for your entertainment

next up

sam and i normally read picture books during the day, but at bedtime, the three of us (when mike is home) go for something a little different. we recently finished the chronicles of narnia, and are about to finish up harry potter and the deathly hallows, so next on the list is the neverending story. we might be going a little heavy on the fantasy, but i'm excited to read this again. it's been a long time.

there's always room for pie

we went to a cook-out tonight (our second of the weekend) and i decided to make a pie to take. i've been pretty much craving blueberry pie ever since this post, but had momentary thoughts about a peach pie (after cooking peaches the other day for sammy...they smellled soooo goood...). still, blueberry was bound to win. i almost always does. until apple season.

as i was working on my filling, i thought about missy and her blueberry picking expedition. and then i thought again about this book, which i must bring with me when we go visiting in october. i think oscar would enjoy the story.

i must've been feeling very domestic today. because pie-making was followed by bread-baking. i'm looking forward to a nice slice of sourdough toast for breakfast tomorrow morning. mmmm....i can hardly wait.

baby sitting

sammy is now rockin' the i-can-sit-on-my-own deal. way to go, kiddo!
does this mean it's time to pack up the bumbo? i think so.

6 month stats

today was sam's 6 month well visit. so, for the curious, here are the stats:

height: 27.2 inches (73rd percentile)

weight: 17lbs 4oz (40th percentile)

head circumference: (58th percentile)

little vintage boy

i couldn't resist a photo of sammy in these overalls from grandma h. makes me wonder who the last little person to wear them was.

6 months old

here he is. six months old with a laundry list of accomplishments which include rolling over (and over and over), nearly sitting up on his own (he's so close he can taste it), eating several kinds of foods (pears, carrots, sweet potatoes, and this week he gets squash), getting in four teeth (the two top middle ones have poked through in the last week!), giving kisses, talking and singing to himself, and really having hair to be reckoned with among them. however, holding still for his photo session was not one of them.
he certainly has his tough times (tonight's bedtime being one of them), but overall, he's such a sweet and happy little guy. i'm so glad he's here so that i can kiss every inch of his adorable face, his little hands, and those sweet little feet and piggies.

oglebay wrap-up

now that i've finally got the last load of laundry in the machine, and a good portion of the bags unpacked, i can do a better report on our vacation last week.
we had such a great time at oglebay. mike has figured out that he's been going to oglebay nearly every year since he was 9 or so, so it was a lot of fun for him to have sam there for his first oglebay experience. he used to go with his grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles, and all his cousins on that side of the family, so it was fun for mike to be re-creating those vacations for sammy.
here's a photo of all the cousins in the cabin. it was a struggle to get them all in one spot - maybe it's because one place can't hold so many cute kids all together for very long.

we had lots of long walks up and down the hills. the mornings are my favorite time to walk at oglebay, and it was fun to bring along my sidekick this year.

we went to the zoo, saw some exhibits, and rode the train...

played on the playground...

went golfing and played putt-putt...

and, of course, went swimming nearly every day...

we were all pooped by the end of the day, and (almost) always ready to get going the next morning. the week went by so fast.

it was so much fun, we hated to leave. but we're glad to be home, too. going to work tomorrow, however, is not something we're looking forward to after so much time off.

and we're back... (sam's report)

here's sam's report on his first vacation at oglebay.

more to come after we get unpacked and settled.

book of the week

almost forgot this week's pick! bartholomew and the oobleck has such a great lesson, and really, how can you miss with dr. seuss?

on a somewhat related note, i could not find a copy of the neverending story at our library!??! trauma! i do think this is a must read, and probably one for the personal library, so i'm hoping to pick up a copy soon. and hopefully this book too.

back in a bit

we're leaving for west virginia tomorrow. i still have tons to do to get ready—clothes to wash and fold, plants to water, lists to make, and things to cross off.
it should be a fabulous week of family and visiting, swimming, golfing, bubbling, and general fun and silliness. i can't wait!

alllllmost there....

because we'll be away on the day of his official 6 month mark, i thought i'd at least post a photo as filler until we get back and do his photo shoot.
i know you'll miss his face, but i promise you'll get a full report on his exploits when we return.

sifting through the trash

found these illustrations the other day on a disk marked unused artwork. they were sketches for a book cover a few years ago. the final was similar in style, but i was a little disappointed that these didn't get chosen. i ended up putting the top illustration on a catalog cover just so it had a purpose.

proud owner

i was finally able to get a few photos of sam's teeth. aren't they lovely? he seems quite proud of his chompers and would be happy to show anyone who volunteers a tasty looking finger for him to demonstrate on. any takers?