Double digits

Today is Andrew's 10th birthday. 10!!

Happy birthday Andrew! We love you!

Andrew 10 years ago, on the lookout for bugs.

For his birthday this year he got an iPod and Ethan is jealous.

Guggle and Mimi were here last week

We made them earn their keep by picking raspberries. Nine pounds of raspberries that we put into storage, made into brownies, and made into ice cream.

We also went to the zoo, an international grocery store, and did lots of other fun stuff. They even helped Emma learn how to ride her bike without training wheels! We hope they visit again soon!

Overheard

SOPHIE (with arms outstretched): This is mommy's floggit room.
ME: Floggit?
SOPHIE: No. Floggit.
ME: What's a floggit?
SOPHIE (waving her arms around the room): No. Floggit. These are all mommy's floggits.
ME: Oh! Fabric!
SOPHIE: That's what I said. Flog. Git.

School

School started on August 11, almost a month earlier than it should in a perfect world.

Here's Emma on her first day of kindergarten:

And the boys. Nice hair, dude.

Check out Emma's triumphant face while she waits for the bus:

Sooooo pretty

SOPHIE: Daddy, look how pretty I am in these clothes.

ME: Ooh, yes. Should we take a picture?

Click.

SOPHIE: Can I see? Oooooh. That looks sooooo pretty.

New and improved

Made this the other day:

Overheard

SOPHIE: Dad, you look GORGEOUS.

We're back from Alaska

560 photos for your viewing pleasure. Here.

For the record

Emma lost her first tooth. Several weeks ago.
After it came out she lost it again (or Sophie did) and we haven't seen it since. The tooth fairy came through anyway, eventually.

When the livin' is easy

The big kids are cashing in some hard earned screen time while Sophie gets her body acclimated to the Alaskan time zone.

Hummingbird trap

The other day a hummingbird (or "honey bird" as Sophie calls it) got stuck in our garage. Emma stood perfectly still and pretended to be a bush so the bird would fly to her.

That didn't work, so we shooed it outside with a broom. Silly bird.

Saboteur

This is what Ethan does when the rest of us are smiling during family photos.


(Click the image for a larger version.)

Overheard

SOPHIE: Mom! We heard a sound like...like...We heard a sound like...um...

SOPHIE: Mom!

GINGER: Yes?

SOPHIE: We heard a sound.

Overheard

Sophie was hanging out with me in the dressing room at a clothing store today while I tried on some jeans. She was not having fun. Finally she had had enough, and said this:

"That looks like comfy clothes. NOW GET OUT."

Happy Independence Day