Chase St Sparkley

This past weekend, we took advantage of the nice weather and our new, flat driveway to wash our cars inside and out.  For someone who likes things to be clean, I am often very slow in getting the cars cleaned because it seems like such a chore.  But the kids were super into the idea of helping, and in fact, Ella was a pretty good vacuumer and wiper of the inside surfaces of the car.  And of course they both loved the outside part with the hose. So we have two clean cars now, hooray.  And best of all, Ella made a great sign for our car wash which we named Chase St Sparkley.

Ella's sign (she said cars only, no people or horses!)

Cooking experiment

Dash got it in his head that he really wanted to do a cooking experiment, and he had a very specific list of ingredients and tools he needed.  Flour, sugar, salt, that was all fine.  Then he wanted orange juice and coffee beans so it got a little strange.  And he said he needed most of the kitchen measuring cups and spoons.  He really wanted all the glass Pyrex cups but I had to draw the line in case of breakage.

He spent a good 30 minutes or more mixing up his ingredients into a disgusting, pastelike mixture, but he sure enjoyed it.  The kitchen was a little beat up when he was done but not terribly.  Now, though, he asks every day if he can do a cooking experiment and I feel like I need to say no.  Flour isn't expensive but all these ingredients add up to being useful for actual cooking and it feels like a waste to use them like this every day.  While he waits for the next experiment day, he is getting more and more fixated on what else we should buy for his next experiment.  I'm totally avoiding the grape juice purchase as long as possible is all I have to say about that.

Chef Dash, early in the experiment (i.e. when things were still pretty clean)

Smiles

You know how to get your kids to smile in a picture?  Tell them NOT to think about butts!  Look at those silly happy faces!

The big field

One of the reasons we moved to our new house is the setting with big lots, tons of trees, and a huge and beautiful park winding throughout the neighborhood.  At the bottom of our hill, one end of the park stretches out in what the kids call "the big field".  It has become a favorite after dinner destination.  We just walk the few blocks down to the park, cross the wooden bridge (which incidentally, is made of 81 planks of wood.  I know this because Ella and I had to count them one night), and then we're in the big field with lots of space to run and play and just enjoy the big trees and rapidly warming spring weather.  Every night I wish I'd brought my good camera because the kids are having so much fun and the evening light is so pretty.  I have been snapping away with my phone and one of these days, I'll get something good with the other camera.  But for now, happiness in the big field between Ella and her daddy.

Book pile

Dash squirrels books in his bed in a hilarious way.  There is always a giant pile at the end of his bed, and several books tucked under his pillow which you would be well advised to NOT touch.  The kid loves to read in bed.  Who can blame him?  I love it, too.

Happy reader (photo from Mimi)

Magic School Bus Infatuation

Dash and Ella are both loving watching all of the episodes of the Magic School Bus series.  Since it is about science (and since I am exhausted all the time), I am totally in favor of this obsession.

Dash has also taken to playing Magic School Bus whenever he can.  This morning, I asked him to go for a walk with me after breakfast and he would only do it if he could bring his bag like the character D.A.  I haven't actually watched to see if D.A. has a princess purse, but in Dash's version, she sure does.

Dash also suggested that we name our new baby Phoebe Arnold Carlos Cohen (with Phoebe, Arnold, and Carlos all being students on the Magic School Bus).

And Dash and his pal M can "play" magic school bus for a surprisingly long period of time considering that the only actual play is deciding who is who. "You be Arnold and I will be Keisha!"  "OK, now I am Carlos!" Tragically for Dash, on our last playdate to M's house, M came to the door when we arrived and immediately said he didn't want to play Magic School Bus.

The X

Today I was in the car with Dash on the way to pick up Ella from swim lessons, and as we drove, Dash kept asking "Is that the X?  Where is the X?"  I was so confused, looking wildly around for giant Xs because I have learned (the hard way) that when I have no idea what the kids are talking about, they are very clear and I better figure it out.   Finally, I realized that I had told him we were going to the Y to pick up Ella.  X, Y, sure, those letters are pretty close in the alphabet.  I get it.  And I like it.  Going to the X sounds a lot more exciting.