Overheard

ETHAN (to Andrew): You think your stuffed panda is alive.
-ETHAN HITS THE PANDA-
ETHAN: See? If it was alive it would say "Ow."
ANDREW: He IS alive, Ethan. He just doesn't have a nervous system.

Fathers and Sons

Ethan, Andrew and I went to our church's annual Fathers and Sons Campout this weekend. For Andrew and me, it was our second night of camping in a row. (We spent Thursday night getting soaked in the rain at third grade camp in Southern Indiana.) It was fun, as always. Andrew even brought back a souvenir in the form of a tick that Ginger found crawling in his ear after church on Sunday. Yes, you read that correctly. Very exciting times around here.

Self portraits

Overheard

Tonight during our FHE on phone safety...

GINGER: What do you do if someone asks for mommy or daddy on the phone and we're not home?

ANDREW (totally serious): You SLAM IT DOWN HARD.

I love working at home

I know that working at home probably can't last forever, but I'm sure enjoying it in the meantime. This morning I found Emma practicing ballet with her shadow.

Sophie the Dragonslayer

The boys don't like going to dark parts of the house alone, so they always ask someone to go with them. When mom and dad say no, this is who they enlist to provide security detail. "Sophie, come with me," they say. Unaware of the dangers, she usually goes right along, two fingers in her mouth, the other hand holding those fingers steady. She's tougher than she looks, but I'm not sure how helpful she would be in a bare-knuckled fight with a monster.

The Big 7

Happy birthday to Ethan, who turned 7 yesterday. It's hard to believe he's so old already! He's a loving brother (especially to little Sophie), a good friend, a smart student, a wonderful artist and musician, and lots of fun. We love you Ethan!

The story behind this picture: Ginger and I bought these fancy sparkler candles in England, thinking they'd be a big hit. But as soon as we lit the candle the kids fled from the table in a panic (except poor Sophie, who was strapped in). We told Ethan to get close to the cake so we could at least take a photo, and this is where he drew the line. We have three more of these panic-inducing candles to use over the next year, yippee! You will have fun, kids.

Overheard

EMMA: I know how bad smoking is for you... Two-hundred-thirty-nine-sixty. Right dad?

Today was the Mother's Day Program at the Preschool

It was cute.

Overheard

EMMA (while I was wiping jam off of her thumb): Ow. That hurt my fumb.

ME: Your fumb?

EMMA (making an extra effort to articulate): My FLUMB.


Except she said it in a loud and slow way so it sounded like fah-LUM-mah. The way she said it clearly meant, "Dad, you know nothing."

We found little blisters on the ends of those two fingers today

She just can't get enough.

Overheard

ETHAN (Crying at the dinner table after we made him put down the Calvin & Hobbes): WHY DO YOU ALWAYS NOT LET US READ AND MAKE US TALK TO EACH OTHER DURING DINNER?!?

The highlight of Emma's trip to Houston

Photos from Houston

Here.

Now if only they'd eat their vegetables

Chocolate covered crickets and larvae, anyone?

Ingredients: Sugar, partially hydrogenated palm kernel oil, whey, nonfat milk, mono and diglyceride and lecithin emulsifiers, natural and artificial flavor, artificial color, insect larva or cricket.

Yum. Even Miles tried a bite.