July 12, 2009

HOW IS IT THE MIDDLE OF JULY????? Whoa. Time goes by SO quickly!

Dad and Mom came over after church today. Dad is still working on the 2nd shop bay, and Mom helped me in the yard. Greg and Maisie went to Moses Lake to school to work on his room.

I found this lily when I was wandering around changing the water--it's kind of hiding behind the old willow stump. VERY pretty! :) Mom and I worked on the west Iris bed. Mom ripped out about a million weeds again (yes, this is the second time we've worked on this bed) and when we were finished I was able to plant the rest of the irises I got from Gramma's yard. There were about 6 left, and I also transplanted one that is going to be nearly homeless when we get to put our fence up.

So it was HOT all day. We were sweaty and gross! But tonight, the wind is WHIPPING!! I had to run outside in my jammies to rescue Maisie's pool (I emptied it today and then left it upside down on the lawn to dry) and her slip and slide! They had already made their way to the newly weeded flower bed!

July 11, 2009

Calvin is 6 months old! WOW this goes by so fast! I cannot believe we have a 4 year old and a 6 month old!

He's such a happy little camper. We've been enjoying squeals lately. He loves to make himself heard. He's just practicing--I've started working on sign language, but I have a feeling we're not going to need it. He screamed his little lungs out a couple of times today--hungry caterpillar! He had zucchini for dinner. Boiled and mashed. Yum. Ate every bite. :)

July 10, 2009

Maisie and Kristin, enjoying the sun in the pool. Even though it's small...all the kids played in the pool to cool off and had such fun!

July 9, 2009

Cousins EVERYWHERE!!!!!! Greg's family came over for the night--they arrived around noon today and the kids played HARD. They swam, and ran around and played with toys--they had a blast! This picture was taken pretty late, and Maisie was still awake! We put adults in Maisie's room and the playroom, and put all the kids in the living room on the floor. Gotta love sleeping bags! Maisie did sleep the whole night out there, and woke up running. She was sad to see them go. And exhausted. She slept on the living room floor again--nap style this time.

July 8, 2009

We had dinner at our house tonight--enjoyed our last evening with Martin before he heads off on his journey. Calvin was tuckered out already!!

July 7, 2009

Maisie and Calvin with Martin. Today was Martin's open house at Mom and Dad's--great turnout! Thanks everyone, for supporting our soldier and attending his send off party.

Maisie will miss him--the raspberry picking, the pea tossing, kitty chasing, flipball games, croquet, and the Eeek and Shriek! And that's just in two days!

July 6, 2009

Should have had my zoom lens with me today.

Maisie took to Martin right away! First she wanted to play football. Then they headed to Gogo's peas in her garden. Raspberries. Cats. Then we heard "CROQUET." "CROQUET!" Maisie was ready to set up the croquet set outside and play another game with Martin.

In this photo they are actually having a food fight. They were picking the over done peas from the garden and throwing them at each other. Martin said Maisie quickly learned the shot gun method is pretty effective. :)

July 5, 2009

Nana and Beeper surrounded by grandkids. :)

Jack and Kristin
Nana and Calvin, Beeper
Thomas, Maisie, Matthew

4th of July! 2009

Becker mini reunion in the Gig!

Dave and Charika and the kids got in on Friday night late, and Greg and I and the kids went over on Saturday morning. We got there around noon and the kids ran and jumped and yelled and played, made art with sidewalk chalk, and swam and did fireworks all day! It was a busy fun filled day! Maisie read a book on her own, and went to sleep by herself!! Whoop! Good girl!

Here Maisie and Thomas are working on the coloring portion of Thomas' name on the driveway. Nice work, kids!

July 3, 2009

Sweet potatoes anyone? Somebody was HUNGRY.

July 2, 2009

This is what happens to a Maisie girl when you play all day at the water park!

We visited the Quincy Aquatic Center for the first time today. They have 2 slides--but you have to be 48 inches tall to ride alone! So Maisie has to go down on the lap (how is that safer? she can SWIM, for heaven's sake!) of Mommy or Daddy. It was pretty fun, she also practiced floating, and did two assisted somersaults. We thought Greg was going to be blind for a few days until his new contacts come, since he lost his glasses on the slide the first time down! We searched (ok, I searched, since I was the only one who could SEE) for 1/2 hour before Greg thought to check lost and found--someone had already turned them in (but didn't notice us walking around glaring into the bottom of the pool?)!

And this is an unaltered photo that Greg took of Maisie with her first 4th of July Sparklers. Weird smile, but I guess that's what 4 year olds do.

July 1, 2009

And this is what happens when Mommy doesn't get the food to his mouth fast enough! Brother Bear has turned into the Hungry Little Caterpillar!!! He ate ALL morning! When this kid is hungry, he screams after he's done swallowing one bite until the next bite is on his lips!

