Add Butterflies to the List

The list of "everyday" animals I fear is long: lizards (my most recent unsettling encounter), snakes, frogs, toads, fish, spiders, rats, mice, gerbils, birds, squirrels, flying squirrels, and bats.

The list of animals I do not fear is short: cats, (most) dogs, bunnies, hamsters, and butterflies.

While in Madison, my mom, Hallie, and I went to Olbrich Botanical Gardens to check out their Blooming Butterflies exhibit. Prior to entering the exhibit, the Garden's volunteers reminded us that under no circumstances could we touch the butterflies; if a butterfly landed (and stayed put) on us we were to move slowly toward one of the fans so that the light breeze could blow the butterflies on to their next landing spot.

The three of us enjoyed wandering through the exhibit and taking pictures of the butterflies that fluttered close to us or landed on the flowers and plants.

Just as we were preparing to leave, a butterfly landed on my mom's hair. It looked lovely there, kind of like a barrette.

Hallie began to panic, but when she saw how calm my mom remained she pulled herself together and laughed with us about how funny the butterfly looked on Grandma's head. She also started telling anyone and everyone who would listen that "these butterflies REALLY like my Grandma".

After letting "our" butterfly hang out for couple of minutes, my mom gently shook her head and the butterfly flew away. Except it didn't go far…it circled around and landed on my mom a second time, this time on the front of her shirt. And it WOULD. NOT. LET. GO. I tried gently blowing on it…and it climbed, one slender leg at a time, an inch or two higher. My mom tried gently dancing around…and it climbed, even more carefully, two inches higher. My mom stood in front of the fan…and it clung to her shirt for dear life.

At this point Hallie began to panic again, and my mom admitted that she too was freaking out a little. I stayed perfectly calm until we looked at the picture my mom took - just holding her phone camera out in front of her face and pointing it down - of her new best friend...then we all freaked out a lot.

If that animal's eyes don't give you nightmares, I don't know what will. Butterflies just jumped lists.

High Five for Friday (8.8.14)

1. A week ago I posted two pictures of the youth yoga class Will attends at our gym. The class is supposed to be for kids ages 7-12, but last Friday the instructor (who is also a friend of mine and who knows both Will and Hallie) let Hallie tag along when the older kids left the childcare center for the yoga studio. At first Hallie sat in the corner and watched, nervous about participating alongside the big kids, but by the end of class she was working on her wall handstands just like everyone else. I seriously love my gym for what it offers me, and I now I love it even more for what it offers my kids.

2. Divergent came out on Blu-Ray/DVD on Tuesday, and you can bet that I picked myself up a copy first thing that morning. (Tom and I watched the entire movie on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.) While at the bookstore I also bought Four: A Divergent Collection, and I'm looking forward to cracking it open while traveling this weekend.

3. Speaking of traveling… This afternoon I take the to skies en route to Tennessee for my sis-in-law's bachelorette party. My weekend away will be short - I arrive in Nashville at 8:50pm Friday night and my flight leaves Nashville at 7:10am on Sunday morning - but I'm really looking forward to spending 36 hours with the bride-to-be and her best girl friends. (And I get to see my bro-in-law as well - bonus!) Oh, and for those of you who after reading this post might be wondering, I never found anything in my closet to wear...but my sister mailed me a dress so now I'm all set. Whew.

4. I needed a good laugh today and this video delivered. Do not miss these fifth grade boys performing a self-choreographed and hilarious synchronized swimming routine in their school talent show.

5. Happiness Highlights

Sara and Jeff's new house is starting to actually look like a house!

This cutie just learned how to wrap her hair in a towel.

This boy could have spent all day reading at the book store.

Hallie went to Bengal Belles Dance Camp (hosted by
the A&M Consolidated High School Bengal Belles
Dance Team) this week. She had a wonderful time,
but I wouldn't be surprised if she had nightmares
about that incredibly creepy tiger. 

Happy Friday, friends!

Linking up with High Five for Friday!

An All-American July…An All-Exasperated August

As I sorted through the hundreds of pictures I took while in Wisconsin, I couldn't help but notice how idyllic our summer vacation would appear to an outside observer. If you flipped through our virtual photo album - the highlights of which are below - you would see sunshine, blue sky, and rainbows. Amusement parks, baseball games, and parades. Water skiing, tubing, and fishing. Books, movies, and live music. Sparklers, tire swings, and dirt*. Ice cream cones and popsicles. Grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

This was actually a double rainbow, but the second arch
(above the visible arch) didn't show up in my photos.

Summer doesn't feel complete until I've seen a rainbow.

Will and me on "our" wheel.

