The Bearenstain Bears Come to Little Rock!

There have been several sightings of the Berenstain Bears here in Little Rock over the past week.  For those of you who don’t know, the Berenstain Bears are a family of bears who live in their tree house in the happy community of Bear Country.  I never really thought about it, but I guess it would make sense that Bear Country would be located somewhere here in beautiful, tree-filled Arkansas.

Last Saturday, the Bear family showed up at the Woodland’s Edge community Halloween Fest.  Carina’s friend, Amelie, and her dad, Arnaud, said they saw Papa Bear and Brother Bear enjoying bouncing around on the back of the hayride, and that Sister Bear really liked lobbing balls at the tennis witch.

On Wednesday the Berenstains were sighted at the LUNA Moms Halloween party.  It was a really great party, and rumor has it that Mama Bear was happy to see that she wasn’t the only LUNA Mom dressed up for the occasion.The entire Bear family enjoyed visiting with the partygoers and sampling all the great food.

Friday night, Boo at the Zoo was the location of the next Bear Family appearance.  Our friends Meredith, Elaine and Juliana said that the Bears seemed right at home among all the animals, and really had fun taking a whirl around the “Over the Jumps” Carousel (except for Brother Bear, who appeared to be a bit concerned).  Lots of people saw Brother and Sister Bear having fun Trick or Treating all the candy stands.

On Saturday morning, the Berenstains took in a little culture at the Main Library, where they saw a Brian & Terri Kinder Concert.  Callen’s favorite girl friend, Abbey, and her mom, Nicole, said that Sister Bear got to sing into the microphone with Mr. Brian, and that Brother Bear was wandering all over the place.

Finally, on Halloween Night, the Berenstain Bears came to our house for Trick or Treating.  We were so glad to finally meet them in person, since Carina LOVES reading their books.  They were nice enough to come in and let us take their picture by our fireplace.

And Now, Your Moment of Zen

Proof that it can happen:

Carina and Callen sitting still! In the same place. At the same time.  Amazing.

(The title of this post comes from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.  He ends each show with a video clip, and introduces it by saying, “and now, your moment of Zen.”)

An (almost) fun trip to the doctor

Carina, Callen, and I took a trip to the pediatrician on Tuesday for Carina’s 3 year check and Callen’s 18 month check.  They are both healthy and checked out well.

Carina has always enjoyed going to the doctor, and generally likes it anytime she is “examined”.  She has managed to stay healthy enough to have not visited the doctor since her 2-year-old check, so this was her first trip where she was really paying attention to what was going on.  She has a Bearenstain Bears book about going to the doctor that she really likes, and loves to play doctor with her doctor and vet sets she got for her birthday.  She was very excited when we got into the exam room and she saw that she got to wear a little flannel gown with ties in the back.  She was perfectly still and let Dr. Martin check her out with no complaints.  She wasn’t so thrilled after the nurse gave her a flu shot, but thanks to the Berenstains, she knew that the shot was medicine to keep her healthy.  She is officially 36 and 3/4 inches tall (50th percentile) and weighs 31 pounds (75th percentile)!  When she was two she was at the 15th percentile for height and weight, so I was really surprised at these new measurements.

After Dr. Martin was all finished with Carina, I said, “Ok, Callen’s turn!”  Carina asked if she could go again after Callen was done.

Callen has been to the doctor a few times over the past year, so this was all old hat for him. He kept himself busy climbing all over the furniture in the exam room, and also had some pretend conversations on the phone at the nurse’s desk while Carina was being checked out.  He was also very well-behaved during his turn and seemed to enjoy being examined.  He had to get two shots (flu and another vaccination), but he only cried for about 15 seconds.  He is 31 and 3/4 inches tall (25th percentile) and weighs 24 pounds and 3 ounces (40th percentile).  His head circumference is 19 and 3/4 inches (90th percentile).  Yes, he has a huge head (as does his sister), but this is actually the first time that his measurement was ON the chart and not above it!

