The Angel Abigail, An Early Cinco de Mayo, and the Father-Son Campout

As I type this, Jason is sound asleep (it's 2:04 PM), Miagee is taking her nap, and Tyler is watching a quiet-time cartoon about the birth of the Savior. All is quiet on the Western front, and so I was able to get a really good chuckle when a 4 year-old voice disturbed the peace:

"That's Mary. She's Jesus's Mommy. And that's the Angel Abigail."

"That's GABRIEL, honey."

"Oh, yeah! Not Abigail. GABE-REE-ELE. Thanks, Mom." Followed a few minutes later by "If you want to walk to Bethlehem, it takes a looooooooooong time, and if you have a baby in your tummy then you have to ride a horse."

"Donkey, honey."

"Oh yeah. Because it takes sooooooooooo long to get to Jerusalem. I mean, Bethlehem."

Did I mention that my son is awesome? See, not only is he adorable and a tiny genius, he's adventuresome. In order so Jason could sleep, I took the kids for a couple hours to a Cinco de Mayo fiesta going on at La Palma and Harbor today...yes, I know it's the 2nd, but it's tough to have a well-attended fiesta on a Tuesday. Anyway, we parked, walked to the festival grounds, traversed the rides and fairway games attendants, (I confess, I spent $2 to lose a ball toss game because I'm just that weak...and not that I was weak in tossing balls,) blew $9 on Tyler climbing and sliding on a giant plaything with bridges and whatnot and the kids riding in a floating plastic kayak around a manmade river through pretend tunnels and teepees surrounded by cheesy Indian statues. In fact, I still have NO idea what a plaything and an American Indian-themed boat ride have to do with Mexican Independance, but whatever.

So he climbed that giant plaything on his own, circumvented obstacles, and ended up about 30 feet in the air at one point (albeit boxed in by railings, nets, and the like), and then boarded a plastic boat chasing goldfish around a waterway. (There were actually about half a dozen live goldfish in the water, which entertained the HECK out of Tyler.) Miagee climbed in with him and was fine for about the first minute and a half...and then she started to panic...and then she started to sob and reach for the sides, rocking the plastic boat rather precariously...so an attendant held the boat for me while I fetched her. Tyler? Good to go. In fact, he'd rather have kept a crying Miagee on board...she was rocking the boat! WOOHOO!!!

For those of you not yet informed, I've started calling Mikayla Miagee...like Mr. Miagi in Karate Kid. It has to be spelled Miagee, though, because she was formerly Magoo, which has too O's. Why Miagee? I don't know. Why Magoo, or it's shorter version, 'Goo? Why Mia? Well, we know why Mia...that's what she calls herself. (Seriously. "Mikayla, what's your name?" "MIA!")

ANYWAY, Tyler ALSO had fun at the Father-Son Campout. Jason? He had a good time, too...but he DID comment that a) he's getting old, as evidenced by his inability to sleep "just anywhere" anymore, (and he's right...he's turning 32 in less than a week. SOOOOO old.) and that b) STAYING asleep while camping is not so easy, either. (Hence the nap. Well, no, that, and this week he had his second work-all-night-long-at-the-office stint in as many weeks, so he hasn't really caught up on rest yet, but certainly couldn't NOT take Tyler to the campout!) On the positive side of things, they had a blast together (and Tyler was impeccably behaved the entire time!), Tyler slept soundly (inside Nona and Papa's van...thanks for the loaner, guys!) (and for those of you thinking they were chicken for not sleeping outside in a tent, it was in the '50's last night and supposed to rain!), and it DID rain...just a little...so Tyler and his Dad spent a few minutes last night watching Bishop and Conner scramble to put a tarp over their tent, and a few minutes this morning teasing Bishop about the NEED to scramble.

As an aside, both my father and my father-in-law are the world's biggest teases. I know for certain that my Dad got that from HIS Dad, my Papa, and I see that my Dad2 passed it on to Jason...who will inevitably (and, based on his encouraging Tyler to tease Bishop about their late-night tarp battle) inherit and pass on that tease gene.

Anyway, everything went well, my family is all back together and in one piece (and resting up for more togetherness), and no matter how crappy life gets (like waking up at 3:30 in the morning realizing your husband hasn't come home from work yet!) at least we're together. So you have a great weekend, people...we will too.