Will on the tilt-a-whirl. I used to LOVE the the tilt-a-whirl,
but if I ride it now I feel sick for the remainder of the day.
Thankfully Will was tall enough to ride on his own.

Grandma and her girls on the merry-go-round. This is
perhaps my favorite picture of the three of them EVER.

Grandma and Lily on the miniature roller coaster. I love every
aspect of this picture: their faces, of course, but also the vibrant
colors, glorious sky, and picturesque barn in the background.

Grandma and Carter on the merry-go-round.
All smiles all the time, that boy.

You can't see him, but Will's up there in that car, happy as can be,
which makes me love this brilliantly-colored representation of summer.

Tailgating outside Miller Park in Milwaukee.

The kids' first Milwaukee Brewers game.

The Minocqua 4th of July Parade.

He did it!

Few 64-year-olds can water ski like my dad.

No hands!

Will's catch of the trip.

Walking back from the Little Library
and already reading his find of the day.

Ok, so there were a few video games as well.
(Notice how sweet Clemmy is watching over him.)

Sitting on the lawn of the Wisconsin State Capitol
and listening to live music at Concerts on the Square.

She certainly lit up my 4th of July.

Grandma and Grandpa hung a tire swing from a
huge oak tree in their backyard; to say it was a
hit would be the understatement of the summer.

One morning (immediately following breakfast) Will
spun himself around in circles for 30 minutes straight.
Soon after we left to run an errand…and soon after that we
pulled over so Will could throw up by the side of the road.

This video was taken on day two of our three-week stay 

in Madison; as time went on, they only grew gutsier.

She came to me like this not once...

…but twice. She's drawn to dirt like a moth to a flame.

So. Much. Ice Cream. 

Just a couple of sets of twins, enjoying their afternoon snacks.

This kid. Oh, my heart.

Cousin love.
(Plus a 5th child who wouldn't get off the chair.)

We were lucky to spend a third of our summer vacation experiencing so much of what Wisconsin has to offer alongside our parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins. And I'm lucky to have captured so many of these experiences on my camera. 

I plan to revisit these photos regularly throughout the next few weeks, because as I trudge through the eternity that is the month of August, I expect to need frequent reminders that not every moment of my summer was spent breaking up fights over who gets to choose the afternoon cartoon, settling arguments about whether the song lyrics are "let it go" or "let is snow", or picking up the aftermath of yet another Ninja Warrior course. 

July rocked. August…not so much.

At least not yet. The month is young though, so we're all working on turning it around. 

Carter gets how I feel about August.

*While I don't necessarily consider dirt an "idyllic" plaything, my children certainly do.

The Bean Bonanza Bites the Dust

The epic saga surrounding The Bean Game continues…

I described the original version, as well as some of the more advanced and elaborate versions, in this post a few months ago. I also mentioned that it seemed Will was ready to join in as an equal (receiving no special treatment on account of his age) participant when Tom and I, along with our parents and siblings, came together around the kitchen table on Family (Bean) Game Night.  

While at the Lodge, Hallie decided that she too was ready to participate fully in Bean Uno, the version of the week. 

Bean Uno

At the end of each game of Uno, every player except the winner eats Uno Bean (see what we did there? Bean Uno, Uno Bean? No reason why the game shouldn't also educate the kiddos in a foreign language) that they shake blindly out of the box. 

We explained the rules to the kids beforehand, and informed them that if they wanted to play, they were expected to follow the exact same rules as the adults. After they observed a few rounds - and thoroughly enjoyed watching us choke down our terribly flavored beans - they agreed.

Dirt.

Rotten egg.

Will full-on celebrated when AJ had to eat a vomit bean.

Could he be more excited?

Tom was pretty thrilled as well. 

Just two boys, sharing a celebratory
hug at their sister's/aunt's expense.

Round one of Bean Uno went smoothly, at least until Hallie won and Will was expected to eat a bean. He cried huge, crocodile tears and pled his case valiantly, but rules are rules and we gave him a choice to either eat the bean or go to bed. He went to bed.

Will pleading his case.

Me giving choices. 

After Will turned in for the night (it was past his bedtime anyway, which may have factored into the crying), round two began. This time Hallie lost, and as a result, she LOST. HER. MIND. She too cried huge, crocodile tears and begged for a get-out-of-jail-free card, but we'd upheld the rules for Will and had to do the same for Hallie. She continued melting down…down…down…into the floor, where she eventually to rest and sobbed into the linoleum for 10 minutes.

The Bean Game is tough.

I don't think they're quite ready after all.

To be clear, we have never forced our children to play The Bean Game or to eat strange and/or disgusting flavors of Bertie Bott's Beans.