Saturday, November 29, 2008

My Favorite Undignified Shots

Will my kids kill me when they're older for all the embarrassing pictures I insisted on taking? Why are the kooky/dirty/ yucky/ tantrum pictures my favorites? Vote for your favorites, or which ones you hated, and then tell me why I enjoy them so much, because I can't figure it out!

Two Fisted Eater

Showing Off the Underwear

Traumatized by the Scary Dinosaur Movie at the Zoo

Tired Mom Covered in Animals

Blink Shot (aka Drunk Doctor!)

Hats Off, or Half Off

Sprawled Baby

Grrrr Vance Face

Third Tantrum of the Day

Yep, That's a Flag in My Shirt!

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Treasure of the Mouse Statue

So my wife had roped me into seeing this Twilight movie months ago. I have never blogged about the book, but the title could be "Twilight: I only made it 2/3 of the way through and I wanted both Bella and Edward to die or how can an LDS author write about teenagers sneaking around and being alone in the girl's room?!?" Kind of long huh? That's why I did not post it.
Anyway, I promised Timpani that I would go see it. Soon her plan coincided with a larger plan for many Twihards- props to Dana for the terminology- from both the Edward and Jacob camps to go see the movie. (See how I pay attention to my wife sometimes.)
Well, the great day grew close and John- friend de long time- was going to babysit so Liz could go. "That's just not right!" I thought. John had read the book. I had read 2/3 and see above. After tactfully inquiring of my loverly wife that I was not romantically required to be there, I offered to sit Jonni and Erik. Offer accepted.
Inspired by Timpani's recent tour de force of Diego-themed decorating for Vance's B-day, John and Liz's stellar haunted house for the kiddies and Vance getting a tent for his B-day, I endeavored to create a Diego-themed adventure to kill some time for the small ones. I bought goodies the night before to be discovered as treasure, made some toy choices for ambiance and made use of palm trees and green table cloth left from the aforementioned Diego-themed party. Here are the results. Presenting Jonni, Vance, Erik and Quisqueya in:
Treasure of the Mouse Statue



The Diego/Dora theme map drawn by yours truly. (Crayons are my medium.)


Starting place the tent. (Please see my Da Vinci-like rendering on the map.)


The Big Forest (Italics added to dramatically over-emphasize it like on Diego and Dora.)


The fruit tree complete with the Bobo brothers!
(Vance said, "Freeze Bobos!")


Erik goes into the Little Cave while Quisqueya holds the light.



Some of our intrepid adventurers take a break in the Big Lake.
They had previously made use of the Rescue Pack to make a
raft to get to the Small Lake (the tub) to get juice bags.


Finally, the end of the journey: The Pyramid of the Great Mouse


Obviously a great and noble race created this statue
to their revered leader, whose companion bit it years
ago. (NARF!)


Here our adventurers climb the pyramid for their final treasure.



The treasure- Doritos, fruit juice, fruit snacks and fruit loops!
Yep, I fed children tons of sugar, hyped them up, then let them
watch copious amounts of Diego cartoons while in an exhausted
stupor on the couch.

My son asked for another "Diego adventure" that day, so I guess
I did okay. ;)

Friday, November 21, 2008

Panda Bears Attack!!!

They come in armies across table top plains.....



They seem harmless, cute, and even TASTY.....


But, that's before you look into their chocolate chip eyes~!~!~!~!
SCREEE-SCREEE-SCREEE-SCREEE-SCREEE-SCREEE-SCREEE-SCREEEE
BY THEN IT'S TOO LATE!!! THEY'VE STOLEN YOUR BRAIN!!!

Have no fear!!! Danger Boy & Kid Catastrophe will save the day!!!

Just as soon as they're done watching TV.