Overall, I was really impressed at how well the kids did at the doctor.  They played nicely together in the waiting room, which was a huge relief. In Carina’s words, “Going to the doctor was really fun, but the medicine hurt.”

Carina’s July-August-September Art

Mommy has been slacking on keeping up with the “Art” posts, but Carina has NOT been slacking on making the art!

When you’re too tired to eat and too hungry to sleep…

This movie is from back in July.  I meant to post it a while ago and forgot.  We had spent a very exhausting morning first visiting the Old Mill in North Little Rock, and then attending a Brian Kinder concert at the main library.  Callen was both tired and hungry, with one prevailing over the other just a little…

Here also are a few pictures from our trip to the Old Mill.  It was never really a mill – its claim to fame is that it was constructed for use in the opening credits of the film Gone with the Wind.  Now, the Master Gardeners take great care of it, and in addition to it being open to the public, people get married there.

The Old Mill

stopping to smell the lillies. Pee shew!

hammy love

Craig’s keeping Callen from jumping in

Carina being a leap frog

A family photo gone awry

The kids always love to pose for a pic with mommy!

What Will They Be?

I often wonder to myself what the kids will be when they grow up.  I have no preference or requirements, as long as they are happy with what they are doing.  The other day when we were at the playground, Callen kept kissing me through the vertical bars of the stairway up to the slide.  I hoped that this was not some sort of foreshadowing to a future of incarceration.  Carina sometimes jumps and shouts and twirls in ways that make me double-cross my fingers and silently wish that she doesn’t become a cheerleader. But, then my kids do things like spending an hour playing with the play doctor kit, or painting beautiful pictures, or making observations that amaze me and reassure me that something brilliant is on the horizon for them.

And then, sometimes, in spurts and phases, certain talents come to the forefront of daily activities.  So, here, for your enjoyment, is a movie featuring Carina’s latest passion – singing songs that make no sense in an Operatic style.  At about the 18 second mark, you can make out Carina singing the words “the bee stings the baby” and then you’ll see Callen look up suddenly and turn to his sister with obvious shock.  He often plays the back-up singer and comedic relief to her drama, and here we have it in top form.

Carina’s Keeping Track

A couple weeks ago when we returned home from a trip to Grandma’s, I noticed the wooden back scratcher that we brought back from Hawaii for the kids sticking out of the trash.  I knew that Craig had thrown it away because it is always laying around, and often becomes a weapon in the hands of Callen.

A few hours later I was sitting on the couch with Craig, when I noticed Carina standing next to the arm of the couch.  Her head was tilted forward, brow furrowed, and she was glaring at us out of the top of her eye sockets.  Her lower lip was pooched out in a pout/frown combo, and she had the back scratcher resting on one shoulder like a woodsman’s axe.  “Who threw my stick in the trash?”  she growled.  I tried really hard not to laugh as I ratted out her father by simply pointing at him.  Craig started to apologize through stifled giggles, but Carina spoke over him with a commanding voice.  “Daddy, THAT is NAUGHTY.  You need to go in the CORNER!”  Hilarious laughter ensued from all three of us.

Yesterday, Carina, Callen, and I were on the way home from school in Craig’s truck.  Carina asked to listen to Brian Kinder, a local children’s musician who Carina is nearly obsessed with.  Here’s how that conversation went:

Carina:  Can we listen to Brian Kinder?

Me:  I don’t know where Brian Kinder is.

Carina:  Why not?  Where is he?

Me:  Daddy hid him somewhere.  I don’t know.

Carina:  Why did daddy hid my Brian Kinder away?  Is that naughty?

Me: No, Carina.  I just said he hid it because that means he put it somewhere, and I don’t know where he put it, so it’s hidden. I will look for it when we get home.

Carina: Did he throw it in the trash?

Me:  No, I’m sure he didn’t throw it in the trash.

Carina: Why?

Me:  Because that would not be very nice.

Carina:  Well, he threw my stick in the trash.

I didn’t know how to respond.  I was sure to tell Craig about it though.  I thought he should know that there’s someone keeping a close watch on him.

Look-Alikes?

