1-31

Sam's good buddy Tommy came over to play today. They were two peas in a pod! The six (almost 7) year olds got along great, but once you throw an 8 (almost 9) year old into the mix, things go sour. I'll bet Tommy learned- by repeated examples- some great ways to fight with his brother!
I like that this picture captured the sweetness of the two younger boys and the goofballish-ness of the bigger boy--- that is one of the big things I will remember about this day!

1-30

Basketball Saturday.
Sam got in the game a bit more this week, showing off his pivoting skills. Uncle Bob, Meemom, and Poppy came up to watch games and got to appreciate the fun and entertainment that is 1st and 2nd graders playing basketball. We all enjoyed Ben's game too- it was action packed!
I like how Sam is oddly in focus in this shot while everyone else is blurry... not sure how that happened!

1-29

Breakfast goofiness. Apparently, if we are awake, we should be goofing to the best of our ability. Its an unspoken policy around here.

1-28

Hair cut day.
The boys all had haircuts today to get ready for our upcoming trip. This was Toby's first real grooming and he is quite short. We are not used to him this way! But, it is a good thing that we can now see his eyes!

1-27

Toby's assortment of toys... as they usually are found, laying all about! We put them away in a little basket, he pulls them all out and leaves them all over the place. Just like a kid!
(Also, full disclosure: I totally forgot to take a picture today until I was headed to bed, tripping over dog toys... )

1-26

Another sunset shot- this time from the back yard. Its a little difficult to appreciate, but I like the contrast between the drab colors of the backyards and the vibrant colors of the sky

1-25

Just a quick shot of the day's craziness... piggyback races! Toby thought it was totally fun and got in on the act with his duck. Love how Toby's hair is sticking up! At one point, Toby was assisted onto Sam's back for a triple-decker piggy back.
As is usually the case, it was all fun and games until someone got hurt... (file that under 'life with BOYS'!)

1-24

Today, Ben came home from church with the idea to surprise Sam with a LEGO table. He asked to borrow the card table, and then got busy setting up Lego's, signs, and the containers with Legos underneath. Each sign says something different, like 'do not disturb- building in progress' and 'Legos Rock'. I have no idea where this idea came from, but it was so very sweet to see Ben do such a loving thing for his brother!

1-23

Basketball Saturday.
This is the "tunnel" the kids run through as their names are announced before the game starts. It is really fun and a huge deal for the kids. Ben and Sam love the tunnel at the other church better because there are spot lights and 'smoke'. Both of those factors mean it is very unlikely I will get a good picture! So, this 'tunnel' will have to do for now...

1-22

Love this crazy kid! There he sits, in a basket, with feet reclining on an oversized baseball, playing DS. He is as happy as you will ever see him. In the background, you can see evidence of his prior endeavors: the knocked-over batman castle and a LEGO creation. He was into it all and loving it all today!
Of course, it was a bit of a special day, because his buddy Hunter was over to play. That means that all toys must be played with for at least 3.7 minutes before moving on to the next toy!

1-21

Sam, Toby, and I took a quick walk to the end of the street this evening. I love, love, love walking down past the 10 or so houses it takes to get to this view. It reminds me how very, very lucky we are to live where we do!
We got there just in time to catch this pretty bit of sunset poking out. A little touch of drama in photoshop, and not a bad shot.

1-20

A gorgeous, sunny day. We don't get much of those in January. It has been such a strange winter! But, the boys took advantage of this 'balmy' weather by climbing the tree in the back yard.

1-19

Snack time. Today's fare was hot chocolate with marshmallows and a granola bar. (The boys still often ask for a ga-nilla bar... I should remind them of the proper pronunciation, but I usually just smile and ask what flavor!) Also, we have to make sure to have about equal amounts of marshmallows for each boy... always gotta be fair!
A nice sugar boost before we start homework.

1-18

Here we are off to Coeur d'Alene for a few errands and for Ryan and I to see Avatar in the (real) theater. Everyone was happy in the car... Toby with the back seat all to himself, Ben and Sam playing DS, and Ryan and I enjoying the sunshine!
I love the sun flare through the window, Toby's expression, and the little 'detail of everyday life' (the horrendously dirty back window of my mini-van!) caught in this shot.

1-17

This is how I say goodnight to my son every night. I sit next to him, and try to get a hug or a kiss. Most of the time he will throw one arm around my neck and say, "Goodnight, Mom.", his eyes never leaving the page. Of course, even when his eyes do look straight at me, I can tell most of him is still thoroughly entrenched with the wizards of Hogwart's. What can I say, Harry Potter is tough competition!

