Wii vs. Reality

This summer Jimmy learned about the game of bowling. He sometimes was playing bowling on the Wii, and other times he was playing with a plastic indoor bowling set. He enjoyed the game so much, that he was constantly making it known that he wanted to go bowling in 'real life'. It was explained to him by many, that 'real' bowling was going to be a lot different than bowling on the Wii. Nonetheless, Jimmy was persistent in his wishes to go bowling. This last weekend the opportunity arose for him to go bowling at a local bowling alley. He did an excellent job. He was the top bowler in the group, with a winning score of 89! Tori was there as an enthusiastic cheerleader, clapping & cheering each time the ball was thrown. The votes are in.......real bowling is preferred over the Wii!

Sunscreen anyone?

During the heat of the summer, the only proven way to stay cool in Southern Utah is to be at the pool, the spray parks, or the local lakes and rivers everyday.
So, the question arose this summer: How does one who has been 'blessed' with fair skin limit sun exposure as much as possible & avoid getting sunburned, while staying cool in the outdoor water features?
The answer: staying fully clothed.
Yes, you read correctly. The best way to limit sun exposure is to remain fully clothed while swimming and playing in the water. First we start with hats & sunglasses(or goggles), then on to swim shirts(for both girls & boys), swim shorts(again, for both girls & boys), water shoes and finishing off with a dose of sunscreen. Getting 'dressed' to go swimming has proven to be quite a time consuming task. And, just to let you know, the kids do eventually forget about all the swim-gear they are wearing once they are having fun in the water. :)

Sand, Sand & Dirt...

This summer Jimmy & Tori had a lot of fun playing in what I refer to as their 'local outdoor playground'. Whether it was just going up the street to a local park, or visiting a National Park, it seemed as if we were somewhere fun 2-3 times a week. During the first week of June, while visiting a golf course, Tori found out that she enjoyed the texture of sand. It seemed wherever we went after that, no matter whether is was sand or not, Tori always wanted to sit down & play in the sand (or dirt). Because of this new found interest of hers, I ended up doing a lot of laundry and giving baths almost every night.

One in the same.....

My son Jimmy is currently 7yrs old, and my daughter Tori is currently 2yrs old. Ever since Tori was born people have often commented how much alike my 2 children look. I have heard this comment in a variety of forms; whether it was from a relative saying "Wow, you sure have a 'mold' for your children" or a 5yr old neighbor boy looking at Tori and saying to Jimmy, "Is that your sister? She looks just like you. " Or, my favorite came from a receptionist at a doctor's office; "Tori, don't you just look like a miniature Jimmy?!" she explained, and then she tried to recover her comment with "Well, except you have cute girl hair". Gee thanks...I guess she doesn't have a ton of feminine features, or maybe may son has too many feminine features? Who knows? So, my question is; if everyone around me sees it this way, why don't I? Sure I see certain similarities, and throughout developmental milestones I have noticed common ways that tasks were completed. But, they are siblings, so wouldn't you expect a certain bond? So, thought that I would launch my attempt at a blog spot by posting recent pictures of them.....and letting you judge for yourself. Have fun!