Apple Picking

We got to go apple and pear picking at our friends' house. They have two huge apple trees and a pear tree. It was fun to see them and spend time picking fruit. We've been enjoying the apples; Mary discovered that she can eat them whole.

Outdoor Fun

 A common part of our morning routine lately has been Mary playing outside while I clean up the kitchen after breakfast. She loves spending time outside. Some of her favorite things are picking berries and watering. It's so fun to watch her out there having a good time.

New Recipes

 Cooking is more of a challenge nowadays, but as we are getting into the swing of having two kids I've been getting a little more adventurous in the kitchen again. We've tried a few new recipes lately; one of them was this Italian Couscous Salad that my friend Janelle recommended. We thought it was good. We've also enjoyed rhubarb chutney, Gong Bao chicken with noodles, and goolash.

Phone Time

 This little guy is too cute, and he likes to chew on everything.

Good Times in the Backyard

We made a trip up to see the Starbucks yesterday. It was so nice to see them all. The kids had a great time playing outside together, which was great because they got to have fun and it meant we got more time to actually visit with Ben and Rachel. We concluded the day with dinner on the patio, and Mary got to sit at the kids' table.

 

Pepper sent us home with a little gift for Mary that she picked out from her toys. It was a sweet gesture and Mary had a fun time opening it up and playing with the toys.

Table Time

 

Joshua has been hard at work on his dissertation and recently revised and printed all but the final chapter. Now it's my turn to proofread it. Mary and I have been enjoying some time at the table together to work on our projects. It's exciting to see Joshua's hard work coming together.

Funnel Cakes

 

Once every few years or so, Joshua decides to make funnel cakes for a special treat. This week was one of those times. Mary enjoyed getting to try them for the first time.

Adventures

One of Mary's favorite games right now is going on adventures. She grabs her beanie and the shape sorter and says, "bye-bye, see you later" then heads off to another part of the house. Soon she reappears with an enthusiastic, "hello" as she takes off her hat. Pretty soon it's time to put back on her hat, say good bye, and head off on another adventure.

Six Months

David is a boy on the move. 

Sometimes he army crawls on his tummy and sometimes he gets up on his elbows and knees, but either way he gets around pretty quickly these days.

He loves to explore and is happy with his increased ability to check out the interesting things around him. He's also working on sitting up on his own.

David has his two bottom front teeth now. 

He loves spending time with people and comes over to check out what the rest of us are doing.

 

Often this means whatever Mary is playing with, but he also comes to grab ankles and toes if we are sitting on the couch or at the table.

David continues to be full of laughter and fun and is a delight.

Treat Time

Sometimes Mary gets to share a special treat with Daddy and they sit in their treat spot to eat it together.

Table for Four

We had our first dinner as a family of four on Saturday when David tried out his highchair for the first time. He has been fussy at mealtimes lately and I've been wondering if he feels left out. It seems like that might be true since he was thrilled to be at the table with us and was all smiles and laughter. He liked eating pumpkin, and he and Mary had a grand time sitting next to each other.

Out for a Stroll

It was a beautiful morning for a walk by the river.