Friday Afternoon Fun with Dad

So Laura went to her annual retreat with some lovely girlfriends Lindsay D. and Charlotte T. to San Antonio. Which means... a full weekend of daddio-on-the-patio time! Woohoo! These girls (and Stone) survived Friday night! Here are some pictures of our evening!

Cold, wet nose. Too close, too close! 

Balancing on the left foot for a quick magazine-quality stare quickly turned into a tumble and roll down the yard.  :-)

You know you love these cheeks!

Partners in crime...............

Who me????

Yes YOU! Caught red-handed!

Getting teeth so fast she doesn't know where to put that tongue anymore! :-)

Her favorite spot during daddio-on-the-patio time.

Good profile picture of Stone, staring longingly at the hardworking laborers next door.

More swing pics. On the swing by herself! Big girl!

Can this thing hold me?

It was only a minute. I only fell asleep for a minute. Did anyone see me?

I don't remember what she was talking about in these pictures but it was a mile-a-minute. Probably something about the grass-sand-water-ant "soup" they were making and trying to force me to eat. Yum...

Still room for two more next year but that's going to be one heck of a balancing act on this hammock!

Our schoolgirl (starting in 2 days!!!!!)

This picture taken seconds before she kicked her crocs off and advised me that when she says "Service"  that means that I'm supposed to go get her crocs and put them on her feet so that she can get off the hammock. (Keep dreaming girl)

Is it just me or is that bone Claire-sized?

Claire stands on the hammock for the first time (with a little assistance)!

BFFs. Amazing how cute they can smile after some mint chocolate chip ice cream!

beautiful evening with my beautiful babes in Geckoland.

Claire smirking but not quite smiling tonight despite having Laura, Lucy & Molly leaning over her say "Hey Smiley Smiles Smiley Smiler You Smiley Smiler You!" in a baby voice. She's strong-willed because it was making me crack up! Geez. Look @ that cute lil bald  head. Mmmm so kissable.

 

Fight it Claire! Fight the evil estrogen power! Lets go fishing instead!!!!   :-)

I was SO close to getting ALL FOUR girls smiling in one picture for the first time!

 

I'm not entirely sure Claire's face was a smile here and Popper slipped out of frame just in time. She's so elusive!

Lucy's mischevious little 4-year-old grin when she learned that the sprinkler can be use for both good AND evil ;-) Yes, my cactus are awesome. Eat your heart out :-D

Next we moved to the swing. Look @ those freckles or as her cousin Lilly calls them, "spots"!

Daddy just practicing catching a moving subject on film... Didn't do too bad in this picture but it took 100+ to get this one :-D (I won't photolog those ones!)

Who me? This is hard work! Molly caddy's me around the yard. So cute. Working so hard.

 

Molly showing her golfer which way the wind was blowing. Turns out, if your fingers are covered in snot it's really hard to throw a blade of grass in the air... Hence the perplexed, cross-eyed stare at her fingertip.



The family swing. The house could burn to the ground and fall in a sinkhole. As long as this tree and its swing remain unharmed... all is well in the world. If you cannot hear the laughter when you see Poppers in this pic, something is wrong w/ you :-)

  

Too cute not to zoom in a little. Laughing at the top of her lungs. I'm lucky I didn't see any of her dinner after these few swings. My little daredevil is about 6' up in the air and she kept saying "Wing me. Wing me. Ush me. Up Der. Uckles, Uckles (buckles), Higher uh Higher Ahhhhhh!!!!!"

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Now reflect on the mystery buried in those dark eyes and how beautiful life truly is.

This photolog brought to you all courtesy of Laura who is the best wife and mother in the entire world. Without whom, none of the above pictures would be remotely possible and to whom I owe absolutely everything. And... to whom is currently standing in the kitchen laboring over ugly brass cabinet/drawer pulls. Stating repeatedly "I just can't SEE the kitchen w/ these things on. They're so hideous and distracting"