Gobs of Fish

We celebrated Garett's fishing success today with delicious fish tacos. I think he brought home about 15 fish, including a 31'' lingcod. I love being married to a fisherman. I also love that I don't have to be the fish cleaner in the family.

Headaches and Hyenas

I woke up with a migraine today. Garett was out on the ocean fishing and I am phone-less. I emailed a friend and asked her to bring Wyatt to church so that I could take some medicine and lay in a dark room. She kindly picked him up and even took him to the park after church. Thank you, Holly!

After he got home, we curled up on the couch together watching Nature on PBS. He said, "Mommy, I'm sad when you get migraines." I immediately figured it was because I don't play with him much when I'm feeling crummy. I asked him why and he replied, "I like you a lot, Mommy, and I don't like it when you don't feel good."

I'm thankful to see my sweet three year old developing empathy even though I wish there was another way to learn.

I'm also noticing a bit of wisdom. Wyatt was telling me about a girl at school and said, "She's really wild like an African hyena." Great description, my boy. Yes, some girls are wild. I'd advise you to keep your distance.

Wyatt's BFF

Wyatt's been taking swim lessons the past couple of weeks. It's shocking that he's made it every day considering that we've signed him up the past two years and he never attended even one lesson. Sunk costs, I tell you, they get me every time.

Here's Wyatt and his BFF Xander. They go to preschool together and have been kindred spirits since the first day of school.

Today Wyatt took the obligatory first jump off the diving board on the last day of swim lessons. Pretty cool.

Somewhat Nostalgic

Wyatt and I trekked to the Mid-State Fair this afternoon. The deep fried smell coupled with screeching, careening roller coasters brought back memories of going to the Stanislaus County Fair growing up. The last time I remember being there was 1994 but I must have gone multiple times every August from about 1984 on. My bangs were usually high, my neon baggy t-shirt had rolled up sleeves and my super cool jean shorts were likely acid washed. It was an annual negotiation with my parents - who I went with, where and what time I was dropped off and picked up, how much money (if any) I was given. They were appropriately concerned given my overly boy-crazy nature. And, let's be honest, the best guys are met at the fair.

I also love the thrill of a roller coaster. These were my pre-motion sickness glory days. The Gravitron rocked my world and I liked to go on the Zipper over and over and over until I ran out of tickets. It wasn't just about the boys. Well, it was usually about the boys but the roller coasters were a pleasant deterrent to scoring phone numbers. Once I even had a little kiss on the Zipper. This was a very lasting relationship that started in line for the Zipper and ended as the ride came to a halt. Oh, the good ol' days at the fair.

I don't really enjoy crowds these days and my body has acclimated to year round temperatures of 70 degrees so I have had no desire to go to the sweaty, crowded fair. Until Wyatt. It's funny how things change. I looked at the daily calendar online and found "Mutton Bustin" - a sheep-riding competition for 3 - 7 year olds under 60 lbs. Garett made me pinky swear I wouldn't sign Wyatt up.

We had a good time this afternoon. Wyatt got to go on many rides and I went on a few with him. One was a spinning dragon. We went on this right after eating giant ice cream cones and it was all I could do to keep it together. We also visited The Reptile House and saw crazy snakes and even an alligator. We left before Wyatt really got into his groove but I could only handle a few hours.

I'll have you know that I was not tempted in the slightest tease my bangs, nor did I obtain the phone numbers of any cute boys. My three year old son on my arm and the relentless sweat beading on my forehead may have had something to do with it. Man, I'm old.

Carrot Coma

The good thing is that he loves pulling up carrots and eating them immediately.

The bad thing is that he needed a nap by 9am this morning but this picture was taken at 5pm when he finally crashed. It was a long day that included a 45 minute sob-fest thanks to not having the right spoon for breakfast.

Lake Wishon

We spent the weekend camping with friends at Lake Wishon, nestled in the Western Sierra. It was a long drive, especially because Wyatt started asking after we'd been driving about ten minutes, "How many more minutes until we are there?" every minute or so. Our time at the lake was nice and Wyatt and Garett took a few nature walks that included multiple scorpion, termite, and centipede sightings. I was hooked on a hilarious book shared by a friend so I missed the nature walks.

Wyatt loves putting things up to his face when he sees me holding the camera. I am trying to embrace this stage.

We found a little snake at the lake and Wyatt carried it around with him looking for the perfect spot to throw it back into the lake.


My favorite part of camping is soaking in the beauty of God's creation. I also happen to love sleeping outdoors and sitting around a campfire. It's so much work getting things together for a camp trip but it's nearly always worth it. Wyatt absolutely loves all of it and that also helps make it even more enjoyable.