The torch was in town

and we were there.

Hitting the gym young

We're all about health at the Epp household:

is there such a thing as done?

I just spent a good amount of time sweeping my driveway. A neighbor drove by and waved at me. Probably thinking what a conscientious addition to the neighborhood we are. Probably thinking how he needs to sweep his driveway so that he can keep up with us.

We need to take our christmas lights down.

Is sweeping the driveway normal? As a kid I'd get sent outside to sweep our mile long farm yard driveway, so it stands to reason that a little piece of cement in the suburbs should be kept clean. Something in my world gets set right when stray bark mulch gets sent back to it's bed. A nearly pebble free driveway makes me feel like I'm ready for company. Stop by! I'm totally ready for you - to ... park. And even though no one is coming over today, so much less gravel will get tracked into the house. And I got to cross it off my list.

It's not normal is it?

While making my front entry a tidy place, I noticed how the driveway next to us is all new and shiny white which made me want to not only sweep but also power wash. My neighbor would probably be even more impressed if he saw me power washing. Why does one task always lead to another? Completion is such a fleeting feeling.

Bok Bok ...

This does not appear to be a passing phase

Cheese Monster

Halloween

My dear child was a chicken for Halloween. We practiced the 'bok bok' and she performed flawlessly. As per tradition, our trick or treating home base was Kris and Lisa's (my brother and sil). Magdelyn wasn't quite ready to knock on doors but she was thrilled to go along for the ride.


She also welcomed other creatures into her wagon when they got tired. This is Oct 31st.

2 weeks ago she found her costume in her closet. Since then she's brought it to both me and her daddy and insisted we put it on her. One day she KNEW we were going out and was FURIOUS I wouldn't put her in the chicken suit. (Honestly, if she were 3 I may have let her, but who would believe that my 15 month old INSISTED she wear a chicken suit). Tonight I indulged and put it on over her kitty jammies. She meow'd and bok'd in sequence. Meow, meow, bok. Meow, bok bok. She was pleased to be wearing both sounds. This is Jan 2nd.


My favorite part is that this is the first time she's gotten the camera smile down. Up until this point she's opened her mouth wide for the camera, but I captured her very first cheese -- in a chicken suit. Perfect.

Rewind....to mid october.

California.

One week before we shuffled homes, we tripped to Palm Springs with Magdelyn's best friends: Grammy and Papa, Auntie Broni and Uncle Jeremy and their kids; Emme, Spencer and Ryder.

Palm Springs summary: We swam, ate, slept and went to Applebees for my 31st birthday. I didn't spend too much time actually in Applebees as Maelyn preferred this bench to her high chair. We've since decided to abstain from torturing servers and other restaurant patrons until further notice.


Then we went to Disneyland.


We'd barely stepped through the gates when I had my very first ever celebrity sighting.



That's Noah Wylie from ER. We discussed his attire at length. Why would he be wearing skinny jeans and a heavy plaid shirt on the hottest day I've experienced in maybe ever. Did he think that along with his scraggly beard and aviator glasses he'd be disguised? It didn't work. It might have, but his personal Disneyland escort totally gave him away. He was there with 2 kids and a lady his children called Grammy. Which is FUNNY because our kids call OUR Mom GRAMMY???!?!? It was SO meant to be. We all rode the jungle cruise together.


Broni is pointing at him with her head. He's wearing glasses and located at the opposite end of the boat.

Other must have, and self explanatory, Disneyland photos:




Magdelyn has a thing for Chickens. More details on this 'infatuation' in my next post.