Lenorac the Great!

So on one of the last days of school, Ernie had a field trip to Ager Play Place with his class (imagine a McDonalds play place without the fast food and about 10x the size), though they weren't the only kids there. Lenora and I tagged along to help drive some of the other kids. When it was time to go, all of the parents and children were rounding up the kids to get their shoes back on. Meanwhile, Lenora walks up to one mother and says, "Where's Emmit?" She looks at Lenora blankly and says he's over there, pointing to her son. I asked the mother, "You guys aren't with Dimensions are you?" "No," she says. "So," I inquire, "how did she know your son's name?" "I have no idea," the mother confirmed. I reassured her that our kids are just a bit creepy and overly intuned with other people's minds, souls, etc. So we both laughed and went on our way. Lenora probably overheard the mom at some point, but I know she hadn't played with the kid at all, and I didn't even see the family before we were leaving then. Oh, our kids are weird. Weird, weird, weird.

Oh the Forbidden Love

I should have posted this when it happened. I'm doing it now so I don't ever forget:
I was dropping Ernie off at school one morning, and we were talking in the hallway because we were a little early. And Ernie consulted me on a matter that had been weighing on him for what seemed like a while: "Dad, Lilly says that I can't marry Lenora because she's my sister..." So I told him that's right, Lenora's off limits. Well, I didn't realize how seriously he would take my flippant response. He just got real quiet and started trying to repress his tears, and he said, "But I WILL marry Lenora. I want to always live with her, because I love her." He wasn't shouting or pouting or anything. He was just clearly VERY let down that he and his sister wouldn't always mean more to each other than to anyone else. He was very sad and a little pissed. It's sweet how well he and Lenora get along, so I'm glad someone other than me had to break the bad news to him. For the record, Lilly - a girl in his class - tells Ernie, her parents, and anyone else who will listen that Ernie is HER boyfriend, so there may have been some manuevering on her part. But she is a very cute, sweet little girl otherwise. Post on meeting up with Lilly to follow.

Just a story . . . of CARNAGE!

I can't remember the full impetus of this conversation over the dinner table, but Ernie had been talking about being able to drive and we explained about the responsibility of being behind the wheel of a vehicle, about safety, about how in the wrong hands a vehicle is like a weapon (because we are not very good at simple explanations of ANYTHING) and Ernie asked if we had ever known anyone in a car accident. I showed him my scars on my neck and chin and described how the accident occurred.
That's when Lenora pipes up "One time, I asina caw accidewt, an I gota aww cut up on my neck, and dere was two babies, and one of da babies was eatin' my neck, and da odder baby said 'No! Don't eat 'Nowa's neck, you baby!' and was was bweedin', and I couldn stoppa babies."
I'm not sure, but that sounds like a lie. I mean, babies can't even talk!

Lennie's Big Bed

Here's Dad and Len the first night in her big bed, co-reading "Sophie's Big Bed" by Tina Burke.

Big Girl Bed

 Lenora is not a baby. She will let you know this if you try to accuse her of it. She is also not a lady. She is a girl. Mommies are ladies. Just so we're clear. But anyway, girls need girl beds. No more baby cribs!

Mom shopped and shopped, and delayed the bed transition until she could find the perfect design. A vintage four-poster twin painted robins egg blue finally fit the bill. Naturally the perfect bed means you have to buy three different frames, return two of them, and make additional trips to the hardware store for the right bolts and screws. At least Ernie was dressed for the task.

Both kids LOVE her new bed. And she mostly stays in it (mostly). Ernie's wearing Mom's glasses to be silly, in case you're wondering.

I kind of want to steal my daughter's bedroom now.

Spring, when a young child's fancy turn to jellybeans.

Dying the children. Did I say "children?" I meant eggs, we were TRYING to dye eggs.

Candy for breakfast, candy for snacks, candy for lunch.

Egg hunt at Grandma Bonnie and Grandpa Denie's house. Spiderman egg spotted!

Hello Kitty egg in the lilies!

Candy for brunchtime appetizers.

Ernie is five. Five, People. FIVE! ONE WHOLE HAND!

 He's doing it. He's growing up.

Making a wish on a cupcake on his actual birthday. I think he wished to eat a cupcake. He could stand to mature a little in terms of his long-range wish planning.

We had a small family party this year. "Small" didn't mean that we lacked at all for gifts, however. And most people seemed to get that Ernie is really into Star Wars lately.

A talking Darth Vadar mask, a Star Wars Lego Minifigure Encyclopedia, Star Wars transformers, Star Wars pajamas, Star Was Lego sets, Star Was gumbo, fried Star Wars, Star Wars cocktail . . .

Mom is not a natural party planner or decorator for special events, so all must humor as she documents the efforts. Light saber suckers for party favors, glow in the dark sabers, and Star Wars character cupcake toppers.

