I’ve read many times in early childhood books about messy painting projects that involve enormous pieces of paper and tossing objects dipped in paint at them.  I’ve always meant to do that with the kidlets, but when I saw the idea of using those terrible little textured balls that are…

I have lots of pictures to share from this evening and I’ll do that soon, but let me just say that Squirmy was in his element at the sandy beach.  There were wide open spaces to explore, sand to move around and toss into the air, and lots of commotion…

Last evening we zipped up to a different beach than we usually frequent.  It was calm, peaceful and lovely until the kidlets got there to disturb the peace.  While they were traipsing around in circles loudly pretending to be zombies (no, I have no idea why . . . and…

These were taken more than a week ago now, but I haven’t taken time to share them.  I love so many little details in these images:  the wet pants legs on Dr. Peds (he came from work and was still on call), the change in Mr. SP’s posture between the…

This July I am loving: Squirmy’s squishy baby cheeks that I know will soon disappear slowly over time.  They happen to be the only squishy, pudgy part of his body.  He’s such a lanky thing.  But aren’t those cheeks round and full and lovely in every way? The Banana’s incredible…

This afternoon The Banana and I were reading a book.  In fact, it was one of the Mercy Watson books by Kate DiCamillo.  Mercy Watson is funny, and The Banana loves reading about that porcine wonder.  At one point I stopped and asked her a couple intuitive questions about the…

Today I went to a funeral, a funeral that was a joyous and touching celebration of an amazing life, well lived by a very real person.  I wore my fancy necklace.  When I came home, The Banana snuggled up next to me and touched the necklace and said, “When this…

Rocks!  Look at all these rocks!  I can pick up a rock!  I can pick up another rock!  Rock!  Here’s another rock!  And another!  And another!  And here’s a stick!  And another stick!  Why can’t I hold them all at once? The beach makes grouchy babies less grouchy.

Yesterday was the hottest day of the year so far.  At my house it was a blistering 92 degrees, complete with hot, soggy air that thickly settled everywhere, making every surface gooey and sticky.  Someone mentioned that it felt like you were wearing lipstick all over your body, which I…

YaYa and The Banana brought the play dishes outside and began making mud pies, mud soup and all sorts of pretend food creations from some dirt in a few unused flower pots, a bit of sand from the sandbox, along with weeds, “bananas” from the caragana bushes, and some dead…