Happy Birthday Caleb!

As unbelievable as it may seem, Caleb recently turned 5!!! Here he is on his big day, enjoying his presents. The massive device on his arm is called a Ben Ten watch, which he coerced from his GaGa and Papa. It was a big, big hit! Can you believe that he favored such a thing over the "Too Much TV" book?

Arboretum

The shade of the tree-filled Arboretum makes it one of the best outdoor play options during the summer. The giant sandbox is always a hit. And this time, Caleb worked up the courage to walk the tight rope!

Aquarium

We visited the Aquarium with GaGa Brenda, Papa Jerry, Michael, Kristy, and Christian. The bottom photo shows the kids looking at stingrays. Christian had no fear...he wanted to dive in with the stingrays. They all enjoyed posing in the scuba divers costume as well.

Caleb Quote O' the Day

Caleb: "What are those things that look like a snowman and you use them for cleaning?"
Matt (using brilliant powers of deduction): "Cottonballs?"
Caleb: "Yes!"

It's Independence Day

So, we chose to brave the hot, hot, HOT 4th of July weather to hit a park. We couldn't stay long as the little people's faces were soon bright red. But they really enjoyed sailing a miniature boat with Matt.

South of the Border (almost)

Here are some photos of our recent trip to San Antonio. Most of these are taken at the gorgeous Japanese Tea Garden. Loved that place! Of course, there's the token shot of the kids' first visit to the Alamo. And rounding out the mix is a pic of Michael with baby Christian. It was a fun "vacation" (Matt was attending a conference much of the time) where we made lots of great food finds and found a couple of new breweries. We were also spoiled by the concierge at our hotel...gotta love the human Google. Good times.

Madi Quote O' the Day

Madi was holding one of my necklaces when she exclaimed, "This cute, Mom, just like you!" Aww...thanks Mads.

Caleb Quote O' the Day

We were eating at a restaurant when three, uniformed Marines walked in. After discussing them a bit, Caleb asked, "Can I be a Marine when I grow up?" I replied that we prefer that he not join the military but that the choice is up to him.
Quickly shifting gears, he decided, "I think I'll just get an office job."

Mama Wolverine

As I was giving Caleb a good-night hug, he yelled, "Your sharp claws are hurting me! You're like an animal!"

Poor Pluto

Caleb has recently become fascinated with space. He has memorized his planets in order and is particularly curious about the controversy surrounding Pluto's status. He and some friends in the homeschool co-op got into a debate over the status of Pluto during one of their lessons. If he can't find Pluto on a map, he's been know to say such things as, "Well, I guess they gave up on Pluto!" A few nights ago, he was naming all of the planets for his Papa. He ended with Neptune, and paused, biting his tongue. As Madi blurted out "Pluto!" Caleb simply muttered under his breath, "Dwarf planet."