The Last First

Our family's last first birthday has come and gone.  I admit it feels a little bittersweet. 

One year marks so very many things.  It marks the end of infancy.  And a return to some semblance of normalcy.  It marks the beginning of childhood, when a baby tries to figure out who they are, what they want, and how they fit into their family and the world at large.  It means the end of infant toys and baby carriers (Yay!).  It's where the seeds of mischief grow roots and begin to sprout.  When baby's will meets rules and they decide to engage in a battle for dominance.

So, in light of such an epic milestone, we had a wonderful family party, full of explosive color and chaos.  All broken down into small, manageable chunks of time so that little miss birthday girl didn't turn into little miss crabby pants.

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man.

Bake me a cake as fast as you can;

Pat it and prick it and mark it with B,

Put it in the oven for baby and me.

Yeah, I couldn't resist marking this cake with a B.  Seemed quite appropriate.

AND, I finally thought up something ultra cool to do with all the baby food jars I feel compelled to save!  Of course, I haven't figured out exactly what to do with them now that the party and the photos are done.  They are still sitting on my kitchen table giving my children a daily dose of torture.

I have been playing around with the manual settings on my camera.  I think I'm figuring a few things out.  Doesn't this photo make my plain old kitchen look so bright and cheery?  And so festive with all that color.  Love it!

Presents came first.  Naturally.

And the two older siblings where just as delighted with B's new toy as she was.  Maybe more so since they kept whisking it off to a corner somewhere to stealthily play with it.  Which didn't work out so well since it was a singing toy.

As you can see, B was not at all hesitant about digging into all that colorful frosting.

This was her reaction when we dared to take it out of her reach so we could get the top layer off to give her as a little smash cake.

Again, no hesitation diving in . . . and eating . . . and squishing . . . and smearing . . . and smashing.  THIS is why I love first birthdays.  It's ALL about the cake encounter.

The other kids thought it was hilarious that she was making such a mess and that we were letting her get away with it.

After a bath and a good night's sleep, we continued the birthday festivities the next day with balls and bubbles. 

What a ball we had at our polka dot party!

Happy Camper

Hi.  This is K and I'm excited to be writing my first blog post which is about Girl's Camp.  I turned 12 this year and so it was my first year at camp.   I wasn't sure what to expect until Back to Camp Night, where older campers explained what it was like.   I also found out who my secret sister would be.   That would be the girl whose bed I’d secretly put small gifts on every day.   It was a girl in my ward, which was good because I knew more about what she liked.   After that, I was super excited and could hardly wait.

A few days before the Monday that camp began, I started to pack everything I would need and finally I was ready to go to camp.   It was hard to fit everything but your sleeping bag and pillow into one bag, though.

It seemed like forever, but Monday morning came.   My dad was asked to take as many girls as would fit in the van up to camp, so I got to ride up with him, along with all the other first years.   My dad wanted to have a party van so he bought Munchies and donuts for us.  Needless to say, the ride up was pretty fun.   When we were almost there, I couldn't tell if I was more nervous or excited.   I think more excited.

My cabin was the closest cabin to the parking lot and was filled with bunk beds.  It wasn't crowded, but you couldn't call it roomy either.   My cabin mates included the other 6 first years from my ward and 6 girls from all the other wards in the stake.   Plus two adult leaders.   The bed I chose was a top bunk next to a wall and my two best friends chose top bunks right next to mine.   Our cabin theme was Indiana Jones so we decorated the walls and ceiling with fake snakes and spiders.   Then we hung twine with paper leaves taped to it all over to look like vines.

I got my camp necklace this year and earned the Cleanest Cabin charm on Wednesday and the First to Flag on Thursday charm to tie onto it.   I also got a few things to tie on from some character building activities we did.

Every day started out with getting up at seven, a little early for summer break, but oh well.   Then we would get dressed and head out to the flag and line up according to our cabin.   We'd sing a song, say prayer, do announcements, then dismiss by cabin for breakfast.   The cafeteria had long tables placed in rows already set by whichever cabin had Kitchen Patrol.   The delicious food was made by the awesome staff, that by the way, also cleaned the bathrooms.

