Happy Birthday to Michael, the handsome, sweet, smart, sassy, feisty, charismatic, funny, irresistible boy that has brought us so much joy for the past 3 years. Love you, Michael Bear!

Big Boy Bike!

Congratulations, David! How many kids do you know who do their first poop on the potty AND learn to ride a bike in the same yea? :) That's my David Joe! Kudos to Daddy who made a commitment to get out there and practice with David every day for about 2 weeks until they completed their mission. David is very proud of himself, and we are very proud of him too :)

Family Camp Olympics

Family Camp

Our friends from Notre Dame, the Engle Family, invited us to join them at YoungLife's Family Camp in late August in Detroit Lakes MN. We had a fun weekend relaxing, playing on the beach, and doing some of the other activities that they had available for us. Here are some video highlights from the Family Camp Olympics. Also, check out David and Michael imitating the comedic MCs of the Family Camp weekend, Rico and Tico Suave and The Extreme Lifeguards.

Back to School

David had his first day of his last year of preschool today. Same great teachers as last year, most of the same great friends. He was very excited to go back. He picked out his favorite Star Wars shirt and "matching" shorts to wear. He got to choose his favorite lunch to give him energy: Tri-color rotini with sauce and grated cheese and strawberries. And he wore his new Clone Wars backpack. When I picked him up he looked happy as a lark. Pictures to follow...

A few other David tidbits...

The other day he picks up his violin and says, "Hey Dad, listen to what I can play!" And he rattles off parts of Bruce Springsteen's Hungry Heart and Dancing in the Dark. Gotta love this kid.

He is very interested in math these days. He has learned several "rules." He knows that any 1 digit number times 100 is "that-digit-hundred" (e.g., 5x100=5 hundred.) He knows that any 2 digit round number times one hundred is "the-first-digit-thousand" (e.g., 50x100 = 5 thousand). He loves being able to solve those "big" problems.

As you may also have noticed, he loves to email. If you haven't yet received an email from him and you would like to, please let me know. I'm sure he would be happy to oblige ;)

Today, he says out of the clear blue sky to me: "I know how to spell "castle." C-A-S-T-L-E." "That's right, David! How did you know that?" "I saw it written down once."

Oh right, of course. I think we call that "photographic" :)

Putting Us To Shame

Michael got a fly with the fly swatter today. I feel like Mr. Miyagi from the Karate Kid. I chase the darn thing all over the kitchen for 5 minutes, looking like a fool. My 2 year old picks up the fly swatter and within a minute - BAM! The fly is dead. Beginner's luck.

A few other Michael stories:

We were at Family Camp this weekend in Detroit Lakes, MN. I told Michael we had to get ready to go back to the dining hall for dinner and that the beach was closed. "How can the beach be closed, Mom? It doesn't have a door!"

Lately, Michael's big word has been "HATE." He hates this, he hates that. I have threatened him with tickle torture every time he says "hate" instead of "really don't like." His response: "I hate being tickled."

Sweet and Sour

My Michael said to me this morning, "Mom, you are the best girl ever." And 2 nights ago as Brian walked past his room at night, he said, "Dad, you are a great dad." Sweetie pie boy. Let's just ignore the fact that yesterday he said he "hated the world" and didn't like God because he doesn't have shoes ;)