the moment she spotted it across the field until she finally fell asleep later that night, going around and around and around on the ferris wheel was all Abby could talk about.

Caleb and I, too short and too pregnant (respectively) to join in the fun, had to settle for standing at the bottom and waving for the duration of the ride. Maybe next year...

It's not a robot

She calls it a Walker. And ever since we added 80 extra pieces to our collection of Mega Blocks, it's her new favorite thing to build. Complete with feet, crown and individual fingers, the Walkers she builds with the help of her dad and I are pretty impressive creations, if I do say so myself.

At least until that 28-pound wrecking ball she calls a brother wakes up from his nap.

Things dad does

It was Caleb's turn to swing super high, but big sister was having trouble waiting patiently. The obvious solution, to their dad at least, was to push the car close enough to the swing to make it fun for Caleb to fly over, but not so close that Abby would get kicked as she sat on top waiting for her turn.

Things mom does, meanwhile: snap a few quick pictures before anyone gets knocked out and then dart inside to make sure our supply of band aids isn't running low.

All through the night

Abby's always been a great sleeper, and perhaps this is why: Zeepy bear, Hippo, blankie, and a well worn copy of Curious George. With that kind of bedtime entourage, who wouldn't get a good night's sleep?

Now if I could just get her to stop dozing off with that right arm tucked behind her, perhaps she'd stop waking up screaming when her arm falls asleep.

Special thanks to:

• Great Grandmama for Zeepy Bear
• Heidi for the quilt
• Shelley for Hippo
• Karen for the pink blankie
• Neely for the cute pajamas
• Mimi for the flamingo sheets

This peaceful moment would not have been possible without you.

Churn, baby, churn...

Abby, on how to make ice cream:

"You put in a little of this, and a little of that. And then it spins."

Yep. That's pretty much how it went.

(And yes, that's a toilet paper roll on her arm. When we reach the end of the paper towels or the toilet paper, what we're left with is a makeshift trumpet. Or in this case, an "arm trumpet," as she called it.)

Texas-sized fun

He called him Uncle "Mack." And apparently, Uncle Mack is the greatest thing since sliced bread as far as our little boy is concerned.

We've known Caleb was a "guy's guy," preferring the company of his dad and granddads to that of myself and his chatty sister, but the way he attached himself to Uncle Matt was unique. When we got him out of his crib in the morning, he wanted Uncle Matt. At mealtimes, he needed to sit next to Uncle Matt. And it was Uncle Matt who was commissioned time and time again during his weekend visit to build trains ("Mack! Choo choo!"), read books ("Mack! Book!"), and push him on the swing for what seemed like hours.

But the best moments were at bedtime. After Matt read the kids Bible stories, Justin and I would take Caleb to his room and put him down in his crib like we always do. And as we turned out the lights and pulled the door shut, we could hear the frantic voice of our tuckered out son pleading, "Maaaaaaaack! Maaaaaack! Night-night Maaaaaaack!"

We informed the off-duty uncle that he had one more task to complete before he could retire for the evening. And just as soon as Matt had entered Caleb's darkened room and said a hushed "good-night," all was quiet.

Caleb spent the first few days after Matt departed rushing into the guest room each morning looking for his buddy. "Mack? Mack?" he'd chant as he looked all around the bed, in the closet and under the night table. "Mack? Mack?"

With Uncle Matt nowhere to be found, eventually I could convince Caleb to come downstairs for breakfast, where the routine repeated itself as he searched every corner of the kitchen.

After a couple of days had passed, Caleb finally resigned himself to the idea that Matt had left. Or maybe he just thinks he's found a really great hiding spot.

Sand in their shorts

How do you keep a couple of toddlers busy at the fountain when the morning turns out to be too cold to play in the water?

Give them a few cups and permission to disassemble the rear corner of a nearby brick amphitheater.

I just can't seem to get away from the simple truth that life is more fun when we're making a mess. Any activity that holds a kid's undivided attention for over an hour and a half is definitely worth repeating. I officially revoke every negative thing I've ever said about owning a sandbox. I now have a fuller understanding of the value of adding one to my backyard.

Life lessons

Tucked away beside our favorite park is a little field surrounded by tall grass, black raspberry bushes, and, much to the delight of my children, a maze of nature trails blazed by some overzealous parks and rec employee on a riding mower.

Our intentions in crossing that field were to check the status of the raspberries. Finding them not quite ripe for the picking, Abby meandered toward the trail, calling it a "tree tunnel" and forging ahead with her adventurous little brother following close behind. We walked for close to an hour, turning whichever way the kids wanted when the trail forked, ducking under branches, and making up names for all the funny looking bugs and plants we saw.

Caleb insisted on stopping every few feet to pick up a new stick, turning to me each time for approval. "Stick!" he would announce excitedly. "Stick! Stick!" Yup, that's a stick, I'd assure him, and we'd hurry on to catch up with his sister.

At one point Abby stopped in the middle of the trail and turned to ask a very important question: "Did God make these trees, Mommy?"

"He sure did," I replied. "Can you find some other things God made?"

She paused again and looked around. "God made those clouds?" I nodded. "God made this bug?" I nodded again. Her confidence sufficiently built up, her questions turned to assertions as she shared what she was discovering with her walking buddy.

"God made this grass, Caleb." He pointed to a flower. "Yep, God made that flower, Caleb." And so it went for the remainder of our walk, Caleb pointing, Abby teaching him in her two-year-old way about our Creator.

We finally found our way back to the park. We were hot, thirsty, sweaty, and I, for one, was greatly encouraged. I see plenty of nature walks in our future.