Jonathan is still learning new words, he has even moved on to 2 word sentences! Chris fears he'll be talking in complex sentences by the time he returns in 6 months. Only sometimes his pronunciation of these new words leaves you wondering if you should wash his mouth out with soap, or post it on the blog -- word's like shirt, sit, foot and fork!
On Saturday Chris let me go shopping while he stayed home with the kids. He took some time to explain to Clara what Mother's Day was, and to sit down with her so they could make some cards for me. Clara asked Chris how to spell such heartfelt words as 'camel' and pizza' to include in those cards. Apparently Clara was so excited that she couldn't wait to tell her friends, "Tomorrow is my mommy's day!"
At some point during our ride from Yosemite on Sunday, I let Chris listen to country music in the car, to which his response was, "But it's not even Father's Day!" With the realization that there was also a Father's Day, Clara then wanted to know when is 'Clara's Day'?
Once all this confusion was settled, there was just one more little thing to be clarified...Do we get cake for Mother's Day?
Looks like that's a 'Yes!!!!'
For Mother's Day Chris and the kids took me to Yosemite. We had gone to Yosemite in October, but there was no snow on the ground, nor water in the waterfalls. We read then that late spring was a better time to go, once all the winter's snow had started to melt. So we've been planning a trip back since our first trip in October. Lucky for me, I got to spend mother's day there.
Tunnel View
This is the first real lookout once you get into Yosemite. There's a short tunnel you drive through and then it opens out to this view (thus, the name). Towards the back you can see the Half Dome - a major landmark in Yosemite
I thought this picture was too cute, it's as if Clara is a tour guide, and Jonathan is listening so intently
The family poses for a pic at Tunnel View (there's a waterfall just behind Jonathan's head)
This is Bridalveil Falls from a distance...
...and this is Bridalveil Falls close up. I got so wet taking this picture. The water was so cold it took my breath away -- but soooo worth it!
Some of the run off from Bridalveil Falls
Family pic
I believe this was Yosemite Falls. There were easily 8 or 9 different waterfalls around the park, and that was just from mostly main streets. We obviously can't hike too much with the 2 little ones. It could get confusing at times figuring out which waterfall you were seeing when you were at a distance.
Lower Yosemite Falls
Here we are in the same spot back in October. The rock Clara and I are standing on in this picture is the same rock the whole family has their feet on in the picture above. Notice the lack of waterfall!
Here I am sitting on that same rock with the kids yesterday.
Lower Yosemite Falls -- October 2007
Lower Yosemite Falls -- May 2008
Lower Yosemite Falls
This is the Half Dome. It was difficult to get a good picture of it yesterday due to the lighting and the smog, but this was a really beautiful view of it.
Half Dome (taken in October)
Half Dome
This a picture of Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls. Keep in mind that the pics of us in front of the waterfall were just of the lower half of this. The Upper Falls were eclipsed by the rocks and trees -- Amazing!
We had a great time and as you can see it was absolutely beautiful. What more could I ask for on Mother's Day? Quality time with the family in a place so beautiful. It was a great day.
Today Chris took the kids to the zoo to give me a bit of a break and the chance to cook some meals to put in the freezer. Chris will be leaving again in a couple weeks for 6 months away and I find it difficult to cook when he's not home to help keep the kids from climbing on me the whole time, esp now that Clara has stopped taking naps most days. I wanted to have some meals in the freezer so that I don't have to keep the kids inside while I make dinner each night since they aren't quite old enough to be outside unsupervised. I obviously can't cook for the whole 6 months right now, but I managed to cook enough for a good couple weeks after he leaves (Thanks again Katy for all the recipes!)
Of course they have matching shirts -- did you have any doubt?
Chris said they spent pretty much the whole time with the stingrays again. Clara couldn't wait to show them to Chris, since he wasn't there the last time we went. She spent all morning before they went telling him how to 'pet them on their wings only, don't grab their tails, and they feel like Clemson's (our golden retriever) tongue'
They found a bird show to go to. I've never noticed it before, but they do have certain things only available on weekends, and the kids and I typically go on the week days when it's less busy. Chris participated in the bird show and they set him up for this awesome picture.
And they also got to have their picture taken with the owl. Chris said the kids wouldn't stop looking at it because it was screeching so loud. According to Clara, this owl didn't say "hoo, hoo", but rather screeched more like an eagle which she felt necessary to demonstrate for me many times this evening.
Jonathan fell asleep in the car on the way home. My van was in the shop this weekend to fix a warped rotor, so the kids were riding around in Chris' car. Clara liked it because it meant she was closer to Jonathan to be able to hold his hand. I pray they'll always be this close.
Clara's other souvenir was this Sleeping Beauty dress and crown. She picked it out herself, and asked to wear it as soon as we got home.
Practicing that 'princess wave' again
Kissing her 'Prince Phillip'
One of the souvenirs the kids got at Disneyland was the Disney pieces for Mr. Potato Head. You get to fill a box with as many pieces as you can for $18 -- then we bought the heads at Target to maximize space in that box. Clara has had a lot of fun building her creations.
These are her 1st 3, they were the centerpiece for our dinner Thursday night
She said this was Grandma Yonka -- she named it and then realized it didn't have glasses like her Grandma, so she found these glasses to put on her.
This is Clara - notice the Ariel tail (Ariel is her favorite princess after all)
This is Grandpa Michael -- don't ask me why he's wearing heels and a Sleeping Beauty tiara or why it doesn't seem to bug Clara that he doesn't have his glasses on -- I'm merely the messenger :)
