Jess with her camp horse Kim, 1995
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
It's John, AKA the Gimp here, taking over blog duties for the near future.
House photos so you can vote on trim color
Jess and the kids went on a wildlife watching boat ride on Lake Osoyoos recently.
Juan and ML on the "party boat."
ML takes a seat.
"Spice Girls 2008" audition.
"You're gonna need a bigger boat. "
ML's first painting with a brush (currently on ebay)
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Juan's Oroville Birthday and Cherry Drop
I'm not entirely sure that Juan is a team-sports guy. It's early, of course, so say for certain, that's just my feeling at this point. Actually, Polly said that quite awhile ago of Juan and at the time I thought it was totally premature. Now, of course, I see the insight. Of course some, like my dad, will say that just-turned-four year old is too young for T-ball. I see this point, and agree to some extent. That said, there are 4 year old on the team who are totally into it. Juan is wack-o out there. He's lying down on the field, running all over, he does this really weird thing when he's at bat when both John and I know he loves to hit the ball when we're in our backyard. It's interesting, deciphering this whole thing (not that I can, but I'm trying). He's a very focused student at school from what I've seen and heard. He loved swimming and skiing, I mean REALLY loves them. Still, when he got bored at swimming, he was certainly wild (seriously, his Murray Callan antics were on the legendary side I think). So. . .maybe it's not about team sports and more about his needing something to keep his attention. Or. . .maybe that's why some personalities prefer individual sports, because it's always challenging and you're always playing. Team sports are really a social activity for Juan, and that's ok. In my opinion, that's why it's ok for a 4 year old to play T-ball--because he has fun.
On a Mary Lu note, she is a tiny American Gladiator. I mean, she is seriously strong and athletic. I've decided that she has a golden combination of athleticism and fearlessness. She is one of those girls that used to do Cherry Drops on the playground, off the high bar, over the asphalt. While little girls like me just endlessly did the one leg over the bar, with hands, spinning around and around, no dismount. Yep, she's a Cherry Drop girl for sure. Case in point, while at Juan's T-Ball game yesterday, she kept climbing up the back of the backstop and turning herself completely upside down. There is a metal bar at about shoulder level on her, she would grab onto it, crawl with her feet up the back of the backstop until her body was completely upside down, then crane her neck back to look straight down at the ground. She did this over and over. She would hang there for awhile, grinning like crazy, then crawl with her feet back down. She didn't fall or even lose her grip once. Other new things for Mary Lu right now: we turned her car seat around, she drinks without a lid, she runs everywhere (this isn't totally new), she has been singing a lot, loudly of course.
Here are some photos of Juan's birthday here, planting our garden, T-ball, etc.
Decorating cupcakes
Mary Lu playing with Isaac
Gracie helps Mary Lu down a step
Juan brandishing his bubble wand
Mary Lu and Ellie (I love this photo).
Ellie loves to take care of Mary Lu and Mary
Lu thinks Ellie is the coolest person ever.
Juan prepares to blow. . .
. . .then starts taking the candles off and "pretending that
they're matches and playing with fire." No idea where this
came from--life right now for all of us is a lot of this type of
scenario.
Planting the garden.
Planting pumpkin seeds. Juan is really
excited about these.
Proof that Mary Lu is not, in fact, always in a good
mood as some believe. Here she is hot and tired.
We put the garden in on a really hot day.
Appealing to a higher power.
Reading. Like Juan, she loves to "read." She flips
through books and magazines and reads aloud.
Mary Lu planting seeds.
John changed his schedule so he's been able to come
to games and practice lately.
On this day, Juan decided that it would spice the game up
a bit if he chased the runners home from his third base
position. He did this with every runner; it cracked me up.
Watching Oroville's Centennial Parade
Juan and John on the co-op's parade "float"
On a Mary Lu note, she is a tiny American Gladiator. I mean, she is seriously strong and athletic. I've decided that she has a golden combination of athleticism and fearlessness. She is one of those girls that used to do Cherry Drops on the playground, off the high bar, over the asphalt. While little girls like me just endlessly did the one leg over the bar, with hands, spinning around and around, no dismount. Yep, she's a Cherry Drop girl for sure. Case in point, while at Juan's T-Ball game yesterday, she kept climbing up the back of the backstop and turning herself completely upside down. There is a metal bar at about shoulder level on her, she would grab onto it, crawl with her feet up the back of the backstop until her body was completely upside down, then crane her neck back to look straight down at the ground. She did this over and over. She would hang there for awhile, grinning like crazy, then crawl with her feet back down. She didn't fall or even lose her grip once. Other new things for Mary Lu right now: we turned her car seat around, she drinks without a lid, she runs everywhere (this isn't totally new), she has been singing a lot, loudly of course.
