Little Monkies

In a large mixing bowl, combine two parts imagination, two parts plastic and a dash
of superhero spirit. Recipe will yield two cute, little monkies in 'Target Warrior Suits'!

Aidan and Catherine were inspired to poke leg holes in Target bags and put them
on as if they were outfits. Aaron and I just watched them and laughed as they
assigned their particular superpowers to different hangers and ran around,
burning off steam. It was a-d-o-r-a-b-l-e and most definitely a photo moment!


Come to think of it - Aaron, if this is still "cool" in the fall, they could wear these
for Halloween. Just buy them some tights and a candy pale! : )





Aaron got in on the action, too...They evil villain to be conquered by the good
superhero?


...Wrestling time with dad!

Pam's girls, Lauren and Meghan, heard about these Target Warrior Suits later that
weekend and had to try them on for size. Apparently, something about stripping
down to your underwear and wearing a plastic bag with your sibling is quite
inspiring. They were having so much fun. Ahh, to be a kid again!


Meghan, left, watches her sister, Lauren, as they get in line for a picture.


Lauren's feelin' it! She was clearly inspired here! This will be one of those
pictures to show her boyfriends when she gets older. Or maybe Pam
could put it on a slideshow at her high school graduation.


I think Aaron had it right when he said Meghan looked like a little
chicky-Harry Potter here!


I call this one, Constant Motion.

On another day entirely...

This was pre-bath time. They wanted to play for a few extra minutes; Here
they were pretending to drive somewhere. Such vivid imaginations. There's
a lot to be said for turning the television off and using our brains and voices.
Of course, they watch a little TV...if anything, it's actually a kids movie.
Everyone needs to zone out now and then, but they rarely watch television.
Instead, they create things like Target Warrior Suits or whatever the order of the
day is. They run around and play with each other, making for much better memories
and exercise then they can get from watching Barney...Or CSI or whatever we
watch, for that matter. Being around these two always helps give me so much
perspective. They ask such great questions, pick up so much from things
happening around them, have awesome energy. They're up for anything. And they
love so completely. They love people and life and each other. Not a bad way
to live!

The rest of these are just a few random photos of Aidan, Catherine and Aaron
from our time with them.

Aidan is six years old now. He is in kindergarten this year and is doing great.
I think he's an interesting combination between a thinker and a feeler. Very
sensitive to things around him and emotionally aware, but he's quick, process
minded and witty. We had a lot of fun learning some new jokes together. I was
amazed at how fast he retained them. He was a one man show! It was
fabulous. This trip, I noticed how much older he's gotten...He doesn't generally
take a nap, he sometimes gets to stay up a few minutes later than the rest of
the kids. He was even helping me with directions when I was driving them around.
And that was not just in the area where they live that he sees everyday. He helped
me figure out if I was going the right way when we headed downtown to see Aaron
and Pam take off for their half marathon. It just made me realize...They really don't
stay tiny forever.


Catherine, four, and me in our PJs. I love that they still like to snuggle; I hope
they always do.


Aaron the evening before his graduation

Catherine and Aidan at the park...






And these last two photos are among my personal favorites. Such cute kids,
and good people, too.




*****************************************************
That concludes all the posts from when we were home in May, with the
exception of some pregnancy pictures I took of Jennifer Truman. (We took those
with her camera. So, she's going to send me the files later.) And now, I can
move onto some Ireland related posts, which I know you all want to see.
Also, we have some big news to share that I'll be posting soon. So, stay tuned!

Incidentally, I added three new sections in the right margin that I'll update every
week or two. One is called 'Trigger Happy' and will be a place to highlight
different photographers whose work inspires me. I hope it will do the same for
you. The second and third are just for fun...One is called 'From the Week'. For
those of you who aren't familiar, The Week is the best magazine E-V-E-R! They
publish this tiny section about random things happening around the world that
you'll rarely hear about in the news but are clever and entertaining nonetheless.
I'm sure you'll be hooked to them before you know it. And then, finally,
'We The People' is a spot I've dedicated for a bit of political satire, related of
course, to the Constitution. And there is a new 'He Said, She Said', as well! I
hope you all have a great week...and don't forget to excercise your constitutional
rights! : )