My all time favorite fall harvest game booth

more ninja moves

Ninja Twin Power--Activate!!

We had fun at the fall harvest festival in ABQ!! We practiced all of our coolest ninja moves on the trampoline--we have the sideswipe, the superspin, the chopstick, and combo platter. We're awesome secret ninjas. We were at target in our costumes and I told Jude he had invisible powers, so he would say "Powers, turn on" and I would act like I couldn't see him..."then powers turn off" and I would act surprised that he was there. Everyone around was laughing at us, but hey--why not make memories at target? We're there enough...

New friends in ABQ!

Watching a movie...

Jude Tries Kindergarten

In California, Jude was not too young to start Kinder, so we tried it out--as you can see, he wasn't thrilled with it. Well, he did enjoy the first day...but it went downhill after that. I think it was just too many changes at once....plus we shot back to New Mexico. I KNEW he needed that extra year---nice when you get the chance to prove yourself right:) It was a nice school, though, if he had been ready. He got the just in time for school pictures--of course, we ordered some, so they're on the way:)

Friends in Redding

This is my friend, Coleen, and here hubby, Brian, and daughter, Gavrielle.We were blessed to stay with them in Redding. I think we hit the three most free-family-oriented weekends in the city--we visited Turtle Bay, the Sundial Bridge, and Jude bounced for 4 hours straight at a jumping place while we passed out samples from their restaurant, Grilla Bites.

Longbeach

I can't BELIEVE I forgot to take beach pictures!! But we did go every day for almost a week and we got ALL THE WAY IN at Seal Beach in September, which is NOT a warm time for the Pacific, if there is one. I think Jude shivered for about 45 minutes after, but the waves were fun. Open sea...salt up your nose...dirt in your swimsuit...seagulls stealing food right out of your bag...and freezing, to boot....nothing quite like it. I definitely prefer the Indian Ocean--like a lukewarm cup of tea, but blue") We visited the aquarium and got to touch sharks and stingrays--they were way friendlier than I thought. That was fun!!

Road Trippin it

I don't know how many McDonald's we stopped at on the way to Redding, but we got comfortable enough that wearing pajama's inside was no big deal...here's jude in his pj's from our early morning head-out...his big meal was PANCAKES!! Mom, I want PANCAKES!!!

Emerald, Diane, and Maisy in Longbeach

We had SO much fun with our friends in CA on the way to Redding!!

Thanks for the good times, Di and EM!!

Birthday Bike

Thanks you, Jesus, for providing exactly the bike that Jude wanted at a fourth of the price I originally found it! that was so cool! You are a great gift-giver! And thanks for my mom, too!

Birthday Boy

Jude and I were in Texas for his birthday, so unfortunately, Fred couldn't be there, but we had a nice little B-day party with Nonny, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins.....the best place to be in Texas in August is a big pool, so that's where we landed. It was fun! Thanks, Aunt Cyndi and Uncle Chuck for being the hosts...

Soccer Mom

Listen to me scream as Jude hi-jacks the ball! Who knew I would be like that!

SF Children's Museum w/ friends Crystal and Trent

This was a fun day hanging out with our friends...Jude had a great time--almost too great a time. What I didn't get pictures of was Jude leaving with museum with no pants or underwear because he was too happy jumping to think about going potty...til it was a little (actually, a lot) too late. Oops! Sorry musuem workers:)

VBS "the Beehive"

Jude's Pre-school is also a Lutheran Church, and he had so much fun with his teacher, Miss Laura and her husband, the pastor AND bee-keeper, Doug. I don't why I don't have more pictures--there were lots of kids. One mom there told me that her daughter (about two)went to get her hair cut and wanted it just like Jude's . I guess she thought getting it cut at the salon, that would be a possiblity. She cried when whe ended up with the same naturally straight hair. Thought that was funny...

Summer is almost over

I think I would feel worse about this summer ending if Jude were entering kindergarten...he's probably ready, but I'm not. And since his birthday is 2 days after the cut-off, I get to keep him in pre-K another year. Another year of days with Mom, hanging out, where time is still mysterious and schedules are still sporadic. I know I'll be glad when he starts next year, but for now, I still get to go to story time, play with play-dough, hopefully teach him some music, and have play-dates with other moms. And I love his pre-k anyway--they love him, too, so that all works out! God knew what He was doing--when I was trying to be closer to my due date and God and Jude weren't in any hurry! Who can blame me--it looked like I was going to give birth to a 20 pound meat ball. I'm glad that didn't happen.

My little baby is growing up!

Jude is such a whiz on anything with wheels! Every one is always so impressed...or suppresed, as Jude likes to say.

Little Boy, Big Hair

I think it's so funny how many people ask to touch Jude's hair. It's like a funny phenomenon that happens in grocery stores...the last place you really want people to touch him after handling grocery cart handles, but there's something so human about touching hair. It's hard to say no. It's like when a blond shows up in a village in Africa...that's sort of Jude in Santa Fe. I think it's good to keep our curiosity about people...it keeps life real.

Jude-isms

Every kid learning to talk says some funny things. but here are some of my favorites for Jude all at different ages...
It's a countdown from 10!

#10...on personal hygiene: "My horn expounds!"
Translation...my diaper is exploding! Wwhen Jude was small, for some unknown reason, he called his little behind his horn--I can't remember why that started at all, but one day when his diaper was about to explode and that's the sentence his brain worked out to communicate it--pretty funny, I thought!

#9 ...on digestion: "You eat that sandwich, it get's to poop, not pee!"
Pretty self explanatory, I guess. It becomes a solid, not a liquid! that was just as funny as when he told me that I need to learn to pee standing up.

#8 ...on trains: "It's a steam mocolotive"
So darn cute!

#7 ...on mispronunciations: "Chickabelt"=Tinkerbell....Hostible= hospital....pooter games for= computer games...I want to go to Old MacDonalds to get a burger.....Mom, look at my new convention (invention)....my helicopter can't fly without a compeller....

#6...on making the bed: "I took the pillow-suitcase-off for you, mom"

#5...on food/provision: I told him we didn't have any chocolate in the house for a treat, so he asked me "Do we have some in God's house?"
Good question! Nothing is impossible with God!

#4...on fruit: "Mom, what's the fruit with the big seed in the middle?" Me--I don't know, what are you talking about? Jude: " Oh, I think it's called a colorado"
Explanation: AVACADO!!

#3...on discipline: I say "You need to calm down" and Jude says "Oh, come on mom, I don't mean to hurt you!"

#2...on another name for me when I tell him to do something: "OK, ma'am-dude"

#1...on general frustration: "I forgive up"

Seeing Stars

Blue Monkeys

Soccer Time

Jude has officially entered into the world of organized sports...through the American Youth Soccer association. His team's name is aptly named "The Blue Monkeys." They don't really play games yet, but they are learning to handle the ball ...or rather, not handle it with their hands. the first day, the coach taught them that the inside of the foot is shaped like a banana and that's the area you use to kick the ball. Jude really took off with that analogy, yelling "banana!" with a huge smile at the top of his voice every time he kicked the ball. It takes a special person to coach toddler sports.You might wonder why we chose to enroll him in soccer as opposed to softball or something else--one reason is that soccer is the official favorite sport in Kenya and Fred really likes it, another is that they allow kids younger than five to play, but I mostly chose it because I think Jude has the perfect hair for it. Total crazy soccer hair--it sort of gives definition to the wildness of it just to name it that. I like it. Jude likes it. I think it works.