Camping

Fire intrigues from an early age

Chili rocks, under a starry sky

That favorite chair with TWO cup holders

All the fresh air can really knock a baby out...

Random pictures of baby

They don't call it SUPER for nothing, you've got to look your best at the market (notice the bow in particular...)

Peas and carrots, carrots and peas - lovign me ALL that stuff

What happened next

These ones were provided from the school as an update to parents this week, as you can see Lars has already picked a wife...

...and a business partner - this school is AMAZING

Lars' first day at school

Lonely business for a three year old, walking to school

A little bit pensive, or was that scheming...

...but when he hooks up with Jonah at the top of the steps it's all cool!

Now there are only two girls at the house on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

Sunday School 'ere we come

So, we're teaching 3-4 year Sunday School in Oct...

And to up the ante a little bit, the Presbyterian curriculum is dictating Deborah (Judges 4 -5).
- Yes, that is the one about female leadership that leads to total obliteration of the enemy forces (nine hundred iron chariots), and to fearless lady #2 driving a tent-pin through the temple of the enemy commander with a mallet.

Come one, come all, come over here kids, and let Uncle Torbjorn tell you a story...

Olympic spirit

Yesterday nearly broke the heat record (91F / 33C), so to cool fevered brows we unretired the wading pool. Lars was at a baseball game, but Cecilie and Talia jumped right in and got splashy with it.

Having done a number of "28 meter long jumps", Cecilie made the following proclamation: "Let's pretend we are at the Olympics, and that we are divers!" She proceeded with the the following shout, at the top of her lungs: "CANNONBAAAAAAAAAAALL!"

Let me assure you, there wasn't much water left in the pool, and the judges didn't hesitate to award a bouquet of 10s...

Lunch at the plaground

First day in school

This girl was so ready, she woke before the rooster crowed, got dressed and was ready to go by 7.00. (This photo is pre-bib, which she grabbed off Annika's chair to make sure she didn't get any breakfast on her uniform.)
Her school does this thing where all the kids line up in the yard prior to walking in to class on the first day...
Ms Sullivan helping those final nerves dissipate with a welcome smile and a gentle voice ...
Ethan, Cecilie and Hannah still a little pensive
Mommy & Lars cheering her on as she gears up to go in.

Meredith, Lizzie, Hannah, Cecilie and Ethan ready to march in
Some determined steps
Walking past the Headmaster, Mr Buck

Labor day weekend...

... means staying more out of the water than in the water at the pool...

...but most of all it means the State Fair, which is very exciting indeed

the trick is to see the animals first (this might very well be the state champion brown Holstein for all I know)

...but sooner or later the kids have had enough of cattle and we head for the inevitable

rides, they got to pick two each (not sure if we will get away with THAT next year...)

Guess who picked this one...;)

...and corn dogs...

The slide was Cecilie's choice

and let's just say she has a special gift - full concentration as she wins it by five lenghts, and then some

Another favorite is the pig races

...and here they come (the race was won by Barack ObHAMa...)

And the highlight! Swifty the swimming pot belly

but at the end of the day what excites these kids most are the wooden playstructures - no joke!

Loving the airbrush lady at IKEA

So, we got the scope on good treats to be had in College Park at IKEA. By a fair amount of good fortune we happened to figure out that Saturday lunch at IKEA means steeldrum music and airbrush face paint offered for free, couple that with some swedish meatballs and lingonberry jam and you are truly golden.

We a MESS. but we FUN

Saturday morning found us in the grip of Hurricane Hanna (um, make that a tropical storm that dumped 1" instead of the forecasted 9"). Cabin fever was forecasted at The Yellow House, so I dug out an idea from my youth and told the kids to go out and get as wet and muddy as they could. The coup de grace was that I would fill Daddy's wheelbarrow with hot water and they could warm up in there.

Daddy put the idea Over The Top, however, by taking the kids on a tour of the neighborhood in their wheelbarrow bath, and they stopped at the Steins and the Coopers so that our friends could marvel at their good fortune.

Meanwhile, back at the house, Mommy recuperated from the wheelbarrow filling efforts by documenting the shoddy housekeeping that allows for this kind of Creative Family Living. Above, you will note the breakfast dishes forlornly waiting for attention, and the week's laundry waiting to be folded. (Haven't you heard? Its the latest in fine home fashion, the Combination Dining/Laundry Family Table)

Here we have the kitchen sink, waiting eagerly for the breakfast dishes but bordered with um, yesterday's dishes. On the left side of the picture you'll note the clean dishes, waiting to be put away - in The Creative Family, dishes are merely ballast, weighing down our higher thoughts & artistic impulses. Through the windows you will note the raging storm, although no trees ripped out by their roots yet.