My Twins Are 6, How Old Are Yours?

Have you noticed there are sets of twins everywhere you go these days? I have. But no matter how commonplace they may be, I must say that having 2 kids that are only 1 minute apart never strikes me as altogether normal. This last week my girls turned 6, and I sort of wondered for the first time if it bothered them to have to share a birthday? I don't think so because that's all they've ever known, but still.... it's a unique way to live. But despite their differences and daily squabbles, I get the feeling they love each other a lot!

This year we went to Paintin' Place, a paint your own pottery type place to celebrate their birthdays. It was sort of a quiet party, lots of painting, no jumping in bouncy houses, no splashing in swimming pools, no energetic attempts at musical chairs... so basically I loved it. I think they liked it too, but I must say, it may be more of an age 8 type of thing depending on your kid's personality. Every year for me is an experiment, and by the time I figure out what my kids really love, they'll have moved on to the next thing. Anyway, the girls are 6 now! Big things like kindergarten are on the horizon!

Washington Highlights

Lots of time with friends and family. Here we are with our

buddy Andrea Peterson who we met for the 3rd year in a row

in downtown Tacoma at Indochine restaurant. Soooo yummy.
A line up with some cousins, Dan's youngest

sister has 3 daughters (& 1 son) & the 2 younger

ones especially hit it off with our girls. Breah,

the oldest is a lot older than my girls, but was a

perfect shopping buddy for me!

And finally after dozens of trips to Washington, I

finally got the chance to visit the beautiful volcano,

Mt. Ranier. It was awesome!
Thank you Leaman (Hughey/Cowan) family for

1) actually reading my blog posts

2) for babysitting my kids so much when we visit,

3) for loving me despite all of my very un-Leaman like ways.

(example: Leamans are good with small children, I'm not.

They rarely complain, I often vent. They're fun-loving, etc. etc)

4) for feeding me so much I gained 3 lbs.

5) for always being good examples to me of people who are

living out their christianity day by day, for being my family,

not just by marriage, but through our bonds in Christ.

4) for always entertaining me with

Pics of the Ducklings

We just returned from our annual trek to Washington state to spend time with family; Grandma & Grandpa, lots of aunties & uncles, and lots of cousins. While we were there, we didn't get as many pics as we usually do. (Dan says he no longer feels "inspired" with his photography skills). But that's okay, because his little sister is quite the photographer. Auntie Sandra patiently clicked over 400 pictures of my girls enjoying the scenic beauty of Chambers Bay in University Place. It was so pretty there, a perfect day, a blue ocean, a rambling golf course, and the models..... well, they weren't so bad either. Thanks Sandra!

Camping & the Like

Check out this antique water heater.
This is how we make due without a toaster!
My great grandparents last name.... Avery carved out on

a stump in front of the cabin
My great grandparents built a sweet little one bedroom cabin with a loft full of twin beds in Mineral King, a patch of deep mountains east of the sequoias, and it is still being used 5 generations later each summer. A succession of cousins and in laws and family friends take turns each year to get their fair share of crisp mountain air, landscapes of pines that last for miles, and a reminder of what life was like before there was electricity.

So let me say this; the cabin is charming and full of dreamy nostalgia. The mountains are beautiful, and I was happy to see my kids running around exploring, looking for deer & squirrels & enjoying God's creation. But I have to confess to you, this is more Dan's thing. I don't want to be known as the shallow, prissy girl that has to have her make up on and her blow dryer working to be happy, but seriously.... have you seen my hair when I don't straighten it? Will you notice there are no pictures of me posted? That's because I looked frightening for three days straight. And another thing, I'm not a clean freak, but the dirt, people.... the dirt! Four little kids with deep dark lines of dirt caked into their fingernails, and sticky roasted marshmallows in their hair does not a happy mom make!

I know, I'm pathetic, and I ought to be ashamed that I have become utterly dependent on the internet, and the cell phone, and my cable TV shows for my comfort & convenience, but what can I say? I'm a product of too much time at the shopping mall, clever marketing ploys, & doggonit, there's nothing I love more than an over-priced cup of coffee at Starbucks.