This evening's meal was fresh zucchini (cooked!) from Gogo's garden, and bananas and peaches. But it took too long to cook! And so Calvin was OBVIOUSLY starving between bites, even. Whoa.

June 30, 2009

More tummy time for Calvin. That is ALMOST a smile! We have been hearing some really great belly laughs lately.

While I shopped for a wedding gift at Macy's last week, Greg tried to entertain the children. He played peek-a-boo with Calvin, complete with sound effects, and we got fabulous laughs!!

June 29, 2009

When Papa works here, Maisie "helps" him. Sometimes she just dances in the back of his pickup. :)

June 28, 2009

Remember my initial tomato pictures? They are GROWING! They are getting pretty babied here, Greg put in pvc pipes from the orchard irrigation water, so we can water our garden with "free" irrigation water now. Maisie and I planted pumpkins finally about four days ago, and today we found leaves popping up in several places! We are determined to grow GIANT ones. No reason we shouldn't be able to here! Good soil!

June 27, 2009

The monthly orchard picture. Getting some apples there!!!

June 26, 2009

Brother Bear has figured out tummy time! He will lay there for quite a while now, playing or looking around--until he gets bored, then he either rolls over or yells for someone to rescue him!

June 25, 2009

Maisie had a playdate! The girls spent a few minutes in the pool, rocking back and forth on the inner tube...before our orchard neighbors began spraying the trees. :( So we moved our playdate inside. Still had a wonderful time.

June 24, 2009

This is what's going on at my desk. I have a scrapbooking project in the works. Nicole asked me to make a scrapbook of her sister's bachelorette party, so I've been working on it lately. I have about 6 pages left to stick together, that pile of upside down ones in the top left corner are the finished ones.

So much easier to finish a project when it has a definite beginning and end. Maybe I need to do the kids' books in years instead of just one HUGE, ONGOING project...

June 23, 2009

LOVE this outfit. It says "Grrrr"...I have taken to calling Calvin "Brother Bear". Even caught him with his mouth open...although I don't think he was growling. :)

I did learn the other day that he thinks it's REALLY funny if you make piggy sounds at him. He was looking at his wall hanging very intently, so I started making the animal sounds. There is no pig, but I got carried away. I don't know what a giraffe says, and turtles don't say much...so I oinked at him, and he giggled so loud! Now even Papa oinks at him to make him laugh.

Anything for a baby giggle!

June 22, 2009

Calvin and Maisie...one fresh from the bath, and the other one...NOT.

Maisie LOVES to get dirty. It's the first thing she does in the morning. Sometimes she doesn't even make it out of her jammies before she is muddy. She goes through about an average of 3 outfits a day because she'll get so dirty she can't be in the house--she shakes dirt loose everywhere! Between Calvin's cloth diapers and Maisie's quick changes, my poor washing machine is ALWAYS running!!

June 21, 2009

Calvin was having some bananas and pears for dinner tonight, and some were actually going in. Then Maisie decided to play with him, and he got the giggles. Too bad our fancy camera doesn't do video, because the giggles were really worth hearing!! He thinks she is hilarious!

June 20, 2009

Calvin reads a book. OK. We'll just go ahead and call it "Calvin eats a book." That is more appropriate anyway. We think he must be teething, although we can't find any evidence of teeth, but he's eating like mad and he always wants to chew on something!

June 19, 2009

Maisie and Greg made SLIME! (and continue to make slime every day...)

June 18, 2009

Calvin took a little napski. Face down on the couch! FOR FOUR HOURS.

June 17, 2009

Creative jammies for hot summer nights. Ok. It's just the bottoms. And she was being pretty silly! :)

June 16, 2009

The corn field across the street is getting taller!! The only problem is that we think the tractor going through the field scared a snake out, who is now "resting" not so peacefully in the middle of the road. Eeek! And here we were feeling pretty comfortable about not having seen any snakes around our house yet...

June 15, 2009

Mom and I had an appointment this afternoon--when we left our house it was hot and sunny. When we left the clients house, we were caught in a downpour, which continued all the way to our house! It was sunny out, but raining huge drops really hard. Then it HAILED!

Crazy June weather!!

June 14, 2009

Calvin tries bananas!! Some went in. :)

June 13, 2009

We spent the day at the Sage and Sun Festival in Ephrata. There was no carnival (whew) but they did have this giant slide! Maisie and Greg rode together once and then Maisie rode alone 3 times! She loved it!! I couldn't believe she rode alone, she hefted the mat up the stairs to the top, situated it onto the slide, and then hopped on! Big girl!!!

(and BIG TANTRUMS. she threw one after lunch and it was so horrifying that she had to spend some time in the car with Gogo while she cooled down. YIKES.)

