Way too many pictures

These pictures are far too numerous and in completely random order. But . . . you can't say I didn't post some pictures.

This is Cowen making Emeline laugh. You'll notice several Cowen/Emeline pictures. Emeline ADORES Cowen in true younger sister/older brother adoration that caused me to agree to anything Derek ever proposed. I find it heartwarming to see the familiar pattern being repeated.


This is from today (Wed). My sister-in-law, Lindsay (Wyatt's wife) came over with her two girls to help me weed my ATROCIOUS garden. I planted the seeds and then did nothing because I felt so sick, so the whole garden was a carpet of sticker weeds. We went out for an hour this morning and tried to get it under control. The picture in the background is the garden after the two hours we spent.






This is a picture of the stickers (goat's heads for those Canadians out there) that dominate my backyard. When we first moved in that was ALL THERE WAS. No grass. Just waist high weeds and a carpet of stickers. Cowen would come in bleeding every time he went out to play. We've put a lot of energy into the backyard, and slowly, but surely, we are reclaiming it for human use.











This is my hero--Lindsay Ann--working in the garden after I wimped out and went inside. We had fed the kids lunch, put them down for naps, and Lindsay Ann went back out to keep working. She worked for hours and pulled up almost every weed in the garden. My garden is not small. I couldn't believe it. She said it was fun. To an avid sun-avoider like myself, I found that hard to believe, but she insisted it was the truth.




I wore an anklet on Tuesday to my Dr.'s appointment--anklets being the only kind of jewelry I like outside of my wedding ring--and Cowen kept wanting to wear it. I kept saying no. Then he found a bobel (sp??) I use in Miriam's hair and made himself an anklet. He wore it around all Tuesday afternoon and evening.












I see this picture and all I can think is, "Don't break your face."
















Emeline copying Cowen. Her favorite hobby. In fact, she is learning how to talk from Cowen, which is difficult because Cowen doesn't speak much English. Tim didn't believe me that she copies Cowen and not anyone else, but then we got to talking about horses one night and Miriam, Tim, and I were using the word "horse" and Cowen was saying "didi" and what does Emeline say, "Didi." Tim kept saying horse over and over (she's a good mimicker, she'll say just about anything right after you), but Emeline insisted on saying "didi" over and over. Very funny.


She still has the blasted rash!!! Argh, I am so tired of seeing her face all awful looking. Derek (my bro who is a family practice doctor) and Polly (my good friend and long distance pediatrician) both said to wait until Monday to see how her face is then before taking her to a doctor.













Emeline rubbing her brother's head while he makes faces.











Cowen is a lot like his dad. He doesn't say much around other people and he's a little quieter in a crowd--but he's bone-deep weird.














Cute.











I too wonder about her outfit. She was being a princess that day, but the hat is crazy enough for Kami to spend large sums on it and wear it at odd times.










The best thing about Miriam knowing how to read--sometimes she sits still!!!!!!!
















The kids' new sleeping bags!



















Hmm.









































This is supposed to be Emeline's mean face but I took the picture too late to get her authentic mean look, and got a half-hearted, "am I allowed to cheer up now?" look instead.









Making faces together.