Okie Teether

A while back I got this picture through and email forward and it was titled "Okie Teether".

A couple of days ago I was enjoying a delicious piece of watermelon and Cora seemed very interested in it.  So I gave her my rind and she went to town. 

"Cora, want to try some watermelon?"

"Wow, this feels good on my teeth!"

"I really like watermelon!"

"Mom, I'm a little sticky.  I think I need a bath."

When Daddy plays make believe with baby...

They play games like "Pirates".

Also, notice the two different colored socks.  That is one of Daddy's signature moves. 

In a Van down by the River

We’ve returned from our annual Spring Break Camping Adventure with our youth group and definitely had an adventuresome time. Rob and I ditched the tent camping for sleeping in a king size bed in the back of an RV van so Cora and Yeti could come along. We’ve never camped in such luxury before! A bathroom, refrigerator, and stove were all within arm’s reach, and the heat at night wasn’t too shabby either.

Our journey led us to the Buffalo National River in northwest Arkansas. This is not the first time we’ve visited The Buff. The last time we took the kids on this trip we were caught in a large flood and escaped unscathed, so we felt certain that “Paddlin’ the Buff: the Remix” would be great. And it was! Ahem…until the snowstorm hit, but we’ll save that for later.

We had gorgeous weather that allowed some great hiking two days of canoeing that tallied up to almost 20 miles. Aside from afew tips into chilly waters (don’t worry, the babe wasn’t in a boat), the group had an awesome time on the river. The water level was a bit low which led to some portaging, but don’t let that fool you, boats can sink and oars can be whisked away on even the shallow rapids.

Cora was an excellent camper and she’s already learned some of the essentials of what makes a camping trip great.

Find a good walking stick.

Stay hydrated.

Carefully plan your route.

Protect yourself from the sun.

Kick back and relax in the tent.

Power up with a hot breakfast on a cold morning. 

Be aware of your surroundings.

We knew that a cold front would be moving on Saturday and bring with it rain, lightening, and possible snow of up to an inch. Because the temps were expected to drop and the wind was supposed to be powerful, we had mercy on the tent campers and moved everyone inside to “The Lodge”.

“The Lodge” is nothing new to many members of this group. We stayed there once before on our previous floody trip. It saved us and allowed us to dry out before getting on with our trip.

The next morning, this was our view from “The Lodge”. 

Turns out the area precip was more than previously forecasted.  The drive home included a 20 mile stretch that took about three hours, backing the RV van five miles when we could no longer go forward or turn around to go the other way, and almost having to stay an extra night at the Osage Baptist Church in Osage, AR (a town so small it doesn't have a grocery store or a gas station).  In the end, the snow plow saved the day and we made it back to Norman safe and sound. 

No trip is ever perfect and at times, hardships teach us the best lessons and make the most interesting memories. Three cheers for adventures! 

 

A Friendly Discussion

As I was sorting through photos on the computer, I stumbled across this one from Christmas.  It looks like Cora and her cousin are having a deep discussion about the book they are reading, which I think was That's not My Puppy.  I imagine it went something like this:

Cora:  "You see, Madison, this can't be my puppy because he isn't that well behaved."

Madison:  "But...maaaaaybe he's secretly been taking obedience lessons!"  (if only)

Can you feel the bliss?

I'm not sure I even need to describe why this little scene right here makes me brim with joy, or that I can even find the appropriate words to do it.  Maybe it's the downy soft hair on that precious little head that tickles my nose as I try to inhale all the sweet scent of baby that I can.  Maybe it's the fringey eyelashes rimming her soulful eyes with neverending curiosity.  Perhaps it is her impossibly soft, pure skin and those tiny fingers and toes.  I've always thought it funny that people said they wanted to gobble their babies up...but my oh my, I could just gobble her up!

I know what it is, it is the fact that she is a beautiful expression of love in this world where sometimes love is hard to find.

What's Cooking Mr. Green?

Dear Cora,

You are the best thing that ever happened to your Daddy's cooking. Before you, Mama was a little bit of a control freak in the kitchen, and as a result, he never really got to handle dinner all that often. This is not one of my better qualities (the need to always be in control), I'll admit. We are getting much better about splitting the dinner duties, now, and he is producing some absolutely delicious fare!

Last night he whipped up some sour cream pancakes and turkey sausage with a beautifully presented fruit plate on the side. His presentations are always so impressive, and I'm sure as you get older, that he will lend his creativity to your meals too.

Tonight, he cooked Smitten Kitchen's Chana Masala and it was awesome! He handled the daunting list of spices with the ease of a pro...turmeric, cayenne, cumin seeds, garam masala, coriander, cumin, etc. Hmmm, I think I'll let him take over in the kitchen more often. Thanks Cora! I'm sure your Daddy appreciates me not being in the kitchen bossing him around all the time too.

From the looks of it, you are ready to try some of his Indian food. We are slowly sneaking some spices into your food here and there, but it may be a while yet before your tender palate is ready for something this intense!

Love,

Mama