mister

i love this boy. he has so many new tricks. he plays catch (throwing a ball and chasing it are his favorites). he is always on the move. he loves to sit in his swing. he loves to play with his sisters. we are still practicing words with him, but i think he has dada down. if he wants something he just yells for it, or he does a funny monkey sound. tucker has (finally) slept all night in his bed...the past 2 nights. we are hoping this is a new trick, my favorite so far. he is VERY ticklish. he likes to throw mini tantrums where he throws his body back to the floor. the funny thing is that he's learned that it hurts, so now he throws his elbow down first to soften the blow. he's most calm when he's sitting on daddy's lap, especially while daddy plays bubblespinner. it's mesmerizing to him. tuck is enthralled with technology. favorite "toys": 1) laptop, 2) flip cell phone (toy phones will work for a minute, but he prefers the real thing), 3) home phone, 4) remote controls. he just started holding the phone to his ear, which squishes his cheek and makes it look so fat and cute! best of all, he gives kisses. his mouth is usually open, but he leans in for them after prayer. he's my favorite baby boy.

the party

the friends

the birthday girl





the cupcakes and singing



the sister and friend with twin suits





the goodwill

instead of presents, annie had her friends bring canned food for the foodbank here in folsom. the next day we delivered the food. it was a good experience for everyone involved.

happy 9th

to the best girl. what would we do without you? you have the best smile. you give the best hugs. you have the best grown-up vocabulary. you are the best reader. you are the best big sister. probably the best cousin too...

happy birthday annie!

the failed campout

so we had this grand idea to go camping, even though the forecast included scattered thunderstorms. you know the day...last wednesday. we got there, set up camp, had a grand time fishing and had a yummy dinner, enjoyed a campfire, and went to bed. then the madness began. thunder and lightning right outside our tent, and rain all night. nobody slept a wink, so at first light, we threw the kids in the car and packed camp up into garbage bags and came home. still, the trip had some good moments...

tim, doing what he loves...

afton, no doubt pointing to the storm clouds on the horizon...

tucky, taking it easy in his little camping playpen...

i'm sure if we would have stayed for the duration of our trip, i would have pictures of the big girls. sorry annie and mia!

cherries are definitely the cutest fruit. and so worth the big pit. haven't you noticed that the more annoying the seed or pit, the yummier the fruit? i don't think seedless watermelons are as tasty as the good ole fashioned kind with the black seeds you have to eat around. and how good are mangos, the fruit that's mostly a seed? i think i've proven my point.

these are the nummies high up in the tree. i'll get you my pretties!

catching up

seems like we've been so busy lately. i found some pictures that i had taken to blog about, and i'm finally getting around to actually writing. here's what we've been up to...

baby boy had a high fever for a few days. i though he might be teething. when his temp reached 103, i took him to the doctor. the doc said, "if he breaks out in a rash tomorrow, it's roseola. but i don't think that's what it is. it's probably just a virus he's fighting off." sure enough, the rash showed up. it even got worse than in the picture, showing up on his little face. he looked pitiful, and he must have felt bad because he wouldn't let me put him down. nowadays though, he's a guy on the go, so i savored the snugs.

we have a little "music makers" group that i take afton to. we sing songs and do finger plays and march. the group leader suggested we have a performance for the daddies. this is afton sitting on a chair next to daddy, but still participating in the performance. the stage fright must have gotten to her.

mia finally lost one of her top front teeth. it had been loose for quite awhile. while i was excited for her, i will miss her really cute, perfectly straight, little baby teeth smile. get ready for bunny fangs.

exploring

i love going to the exploratorium. it was the first time we've taken the kids, and they loved it too. there was something for everyone to do, and we spent hours doing it! we sat in large chairs...we played with black sand that stuck to this really strong magnet... we did LOTS of bubbles...even tuckey had some explorin' to do...after the exploratorium, we went to a beach...

the weather was perfect. everyone had a great time and slept good that night! it was fun to have a day off together, and to rediscover how fun sf can be. i forget, stuck here in my little rut. oh, and we got ghiradelli sundaes. could a day get better?