Trying to win the "least often updated blog" award

Here's what you've missed in the past three months:

Garin turned 5!

We went camping at the KOA...

Garin started soccer:

Miles came to visit from Charleston:

The kids made the world's cutest piglets for Halloween!

Garin did 600 kicks and raised $525 at the Sun Dragon
kick-a-thon fundraiser.

Mel did 1,000 kicks with Nyle on her back.

Nyle is getting warmed up for a couple years from now
when he can join us...And if you're lucky, there will be another post before February!

Nyle and Yam

Nyle was named for our friend Amy (in a complex and round-about way). We also call Amy "Yam", to make things even more confusing. Regardless of all that, the two share a special connection, evidenced by Nyle plaintively crying "A-meeeeeee" when he wants to see her
and by moments like these:It's so tempting to photoshop a bottle into Amy's mouth there.
Too bad I'm too tired.

Family Vacation

At the beginning of August we spent a week in Montana at a KOA "Kamping Kabin" with Grammy and Grampa. The kids had a blast. (And we had fun too.) Some highlights:

Staying in a cabin (or a tent for Grammy & Grampa)Riding a dragonPlaygrounds!Playing in the riverHiking up to a giant MAt the University of Montana (see the M?)Hiking to the Wild Horse Monument
(in Washington, not Montana - it was on the road trip)

The floor just got a lot more fun

A friend from karate gave us these foam squares that used to make up the floor of the old dojo. The kids think they are in heaven... (sorry for the blurry photos, they're from the phone camera)

Either this will keep them from getting hurt, or they will get hurt a lot more as they try acrobatics in their bedroom.

Garin Francis, Magazine Model

We've always said that if we had our act together, he could be a magazine model. (See old blog post "Ad Campaigns".) But it turns out all he needs to do is go to school in order to have a full-page spread in this quarter's Texas Child Care Magazine.
The article isn't about his class or anything, but all the pictures in the magazine are from the UT Child Development Center. We must have signed a release for that somewhere along the way.

And wow, if you look at Garin's old blog,
he and Nyle do look a lot alike!

Texas Drought / Texas Gardens

It rained today, for the first time in months (seriously, it has been about two months since rain - the past nine months have been the driest ever on record here, and the third hottest ever).

The yard is deadbut with watering we're still managing to get some things from the garden. Tomatoes, tomatillos, and herbs mostly,other stuff pretty much just baked away. Nyle likes to help water, though the word "help" can be taken loosely since he doesn't stay like this for very long - he likes to harvest, in the same ways squirrels harvest, by taking a bite out of everything he picks.We're trying hard to keep the trees alive too. The bananas seem surprisingly happy given the situation.

Apparently, Nyle also likes to pose,
as you can see from these last two shots.

(Garin has been sick, that's why he wasn't out helping with the plants last weekend when these pictures were taken.
It's not just neglected-older-sibling syndrome.)

All Grown Up

June has been a big month (and we're only two days in!):

Nyle started school!


And Garin learned the joy of a cold [non-alc] margarita on a hot day.

Richard Simmons was our Sperm Donor

Not really, but you'd believe it, wouldn't you:

Spring Photos

The kids were quite cute yesterday...

Hairstyles

Last Friday was "Crazy Hair Day" at Garin's school. He and I (Mel) had a fabulous time styling - we both even got up early in order to have time, and we hate to get up early (or on time, really).
It's hard to tell, but not only is there super-hold styling stuff,
there's also spray-in glitter.Anya got her summer hairdo too. She looks a bit like a poodle.
A demon poodle.

Versatility

You tell me:

Are they Garin's shorts worn as pants on Nyle?Or Nyle's pants worn as shorts on Garin?

If only we could get away with having one set of clothes that they both shared. Their stuff takes up so much space!

Bubbles

These pictures don't quite capture how much fun they had blowing bubbles together, but they're close...