Heard this evening

Amalia (seeing kids on a soccer field): They're playing basketball.

Me: No, that's soccer.

Amalia: That's soccer. (pause) Not basketball. Basketball fun. Mommy likes basketball.

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Me (holding up two cans--minestrone and "Chicken Tuscany"): Lily, which soup do you want for dinner?

Lily: I can only trust the one I've had before. This one (picking the minestrone).

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Lily: Mommy, Amalia's feeding her crouton to Dana (the dog).

Me: Don't tattle.

Lily: Well, it's not bad for the earth.

Ties are SO last year

Apparently the new thing is customized t-shirts. Both Amalia's and Lily's classes made them for Father's Day this year. At least he can't be expected to wear them to the office.

"My daughter walks all over me." So true. Amalia, however, didn't care much for the feel of the paint on her feet.

Lily decorated the area around her iron-on portrait. Andy wore this to the park on Saturday and a mom walked by and commented that he was making everyone else look bad.

Pajama Day!

Lily takes after Andy -- she's NOT a morning person. We usually have to resort to some combination of carrots and sticks for her to get ready in the morning. Not today, boy.

Today was Pajama Day. It was not much after 6:30 a.m. when we could hear Lily banging around in her room. Imagine my surprise when she came out already dressed and ready for me to do her hair.

It does make me wonder what Andy would wear if his office ever had Pajama Day.

Daycare diary

Yesterday's entry from Amalia's journal:

Amalia had a good day. She is really loving and such a sweetheart. Today when she saw that a friend was upset while in the buggy, she rubbed his head and said, "DJ, don't cry. It's OK." She really showed understanding toward her friend's feelings.

Aww, now if only she'd save some of that for her big sister. Poor Lily gets banged around quite a bit by this toddler "angel."

Giants and jellyfish

Yesterday we went to Baltimore to see a They Might Be Giants concert. Like the rest of us, they've gotten older and are now making music for kids. And we're glad that they are.

After needing a little time to acclimate to the throngs of people, the darkness, and the loud noise, Amalia was quite at home--pushing her way to the front row of the balcony.

We then headed over to the amazing Baltimore aquarium -- mostly to get out of the heat.

The girls really loved the sharks, sting rays, and dolphins. But the jellyfish are still my favorites.


These looked like they were in the spin cycle.

And Daddy was his name-o

I neglected to post a video clip from Lily's Father's Day program a couple of days ago with the rest of the pictures. Note that the Pre-K singers are much more in sync this time around compared to the M-O-M-M-Y version last month.

Time flies

It's been a while, so the following pictures are a bit of a mish-mash of the past couple of weeks.

Lily found a fossil when Andy was digging in our back yard. We told her that archaeologists clean their fossils very carefully with toothbrushes.

Amalia is her apprentice.

Artists at work.

Today was the Father's Day program in Lily's Pre-K class. That's Lily leaning in to tell her friend a very important secret, I'm sure.

In the middle of the pack.

Lily with Andy and her wonderful teachers.

Cooling off after school.

Rub-a-dub-dub, two girls in a tub.

A night of firsts

When you're only 22 months, life still has a lot of firsts left in it. Amalia knocked a few off her list tonight.

First block party.

First snow cone.

First rock cover band.

Lost in Austin

Here are more snippets from my trip with Amy to the "Live Music Capital of the World." Think I'm tempted? You bet. If only Andy could stand the heat.

View from Mt. Bonnell, the highest point in Austin.

Requisite back-of-people's-heads concert shot. In the way back is Austin-based Bob Schneider playing at the Saxon Pub.

Our ride. It took me about a day and a half to get used to driving stick again. Now that I'm back in our Highlander hybrid, my left foot is feeling left out.

Canoeing on "Lake Austin."

We tried not to whack the numerous swimming turtles on the head.

Just like Tom Sawyer. Well, except for the skyscrapers.

A river runs through it.

"Blue Hole" in Wimberley, Texas.

An honest-to-goodness swimming hole.

The water was 69 degrees.

Refreshing!

The Whole Foods mother ship.

And this is just the wine section.

Our last supper.

How twee!

Amy, before heading back to the airport...and reality.

Heather, soaking up every last ounce of relaxation.

What I failed to capture was Verde's, an amazing Mexican restaurant that had its own backyard (brilliant!), the very redneck Charlie Daniels Band show, and numerous other quirky (dare I say weird) Austin sights. Good times all around. Thanks again to our hosts, Toli and Christine, and to everyone back at the ranch.