You know who you are

The responsible parties had better step forward to identify themselves and what they've done; otherwise, we know who you are and what you've done!

Dishwasher Escapades

I really wasn't kidding about the dishwasher thing.

A post-Father's Day post

This year, Dave had to share his first Father's Day with my birthday. Dave invited a few of our friends over to celebrate my birthday, and we ate Father's Day/birthday cake. I got cake decorating tools for Mother's Day and for my birthday, so of course I had to practice my skills. This cake is my second attempt at cake decorating. I really want to make Colin a fabulous cake for his first birthday in a few weeks. I've started watching Ace of Cakes on the Food Network, and I am very inspired to make a magnificent creation. (That show is so great, it just might be my new favorite.) P.S. Dave was very gracious to share his day with me, but we agreed that when my birthday lands on Father's Day again in 2014, we each get our own day. I just like my birthday.

Swimmin' at Papa's

We went to Bakersfield, CA to visit Dave's dad and brother this weekend. The weather was great, so I was excited to take Colin swimming. This was his first swimming experience, and he loved it! Colin loves his bath, so it's no surprise he took to swimming.


It was so much fun to watch him figure out what to do with such deep water. Colin would actually splash his hands, kick his feet, and grunt trying to keep his head above water. (We were really holding him up, of course.) He would swim to Momma, and he made such a terrible face trying to keep his head up on the way over, that we were shocked when he would turn himself around to go back to Daddy. Over and over and over.


Needless to say, he slept very well that night.

My first appeal has been decided!

After close to two years of litigation, the case has finally come to a close. Here is an article about how things ended: Bystander to Wildlife Shooting Has Conviction Overturned or Another Article.

The person who pulled the trigger got no jail and close to $5000 in fines pursuant to a plea agreement. The two friends who were with him, and told him not to shoot, were sentenced to jail time. Mine went to trial and got 30 days jail and about $2600 in fines. The remaining co-defendant, who was supposed to be tried the next day, watched the trial and decided to take a plea for 10 days jail and fines. Because of the appeal, my client, thankfully, never served a day. The State dismissed the only charge remanded for new trial.

Is paint in the vegetable group?

Today I had a little helper sweeping my front porch, and I pulled my blinds up so I could keep my eye on him. It was killing Colin that there was a kid at our house and they couldn't play together! So Colin was glued to the front window, and as he pulled away, I noticed that he had something in his mouth. It was paint chips! Colin was so distraught that he gnawed the paint right off the wall. To be precise, he didn't just take off the paint, he chewed all the way through the plaster down to the metal corner rounder. Yum!

Happy 4th of July!

We're still around!

So things always seem to be busy, but lately they've seemed to be even more so. Colin is incredibly inquisitive these days, and he insists on opening all the cupboard doors and exploring what's inside. (I know we need to put child locks on all 15 of my kitchen cupboards; it's on the list!) Colin used to think it was funny when Mommy said "no", but now we're seeing the beginnings of a very strong personality who wants to do what he wants to do. So if Mommy won't let him in the cupboards, he'll just climb up on the dishwasher door. No kidding.

Colin and I went to Utah at the end of June while Dave was at a conference in Ohio, and the day after we got back we left to go camping in the Grand Canyon with Dave's family. Fun vacations, but I've just had trouble bouncing back since then. BUT- Slowly, but surely, I'm catching up. I've been trying to catch pictures of Colin's antics lately, but he has learned that the screen on the back of the camera is pretty neat (and also how to take the lens cover off) and so I've been getting a lot of this lately:


Colin has also been struggling cutting a tooth for almost 3 months now, and that darn thing will just not come through! He's becoming quite animated when it comes to discomfort or displeasure. He often growls when he falls down or when he doesn't like something!


I've also been busy teaching preschool and art camp this summer. Colin loves when the kids come over and stands at the window looking for them.


He has started imitating them lately; it's enough to make a momma/teacher proud!


Colin thinks that pointers and markers are pretty much the most fabulous things ever invented, and he carries them around the house all day. He has stashes of markers here and there around the house so he's never too far away!