Cub Scout!

Yes, my firstborn has entered the world of Scouting. If only I were as enamored about it as he is. Actually, Cub Scouts learn some pretty useful things. It's good to have a program to make sure they learn it, rather than hope we've covered everything when he leaves home. Meanwhile, he is VERY excited!

Here he is, in his stiff new uniform on his first day.

This picture will make me cry buckets when he's grown up.

He has already earned his Bobcat, which is basically the introduction to Scouting. On his very first day, he started asking me if he had earned any patches yet. It didn't take long! I'm pinning his patch on while he's upside down, then he has to do a good deed to get it turned right side up.

Poor kid, he was almost purple by the time everyone was finished taking pictures and making comments!

Yesterday I overheard the boys talking and Spencer said in his most mature voice, "Carson, when I was little, there wasn't even a Cars movie!" (It's a wonder there was television waaaaaay back then!)

Spencer still struggles sometimes because Carson gets to play outside in the afternoon, but he has to do his homework. I told him the rule is that we work before we play. He said, "I'll give you twenty bucks if you change the rules." I declined, pointing out that he didn't have twenty bucks. "I'll get some!" he offered. Nope, not negotiable. I pray he will not go into politics.

Lastly, I discovered today that he trimmed his eyelashes. We always talk about how long and beautiful they are, and apparently he was worried that he looked like a girl. So he took it upon himself to appear more masculine. I'm just glad he didn't poke his eyes out. Hide the scissors!

Baby Pics

Life flies by at an astonishing pace. Little Parker is no longer a newborn! He is so fun to have in our family. I can't imagine any baby being more adored than he is.

I finally brought up the baby swing and put it in the kitchen, which has been very handy. Now he feels like part of the family while we're making or eating meals. And occasionally, he's just too tired to care....

Naptime together... Dakota loves Parker too. Though I try to keep him as sanitary as possible, once in a while he gets a great big doggy kiss on his face!

These big brothers are so funny! All they have to do is smile at him and he starts laughing.

I realize I'm not much of a photographer, but I had to try and capture the two cute little hands together. Spencer gets such a beautiful tan each summer!

I have to laugh when they discover their hands (especially when they go cross-eyed). When's the last time you studied your hand like this?? They really are quite a miracle, if you think about it. All those tiny muscles, bones, and tendons.... People are a long, long way from developing anything that nearly resembles the delicate movements of a real human hand.

I think he has a few more years to grow into the firefighter boots! (That's probably a good thing since I know a 4-year-old who would be very upset if his little brother wore his favorite boots.)

Spencer is 8!!

Spencer was born at just about the hottest time of year. For his birthday he wanted to go to the zoo, but it was close to 100 degrees that day, so he conceded to go to the aquarium instead. Whew!

Are you as tall as a penguin?

I am SOOOO glad there are not real frogs this size!

Presents! Spencer fell in love with the LSU Tigers football team last year (mainly because they wear yellow uniforms). I found this t-shirt online for him. He was quite pleased.

He also got his own scriptures with his name embossed on the cover. He was impressed. "How did you get my name on it??" he asked.

A little friendly football game between the brothers....

No birthday cake this year, just a birthday donut. This is per Spencer's request. He won't be able to do donuts much longer--not enough room for all those candles!

And the culmination of the birthday week was Spencer's baptism. It was a little bit of heaven on earth to see them both dressed in white together. Andy is a great dad!

Fair

One of my favorite things about summer is going to the county fair. Not only do I get my cotton candy fix, but I also enjoy seeing the animals, the booths, and the interesting people who seem to come out of the woodwork for events like this.

The petting zoo is always a favorite for me, but apparently my boys are not as excited about it. This year was especially fun because there was a baby zebra, a camel (wow!), llamas, and a tiny Shetland pony. So cute! For the record, zebras have very soft fur.

This is the stuff they get excited about...army trucks!

We attended the rattlesnake show, which was more hype than anything. Parker was bored, as you can see. He was a very good boy though.

This was spontaneous brotherly love. Spencer takes good care of Carson.

They each got to choose a couple of rides, so Spencer went on the airplanes.

Carson chose boats, and of course Spencer had to wave right as I took the picture.

Carson doesn't like onions, but I still cook with them anyway. One night he noticed them in his last bite and gagged a little. The episode dredged up a memory for him...

Carson: "Remember that night when I throwed up on my pillow?"

Me: "Yes, that was a long time ago."

Carson (getting tearful): "Yeah, that was a really sad night!"

I guess it's still sad after all this time!

Andy Update

Oh boy, do I have a treat for you! Andy has been doing various camps and activities with the youth of our church, and this post is about some of the fun he's had this summer....

Yes, he is getting a makeover! Things like this happen when you go to girls' camp! (It's very different from Scouts!)

Check out those luscious lashes!! I think we have a new Covergirl!

I wish we could zoom in somehow, but he had his nails done as well. In fact, each nail is a different color, with various designs. He kept the polish on through the weekend and wore it to church!

I like this picture because he's showing off his lovely nails (note the way he delicately fans his fingers) while wearing his "tough guy" Popeye shirt!

This is Andy at the beginning of a mud volleyball game...

And this is Andy after the game.... (Yes, I did actually get his clothes clean again, though we threw away the jeans since they were trashy anyway.)

Baby Smiles

Parker has been smiling for a while now, so here are some fun pictures for you. He is a happy little guy and thinks his brothers are lots of fun. He is also quite ticklish, and diaper-changing elicits giggles every time!

The first smile I caught on camera....

Enjoying Carson's play-by-play of his Lego story

Wow! That was a good one!

Showing off some of his new outfits

He is SO loved, somewhat to his chagrin!

"Are we done yet?"

Sitting up like the big boys. If you can't read his shirt, it says, "Daddy and I agree: Mommy is the boss!" Yes, I bought him that.

Too pooped to party (in more ways than one, I'm sure!)

Looking good in his church clothes. One of these days he'll probably be like Carson and start to cry when I tell him it's "church day."

Furry Friends

Here are a few little updates on our pets....

Andy and Slippy have always had a close relationship, especially when sleeping is the activity at hand.

Spencer caught her in sort of a regal pose here.... Too bad her haircut is a little messy this time. She has taken up the habit of drinking from the dog bowl. She could probably fit her whole body in it. One morning she brazenly waltzed through the living room and helped herself to a long drink while Dakota stood nearby in shock.

Dakota is a wonderful listener for someone learning to read. I only wish she could correct him if he makes a mistake!

Look who's pretty in pink! Dakota got a new flowery collar. She likes to be girly sometimes too. Our poor baby is afraid of thunderstorms and fireworks. We had to get her some "happy pills" for the Fourth of July. Just the neighborhood firecrackers were making her nervous. So the vet gave us a prescription, and on the label it says, "Give 1 to 2 tablets as needed for fireworks." That just really tickled my funny bone. I've seen a lot of prescriptions, but never one for fireworks! Anyway, Andy occasionally sleeps on the couch when the thunder is too scary. Between the dog and the baby, neither of us gets much sleep these days!