New pictures!

Not much has been going on; Noah had a cold, is getting over it now, and is currently battling an ear infection. Luckily, he's pretty easy-going, and we caught the ear infection very, very early so we've got a good bit of the antibiotics in him, and he seems like he's back 110%. He is still coughing every now & then, but from previous experience, this is normal when he's getting over a cold (and the Dr. confirmed that yes, the coughing may linger for 2 weeks or more...fun!).

To help cut down on some of these maladies, we've started him on gummy vitamins, and they're in the shape of Winnie the Pooh. He even asks for them, saying "Pooh Bear fruit snacks? Please?" He's become very Pooh-centric lately, noticing how many Poohs we have around the house. In fact, today one of the assistant teachers at his school asked him what his name was & he responded "Pooh Bear." I thought that was pretty funny. No worries that Pablo has been displaced, however; that little blue penguin is still #1!

And notice above that he's saying "please!" We've really worked hard on this, and he doesn't say it every time, and sometimes he refuses just for the sake of exerting his will, but he'll usually say it without prompting. Then when he's given the requested treat, he'll say "ThankYouWelcome."
We've started watching "The Alaska Experiment" on Discovery. We missed the first few episodes, so had to watch them via the website, and I really, really like it. There are 4 groups of people, 2 couples and a group of 3 friends and a father and his two daughters, and they're all given a place to live (a 200-sq. ft. dwelling with a wood stove), some dry goods and they do have experts dropping in on them (apparently to hunt moose or goat you have to have a guide, but the guide doesn't guarantee that you'll get anything), but other than that, it's up to them to cut all the wood they'll need to survive the 3 months they'll be there (as far as I can tell it's maybe mid-late October that they start?), they'll have t0 gather their water AND get protein somehow. It's really interesting to see what choices they make and how it impacts them. There is no prize--no money, no nuthin'. They're not in competition with each other, this is just to see how strong they are internally, whether or not they can suck it up & do what it takes. Don't get me wrong--yes, I lived in Alaska, but I had the luxury of a nice house (that was provided to me free of charge, thank you Mom & Dad!) and a flush toilet. Which was indoors. Do I think that I could survive, that I could participate in this challenge? Absolutely. I've become a bit complacent in recent years, but I think that I still have that "Suck it up & quit complaining!" part of me that's not too far from the surface. Do I think I'd whine and complain more than I should? Absolutely. Up to a point. I think even I would get tired of my whining and tell myself to shut up & just do it. I remember cross-country skiing and my feet would get so cold (probably because I wasn't moving them enough...but I do remember having a fear of frostbite & loosing a toe...I've always had this thing about losing a toe, whether to frostbite, or a turtle or a snake. Don't ask me to explain it; fears don't have to be rational.) and Dad would stop, and patiently help me take off my shoes, socks & rub my feet. I was whining the entire time. Boy, I must have been fun. The odd thing is, those are some of my favorite memories. That, and Dad stopping to re-wax the skis depending on the condition of the snow, and choosing from what seemed to be 50 different waxes. I remember thinking, "Is this really necessary? Can't we just keep moving? I'm hungry. My feet are cold."

I digress. Not sure what my main point was, but I'll stop & let you look at these pictures...


Outside, in his favorite place--his swing!


Cool baby in sunglasses!


Looking cute in his tres chic Carrabelle "How to be a Pirate" t-shirt!


Notice that Noah is holding on BY HIMSELF!!! Also notice Mommy's pensive expression...


This is what Patrick used to make my Mother's Day present--he did a paint effect on it, and it's really beautiful, but I also like the B&W photo that he cropped & zoomed in on to make the template. Since I'm usually the one taking the photos, there aren't a lot of me & Noah pictures, so this (and the one that Patrick made for me) are really, really special.


Pushing his Tonka truck, wearing Daddy's shoes...I think it's a great look.


Fun with monkey stickers! Notice the one on Daddy's forehead.


Okay, I know that my public was anxious to know about the baby robins--well, here's one perched on the edge of the galvanized planter. This is probably right after they left the nest, since they weren't flying, but hopping & flapping their little wings.



Close up of one of the babies; haven't seen them since, so hopefully they are all okay, and I was happy to be able to see them fly & be free.