Blue Skies

All weekend, last weekend.

Mommy, I want a dog.

I know girl, I know.

Someday.

We would need to find a dog that wanted you too.

Don't Think They Didn't

Tenderly feeling the water.

Picking up their bravery.

And finally going full in the ocean.

Then they realized that it was a bit cool in the 60 degree weather to be soaking wet.

Having anticipated this scene unfolding, it was a quick change at the car and we were off for a golf cart ride, hot dogs, and playing with the dogs at our friend's house there.

Naps prevailed on the short ride home.

Saturday at Galveston

Heading out with some bread to feed the birds.

"Mo-om, there aren't any birds!"

Here guys, I see one coming.

And then the cloud descended.

Sunday Afternoon

Rolling Down the hill,

and fishing at the lake down the street.

This Amuses Me

Pictures of parents taking pictures of kids.

Happy Valentines Day

It was an intimate dinner with the six of us this year.

But, Ben found out he liked calimari; Elaine ate her weight in bread soaked in herbed olive oil; Nicholas found a tomato he didn't like--the sun-dried variety; and, Alida ate nearly my entire portion of split-pea/sausage soup.

Gift to their dad and I--some laughter as a family, and compliments from the staff on our kids.

Breaking It In

New Couch, ordered last November.  It and its chair companion finally arrived last week to finish off our upstairs living area. 

It took the boys about ten seconds to start a fight on it, launch off of it, and race their cars over it.

Good thing we buy sturdy.

It must only hold until someone, one day, drags it off to college.

February

Cleaned and mulched.

After a lot of cleaning and mulching.

And in unusual fashion, Elaine was the only kid that stuck with it through raking, trimming, tree cutting, mowing, weed-and-feeding, and further clean-up.  The other three retreated to the video games long before we were done.

I'll never get used to yard work in February, although putting off to the middle of the winter isn't so bad...

Pinewood Derby Day: Everything A Life Lesson in Our House

Saturday.

Nicholas=High input, weeks of work.  The mostly blue car.

Ben=meh, whatever.  Although he liked learning to use the tools. The mostly red car.

Ben's car in in lane six there.

In the finals...

You'll notice the theme there with the winning cars--flat, rectangular, sparse, and when you look underneath--all the weight is in the back.

No clue how Ben's wound up in there with it's turret and mounted gun. 

2 Cub Scouts cars went on to the finals--both from our pack, Ben and his school buddy Kale.

When we told him that the finals was coming up, he said, "Cool.  Tell me if I win."  And then he took off for the Star Wars movie that was playing on the other side of the gym.

He didn't win, but his stinkin' half-thought car, came in 13 out of 75 raced that day.

Nick still pleased with his car.

First Savings Accounts

Ben says he's saving up to buy himself a monster truck--no a real one.

Sure, why not.

Picture Fail

This picture was supposed to document the four missing teeth from Ben's face.

Shoot for one, and wind up with four and a daddy thrown in...sounds familiar.

And then he just wound up looking  like a vampire with a bad haircut.

The boy walked up to Patric the other day and showed his the latest empty space in his mouth.  When Patric asked where the tooth was, he had no idea.  The teeth are falling out so fast, he's lost track of them coming out.

Synchronized Flexibility

I find myself constantly rolling my eyes around here.

Brown Eyed Girl

"Mommy, can you  see my eyes?"

"Yes."

"How about now?"

"Yes girl.  I can see those big brown eyes."

Pinewood Derby

Drop off is Friday.

Truly a daddy project that the kids wander in and out of at will. 

Nicholas has been interested, so they've been working on his car for two weeks now.

Ben, not-so-much.  So, we'll have the mad dash finish-it-up this week.

Yet again, Ghost Rider theme for Nicholas.  So dad bought decals.  Man I wish they had ghost rider cake decals.