We had to save all the toothpick toppers for weeks after. I'm amazed no one was stabbed. It's a good thing our animals are still young and fast.

Yoda soda.

Prepare for battle!

Prepare for sugar-high!

Kitt and Maisie are fans of cake, and it's so nice to have them over because they play so naturally with our kids. Plus sometimes the parents get to talk just a little bit.

Maisie was quite talented with her saber!

Star Wars Legos have taught Ernie to follow illustrated instructions really well. But he needed Dad's help to build the full Tatooine land cruiser. And we've now seen all of the original trilogy.

Ladies and gentlemen, we present to you . . .

. . . Lenora Hall's dramatic re-enactment of Hans Solo: Frozen in Carbonite.

Spring Outdoor Fun

 It's a great time to be active in Lincoln, and we love getting to all the parks, hiking trails, gardens, and backyard parties we can!

The tulips bloomed early in the Sunken Gardens.

Seesaws at Holmes Lake Park for an early spring picnic.

It was a windy day to be out on the lake.

Climbing the maple tree out front before the leaves are in the way.

Lovely Len in the bridal wreath.

Teepee at the Earth Day Celebration at Antelope Park.

Balloon wand and sword at Earth Day.

Playdate with Owen and Piper. The girls liked to get messy.

And the boys just love to be silly together. Owen is Ernie's most talked-about playmet from school this year. On our way to his house from our car before this picture was taken he confided to Mom, "I can feel Owen's soul. He doesn't know it but I just can." I asked him what it feels like. "Condensed water."

Len giving Johanna a push in Morgan and Cullen's back yard.

We heard tell of some short-eared owls that were feeding in the late afternoon at Pioneer Park Prairie. Late hard snow and two small kids are not a great recipe for owling (which requires some quiet) or even hiking (which requires feet that move). But we had fun pretending we were white-tailed deers named Nella (short for Penelope) and a ground squirrel named Steve.

We went back out to the train tracks at Wilderness Park. Except we parked three miles further away than we needed to. Whoops. Hiking is good for you!

Here's the kids about to cross the trestle: the site of the largest mass murder in Lincoln history. In 1894 train wreckers caused the immediate death of 11 people on a Rock Island train, and many more might have perished if not for the bravery of brakeman Harry Foote, who with a broken leg from the impact returned to the burning cars several times to rescue passengers. He died some days later of an infection in his leg. The side of the trestle is still covered in the coal from the overturned train.

Orsi's Field Trip

 Dad's Uncle Tim owns Orsi's Italian Bakery in Omaha, and we took a field trip to see how you make the best-tasting bread in the world. Seriously. I'm not even kidding. And their pizza is great. The garlic bread will change your life. That's all I'll say for now.

We got to watch Great Uncle Tim roll the loaves and slice the dough and put the huge pans in the oven, and possibly most exciting, watch the magical machine that automatically twists the twisty ties on the bread bags!

Proud Halls! We took home four pizzas and garlic bread and five loaves of their Italian bread and it all disappeared in a matter of weeks. Time to go back!

DAX! FINALLY!

We finally got to meet Baby Dax, Darren and Liz's little boy. I have to say, and I may be biased, but he is darn cute. Remind you of anyone else?

 Ernie had heard tell that when Uncle Darren finally visits, he just MIGHT let him play with his old Star Wars toys. So that's pretty much what the kids did every spare moment. Gave us more time to play with Dax!

 Here's the balancing baby trick to give you heart palpitations:

Grandma prefers him close and at eye level.

Ernie brought Star Wars ABC to help educate his young cousin.

We had a mini-post-Christmas exchange. Grandma Chris made aprons for all the girls - the Verna Apron! Adorable and useful! She made the pattern for the Len-sized one herself!

And Jeremy finished assembling the quilt for Dax, which has an embroidered panel from his g-rents Mohrs and his Mohr Aunts. He's got all these children's books, so the images should be familiar to him someday.

Here's the finished work. The center panel is Jeremy's, an applique of the last scene from The House on Pooh Corner with an embroidered quote from the book. Embroidery clockwise from the top left: Grandma Chris The Velvetine Rabbit, Aunt Amber The Giving Tree, Grandpa Darrell Paddle to the Sea, Aunt Laura Where the Wild Things Are.

Zoo trip!

Monkey Ern.

Humid cuties.

We had a party at Fernandos so all the family and folks who haven't seen Darren in a while, maybe haven't met Liz, and mostly haven't met Dax could get together. It was PACKED! And very hard to get pictures. But the kids enjoyed the red velvet cupcakes!

I think this was a reaction to the balancing baby show.

It was lots of fun, and just lovely to be able to get to spend lots of time together. Miss you guys, Dax, Darren, and Liz!