Staurday was a brisk and rainy day, and the chickens were happy to get outside. Josh took some pictures of them at the top of the stairs, showing off their sticks. Sticks are pretty impressive sometimes.
At least to two- and four-year-olds
Joel and Christine came over from Chittenden and brought all of the Tate cousins. They are all sittin on Rock Dundar on the shore.
From the left, Lucy Joy, Grace, Lucy Gates, Elisabeth, Obadiah, and Bowden.
The day was gray, but still, Josh had not had enough weather.

A panoramic shot with the Tate girlings and Jobie.

Obadiah loved the shore just as much as the other kids- he's standing on zebra mussel shells. They break with nice crunchy tinklings, and I think he enjoyed the sound and feel of them.
The girls collected mussel shells- they look more like abalone to me, but rounder- and then they all pretended to be seals.

Obadiah made a run for the water every chance he could.

Joel had him firmly by the "scruff of the neck," but I think Obie managed to wet his pants eventually.
Uncle Josh joined us.

I harassed him with pictures. I certainly could have edited the content here, but I will let you choose.

Too close.
Too strained.
Josh thought he looked weird, but it was okay of me.
Joel and Christine by the water.

Lucy giving a funny look.
She wanted to ride in the boat, and we all gave Josh a hard time for not having a life jacket for her.

We had a pleasant time with Joel and Christine, and settled down for the night in the living room with nice fire. The visit was full of slow and comfortable nights.

Jack-a-whack, 18 weeks old.

so...we're back...i'll post more once i recover from the sadness of a vacation completed.



and when i'm at a computer that will take my photos. suffice it to say, it was Wonderful.

Vermont!!!! We're coming!!!
We'll be at the Lake House starting whenever we exit the plane we get on tomorrow until the twentieth.
We are all so excited.

We went to the Hemet Library, where my children interacted with the statue of children.
I was looking for the second book in the Robert Jordan series, Wheel of Time. It wasn't there. Mr. Jordan just died last month without finishing the last book in the series. I've read the other eleven, but the last one is incomplete.
We did rent The Rescuers Down Under, and Bob the Builder and Go, Diego, Go! And some books, you know, like, to read and stuff.

A seventeen-week-old mankin, just lounging about.
Jack's eyes are still kind of blue, but they will be brownish, I believe.

Some more Autumnal fun for you.... What can you do on a nice fall day with a thousand acorns strewn on the fake grass around you?
Pick the acorns up...
( Yes, I said pick them up.)
...and throw!!!! Aim for something fun, like a hat, or your father's belly. Don't aim at the baby, or the mommy.
The baby will watch, in the shade.

You don't have to throw them, since they are easily collected.
(We are not good shots.)

Trees have good aim, though. One oak tree hit its mark here.
You can also make a necktie for the baby from oak leaves...
...or a sassy crown for the little girl.

It's important to have the right tools nearby. The hat is good for collecting and tossing...
...and dumping, too. Acorns also make a cozy bed to lie on, for a second or two.
You can dump all of the acorns out at once...
...or try it three or four times to get all of them out in batches.
Then you can make a heart for your daddy with the pile. Once the heart is completed, the final game is kick the pile to smithereens!!!! (I had to participate, so I didn't get a picture.)