Ribbit!

I found this BIG BOY in Hauser canyon.
No Bullfrogs were harmed in the making of this blog.

new musical obsession...m.ward...

great song, cool animation
and below, the band singing the same song on letterman...

the mystery of reading and writing in English...

Today I read a blog post from friend, Daleth, about her daughter, Bidane, learning to read. English is such a messed up language...so difficult to learn. I realize it more and more as I teach my kids to read, define different words, explain the wiggy rules. Morgan, the worlds best kindergarten teacher, has great techniques and methods of teaching our kids to read. One of them is best-guess-spelling which encourages them to write write write without worry! Here's one of my favorite examples.
Translation: "education shooter it shoots education right into your brain"
Of course what I also love about this is Emmett's attempt to make a gun acceptable to me. The variation of this is "it shoots out LOVE".
gotta love it!

Dad, we are thinking of you!...

On Mother's Day, my dad had a stroke. He's doing ok, staying in St Elizabeths in Lincoln, Ne. I have been talking to him everyday and he's improving. Keep him in your thoughts everyone! Send out some good energy!
Here is a picture of my dad, my brother and me. You can see the Emmett and Silas resemblance!
WE LOVE YOU DAD!

The Tooth!

Emmett's very first Tooth! After a serious incident involving Emmett's chin and Megan's head we were unsure if the newly loose baby tooth would ever come out or just continue to hurt and irritate Emmett...well tonight it came out! Hurray!

And what a tooth it is! We think Emmett is part shark!

just one of the reasons I love my mama...

...she helps me out so much with these babies, even when they spit at her during diaper changes!! (yes, you have to hold him down or it can be a messy situation!)
Happy Mother's Day!!

something for you to meditate on Cami!...look closely...

the miracle of life, agapanthus style...

Resort Time! Thanks Annie!

Annie treated Mac, Emmett, Silas and me to two and a half days at Paradise Point here in San Diego. We stayed in a beautiful room on the bay. We went swimming a lot, we ordered room service, played golf (putters only) and had a great time!




The colorful clan.



Where we spent most of our time....the pool.

what Mother's Day is all about...

thanks Lauren for finding this...

bon voyage...

Aloha to everyone! We are off on our extended tropical vacation to Hawaii. We'll miss all of you. We probably won't be able to call or e-mail or blog due to the secluded nature of our trip but you will be in our thoughts as we hike orchid forests and swim in fern lined waterfalls. Much love...

...actually we will be a the Paradise Point Resort in Mission Bay for 2 days...we are pretending...see you saturday. (And Cami, if you go into labor, we brought the candle with...)

cutie Mabel...a.k.a. farah...

so, we went on this fun fieldtrip to the aquarium and I got some great pictures but it seems my camera ate them...so...here's a picture of Mabel our sweet yet smelly dog who is just such a girl in this picture...

extreme games...watch out!

cool yet cautious. he says he wishes they had ankle guards!

the shrine...

Any day or week now my neice will be born and here is the shrine that our family put together...you see, Cami asked us to light a candle when we get word that the labor has started...so, we got into it, as we tend to do...
the shrine consists of...
1) A three wick large lavender candle for "purity and clarity", the lady said. Three wicks for the family of three and large because we plan to keep it burning throughout the labor!
2) Growing and blooming things, including a miniature rose branch with 49! closed buds soon to open. No idea about the significance of the number 49...maybe the labor will be between 4-9hours...that would be good...
3) A pokemon card: Slakoth (first stage of evolution). That is from Emmett, he knows what that means and it is important! Slakoth gives good massages he says.
4) A silver fork from Mac to wish the baby good luck as is the custom in Finland. (we don't have a spoon)
5) A baby faces book from Emmett to give the baby feelings.
6) A bracelet from Mac to wish the baby health and wealth.
7) A pin from Papas uniform that he usually wears everyday.
8) Two "C" encyclopedias for knowledge ("C" for the words cami, craig and child)
9) Two angel cards chosen at random by Emmett with the words "Openess" and "Willingness" (I'm not kidding!)
10) Just peeking out of the frame...a note from Emmett, "Its a Girl!"
11) And, finally, a happy wooden Buddha 'cause that 's all about love!

so we are ready (are you!!?!!)...just waiting for that call...adding things to the shrine daily...
thinking of you!

oh, but Lauren, there are so many to choose from...

but then again...

and if not... at least...

and don't forget...

because we all know...

and remember...

and for gods sake...

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

there's this face he makes...

It starts as wide-eyed curiousity...

and morphs before your eyes into this. We should have a caption contest for this one!

quote of the day...

From The Sun magazine:

Question: How many Bush-administation officials does it take to screw in a light bulb?
Answer: None. There is nothing wrong with the light bulb; its conditions are improving everyday. Any report of its lack of incandescence is a delusional spin by the liberal media. That light bulb has served honorably, and anything you say about its going out undermines the lighting effect. Why do you hate freedom?

source unknown

up for a chuckle?...

bad video but great audio!

...and check this out while you are at it...

http://www.tellusthemission.org/

legion of doom...cracks me up!...

cynical but funny...

Tales of Mere Existence: How to Break Up
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hfl9e53LX_U

You have to check this guy out. He does a bunch of other little cartoons you can find on you tube easily...all funny! Not so good for kids. And while you're at it, here's another one with an interview of him at some film short festival.

Tales of Mere Existence: Procrastination
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPR3sRPK2RY