Abby loves her family

The other day, Abigail and I were sitting together when Frances approached. I said something about, "There's my girl!" Frances shook her head, so I asked, "Who are you?" Abigail shouted, "She's a SUPERHERO!"

Abby frequently makes comments like, "You my fam-a-lee.... right, Mom?"
and "I like my fam-a-lee."

Surfer girl

Frances now has her very own surfboard! I found it on craigslist, and the guy who sold it to us is in the business of re-selling boards. He asked me Franny's height and weight, and recommended this board for her. It is a softboard, not fiberglass, so it won't hurt as much when it hits her (or someone else). It's never been used, still in the original packaging. I'll have to figure out how to attach the fins (it comes with a special tool for that purpose). Frances has a spring suit, as well as two people who've offered to help her learn to surf. She did a little surfing about a year and a half ago with her friend August, on his board, and could stand up and ride the waves on her third try. My athletic child...


And who would have thought that a little child born in Kazakhstan would end up being a California surfer girl?

Bossy baby

Abigail loves Kathleen's dogs. Lacey and Boomer are a mix of Mastiff and bull terrier, and are very gentle and patient. Abigail is fascinated by them. Initially, she was afraid of dogs, but she overcame that, and now pats the dogs, plays with their big feet, sits next to them and drapes her body across them... and those dogs just look at the family as if to say, "Can someone get this kid off of me?"

We visited Kathleen last weekend, and the weather was warm. Abigail walked up to Boomer, who had his mouth wide open, panting. "Hey!" she admonished him. "Close you mouf!" I had to tell her that panting is how a dog stays cool in the heat.

For some reason, Abigail wanted to get nose-to-nose with Boomer. Maybe she thinks that he will listen to her, if she looks him in the eye...

Who needs water?

We recently went out to visit the Anderson family in Redlands, for eighteen-year-old Kariana's high school graduation. They had drained the pool to do some maintenance, and while it is empty, they are having fun with it.

In one of these photos, you can see that there is a set of patio furniture in the shallow end of the pool! And the butcher paper in the deep end is there to serve as a movie screen, for movies projected onto it.

Abigail was initially reluctant to walk around in the empty pool. I think it kind of freaked her out! And although you can't see it in the photos, when it is empty, I realized that this is a big pool! Frances played in it for a while, having a ball, so Abigail naturally wanted to follow her big sister. Frances kindly spent some time holding Abigail's hand, until finally, Ab was running around in the pool like Frances.

Frances was having fun figuring out what would make interesting photos, like her hanging from the ladder on the side of the pool.

When it was time to go home, both girls were still happily playing in the pool. I wonder what Abigail will think the next time we're in Redlands, and there is water in the pool?!

Fun with Stickers

When you shop at Trader Joe's, the checker often gives your children stickers. Not just one sticker, but a strip of 6, or 10, or even 20. From these photos, it is obvious that we've been to Trader Joe's, and that my girls get creative when left to their own devices in the backseat of the car with a strip of stickers!