I wan out of woom!

That was Luke's excuse tonight for his preschool family portrait. "I just wan out of woom fowr you Dad!" the final twist of the knife is that the dog made the cut...

The first day

Hard to believe we have a 3rd grader and 2nd graders.  It seems like just yesterday that they were just wee scroggins.

Noah, trying to pretend he didn't see his goofy Dad there with the camera.

Levi was anxious to get in there.  Probably more for the recess time than anything to do with class, but at least he still likes going to school.

The eldest, looking somewhat nervous.

We kept them in the same class again this year.  Seemed to work OK last year.  Their teacher this year is a twin, so she even put them in seats right next to each other.

Ella is in a different class than the boys (their school lumps grades 2-3 together.)  The kids were kind of dissappointed they weren't all going to be in the same class.

The big news of the year is that Luke started preschool.  Three hours away from home each day.  I think his mother was even more anxious about it than he was.

He seems to be handling it well so far.  Maybe even having fun.

Although when she picked him up today, he was singing "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, please don't take my mommy away."  But he also did say he was beginning to enjoy his new school.

Michigan, the land of milk and honey

Paige and the kids took off for Michigan in June for 7 weeks.

They love Michigan.  Paige gets to see her family, and the kids get to live the country life.  Lots of outdoors, adventures in the woods with Grandpa, mud, frogs, skunks.  Don't get much of that in Gilbert Arizona.

Rub a dub dub, five kids in a dump bucket.

Other than a sand pile, this might be Luke's favorite place... all you can eat berries.

Sophie, trying to sneak into Paige's bed.

"What Mom?"

Luke and Cousin Isaac, making some sort of dirt concoction.

Levi and Noah turned 7 while they were there.  Hard to believe they are 7 already.

Noah turning on the charm, for a very worthy purchase I might add.

Fishing is always a kid favorite.

As is frog hunting in the creek behind the house.

There is always a treat somewhere in Michigan to eat.

Lake Michigan, another summer favorite.

Digging up some long buried bones with Grandpa.  I think we finally decided it was a cow.

Grandpa built them a pretty cool treehouse.

And a wicked rope swing.

Always "farm" chores to do.

Another successful summer in Michigan!

Non-flammable? Challenge accepted!

In between rounds of Calvinball this summer, I did manage to squeeze in a trip to Utah to visit my buddy Bakker.

(An aside... the other morning Paige woke up claiming she had a nightmare. In this dream, I got Jonathan's name tatoo'd on myself.  She was horrified... but I briefly considered whether this sounded like a good idea or not.  Which I think only horrified her more.)

Anyways... after the usual stops...

Parking lot sleeping at the Flagstaff Little America...

Panoramic photo at whatever overlook this is...

The Pa(i)ge Arizona sign...

I made the drive to Salt Lake in one piece. We spent a few days doing what we always do... pretending we are little boys again. And now he is fortunate to have two boys of his own to pass these things on to. We showed them the pleasures of an open flame and molten glass...

Firearms...

Homemade smoke bombs...

Fireworks of the storebought kind. Also note that I am very jealous of the awesome shirt Bakker is wearing...

Tommy has obviously done this once or twice. He's got the word "more" down pat, and alternated between me and his father for near continuous fireworks.

Finally, there was the magical copper thermite powder. Maybe not the safest way to light the stuff (note open toed sandals and lack of safety eyewear.)

But it sure is pretty when it goes off!

Then it was back home again, and off to Michigan to catch up with the family a while later...

The grump and giblets

The other night, the whole family cleaned the house.  Well, mostly I think it was Mom and Dad cleaning, in between yelling at encouraging the kids to clean up the giant mess they made help the family.

Noah in particular was having a really rough time.  He had a serious grump going on.  So he got to clean the bathrooms with me.  After a half hearted wipe of the counter, I asked him if he thought it looked clean on not.

"Yes."

"Really?  You don't see the hair all over the counter?  Gross."

"They aren't my hair.  Why do I have to clean them?"

"I'll bet it is your hair.  Right off your chest!"

"Daaaaaaad, I don't have chest hair!"

"OK then... off your buns."

"Daaaaaaaaaaaaad, I don't have bun hair!"

"I know.  They fell right off your hairy grump!"

[Noah pulls open the front of his pants and peers down... there.]



"Nope.  Nothing there yet!"


Aye carrumba.  That was not what I meant.  But I guess we now have yet another name for it around here...

A few days before, while playing out in the backyard in sprinkers, Ella whips out this line...

Well, not the enchanted forest part, but definitely the giblets.

So two new names I guess...

Black and white

We were watching the Olympics the other day and women's volleyball was on.  All our kids were cheering for 'Merica, of course.  During a closeup shot of the 'Merican tean, Luke yells...

 "Oh no... wook!!! Two gorls fell down... a Arizonan and a Ethiopian!!!"

Needless to say, we were not playing Ethiopia, and I am not sure there were any Arizonans on the team.

(An aside... while watching one of the races, the 'Merican runner licked himself.  We decided that we were cheering for the Ethiopian instead in that race.)



Then a few days later, Luke and Sophie were sweating it out on the backyard swing.  After I got sick of the heat, I told them "c'mon cookies and cream, let's go inside where it's cool."

Luke says "Dats white! I am da cookie, and Sophie is da cweam!"

Mr. Cweam seems to have a few misunderstandings about the world.  But that's OK for now.

 

Rocky Point (the short version)

Just the highlights...

Paige caught a bird in the waves.  It didn't look so hot.

Little know fact... I have a serious bird phobia.  Hate the things.  They freak me out.  Completely unnatural creatures.  Plus they could peck your eyes out in a heartbeat.  Sophie apparently feels the same way I do.

Luke was in heaven with all that sand.

Sophie? Not so sure. I think she was refusing to follow us down the beach when I took this. She has this look very well practiced...

Cool looking moon.

Our rental house had a very small TV, a 3D version of Polar Express, and these fancy glasses. We were not impressed.

Ahhhh, twins. Sometimes it is like there is only one of them.

The tide was crazy high this year. Made it all the way to the steps of the house.

There isn't much point in trying to get them all to smile at the camera, because it just isn't going to happen.

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