St. Louis in August

Finally, I'm getting these photos posted! We had a WONDERFUL time in St. Louis with my side of the family. We did TONS of sight-seeing with the kids, and though it was hot, we enjoyed every minute! (It's a LONG post, and as friend Katie said, "Nothing like looking at other people's vacation photos." Too bad. So sad. Tough it out.)

Genie took us to the St. Louis Botanical Garden to see the Niki exhibit.

Note Nora looking in!

Nora dressed as a cardinal !

We also took the kids to the St. Louis Arch. I hadn't been in almost 20 years! I think Walter clearly enjoyed it the most, but all three kids had a great time!

I know this looks weird and superimposed, but this is a photo of the kids at the Arch! My camera was on the ground!

We visited the City Museum as well. This place is about as neat as it gets. My understanding is that most, if not all, of the materials used here are from the city. There are all sorts of interactive things to do and see. LOTS of crawling and climbing.

Alek and Nathan (middle and last) climbing above the museum.

I love this picture. Alek is on the left in the orange shirt. Nora is on the right in a pale lavendar outfit with her back to us. They were three stories up! Completely fearless. Can you imagine?

Nathan can!

Alek just starting down in a three story slide!

Clearly Ella and Walter LOVED the train ride. Poor Alek!

Actually, both "little kids" enjoyed it once it got going, but the crying pictures are more fun.

Let me be clear. 95% of the fun had by Alek and Nora was due to the fact that their selfless and fabulous cousins, Gloria, Nathan, and Alex, were willing to crawl, climb and run around with them! Alex should be in this picture, too!

We visited the St. Louis Zoo with Uncle Connie and Aunt Margaret!

Everyone on the train!

Penguin house was TOO COOL! Loved it.

Thanks to all for such a great time!!!!!!!!!!

Once Upon a Mattress

Today was Alek's thespian debut as "Sir Harold" in Once Upon a Mattress! This is a musical comedy version of "The Princess and the Pea." Alek has gone to a week-long summer drama camp. Today, the kids had two performances!

Alek had three lines. The second, seen below was, "What does that mean?"

This is a full company song! (Yes, there was singing and dancing, too!)
Here, we find out that the princess has passed the test, and Alek gets to say, "You've passed."
At the end, the princess has passed the test and gets to go to bed!

If I Were....

If I were VERY, VERY pregnant, would it be appropriately safe to take my four very young children into Galveston, get on an oldish boat with questionable railings, ride around the very polluted, murky, ominous, terrorist-target-friendly and dangerous port of Houston, and then drive home in rush hour traffic???????? I think I would go to play putt-putt golf or something instead. Some people think I am over-worrying about this. Some people think I'm silly. Some people think it's my fear of water that is at the heart of this. Some people would probably go on a helicopter ride in Banglaesh when they are 38 weeks pregnant and then ride an elephant into the mountains for a weekend camping trip with a group of 43 preschoolers and think that's fine and dandy. What do you think?

Sharon Sends Her Best and this photo...

Sharon has asked me to post this photo. Instead of a family dog, they have decided to adopt these two who keep hanging out near her house. This was taken in the backyard of her new Villa. She has named them Luca and Camille. (I am awesome.)

Another reason I should not be allowed to raise kids

So, while preparing to leave hotel on Sunday, Dave innocently said, "I'm going to get the "doo-ma-floppy." I knew he meant "thingamajiggy," or more specifically, "the luggage cart." The kids were very excited. A doomafloppy sounded so exciting! They wanted to go with daddy to get the doomafloppy. They rode it, hung upside down on it, and three days later, are still referring to it as a doomafloppy and asking why we all keep laughing.

C Family Reunion 2008

We went to a family reunion for Dave's side of the family today! The weather was incredible, and we all had a great time! Good food, new stuff for the kids to explore and experience, and fireflies to boot!

First look at the corn! We are all always worried that one of the kids will get lost in the corn, so I told mine that the corn fields were home to coyotes. None strayed into the fields!

Back in te hotel room with the "bahkini" as Nora called it!
Picking cucumbers and squash with Grandpa.
Alek was pretty darn good at volleyball! He can serve over the net!!
Absolutely determined to climb a tree.

In the hay loft with cousin Tammy!

Alek loved playing in the combine!

Walt watches a game of horse shoes with Grandpa. Walt offers Mommy an apple fresh off the ground near the apple tree!
Trying to cook fresh cucumbers and squash.

July Catch-Up

July has flown by, and I've not been keeping up with blog pics very well. Here are some pics from July to catch everyone up with the monkeys!

Sharing S'mores.

This has been the summer of Skylar. Nora and Skylar are the best of friends.

What other outfit would you choose to climb and play in when it's 97 degrees outside?

Lots of pool time.

Walt has been tented. The crib tent is back!

Talking to Granny on the phone - head wound is three days old here.

Walt is unhappy because Nora is taking a turn in the car.

Fourth of July.

Strawberries in a bowl on the counter.

Singing Monkey Number 2

Annika...

For Annika - We miss you!

Guessing Game Results

No one, as I predicted was able to identify Alek's wound. This is what happens when you play tug of war with a jumprope. The jumprope has plastic hollow handles. Alek said to Zachary, "Whoever falls down first wins." Zachary promptly let go of his end and fell down. Alek pulled his end smack into his forehead.

My Karmic payback for this little game is that last night Alek got hit in the head with a metal baseball bat. It was REALLY scary. The injury was grotesque - the kind of bump you see on Tom and Jerry - not a goose egg, but a greenish purple stalk shooting out of his head. We went to the ER where he had a CAT scan. It was negative. He never lost consciousness, vomited, or lost lucidity. He barely cried at all - except when I saw the wound and inappropriately freaked. He seems fine. Doc believes all is fine. It was a scary night. I think I'll refrain from posting photos of it.

C'mon, Take a Guess

Alek and I challenge you to take a guess as to the origin and circumstances of this, one very interesting wound. (And it's not related to the snaggle-toothiness of the young man.) What you are seeing is a slightly scabbed perfect circle. It happened yesterday. I don't know what the winner gets because there is no way anyone will guess. (AND CERTAIN PEOPLE WHO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE.)
Wrong guesses thus far:
Guess 1: He got hit, or ran into, a piece of pipe or conduit; or he had a suction cup dart on his head and pulled it off.
Guess 2: I think that he put a plastic bottle to his head and "suctioned" it on. When he tried to pull it off he tore some of the skin off.
Guess 3: Cigarette lighter from a car.
Guess 4: scooter handle, with the foam handlebar missing.
Guess 5: he fell asleep with a coin or bottle cap on his forehead and woke up with this cool circle impressed on his forehead???
Guess 6: Ringworm.

Nora's New Duds

In celebration of signing a sales contract on the house and as a reward for helping keep it neat and tidy, the kids got to pick out gifts at "Buy N Large." This is Nora's. She looked even better 15 minutes later strumming her guitar and wandering the street.