3 boys in pj's

Dear Lead Cousin Hannah:

Here we are in our pj's, sitting on the couch in Gma Jill & Gpappy Larry's living room last night. We had a hard time posing without you here to get us lined up. We miss you and can't wait to see you at the end of March!

Love,
Baby Cousins Owen and Ethan and Assistant Lead Cousin Miles

In the news

Everywhere I turn recently, Dad/Larry/Paco/Grandpappy's name (his real one) is being dropped. Campus websites, the former Yellow Sheet, emails from relatives and friends, and conversations with co-workers, family, and friends..Larry Potts is one talked-about guy! Here is the blurb about Dad/Larry/Paco/Grandpappy's teaching award from the this week's Inside Gustavus (formerly The Yellow Sheet):

Larry Potts (chemistry, emeritus) is the 2010 recipient of the prestigious J. Calvin Giddings Award for Excellence in Education presented annually by the American Chemical Society. Award recipients are honored for enhancing the personal and professional development of students in the study of analytical chemistry. Potts taught in the Department of Chemistry at Gustavus from 1972 until his retirement in 2008 and continues as a research professor in the department. He will receive the award at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society on Aug. 22-26 in Boston.

Congratulations, Dad/Larry/Paco/Grandpappy!

Weekend

This has been a lovely February weekend. Yes, the snow is still higher than an apple pie on the 4th of July (huh?) and the garage floor is a wet sand pit, but the sun came out yesterday and is peeking out again today. Sun plus the gas stove plus an electric heater have turned the room into a vacation spot.

Here are some pics of Busy Boy Miles from his visit yesterday. Annie and Tanner were here, too, after staying overnight with Grandma Doreen and Grandpa Dave.

Miles, the chef, partly obscured by bamboo

Taking a snooze break with Rosie and Beachballelephant

Nice closeup of Milford

"Cheese!"

Lifting the dumptruck

Making hot coffee for Grandpappy

Some days it's a crazy, upside down world, Miles.Annie took all of the pics with my camera, so I'm claiming ownership.
Thanks, Annie!

This morning we skyped with Hannah, who sang "Te quiero yo, y tu a mi" (think purple dinosaur) and other delightful tunes while eating waffles and frutas. She wished Grandpappy congratulations on his teaching award, and he told her he got a sticker for it. She can relate to that (or to a lollipop, as Elisabeth pointed out).

Charlie and Angie, we're happy you had a good trip to Duluth and that the Wilco concert was fun. The babies must have all sorts of tales to tell about their stay with Grandma Dar and Grandpa Dean [Ethan and Owen, keep some secrets to reveal to your parents when they grow up. Parents tend to be more forgiving of their kids' dubious antics if they learn about them 20 years later. Just ask us--we have first-hand experience!].

Minnesota cookout

Tonight Dad/Larry/Paco/Grandpappy cooked a steak for our dinner on the outdoor grill. The temperature was 13 degrees, the wind was blowing strong enough for a wind chill temperature of 5 degrees, and snow fell while he grilled. To help compensate for the cold air, we cut the meat into three pieces so it would cook faster. But Dad did not compensate for the snowfall, so while it looks as if he sprinkled an absurd amount of salt on the plate before adding the cooked steaks, it's actually snow. In other parts of the country, people warm the serving plate, but not here in Minnesota! The steak tasted great, by the way.

February fun

We had a busy Friday and Saturday, with lots of baby and toddler fun. Charlie had an Alumni Board meeting at Gustavus last night and today through mid-afternoon, so he, Angie, Ethan, and Owen came yesterday mid-afternoon. Late in the afternoon, Hannah decided she wanted to call, but didn't know the babies were already here, so when she found that out, we had a great Skype-and-Dine session. Hannah had to work hard to get a word in because the little boys were so happy to see her they talked the entire time. In VERY loud and cute voices!

On Saturday around lunch time, Miles arrived with his mommy and daddy right in the middle of another Skype session with Hannah, this time so she could see Owen crawl. Owen showed off his crawling, Ethan grinned from ear to ear, and then they enjoyed bottles while everyone else talked.

As always, the time went too fast, and we miss everyone from North Carolina to Richfield to O-Town. Here are some highlights:

Ethan performs his magic sock removal trick!

Grandpappy and Miles talk about police cars and prop planes.

Miles teaches Owen the fine art of French cooking. Hannah, your help is needed!


Owen shows off his blue eyes and his duck-fluff hair.
Owen administers first aid to Ethan after a wrestling match.
Apparently Grandpappy said something controversial.
Ethan uses his brother's derriere as a foot rest.

Grandpappy entertains the little boys
while waiting for a Skype call from Cousin Hannah.

First day

I changed everything from what I'd picked yesterday for the start of the semester.

The students are nice, based on first impressions, but I've decided I don't want to be here. What I wish I had for my three objects are (1) an invisibility cloak; (2) Samantha Stevens' "Bewitched" nose-twitch to make myself disappear; and/or (3) a multi-million dollar winning lottery ticket.