But before you judge me too harshly, consider this - perhaps I'm just stating what you're all secretly thinking. You just don't want admit it because being outdoorsy has become trendy ever since the Jeep Cherokee came into fashion in the mid 90s. But let's face facts, I saw Into the Wild, and that outdoorsy guy died, & I saw 127 Hours, and that outdoorsy guy had to cut his own arm off. So the way I see it, staying in the suburbs just may keep me out of trouble, and it truly does do wonders for my hair.

Accidentally Scaring Your Kids to Death

Morgan has developed a new and annoying habit. She often puts her fingers in her mouth. It's kind of gross and I think she does it when she feels shy or awkward, and it's one of those normal kid things that kind of bother parents. So yesterday, their loving little auntie starts to tell Morgan that if you keep putting your hands in your mouth, you could get worms. She tells them that there are these microscopic worms that you can get under your fingernails and then I pipe in and tell them, yeah, and then they get in to your stomach, and come out when you go to the bathroom.....

Okay, so this is disgusting, but this is what our mom told us when we were kids because she was a thumb sucker, and it actually happened to her when she was really little.

Fast forward to bedtime.

Noelle cries hysterically for 35 minutes. When I ask her what's wrong, she says, I can't stop thinking about the worms.

Ooops. Fear tactic was a little too effective there. Maybe, I'll leave that one out of that how to parent book I was ganna write.

Build A Bears & Stephen Tyler?

So last Thursday, June 30th marked a birthday in our household, and we greeted

our 4 year old with a pink Hostess snowball that was so full of processed chemicals and sugar, it sort of resembled plastic.
The Birthday celebrating continued as we headed to Visalia to see

the grandparents and get spoiled. Morgan loved her new clothes (take note

that's me in the background wearing unflattering "mom shorts" hmm, maybe

I'm the one that should have gotten a new wardrobe).

And at last, we finished off the day with a trip to Build a Bear, because

we are suckers for marketing and capitalism and ridiculous trends.

And speaking of trends, here are my girls sporting their Stephen

Tyler feather hair extensions that we took them to get in Visalia. Yep,

my kids know who Stephen Tyler is, he's the judge that wears the feathers

on American Idol. They don't know who or what Aerosmith is, and they

don't know the lyrics to "Dude Looks Like a Lady," & I plan to keep it that

way for as long as possible!

So yeah, we went to Visalia, did the birthday thing, had a great time. We saw the grandparents, the great-grandparents, & even old high school friends. But I must also note that 3 of us got some major dental work done by my dear old dad. Lorelei and I have horrific teeth which cause us much agony and anxiety and we've both suffered the wrath of root canals. I was fearful that the other girls might also share our same genetic fate. So when I spotted some cavity like spots on 2 of Maylin's teeth, I started to panic and assume the worst. We took her in and dad filled the 2 teeth. But low and behold, as Lorelei and I shoo and trembled and tears streamed down our faces, Maylin smiled cheerfully throughout her entire dental procedure. Dad drilled on her teeth with NO NOVACAINE, & she didn't even flinch. She thought the whole thing was a fun adventure.

This puzzled me and led me to the only logical conclusion I could think of, she was switched at the hospital, and has no actual genetic ties to me. (You have to understand, my dad says I'm the worst squirmer, jumper, crying baby patient he's ever had). But then as I thought some more, I considered an alternative option, Maylin is a Leaman, I mean a real Leaman. I'm a fake Leaman. You know the kind that marries someone with the last name Leaman. Maylin is an actual Leaman.... you see real Leamans like Dan and his mom and his 2 sisters never complain, never fuss about pain, and never seem to experience any form of stress or anxiety. I'm so happy for her, and I was terribly proud of her bravery. Dad told me to be more like her.

Hmmm, something to shoot for, be more like your five year old.

Summer = Swim Lessons

Every summer, my girls look forward to their 2 weeks of swim lessons with their beloved teacher, Mrs. Lynne, and every summer I forget to take her picture with them! First of all, she's wonderful, secondly swim lessons are wonderful because the girls get to play and swim and most importantly, the lessons make them very, very tired, so they all sleep in each morning! Ahhh, bliss. Quiet mornings, happy children, what more could I ask for?