Fishing with Grandpa

My dad took me and the boys fishing yesterday. Bud was a little anxious the last time when they went in the boat, so this time my dad found a spot where we could fish from the shore. And they just stocked the lake recently, so success was pretty much a given. Perfect.


When we got there, my dad prepared the hook with some irresistible, don't-disappoint-the-kids kind of bait and propped the pole up with some rocks so Big wouldn't have to hold it. Within maybe a minute, the pole was bobbing up and down with a fish and the boys were bobbing up and down yelling excitedly. I helped Big reel the fish in-- it was a pretty good size! 


My dad prepped the hook once again and cast out-- almost immediately the pole began to jump. We turned to Bud to offer him the chance to reel it in. His demeanor quite rapidly went from this:

To this:

Hmm... I guess not. The first fish flopping around madly on the shore might have done a little bit to contribute to Bud's trepidation. He's not exactly an animal type of guy. Bud turned and headed for the hills. Literally.

So, I helped Big land another fish. Not quite as large as the first, but still a nice size. Wow! Within the first 5 minutes we had caught two! Way to go, Big!

Feeling the thrill that comes with success, Big stuck with Grandpa.

Grandpa doing most of the work...

...while the boss supervised and got all the glory.

Bud came down from the rocks every so often to check things out. He was okay as long as he could keep the fish at arm's length. And they were dead and un-floppy.

The bait seemed to start to work a little less effectively after our fantastic start, and Big had a little trouble setting the hook, so he got to experience the part of fishing that requires patience. C'mon, Fishy!

Oh, here's Bud again. Hi, Bud!

Is it just me, or does Big's stance seem a little less patient?

Anyway, lest you think that Bud was just moping around, bored, while all this fishing was going on... let me reassure you. Bud was doing what Bud loves best-- exploring! He has super great balance, and when it comes to exploring he's pretty much fearless. He was having a blast!

Looks like I was right about Big's patience. He was pretty much done with fishing, too.

When Bud noticed that Big was done with fishing he came to invite Big to climb with him. He even helped show Big the best way to climb. What a great big brother.

You made it, Big! Just like your brother, way to go!

We had such a good time, and it's not often I get to go on an outing with just my boys. Thanks for taking us, Dad!

Eight Months with Edith

Edith turned 8 months old on Thursday. I have to get this post done before I forget everything. I'm old, okay?


This was a big month for Edith. She learned how to wave 'hi', but doesn't yet know that the motion also works for 'bye'. When I try to get her to wave goodbye she looks at me like I'm silly. I also taught Edith how to give five. You can tell she thinks she's pretty cool when she does it. But it's true, she is. See?

Books are still a big hit around here. One of Edith's favorites is "Moo, Baa, La La La" by Sandra Boynton. She does the cutest little 'moo' and a sweet little 'baa' when prompted. I admit that they sound sort of the same when Edith does them, kind of more like a cowsheep and a cowsheep, but still. 


Edith is getting ready to pop a tooth any day now. You can see it through her gums, but it hasn't quite broken the surface. So, I guess this should really be something I include in next month's post. What's weird about it is that she's getting her bottom right center tooth first. All of our other kids got the left one first. She's such an original.


Crawling is in Edith's near future, I'm thinking. She got up on all fours the other day and rocked a little bit. It made her so happy. Her legs were still a little too far back to maintain the pose for long, but she'll figure it out soon. I'm not sure I'm ready to say goodbye to stationary play, but Edith has been dying to get moving so I know she'll be glad when she can.


Edith still loves to be outside. She thought the pumpkins were pretty weird. And lame. But that's because they weren't carved yet. Just you wait, Edith!

It was awfully nippy out. Not that you can tell by her nose, or anything.

When I took Edith back inside to warm up, she displayed another one of her new tricks for the camera. I'm so glad she decided to demonstrate because it's awesome.

I've tried to duplicate it, but it's really hard to do with teeth.


Edith is still the most popular one in the family. Not that I'm jealous or anything. The boys love having a little sister to dote on, and it seems that Edith really loves when they do the doting.

I love it when Big does this to Edith-- he means to make a horn sound like "Arooo-ga", but always says "Gorilla" instead.

Edith's personality is really coming out now. We love it.

Seriously, she is such a hoot. I mean, look at her with Bud.

This is serious business, Edith. I'm trying to take a photo. 

Ha! Just kidding. 

You are such a wonderful and laid back baby, Edith. Keep it up. We love you!

Friday Favorites

Let's see.... I don't know why some weeks are so much harder to remember than others. Okay, they're all hard. My memory stinks. I keep telling myself I need to make notes as the week progresses so I don't forget things, but then I forget to do it. Go figure.

1. On Saturday we went to the final band gig of one of Rophone's buddies. They've been playing together for something like 17 years and it kind of ran its course. I hung outside with Edith and everyone else donned earplugs and went inside. Big loved every minute of it and is now more sure than ever that he wants to be a drummer in a band.

2. After the gig we went to the store and picked up a bunch of organic fruits and veggies. Num! Have I mentioned that I'm a baby-food-making fiend? 

3. Sunday, we went to visit Rophone's grandma to give her a card for her birthday. She turned 105 on Tuesday. Crazy cool.

4. We also went to Rophone's dad's house for dinner on Sunday. It was a lot of fun and Edith really bonded with her grandma and grandpa.

5. The pumpkins are all carved and I took some photos of them all lit up tonight. I really love seeing them. They make me feel all festive and Halloweeny. I'll post pictures of them along with all the other Halloween stuff after I take pictures of the kids in their costumes on Monday. 


6. Edith turned 8 months old yesterday. Crazy.


7. Ginger made some chocolate chip muffins all by herself this afternoon. They turned out great and will make a fun and fast breakfast treat tomorrow morning (since we have to go clean the church at 8 am).


I think that's pretty much it. It's quite possible that I'll remember something else later. If I remember to think about it, that is.

The Driveway

Last week the kids discovered that there is tons of fun to be had on our driveway. The fun goes something like this: 


First, you pedal up, up, up...

Then once you're at the top you make the turn...

...and remove your feet from the pedals and coast down into our oversized garage at the bottom.

Now it's Bud's turn to give it a go.

The best part is that they can do it for hours. I love this newfound pastime. It wears them out nicely, too. Have you ever tried to pedal a tricycle up a hill? Exhausting. It doesn't stop the kids, though. Thank goodness. 


Keep going kids, don't worry about me. I'll be just fine here in the house with Edith. I know it's quiet, but I'm sure we can find something to do.