Stubbornness to the fourth power

Don't let this sweet smile fool you. It was a rough morning. This newly turned four year old had her first day of preschool and too many tantrums to count(none during school). There was crying over the fact that her mother used the wrong pony tail holder. Can you imagine? We were nearly late to school and she yelled all the way down the street that she no longer loved me. When she calmed down, I lovingly explained that no matter how angry she was with me, I would always love her. She patiently reciprocated with, "Mom, no matter how naughty you are, I will always love you." I couldn't stifle the laughter. It was very naughty of me to use the wrong elastic. I like to call this: "The forlorn unicorn." She wanted to eat carrots rather than have her picture taken. Rather than commemorating her birthday, this looks more like a dunce cap. I believe she thought that I should go to time out. As you can see, I gave in to letting her eat carrots. Such a wise choice. I tried to convince her to look over her shoulder so that we could see her backpack. She wouldn't stand up straight and finally admitted that she was farting (blush). She finally settled down and started to show me the personality I am more comfortable sharing with the world. Oh, the photographer's child.

The monkey bars that broke the monkey

We love to play at Ponds Park, but every time we do, someone gets hurt. Normally the monkey bars cause blisters. Last night it was worse. Hana fell and the crying continued into the night. I knew it was broken. We decided to wait until the next day for the X-ray. The home teachers gave her a blessing that her arm would heal. I am thankful that we had saved Collin's half cast from his fall when he was 5. We wrapped it, but she still couldn't bare the weight of lifting it, so we fashioned a scarf into a sling. The doctor was so impressed that he was convinced we had already been seen by an orthopedic specialist. He sent us for X-rays. Hana said that getting X-rays didn't hurt as much as she thought that it would because the nurse bent her arm slowly. The doctor identified the break just below her growth plate in her radius. She is running a fever and her arm is hot to the touch. The swelling should improve by Friday when she gets her cast. She is thinking pink. I am thinking waterproof for her baptism on her birthday next month. She is going to practice writing with her left hand because school starts next month. Good thing casts aren't against the rules in soccer because that also starts next month. Here she is with her splint at the park. The red spinning circles above her head are the monkey bars from which she fell. No more Seven Peaks. No go kart racing. She can't even play Mario Kart. And she thought she was bored last week.

Take a hike

On the first day of vacation, we decided to hike the Mount Timpanogos cave. We made all of the proper preparations. We borrowed a baby backpack to carry the youngest. Our oldest practiced wearing her. We packed drinks and sunscreen. We consulted the internet which advised us of the need for reservations on the weekends. It was Monday, so we were good to go. Unfortunately, all of the tours were sold out by the time we arrived. Lucky for us, I brought our Pass of all Passes. We turned it into a caveman day and watched "The Croods" for no charge in American Fork. Well, no charge if you don't count the bucket of popcorn and sodas. It was great, as long as you don't mind giant cockroaches in the restroom. We ended with Lowes Extreme Air Sports trampoline park in Provo, again compliments of the Pass of All Passes. The kids loved flying from the trapeze to the foam pit. We decided to try hiking again, but we chose the Canyons because it was closer and didn't require reservations. Collin chose the shortest hike, until we spotted the chair lift/gondola/tram. They enjoyed the view more than they had from the train. The heights scared them, that or it was the stories their Dad told of falling to certain death, but they were all smiles. We hiked to the lake. Our stroller was very impressive. I'm glad I backed over the last one so that I could purchase this one for $5 on KSL. We rented a paddle boat and explored the lake.

Dinosaur Train

We have been talking for years about taking the children on the Heber Creeper. I wanted to ride the Front Runner and call it good. When my Mother-in-Law invited us to her time share in Park City, it seemed like the perfect opportunity. If you time it right, it is Thomas the Train. At Christmas it becomes the Polar Express. When we arrived it was the Dinosaur Train. Pteranodon Station had dinosaur twister, a dinosaur dig, and tattoos. Emma and Hana were excited to meet The Conductor. He needed his hat and vest. We boarded the train and there was a random dancing green dinosaur. Collin would have preferred climbing under the bench than dancing. I was surprised that they didn't play The Dinosaur Train song. It got stuck in my head all the same. The temperature was perfect. We enjoyed the view. The kids were bored.