Buster turns 5!

Here's Buster adoring his Albertasaurus play figure and matching cake. He has recently taken to dinosaurs and loves studying his "Complete Book of Dinosaurs" manual. Of all the dinosaurs in the book, only Albertasaurus has a smile on his face and that's why he likes it. He's a pretty sweet kid.




Buster has a motorized train- Gordon- who uses three AAA batteries, and Buster constantly is grieved by how they slowly loose power and Gordon fails to be the "fastest and best". So we knew right away what he needed for his birthday.

Aunt Julia gave him some toy fighter jets and one has propellers that can face forward or turn up to become like a helicopter. That was the right pick for Buster- in one mode, they're propellers, in the next, ceiling fans.

Peter as Wolverine (or Hugh Jackman?)

Which is more like the real Peter? The one on top comes out quite a bit more easily than the one on the bottom. He has a matching voice to go along with the character as well. He is one tough hombre!

End of Summer

The boys had a pretty good summer. A lot of lounging in the pool, popsicles, and trips to the waterpark. I think July saw me break my personal record for most times swearing at how hot I thought it was (it ain't no dry heat either). Too bad winters here are as comfortable as passing kidney stones....

Nate is Bananas

Nate loves himself some banana's! One every morning - sometimes two!

Sleepy Buster

Buster has never been what you'd call a cooperative sleeper. His exploits are well known even on this blog (fili-buster about mowing? see below). Here he had apparently gotten out of his bed and come down on the stairs to listen to the party we throw every time we get all 3 boys to bed - and in waiting for us to discover him - fell asleep. Cute enough not to punish him...this time.

Peter's 3rd B-Day!

Peter turned 3 on September 15th - its hard to believe he isn't 13 or 23 or even 33! His cake was a big hit and, after putting out the flames from the exhaust, we let Pete dig right in. He is a very special, very funny boy!

Buster at the Water Park

Here is Buster getting a bucket-full of water in his grill. He is hilarious at the park - running from under one dumping bucket right to the next.

For a Remarkable Grandma

Today marks the 85th birthday of a most remarkable person: my grandma. She is and always has been a wonderful part of my life and, more recently, of my kids' lives as well. Two years ago when I visited, we took this photo-
Peter was just a baby! But he can still give that same look. Buster warmed up to Grandma then but it was really last summer that they both began to make memories. The boys and I enjoyed an especially memorable summer last year when we lived with my mom and dad while organizing a move from Connecticut to Nebraska. We often saw Grandma, and the boys truly began to know her, for which I am most grateful. Here they are with her when we were celebrating her birthday in August of 2010-When we would go over to her house, she'd give the big boys popsicles and to them I think now the two are inseparable: Great-Grandma...that means...horray!! we are having popsicles! After a refreshing treat, Buster usually wanted to go down into her basement to see if the furnace was still broken or into the shed to see her spread of lawn mowers and weed whackers. Peter's memory is of one time later in the fall when the acorns had started to fall and were collecting on the deck overlooking the ravine. He had a lovely time showing her how he could shoot them over the edge. Nathan was, of course, always with us and happy, the angel baby that he was. The next photo is one of my favorites ever, taken by my dad. You look beautiful, Grandma.
Now that we live in Nebraska, we look at pictures to remember. And we make popsicles in the Zoku. And we send letters. I love that you type yours on an old typewriter, Grandma. They're always such a treat to get in the mail. Thoughtful, and always witty. I hope you have a very happy birthday, Grandma, and that this year is the best ever for you, too.
Love, Erica, and love from Ben and the boys.