Lenora will 'tare you

Lenora has many sides, many emotions, and one voice apart from high-pitched-enthusiastic-girly. She can also do hoarse and demonic. She likes to bust this one out times she thinks an adult is not necessarily going to be on board with her demands. Please imagine all these in the same voice that Linda Blair had to lip-synch to in The Exorcist.
For instance, yesterday I didn't quite get up just as soon as my alarm sounded. Two minutes later I hear down the hall Demon Lenora "It's time to det up!"
Or toward the end of dinnertime, she asks if she needs to take any more bites in her sweet little voice. Before a response is issued the Demon adds "I did eat enough fow dessewt!"
Apparently Grandma Chris wasn't familiar with this practice, and when helping Len on the potty during a babysitting day was asked "Gwanma, will you be hewre when I dit up?" She replied that she wouldn't, she had to get home, and was quickly interrupted by the Demon "You will be hewre when I dit up!"
Jeremy got after her, but she was "just twying to 'tare Gwanma." Why does she have to be too cute to discipline?

Before I forget: Father's Day

Folks, our camera is lost right now, along with all the pictures we hadn't loaded yet. We only had one of Father's Day that I was planning on using, but I want to remember Dad's special day this year. In the morning Jeremy went for a run, and the kids collected candy and sweets from our candy container and curated a special selection just for Dad. Then he ate a marshmallow for breakfast, on an empty stomach, right after a run. What a guy.
Len and Ern got him some supercool shirts by James Hance and Mom got him his Vikings tickets. The man deserves so much more.
Then we got the annual Father's Day donuts. Since we enjoy our typical Sundays so much, the rest of the day was similar to another. Church, brunch, rest, and a relaxing dinner at home. 
We had the G-rents down the Sunday prior to go to a Saltdogs baseball game as a Father's Day celebration. Here's where I'd also put great pics from that, including Len's first cotton candy. It was fun, Ernie was not bored for a second thanks to all the sweets and we all ate until we were too full.
Sorry there's no pictures!

Ernie the chef

A while back Ernie woke up and decided he wanted to cook for his family. His list of ingredients sounded suspiciously like cheesecake, if you took out the remarks like "12 seconds in the oven" from his recipe. Jeremy tried to convince him of this and found a recipe that matched his ingredient list. Of course Ernie still wanted to make it HIS way. He called it variably "cobbler" and "melon fruit" but he was sure excited to serve it to us for dessert. Just as a fail-safe, Jeremy made the cheesecake recipe that matched Ernie's ingredient list.

Imagine these two going head-to-head in the Iron Chef kitchen.

And the results were not mixed. Please see video "Cobbler Taste Test."

Cobbler taste test

Memorial Day to remember

 No stone decorating pictures this time, I guess we didn't get out the camera for that. But we did find some time to stop by the farm when we came to decorate in Avoca, and then followed that by a picnic and swim. It was a gorgeous day!

Ernie (and Snuggle Puppy) love being reunited with the tractor.

Len now believes this is also her tractor. Don't tell them it's Grandpa Darrell's, ok?

Too big to explore it all on foot.

Teaching Len how to ditch roll.

Awwww.

Some of the more fun weeds growing in the ditch.

COLD little girl in Grandpa's arms!

Unaffected youth sitting by Grandma. Don't smile, Ernie!

Best pic we got of either of the kids' glee on the water slide. Len never wanted to stop. "One more time, ok?" over and over.

End of Preschool = REAL school

 I remember Ernie's first day of Preschool like it was yesterday. Well, it was only a year and a half ago. He loved Dimensions so much. Here he is on his last day, and with his teacher this year Mrs. Heinsman.
 

More Moms

 We had the G-mas over for a nice outdoor dinner of pizza. I managed to wrangle and extra Mother's Day gift out of the deal by saying how nice it would be to have a 6-seater outdoor table. Sneaky, me. Please note that I did not handle the camera that day, so there aren't that many pictures. Jeremy was busy keeping mommas happy.

Opening gifts.

Another opening gifts, but the only picture where we snuck one of Bonnie!

The kids played a lot of baseball with the G-pas. Ernie's getting pretty good at hitting, and Lenora's improving at not being hit!

My Perfect Mother's Day

 For Mother's Day I got the sweetest box of flower petals collected by the kids and an invitation to a "fancy tea" with my family at Ruby and Cordelia's Fine Tea Room. We all got gussied up and had a great time!

Len wore her hat and we both wore gloves.

Girl GUZZLED the tea like it was going out of style. She had at least four cups. Sugar cubes were a big hit.

Ernie enjoyed practicing his manners. See pinky extension.

REALLY loved the cupcakes, though. If those staring you down isn't motivation to eat a good meal, well, then nothing will work.

Ms. Ruby took this picture of all of us outside on their swing.

And we got to play on their tire swing too.

I am one lucky momma.

Just for fun

The kids enjoying the rose gardens in bloom.

And enjoying the fountain. See that cute little basket? They were collecting petals, for a reason to be explained in a later post.

Sword/stick fights at cousin Corey's graduation. Ernie down! Kitt victorious!

Cute a cute one.

Zoo playdate with Tanis.

Pretending to have a sleepover in Len's room with their quilts made by Mom's girlfriends and their travel pillows made by Erin.

We call this a mister hose, but they call it "Mister Hose" and think its hilarious.