beachy...

I love the morning beach.

i am the loser...

I am having technological difficulties...all my "machines" have mutinous intentions...my camera will not speak to my computer so all of you out there who are waiting for kid pics will have to wait for me figure it all out which could take years (and those of you who have had enough kids pics for a lifetime are also out of luck because I am not that into the blog essay...)... my computerized kiln has also plotted against me and as most kiln repair people don't know anything about computers it seems I am scat-outta-luck unless I want to buy a whole new kiln...And the new air conditioner in Emmett's sauna of a bedroom keeps flooding the floor...
AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
This is a job for Techno-Man!!!!!!!

starts with an "S" and ends with a "T"...

I can't rave enough about zoo camp this year. It has been so HOT and sticky out yet everyday I pick up these kids with stories of all the cool animals they hung out with behind the scenes at the zoo. Mac even told me of a place she had never seen before, which surprised me...I thought those kids new every nook and cranny of that place thanks to Nana's yearly sleepovers...and of course, they get to learn fine songs like the scat song. (This one goes out to you Craig. They thought you'd love it and teach it to your band "fiends" as a "warm-up".)

thankyou cami thankyou!!!...

...I love pandora.com
cami turned me on to a great way to find and listen to new music.
...always with the good ideas...keep 'em coming!
AND IT'S FREE!!

CHICKLETS!!!......

The baby chicklets, or at least some of them, have hatched...at least three. It's hard to see them in their teeny nest without disturbing them and we are really not supposed to disturb them at all or the parents will throw the little guys outta the nest...thats the little tidbit I read that terrified me...also the part about how I am somehow supposed to band their feet at 8 days old...hmmm?
anyway, all very exciting...Mac and Emmett, as you can imagine, are documenting all the details and find it very cool that both the father and the mother do the regurgitating to feed the little ones. (they are appropriately at zoo camp right now and are planning to ask lots of nesting questions...)
We will NOT be keeping any but passing them back to the kindergarten and perhaps to Macs 5th grade class, that is her deepest wish anyway!
The names so far are Fiddler, Cheeseball and Junebug...I think. (I kinda liked Nancy as the parents are Patricia and Hoenheim and I think its just hilarious.)
(this is not an actual picture of our Zebra finches as they are impossible to photograph through the cage bars...)

my summer in a nutshell...

I've spent a whole lot of time this summer looking for activities that suit a 9 year old, 6 year old and a baby. It turns out that there is ONE! The beach! The playground is no longer a destination of choice for Mac and Emmett...especially the baby friendly Cedar St. So, Mac and Emmett bring comic books while Silas desperately tries to get their attention. Pitiful.

school house rock!!!!!!

Mac's awesome play!!


Here's Mac singing...it's hard to see her because she's in the back with the microphone.

more school house rock!!!

Brother Sister Day 2007

Palapa in Yelapa

check it out

Ok, this is another dream of mine! So reasonably priced, although limited electricity and what looks like open air living...its so beautiful. So Matt, whatdya think? In 4 years when Silas can climb his own self into a hammock?
Make sure to look at the accomodations when you check out the website above... Casa Arriba and Casa Paloma.
Looks good for multi family vacationing...hint hint... (Craig is anxiously running his hand through his hair right now while Matt breathes loudly through his nose!!)


check out this one
...even better!!! books, hammocks, the sea, and a kickass kitchen

next great series...

We needed to move on...it was getting too sad around here post Harry Potter...this series seems pretty good so far. Inkheart is the first of the trilogy. And you gotta love a name like Cornelia Funke. Its also gonna be a movie coming out in March!!

The world in Seven Pictures...

only in china

only in India

only in Texas

only in Mexico

only in Hawaii

only in America!!

sleepers...and sleepovers...

I had a dentist appointment today and I rushed home worrying that Silas was fussy...I guess not. So cute. They are still sleeping!
It is such a gift to have have a truly great baby-care-giver my kids LOVE!! Thanks Meg.



...and speaking of people the kids LOVE...NANA!!
Here are Mac and Emmett on their annual adventure at the zoo sleepover with Nana. This is the 5th year for Mac and the 3rd for Emmett. Lucky kids all around.

never thought I'd do this...

New best (white trash) idea!

I put Scotch Tape on a couple of individual baby fingers and my sweet little one spent at least 10 minutes fiddling with them...! Brilliant discovery...enabled me to make a very frustrating call to SDG&E today with minimal baby chaos! Pretty funny too.

how I feel now that we've finished the book...

Truly great book (I won't say more...no spoilers here...and I apologize Emil for previous book slips!...)...but I am sad it has come to an end!...
Then again, it is sweet to hear Mac reading book one all over again to Emmett tonight. I guess he felt he was too young when we started the series the first time around to fully appreciate it...so I guess it never ends!
(sheesh Annie, get a grip!)

jewelry organizer

before!

after!

It's hard to see how incredibly disorganized and tangled all my necklaces were as they were all on top of one another.(poor smothered Gnish!) Emmett and I spent a lot of time getting everything sorted out. I always wanted to make something like this...thinking of buying an old frame and screwing in hooks etc but this is great because it holds all kinds of earings, posts included. I love this wooden frame...I got Mac a smaller one in a lighter wood too...the idea inspired by Cami. When we visited she had one like it in her bathroom that I coveted! Here's the link www.walljewelryorganizer.com.
The guy who makes them seems super cool too. He e-mailed pictures of the completed projects and wanted feedback. Not cheap but a great thing to put on your xmas list!
Again, thanks Cami for being ever inspiring!!

wobbily mobility!!...

Emmett teaches Silas how to use his pusher! (while Mama uses embarressing voice...)

today's pretty things...

oodles of plums...!!!!!





It's always a surprise seeing sunflowers grow this big this quickly!

The 7th Book!!...

It's finally here!



A good time was had by all at the Harry Potter Party at 12:00 midnight last night...yes, we all stayed awake...even Emmett... to hear the first chapter read in the car on the way home.
All very exciting.




You will also notice Mac's new short hair. (boohoo, its sad to say goodbye to the longer hair of ages 3-8) It actually looks great on her and saves us much brushing grief!!

Our Harry Potter predictions:
Ginny and Snape will die, both trying to save Harry. At this point I also think Dumbledore is still alive somehow...so does Matt (obviously wishful thinking!)
I hope it's not Ron that dies but we know two main characters gotta go...maybe Harry AND Ginny? but part of me thinks it may also be...OK I know nothing but somehow Ginny's love of Harry has gotta mean something...
aaaaaaaaah!
The great part about J.K. Rowling's writing is that the plot is compelling but the writing is better so it's not just about what happens but HOW it happens!
Time to start reading!

Belmont Park

Look close and you'll see Mama, Mac and Emmett on the crazy submarine

They also rode the Tilt-a-Whirl.........TWICE!

Some lounging on the yacht.......

Water gun fights! Emmett won and got Silas a "Care Bear" stuffed animal which Mac and Emmett named Greenie-Greenie.

BUMPER CARS!!!!!!!!!!!

Boy, you gotta love summer

Papa