End of Summer Report

Let's see, the rest of the summer went roughly as follows:


Big Red and Chickadee were in a Missoula Children's Theatre production of The Wiz Of The West. They were both buzzards. (This is a FANTASTIC theater company, find one near you!)
Big Red and Chickadee are bottom center.




Yippie-Skippie lost a few more teeth. Move over pizza face, I give you...Pumpkin Face!





Little Red still putzed around and helped in the garden.




We had a bit of after-church silliness,



But Autumn found us at last. Everyone is back in school who belongs at school,
and we are falling back into the rhythm of the routine.
(Routine laced with a heavy dose of almost daily chaos and upset. We wouldn't want to be boring now would we?)

Pachelbel Bedtime

This is perfect! Families are great!

Farewell Foodies!

This week we have to say goodbye to our good friends, lovingly nicknamed the "Foodies." Our family met their family after a local family racing event. We have many things in common, including four little girls in each family. We have had many adventures in the past months, including camping, hiking, racing, working out, medical issues, car issues, swimming, playing, laughing, eating, watching dopey things online, whining, and just hanging out! Can't say how much we are going to miss these guys!

Here are the pictures (finally) from the all day hike we took with them in May.

Little Red

Here's a story of Little Red.
Mom is making sugar cookies one evening, and the girls are helping, playing and taking turns getting a bath.
The conversation went something like this.

Little Red: Mom, can I take a bath with my sister?
Mom: No, I want you to wait and take one after.

-Little Red disappears for a while and comes back completely in the buff.

Mom: Little Red, I told you no bath right now.
Little Red: (cheerfully) I know, I'm just going to help you while I wait.
Mom: (patiently) Well, I think you should put on a robe or something.
Little Red: (patiently) Mom, Sometimes I wait naked, and sometimes I don't. But this time I am, so... (big smile)

After trying not to laugh hysterically and getting a quick snapshot, she found a robe. ...or did she just get in the bath with her sister? One never quite knows with the baby of the family.

Please indulge the parents in just one more kids are crazy story.

This same child was given some raisins on Sunday in those cute little red boxes. When she was done, she didn't know where the trash was, and she didn't have any pockets, so she flattened the boxes and stuck them in her sandals. So as she walked, if you looked you could see raisin boxes sticking out from under her heals. She was quite pleased with herself (and with the reaction she received from everyone else, and why not? Such ingenuity.)

Kid's Favorites, Vacation Highlights

June saw our little family on vacation to see the folks, visit friends and hug Our Favorite GI, (Topper's brother) who was home on r&r from his Iraq deployment. Here are the pictures that the girls picked to post.





Here is Chickadee feeling like a caveman in a little African hut and the tiger at the zoo.

Big Red is enjoying the Science Center with Grammy Nanna, and the zoo with Gram.

Yippy-Skippy loves the zoo, and loves to play with the children of some good friends.










We hadn't seen the Rubble family for almost four years. What a treat to hang out with them again!






































We took a four generation photo with Nonnie, Great Grandpa, Grammy Nanna, Topper, and girls. What fun!













And here is Our Favorite GI being a good Uncle to Little Red.












What a fun trip! We love you all!

Who Broke My Window?

Here are some oldies but goodies. Enjoy.