Luke Says, Seamus Says.

 We have a guest for a few days: J'Mark!  He's a really popular guy in our house because he does excellent animal imitations, plays rock, paper, scissors indefinitely, reads books with all the voices, and tosses giggling little boys up in the air, or holds them "up-see-down" (Seamus says) if they're really naughty.

My favorite part of having one of my favorite people in the whole world here for a few days (besides having an awesome role model of someone who helps clear the table after meals), was having an inspirational artist to teach Luke his art lesson this morning.  How special to get a lesson in drawing expressive forms and faces from J'Mark!!  Of course we ended up using a Ninja Turtle as a model...because it's John-Mark, after all.

I should note that this is a turtle John-Mark drew very simply so that Luke could follow his directions.

Seamus says

I like the dump-o-wings with sass-kup (translation:  I like the dumplings with ketchup).

Daddy drives his hat around on his truck (referring to the WBS decal).

We love one 'chother.

Let's read Cutie and the Beast!

You're so smart, Mom.  You're just a smart guy.

(to Elaine, at church)  You gotta take your sandal off and SMACK! the scorpions, okay?

Luke says

Finders keepers, losers leapers!

Our neighbor has orange hair with a crack in the middle.

me: Remind me to wash your jacket tonight, Luke.
L: Okay, but only if I remember.

J'Mark!  I'm dead!  Come check in my pockets to see if there's anything good.

A Little More Sunshine

Luke and Ally go way back, so even though Ally is uncomfortable with most children, she puts up with Luke's hugs and sweet, "I love you Ally"s.

Who doesn't love working with a pickax that's bigger than yourself?

Considering sprinkler problems in Auntie Sarah's backyard.

Baskin Robbins 31 Flavors!!  Grammy's fondest wish.

Picnic in the Reedley Park.

Trying to catch minnows.  This boy was undressed as soon as he saw water.

Everybody loves you John-Mark, you can stop being so adorable.

To wade or not to wade, that is the question.  Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous name calling (lily-white legs!!) or bare legs against a river of troubles, and by opposing, end them.

She's got it, she knows it, yeah yeah yeah.

We all thought we were rolling up our pant legs so they wouldn't get wet.  We didn't take into consideration the splashing four-year old who, every few minutes, came running up to us through (his) hip-deep water.

We later figured out that the poles went inside the tent...what kind of ridiculous tent-designer designed a tent you have to be inside of to erect?!

Seamus's turn on the family heirloom rocking horse.

Luke says, "I wanna show you my skateboard tricks, Plain 'Ol Grammy!"

*LOVED*

VERY bold.

For sure it was warm enough to slip and slide in California, while in Manitoba there was confectioners sugar scattered all around...it was sugar, right?

California So Far...

We are one week into our California trip and I have just had four rolls of film developed!  This trip is totally digital-camera-free.  It is somehow freeing to know film is all I've got, I do my best, I catch the moments I can, and I let the rest of the moments live on simply in memory. 

My cousin's wedding (the excuse for the trip), was the first wedding I've attended in a long time where I wasn't working, so I took what I considered a bit of a risk and brought only the Pentax K1000.  What fun I had!  And the anticipation of getting film developed only increased my delight when I discovered I had done a pretty great job even without the reassurance of an instant-view LCD screen.  So fun.

We're having a good time, although Seamus is having some trouble adjusting to the time difference (especially since we keep waking him up and hauling him off to do fun stuff!).  And in our remaining week, we have plenty more fun stuff, so perhaps by the time he gets adjusted to the time change it'll be time to go home again.  Poor kid. 

So far on this trip we've gotten to see Aunt Carol and Uncle Phil (Seamus and Aunt Carol share a birthday among other things like their appreciation for dark chocolate), we've attended a wedding, visited Plain Ol' Grammy, seen tons of family, made the wedding programs, went to Bravo Farms, Simonian Farms, played in the water in Grammy and Grandpa's backyard, finished shingling the roof of the shop, listened to a thunderstorm and rain on the patio's tin roof, played with innumerable dogs (each of whom Luke claims to love the best in the world), and eaten lots of great food.  I'm not sure what could be better than eating great food with people you love...except maybe having ALL the people you love in one place at one time.  

We miss you Derek!

 

It's all happenin' at the zoo

We went to the Fresno zoo today.  It was pretty cold in the morning (for Southern California) and none of the animals were out when we rather efficiently and uncharacteristically got there right at opening.  So we took a break, got some hot chocolate, and basked in the sun with the lemurs (Sup Lemur-man?).  Perhaps the most exciting part of the morning was feeding the giraffe.  Her name was Golly, but the deaf in our midst kept calling her Dolly; I prefer the mispronunciation "Jolly"...festive, isn't it?  I've been making these jokes for days and I'm still the only one laughing.  *sigh*  Miss you, Derek.  You would laugh at my jokes, wouldn't you?