Grace @ 15 months

Grace, you cute nugget.

Height: 85th percentile, Weight: 50th percentile

You're a bit bigger (taller and heavier) than your brothers were at the same age. 

You love-love-LOVE your daddy!

  You are excited for him to walk through the door, and lately when you need consoling you tend to walk to him if given the choice.

You will even spot photos of him, stop and yell, "Dada!! Daddeeeeeeee!!"

While your brothers have been in swim lessons with Katherine, you giggle and enjoy playing in the pool. 

You like food.  Like a real foodie.

AND YOU LOVE BANANAS!

There isn't much you have turned down.  Weird things you've eaten lately: feta, smoked salmon, whole tomatoes (you LOVE them), 

You like to dress up and put on bracelets!

You're a really good listener.  When we tell you to do (or stay away) from something you quickly stop, look, and listen.  You really seem to be aware of your surroundings and know what is going on. 

You like to point to my coffee cup and say, "haa-haa."

You are kind of everyone's baby. 

You get passed around on Tuesdays and Thursdays when I teach my 2 yoga classes. From Papa to Julie's car to get Evelyn; you transition well. 

two little monkeys taking advantage of the kids club free fruit at United during one of Julie's afternoons to watch you. 😜

Easter egg hunting

March 2016

  monkeys on a swing

Ben making a game out of practice fly-fishing casting on the Bonham middle school practice field.

"fish tag"

Fun for Ben AND the kids.

Grace enjoying her freedom running around. 

Ben unexpectedly enjoying himself at the Black farm.

Browned butter, salted chocolate chip cookies.  THE best chocolate chip cookies I've ever made.  

(Let me know if you want the recipe.)

Owen and Evelyn napping together in my closet.  Favorite thing to do when forced to take a siesta.

OH!... Hey.... Let's buy a new house!

(WAY more in a separate post)

and then the day my iPhone was hacked...

I'll choose my favorite photos... NOT all 20.

Rbf 

picnicking in the backyard on a sunny day

Spring Break 2016

It's that Scottsdale time of year again!

somewhere, New Mexico

hugging Mary at breakfast

Gracie eating like a big girl without a high-chair.

Kaden helping Mary by putting fancy toothpicks in a batch of meatballs for her party.

pool time

Miss Grace and her "sassy face"

antagonizing and overreacting...

the "hot pool" at Las Villas

getting her feet wet in Stephenie's pool.

Desert Botanical Garden

After another fabulous Mary dinner, Ben and I seized the opportunity to go on a date to the Desert Botanical Garden to check out a night exhibit.

Chihuly glass at the main entrance.

big saguaro 

Phoenix Children's Museum

Fun learning experiences in downtown Phoenix this morning: 

1. Riding public transportation is ALWAYS an experience.  We even got to see the police escort a "sick man" off the train.

2. While walking down the street, we were able to witness a good car crash near the convention center.  A crash good enough to deploy ALL of the airbags and cause the other man to jump from his car and yell explicits.  

3. We heard thousands "feel the Bern" (all lined up for Bernie Sanders) outside the Phoenix convention center, all geared up for the 2016 primary election the following week.

4. Trump agitators also came by the convention center so we were able to hear people hurling more choice words towards each other. 

5. And we saw the Children's Museum.

ALL while I had Laci hack into my gmail account and forge signatures to a few housing documents to get that ball rolling... Quite a morning!