The Family

Here are few pictures of the family from the last couple of days.

We took two cameras-- look for the pictures from the other camera later.


Getting Lewis to look at the camera is like trying to hold mercury between your thumb and forefinger...

Inge is quite the artist these days. Here's a bit of beach art she was working on yesterday. Can you tell what it is?

Lewis is two years old, and we know it.


Michelle is now pretty good at scooting backwards around a room. Hence we call her our little "Scoot-backer."


Lewis has trouble getting his clothes on properly. He didn't notice, or didn't care about this mistake.

The Gray Day

I'm always a little bit torn at the beach. Nice weather is so nice-- but so is wet and cold weather. This time we had a bit of each. Here's what a gray day looks like.

The older kids are nervous when it comes to shoulder rides.

See that hunched over look? Inge clings too.

There was a guy surfing-- or should I say trying to surf. Not easy to get out in 8-12' surf.

Here we are. You've no idea how much you have to talk to get kids to look at the camera. "Kids, look at Namma-- Inge! Lewis! look at your Namma! Lewis! look at the tractor on Namma's head."

The beach patrol, making sure no food gets by, rain or shine.

The Beach Again

Here we are again, enjoying the Pacific coastline, and some time of at least semi-vacation.

Uncle John's Hammer

Here is Uncle John with The Hammer. They ought to pay him more just for the privilege of working with a guy who has this hammer. Happy Birthday, John!

Tappa's Tractor

Louie got a ride on Tappa's tractor today. Operating the bucket was a thrill too.


This may be the case of the dueling Grandpa's; each with their tractor trying to out-do the other in the estimation of the young tractor fancier. Or perhaps we should just say they are both doting grandpas.

Crawling Snootch

The small Snootch is getting up on her hands and knees. Soon to crawl, we think.

Inge, Louie, and Mitchie

Here they are.

Wood Stove

After.

Before.

Snootchy Bean

Apple Orchard

Here are some pictures from our trip to the apple orchard today. For more pictures from this trip mosey on over to Rosie's blog.

Making cider. Mmm good!


Everyone, grab apples!


Sisters.

Apples.

Happy apple pickers.

Hungry apple picker.

Something about apple orchards and kids. Yikes!

Standing in Line and Other Things

This is a collection of pictures from the past weeks events. Well, really from a night at the opening of "Friendship Square" and a few other oddities thrown in. I waited in line for our Hawiian dinner for at least 45 min.

Growing Fast

These kids are growing fast. So is the Snootchy-bean.

Daily Life

Here are some pictures to catch you up with our daily life. Claire and Michelle are sitting outside after a dinner picnic on one of the last days of summer. The next day was cold and cloudy.


Here's Louie making tractor noises, as you can find him doing almost any hour of the day or night.


Here's Inge making a very important point, as you can find her doing almost any time of the night or day.

Here is Inge in one of her improvised skirts standing by a solar power generator I was working on.


Here we are on a lunch picnic on Labor Day.

Here are the helpers dragging in the empty garbage cans from the street.

Michelle Eats

Here's a little photo essay of Michelle learning to eat baby food. In order to get the proper effect you need to start at the bottom and work up (blog style).

"Oh thank you Mommy!"



"Gimme." *thinking* "I'm getting the hang of this."



"Please may I have it Mommy?"


"Ok, ok, I'm ok... this is weird but I'm ok."


"This stuff is a little too strange. Can we just let me have milk now?"



"What was that?!" That's like nothing I've ever felt before!"


Ladies and gentlemen, I present (drum roll) Mischlique eating bananas and rice cereal.

Poor Idiot

Next time you meet a woman who is distressed by her absentmindedness, tell her the story of this young mom you know--we won't name names; and how one day she found a perfectly good (cooked and well-seasoned) chicken breast that had been left in the sink overnight to soak with the dishes; and then, when, immersed in guilt, she laid it to rest in the garbage can, she found two nice kitchen towels and a cloth napkin she'd left in there (she remembers, now) only moments ago; and how as she was mentally composing this blog post she was awakened from her reverie by the fumes from the burning olive oil she had put on the stove in order to cook up more chicken breast. That'll comfort her. Yes, it will.

