28 Years-You Made It!

Eric is now only my junior by two years again! He's wonderful. I love him.

The following aren't the best quality, but I like them anyway.
First we have Tate with a Wii controller because Eric was playing his new birthday game. I just like how he runs around in his undies with the Ernie backback and that hair. I'm trying not to cut it until after Halloween, for the costume's sake, but it's starting to drive me crazy. We'll see if we last.

Avery is our mover and shaker. Climbing to the steering wheel. Insisting on grown-up food, like spaghetti here. Tate could learn a thing or two from her eating habits-like eat dinner. But he'll come around. When he's 20. Whatever.

I guess I haven't posted in a while because I've been busy teaching my children to be piano virtuosos. Here's the proof. kind of.

Labor Day 2010

We all wish we were a part of this motley crew!

We also wish that I had a tape recorder on me for this scene above. I just remember that Wes was the leader and the instructions to Jonas were that he is an Avatar. Jonas was upset because "I want to be an Avatar that turns into a dragon!"
"No," Wes responded, "you are just a plain Avatar and if you don't do that then you might as well not play."
Or something like that. It was very intense.

Summer is ending.

Doesn't it look like his arm is missing? Aaaaahhhh!

Hopefully someday, they will play together well.

I snapped this shot because it looks like I curled her bangs like I did mine in 6th grade.

This is how Tate eats zucchini (disguised in chocolate cake).

Aves is 10 months old and sometimes army crawls, sometimes regular crawls, but really prefers to be spotted around like this. I coached Eric's cheesy grin.

She's also an avid reader, but I won't let her read "The Hunger Games" yet.

She wore this bonnet to church and my favorite comment was a friend wishing she could get away with wearing a bonnet.

We just returned from three days in Pendleton to watch Grandma, who now resides with ma. She's doing well. Teresa is a HUGE help and was there when grandma, Tate, and Avery all seemed to need attention at once. Diane was there before I arrived and bakes some AMAZING food so I didn't even have to turn on the oven! Grandma appreciates her food, too. She ate really well.

When mom arrived yesterday afternoon, she stayed with Avery so Tate and I could enjoy one of our final days at the pool this summer. He's getting more brave about blowing bubbles, heading into deeper water with me, kicking a little, and sometimes getting his face wet. We took Aves last weekend and she pretty much wants the slide over and over and over...and you get the picture.

When we returned from the pool, we didn't stay long. Tate was insistant on ramming into fragile grandma. At one point she stood up from the couch and he pushed her back into it. I couldn't get him into the car fast enough, but surprisingly, he didn't sleep the entire trip back. At least he did all night, so I won't complain. Also, he's been doing good with his potty training. Huge sigh of relief!!

As my gift to me, I picked up the book, "The Hunger Games", from the library and read late into the night and let Tate watch cartoons ALL morning while I finished it. It's disturbing, but good. I at least have to read the second one. I hear number three is more greusome, so I've been advised just to skim it.

And now, more tv for Tate while I get some garden tending and laundry and housecleaning and baby care completed. Now that I've said it, I feel guilty, so maybe I'll let him clean with me =) Actually, both kids are a little sick, so he's supposed to sit and be lazy all day, right?

Goings-On

Tate's been working on his faces- angry, sad, happy, and surprised. I'm trying to get him to do it so I can take pictures and then make a feelings book. You know, a feelings book to teach him about emotions, but first I'm teaching him to do the faces so I can make the book to teach him with. Do you see the weird cycle we're in here? Lots of times, he just "roars" (above).
I was born blonde, and am now a burnette (naturally). However, sometimes the blonde in me sneaks back. Like when I bathe my grandmother in her late 90's and see a reflection in the faucet and for a split second think, "Woah! I've let myself go!". Then I quickly remember that that's not my reflection. Quickly, mind you.

Or when I am listening to my new itunes playlist (thanks for the b-day gift in-laws!), and when a new song comes on I think, "This station just keeps playing my favorites!". Again, that was only a quick thought. =)

Thankfully, Avery is a burnette and didn't inherit my blonde genes. She's such a smarty-pants, I just know it! She's also a thrill seeker, unlike me. She loves ma's roller coaster (above). She stands up and rocks back and forth, which appears that she's trying to make it pick up the speed.
This was her first taste of ice-cream at a mini-Olympics we attended for Tate. He didn't like the lines and had a hard time leaving the b-ball hoop, and the cookies were divine!! That's all I remember from that. It was a few weeks ago and my memory is always weak. But my food memory is always strong.
This is some of my zuchinni. I am the only one eating the veggies from my first-time garden. I hope to improve my gardening skills every year. Our weeds are out of control, but these zuchinni don't mind. I neglected to pick some one day and when I went out there yesterday, this giant one had grown. I haven't tried it yet, but I hear the young smaller ones taste better, so I'll just puree it and sneak it into stuff so the fam won't let-on. I took some of our excess vegetables to church yesterday for people to take, but I kept this biggie. I was afraid that they would judge me, "Did you see how big it was? Everybody knows the little ones are the best. Gahstly!"

I've been enjoying playing dress-up with Avery. Especially for church. This dress has toille!!
But she looks awesome in the buff, too =)

I call this photo "the Early Bird". Tate picked out this car wash toy at Toys R Us the previous day. He looked pretty cute toting it to the cash register because it was nearly as tall as him. But Avery likes it, too, and was first up this morning so she had it all to herself without him pushing her out of the way.

Grams

We sure love having so much family around us. I always felt a little jealous of my cousins who grew up together in Tri-Cities. So, now we're here, and although many cousins have moved away, we still get to be with a lot of family and I love it.

Almost every time we pull out of the driveway, Tate says "Bye bye Brandon!" We wish cousin Brandon was planning on living next door for more than a month. Although sometimes I get annoyed with the repeated cries for Brandon =)

Tate loves going to visit Grandma Great and Uncle Dave and Aunt Sandra a few houses down. It might have something to do with their collection of toys. Lately he enjoys getting out all the little cars and lining them up just right.

We're really getting comfortable with each other. Last week Grandma let out some gas and Tate said, "Good job! Poop?" It must be a potty training thing =) (Grandma is nearing 100 years old, so it's okay for me to share about her gas, right?)

Sometimes I help Grandma get ready for the day or for bed and Tate likes to follow us around a bit. He likes to be a helper (even though we're often just tripping over him). He also likes to be her cheerleader. There's a lot of "Good job!"s as she gets ready.

Grandma is obviously older and the mind goes, but she's always so sweet to me. She thanks me for helping her and smiles a lot and loves my kids and tells me she loves me. Even though she doesn't even know who I am sometimes. I think that really speaks to the kind of life she's lead. Such a good and wonderful lady.

Finally, I know what you're thinking after looking at that picture, and no, we do not put rubber bands on Avery's arms. One of the little girls at church asked me that on Sunday.

Edit add-on: Okay, I have to add here what grandma said to me tonight, "Oh you're the tall slender one. You're so beautiful." You see, this is why I like to go to her house =)

Just like her father...

Aves has been cracking me up with this face she pulls. She squints her eyes like that until I laugh.

Tate is in week 3 of potty training. He hates washing his hands, but has recently taken more interest in brushing his teeth. "Bruch!" has become his common plea. Today I bribed him to wash his hands by promising he could brush his teeth afterwards. It was one of those, "hmmm, never thought that would happen", moments.

I told you

Nothing cuter than baby suits =)