Around the Nest

Monday, March 26, 2012

3rd Birthday!

His Birthday "suit" -- new shorts and shirt and vest and hat and Batman!

With best friend Gracie...

Three is going to "Rock!"

This is what I found upon inspection, after my girls assured me that
all their clothes were picked up and put away. Ha!

In their defense, their drawers are sort of hard to push in and out because Rock climbed them --
and they do have too many clothes.
But still...

Friday, January 20, 2012

Do I smell dead squirrel?

I've never smelled dead squirrel before. But apparently that smell is one you just know when you smell it! Here's how I found out.
So, we had a hole in our roofline. Ok, so we had about 10 holes that were made by squirrels and woodpeckers. We had them filled but then one morning I went out and looked up and there was a giant gaping hole right in the front eave. Ever after that I would automatically go out the door and look up and there would be the big hole and usually a squirrel poking his head out looking at me. Seriously. Almost everytime. There was that squirrel taunting me. I got several quotes for people to fix it -- and then the "bug guy" who takes good care of our bugs -- and had helped us with the other holes said he would do this one for free. Really? free? Everyone else wanted $400, $300, $500. Yes! Sure! Well, ok. Great. So he comes to fix it -- and he just needs one thing. A saw. Oh, and a hammer. And do I know what kind of wood he should use? Hmmmm.... I think I might have someone else look at it.
So I finally get someone else to fix it. They come, they start work... they can hear the squirrel but then the exterminator guy comes and goes in the attic and scares it out of the hole. Phew. Safe. They patch it -- it looks really nice.
The next day I go outside I look up at where the hole was. No hole, but I hear scratching. I'm probably imagining it. Nope. I'm not. There is a squirrel stuck in there. So exterminator puts a trap up there with food and says he will come by on Monday (It's friday). But he doesn't. Scratching continues. But what to do? Busy week. Nathan working hard. Then it is Wednesday -- something smells funny in Rocks room and in the hall. I took one whiff and I know what it is!!!! Yuck.
Nathan comes home and I tell him I have a job for him. He asks me how I know it smells like dead squirrel. But then he confirms my nose-abilities by going in the attic and finding the poor thing.
That should be the end of the story. But it is not.
So, Nathan gets some gloves and a bag. And as he goes to put it in the bag, it slips from his fingers and flunk, flonk, flupe... it drops down down into a air-duct hole!!!!! It has to be removed. But it is a narrow hole. and deep -- like maybe 12 or 15 feet. We try some long pieces of wood as chopsticks. Nope. WE are all going loopy on the very very thick smell at this point. So Nathan has to shimmy down in there, but then he can not bend over to pick it up -- he has to do some crazy manuvering. Finally gets it into a bag and then hands it to me. I had a hose to use as a rope to get him out, but he was pretty wedged. Using brute strength he pulled himself up by his fingernails. It was crazy.
A true adventure. Our kids thought it was amazingly fascinating!
I don't have a picture fortunately/unfortunately... but I no longer look at squirrels quite the same way.

Harry Potter party

I am seriously late posting this, but is was a truly post worthy party.

Elle's Harry Potter party:

Diagon Alley

Wands choosing their owners

Ollivander's wands

Platform 9 3/4

Playing a game of" pin the tail on Dudley" on the Hogwarts express

Potions class

Loving Potions class

We made chocolate frogs and wizard cards that the kids got on the "Hogwarts Express"

The Sorting Hat

Darling wizards in training

Hagrid's Hut

Book Cake

The Fat Lady

Moaning Myrtle

Happy Birthday Elle Harry Potter Robinson

The case of the missing toenail...

Yep, you read it right. As he skipped out to the trampoline one morning he tripped and his toenail was scraped off. It was not pretty, but he is mighty tough. He has hardly let it slow him down.
I grabbed the camera when at dinner his moans of pain turned into a song (you may recognize it as Katy Perry's "Firework"):

And then later in the night -- again the pain turns into a medley.... a little Beyonce this time...

and a little Lady Gaga! Good gracious!

Monday, December 12, 2011

According to Rock

At night around 8:30pm, Rock becomes the sweetest smartest thing! Suddenly he is full of more hugs and more interesting facts than any other time of day. We put him to bed but then he comes out of his room about 1 minute later saying "I gotta tell you someping, Mom!"
Sometimes he asks me to "'Nuggle" by him for a "mee-ut" then he tells me about his day which often includes a fictional account of our adventures at the zoo that day.
He also knows some great animals facts -- which actually impress me.

One night he says in the dark:
"Mom, Chipmunks have pockets in their cheeks to keep nuts. Mom? What's this?"
He is pointing in the direction of his eyebrows so I guess "Umm, your eyebrow?"
"Yes! That's Right! You have one Mom?"
"Yes, I do."
"Ooohh. Mom? What's this?"
He is pointing in the direction of his forehead so I say "Umm, your forehead?"
"Yes!!! That's Right!! Do you know what they are for mom?"
"Well..."
"For sunburns!"

Another occasion, I am tucking him into bed and I went to kiss him on the cheek but he turned at that time and I kissed his ear.
"Mom! You kissed my ear! -- I think my cheek would be better." Then he held out that yummy soft cheek for me.

The other day we were looking at his toes. I had painted his big toes because he felt left out when I was painting the girls toes. He said "Mom, my toes are red. I have finger pank on my toes!" Then we talked about who paints their toes "Batman?" No!!! "Daddy?" No!!! Then he said "It not finger pank ... (a pause while he thinks)...it girl polish!"

Sometimes he tells me "Mom, I happy today... see my 'mile? I have a nice 'mile."
One of my favorite things about Rock right now is that he is my "pal". If you try to call him "friend" or "buddy" or "little man", he will tell you: "No! I mama's pal!" I am so lucky!

And if you try to call him "superman" "batman" "mr. man" "No! I Rock. R-O-C-K. Rock."
He is serious about it.

Oh, and did I mention that he wore his Octopus costume to the Christmas party? I didn't have the heart to make him change. The last time we went to a party at the church was at Halloween. So when he heard it was time to go to the Ward Christmas party he was so excited. He tore off the outfit I had given him. I thought he just didn't want to wear clothes, so I just went to get dressed myself thinking I would deal with it after that. When I came out of my room there he was in his costume: "I ready!"
The funny thing is, they had a photographer in our ward take really nice family pictures of the kids sitting on Santa's lap. I don't have it back yet, but it will be a true keepsake. my girls in darling Christmas dresses --- with their brother Rocktopus :) At least he was 'miling.