Boy Scouts, Round Two

And so daddy now officially at the helm, our scouts begin Wolf Cubs (I think that's what they're called). The Girl Scouts, not so organized, we're still waiting to hear back from them...

Year Two begins with the scouts selling popcorn. They learned quickly that the girls are pretty good at just getting folks to hand over money for the cause.

Top Chef

It began with Nicholas telling me about the BBQ Baked Potatoes at school, which we needed to have for dinner. When I made them a few weeks later following his recipe, Alida brought me her own recipe for Chicken, which looked a lot like this: Blasted Chicken
Which we hadn't had in a while, and is so stupid easy and good, I can't even remember why we haven't.
Which then led to this being brought to me. Oh boy. Fancy grilled cheese with tomato in the oven... sure, why not?

Safety First

Yes, we put up the net. Injury Number 1: biting down on your own tongue. Ben didn't speak very clearly for a day or two.

Group Hugs

My Old Eyes

You know it has been too long since there was a two-year-old in the house, when days after, my eyes wander to this only because I happened to be sitting down to take off my shoes and the color caught my eye.

Too long for you too?
No one chased me around the house asking for their bus back.
No one fought over the bus until it hit someone in the face, knocking out a tooth.
No one had a melt down because their bus was lost.
No one accused someone else of destroying their bus.
I hadn't thrown the bus out because I was tired of dealing with the bus.
It was just there, nicely scooted under the couch after our visitors had left. 
It made me smile that morning. And it's still sitting there right now.

Friday Nights

Pretty sure I can tell you where to find me.  A tradition this year; good to be back at it after the move.

Because We Haven't Been To the Emergency Room for an Injury Yet...

Hard work on a Saturday night.

For some relaxed fun on a Sunday afternoon.
Nothing will ever go wrong with this, I'm sure of it.

Pretty Sure I Didn't See This Coming

Saturday afternoon lunch, make sandwiches, soup, salad (of course).

And then I notice the dog there with us. I love what they do with their free time.

Because the Girls Really Wanted to Use Those Glasses

Good manners Sunday.  Where we ate at the dining room table, learned how to hold our napkins in our laps, and acted like ladies and gentlemen.  Never mind that it was mostly cheese and crackers with soup.

Labor Day, Day Trip

These two ladies, against the ocean.

Well, then these four against the ocean.

Then the five took on the ocean.

Then the daddies helped the whole crew take on the ocean. So awesome to head to and back from Destin in a day; even more fun to meet friends there to enjoy it with.

Hanging on Every Word

And here you witness reading clicking, much like riding a bike it seems. "discussing," "maurauders," "assassin," "conversation," "apparently" being read by Ben, which is a big deal since mandatory reading was the source of many tears last year. Now, the fact that it is Dungeons and Dragons adventure books that prompted him to sit down and read aloud with his dad for two hours on a Saturday night, foregoing his beloved last television show before bed or any computer game, phases me not. Because watching him wrap his arm around his dad and ask to not stop just yet was one of the most exciting moments of Ben's schooling I've seen so far.

Pretty Sure We Haven't Even Unpacked the Toys Yet

Alida.

We made you a cape from the blanket.

And you wouldn't take it off all day long.  The hood went up.  The hood went down.  It was a blanket for sleeping.  It flowed as you ran through the house.  It was perfect for you little lady.  Mostly, it made you smile like that, and who can not be in love with that?

Daddy--Still The Stuber Workhorse

Elaine and I had a little back and forth that she needed shoes if she was going to go help daddy with the yard.  Then, she had to have closed-toe shoes if she was going to go help daddy with the yard.  Oh, never mind, I didn't realize that type of help you  had in mind girl....

We've Got Curls!

It's been far too long since we've seen these curls!

Thinking back, the littlest one didn't even have hair to curl the last time we saw him.

Montgomery--a good stop over on the way to the beach, FYI.

Happy Labor Day

Why Alabama?
This guy of course.  Back in the Engineers after 13 years.  Now in charge of six battalions of engineers.  Yeah, sure--this makes complete Stuber sense.

Happy Labor Day!