May 2013

It was an active May for us. While Helen sometimes has trouble making it past the front porch with both kids, on two separate occasions Brian packed the kids up and went on some impressive mini-adventures. Once to the coast so they could imagine how nice it would be to play in the ocean if we lived in a different state where that was possible.  And another day-trip to the forest to climb on stumps and throw rocks into streams. We also hit the zoo, the children's museum, and then went strawberry picking (or, more accurately, "strawberry snacking") on Sauvie's Island.

Not pictured is Mother's Day, which, disheartened by the antics of the children, Helen spent alone at a Cafe. I'm recording this fact here so that someday we might remember it and use it to shame the children (Kidding! Sort of.) It's not all fairy dust and butterflies over here.

What is pictured is the parenting blunder of the month, where Helen told Ava, "I'll catch you!" as she jumped off her cozy coop car and then didn't at all catch her. Instead Ava did a head-first, un-cushioned, swan dive onto the ground.  After shaking it off with some good old-fashioned tears and whimpers, she offered only a confused look, asking, "Why didn't you catch me?" Good question!