Plant Life

This weekend's adventure was... the Arboretum!

Which we explored with my brother's family!

Who, incidentally, just got a new pup, a chihuahua/dachshund mix. Who's itty bitty and incredibly soft and cuddly.

And hid in a purse the whole trip.

Sean and I are smitten.

The kiddos struck a pose for me.

So did my family... but in a less dramatic way.

I was there too!

Ok, onto the non-human subject matter.

Being this early in the year, they hadn't planted anything new, so there was a bit of leftover decay.

But there's a certain beauty in decay, is there not?

And it also reveals the freak-show side of plant life, like this medusa tree thing.

Still, there was plenty of beautiful greenery.

Plus there were the lovely manmade items, like a little maze, birdhouses, fountains, and wind chimes.

Which reminded me that I'm so glad the neighbor's wind chimes mysteriously disappeared. I swear I had nothing to do with it. I swear.

Let's not talk about that anymore- look, a leaf!

Hey, there ARE some flowers!

Can anyone spot something interesting in this photo? No, not the lady bug. Look right smack dab into the center of the photo.

I have no idea how my niece spotted this. I'm impressed.

Very... purpley!

Very... greeny!

Mm, so many petals.

Water: it's the ...bread... of life.

Something like that.

A weed never looked so good.

Liam provided entertainment by grabbing a little bamboo shoot and twanging it around. Dash giggled and giggled.

Dash entertained us with his faces.

Well, he entertained everyone except his brother:

I at least thought it was funny.

Computational

Many moons ago, we replaced my computer. It was a frustrating machine.

Liam and Dash love the computer and want to have a go at it anytime it's around. But I don't really want them whacking at the keys, changing who knows what kind of settings on my new computer. (Liam once flipped the image on my screen to display upside-down. I didn't even know you could do that!)

Being the brilliant woman I am, I hauled over the ol' lappy and let them have at it.

Liam's skeptical. What, you're not going to take it away?

Dash, on the other hand, just gleefully plays with this lovely new toy.

Until I took it away. You see, we discovered that the keys can pop off. Tasty bite-sized treats on which baby may choke. Whoops.

So we're back to whacking the new computer while I rhythmically depress the Escape button to prevent too much damage.

What's that? Keep them away from the computer completely? Well there's an idea...

Christine and the Boys

This post is long overdue! Sorry Hamakers!

Little Miss Christine came for a visit the other day and caught the eyes of Dash and Liam. Here's Christine demonstrating the various stages of a budding relationship.

We first see sweet Christine attempting to woo her suitor with her dulcet tones.

Not receiving her expected praise, she fears her charms have only earned her embarrassment.

So Christine plays hard to get.

Success- Dash is hooked. Now she looks to dad for approval.

And they go in for the kiss.

But lo, what's this? Another suitor!

As they both clamor for her attention, Christine must make a decision. She must ask herself: Where does my heart lie?

But as Liam takes her blanket and Dash plays with her frog, she come to a shocking realization...

They were only using her for her toys! Gasp!

As Christine recovers from her heartache, Liam and Dash's mother teaches them how to properly treat a lady.

Grateful

Of late, I've been thinking about how very fortunate I am to have the incredible family that I have.

I'm grateful that Liam and Dash are so healthy and have been all the way through.

I'm grateful that I can stay home to care for them.

I'm grateful Liam has such an exploratory nature.

I'm grateful Dash can be so quietly observant.

I'm grateful that their little bodies work just right (including an ear to catch Dash's fall!).

I'm grateful that Liam and Dash already have such a great bond.

I'm so grateful for their incredible sweetness, how they'll just snuggle up into my neck.

I'm grateful for their inquisitiveness, always looking for something new to explore.

I'm grateful that they're learning to sit, stand, walk, talk, etc. so well!

I'm grateful that they're not utterly fearless. That gives me a little peace of mind.

I'm grateful I'm a mom. That I'm here to care for them and love them. But also that they're not so utterly dependent on me that I can do nothing else. We're in a great balance.

I'm grateful for their playful attitudes.

I'm grateful for a husband who always has a watchful eye on his kids.

I'm grateful that Sean would rather be with his family than anywhere else.

I'm grateful for Liam, who brings me joy.

I'm grateful for Dash, who brings me joy.

My family, the blessings never cease.