Guinness

Amelia was playing dentist here with Guinness. He's such a good dog. The kids could do anything to him and he wouldn't care. After a brief exam, he was cavity-free.

The auditory examination came next. Guinness has lost a bit of hearing, mostly from the frequent ear infections and his distinguished service in World War II. He still growls at those "Japs" as he calls them. We tell him you're not supposed to call them that, but you just can't teach an old dog new tricks.

Say cheese! Only one of them did, and it was the one that drools a lot and rolls around in the grass. In other words, Amelia.

First Tomato

This is our first Amelia tomato. We read that you need to water them a little less than we were. So, after no watering for a couple of days, then tons of rain, we have a new tomato. It's probably coincidence.

This One Goes Out to Kimmy

We did a little shopping this morning and found some cute summer shirts. While trying on the clothes Abigail said to me, " Mom, I really like this shirt, but I don't think we should bring it to Maine. Kimmy will be scared of it."

For anyone who doesn't know this story, last summer while in Maine, Kim told Abigail she was afraid of the lemons in Nanny's garage and Abigail has not forgotten it. It's her little mnemonic device for remembering which sister she is.

The Many Faces of Amelia Grace

Say Cheese

Our First Pepper

"We water it every day. And it gets bigger every single day. Amelia helps water it and watches it with me. We have a pinwheel to scare the birds away from the bell pepper. We are going to get another pinwheel for the Amelia tomato. Soon it will be ready to pick it if it turns red. Daddy helps water it and looks at it with us."
- Abigail

Children of the Corn

The Starlets

Amelia picked out these sunglasses. She might be trying to disguise herself from the paparazzi, but we know she really just loves the star treatment.




You guys really do love each other. Even when you're taking each other's things, hitting each other, and screaming at each other. Sometimes it's hard having a sister around all the time so we understand. Catching pictures like this makes us realize the two of you have a special bond. We love you, and you love each other.

Destin Farmer's Market

We got corn, cherry tomatoes that are yellow, baby carrots that are so fat, and green beans that have lots of seeds in them. Amelia was holding corn and Daddy was holding Amelia. They had all reganic (organic) stuff. Amelia had a sugar cookie and I had a snowball cookie. - Abigail

Secret Ingredient??

I have a feeling Abigail would not be happy to know that while she was off getting something?? for her recipe, Amelia put a bunny in the cake mix. My personal favorite is the look Amelia makes after Abigail corrects her on whether or not the cake is done.

Can Neither Confirm Nor Deny

This wrench keeps showing up in my ficus tree. I've taken it out and put it back in the garage a few times, but it still ends up in the tree. I suspected it was Abigail who had been putting it there. So when I questioned her about why there was a wrench in the tree she simply answered, "It's a tool tree. It grows tools."

Day at the Beach

Sand and shovels

Playing in the Sun

Was in the 80's here today

We had tons of fun

Morning Routines

I hear Amelia wake up every morning. From there, she walks to her window to open the blinds and peek outside. She then comes into our bedroom and announces to us that it's 'Sunny Time'. (Time to get up!)
It's so cute and I look forward to hearing her say it every morning. I've been trying to get it on video for awhile, but as soon as Amelia sees the camera she gets quiet and a little grumpy.

She does say it one time here, but as soon as she sees the camera, she reverses direction.

A Math Education Is Very Important In Today's World

Daddy: Abby, if I bought you some math books to learn math, would you like that?
Abigail: Daddy, I would love to teach you math. Bunny can do single triangle math.

Taking Care of the Hogs

- Modeling the smock and protective eyewear.

Abigail and Amelia cleaning, painting, and fixing the hogs. We think they're planning a big trip. Mommy thought they weren't dirty, but she's no bike expert. The tools, paint, and cleaning supplies are laid out on the table. They found them all over the garage while Will was building a shelf for our bathroom.

Earthworms and Cameras

Amelia was educating me on the proper use of earthworms in a functioning, organic garden until I started recording. After she noticed the camera, she clammed up like a...., well, a clam. I think the papparazzi is really getting to her. Lucky for us, Abby is "ready though", in the background.

Our Veggies are Flowering

Our proud gardeners! We flaunted all types of child labor laws, but I think it was worth it. Below you can see the beginnings of our first bell pepper. The last picture shows a bunch of Amelia tomatoes budding. We'll keep the posts on progress coming.

Two Turntables and a Microphone

I walked into Abigail's room to say goodnight and she had her pillow laying across her chest. I asked her why she had it there and she told me it was her turntable. Confused, and pretty sure she wasn't talking about a real turntable, I asked her what that was. She told me it was a machine you put your records on and spin. (All done with a tone of, Mom, I cannot believe you don't know that.)

After Hurting an Already Bad Toe

"Boo boos are the worst. I wish I knew how to walk on stilts". - Abigail

Conversation Over Lunch

Abigail: Mom, where does chicken come from?
Me: From a chicken.
Abigail: Well, how do they get it to hold still while they cook it, chickens are wild and hard to catch.