 After breakfast we had certification, which is where you learn skills listed in your camp manual and then get them signed off by a leader.   That took all the way till lunchtime.   Right after lunch we went to a workshop given by one of the leaders on topics such as family, friendship and things like that.   Then all the campers would do a character building activity together, and when that was over, it was free time!

 During free time we could go get a free snow cone and then choose to do archery, crafts, tie-dye, cookie decorating, horseshoe tossing, rock painting, swimming in the river, or endurance, which is different activities you'd do in P.E..   I did almost all those activities through the course of all five days I was there.  One day I did endurance, and it was jump roping and I got a certificate for being the last girl standing, or jumping. 

After free time, which was two hours long, it was cabin time, where you plan out what your cabin was doing for role call at campfire or you practice the skit you're performing at campfire.   Then we'd have dinner and go to campfire.   Campfire was probably one of my favorite parts of camp.   It started out with doing roll call, where each cabin stands up one at a time and sings a little song with made up lyrics or a chant of some kind.   Then we'd sing fun camp songs, watch cabins perform their skits, tell fun stories, and play games around a fire.

When campfire was over, at about 9:30, we'd head back to our cabins and have a lesson given by our Youth Camp Leaders, or YCL's.   Then we could do whatever we wanted inside our cabins until lights out at ten.

My cabin performed our skit on Wednesday at campfire.   Since our cabin theme was Indiana Jones, we decided to act out some of the scenes from all the movies.   We had the big rolling stone scene using a giant beach ball covered in brown paper.   We also made up a few scenes.   My favorite part was in the final scene, and we made it up.   All the girls in the play lined up like we were in a movie theater watching one of the Indiana Jones movies, still in our costumes.   One of my friends was dressed as a Native and had on a paper skirt over her pants that was tied on in the back.   Apparently it wasn’t tied tight enough because it fell down in the middle of the scene.   Everybody started laughing.

 

Speaking of funny things, when the first years went on a three mile hike for certification, we stopped at the river on the way back and my friend fell in.   And after helping get her out of the water, I slipped and fell in, too.   But at least the water felt good after walking for three miles.

On Thursday, all the bishops from all the different wards got to come up and meet with us.   My bishop brought up hula hoops and we had a contest to see who could do it the longest.   Then we had cake and ice cream that the cooks had gotten ready for everyone.   Then, after campfire we went on the faith walk.   This year, we acted out the story of the ten virgins.   Everyone got a clay oil lamp and a light and then we walked by the river and stopped ten times to hear each of the virgins’ story about why they had oil or why they didn’t.   Then everyone who had oil in their lamps got to go into the cafeteria that had been decorated to look like heaven.

The last day of camp, Friday, we had a testimony meeting in the morning before breakfast.   Then after we ate, we packed up all our stuff and said our goodbyes.   Before I had even left camp, I started to miss it and couldn’t wait until next year.   I’m so glad I was able to go to Girl’s Camp because it was such a fun experience and I made so many new friends that I will get to see next year.   I definitely was a happy camper.

Cousin Swap

We had a quick visit from Shaggy's sister.  The kids enjoyed some time with their cousins--a fairly rare treat for them.  Notice how J has his arm around his baby cousin, bringing him into unusually close proximity to Aunt S who is virtually a stranger to him.  Apparently, his adoration of babies chases all his worries away.  Good to know.

And adoration is really the only way I can describe his feelings for cousin K.  He wanted to be near her all the time, regardless of how SHE felt about his proximity.  He lavished attention on her.  He fretted when she fussed and did his best to find something to help her feel better.

She was not quite so enthusastic about this new relationship.  But considering she was on the tail end of a cross-country road trip, and meeting 7 extended family members for the first time, I think she was quite justified in rebuffing his attentions.

