Birthday Pics

A few photos from present-opening. In the evening our neighbors came over for the birthday pie celebration-- I think they got a couple of pics of the actual pies-and-boys, so perhaps those will be forthcoming.

Yes, they are each wearing one half of the penguin pajamas.

A swan for Ben

A sea lion for Alex

Awesome bird mobile from Aunt Karla

Bird-sounds pop-up book (above and below)


Reading a new book with Daddy

Ben's favorite, a raven from Grandma and Grandpa L. (above and below)

Everybody loves bubble wrap

Balloon play with the neighbor kids

The joys of September

Since June, long-sleeved shirts have been forbidden. But a few days ago, the sanctions were lifted. Immediately Ben & Alex both ran upstairs to change into their beloved bird shirts. And looked ever so pleased afterward.


In related news, bread-baking season is also upon us, and the new kneader on the team is looking good in the preseason workouts. The bread was delicious.

Bad Pictures of Recent Adventures

It hasn't been a great month for photography, but we have been having lots of adventures, so ... here are some bad pictures of them.
Meerkat at the Smithsonian (DC) Zoo
Armadillo at the Smithsonian (DC) Zoo
The Australia exhibit (above and below) at the National Aquarium.

Playing around with animals.
We have tails!
Our new house (above and below).

Alex at Marshy Point Park.
Spotting blue crabs (we must be in Maryland!) at Marshy Point Nature Center.
The nature center has a pet duck.
And all good nature centers have bird books.

New York Report, 2010 Edition

This year's trip to White Plains kicked off with a sandbox conspiracy, moved smoothly on to the generational initiation of the kids' table, and was cousinarific throughout. Lucy is especially skilled at mugging for the camera, and Eric is, if possible, even cuter than before.

A Day in the New Life

After moving, lots of non-visually-exciting things happen, like applying for bank accounts and buying toilet paper. So since no one had taken any pictures since we got here, today we took pics all day long.

We ate breakfast...



Read bird books...


Ben helped Mom make a blueberry-peach pie:


While Alex hung out with his animals.


We went to Patapsco Valley State Park and walked across a cool suspension bridge:




And played in the rocks there:


After that we were tired:


Then more bird books.

Then Mom forgot to keep taking pictures, like of us eating pie.
Then Dad read to us from James and the Giant Peach (the part where the Cloud Men throw hailstones at the peach) before bed.

Goodnight.

Spelling sinister sentences

These remind me of those anonymous notes, pasted together from newspaper cutouts, that criminals write to police departments in old movies.

Turtly is the name of the (stuffed animal) turtle, of course. I don't know why the jaguar is sad.

"No visitors allowed exept [sic] if you are one of us [signed] the cats," (very creative use of a line and two numbers when lacking an e) placed outside the Fisher Price house.

"Dear Squeaky [the stuffed dolphin], I heard that a stingray stung you." (Many letters were unavailable by this point (the above sentences remaining on the floor), so several number or composite-letter substitutions were needed.) This one is especially sinister. Suggests the writer thinks it would be a shame if the stingray would have to sting Squeaky again....

We jumped into the swamp again