Day 3 adventures

The camp director has a special "Tickle Mouse" game that never fails in pleasing the younger campers.  Peter kept insisting "Mo!  Mo!"

Maisie's turn . . .

Peter's turn . . .

NanaB also knows how to soothe the savage beasts with toys.

The counselors took the older three campers on another special adventure to the creek.  This time, we experimented with floating rubber duckies.  Too bad rock throwing proved more popular.

Luckily, the campers weren't too upset with the post-adventure cleanup.  I guess after wading in the freezing creek, the cold water of the hose wasn't such a shock.  The duckies also received a hose-down.

NanaB!  NanaB!  Let me in!  I PROMISE I'm not muddy and wet anymore!

Fred Astaire and Hines Ward?

These two love to dance!

Day 2 -- Dinosaur Hill

The older grandkids had a great time with NanaB at a Dinosaur Hill program this morning -- wearing their adventure hats, of course!

Trust me -- they were much more excited than it looks.

NanaB told them to roar like dinosaurs!

The theme of the program was red, white, & blue.  What better to serve as a snack than rocket pops?

Thank you so much, NanaB!  Next year, you may need a counselor to come along with you since Peter will be old enough to come too!

Camp NanaB 2011 is in full swing!

Day 1 of the 2011 session of Camp NanaB was excellent.  The campers followed a trail to Cobb Creek.

Peter found many sticks to play with, of course.

Everyone got muddy and wet in the creek.

The campers wore their camp-issued "adventure hats".

We tried to take a photo of all of the campers and counselors in our "Camp NanaB" shirts, but there's just no way to get this many goofy kiddos all looking at the camera at once.

Even Granny Great and Grandpa Great are camp counselors this year!  Here's a shot of them without those wiggly boys.

The campers played "getting to know you" games.

Camper Maisie danced on GrandDad's lap while her daddy opened his birthday presents.

After the campers napped, there was a lot of train table play time.  The campers are having a terrific time, but the counselors are wiped out after Day 1.  Tomorrow, the Camp Director will be taking the older two campers to a program at Dinosaur Hill.  The counselors have no specific plans for the younger campers, but it's probably going to involve doing laundry and picking up after the tornado that inexplicably rips through the toy bins every time the campers are awake.

Short but sweet visit with Erin and Sonia

Erin and Sonia drove down to see us (I'm pretty sure meeting the new kitten was a big motivation!) this week and boy, did we have fun!

We visited the Story Bus (an old converted school bus sponsored by our local school district where kids can hang out at read).  Sonia was wearing her famous All Aboard Diner hat and wearing one of my favorite shirts handed down from Charlotte (but originally bought by Auntie Ernie!).

Peter wanted to sit in the storyteller's chair.  He was having a good time until he rocked the chair too hard and I was afraid he would bust out the emergency door window!

CHEESE!  We lined up our little goofballs in age order.  Charlotte is only 14 months older than Sonia, and Sonia is only seven months older than Petey!  Considering Erin and I are four years older than our closest cousin in age (Lindsay) and knowing how much fun we had playing with her when we were growing up, these three should have a blast together over the years!

There are always lots of huggles and schnuggles when these three get together.

My sweet niecey!

I taught Sonia my patented death-defying toddler acrobatics routine.

Then Charlotte needed a turn.

Then Peter finally got his turn.  Then each one of them needed a bunch more turns.  Then Auntie Niki needed a chiropractor.

Ring around the rosie was a good diversion from their pitiful pleas for more acrobatics.

Sonia took Peter's hand and led him around for quite a while.  She is following right in Charlotte's bossy little footprints.

Sonia dove into Charlie's dress-up clothes head-first and came up with this outfit.

After a few toy struggles, Auntie Ernie and I decided the cousins needed to watch a show while we made dinner.

The littler ones had other ideas.

The next day, we went to the Discovery Center.  Turns out all Sonia wanted to discover was the train table.  That girl is nutty for the choo-choos.

Finally a photo of Auntie Ernie!  We dragged Sonia away from the trains by luring her over to the fire truck.

Lunch time giggles outside the Discovery Center!  Unfortunately, the weather was rainy both days so this was the most time we spent outside.  Pooh.

Well, we did jump in the hot tub a few times.  Sonia had a great time splashing around and BARELY being able to stand up on her own in the middle like her tall cousin, Charlotte.  That is one water-loving little niece I have.  Charlotte has been asking for Sonia ever since.  I guess that means we will have to make a trip up there sometime soon!

P.S.  Remind me NEVER to let someone take a photo of me from that angle ever again.  Erin shared her secret with me too late -- hide BEHIND the child!

Kids galore

We have car seats filled with goofy kids all over the place in the Big Red Van!

More (and better) pictures to come of the Evans cousin convention . . .

Random Stuff

Peter and Charlie have been playing with my old Matchbox cars (which delights me to no end).  I decided to get rid of my old, decrepit Matchbox tote, but not before cutting the vinyl cover off the top and bottom.

I trimmed up the edges, and bingo . . .

New placemats.

Charlie loves hers.

Niki making smoothies today.  See our little imp peeking over the couch?

Today, I was absolutely insistent that we take a family picture.  I aimed the camera at Niki, ran over, and promptly took a fantastic picture . . . and cut off part of my head.  Sigh.

I am the luckiest man in the world because I come home to, and wake up to, these three people.

My new Mustang - officially, this is my Father's Day present, even though I took delivery last week.  Some guys get a tie.  I got this.  Did I mention before that my family rocks?

I'm looking forward to spending 9 years behind this wheel.

 My 302 V8.

Charlie and the old Mustang.

One last time behind the wheel.  I bought this car before Niki and I got married; I commuted in LA for years with this thing; Niki and I left our wedding in it; I drove it multiple times up PCH and took it the length of Mulholland; GrandDad and I drove it cross-country from LA; Pie-o-neer Cafe; I've driven this from Memphis to Kingsport, and from Lake Michigan to the Gulf Coast; Niki and I brought Peter home from the hospital in it.  Great car and wonderful memories.

Niki and her kitten.

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to my favorite baby-daddy!  You are the most wonderful father to our little goofball children.  I love you!

We tried a little Father's Day photo shoot this afternoon, with dubious success.  I guess I will never have to worry about depriving my children of the modeling careers they were destined to have . . .

Share and share alike

Poor Connie doesn't have much of a choice whether to share her water bowl with Peter and Rocky.

Since they are two of her biggest fans, I think Connie is willing to look the other way though.