Sunday morning chess

I'm going to keep working on this pose

I couldn't get them to tilt their heads just right in the window, even with the promise of candy at the end.  So I had to do more post-processing than usual, and it's just not quite right.  I wanted to capture how very different their eyes are.

Halloween!

In other news, why I should not trim hair:

It is not the end of September.

I refuse to believe another month has gone by without me noticing.


I love these boys so much.  Here they are, reading library books about their interests (pirates and dinosaurs) remaining wholly uninterested in outer space.  Not that I am trying to influence them or anything (note the pajamas and sheets).


I am fairly sure their ballet teacher is a saint.  Here they are, in their ballet clothes, that they added a little flair to.  For extra fabulousness.




I am still laughing as I look at these pictures.

Summer's last Hurrah!

We went on an overnight camping trip, canoeing down the Green River.  Here are a few pictures Joe took:


Floating down the current:

Odds and ends

We uploaded pictures from Joe's phone today, so here are a few that haven't been shared yet.

Back during birthday extravaganza, we went to Big Mike's Mystery House.  Here is a picture from that adventure:


The zoo here had an exhibit with animatronic dinosaurs.  You cannot tell from the picture, but the boys really enjoyed it.  They did not enjoy the picture.

Seeing Stars

Grammy and Poppy got new bedding for the boys.  Eliot kept commenting on how "lovely" they are, and James cried that I did not wash the sheets immediately, so there was a day long lag between them arriving and going on their beds.  I am a monster, I know.

The color is off in the picture of Eliot.  He was being a goof.

The stars, and background of the quilt are in fact navy.

James turns six!

Today James was intent on having a perfect day.  He started out opening presents (pirates, and a Tin-tin comic), which was followed by strawberry shortcake pancakes.  He then spent lots of time playing, until we went to get some celebratory pizza and ice-cream (James decided he preferred ice cream to cake this year).

Birthday Extravaganza

Instead of having a birthday party this year, we decided to take the boys on a weekend trip to Cave City.  While there we visited Mammoth Cave:


and hiked out to the river Styx:


We went to Dinosaur World (life sized fiberglass dinosaurs!  campy delight!)



We went through Big Mike's House of Mysteries (best 2$ we've ever spent), and James and I went horseback riding while Joe and Eliot visited Sand Cave.  We then went to KY Down Under, where we fed the Lories:

patted a Kangaroo:

and went through another cave:

In other news, the weather here has been bizarre.  I took this (unedited) picture of the sky the other night, telling Joe I was fairly sure we had entered Mordor.


Pictures of James' birthday celebration will be forthcoming!

Eliot turns four

He finds it a bit unbelievable.  I do too.


He is such a delightful kid.  Full of vigor and determination.  And silliness.

Happy Birthday, Eliot! (If you are wondering where his clothes are, he decided that since it was his birthday, he should wear his 'birthday suit'.  There is no disputing that logic.)

4th of July

Asheville camping trip

We had a wonderful time in Asheville this year!  Unfortunately, my friend Ellie had car problems, and at the last minute needed to stay home. (The woman had JUST moved, and med school re-starts next week, so her coming was a bit insane as it was.  We sure missed her though.)  Milli, John, and their 3 kids met us there, and we set up a pretty sweet campsite.  The weather was fantastic, excepting one 2 hour long downpour.  The menfolk had taken the boy children swimming when the rain started, so Milli and I were able to display our shelter building prowess.

hiking

chopping wood

covered in 'fire salt'

(The first time we built a fire Eliot got some smoke/ash in his eyes, and called it 'fire salt', which has now entered into our vernacular.)
pumping water

glowstick fun time!