Fish Boil 2010

We made what will now be termed our annual trip up to Door County for the summer. It was aligned with seeing my best friend from high school Erika, who has two boys and another one on the way. It is always good to be able to see her and for the kids to get to play together.

There is always a list of things that we want to do and there is never enough time to get them all done. But one thing that we of course had to do was go to a fish boil. The boys love seeing the boil explode along with eating the fish and of course I have to admit that the fish is pretty good. I know the people that own the restaurant that we go to so it's fun to catch up with them as well.

Vaughny waiting for the boil....

Waiting patiently....

Bercan and Mommy....

Vaughn's favorite shoes...

One would think that I am talking about his shoes but I am not. I am talking about a pair of shoes that Vaughn absolutely LOVES when I wear them. The first time that he saw me wear them he told me "Oh Mommy, you wook so bootiful in those shoes. I just love does shoes on you." Well now every time that I am leaving the house for work I get the question "Mommy, you wear my favorite shoes today?" If I say yes, he will run down the hallway until I have them on and then just look at me with his cute little smile and say "Thank you Mommy!". It's as though I made his day by putting those shoes on.

One time I even got a fist pump after I put them on. I love how it's the little things that makes this little boy so happy :)

A son's view of Mom

The other morning while I was working out Torin had crept down from upstairs and with his blankets laid on the couch and watched the video that I was doing. I complained that I was tired and really would rather be snuggling with him on the couch than working out. He asked me why I was doing it if I didn't want to be. I told him that it was because Mommy wanted to have a better looking body, one that was trim and lean with muscle. He looked at me in his oh so serious Torin look and said "Mommy you are perfect just how you are. I love you and think you look great!"

Wouldn't it be nice if we all had that view of ourselves. I sometimes wonder if we truly look different in other people's eyes than we do when we look in the mirror. His words definitely made me think about my perspective on my life a little and I stopped working out and laid with my 7 year old and snuggled. I think I burned more calories in the joy that was going through my heart and the smile that was on my face, than any 10 minute ab could have done for me.

Coops got glasses

The Larson family might be blessed in many ways but one area that they have not been blessed is with good eye sight. Bjorn's twin brother and sister have both had glasses since they were 4 years old so really it can to no surprise that our nephew Cooper had to get glasses.

Torin's first comments were "He'll look silly with glasses" which Vaughn piped in quickly, "No he won't, he'll be cute Torin." It was as though Vaughn was sticking up for Cooper in his absence.

Well tonight Torin had earned a prize for summer reading. He's at 36 books and for a kid who really doesn't like to read I am SO proud of him. His prize that he picked was to go to a movie. Bjorn was traveling which meant that we had Berc which equates to not having fun at a movie. So I called to see if we could take Coops if they would take Berc. A deal was made and off we were to grab Coop and head to the movies.

On our way there I realized that we had not seen Cooper since he had gotten his glasses. Torin of course perked up in the backseat. I sharply reminded him that he was to be nice to Cooper about this. Torin said "No Mom I think Cooper will look really cute in his glasses, especially with his smile I think that they'll be rad on him." Really, with his smile...crazy kid.

This got Torin talking about all the people in our family that have glasses. As he is stating each person's name and keeping track of the number he pauses and thinks for a second. "You know Mom it's a really good thing that I like carrots because I'll probably never have to get glasses." I told him that it wouldn't have mattered how many carrots that Cooper ate that he was bound to get glasses.

I will say that he is pretty cute with his glasses...and his smile too :)

Tooth Fairy...

It amazes me how Torin can be so literally about things in life yet have an imagination that when he tells stories makes me giggle almost out loud.

He has lost his two front teeth this summer and while we were in Door County he lost the second front tooth. Unfortunately, the night he lost it I ended up getting horribly sick and was literally out throwing up and feeling like my head was on a tea cup ride at a fair. So that night we forgot to put a $1 under his pillow. When he woke up he informed us that the tooth fairy had not come. The fact that Torin still 100% believes in the tooth fairy is priceless but he was a little surprised that she didn't come.

We explained that the tooth fairy probably just was busy and had to get through the houses and apartments before going to resorts. He agreed with that and we were happy that we had another night to redeem ourselves as parents.

This however lead Torin to begin telling me that one time he woke up when the tooth fairy was putting money under his pillow. He was sure to inform me that is was for his first front tooth of when he saw her. I asked him what she looked like and this was his description, "Well she's only about 2 feet tall, well maybe 2 1/2 feet. She has wings on her back that helps her fly and she wears a dress that has teeth sown on it and on top of her head is crown and the points of the crown are teeth too." Quite honestly, I was a little scared of his description and realized that we are telling our children that there is a lady who comes into your room when you are sleeping that collects your teeth and puts money under pillow. Let's face it people it is a bit creepy when you think about it.

I asked him if she was upset that he saw her which he replied "She didn't see that I was awake. I just laid really still till she left and then grabbed my dollar." I do LOVE this side of him and cherish the stories that he comes up with.

Here is my adorable toothless son...now that I type that I guess I have to say eldest adorable toothless son as I realize that Bercan still at 11 months doesn't have any teeth :)

Old Soul

We were talking about life which with Torin can be pretty interesting and I commented to him after he provided a wise line to us that he had an old soul. "Mom I cannot have an old soul, I am only 7." I told him it meant that he just has a soul that would typically be of someone that was quite older than he was, someone who has seen and lived a long life. His response to me was "God gave me this soul when I was born, that was 7 years ago and so that is how old my soul is." Well I guess I either don't have the skills to explain this to him or he is just going with the facts of how old his soul really is.