Elliott helping with scrambled eggs - the first time we let him go near the hot stove
Lorelei loves sitting in chairs, climbing into containers, etc.
fixing Elliott's somewhat obnoxious baby toy
Elliott LOVES helping
Mama!
Mike and Elliott randomly ended up in complimentary shirts, so I had to take their picture
trying to get Elliott to stay sitting
Lorelei loves poking people in the face
one more swing before we put it away for a while (I was sick of the safety risks, keeping Lorelei from getting knocked over)
Lorelei tries a lemon
and likes it! (so does Elliott)
Hmm, wet sand or wet dirt?
Elliott left the car open all night, and we had raccoon prints on the seat in the morning (darn animal even nibbled our mints!)
monkeying around
Lorelei can climb the stairs quickly, unassisted (there goes my summer of gardening while the kids play)
super pouty face
Elliott erasing his chalkboard
Elliott befriending a gypsy moth caterpillar
Lorelei worshipping a false idol (but oh so very cool!)
Yeah, ready to rumble!
"I could get used to this!"
trying to climb back in
for some reason, Lorelei decided it would be really funny to scoop of clods of sand and water and wing them at her head over and over again
she seriously just laughed and laughed! I think she did it once to express frustration (that is her sign for "I'm mad, something's not going my way", and realized it felt good, or something
Really Mom, it wasn't me!
This kid needs a bath!
(see a movie of her in action here)
we picked up the season's first strawberries at a local farm stand and made shortcake.. mmm!
mmm!
mmm!
mmm!
Elliott and Mike together sign "hippopotomus"
When did he start looking so grown up? Sigh!
the kids on bouncing mama ride
Lorelei seems to like all the toys Elliott really didn't play with much. Maybe being different, she'll be an easier preschooler. haha. Dream on, I know.
it's important that your tractor match your garden flowers.
Elliott offers me buttercups
Lorelei mounts the tractor for her daily inspection
Like a true gentleman, Elliott helps Lorelei with her flyaway hat
Finally after all these years, we are actually outside when the meter reader comes! He really does exist!
holding a buttercup under his chin
Babe on the loose
gypsy moth caterpillars abound (haven't seen a nest yet, but I'm kind of afraid to look)
Mike's all tied up
I attempted to get the hair out of her face with one of those elastic hair thingies, but it completely failed
a little young for the punk look
picking instruments for me to play for her
Elliott doing more swing gymnastics (this was the last day before I took it down)
Lorelei bringing a harmonica to Elliott to play (and he did!)
I just want to play my motor pickle...
Elliott, Bungee Cord Engineer (if he lives to four..)
teething smartie pants (she's showing me that she does not indeed have any bunny poop in her mouth - I suspected that she did - and I've unfortunately been right a few times before)
serenity
wee!
Elliott washes his hands many times a day, an endeavor that usually ends in mopping the floor and a complete wardrobe change!
Lorelei loves to get into her Bumbo, but still can't get out!
a spring visit to Orin's house.. the sandbox is perfect for one, ok for two, but a little iffy for three
Orin wanted to stick his feet in, and started a very wet trend
in spite of the 56 F water, Lorelei desperately wanted to take the plunge
she loved splashing
ok ok, maybe not that deep! brrr!
all containers must be conquered
Elliott ran over to the flowering trees in the mall to smell them. He said they smelled kind of old and plasticy. So disappointed.
the older kids enjoy fooling around in Scott and Sandi's old double stroller
Lorelei actually likes riding in the stroller (in spite of her bored look here)
the kids enjoy a merry-go-round ride at the end of our exhausting (for me) mall experience
Jasmine has the parade wave down pat!
