This is Motherhood

This is motherhood.

I do a dinosaur maze...

...And my child claims my prize.

Welcome to Summer Reading! 

Summer Reading!

The theme for the Summer Reading Programs for both Orem and Provo libraries this year is "Unearth A Story." 

Jeremy designed a Triceratops skeleton for Orem Library and built most of it with some help from us. The day he built it, after building the head,

Lucky, Nichole, Jet, and I came to the library. Nichole blew up balloons, Jet handed balloons to those needing them, Lucky worked on the back vertebrae, Jeremy worked on the frill (and also the back vertebrae), and I worked on the tail.

After a while, I took the kids home, then came back to help Jeremy finish the balloon sculpture. One day build. Woohoo.

Jeremy reminded me to get juggling pictures and videos. That is a cool background, wouldn't you say?  

By the way, Jet and I matched that day. Aren't we adorable?

 During the kickoff event, we made sure to get a family picture. 

The kickoff event for Provo Library was about modern dinosaurs- birds. We got to watch a bird show and I learned some new things I didn't know about certain birds. It was pretty fun.

The presenter showed us a Lanner Falcon, 

Sulfur-crested Cockatoo,

Harris's Hawk,

Eurasian Eagle Owl,

and Siberian Eagle Owl. 

 

There are a lot of paleontology/archeology themed activities and events for the libraries this Summer. I'm not complaining. You know I love dinosaurs... and birds.

 

I love that the day of the bird show was June 1, Dinosaur Day.

It was also Flip a Coin Day so when Jr. Jr. had a decision to make earlier in the day, I flipped a coin for him. It was inside a vehicle so I had to flip it several times before finally catching it right. Have you tried flipping a coin inside a vehicle before? Not as easy as when you have more open space. 

Dinosaur Day

We've been celebrating Dinosaur Day on May 15 for many years. You know I like dinosaurs. According to Google, a more well known Dinosaur Day is June 1, so... we get to celebrate both now. I'm not complaining.

This year on May 15, though, while dropping Jet off at school, he let me know that he didn't want it to be Dinosaur Day (he used to be more into dinosaurs), he wanted it to be Leprechaun Day. I explained to him that Leprechaun Day was two days before that. Sorry we didn't do anything to celebrate that day (May 13). He made it clear that he preferred leprechauns to dinosaurs and I let him know I preferred dinosaurs to leprechauns and it's fine that we prefer different things. He let the teachers/aides know that leprechauns were green and he liked leprechauns. It really is okay for us to like different things.

After dropping him off, Nichole and I went for a walk to Bridal Veil Falls. We took binoculars and cameras so it ended up being a lot longer walk than it usually is. 

Earlier that week, I either walked by myself or Nichole and I walked to the falls, got our selfies, and walked back. Every time I thought, I should really bring camera and binoculars. So many yellow warblers and other birds but mostly yellow warblers. When I told Jeremy the time before this, I really need to bring camera and binoculars, he commented, I thought you were already planning to. Yeah, but I finally did on Dinosaur Day.

Nichole and I listened to Weird Al Yankovic's "Jurassic Park" on the drive there then got to try out my new selfie stick tripod at the falls. Note my shirt.

On the walk back, we saw lots of birds. Some posed for us and we even spotted a nest with a bird who kept flying away then coming back to it. I'm pretty sure it was a Warbling Vireo.

I love birds.

This Song Sparrow posed for us so nicely. It even sang for us.

 

You know that part in the first Jurassic Park movie where the power's been off at the compound so two of the characters are eating melting ice cream while having a discussion. Nichole and I continued to celebrate Dinosaur Day by eating ice cream later on.

That night, Jet wore dinosaur pajamas.

While we're talking about holidays, "On the 15th of May, in the Jungle of Nool..." we discussed watching Horton Hears a Who but remembered that our DVD of it doesn't work the best. Sigh.

We celebrated National Pizza Party Day. I made dough, Nichole rolled it out, Jr. put the toppings on. Teamwork for International Day of Families.

It was also National Chocolate Chip Day so I ate some chocolate chips throughout the day.

Celebrating lots of holidays is fun!   

Mommy, Look

Jet: They're dinosaur eggs. I want the dinosaur eggs to hatch. Can you set a three minute timer and then the dinosaur eggs will hatch?

(after three minutes) Come on, little babies. Hatch. I'm going to feed you pine cones.

Mom, I want the little triceratops to come out and have some pine cones.

Come on, triceratops. Come on out. I've got some pine cones for you. Come on out, babies.

I will put them on the ground so the babies can have them when they hatch. 

 

Grow, Dinosaurs, Grow!

On a whim one day, Jeremy got something for Jet. Dinosaurs... that grow in water. Jet played with them for a little bit then put them in the water. From time to time I let him take them out and play with them when I wanted to refresh the water. Then back in they went. And they did grow. It was fun. Eventually they got pretty big then we left them out of the water and they shrank back down. Now the dinosaurs are probably in with Jet's toys somewhere. We'll have to get them back out and do it again sometime.

Dinos in a Pudding Tar Pit

May 22 was Maritime Day. We listened to music from "Wonka." At beginning of the movie, Willy Wonka gets off a boat and sings about it.

May 22 was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Birthday. I watched a show that referenced Sherlock Holmes. Since Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote The Lost World, we ate dino nuggets in vanilla pudding (tar pits) for Vanilla Pudding Day, also May 22.

May 22 was Solitaire Day, but instead of playing a game by myself, Jet and I explored some Candy Land together. He won twice.  

Here's Some More Catching Up

May 13 was Leprechaun Day, Crouton Day, Fruit Cocktail Day, and Apple Pie Day. Guess what. We celebrated.

Ah, homemade croutons and homemade apple pie. Mmmmmm.

Besides given ourselves "gold" coins for Leprechaun Day, we also turned on Irish music and had some fun moving to the music. 

Lucky decided to use his fruit to make a kebab. Why not? 

 

May 14 was Dance Like a Chicken Day and Buttermilk Biscuit Day. We made Biscuits and "Gragy" from Shelf Cooking 101 by Jordan Page.

Of course we danced like chickens.

 

May 15 was Dinosaur Day, National Chocolate Chip Day, and International Day of Families. We had Dino nuggets and chocolate chip pancakes with our family.

 I also got out for a walk that morning with a friend I haven't been able to do anything with for a while.