Horton Held a Hobo

I literally have no idea if I've put these up yet. Some, maybe, all, no. It's a mix mash of a mashed mix. Enjoy . . . or else!

Here's Asher at our local library. They have a fish tank with port holes. 

Another of the kids roasting marshmallows on the grill. I have to admit, this little grill is like the perfect size. Everything we eat fits. Uses a quarter bag of charcoal each time. Grill four times a week and we're set.

Pictures from upstate NY. I want to print these out and show them to people up here who say they live on a lake. Can you see all the sides of your "lake?" Yes? Then it's a pond (yeah, I'm looking at you Lamoka).

This beer was well deserved. And tastey.

One day at breakfast Asher took his bowl of oatmeal and went to sit outside. And it's ok. That's cottage life.

Chilling on a chair swing at my moms, eating popsicles. 

Asher helping out.

And scaring away ghosts.

A good picture of Charlie's busted arm (these pictures are a few months old). This was during our three hour radiology wait.

Picking strawberries. I was hoping it would take a bit of time but the strawberries were so abundant (good word) that picking three pints took less than five minutes. The things were huge, too.

When we went back the strawberries were the size of blueberries and not nearly as abundant. The smiles were less big that day.

This is a multi-named turtle that lived in our yard for a week. He'd move between the back yard and the front. He literally scared Dianna on several occasions.

On the Waterline

Some nights, after grilling, when the coals are still hot we like to roast some marshmallows and make some s'mores. And I think they call them s'more because every time you have them you have to clean your kids s'more. Little know fact, the sticky melted sugary inside of a marshmallow is what keeps the engines on a plane. Think of that next time you fly.

Anyhoo, here are some pics. When the flash went off it looks like we were grilling in the dead of night. Well, we weren't . . . this time. You can see how bright it was outside with some of the non-flash pics.

Here are some pics that Charlie took. I don't know what Asher's doing in his first pic. Breaking something I assume.

Also:

Here's a comic I wrote and drew for my nephew Wyatt, for his birthday. If you click on them you should get a larger version to read. 

And, I think I've posted this before, but screw it, I'm posting it again.

Chipmunks

 Summer days. These are from earlier in the year. You can tell because we're outside and not locked in our house huddled around the air conditioner.

Asher had a grand time spraying, mainly himself, and running around.

Charlie and Asher playing on the swing set.

"Hey guys. Make a silly face."

Flex-Ka-Bibble

Charlie has gone to Little Zion (her preschool) for two years. Not too long in the whole scheme of things, but the time has been pretty significant. Making friends, zipping coats and learning phone numbers. One day Mrs. Rufleuth (pronounced Ruffle-ah) asked everyone what their phone numbers were. Well, we've worked on that with Charlie, along with our address and such. Anyway, when she got to Charlie my daughter said, "Well, Mrs Rufleuth, I'm still too young to own my own phone but my dad's is . . ."

I think that pretty much sums up my daughter in school. Whip smart, that one.

Here's a pic of Charlie and two of her school friends. This is, basically, how each day began and ended.

Shogun took Charlie to get her toes painted for her graduation. Quinn went but didn't get anything painted. Note the splint from where Dianna let Charlie break her arm.

Here's the class (and Asher who was basically the class mascot) on the last day. That's the pirate ship aka Noah's Ark. At this point the teachers even call it a pirate ship. YA Harrrrr!

At the graduation. Everyone from the 4's and 5's (Charlie was in the 5's) got to celebrate. First came the singing of songs. She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain (which is actually about Jesus - learned that from Neil Young on Fresh Air), I Had a Little Chicken, Take Me Out to the Ballgame all yelled to us by 30 pre-K kids. 

The front row.

Charlie walking and saying her name.

At the after party with her friends. There was all sorts of food there. Balloons, cake and a bouncy house.