Here are some photos of Juan's birthday here, planting our garden, T-ball, etc.
Decorating cupcakes
Mary Lu playing with Isaac
Gracie helps Mary Lu down a step
Juan brandishing his bubble wand
Mary Lu and Ellie (I love this photo).
Ellie loves to take care of Mary Lu and Mary
Lu thinks Ellie is the coolest person ever.
Juan prepares to blow. . .
. . .then starts taking the candles off and "pretending that
they're matches and playing with fire." No idea where this
came from--life right now for all of us is a lot of this type of
scenario.
Planting the garden.
Planting pumpkin seeds. Juan is really
excited about these.
Proof that Mary Lu is not, in fact, always in a good
mood as some believe. Here she is hot and tired.
We put the garden in on a really hot day.
Appealing to a higher power.
Reading. Like Juan, she loves to "read." She flips
through books and magazines and reads aloud.
Mary Lu planting seeds.
John changed his schedule so he's been able to come
to games and practice lately.
On this day, Juan decided that it would spice the game up
a bit if he chased the runners home from his third base
position. He did this with every runner; it cracked me up.
Watching Oroville's Centennial Parade
Juan and John on the co-op's parade "float"
Saturday, May 17, 2008
May Oregon Trip
Juan, Mary Lu, and I made another trip to visit friends and family in Oregon. We were there
for Juan's 4th birthday which was so great because he could spend it with family (although he missed John). We had a great time with Grandma Ruthy for a entire day at the Oregon coast.
Juan, Mary Lu, and I spent the afternoon of Juan's birth day with Uncle Zach at Enchanted Forest and we had a great time. The kids love spending time with him SO much. Mary Lu gets all excited when we look at his photo on the computer, "Uncle Zach, Uncle Zach"!
My mom and dad jointly spent the day with Juan and Mary Lu for most of a day while I went to visit friends. This was a big first for Mary Lu and she did great (as did the grandparents). The kids had such a great day with them, I love that they get to do this now that we're closer to family. My dear friend Jenn gave birth to her baby, Leisl, while I was visiting Oregon and so I was able to meet and hold the little beauty.
I've (or, I should say, John has) nearly all the the glitches that torment me worked out of the blog. These photos are somewhat out of order but I think I've figured out how to change that for next time. I'm very attached to getting a blog soundtrack up but we're still working on that.
Things are good up here, it's time for bed, here are the photos!
At Grandpa Randy and Uncle Zach's house.
I'm prepared to pay a hefty sum to the photographer
who can get my dad to look at the camera. Still, it's
nice to have a family photo.
Mary Lu will hang for a remarkably long time
from this bar (without anyone holding on to her).
She asks to do it again and again.
At Grandma Ruthy's
Running outside on Grandma Eleanor's farm in Silverton
Juan tries some pull-ups
Mary Lu feeding dad and Zach's dog, Zoey.
More pull-ups
Jenn and Brian's new baby, Leisl. You can't see
here, but she has a tiny little curl in the middle
of her forehead. How cute is she?!
Outside with Great-Grandma Eleanor
Mary Lu telling me about the water in the bird
bath.
Juan explaining something of import to grandma
Down the slide at Enchanted Forest. Juan and Mary
Lu love it here, and I still do, too! I love how very
little has changed. It still has this wonderful, ethereal
vibe that at times is just a little bit spooky. It's
awesome.
Juan on his actual birth day.
Jenn and Leisl.
Rides at Enchanted Forest. One glitch I'm still
having trouble with on the blog is getting the photos
in order, obviously.
Juan running through the English Village.
Mary and Lu and Uncle Zach thinking about exploring.
Juan goes down the slide in the Western Town.
Uncle Zach goes too.
Mary Lu didn't feel well at all for our big trip
to the Oregon Coast Aquarium, but she was up
for everything. Especially this very chilly stop
at the beach.
Juan and Grandma Ruthy head for the waves.
It was hard to get a shot of Mary Lu looking up.
She spent nearly every minute digging her
hands under the sand intently.
Juan at the touching pool at the aquarium. He touches
urchins, starfish (I mean sea stars, did you know they
have been renamed?), and anemones. He was not into
touching the sea cucumbers, but I can respect that. They
both loved the touching pool so we didn't get many photos
because we were too busy!