Hurry Louie Home

Toilet training has begun...

Fappy Hamily

Right down to Clook, who somehow looks happy even without his mouth.

And Duck said to Bill, "I need you!"

News Flash--Lewis now knows about jokes. Definition: A joke is a verbal exercise of obscure meaning, that results in uproarious laughter from your audience. Enjoyment of a joke can be maximized by repeating it three or four times in a row, faster each time. For us, the adults, enjoyment of a joke is maximized when we see the look on Lewis's face the third time around. His favorite joke (the new, cutting-edge witticism of it gets him every time) is this:

"Why did the chicken cross the road?" He squirms with anticipation.
"Why?" we ask, dutifully.
"To get to the other side!"

We know our part. We are to roar with laughter. And Lewis will wriggle all over, and begin again on a subtle variation: "Whydidthechickencrosstheroadtogettotheotherside?"

I know the posts of late have been mostly about Lewis. He's at a funny age. Inge, meanwhile, grows up more every day. She is turning into my Man Friday--the one I send to check on how much lunch Lewis has left to finish; the one who, unasked, entertains Michelle for fifteen minutes past the end of her rope while I finish the dishes and then suddenly realize the screaming baby stopped screaming some time ago; and...occasionally...the one who manages to spill half-and-half all the way from the far end of the piano to the breakfast table. Don't ask me how.

Early Experiments in The Nature of Reality

I always knew I had reservations about electronic toys. You have, no doubt, seen those pairs of blocks you match together correctly--front halves with back halves of vehicles, or a certain number of vegetables with the corresponding numeral--in order to hear the noise associated with the displayed item(s).

Okay, now, what do you suppose a two-year-old learns about the universe when he sticks the front half of the police car together with the number 3 and hears a helicopter? I mean, that makes me a little jumpy.

My personal interpretation, which seemed to put Lewis's mind at ease, was that these toys are not supposed to be dunked in the bath. But still...

Oh yeah, and.

Another thing. Lewis's face is mostly lips right now. Guess they grew faster than the rest of him, but the net result is that when he shoots for emphasis, what we get is raspberries. Inge and Lewis got into a discussion over one of Lewis's trucks the other day. Inge should really know better than to tangle with the expert, but she doesn't. She has a managerial streak, and can't handle the possibility that Lewis might know something once in a while. So I watched the two of them go at it like this:
Inge: "Lewis, that's not a tow truck. That's a fire truck. See, here's a ladder." (It wasn't a ladder.)
Lewis: "Itszzhp a pTOW pttbTRUCK"

Repeat that exchange about thirty times, and you've got the gist of the conversation.

Other funnies, mostly about praying

Inge trots back to her bedroom after a brief session in the bathroom with Daddy, and in a voice of surprised delight announces, "Well, look at that! There's another spanking stick right here!"

Lewis is praying a lot right now. He really likes to pray. In fact, it's all Peter can do to beat him to the punch at meals. He says, "Okay, let's pray," and Lewis is off like a shot: "Heavenly Father, thank you for this food, and please forgive us for disobeying, and please help us to obey in all things, Amen."

That's his standard prayer. Of course, it's not nearly that clear. Lewis's enunciation leaves much to be desired, and what he actually says is more like this: "Heeeehnee Faaahhheh, heh-heh feh theh foooonh, and pleeh 'give unh for dih-oh-beh-ing, and pleeh heh unh to obey in all things, Amen.

At evening prayers, he gets prompted a lot more. Such as like this:
Peter, at the end of a long litany of family members; "And for Uncle Tim and Aunt Jill."
Lewis: "And Un-unh Tim and Anh Jill." pause "And for Jay-mamie."

Uncle Jay and his tractors made a lasting impression.

Focus on Fruit

So, I say to Inge tonight, "Inge, would you like some more meat?" And Inge looks very mature and self-disciplined and polite all at once and says, "Nooooo, I'm just going to focus on fruit right now."