Time for a spot of tea

The great outdoors are a good location when you're using live ammunition, er...water.

Lollipop, Lollipop, Oh Lolli Lolli Lolli

When I saw these at Walmart it seemed like a fun thing.

  Strawberry Shortcake for the girl....

Blueberry for the boy...

Who knew you'd be so slobbery?  When the pools started in the kitchen outside we went. And for your information, it takes about 30 seconds of sugar before it hits Zoe. No. Kidding.

I was thinking about this. Sometime in the transition from winter to summer (no, there's no spring) we stopped having you wear bibs. It just happened. It was time. But now it just means the mess has transitioned to the floor. We could feed an army of ants, that is for sure. Usually it's the princess who makes the bigger mess. 

 Another thing about these pictures - this happens at the end of the day when I don't care so much about keeping you clean. Go for it. What the hay.

Forever is a long time

But it's very appropriate for a RSVP stamp on a wedding invitation! So that's a benefit of the post office not being able to nail down a price that would stay for more than a blink of an eye.

Shannon: your RSVP is on the way. :)

Saturday afternoons

are for washing the minivan with Daddy.

We've been talking a lot lately about relationships (Grandma is my Mom, Dave is my brother, Shannon is Daddy's sister) and when people's birthdays are (for some reason). They've got it down that Mommy's is in August, Daddy's is in June ("like a June bug") and theirs is in 'tember. Your dad also figured out a way to get you to 'move along' in the store when you see a toy you like. "Add it to your birthday list". And amazingly it works. For a short time, I am sure.

This morning we saw a picture of a white cat in the paper. I was telling Zoe it looked like Kneesa. I asked her if she remember Kneesa. She say "yeah". She said Kneesa was Wicket's mommy. No, I said. Kneesa was Wicket's brother. Without missing a beat Zoe said "He likes cars". Brother. Boy. Cars. A to the B to the C.  I had to remind her not ALL boys like cars. But I guess a lot of them do, so you'll be okay with that one, Zo.

You two! U2.

Thanks to a VERY generous Grandma Candy, your Dad and I got to go see U2 at TCF Stadium last week. I had said awhile back that this is one of the only concerts I'd pay big money to see. Well, apparently I was partially wrong on that one (thanks again, Candy!).

We sat right near the place the band came out, so we got to see them up close. Made me realize once again what a weird job they have. What a weird response we have (i.e. cheering at their very presence). I mean just walking in the room elicits a response.  I was right there with the rest of the crowd. Awesome show.

Supplemented by the rain.
Doesn't seem possible, but it made for an interesting experience. But your Dad told me to put the camera away or I'd regret it. Probably true, we got drenched.

And nice to see them again. And with your Dad.

The Joshua Tree tour in 1987 (24 years ago! Oy!) was my first concert experience. 7th row or so (thanks to my paid membership to the U2 fan club....yes, ardent fan was I). They still put on a good show. I still like their music. Good Times.

Farmer Roman

In the back 40 (square inches) we put in a few tomato plants. They were something like $1 at the Home Depot checkout in May and I said "what the heck". I don't really have a green thumb (or the ambition to weed). So I pretty much left them alone.
(Roman's looking at the picture above telling me "I'm in the jungle". So there, testament to my weeding abilities)

Holy cow, we've got cherry tomatoes! And you two like to help pick them. Zoe opted for a nap (good girl!), but Roman wasn't interested, so he came out and helped me. He is good at listening to direction (pick the pink and red ones) and Zoe, not so much.

 And it's a hot one!

Ok. Time to go back outside.

Not to be outdone...

  He reminds me of this guy.

Beautiful Girl?

Beautiful girl

You know sometimes when you take hundreds of shots, you get this one. No cropping, no fixing...just Zo. My girl!

One. More. Time.

BYF*

*Now with chlorine

If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck

Zoe told her first joke. Don't ask me what it was exactly, except Roman kept saying something and Zoe finally said something about the water spout (from the itsy bitsy spider). She was making a connection with what he said and made me laugh. Again, don't ask me what it was...

 And then tonight Roman did a similar thing. He and Zoe discovered a crack on the ceiling of the bathroom and were chatting about it. Dad came home from school  (almost done with the 1st class and looking like an A!) and they told him all about the crack. Daddy told Roman to tell me we needed a bigger tool to fix it.  Now we've got Roman on Daddy's team and I can TOTALLY see him being Daddy's little helper. He likes his "toos" (silent "l"). Z & R kept talking about the crack until Roman said "it's a duck". Quack crack.
Bring on the knock knock jokes (that is until you do and I cry "mercy!")

 I love your little minds and am amazed at how fast you are picking things up.

BYF indeed!

(Back Yard Fun)

Scattershot

A new tag - scattershot. For those photos I picked out as potential blog material but didn't include for whatever reason. And it probably means no words to go with it, kiddos.