Well, here are more beach photos. I just figured out
how to move them around but now I am too tired.
At the aquarium
These were really cool. They're like little, leggy
jellyfish. I can't remember what they're called.
Mary Lu spies a bird
In the aviary. There were lots of puffins--I thought
I put a puffin photo on here. . .
Leopard shark. This was in one of the 3 or 4 tunnel
aquariums. Pretty cool.
Juan's birthday party. This was Juan's first real
family birthday party and he was so excited about it.
The fam.
As it turns out, there is a lot of assembly involved
after you turn four.
Zach "flying" Juan with the balloons
Cousin Cash
Mary Lu and Great-Grandma Eleanor
Friend of the family, Maddox helps Mary Lu with her balloon. Maddox
was awesome with Juan and Mary Lu! What a great guy to have around!
for Juan's 4th birthday which was so great because he could spend it with family (although he missed John). We had a great time with Grandma Ruthy for a entire day at the Oregon coast.
Juan, Mary Lu, and I spent the afternoon of Juan's birth day with Uncle Zach at Enchanted Forest and we had a great time. The kids love spending time with him SO much. Mary Lu gets all excited when we look at his photo on the computer, "Uncle Zach, Uncle Zach"!
My mom and dad jointly spent the day with Juan and Mary Lu for most of a day while I went to visit friends. This was a big first for Mary Lu and she did great (as did the grandparents). The kids had such a great day with them, I love that they get to do this now that we're closer to family. My dear friend Jenn gave birth to her baby, Leisl, while I was visiting Oregon and so I was able to meet and hold the little beauty.
I've (or, I should say, John has) nearly all the the glitches that torment me worked out of the blog. These photos are somewhat out of order but I think I've figured out how to change that for next time. I'm very attached to getting a blog soundtrack up but we're still working on that.
Things are good up here, it's time for bed, here are the photos!
At Grandpa Randy and Uncle Zach's house.
I'm prepared to pay a hefty sum to the photographer
who can get my dad to look at the camera. Still, it's
nice to have a family photo.
Mary Lu will hang for a remarkably long time
from this bar (without anyone holding on to her).
She asks to do it again and again.
At Grandma Ruthy's
Running outside on Grandma Eleanor's farm in Silverton
Juan tries some pull-ups
Mary Lu feeding dad and Zach's dog, Zoey.
More pull-ups
Jenn and Brian's new baby, Leisl. You can't see
here, but she has a tiny little curl in the middle
of her forehead. How cute is she?!
Outside with Great-Grandma Eleanor
Mary Lu telling me about the water in the bird
bath.
Juan explaining something of import to grandma
Down the slide at Enchanted Forest. Juan and Mary
Lu love it here, and I still do, too! I love how very
little has changed. It still has this wonderful, ethereal
vibe that at times is just a little bit spooky. It's
awesome.
Juan on his actual birth day.
Jenn and Leisl.
Rides at Enchanted Forest. One glitch I'm still
having trouble with on the blog is getting the photos
in order, obviously.
Juan running through the English Village.
Mary and Lu and Uncle Zach thinking about exploring.
Juan goes down the slide in the Western Town.
Uncle Zach goes too.
Mary Lu didn't feel well at all for our big trip
to the Oregon Coast Aquarium, but she was up
for everything. Especially this very chilly stop
at the beach.
Juan and Grandma Ruthy head for the waves.
It was hard to get a shot of Mary Lu looking up.
She spent nearly every minute digging her
hands under the sand intently.
Juan at the touching pool at the aquarium. He touches
urchins, starfish (I mean sea stars, did you know they
have been renamed?), and anemones. He was not into
touching the sea cucumbers, but I can respect that. They
both loved the touching pool so we didn't get many photos
because we were too busy!
Well, here are more beach photos. I just figured out
how to move them around but now I am too tired.
At the aquarium
These were really cool. They're like little, leggy
jellyfish. I can't remember what they're called.
Mary Lu spies a bird
In the aviary. There were lots of puffins--I thought
I put a puffin photo on here. . .
Leopard shark. This was in one of the 3 or 4 tunnel
aquariums. Pretty cool.
Juan's birthday party. This was Juan's first real
family birthday party and he was so excited about it.
The fam.
As it turns out, there is a lot of assembly involved
after you turn four.
Zach "flying" Juan with the balloons
Cousin Cash
Mary Lu and Great-Grandma Eleanor
Friend of the family, Maddox helps Mary Lu with her balloon. Maddox
was awesome with Juan and Mary Lu! What a great guy to have around!
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