Huh????

All day long I hear,

"Butchie, Butchie, Latimer, B" (the B is short for bug, because you know, after saying Butchie, Butchie Latimer, saying Bug is much too much.)

If anyone knows where my children picked this up, please let me know.

Slowing down

When the boys were young I made a conscious decision not to rush them through our days. As we walked the paths of our lives I wanted to enjoy and let them enjoy their own spontaneity. I wanted them to remember that we always stopped to smell the flowers. As they have gotten older we have gotten busier and I realized that we were rushing everywhere.

Today at the WAP we were walking the trails in the cactus garden we took a turn that led us to this dead end.



I wanted to immediately turn around so we could continue on our hike, but the boys had a different idea.

I'm not sure how long we sat here

We played in the dirt,



"fed the birds" (dirt)

Those little piles of dirt on the rocks are the "food" that Ryan and Evan left for the birds.

built a sandcastle (dirt), and

This was a sandcastle one moment and Half Dome the next.

wrote letters in the sand with our sand crayons



however long it was, it was long enough for me to compose this post, one letter at a time with my thumbs, using the note function in my not so smart phone.

We are still playing blissfully and I am still sitting not so blissfully on a hard rock. But I am so glad I put my own agenda in check and allowed this totally organic moment to occur.

More images from the holidays

New Year's Eve traditions continue...

During my childhood, I spent almost every New Year's Eve at my cousin's house. We would play games, eat tons of cookies, and food, and play. all. night. long. Some of my fondest memories come from those ultra late nights. (we'd go home in the very wee hours of the morning) For the last couple of years we've started the tradition with the boys, and my cousin's kids. It was a fun night watching the next generation of New Year's Eve-ers, although my boys were begging to go home to bed by 9:30 and we finally gave in and took them home at 10. Maybe next year.





This photo cracks me up, because it was the best, of about 30 pictures in the series. I am not exaggerating. In all of the other 29, SOMEONE was looking away, down, making a funny face, or blinking, and that was just Grammie and Poppa. (I kid) Getting 3 kids 5 and under to look and smile for the camera is quite a challenge. (Alison you are worth every penny)


Again, Auntie Shelley, will you please sit still?!?!? =)



And this is just in here because it was a cute moment and kind of reminds me of a sitcom from the late 60's, early 70's...anyone?, anyone?

Before I forget

I have to jot this down before the black hole that is my mind looses this gem from the holidays.

While in Lakeport with Scott's family, the boys were playing tennis with their cousin Madison. Each kid took turns hitting a ball.

First Madison, and George cheered, "Great Job, Madison"

Then Ryan, "Nice hit, Ryan"

Then Evan. (George was looking the other way)
Evan looks and him and says "Poppa, you have to give me words of encouragement."

I wasn't present, but after hearing George tell this story, and knowing my child, I feel like I was there.

George was at first dumbfounded by the remark, he has now recovered and has quite an anecdote to tell.