I love that this picture shows the reading lamps I scored *on clearance* for the boys- best $4 I've ever spent! Now, they can't wait to go to bed each night because they 'get' to read for half an hour with their lamps on.

Also, I love that the tooth fairy pillow is in this shot, hanging from the reading lamp. Ben had finally lost another baby tooth and got the pillow and hung it up all himself. Both boys seem a little suspicious of the tooth fairy, but we keep telling them that the proof is in the pocket... if you wake up to money where a tooth was placed, she must be real!

1-16

Basketball Saturday again. I watched Sam play, and this picture really shows how he plays. You can see the ball behind him, Sam blissfully unaware, because he is chasing the little boy in front of him! Sam has really caught on to the concept of defense, so much so that he almost forgets his offense! On defense, you are to block the player that has the same color wrist band. For Sam, that has been so much fun that he loves to run around chasing 'his guy' almost the whole game!
I love that he is so happy to play, and I am so grateful that his coaches encourage team work and having fun. Exactly what my six year old needs in his first season of basket ball!

1-15-10

Ben-spectacled!
Ben's new glasses arrived today. I gave them to him in the car after I picked up the boys from school. He put them on and shouted, "oh, WOW!" at all the new things he could now clearly see. What a difference corrected vision makes!

1-14-10

This boy still loves the bath tub. It seems like Ben gave up baths for the shower long, long ago, but Sam still loves a good soak. He will play and sing to himself until the water gets cold and his fingers are plenty prune-y.

1-13-10

It was overdue, this trip to the eye doctor. We learned that Ben is near-sighted and needs glasses for his distance vision. We picked a handsome pair and are anxious to see what a difference they are sure to make.

1-12-10

There's a sickie among us. Sam made an effort to attend school, but his headache and fever made it impossible to stay. He spent the rest of the day napping on the couch, sipping 'that special juice your Mom used to make for you', and refusing to eat. True signs of illness around here.

1-11-10

Dirty, dirty, dirty dog.
Toby went out back to play with the boys after school. The sun was shining, and the snow and ice were melting. Everything was just a little too mushy out there. But Toby was happy as a clam, diving into piles of months-old grass clippings that border our yard. It took me an hour and a half to get him bathed and dried!

1-10-10

Just a quick shot of the boys before bed. Sam is using one of his new inventions, a re-purposed belt, to help climb into bed. He was more than willing to take a quick picture, and to my surprise and delight, Ben decided he wanted to get in on the shot too!

1-9-10

Basketball Player!
The first game of the Upward Basketball season, and Sam's very first game! He played very well, although a little cautiously. Of course, he was at first matched up (to guard or play defense against)with a MUCH taller boy. The tallest boy on the other team! Sam was most proud of his jump to block a shot on the way to the basket. He received many kudos for the move, and shared his victory with everyone he encountered that day. I am so proud of Sam for giving team sports a try!

1-7 & 8-10

Toby running at full speed from way back in the frozen tundra... I mean yard. Love the crazy flapping ears!

Had my zoom lens on for this shot. The boys were sliding around on that patch of ice, having a great time. Toby loved chasing after them and jumping around the ice patch. He learned quickly that he does better to stay on the snow!

1-6-10

Here is Sam's ornament for 2009- to commemorate his start of skiing in January 2009.
I had fun with the Christmas tree light bokeh in these shots.

1-5-10

This is Ben's ornament from Sugar and Pa for 2009- to commemorate his amazing mountain biking on his new red bike in May '09.

1-4-10

Uh-oh, its me again.
The only pictures I took this day were of me, fresh out of the shower, with no make-up! This is a [very much cropped] 'before' shot of me since I started back to my excercise routine today. It will be good to make a comparison to in the future, I suppose...

1-3-10

Look its ME in the picture!
We had a fun afternoon skiing on the mountain. After a yummy pizza dinner, the boys treated us to a light saber duel show (using glow stick swords). We had fun taking pictures with moving glow sticks.

1-2-10

This was just a quick shot, with flash on auto settings. I just wanted to capture everyone getting set up for Monopoly, and I like that Toby was in the frame too. That is a very usual place to find him- sitting by the door in case any one cares to let him outside!

1-1-10

First day of the New Year. Sugar and Pa arrived today for their holiday visit. The boys could not wait to show them Band Hero! Although this shot is really blown out by the lamp across the room, I chose it because we are all in it! You can see my reflection in the window taking the picture. (And also I did shoot this one manually, so the fact that only Toby was blurred was also a victory at this time of day!)