7-15

As everyone knows, my dissertation is due to my committee in one month. So here are some pictures instead!

We've been having a lovely summer - Annie visited and we took the boys to the pool and the Poudre River and no one drowned. Then for my birthday (observed) we went back to the Poudre River and found a nice spot with a sandy bottom to hang out at for a little while. There was nobody else around, which added to the general feeling of wickedness.

And John has started laughing, although he stops as soon as I try to show anyone.

6-25-15

Well hello! The boys have settled back in after their adventure in Castle Rock. All three of them were gone for a whole week! I got a lot of experiments done that all worked perfectly - I guess it's time to graduate and move on to a new challenge. They, meanwhile, snoozed, ate treats, and lounged poolside - luckies!

Then they got back and Becky was still on vacation, so Oscar and I got to have some fun together. We drew with chalk, made Indian paint rocks, baked muffins, and mixed colors in our super-scientific flasks from the wedding. I only broke one of them getting it all set up, too.

Finally, the garden tour. Clivia, having had a near-death experience, decided to bloom at last. Eric cut off all the dead leaf bits so it doesn't look nearly as gnarly as it could have.the smelly roses are doing really well, and the sweet pea finally bloomed! It rained today so I couldn't say if it actually smells sweet. Maybe tomorrow. the tomato and scotch bonnets are flowering, and so far have escaped the attentions of Oscar. the not-smelly rose is also looking fine. The roses are particularly impressive because they mostly died back to nothing after the winter. our plum trees have leaf curl aphid, and consequently they are also hosting the colorado ladybug, which looks mostly like an orange smear here. I have tried redistributing the ladybugs to other plants under aphid attack, but they seem to prefer the plum trees. and finally, the asiatic lily bloomed today! I smelled that one before it rained, and boy is it stinky!

Oscar had his 30 month checkup yesterday. He weighs 32 pounds and is 35.75 inches tall, but the doctor did not tell us where that puts hm on the growth charts. In the normal range, I'm assuming. 

And Pat and Amanda got back from Ecuador today so we'll see how that goes...

6-10

John got his two month checkup at the end of May- he's exactly two feet long and 11+ pounds, which puts him in the 90th percentile for height and 20th for weight. He's a string bean!

Oscar managed to break the camera so we'll get the pictures off there one day. But I the meantime the iPad does pretty well.

So what have we here? The pictures are in reverse order for no good reason. John is strong; we make good progress on the patio; I wear the sweater I finished!; Eric paints his figurine and holds his boys; Oscar makes a card; Oscar takes a picture!

Bonus Videos!

5/24/2015

Ok.  Its been a while and things are moving along.  Between thesis's, babies, work, teaching, training, grants, and everything else the blog has remained un-updated.  So here is a mega update!

To kick us off we have Pocky demonstrating the universal cat code "If I fits" I sits"

Now the main course! Children and Babies! 

John smiles in his sleep!

John smiles when he is awake!

And sometimes he doesn't smile but that's ok too.

He also has great neck strength!

Oscar is doing good work too. Here he is helping in the kitchen, making muffins in his lab coat... like a scientist!

And getting down with him bad self.

Since it is memorial day weekend and we are having such a stressful time with the baby, the thesis and the grant we decided to splurge and buy Mawg's dream tree.  She has been talking about this tree for between 2 and 4 years, because you see them all over town.  They bloom in white/pink clusters and transform into brilliant pink red berries in the late summer and fall.  They also develop bonsai like trunks that twist and twirl...pretty cool!  It is known as a toba thorn-less hawthorn (is that possible?) 

As reciprocation for the sweet tree, I decided to buy all the hottest peppers I could and plant them in the raised bed.  Scotch bonnets, habeneros, ghosts, jalapenos, Thai dragons, Anaheims, orange blazes, and a couple of misc.  Lets hope for a good harvest and a lot of hotsauce!  Oscar is especially fond of getting in the raqised bed but he sinks up to his ankles in the loose soil and mud. 

All this outside work requires a good rest in a shady spot.  Johns hard work especially.  Here are the boys being friendly and taking it easy.  Oscar has learned how to give John a pacifier when he cries and he does it with some amount of self-control which is a good sign.