traveling

About a week ago, Juma announced to us that he had "president's week off school." I asked him if he meant President's Day. "No, the week!" So I checked the schedule and realized he did have the whole week off, after all. How's that for involved parenting?

Thinking about that week of no school, I thought of my family in Utah...and convinced Justin he loved me enough to make the drive out from California with us. So we're in Utah for this week, and visiting my family--parents, 6 siblings plus their spouses and children--as well as some of Justin's relatives. Juma is having a blast so far with his cousins, with more playing to come.

My plan had been to surprise everyone at Sunday dinner by just walking in to my parents' house, but I found out everyone is sick over at my parents' place, so most people weren't going to be there (besides the 8 people who live there now). Too bad that didn't work out. Still, it's fun to be here.

Charlie bit me!

This video was just too funny to pass up. Kids are hilarious.

mondays

Last night when I was putting Juma to bed, we had our usual discussion about whatever is on his mind.

Juma: Mom, I hate Mondays.

Sarah: Lots of people hate Mondays, honey.

Juma: But, Mom, I really hate Mondays.

Sarah: Why?

Juma: Because on Monday, that means that there's another day I have to go to school, and then another, and then another, and then ANOTHER!

Sarah: Yep, that's true. Good night, bud.

Juma: But wait, Mom.

Sarah: What?

Juma: Just kidding, I mean I love Mondays.

Sarah: How come?

Juma: Because that means I get to go learn stuff the next day, and the next day, and the next day, and the next day so I can grow up to be a scientist!

geocaching

Over Christmas break, we discovered a new game, geocaching, known better to Juma as treasure hunting. The game involves following satellite coordinates on a hand held GPS device (we use the one from our car, which isn't perfect, but works well) to spots around town and wilderness, where others have hidden items, or caches.

We were pleasantly surprised to find that there are numerous sites around Merced, and we've found several so far. Some of the caches are nothing more than paper logs to sign--the reward is the search itself--but some have larger containers with trinkets that Juma calls pirate treasure. Once he found a jewel, another time a fruit roll-up, and once a yellow-green paint ball. Geocaching courtesy dictates that if you take something, replace it with something else--we've left coins from Tanzania, small toys, etc. Caches are listed online, and when you've found one you record it there, so everyone can see the "finds."

Here are some pictures of our first geocaching search (one success, several failures).

pumpkins and wands

Juma, thoroughly into his new Harry Potter kick, got a "dragon scale" wand through Alivans. He's hardly gone a day without playing with it. Within the first couple days of being a real wizard, he made a book, which looks like a black cat, full of spells like evanseco (heals small wounds), lumos (lights the wand tip like a flashlight), petrificus totalus (puts of full body bind on the target), and expelliarmus (pulls the wand out of the target's hand). Can't tell you how many times I've been stuck in a petrificus totalus, eagerly awaiting the finite incantatum that would end the curse.



Continuing the trend, we looked up some Harry Potter recipes and found a delightful one for Pumpkin Pasties (which Harry bought on the the Hogwarts Express food trolley). We found the recipe here. Try it out, they are yummy. There's an alternative recipe here, along with plenty of other ideas for a full Hogwarts feast.

juma's post

der evrewan,

I got a nw cramra for crismis.

her are sam picshrs.

Juma


For people illiterate in five-year-old-ese:

Dear Everyone,

I got a new camera for Christmas.

Here are some pictures.

Juma

virus wrecks havoc

Saturday - The Beckham family's day was ruined by a few tiny viruses, commonly known as a stomach bug. Justin entertains Juma with movies, while Juma lays moaning on the couch, and Sarah sleeps all day.

Sunday- Juma is back to normal, Sarah is still recovering, and Justin is in bed with an entirely different virus, commonly known as the common cold.

Hope you had a better weekend than we did.

sillee werds [pictures taken with Juma's new camera]

qas [kwas] -- "It means run."




googoogogo [goo-goo-gah-gah] -- "It means hit your head."

cogoo [kah-goo] -- "It means run really fast."

Quiz on Thursday.

john muir redwood forest

The Saturday after Christmas, we drove north of San Francisco to John Muir Forest, full of giant redwood trees. And rain. Brother-in-law Matt dubbed the spot the Dagobah System, and wished we had brought the nephews with us so he could tease them into going on a search for Yoda.

We didn't see Yoda, but we did see some impressive trees.

embarrassingly honest

I got in new haircut just after Thanksgiving, but apparently it's time for another trim. Juma pointed this out to me when he said, "Mom, your hair looks like Snape."



Oh, sheesh.