Our week in pictures, post 4

Wednesday through Friday we stuck close to home, enjoying the playground, Princeton Battlefield, afternoon walks and evenings of going out (one night Mama & Daddy, the next night all 4 of us with a babysitter, and then Friday M & I had a date night).
We spent Saturday at the Bronx Zoo.

We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo
How about you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too
Were goin to the zoo, zoo, zoo.
See all the monkeys they're scritch-scritch scratchin
Jumpin around and scritch-scritch scratchin
Hangin by the long-tail (huff huff huff)
And we can stay all day!



Well we stayed all day and I'm gettin' sleepy
Sittin' in the car gettin sleep sleep sleepy
Home already gettin' sleep sleep sleepy
cause we have stayed all day.

Our week in pictures, post 3

On Monday we recovered, and on Tuesday while M studied we drove the 2 hours to Lancaster County, PA to ogle the Amish. We rode a buggy through the farms and sampled pepper cabbage and shoo-fly pie. Here's a little Amish boy we came across:

Our week in pictures, post 2

Then on Sunday we took a day trip to New York City. We rode the train into Penn Station and then rode a double-decker tour bus all over town (and I mean all over town - it's amazing all we saw in one day. It was a great way to see NYC). You could "hop on, hop off" the bus. We hopped off at Chinatown/Little Italy (were we had lunch) and Battery Park so we could see the Statue of Liberty.

Battery Park (Mama & I are at the bottom of the pic/H in the sling):
I include this one because it captures what the day was like on the top of the bus:

I think J's favorite part of the day was the M&M advertisement. He talked of it all day. And this I include because Harry looks so much like Benjamin in it. Don't you think?
In Chinatown - Jackson played in Poppy's hair the entire time he was on his shoulders. Simone, that's the hat you gave us last summer.

Our week in pictures, post 1

My parents came to visit this past week. Here is what we did!

On Saturday, our friends Dave & Bethany gave us a tour of the Princeton campus, something we've been meaning to do all year. He's been a grad student in church history and has read several books about the campus. Princeton was originally Presbyterian, and apparently, they wanted to build the chapel in the traditional Gothic manner, so they built spots where the saints would normally stand, but of course without the saints. Jackson was happy to fill the gap:
And outside of Nassau Hall:

Harry at 5 months

This little boy is such a joy

I've got my limits

I guess like all other kids, Jackson's big into having his various scrapes and contusions treated with a kiss from Mama or Daddy. We're generally happy to oblige. Tonight, however, he turned his gaping mouth to me, pointed toward the back, and told me his tooth hurt. He did, in fact, expect me to figure out a way to kiss it.

Easter 2007

Though it was cold, we had a wonderful Easter day, thanks to our friends the Michelsons, with whom we enjoyed lunch and an Easter egg hunt in their home. Dave Michelson's mother had hidden 30 eggs per child (the Michelsons have 3 kids - Simeon, 5, Joel, 3, and Anna, 1), so there were eggs everywhere. Each child had a colored basket, and they hunted for their specific colored egg. We missed all of you on Easter day especially!

Benjamin's Birthday Party Cont. (see initial post below)

The train set from Mom and Dad was a big hit. What's wrong with this picture? Josh tries out Benjamin's present from Big Bill and Essie while party guests, Sophie, Jack Hendricks, and Cody look on.
Party guests Carrie Hendricks and daught Mackenzie.
I am one exhausted party-planner!

Benjamin's Birthday Party

As promised, here are pictures from Benjamin's birthday party. The choo-choo train cake was a big hit, melting frosting and all... The birthday boy wastes no time with utensils.
Holding a teddy bear from Pop Pop and Grandma.
Wearing a new birthday shirt and playing with my dump truck on Aunt Mara's knee.
The unveiling of the long-awaited baby quilt, a present from Aunt Ruthie and Aunt Keri (with significant contributions from Sally Pierce and Uncle Cody).

Our DC trip

On Thursday/Friday of last week we drove the 4 hours to DC to see the cherry blossoms, and of course Dave & Lynn :). We had already delayed this trip a few days, as we'd been sick, and right as we were about to walk out the door (and of course it was quite a feat to get to this point), Dave called to say that the blossoms were pretty much gone - they had only lasted 3-4 days this year. We went anyway, and found a few late-blooming (which were white, not the pale pink you expect) for a photo op: This one shows the trees past their prime - no blossoms:

The next day we went to the National Portrait Gallery w/suave Uncle D:
Jackson had the honor of sleeping in Uncle Dave's room, which he thought was fantastic, and the rest of us kicked Lynn out of her basement suite for the night. Thanks, guys, for hosting!

AZ swing

4/8/07 I have been sleeping since I arrived in AZ, I just woke up and its time to go home. We did see Emily's dance performance in Phoenix and the Riordan Mansion in Flagstaff, but beyond that all plans foundered.
Keri, Cody, Sarah and I saw The Pursuit of Happiness. DO NOT see it in a theater. The DVD special features are great. It is based on a true story and the real guy was on set most of the time so it is pretty accurate. A great story and Will Smith is dad to his real son, who also does a great job.
It is still up in the air about Sarah and Keri driving back. Keri sees the OB Tuesday and decisions will be made.
Mom is going to pick me up at Little Rock International tomorrow. I have to go to the hospital as soon as I get into town. I've been pretty lazy for 10 days and work will be a shock. BB

The Tao of Pooh?

Last night Sophie was showing Benjamin how she could sing and do the hand motions to "Rolled Away". She threw up her hands and exclaimed 'Halleluiah!' Benjamin watched her attentively for a few moments then threw up his hands and shouted 'Eyeore!'