Definitely genetic

Are you wondering where Grant learned to do something as crazy as this???

Nope, I didn't figure you were.

These two guys have birthdays coming up.  One of them is growing up so fast....

The other one.........

I'm still hopeful.

Gotta love him.

stuff that doesn't really go together but I put together anyway - so very non-"type A" of me

No, Grant did not spell his name with his matchbox cars.

I did that for him.  He did have them sorted by himself.

Look what David got me for my birthday!!!

.....and I didn't even know I needed one.

He's pretty nice like that...you know....always sacrificing his needs to ensure members of his family have the things they need....

like three wheelers 

The story is that he was on a business trip and saw this along the road for sale and it kept yelling at him "buy me, buy me".....or something like that. 

sounds pretty questionable, huh Grant?

David playing with his camera at the farm...

He's got a remote for the camera he was playing with.

Adolescence in full bloom.
                                 Look at the hand here!

She's growing up right before our eyes.

What a good kid.  I don't tell her that often enough.

These guys are pretty good too

sometimes I think they look more like twins than the actual twins do

It's genetic

How many three year olds, without being prompted, sort their matchbox cars by color .......

ummmm, I don't know the answer, but I'm guessing not many.

However,

I appear to have one in my house.

This is what I found him doing one day in the living room while Grace was at school.

He loves to clean his room when it gets messy.

He cleans the playroom with a joy I do not understand. (of course I pay him to do that) (in pennies) (he's cheap help)

But THIS??

No one can look at this and question the role of genetics in the make up of personality.

David is Type A.

I am Type A.

Does that make Grant type AA?

It's a burden people.  We live with compulsions beyond explanation around here.

At least we're organized.....

right down to the color of our matchbox cars.

Happy Sunday.

Fall at the Farm

The Old Bardstown Road that runs through our property

The creek bed completely dry

Our braided tree trunks

John showing his talents as a monkey

Pictures of some of the stone fence on the property

Stone fence along the edge of the creek marking the boundary of the property

Rhino riding in the creekbed

Remnants from an old well house we think.

Grace walking the path through the center of the creekbed

Emily's treasure she found....

the last flowers of the summer

Night Visions

I think we're missing these right now.......

(by the way, Grant IS under that blanket) (sound asleep)

our own beds that is.

I love the holidays.  I'm glad to see family.

I'm even 'gladder' to get home.

We've had a wonderful time visiting with David's family.

We hope to see some of you still.

Then I hope to see my bed.  The kids will be happy about that too.  They don't travel much better than I do.  I am a self proclaimed homebody.

Hope you've had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

I am so thankful for family, freedom, food, fun and right now......

my bed at home waiting on me.

Kindergarten

Grace sitting in carpool line one morning.  We were goofing around waiting our turn in line.

Mr Grant still wearing shorts.

I swear he has no sensory perception of cold and hot.  He runs around in t-shirts and shorts and barefoot even when the temperatures outside are pushing the mid-fifties!! Brrrrrrrr.  He cries if I make him come in to get dressed or put on shoes.

Pictures from the Halloween party at kindergarten.  I helped with this party.  I always volunteer to do the Halloween one.  It seems the easiest to plan since there's costumes and candy already involved.

There are eleven boys and three girls in Grace's kindergarten class.

It makes for a loud and rowdy time.  We tried to plan activites that had them all up and moving...

like pin the tail on the donkey.

When things got a little too wild, we stopped for a Halloween story break......

No, that is not me wearing the witch's hat reading to the class.

See all the boys????  Where are the princesses??

Grace after class that day with Ms. Michelle, Ms. Lisa and Ms. Jackie.  Ms. Jackie is her primary teacher.  The other two are teacher's aides.  How great is that to have three adults and only fourteen kids?

Figured I'd better post Halloween pictures before Thanksgiving gets here.  Maybe I won't look so far behind that way.

Grant as an only child....

Here's what a day with Grant looks like when no one is home but the two of us.....

One moment he's off to slay a fierce dragon lurking in the garage.....

then he's off to drive his circus train through the shipyard in our livingroom.


He really just hangs out and does his own thing most of the time.

We'll read an occasional book together or watch a TV show.

Most of the time though he is content to play his way with the toys he chooses.

Sometimes it's a head scratcher though as to exactly WHAT it is he's playing.

I've not figured out how a pirate ship, a circus train, Noah's ark, Mater the tow truck, farm implements and a kitchen fit together in ANY story line.

It worked for him....that's all that counts.

Another day, it was tap tap tap pound pound pound

workin' over his tools with a vengeance.

Even with my prime lens, there was no such thing as  a clear picture!

This was cute for the first thirty minutes....

then the noise got a bit old.

Just for fun.......

evidence of hours spent riding a bike and wiping out frequently.

On to another day and his impromptu birthday party on the stairs.

I was the lone person honored to receive an invitation to the celebration.

He worked long and hard getting things ready.

You can tell he was concentrating.....look at the tongue stuck out!!

He's really loving this only child thing!!

Sometimes I think Grace would like a little time as an only child too.

Here's Grace's not so subtle way of letting Grant know he was not welcome in her room.

Ahhhh, just another day in paradise!!