August 28

I had book club tonight, so this post isn't particularly timely. Sorry about that.

Our new favorite thing is hanging out on the front porch. Most mornings will find us there; I sit on the porch swing and sip my coffee, while the kids play, wave at passing cars, and wait with eager anticipation for the passing schoolbuses. (One great thing about our house that I've just discovered: apparently we sit on a thoroughfare for buses. Each morning, no fewer than five buses drive past our house, and possibly more.) Our neighbors across the street are usually out on their porch, too, and Caleb tries to shout a three-year-old conversation across the street. We say hello to runners, to kids walking to the bus stop, to dog-walkers. It's pretty idyllic. 

We repeat the process in the afternoon, minus the coffee. The only downside? Mosquitoes. Lots of them. The kids look like they have leprosy.

Here are some scenes from our afternoon porch time:

Daisy loves climbing up into Daisy-sized chairs. The only problem is that she also loves standing on Daisy-sized chairs. Can you say, "Danger?" Most days I give her a chance to use them appropriately, but end up putting them away.

She's totally into the "ugly smile" right now - she scrunches up her face and grins so hard that I'm afraid her face might burst. It's not cute at all, but it is so adorable!

Schoolbus!

She's also into her babies right now. She just discovered Caleb's babydolls, and they are now absolutely hers. Blessedly, Caleb's attachment to them seems to have waned.

Acorn!

No no, Daisy. Those are for squirrels to eat, not for you to eat.

Chris got home while the kids were riding their bikes. 

Daisy is remarkably adept at her tricycle. She still can't figure out (or reach) the pedals, but it doesn't seem to slow her down.

How cute are they?

(Also, Caleb chose his clothes today. When it came time to pick out a shirt, he said, "Mommy, can I wear two shirts today?" Why not? So he did. I even cuffed the sleeves to show off his fashion statement.  Surprisingly, I think it looks pretty good!)

Then I fed the family and went off to book club. When I returned home, Chris told me that Caleb watched a little bit of Happy Feet before bedtime. (It's our latest library pick.) At bedtime, Caleb said, "Daddy, I have something to show you. Watch this!"

And then, with a serious expression on his face, he began stomping and tapping and leaping and twirling. He was focused on his moves, and when he finished, he beamed proudly up at Chris. He was dancing just like Mumble the penguin! (Here's a video of Mumble's moves to give you an idea.) I nearly died laughing when Chris told me about it!