Young Spartan Fan

Marcus in his new football jersey from Grandpa and Grandma Kathy

Young Spartan Fan

Marcus in his new football jersey from Grandpa and Grandma Kathy

Christmas Morning

Here's a closer look...

Waiting to open presents

Marcus and RJ are putting together the Lego digger Marcus bought "for me" for Christmas.

The city rug is a big success--now all his cars have somewhere to drive!

Ellen May

Here is Ellen with her tired parents!

Santa Lucia

Here is Marcus practicing his Lucia songs as we're getting ready to leave...

...but when the time came to sing, he mostly just listened and smiled.

No Baby Yet!

I've been having contractions on and off this week, so we thought we might have a baby by now! With no sign of her yet this morning, we headed off to the zoo to see the reindeer and, of course, pet the goats and sheep.

Thanksgiving Photos

Here are three content kids enjoying three different kinds of pies.

The day after Thanksgiving, we went to the zoo. The kids enjoyed cleaning up after the goats and sheep!

More Fun With Cousins

We had a great time this Sunday with Nana and Rhythm!

Halloween Night!

This was our first real Halloween--one where Marcus chose his costume, looked forward to it, and understood how to trick-or-treat. We visited neighbors and ate more candy than Marcus had ever had in his life combined... the rest has mostly "disappeared." Everyone, including Marcus, looked exhausted at preschool the next day!

A Visit to Farmer John's

Last weekend, we went down to Farmer John's and picked out some pumpkins. This weekend it's carving time!

Snuggling Before School

Marcus is showing off his new baby blankets that he got from Grandma Betsy. Hopefully, caring for his toy babies will translate into caring for his new sister!

A Sleepover with the Cousins

Nana and Rhythm came over Friday afternoon, spent the night, and then stayed all Saturday-- very exciting for all. We went to the park, walked to the beach, and rode bikes in the back yard. Marcus is finally learning to be more assertive, even antagonizing Rhythm and then smiling mischievously!

The First October Family Visit

Aunt Leah flew in from Australia, Grandma and Grandpa flew in surprised her, and Uncle RJ and the cousins came over... it was an exciting weekend! (Click on the images to enlarge them)

Family Night With the Evildoers

The title has a certain catchiness, doesn't it? The Evildoers, formerly known as The Glow, hosted a family night, trying out their new songs on a receptive audience. Marcus had a great time playing the drums, dancing and listening, although he wasn't as thrilled about the headphones he had to wear.

Lazy Weekend

These days, Marcus just wants to stay at home and play with anything with wheels!

Everything Is More Fun With Cousins!

Look at these hard-working kids! Nana and Rhythm come over to visit last Sunday and found lots of fun and useful projects to do, including washing our outdoor toys.

A New Interest

While cars and trains have always been a hit, Marcus recently took a passionate interest in both. Trains are a little harder to come by, but there's one up at the nearby park to climb on--he wore the appropriate gear, as you can see! As for cars, we have to drag him out of parking lots crying these days--he's willing to sit for as much time as we give him to watch and discuss all the cars that go by. Another favorite activity: sitting on the front porch and watching cars... noticing a trend? It's certainly cheap entertainment!

Fun with Both Grandmas

Here are Marcus and Grandma Betsy drawing roads and stops for Marcus's outdoor car collection.

Marcus is talking to Grandma Kathy on the phone after a bath.

Simone's Birthday Party

We went to Simone's third birthday party Labor Day weekend, an afternoon of relaxation and good food. All the photos of the birthday girl are shirtless, so I'll pass them on individually!

The sprinkler provided lots of kid entertainment, especially because it was in the 90's.

Rhythm and Marcus picnic with Grandma

Rhythm, Marcus and Sunny pulled out all sorts of dance moves, with others joining them occasionally. I'm working on posting a short video clip, too.

Playdough with Pappa

It's funny how these toys faze in and out of favor. A few weeks ago, Marcus didn't want anything to do with Playdough, but now he wants to play with it every day. Here he is making airplanes, trolls, and playgrounds... can't you tell?

At Home

Learning to ride the tricycle!

Painting with Piper

At the Cottage

Driving Bounty with Grandpa

Playing Dominos with Grandma

Playing ribbons with Grandma

One of many special vacation treats

Cottage front porch