Dear Derek,

      The boys and I are missing you.  Especially at bedtime when you would normally read stories, help bathe and dress Luke, and give hugs and kisses before tucking him in.  Seamus seems to know you're missing too and keeps saying, "Da da da da da da", which we are pretty sure means, "Where the heck did my Dad go and how come he didn't take me with him?!" 
       Today we went to the beach with my parents.  We all squeezed into Mom's corolla and hit the road around 9am, which I thought was quite an achievement considering we were only out of bed and blinking around 7:45.  Well, except for Dad, who was up earlier to go to Shafter and help Phil and Carol with an alternator thing...I don't know what all.  We managed to make it to Tobin James in Paso Robles before we needed a stop.  Bad timing I know, to need a bathroom break just when we get to Tobin James.  But we decided to make the best of the situation and taste some wines.  Look up the wine Barberra.  That's the one I'm coming home with.  The merlot I also purchased will not make it home I'm afraid.
        We made it to Pismo just in time for a bread bowl of chowder from Splash and a walk on a very windy and sandy beach.  Poor Seamus, I set him down on the blanket on the sand for about TWO seconds and the blowing sand got all over him.  We'll be finding sand in his crevices for weeks (and my camera's crevices!  ick.).  He was brave though, no tears, even though that had to be strange and uncomfortable.  We had stellar weather.  We were all peeling off layers of sweaters, and long sleeves.  Luke decided to streak while we were trying to get his swim trunks on...I have some pretty funny pictures of that to show you.  If not for the wind, it would have been a perfect day to play in the water.

         Anyway, we ended up in Arroyo Grande Village to have ice cream at Doc Bernstein's and then at a wonderful antique store just up the way and when we left the antique store it was 4pm!  We had planned on driving up the coast towards Ragged Point to let the boys get a nap, but we only got as far as Morro Bay before the sun set and it was dinner time.  So we watched the sun set over the bay, enjoyed a spectacular show put on by some hungry pelicans (they were truly amazing circling and then DIVING into the water with a mighty sploosh!  Luke laughed out loud and shouted, pointing.  He would have jumped up and down but we were already buckled back in the car when we noticed them), and drove up to the rock to watch some waves crash against the breakwater.. 

         Then, in true California fashion, we had supper at Taco Temple where we met Santa Claus and Luke got his photo taken with Santa next to his plate of half-eaten burrito, and Grandpa told Luke all about the poor forgotten shiny-tailed reindeer George, who is the reason car's tail lights are red, and who everybody ignored once Rudolph turned up with his glowing red nose to steal all the glory.  And we drove home in the dark, whispering over the warm, sleeping heads of our two wonderful sons.

           I sigh when I think of today because it was such a splendid, beautiful, warm, sunny day after four?  five? days of dark cold fog.  And I sigh when I think of today because it was so incredibly wonderful to share our boys with my parents, and see them together, and think sadly of all the time we don't get to spend with them (an unhelpful exercise, I know, but I can't help it).  And I sigh when I think of today because it was so close to perfect, if only you had been here.

xoxox,

laura

"It's not a car," he insists, "It's not a truck!" he exclaims,

"It's a Jeep," he sighs and stomps on the gas.

Thanks to Ezekiel's grandparents for sharing the vehicular joy an open-air Jeep can provide.  They also took me on my first open-air Jeep ride when I was a kid.

Too Many Favorites; Seamus's First U.S. Thanksgiving

Like the collection of food on this plate (which I licked clean!), I had too many favorites among my Thanksgiving collection of photos, so you get LOTS.  We had a wonderful day, watching the parade in our jammies, eating turkey at a beautifully set table, eating pecan pie, playing in the lovely Fall foliage, and visiting with dear family.  A first Thanksgiving for Seamus, and a Thanksgiving to remember.

 

 

Seamus' s First Trip to the California Coast

 

 

A little glimpse into our trip to Pismo and Montana de Oro.  This is just the beginning of the photos, a tantalizing taste.  Keep checking back for California fun.

"I'm sometimes funny with gitch on my head."

"Why are the monkeys on my gitch wearing gitch?"

Because monkeys are sometimes funny and pretend to be humans.

"I'm sometimes funny with gitch on my head."

...Yes, I see that, dear.

cousins play date, Kid of the Week

Jaime sent me this picture from her iphone.

Seamus and Cole had a play date this morning because Luke was Kid of the Week at preschool and I got to go to school with him!  I think Cole and Seamus are starting to look more alike.  Maybe it's just their matching stripe-y outfits.  Or the fact that they're both big big boys!  It's good to have cousins.  And cousins so close in age.

   Luke got to bring a Show and Tell (he brought his black stuffed dog whose name, remarkably, is Linus, and told the class, "Linus is a fuzzy little dachshund"), push the button on the elevator, be line leader, bring snack, and go first to wash his hands and sit down for snack.  He also got to help the teacher hold up the wooden letter "C"  and teach the class to start at the top when writing your letters.  It was fun to see what he does, and who he does it with, on Wednesday mornings at preschool, even though I'm certain he wasn't entirely himself with me in the room.  Although, eating the craft was roguishly Luke-like (who can blame him; it was fingerpainting with chocolate pudding?!).

These are really the only pictures I could get without getting some of the other children's faces in.  I didn't want to use any photos with the other kids without the parent's permission, so please forgive me these lame photos.  At least you get to see that my son knows how to sit on a line!  An achievement beyond my wildest imagination.

First Snow, etc.

The first snow.  It melted by lunch time, but Luke and Linus had a good time while it lasted.

The sunset while I was nursing the baby on Saturday.  Mmm.

lego

Luke asked Derek, "Can I pull up a chair and sit with you?"

Frosty rose.

Frosty birch.

What marvelous weather we're having!

Cutest baby in the world, taken by one of the sweetest lenses...50mm, 1.4f.  We visited Winnipeg to look at some camera equipment after our jaunt over to Steinbach on Saturday, and I got to drool over some lenses.  Okay, Seamus and I both drooled :)

Taking Heppner family photos out in the park behind their house.  While the family was getting ready I spent a few minutes getting my camera ready, photographing my boys.  Seamus is sound asleep in his stroller.

So just these two boys got photographed.  Aren't they handsome?

12.5 Hours Straight

Baby Seamus,

Aren't you just my little lamby-kins?

Sleeping through the night-

You blessed snuggle-pot.

But this was truly unexpected,

un-hoped-for,

exceptionally sweet.

Dearest darling, 

it is on such a day as today

after such a night as last night

that epic love poems are written.

One day you will understand,

My lovely.

How wonderful sleep is.

Just for Fun Outdoor Photos in November

On the way he met a cat.  A silly cat.  She was All That. (I know, I date myself with this phrase, but if you've never read Silly Sally, you should.  You too could find yourself trying to make all sentences sound like this.)

We had beautiful light.  And what happened to be "killing an hour", turned into "milking an hour".  It was great fun.