Critters

Working in the yard tonight, Paige spotted a young rabbit and with Tony's help, caught it. This is quite the event at our house. They all came running, squealing in excitement to ooh and aah over this cute little guy. Grace was not afraid (you never know how she'll react lately). She pet it gently and gave it a few kisses and picked up some leaves and held it out for him.



Of course, he didn't eat it, so she tried to coax him into it.
"Come on, open up, like this..."



The kids went crazy when he got away and they ran franticly around chasing the poor thing.



Jacob came running into the house yesterday morning yelling "Joe caught a snake!"
I never saw the snake but I'm told it was this big...



And this wide...



It must have been pretty creepy because they were scared to put their feet on the ground.

Trip to the Ice Cream Stand

Grace couldn't figure out why these flowers were so sticky.







Joshua and my SIL, Kathy. By looking at this picture, you would think he was her baby, with that nice, tan, Italian skin. You can definitely tell what side of the family he takes after.

The Creek

How fortunate we are to have this beautiful spot right across the street from our house. I love it down here. The road to get there is short enough that all the kids can make it and you don't get tired out, but long enough that it feels like we are getting away and you could count it for your daily workout.
It's also a GREAT place to bring the camera. I always come home with wonderful pictures. But when your models are this beautiful...









Our new family portrait



Courtney is so great with Grace. Especially when it has anything to do with water. She loves to bring her in (whether she wants to or not) and dip her feet in and swing her around. Grace is starting to get a little afraid of water so it's good for her. -Although, a little fear is a good thing.







Ok, Court, that's enough.



They played hard! Grace is beat. It's time to go home.

Game's on

just hangin around today

Catching some toads



Letting them suffer in the sun a little bit



Teasing Grace with it



Picking some dandilions



And... eating them

Sunday nap

He's adorable, isn't he?


And the baby's pretty cute, too.

Bobo

An old nickname that came from a book about a monkey named Bobo that was looking for a hug. When he found his mother, he cried "Mama!" and she cried back, "Bobo!". Jacob loved this book, and we read these lines enthusiastically.
He would surprise me throughout the day with a huge hug and a "Mama!" and I would return with a bigger hug and a "Bobo!"

Grace has trouble with Jacob's name. So she just calls him Joe. So the girls started the nickname up again because it's easy for her to say.
And he doesn't seem to mind. It's better than being called Joe.





While working through some math problems the other day, a question was raised.
"How do you make a kiloliter into a liter?"
Jacob answered from across the room, "You just take the K off."
___________________________________________________________
Jacob - "You have 7 kids in this family but you didn't born one of them. Know who it is?" (Holding a stuffed monkey, named Bobo of course, behind his back)
Me - "Um, let me guess, Bobo?"
Joe - "Nobody borned Bobo."
Jacob - "Yeah, somebody borned him. A monkey borned Bobo.
Then somebody shot him.
Then they took the meat out of him.
Then they stuffed him with fluffing.
Then they sewed him back up.
(long pause, in deep thought)
...is that how they make toys?"

If it was, we would have a lot less stuffed animals in this house.