June 12, 2009

The end of the first day of summer. :)

Will the REAL June 11 please stand up?

AND ROTATE CORRECTLY??? SHEESH.

This is what Maisie loves to play with. Greg's poker chips. Ok, she's in bed, and they are still on the floor. ACK!

June 11, 2009

As I went to snap the day's picture tonight...my camera told me "No CF card". So I went to grab it--I knew exactly where it was. At the end of this cord:


So I pulled it from the couch crack in which it was residing, and heard a thump. The cord came out without the gizmo at the end, which has my CF card. So I peered underneath the couch. Nope. Stuck my hands in between the cushions. Nope. Somehow it is INSIDE the couch! So...until Greg is released from Maisie's clutches, and then feels like doing search and rescue inside the couh...I'm without a camera. Bummer.

HONEY WE SHRUNK THE BABY!

Just kidding!

Calvin is 5 months old.

June 10, 2009

So since Calvin is such a hungry little feller, and we tried rice cereal a while back that was NOT well received...today we tried avocado! I think some even went in! He was still smiling afterward, so I think it was successful.

I have a hard time getting him to smile for the camera. Once I put that big thing in front of my face, he's curious. Not smilie. I must look funny with a camera in front of my face. Here, GREG must look funny. I was feeding Calvin, Greg was being cameraman.

June 9, 2009

This little turkey EATS and EATS and EATS! Today he was so excited to get this bottle in his hands that he didn't need any "big hands" helping him!

June 8, 2009

And this is what I did with the bag o' irises. I found a bare spot in my yard and planted a patch! Ok ok. I MADE a bare spot in my yard for them. I only pulled out a billion orange poppies for this bare earth. I will likely have to yank them out again next spring so they don't choke out the irises.






And....toying with the idea of entering Calvin in a photo contest, showing off his cloth diapers. Getting this far was no easy task. The term "action shot" is questionable at this age. His arms and legs are in constant motion! He runs 100 miles IN PLACE during the day!!!

June 7, 2009

This is my small bag full of irises. I took this bag FULL of irises to Gramma's house, and I brought it home FULL of irises. (this is called denial)

It's Maisie's Dora the Explorer plastic tote bag by the way. Perfect size for flower transport. First the tulips. Now irises. Maisie was a little concerned when she saw it sitting by the car. I had to promise I would bring it home!

June 6, 2009

Filling water balloons makes you POSE. Like this. Whatever it is...she is addicted to them!!!

June 5, 2009

Ran outside to catch some pics of fabulous clouds during the thunderstorm this afternoon. But Maisie was "helping" Papa again, and I caught a few really cute shots of her. The scariest, though, is the one that Dad sent me from his camera. Maisie. Standing on ladders. One foot on each ladder. About 3 rungs up. YIKES.

June 4, 2009

Calvin hung out in his high chair while I made dinner tonight, Maisie was in the tub scrubbing the mud and dirt off. He's a little short yet, sometimes only his eyes peek out over the tray of his high chair...tonight he had company, his mini crinkapillar was entertaining him and kept him happy for a good 20 minutes before Greg had to rescue him!

Today I declared war on the weeds in the tomato portion of my garden. I put newspaper down and then the old compost dirt over that. I had to have help, since the wind picked up after I'd done about 1/4 of it, and newspaper was blowing all around. I asked Maisie to stand on the edges of the newspaper but she insisted on laying down on them. So then I had to wiggle the "food dirt" in over the top of her and around her. Food dirt? That's Maisie's term for the compost. Since she takes our compost bucket out to the compost heap every once in a while, she knows that the dirt there is made up of food: Food dirt.


After we put both kids in bed tonight, I was walking down the hall and saw this sunset through the bedroom window!

June 3, 2009

Ever since Papa's return from Indy, he has been coming to our house daily to work on the new shop. Maisie does her best to help him. He took this picture--apparently he is teaching her to hammer nails!

While he was getting his ladder ready for the days' work, she instructed him to go ahead and get our ladder out of the "cat shop" so that they "could each have their own separate one". Yikes!

June 2, 2009

What a good sleeping day today! Calvin slept on our bed for a 3 hour nap while Papa babysat. Then Greg fed him a big fat bottle, and tried some tummy time. Instead of doing tummy time, Calvin fell asleep! After dinner I woke him up to feed him again, and afterward, this is what happened!!

Sleepy baby! But SO CUTE!

June 1, 2009

Maisie buried Calvin in stuffed animals on her bed while she cleaned her room. He thought it was pretty funny!!

This picture reminds me of ET.

May 31, 2009

Another attempt at the kite picture. Not even going to try to claim that Maisie was flying it. She lasts about one minute, then hands it off. We were outside with Dad--Mom had just come back from Alaska and was running on 24 hours of no sleep-she finally just sat down on our couch after dinner and fell over!