On nearly a daily basis, we get inquiries into our children’s appearance: why are they so blonde, where did the blue eyes come from, who do they look like, were Craig or I blonde when we were little, are they twins, are they adopted, and so on and so forth.  Even I myself am often amazed when I look into the faces of my children and start to ponder how it is that they came from my own gene pool.  When they are quiet and I really have a chance to examine their features, I sometimes see Craig’s nose or my lips.  But, the next time I get a good long look, the resemblances of those same features have changed.  So, here’s a little side by side comparison.  The first picture is of me somewhere in the neighborhood of 2 or 3 years old.  Next is Callen at around 17 months and Carina at nearly 3 years.  Then, Craig, also in the neighborhood of 3 years old.

We would love to have your comments on what -you- think about who looks like who, etc…

Tuesday Fun

Craig had the day off of work yesterday, so he took Carina fishing at Lake Maumelle.  Craig picked out a nice, Carina-sized fishing pole for her birthday and she’s been excited to try it out (beyond casting it in the living room or off the deck).  They didn’t catch any fish, but still had fun.  They did see some fish, which was probably more happy and less traumatic for Carina than actually hooking one.

Meanwhile, Callen and I had a playdate with his buddy Abbey.  Callen has been especially fond of Abbey since the day he met her.  She is 1/4 Japanese just like he is.  Yesterday he surprised us by saying Abbey’s name for the first time:  “Abba!”.  When I asked Callen to stand next to Abbey so i could take their picture, he thought that something more personal was in order.  It’s so fun to watch not only our kids grow up, but to also see our friends’ kids turn from babies into toddlers and preschoolers.

Carina is Three!

Moms can never believe it when it happens, and now I can’t believe it has happened to me.  My baby isn’t a baby anymore, and you can hardly classify her as a toddler.  She’s officially a kid!

Her teachers at school were telling me today that they always think of her as being older than she is because she “talks so well.”  This is certainly her specialty – the one milestone she hit early, although I can remember the days when we couldn’t wait for her to talk.  Now, after answering “Why” questions for hours straight, sometimes I beg her for two minutes of silence.  She never gives it to me though.  “Just let me talk!” she hollers.  She comes up with inappropriately mature phrases at the most appropriate times.  A few days ago we were all in the car, Craig was talking out loud as he was trying to make a decision, when from the back seat we heard in a high-pitched voice, “well, you better make up your mind, Daddy!”

Carina has an awesome sense of humor, but can also be equally dramatic, whiny, and clingy.  Her laugh is infectious, and she loves to be in crowds.  She loves to help Callen learn things, and also enjoys sending him to the corner when he’s been naughty.  More than once we have argued over whose baby Callen is (she thinks he’s hers). She loves to color, and lately has taken to making lists. (Can’t imagine where she got that from!)  I see a lot of her father in her personality, so I’m preparing myself for the challenge of the teenage years now.  However, we’ve got 10 more years before then, so I’m going to enjoy them all.

The weekend before Carina’s birthday we had a party at Grandma and Papa’s house in Branson.  Carina had fun decorating her own cake with Grandma and Cameryn, possibly more so than actually eating it.  She was very excited about the new baby she got from Grandma and Papa, who she promptly named Smurf Beef.

Carina’s actual birthday was on Thursday, August 27th.  That night after Craig got home from work we took her to Applebees for dinner because we also had to sneakily go to Target to buy her gifts.  She was very excited when the servers brought her a brownie sundae and we sang happy birthday to her.  When we got home, she opened her present from Ba-chan: a new piggy bank, complete with dollars to feed it!

Did I mention that she has her father's personality?

On Saturday the 29th, we had a double-three-year-old party for Carina and her friend Amelie, who turned three on the 20th.  It was a garden themed party, due mostly to the fact that Carina had been asking for a “bee birthday cake” for the past several months. So Carina and Amelie were dressed as a bee and butterfly and several of the other kids were also dressed as fairies, ladybugs, and other garden friends.

The Birthday Girls

Callen the Frog

Time for Cake!

I’ve uploaded more birthday pictures to our shutterfly share site.