Vivian has a birthday

Happy Birthday, Vivi!!

Whew! That's FOUR birthdays this month. Coincidentally, Vivi is turning FOUR!

Elisabeth has a birthday

Happy Birthday, Elisabeth!!

Lots of love to you as you enjoy a prime number year!

A happy birthday

Gpappy/Larry/Dad's birthday was great. Perfect weather, and contact with big kids and little kids. On Sunday, the Otowners treated us to lunch and fun at a local playground.

Gpappy got a big chuckle out of Westy's version of the Happy Birthday song, and Miles was amused by Gpappy's reaction. Yummy apple crisp, as you can see!

Where there's a will to dig, Westy will find a way. The recently-updated playground equipment  has some really cool workerman equipment!

 

Miles worked hard to make a special present for Gpappy, which turned out to be delicious as well as fun!

The NC quartet sent a duet video on Monday morning, and then called later in the day to sing again. Gpappy enjoyed all of it!

On Monday after school and work, the St. Peter contingent appeared with cupcakes and presents and cards. Notice the particularly sparkly candles. We should have been suspicious--they are the kind that won't blow out easily. Owen doesn't appreciate it when scientific principles are violated, so he was a bit frazzled by the experience!

Hooray for cupcakes!

Somebody guessed right that Dad/Larry/Gpappy needed a new Gustie teeshirt.

 

Even though he often is indifferent about social media, Larry/Dad had fun finding out who wished him a happy birthday after seeing pictures posted by Annie and Elisabeth on Facebook. I just hope no one tracks down those photos of him in his birthday suit stored in the Cloud.  Ha ha!

Larry has a birthday

 *** Happy Birthday, Larry! ***

I posted this picture a few weeks ago, but here it is again. Gpappy, surrounded by six of his favorite people (and me).

Tanner has a birthday

Happy Birthday to You, Tanner!

We wish you a great day, and a WIN for the Packers!

P.S.  It would be so cool if you had a worker-man vest and a hard hat. 

Too bad you're not getting them for your birthday. : o (

Handshakes and hugs

All the cousins who are age 5 and over have started school and are working on adjusting to new routines. Vivi and Westy have new daycare teachers, too, so it's a fresh start for everyone over the age of 3-3/4! Thanks to the mommies and daddies, I am posting these pictures for posterity.

2nd grader Hannah offers advice to pre-schooler Vivian.

Miles, starting first grade, is well aware that pre-schooler Westy 

won't listen to any advice he might give, so he's not even trying.

 

Two bros starting kindergarten together are the best of friends.

I'm throwing in these "groupies" as a tribute to the goofy factor that appears on occasion (many occasions) in all three families.

 

We're proud of all six sweet little kiddos, and wish each of them a great school year!

Watermelon seeds

Now that technology has provided the world with the seedless watermelon, current and future generations of children may be cheated out of watermelon seed spitting contests. That's a dang shame. Yesterday Annie and Gpappy visited Grandma's Little Acre and brought home a yummy "real" watermelon, seeds and all.  

The four MN cousins had some time together in the afternoon, so after a quick trip to the Blue Park, they downed Popsicles (thank you, E and O) and watermelon.  Here are three of them, learning how to spit watermelon seeds.

 Miles has his seeds loaded.

Owen is searching for a spitable seed

Ethan, getting the seeds in place and scoping out a target.

 Let the spitting begin!

Okay, so I didn't get a good shot of all three of them spitting off into space, but at least you can see the seriousness and cuteness involved in the process! 

I can't think about watermelon and summertime without remembering these three champion watermelon seed spitters, hanging out on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.   Annie was Hannah's age -- the summer after first grade!

Back to yesterday.  Westy wasn't interested in spitting watermelon seeds. He wanted to get a head start filling his water squirter and making an evil face! (BTW, notice the very blonde hair streaks in Westy's hair and how they match Annie's above. She pointed out to us yesterday that W has inherited her mosaic hair pattern.)

Soon everyone was filling squirters, chasing each other, and screaming because (a) it's fun to get squirted; (b) it isn't fun to get squirted; or (c) some of each.

Here's the fireworks finale-- look closely and you'll see synchronized vertical squirts, orchestrated by the the squatting squirts doing the squirting.

Happy Labor Day, one and all. I know it involves labor for some of you, and I remember well when it involved labor for me. Not anymore!