Kid Catastrophe found a way to foil their evil plans! (with a little help from Tired Mom)

Thursday, November 20, 2008

What Superheroes Do in Their Spare Time



8 TV SHOWS THE KIDS LOVE TO WATCH:
1. SID THE SCIENCE KID
2. Diego (on DVD)
3. Dora (on DVD)
4. Sesame Street & Barney (Kid Catastrophe only for those two)
5. Super Why
6. Word World
7. Curious George
8. House MD (ok that's just Tired Mom that watches this one)


8 RESTAURANTS WE EAT AT:
1. McDonalds (ok Tired Mom & Paranoid Dad eat, while the kids run around the playplace)
2. Arby's
3. Papa John's (or they bring the food to us, we eat at home)
4. Pizaa Hut
5. Denny's
6. IHOP
7. There was this cafe in Minneapolis the kids really liked (can't remember the name)
8. Taco Bell

8 THINGS WE DID YESTERDAY:
1. Laundry (the kids ran around the basement while Tired Mom did this)
2. Kid Catastrophe sneezed ALOT with the accompanying snot blowing out her nose. Her other nickname is "QUEEN OF THE SNOT FAIRIES".
3. The dynamic duo watched a Diego DVD while Tired Mom made tacos for dinner
4. Tired Mom watched House on DVD with QQ (QQ mostly like the startup music and when people "code")
5. Tired mom pushed the kids around the neighborhood in the double stroller running errands (library, convenient store, grocery store) for an hour and a half
6. Tired Mom raked leaves, planted flower bulbs, cleaned up toys, and sneezed while QQ played in the yard (enjoying some rare warm weather)
7. Super Cat Nutmeg temporarily escaped, and then came back.
8. We all complained about our colds (oh wait, that was just Tired Mom)

8 THINGS WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO:
1. Christmas shopping, and Christmas
2. Twilight Movie (ok that's just Tired Mom again)
3. Going to see King Fu Panda at movie night at the library
4. QQ's birthday in March
5. Spring!
6. Getting a new furnace so we can stop living on space heaters (that would be more Paranoid Dad wanting that than anyone else)
7. Getting over our colds
8. Spring!

8 THINGS ON OUR WISH LIST:
1. Dora stuff
2. Hello Kitty stuff
3. More Diego Stuff
4. More weird animals to go with Diego stuff
5. good health
6. chicken nuggets
7. grapes
8. candy!
(you'll have to guess which wish belongs to which kid)

8 PEOPLE WE TAG:
1. John
2. Renae
3. Liz
4. Mary
5. Ashley
6. Dana
7. Jeanette
8. Amy

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Welcome to the Jungle (Vance's B-day)

Welcome to the jungle





We've got fun 'n' games





We got everything you want




That's the extent of Guns N' Roses song "Welcome to the Jungle" that was
appropriate for Vance's B-day montage.

Here are some more highlights:


Attack of the Panda cupcake army!


Too much partying for Zoe!


The great piƱata gut gathering!


Lock, Shock and Barrel!!!

That's it folks. People came from far and wide to pay homage to
Danger boyfor the anniversary of his birth. Women love him, men
want to be him. He's a great kid and we love him lots!

-Paranoid Dad

(Follow the hyperlinks!!!)

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Holy Cardboard Box Danger Boy!

Cardboard boxes, and cardboard in general seems to fascinate kids, mine included. Danger Boy built a house in the living room while Kid Catastrophe was taking a nap. She joined him, with energy, when she got downstairs.

She brought the animals too.
And her Dora doll as well (d-d-d-d-d-d-d-dora d-d-d-d-d-d-d-dora)

They had a "door" which was one flap where the two pieces met.
Danger Boy created a pet snake for the house out of a string of beads. Do all boys make random things into snakes and guns?
The snake got a little rowdy at one point, whipping into the Queen Q's face and making her freak out. The snake got a time out.
Q was more content to share this house than the one in our yard (plastic play house given to Q by Granny), maybe because I told her it was her brother's?
She also knocked it down, but that's what happens to all cardboard houses eventually, I guess.