J really, really wanted a picture of him holding cousin K.  Cousin K was a little worried about that scenario, so it was very short-lived.

 The biggest reason he wanted the above mentioned photo was so that he could always remember his baby cousin.  The cousin he adored.  The cousin he was so smitten with that he was willing to trade his own baby sister for her. 

Yes, he actually asked us multiple times if we could trade Baby B for cousin K.  He loved her so much, he said.  He liked her way better than Baby B, he said.  He was truly disappointed that we refused his request.

First, I am glad that he adores his baby cousin.  Really. 

Second, I am glad that B is too young to realize just how easily she can be replaced by a novel new cousin.  

And finally, NOTE TO SELF:  we might have to be somewhat
more overt in teaching family loyalty. 

Leaping Lizards

I would consider it no great loss if I never saw a lizard again.  I have no problem with reptiles, per se, they're just not my thing.  So I find it rather baffling that our household reptile population is now nearly double that of the human population.  I think it's getting out of control.  But since it's not MY thing, I don't know how to make it stop.

After the first batch of baby geckos, mom and dad lizard were supposedly separated to prevent further proliferation.  A policy I backed wholeheartedly.  But since we now have a total of TEN baby lizards, it is readily apparent that nightime trysts have been happening without my knowledge.

The cat (or little lizard, as it were) is out of the bag.  Shaggy and S have been secretly breeding an army of lizards.  I don't know when or if they ever plan to stop.  All my opinions about enough is enough tend to fall on deaf ears.

But there is a glimmer of hope that S will withdraw her encouragement of the prolific lizards.

Because now there is talk of the possibility of another reptile coming into our home at an unspecified later date.  A snake.  Who would require regular sustenance.  And who would rather enjoy having an endless supply of lizards to snack on.

S is decidedly NOT in support of this plan.  Which might have something to do with the fact that she is usually the one who first spots the tiny baby lizards once they emerge from their hidden eggs.  And she has played a leading role in naming them.

Merry & Pippin are the busy, busy parents.  Their offspring are as follows, in order of appearance:  Sam, Frodo, Eisenhower, Bilbo, Tiny, Spiny, Whiny, Toothless, and Dot. 

The tenth baby gecko, who appeared only a few days ago, is still nameless.  I am hopeful that it will remain so.  I consider it rather reasonable to stop naming babies at ten.

K and I are really the only ones who remain strong in our apathy towards the lizards.  We're not interested in feeding them rotten fruit.  Or live crickets.  We prefer to have nothing at all to do with the crickets.  We would rather not see them, or hear them.  We've never discovered yet another baby and shared the joy with the rest of the family.  In fact, we are usually the last to be informed of a new lizard. 

But my apathy is truly that.  Apathy.  It is not phobia.  Or even extreme dislike.  I don't squeal when the lizards are brought out of their tanks and allowed to roam around a bit.

About the only thing I really LIKE them for is that they offer a photographic challenge.  Even when they crawl on my new lens.  But I did NOT like it when one jumped onto my camera as I was trying to take a picture of it.  That was a little unnerving.  And maybe I squealed, just a little.  Depending on who you ask.

 But K and I are out numbered.  Both by crested geckos, and by humans who like the leaping lizards.  Shaggy, S, J and even R are entranced by them.  They like to watch them hunt.  They like to hold them and let them craw up their arms.  Brave R even remained mostly calm when one jumped on her face.  *shudder*

So I am stuck.  I guess the only thing left is for me to research the legality of selling the little buggers.  Because if they can bring in a nice price, then this whole breeding program will be seen in a new light.  Apathy might even transform into active participation. 

Because money talks.  Even through lizards.

Watermelon Love

This has to be one of my all-time favorite photos of B.  That smile is sooo hard to capture.

She loved her watermelon.  Especially once she figured out how to take bites of it.

We thought it was pretty funny how she refused to hold onto it.  So we had to keep propping it up.

Happy girl.  With melon stuck in her crooked teeth and oozing from her mouth.  Good stuff.