The Green Giant

Dash is our "divergent thinker". I gave him fingerpaint and paper.

This was the result:

Money see, monkey do:

Berry Picking

For Posterity's Sake

Incredibaby took his first steps today!

But he is still very much my little baby! No rush, little buddy! You can stay little and ride on mama as long as you'd like!

Priorities

Incredibaby has been ramping up his communication skills recently...he's got all the really important stuff down: Waving bye-bye, blowing kisses, signing milk and, the most recent addition to his repetiore, signing touchdown.

Whew, just in time. It's almost the pre-pre-season or spring training or whatever it's called when people start to talk incessantly about the impending football season...

Overachiever

At 10 months, Incredibaby is most definitely a climber.

Ladies, Eat Your Hearts Out

Jersey circa 1977

First Fish!

It's been a big week for Dash...first book and first fish (actually, they caught 6 perch)!

Dash asked Daddy to stop making the fish flip-flop, then declared "This is the bestest day ever!"

Summer's Here!

First Strawberry:
Pool Time:

Be Still My Heart!

Dash read his first book yesterday! We are so, so very excited and proud of him.

He was trying to sound out the words as we read a book together, so I asked him if he would like to try to read a special little boy book by himself (we have done no formal phonics instruction...in retrospect I probably shouldn't have done this knowing how he becomes frustrated if he can't succeed). I pulled out a BOB Book that we had stashed for just such an occasion (though I certainly did not expect it to be so soon!) He read through Mat and halfway through Sam until we were interrupted by the return of Mr. Incredible and Jack-Jack.

If he likes to read half as much as his Mommy and Daddy, we will keep going through books like water around here!

Summer Haircuts

Future Golfer

In case Incredibaby makes it on the PGA tour one day, I can show him how he got started:

Mudding

It's exactly what it sounds like.

What's better than an afternoon squelching around mud puddles?




Even the babe wanted to go into the mud:



Making a splash:

Incrediboys

Gardening Notes

We are taking a big step forward in our family gardening efforts this year. We had limited success last year with our raised bed due, mostly, to the rabbits.

I love Peter Rabbit more than most, but I feel a deep sympathy with Mr. MacGregor at the moment.

After consulting with several gardeners in the area, we determined that a physical barrier would be the only way to keep them at bay. Mr. Incredible did a fantastic job rigging up a rabbit fence. I have read up on organic gardening in Texas and went to a class hosted by our local garden club.

Last weekend we got to work and now have a large in-ground garden. We will be planting: corn, carrots, green beans, peas, strawberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, tons of herbs, blueberries, squash and anything else that sounds good! Part of the fun this year will be seeing what grows well, without the intervention of rabbits.

The boys love to check on our flowers and garden each day and can note even the most minute changes.