pics from trip

Well, this is M with her new dress- she loves frilly feminine things, but LOL she's just as apt to be climbing trees in them as she is to be playing princess! Which is why we have strict rules about what clothes can be play-clothes ;) She got some money, which she always loves (trips to the candy store!), and a stuffed penguin from W, and a journal from H. She's always writing stories, and drawing pictures to go with them. When we left she was making up a new one centered around the penguin.











W holding one of the three fish that the kids caught last week- even with the head and tail cut off, and the insides pulled out, I bet it weighs 4 pounds! Pretty good-sized for a trout. And pretty exciting for a kid to reel in something this big! I heard all about it several times, from different people LOL. We cooked up two of them, and they were delicious.

Although H got a little bone stuck in his throat, and it scratched him, and we heard about it all the rest of that night, and most of the day after. Every time he'd remember he swallowed a bone, he'd cough and cry and clutch his throat dramatically, "it HURTS," he would whimper.
I was much more sympathetic the night it happened; by the end of the next day, it was 'yeah, whatever.' Now swallowing a scratchy bone is definitely traumatic, but H was pretty good at getting a lot of sympathy and attention out of it. Grandma even gave him ice cream, to make his throat feel better LOL.
It's funny, but the house stays much calmer when there's only two kids home. I noticed that last week, but am aware of it more this week. And since it has been scorching outside these past few days, even with it raining yesterday and today, the boys and I went touring model homes. W was especially enthusiastic about them; he picked out which rooms the kids could sleep in, and where the baby would stay, and what we'd do if people came to visit us. H found all the best hiding spots, and would jump out laughing when I called him. *sigh* the houses all had central air, and it was lovely to wander about and admire the decorating. Some was definitely cool, like the under-the-stairs play house for kids painted to resemble the beach. Some was, well, interesting, like the basketball cushion-things hung on a boy's bedroom wall with black bounce marks. But I got some great ideas, and had fun admiring most of the rooms. W wanted to visit more of them; I may have to scout around for more developments, if it will occupy him LOL!

j