Camping Trip Numero Uno

Last night we went camping for the first time since having children, just a little trial run up the canyon the next town over from us. We brought everything from our white noise maker to some classic tinfoil dinners to more marshmallows than humans should ever consume in the course of one evening. The boys loved it and both slept like dreams. Mike and I, on the other hand, woke up every few minutes paranoid that the boys would not sleep well or be cold or get eaten by giant ants. That, and we didn't have our humidifier (yes, we are like 100 year-old cranksters). Overall, we consider the experiment a success, although Jude's love of fire only deepened, which could be concerning...

Jude loves hot chocolate with mini-marshmallows

Luckily, Jude comes by the love honestly

Jude and Tyler loved playing with the little potato bugs

In other news, Mike has a job. The Airforce JAG Corps accepted him as a candidate, which means we will be heading to who-knows-where (where there is an airbase) come sometime next winter.

Easter Weekend

Oh, did I mention

that Jude changed his own diaper again during nap time? This time he used the carpet as his wipe. He must have been concerned about how many he used last time, right? (Save the trees!) (And no, Jude is not that environmentally conscious). So, I came in to not only some serious skid-marks on the carpet (bless our nasty, brown-speckled Berber) but he'd decided to not let that colorful goop go to waste and he painted a few walls with some truly stunning modern designs (move over, Duchamp...). Can I just say it was decidedly less charming this time around?

Potty Training Himself

Yesterday when my brother went in to retrieve Jude from his quiet time, something was afoot. There was an open, poopy diaper on the floor next to a pile of thirteen wipes or so. Britt didn't think Mike or I would leave poopy diapers lying around, and use that many wipes, but maybe we'd let things slip? Also surprising, Jude had no pants on and some superman underwears on inside out. He hadn't realized we would hazard putting Jude down for a nap without a diaper, but maybe things had rapidly progressed in the 24 hours since we had last seen him. Britt put some pants on Jude and brought him down to us. Jude started playing and after a half hour or so, when giving Jude a hug, I noticed a serious lack of padding on Jude's normally diapered bum. Jude then informed us that he had changed his own diaper and put on his special underwears all by himself. A few seconds later, he told me he needed to urinate in the toilet (there is no "pee-pee in the potty" at our house, per Mike's insistence) and then he did. When I checked his bum, it was remarkably clean. Mike went up to investigate and the kid really did change his own diaper and put on his own undies. Oh, how I wish I could have seen that diaper change, least of all to see his technique. Hopefully next time he'll keep me in the loop.

Warm San Diego Sun

Last week, we got back from a trip to visit Mike's family in San Diego. Per usual, we had an amazing time. We went to the tide pools for the first time and Jude saw two starfish and held one. I held it too, and felt secretly thrilled in my heart to hold such a strange thing.

We met up with Mike's law school buds, Kristina and Andreas, and they went surfing.

I stayed on shore and kissed Bubbers and played with Jude. We collected all kinds of shells (broken or whole) and Jude tried to collect a bunch of seaweed and weird sea things as well. That didn't last.

We also touched sea anemones. They have sticky, purply-green tentacles. My brother, Britt, came to San Diego too and while he was at the tide pools, he accidentally dropped a sea snail into the clutches of the anemone, much to the horror of all bystanders. (He he he)

Jude ate sand. That didn't last long.

Mike surfed. This one is for me. You may also look at it if you can contain your swoons.

Bubbers smiled. And his blue eyes sparkled.

Anne came along and took pictures with her sweet camera and played with the boys. We miss having her living close to us.

Britt fulfilled a bucket list dream and learned to surf. He did amazingly. He got up several times and even rode an unbroken wave. Contain your swoons, ladies, contain those sighs.

Lately

We have been painting. Mostly, Jude, actually. Although I did take a crack at painting some awesome shapes the other day. My crescent was the most pathetic thing I've seen. It looked like a bloated "C." Jude, on the other hand, is making the most cutting-edge modern art. I'm seriously in love with it. We entitled his last masterpiece, "Purple snow falling on the barren earth."

We've been making Gabe laugh. We've been nibbling his toes. We've been counting his fat rolls.

We've been hanging out with cousins.

We've been trying to get Gabe to crawl. Jude and I do tummy time with him, enticing him to rock back and put one knee in front of the other with ridiculous coos and squeals.

We've been practicing our blue steel poses.

And finally, we've been reading lots. Jude can recite most books back to me. My favorite is when he quotes Wild Things and says, "Oh, please don't go; We'll eat you up we love you so."